A grateful heart is one of the characteristics of kingdom living. Unfortunately, giving thanks is one of the greatest deficits in the body of Christ.

In the first chapter of Romans, we find that God judged certain individuals because they did not acknowledge the God of heaven, nor were they grateful (see Rom. 1:21). God was angry with them because they continued to gripe about their surroundings and “lack” while choosing to remain distant from Him.

Complaining about ordinary (or extraordinary) problems in life is natural, especially when it upsets our ideal of comfort. Being uncomfortable causes us to insist on our own way, inferring that God doesn’t know what is best for us.

Certainly we must pray about such things and give the reins of our lives into His hands, but we must also assume a posture of gratefulness in the process, even when we odn’t understand His ways. As the Lord spoke to the prophet Isaiah, “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord” (Is. 55:8, NIV).

The way God thinks is way beyond our ability to grasp. Be that as it may, if we apply our hearts to wisdom and seek His face, the Holy Spirit will reveal the heart of God, for the Spirit searches the hearts and knows the deep things of God (see 1 Cor. 2:10).

A definite way to experience the blessing of God is to give thanks in all things. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Paul did not say, “For everything you must feel grateful.” That would be ridiculous and humanly impossible. But in every situation it is possible to choose an attitude of thanksgiving.

It is possible to rejoice in suffering for the sake of God’s kingdom and count it all joy when we encounter various trials of faith (see James 1:2). Giving thanks is neither a denial mechanism nor an intended escape from reality.

We are seated with Christ in heavenly places and His plan is for us to look down upon our circumstances and no longer live under them (see Eph. 2:6). We must see things from God’s point of view, changing our philosophy of life to fit the faith we confess. Our position is secured through the act of giving thanks to God through Christ Jesus.

Our generation is hungry for the paranormal. People everywhere are looking for answers, and their search has led to an obsession with various forms of spirituality that are devoid of God’s light and full of the lies of the enemy—witchcraft, astrology, necromancy, sorcery, spiritism and so on. Many have come to depend on psychics for the answers they seek.

We live in a time when the lost, often unwittingly, “[exchange] the truth of God for the lie” (Rom. 1:25, NKJV). Scripture foretold of this time: “‘For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect’” (Mark 13:22).

To lure the unsuspecting into their web of deceit, psychics often market themselves with such titles as “accredited psychic,” “proven psychic” or “registered psychic.”

They sometimes gain prominence because well-known celebrities who claim to have been helped by a psychic empathetically tell TV viewers they, too, can be helped. A few psychics even proclaim that the gift they display comes from God.

People who are at a low point in their lives are generally the most vulnerable to this deception. But surprisingly, the same hunger is portrayed in the church.

I am not talking about Christians who consult with fortunetellers, although it may shock you to learn that hordes of God’s people do so. What I am addressing is the temptation of Christians to make “fortunetellers” out of those in the church who have a prophetic gift.

Prophets, Not Psychics

For some reason, the church has begun to view revelatory people in the same way the world views psychics. They believe that prophetic people should have an answer for everything the inquirer wants to know. They treat prophetic individuals as if they were “Christian psychics.”

On several occasions earlier in my life, I experienced this type of feeding frenzy. In my immaturity, I succumbed to the demand of hungry inquirers who were a part of the body of Christ or who sat in the pew next to me. However, I have learned that we as prophetic people do not need to be driven by this demand.

We are not in competition with occult practitioners. Nor are we to take the place of God, who longs to speak individually to each believer through His Holy Spirit. The Lord gives all of us the assurance that if we call on Him, He will answer us in ways that will astound us (see Jer. 33:3; Matt. 7:7).

At the same time, God gives some individuals prophetic words and insight that we need to hear, just as He gave His word to Ananias to deliver to Saul before he was known as the apostle Paul (see Acts 9:17). To everything, however, there is a time and a season (see Eccl. 3:1,7).

In the midst of the feeding frenzy for prophetic words, some people gifted with revelation may wonder how to respond to the demands facing them. They may ask, “If I ‘know’ the answer to someone’s question, should I feign ignorance or lie?”

On various occasions, I have watched a friend of mine, who is very mature in his prophetic gift, exhibit great humility. Although God has revealed many things about future events, and the economy in particular, to him, my friend has felt impressed by the Holy Spirit not to reveal publicly everything God shared with him.

Instead, he committed what the Lord showed him to prayer. When he was asked publicly about the economy, I watched with amazement as he responded with godly wisdom to the hungry demands of others. Although my friend had a clear word from God, he wisely said to eager inquisitors: “The economy is a very complex thing and has confused even the most educated men. What do you think God is saying?”

With his reply, my friend did not lie or violate God’s confidence. Instead, he responded as Jesus often did—by answering a question with a question.

From God’s perspective, everything has a proper time or cycle. Though God may reveal future events or the answer to a problem to a prophetic person, He may not release the person to share the information at that time. We must walk in the spirit of wisdom and discern the proper times and seasons.

God, who does know all, has granted to us as prophetic people a sliver of revelation. Therefore, we do not need to appear as prophetic know-it-alls. We do not always have to have “the” answer to a question or issue that is posed to us.

In fact, one sign of spiritual immaturity is attempting to answer everything that is asked of us. Remember, “even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; when he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive” (Prov. 17:28). Usually, it is insecurity and a need for recognition that cause a person with a prophetic gift to respond prematurely and with presumption.

Prophetic Tips

I’ve learned a few lessons in my last 20 years of prophetic ministry. Here are some tips to help you avoid mistakes:

* Don’t allow another person’s insistence and impatience to force you to produce revelation. If you do, you will be offering the person your soulish speculation or personal opinion.

* Don’t allow yourself to feel pressured into telling others everything you know about an issue. Be sensitive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. You must believe God will promote you and raise you up, if that is His purpose for you.

* Don’t spend time seeking God for an answer to another person’s dilemma unless he has spent more time in prayer concerning the issue than you have. Another person will value what you have to say only if he has exhausted his own strength.

* Don’t feel obligated to generate a prophetic answer for every question posed to you. You are not God. You know only as much as He tells you. Furthermore, you were not given a revelatory gift to be a “prophetic 7-Eleven convenience store.” We are all called to know God and to listen to His voice.

* Don’t be compelled to give a direct answer. In your dialogue with others, practice asking questions rather than making statements.

This exercise of restraint will develop your listening skills and cultivate the fruit of patience. It will also help foster humility in your soul. In this way, you will practice allowing your spirit to rule over your soul.

As time goes on, psychics and occult practitioners will become more visible. Increased instability in our country will create an increased demand to know what lies ahead. Consequently, people will look either to the occult or to God for answers.

We need to be careful not to look to prophetic individuals as non-Christians would look to psychics and astrologers. Remember, God is faithful to tell us what He wants us to know. We simply need to seek His face and listen to Him.

As the church, we need to listen to God individually and corporately. This is not to say we don’t need prophetic gifts. I am convinced there will come a day when the “prophets of God” will openly challenge the “prophets of Satan,” much as Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal (see 1 Kin. 18:1-40).

In fact, I believe the highest use of the prophetic gifts is outside the walls of the church. I am expecting prophetic evangelism to flourish in the near future as never before. When it does, God will pour out His power in unprecedented measure.

I look forward with you to that glorious day!

John Paul Jackson is the founder of Streams Ministries International, a prophetic teaching ministry headquartered in North Sutton, New Hampshire. A popular teacher and conference speaker, Jackson travels around the world teaching on the art of hearing God, on dreams and visions, and on the realm of the supernatural. He is the author of several books, including Moments With God Dream Journal and Unmasking the Jezebel Spirit, both from Streams Ministries.

Is it hard for you to stop your anger from escalating? Here is a list of Scriptures that you can meditate on to help you control your anger.These scriptures were taken from the New King James Version of the Bible.

1. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm (Psalms 37:8).
2. A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of wicked intentions is hated (Proverbs 14:17).
3. He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, but he who is impulsive exalts folly (Proverbs 14:29).
4. A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger (Proverbs 15:1).
5. He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city (Proverbs 16:32).
6. The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression (Proverbs 19:11).
7. Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man do not go,
   Lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul (Proverbs 22:24-25).
8. But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire (Matthew 5:22).
9. “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil (Ephesians 4:26-27).
10. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you (Ephesians 4:31-32).
11. So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God (James 1:19-20).
12. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth (Colossians 3:8).
13. Do not say, “I will recompense evil”; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you (Proverbs 20:22).
14. A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back (Proverbs 29:11).
15. But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient (2Timothy 2:23-24).
16. Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing (1Peter 3:8-9).
17. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you (Matthew 6:14).
18. Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools (Ecclesiastes 7:9).
19. ‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD (Leviticus 19:17-18).

In this season we must rehearse the Word! We must meditate on what God says until the power of that revelation enters our bloodstreams and cell structures. We also must learn to worship and minister in our homes. Doing so will allow our gifts to be activated in new ways in small groups. When the time comes that we are not free [to worship publicly in our church buildings], we will already know how to continue in our homes. Take the points below and use them to speak into your life and the environment around you.

Linda Heidler is a scribe in God’s house who tries to capture the revelation that is coming forth each time we meet for corporate prayer, discuss in meetings what the Lord is saying from heaven and prophesy. We then “watch” and war with this revelation. Below are 10 key revelatory war points she gleaned during the last two weeks of October for you to decree into your atmosphere:

1. In the season of Ayin, or “The Eye,” when God will open your eyes to the demonic realm in a greater dimension, you must see beyond the dark structure that you have discerned and view into the realm of God. The Lord is showing you the demonic so you will know what is resisting you or what will attempt to block or discourage you. When you see these foes, do not be overwhelmed. Remember Elijah saw the “word and the demon gods” that Jezebel was aligned with and ran from his position of authority (see 1 Kings 19:1-2). His actions postponed the Lord’s plan to change the government of Israel.

2. The Spirit of God is giving you the prophetic revelation you need before you need it. Be alert to look again at what He has already said to you in the past seasons. He will refresh His voice so you can gain the revelation you need now and see a manifestation of His grace and promise in your life.

3. God has released engineering and conducting angels. The Spirit of God wants many things engineered (as in construction) and conducted (as in electricity) in this season. We are entering into a new 16-year building season. The apostolic leaders who are being raised up today will be downloading heaven’s building plan for His kingdom projects. Invite these angels as messengers to bring God’s plans.

4. God will be sending some of His people into dark structures. Do not fear the darkness. He will give you “night vision” to see a path of righteousness through any unrighteous structure. This will be like moving in the Gulf Stream through the normal ocean currents. The Gulf Stream is a warm stream that originates in the Gulf of Mexico, goes through the Florida Straits and then moves into the colder waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The demon forces will part like the Red Sea and will be held back while God’s children go into their new assignments.

5. We must go up to the source of the river. Do not look at just “jumping in the river” in this season, but go to the source—the place where the river is beginning. Go to the high places. Topple old thrones of iniquity, follow the river down, and break all dammed structures. Find the supply sources that have been withheld from you in the last season. God is opening your eyes to see those in need and is filling your mouth with the word that will bring them past the plan of the enemy.

6. There is a shout rising from us that will cause God to meet us with His shout. He will open the fountains of the deep to release the revelation about how [we are] to enlarge our tents and walk forward in this season. There is a shout deep in your belly where the “springs of living waters” exist. Play skillfully with this shout as it rises and flows from your mouth (see Ps. 33).

7. There is a new “drink” [spring] bubbling up within us that will expel bitterness, pain and sorrow.

8. God will open our eyes to things we could not see in the last season so that He can activate the vision within us and finish what He has begun in us. He is Alpha and Omega. Alpha will show you what needs to be finished. Omega will show you how to walk things to the end.

9. God is making our minds new. The crowns you received in the last season need to be cast at His feet. Those crowns were meant to be given to our Lord and not worn into this season. He is fitting us and giving us new crowns to present to Him. He is putting new turbans on our heads and developing a new mindset for a new season. Read Zechariah 3.

10. You will see Babylon arise in a new way. Do not fear. The kingdoms of the world are becoming His. This will happen as we are sent, as Daniel was, to be the greatest influencers in the Babylon system.

About the author: Chuck D. Pierce is the president of Glory of Zion International Ministries in Denton, Texas (gloryofzion.org). He is known for his accurate prophetic gifting and has been used by God to mobilize prayer throughout the world. Pierce is also the author of many books, including his two most recent, Interpreting the Times and Redeeming the Time (both Charisma House).

Hebrews 10:1-17 We studied about the tabernacle and the pattern of prayer. We saw that now we can begin our prayers instantly with worship, because Jesus through His shed blood on the cross purchased us the right to now go boldly to God’s mercy seat and find help in time of need. Only the high priest in the first covenant could enter into the holy of holies where he saw the mercy seat with the cherubim over it. He could only enter through the veil of the holy of holies once a year on the Day of Atonement. We have the great privilege now of entering God’s throne room daily to find help in time of need because of the authority we have in Jesus’ name and through His shed blood.

The sacrifices offered by the early priests on the brazen altar were imperfect. Jesus truly is our all in all. He not only is our new High Priest, but He is also the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the earth. When John saw Jesus, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” The sacrifice the early priests made to atone for the sins of the people had to be done once every year, and the sins of the people were only covered, not taken away. The Bible tells us, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has the Lord removed our transgressions.” This fact should make us want to enter every day with praise through the gates of thanksgiving. This great transaction on the cross when our sins, iniquities and transgressions were laid upon Jesus is aptly described in Hebrews 10:14: “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”

Jesus was the perfect sacrifice who now gives us the hope of being presented blameless, without spot or wrinkle (perfect in every way) to the Father when we see Him face to face. Because Jesus was perfect, we now can be perfected in Him. Thank You, Jesus.

When I survey Your wondrous work on the cross, I stand in awe of what You purchased for me on that day. Help me, Lord, to allow Your Holy Spirit to conform me daily to Your image. Thank You for the hope that when I see You I will be like You— perfect and complete.

READ: Ezekiel 21:1-22:31; Hebrews 10:1-17; Psalm 108:1-13; Proverbs 27:12

God’s love for us is unconditional and unchanging. This is clearly seen in the words of Jesus’ prayer the night before His crucifixion: “Then the world will know that you [God the Father] sent me [Jesus Christ] and will understand that you love them as much as you love me” (John 17:23, NLT).

Did you catch that? God loves you as much as He loves Jesus! That’s almost too much to comprehend!

Scripture records that God’s love “is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]” (1 Corinthians 13:7-8, AMP). His love for you can never weaken or become obsolete. It is impossible, for His love for you isn’t based on your behavior but on His character of faithfulness. God’s love for us is so all-encompassing that we simply cannot comprehend its scope.

He sent Jesus to die for us when we were still His enemies (see Romans 5:10). John the apostle writes, “For God so loved the world [you and me] that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Why did God give Jesus? The answer is simple: to purchase us back. Our forefather Adam gave up himself and consequently all his offspring (including you and me) to a new lord when he heeded Satan’s words in the Garden of Eden. Adam disobeyed God and separated himself and his descendants from their Creator. But since God loved humankind so much, He wasn’t willing to assign us the same fate as Satan and his angels.

God needed a creative plan to purchase our freedom. He did this by sending Jesus Christ, the second person of the Godhead, who was fathered by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. Jesus was all man and all God and lived a perfect life (the only man ever to walk the earth without sin). He went to the cross and paid the price for our disobedience to God. He took our judgment so we wouldn’t have to.

The price of our soul is so expensive that nothing else could have bought us back besides Jesus Himself. Scripture states, “God bought you with a high price” (1 Corinthians 6:20, NLT). Then again it’s recorded that the Father “is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his Son” (Ephesians 1:7, NLT). No person or thing is more valuable to God than Jesus. Yet God saw our value equal to that of what He prized most.

Now here is the amazing fact: If you and I had been worth one cent less to God than the value of Jesus, He would not have purchased us because God would never make an unprofitable deal. God does not make bad purchases. (Recall the above scripture, “God bought you with a high price.”) A bad purchase is when you give something of more value for something of less value. In God’s eyes, Jesus’ value is the same as yours! Do you see how important you are to God? This is why Jesus prays, “You love them as much as you love me” (John 17:23, NLT).

That’s extraordinary love!

Marked by boldness and passion, John Bevere delivers uncompromising truth through his award-winning curriculum and best-selling books now available in over sixty languages. His newest book is Extraordinary: The Life You’re Meant to Live. More information is available at www.ExtraordinaryOnline.org.

A Coptic Christian blogger in Egypt held in prison for more than a year without charge said Monday he will go on a hunger strike unless authorities grant his next application for release.

Hani Nazeer, a 28-year-old high school social worker from Qena, Egypt and author of the blog “Karz El Hob,” received word Monday that his latest application for release, sent to the Ministry of the Interior a week ago, was denied. His attorneys said they would re-apply for his release tomorrow.

The interior ministry did not “supply the grounds for refusal” according to Rawda Ahamad, Nazeer’s lead defense attorney.

“He has no charges against him,” Ahamad said. “He is not a criminal. He must be released immediately. He’s an innocent man—anyone exposed to this severe injustice would do the same.”

On Oct. 3, 2008, Nazeer was arrested by Egypt’s State Security Investigations (SSI) and sent to Burj Al-Arab prison. Although police never charged him with any crime, Nazeer has been detained for more than a year under Egypt’s administrative imprisonment law.

Nazeer ran afoul of SSI officers a few days before his arrest when a group of local teenagers visited his website and clicked on a link to an online copy of “Azazil’s Goat in Mecca,” a novel written under the pseudonym “Father Utah.” The book is a response to “Azazil,” a novel by Yusuf Zidane, critical of Christianity.

Insulting religion is illegal in Egypt, but the law is enforced unequally. Zidane’s critique of Christianity garnered him fame and awards throughout the Arab world. Nazeer’s website link cost him his freedom, despite the fact that police have never publicly produced any evidence linking Nazeer to Utah’s work. After Nazeer was arrested, posts continued on Utah’s website.

Nazeer has reported to his attorneys that he has been placed in prison with felons, some of them violent. He also claims that prison authorities have pressured him to convert to Islam.

Gamel Eid, executive director of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, the group representing Nazeer, stood by his client’s accusations, saying police have urged inmates to suggest to Nazeer that officers would work to free him if he were to convert to Islam.

Nazeer’s situation is complicated by the fact that his writings upset both Islamic authorities and the hierarchy of the Coptic Orthodox Church. On one hand, he criticized the increasing Islamization of Egyptian civil society. On the other, he lamented the political involvement of the Coptic Orthodox Church. In one post, Nazeer wrote that a gathering of activists at a Coptic church was inappropriate because churches were meant to be venues for prayer, not for politics.

According to Eid, Nazeer was arrested with the complicity of leaders in the Coptic Orthodox Church. In October of 2008, police detained Nazeer’s relatives at a police station and threatened to hold them until he came out of hiding. Nazeer turned himself into the police station on the advice of Bishop Kirollos of Nag Hammadi, Nazeer reported to his attorneys. Kirollos assured Nazeer he would be detained no more than four days and then be released.

Kirollos had denounced Nazeer to security, Nazeer told his attorneys.

All attempts to reach Kirollos about his alleged involvement in Nazeer’s arrest were unsuccessful. Several attempts to reach Bishop Anba Yoannes, authorized to speak about the case on behalf of the Coptic Orthodox Church’s Pope Shenouda III, were also unsuccessful. Egypt’s SSI, a political police force run by the Interior minister, routinely declines to comment on cases.

This week’s application will be sent to a court within the Ministry of the Interior. But under the emergency law, police officials have the power to ignore court orders. When local police execute a court order to release prisoners held under Egypt’s emergency law, security police commonly re-arrest them minutes later.

The law, enacted after the 1981 assassination of President Anwar Sadat, allows authorities to hold people without charge. Eid estimated that there are approximately 14,000 people imprisoned under this law. In 2005, while running for re-election, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak promised to replace the contested law. But in May of 2008, the Egyptian government extended the law for two more years.

Mamdouh Nakhla, an attorney and civil rights activist in Egypt, said oppression of Coptic Christians is common and that many police officers in Egypt are the “agents of persecution.” At best, he said, they are complicit in acts of persecution. At worst, he added, police collude with others hostile to Christianity.

“They give green lights to Islamists, and protect them, and give them the feeling that they are immune from prosecution,” he said.

Feed the Children President Larry Jones was fired Friday from the ministry he founded 30 years ago. He is expected to file a wrongful termination suit this week.

The organization’s board of directors did not give a reason for voting to terminate Jones’ employment “effective immediately,” according to The Oklahoman. Jones’ wife, Frances, was not terminated.

(Photo: Larry Jones with wife Frances at feeding outreach in New York)

The firing came after Jones admitted to police that he authorized the installation of hidden microphones in three executives’ offices last April, including his daughter’s. Larri Sue Jones is Feed the Children’s general counsel.

The termination is the latest in an ongoing battle over who is in charge of the Oklahoma City-based compassion ministry. Last December, Jones had several directors removed from the board and had top executives fired, including his daughter, after learning they planned to force him to take a sabbatical.

A judge reinstated the leaders, and in August a lawsuit about the power struggle was settled when Jones agreed to give up operation control.

In April, Jones had hidden microphones installed in the offices of his daughter, the chief financial officer and the chief operating officer, two of his attorneys told The Oklahoman. A private investigator found traces of the devices in the ceilings of the offices and got Oklahoma City police involved.

Jones’ attorney said his client had the microphones installed to record his own conversations when he was in those offices. David Ogle, who specializes in criminal defense cases, told the Oklahoma City newspaper that ministry executives had misrepresented Jones’ comments in the past.

In Oklahoma, it is legal to secretly record one’s own conversations, but it is illegal to bug offices or listen in on others. It is not clear whether Jones will face charges for the hidden microphones.

Ogle said Jones passed a polygraph test last week about his intentions for the recording devices. Another attorney, Mark Hammons, told The Oklahoman that Jones would have to be convicted of a felony for authorizing the microphones in order to be fired for it.

“I did nothing wrong there,” Jones told The Oklahoman. “I knew what the law was. … They used wiretapping as the excuse [for the termination].” 

Jones is worried that the ministry will see greater declines in giving this year because of the firing. 

“I was in such shock,” he told the newspaper. “I thought they had enough foresight to see that this is by far the best time of the year to raise money. … This makes absolutely no sense-none at all. Already, people are calling, saying, ‘Larry, if you’re not at Feed the Children, we’re not going to do these projects.’ … Thirty years of hard work down the drain.”

Hammons sent a letter to Feed the Children Friday demanding that directors remove Jones’ name, likeness and voice from all advertisements.

The ministry reportedly collects more than $1 billion in donations each year; records show Jones was paid $230,323 annually, The Oklahoman reported.

A Coptic Christian blogger in Egypt held in prison for more than a year without charge said Monday he will go on a hunger strike unless authorities grant his next application for release.

Hani Nazeer, a 28-year-old high school social worker from Qena, Egypt and author of the blog “Karz El Hob,” received word Monday that his latest application for release, sent to the Ministry of the Interior a week ago, was denied. His attorneys said they would re-apply for his release tomorrow.

The interior ministry did not “supply the grounds for refusal” according to Rawda Ahamad, Nazeer’s lead defense attorney.

“He has no charges against him,” Ahamad said. “He is not a criminal. He must be released immediately. He’s an innocent man – anyone exposed to this severe injustice would do the same.”

On Oct. 3, 2008, Nazeer was arrested by Egypt’s State Security Investigations (SSI) and sent to Burj Al-Arab prison. Although police never charged him with any crime, Nazeer has been detained for more than a year under Egypt’s administrative imprisonment law.

Nazeer ran afoul of SSI officers a few days before his arrest when a group of local teenagers visited his website and clicked on a link to an online copy of “Azazil’s Goat in Mecca,” a novel written under the pseudonym “Father Utah.” The book is a response to “Azazil,” a novel by Yusuf Zidane, critical of Christianity.

Insulting religion is illegal in Egypt, but the law is enforced unequally. Zidane’s critique of Christianity garnered him fame and awards throughout the Arab world. Nazeer’s website link cost him his freedom, despite the fact that police have never publicly produced any evidence linking Nazeer to Utah’s work. After Nazeer was arrested, posts continued on Utah’s website.

Nazeer has reported to his attorneys that he has been placed in prison with felons, some of them violent. He also claims that prison authorities have pressured him to convert to Islam.

Gamel Eid, executive director of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, the group representing Nazeer, stood by his client’s accusations, saying police have urged inmates to suggest to Nazeer that officers would work to free him if he were to convert to Islam.

Nazeer’s situation is complicated by the fact that his writings upset both Islamic authorities and the hierarchy of the Coptic Orthodox Church. On one hand, he criticized the increasing Islamization of Egyptian civil society. On the other, he lamented the political involvement of the Coptic Orthodox Church. In one post, Nazeer wrote that a gathering of activists at a Coptic church was inappropriate because churches were meant to be venues for prayer, not for politics.

According to Eid, Nazeer was arrested with the complicity of leaders in the Coptic Orthodox Church. In October of 2008, police detained Nazeer’s relatives at a police station and threatened to hold them until he came out of hiding. Nazeer turned himself into the police station on the advice of Bishop Kirollos of Nag Hammadi, Nazeer reported to his attorneys. Kirollos assured Nazeer he would be detained no more than four days and then be released.

Kirollos had denounced Nazeer to security, Nazeer told his attorneys.

All attempts to reach Kirollos about his alleged involvement in Nazeer’s arrest were unsuccessful. Several attempts to reach Bishop Anba Yoannes, authorized to speak about the case on behalf of the Coptic Orthodox Church’s Pope Shenouda III, were also unsuccessful. Egypt’s SSI, a political police force run by the Interior minister, routinely declines to comment on cases.

This week’s application will be sent to a court within the Ministry of the Interior. But under the emergency law, police officials have the power to ignore court orders. When local police execute a court order to release prisoners held under Egypt’s emergency law, security police commonly re-arrest them minutes later.

The law, enacted after the 1981 assassination of President Anwar Sadat, allows authorities to hold people without charge. Eid estimated that there are approximately 14,000 people imprisoned under this law. In 2005, while running for re-election, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak promised to replace the contested law. But in May of 2008, the Egyptian government extended the law for two more years.

Mamdouh Nakhla, an attorney and civil rights activist in Egypt, said oppression of Coptic Christians is common and that many police officers in Egypt are the “agents of persecution.” At best, he said, they are complicit in acts of persecution. At worst, he added, police collude with others hostile to Christianity.

“They give green lights to Islamists, and protect them, and give them the feeling that they are immune from prosecution,” he said.

Feed the Children President Larry Jones was fired Friday from the ministry he founded 30 years ago. He is expected to file a wrongful termination suit this week.

The organization’s board of directors did not give a reason for voting to terminate Jones’ employment “effective immediately,” according to The Oklahoman. Jones’ wife, Frances, was not terminated.

(Photo: Larry Jones with wife Frances at feeding outreach in New York)

The firing came after Jones admitted to police that he authorized the installation of hidden microphones in three executives’ offices last April, including his daughter’s. Larri Sue Jones is Feed the Children’s general counsel.

The termination is the latest in an ongoing battle over who is in charge of the Oklahoma City-based compassion ministry. Last December, Jones had several directors removed from the board and had top executives fired, including his daughter, after learning they planned to force him to take a sabbatical.

A judge reinstated the leaders, and in August a lawsuit about the power struggle was settled when Jones agreed to give up operation control.

In April, Jones had hidden microphones installed in the offices of his daughter, the chief financial officer and the chief operating officer, two of his attorneys told The Oklahoman. A private investigator found traces of the devices in the ceilings of the offices and got Oklahoma City police involved.

Jones’ attorney said his client had the microphones installed to record his own conversations when he was in those offices. David Ogle, who specializes in criminal defense cases, told the Oklahoma City newspaper that ministry executives had misrepresented Jones’ comments in the past.

In Oklahoma, it is legal to secretly record one’s own conversations, but it is illegal to bug offices or listen in on others. It is not clear whether Jones will face charges for the hidden microphones.

Ogle said Jones passed a polygraph test last week about his intentions for the recording devices. Another attorney, Mark Hammons, told The Oklahoman that Jones would have to be convicted of a felony for authorizing the microphones in order to be fired for it.

“I did nothing wrong there,” Jones told The Oklahoman. “I knew what the law was. … They used wiretapping as the excuse [for the termination].”

Jones is worried that the ministry will see greater declines in giving this year because of the firing.

“I was in such shock,” he told the newspaper. “I thought they had enough foresight to see that this is by far the best time of the year to raise money. … This makes absolutely no sense-none at all. Already, people are calling, saying, ‘Larry, if you’re not at Feed the Children, we’re not going to do these projects.’ … Thirty years of hard work down the drain.”

Hammons sent a letter to Feed the Children Friday demanding that directors remove Jones’ name, likeness and voice from all advertisements.

The ministry reportedly collects more than $1 billion in donations each year; records show Jones was paid $230,323 annually, The Oklahoman reported.