Saturday, May 12, 2012

The Christian Post: Saturday May 12 2012 Iyyar 20, 5772

worship
(Photo: Reuters / Lucy Nicholson)

Mother's Day Church Attendance Third Highest After Easter, Christmas

By Luiza Oleszczuk

Behind Easter and Christmas, Mother's Day draws the highest attendance in U.S. churches, a recent study shows. LifeWay Research, a Christian research center, asked 1,000 Protestant pastors what the three highest attendance Sundays were

Sex Sells, Even in Christian Bookstores

By Jeff Schapiro

There's been no shortage of Christian books on the topic of sex in recent months, and Christians across the United States are buying them up in order to spice up their marriages.

US

world war II

Congress to Consider Bill Adding FDR Prayer to WWII Memorial

By Michael Gryboski

A bill that would add a display of the prayer that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued for the D-Day invasion of World War II was introduced in the Senate Thursday.

A new $50 million dollar initiative designed to help people and communities across the U.S. experience a day free of poverty is being launched this weekend by faith-based organization Convoy of Hope.

For all the attention on Mitt Romney's commencement speech at Liberty University on Saturday, most of it has been on how or if he will try and woo evangelicals voters. But the conservative school's president, Jerry Falwell, Jr., hopes the focus of Romney's message will be on the graduates and not on politics.

President Obama is disregarding the will of the people by supporting same-sex marriage, said Focus on the Family President Jim Daly.

Church & Ministries

Craig Groeschel

Pastor Challenges Christians to Detoxify Their Soul

By Lillian Kwon

For many Christians, watching a movie with some violence, bad language, and a little sex scene is no big deal. But one pastor says it can be poisoning their soul and driving them farther from God.

Crystal Cathedral, the Garden Grove, Calif., megachurch known for its "Hour of Power" broadcasts, will this weekend during its celebration of Mother's Day, honor Roman Catholic icon Mother Teresa of Calcutta and feature a special sermon from the Rev. Bobby Schuller.

One of the largest Pentecostal denominations in the United States has officially announced its opposition to President Barack Obama's stance on same-sex marriage.

A California judge has ruled in favor of The Episcopal Church in a years long legal battle over the property of a couple breakaway congregations.

Minister Franklin Graham appeared on the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) this week, co-hosting its signature ministry program "Praise the Lord" with network co-founder, Jan Crouch, just as the network is facing scrutiny over allegations of financial dishonesty.

PCUSA to Lay Off More Workers

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) plans to cut ...

Who Should Christians Vote for? Look to Biblical Teachings, Pastor Urges

Dr. Ken Hutcherson, pastor of Antioch Baptist ...

Hollywood Stars Back Obama's Same-Sex Push With $15M Fundraiser

President Barack Obama, who on Wednesday ...

SC Church Billboard Displays 'Message From Satan'

A South Carolina church has launched an ad campaign featuring billboards which have a message signed by Satan.

Gay Adoption 'Fine' With Romney

On the heels of President Obama's comments that ...

Why Does Obama 'Evolve' but Romney 'Flip-Flop'?

Most of the press has covered President Obama and ...

More Blogs

Does Protesting Gay Marriage Advance the Gospel?

Before you read this, if you aren’t familiar ...

On Love, Homosexuality, and Sin: An Evangelical Proposal

By Rob Schwarzwalder Evangelical leaders across ...

Tattoos, Mini-Skirts, Pink Hair and Drugs

Is teen rebellion a necessary part of raising a ...

ReThinking Church, Part 5 – Biblical Conversions

The greatest missing element we witness today ...

Entertainment

World Boxing Organization welterweight champion and congressman Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines gestures during a press conference in Manila in this March 26, 2012 file photo.

Manny Pacquiao Offers Biblical Advice to Friends in Philippines After Public Brawl

By Christine Thomasos

Manny Pacquiao, 33-year-old high-profile Filipino boxer and congressman, took a moment from his training session in California to mediate a situation using the Bible between his friends in the Philippines.

Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees 12-time All-Star closer, was vocal about his faith in the Lord after he tore his ACL last week and recently said he was blessed because doctor's discovered that he was suffering from an additional injury, a blood clot in his calf.

The federal government will earn future profits off of an upcoming film about the early life of Jesus' mother Mary, backed by popular Lakewood Church pastor Joel Osteen.

World

An Egyptian expatriate living in Jordan casts his ballot at a polling station at the Egyptian embassy in Amman May 11, 2012, during an early voting ahead of Egypt's presidential election.

Religious Freedom, Shariah Take Center Stage During Egypt's Presidential Debate

By Luiza Oleszczuk

The two front-runners for the Egyptian presidency recently faced off during the country's first televised presidential debate, with religion and Islamic law dominating the discussion.

Christian organizations and Good Samaritans around the world are joining together this week as part of an awareness and fundraising campaign that hopes to impact the lives of over a billion people globally.

No matter their religion, few lawyers would take on the responsibility of legally defending Christians in Iran, a country that is majority Muslim, with a confusing legal system that treads a fine line between courthouse law and faith-based Shariah law.

Argentina has made history by becoming the first country in the world to make sex-change operations a legal right of every citizen, mandating that public and private insurance providers cover such surgeries.

Tech & Biz

Stand Up And Pray

'Stand Up And Pray' Website Unites Believers and Social Media

By Vincent Funaro

Believers all over the world can now join each other online and exchange prayer requests with the new Stand Up And Pray Facebook application created by Christian entertainment company EGT.

A billionaire co-founder of Facebook has renounced his United States citizenship ahead of the company's initial public offering— a move that analysts say is becoming more common among wealthy Americans.

Apple will launch a 7-inch iPad in October of this year at price in between $200 and $250, according to a recent report from iMore.com.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 is currently available for pre-order on three carriers overseas including Vodafone, O2 and Three.

Mother's Day and the Infertile

By Russell D. Moore

Mother's Day is a particularly sensitive time in many congregations, and pastors and church leaders often don't even know it. It is good and right to honor mothers. We must recognize though that many infertile women find this day almost unbearable.

OPINION

Spirituality as Parody

By Eric Metaxas

yoga

For many of today's spiritual seekers, life is a big buffet: Take a little of this, a little of that. But how nourishing is this spiritual smorgasbord?

SERIES

How Should the Church Love a Gay Couple? (Part 1)

By Paul Stanley

United Methodist Church

How should Christians express love and minster to couples living in a homosexual lifestyle when these couples attend church? Both Christians and non-Christians seemed bewildered by the issue.

U.S.

Every Day Is Mother's Day at Pregnancy Resource Centers

By Jeff Schapiro

pregnant

A live webcast put on by the Family Research Council brought some prolific pro-lifers together to show that Pregnancy Resource Centers aren't just in the business of saving babies, they are in the business of helping mothers too.

COLUMN

The Double-Reach of Self-Righteousness

By Tullian Tchividjian

pharisee

There's an equally dangerous form of self-righteousness that plagues the unconventional, the liberal, and the non-religious types. We become self-righteous against those who are self-righteous

OPINION

Redefining Bullying: A Savage Attack

By Eric Metaxas

anti-gay bullying

Americans recently got a lesson in hypocrisy -- and of how dangerous it can be to redefine words.

COLUMN

Five Reasons Christians Should Continue to Oppose Gay Marriage

By Kevin DeYoung

new york gay marriage

It can seem like the whole world is having a gay old time, with conservative Christians the only ones refusing to party. The temptation, then, is for Christians go silent and give up the marriage fight.

COLUMN

President Obama, Same-Sex Marriage, and the Future of Evangelical Response

By Ed Stetzer

obama

Homosexuality is not an easy issue. Christians have said a lot of unhelpful things about the subject over the years-- but that does not mean we cannot say helpful things now.

LIVING

Spoken Word Poet Jefferson Bethke, Fiancée Talk Faith and Marriage

By Katherine Weber

Spoken Word poet Jefferson Bethke is engaged to marry his girlfriend of two years, Alyssa

Jefferson Bethke, the spoken word poet whose YouTube video "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus" garnered millions of hits, recently proposed to the woman he has been dating for two years. The couple, who both attend Mars Hill Church, recently shared with The Christian Post their views on marriage, faith and love.

OPINION

Evolution's End? President Obama Calls for Same-Sex Marriage

By R. Albert Mohler, Jr.

President Obama's call for the legalization of same-sex marriage yesterday is an historic and tragic milestone. An incumbent President of the United States has now called for a transformation of civilization's central institution.

OPINION

What Maurice Sendak Can Teach the Church

By Russell D. Moore

Where the wild things are

Maurice Sendak, who just died, doesn't seem, at first glance, to have much to teach Christians. After all, he was an atheist with a cynical outlook and a foul mouth.

LEADERSHIP

Top 10 Temptations That Leaders Face

By Perry Noble

perry noble

Devoting more time to an online audience (twitter/facebook) rather than leading your family, your staff and investing in the REAL people that God is bringing to your church

WORLD

Shrine Discovery in Judah May Confirm, Clarify Biblical Descriptions

By Jeff Schapiro

Excavations at Khirbet Qeiyafa

An archaeologist from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem says he has discovered cultic shrines dating back to the time of the biblical King David, which may provide clarity to some obscure building references in the Bible.

COLUMN

When Paul Sent the Celebrity Pastor

By Kevin DeYoung

There have always been men who gain a certain notoriety for their preaching of the gospel. Paul spoke of a brother "famous among all the churches for his preaching."

PASTORS

Dangerous Calling: Pastoral Ministry Is War

By Paul Tripp

Bob Pitman

Why do so many pastors report being over-burdened and over-stressed? Why do so many pastors report tension between family life and ministry life? Why does pastoral ministry often seem like more of a trial than a joy? Why is there often disharmony between the private life of the pastor and his public ministry persona?

ENTERTAINMENT

Movie Producer DeVon Franklin: Hollywood Paying Attention to Faith-Based Audience

By Alex Murashko

DeVon Franklin

The Hollywood entertainment industry has become increasingly aware of the growing market for faith-based films and entertainment, said movie producer DeVon Franklin at the Biola Media Conference at CBS Studios on Saturday.

OPINION

TBN: Trouble in Paradise

By Ken Connor

TBN

It's a drama fit for reality television: Sadly, it's not the Real Housewives of Orange County at the center of this drama, but the first family of Trinity Broadcasting Network.

CP BLOG

Gay Conversion Therapy: Good or Bad?

By Matt Moore

Although I fully support biblical and spiritual counseling, I am not the biggest fan of the idea of conversion therapy. Nor am I a fan of programs that lead people to focus more on their desire to have heterosexual attractions than their to desire to know Jesus Christ (who, by the way, is the only One who holds the power to create such a transformation in sexual desires).

CP BLOG

How Is Your Worship Team "Really" Doing?

By Christian Post Guest Voices

Rick Muchow

When is the last time you got on the balcony? No – not the balcony at your church building or even the hotel from your last vacation. It’s Jason Hatley here (Pastor of Worship Arts at The Journey Church) with a quick (but important) leadership principle that every pastor and worship leader needs to practice… Getting on the Balcony.

OPINION

Telling the Whole Story: The Flight of Chen Guangcheng

By Eric Metaxas

Chen Guangcheng

The whole world loves a good escape story. But in the case of a certain Chinese dissident, the world needs to hear the rest of the story.

CP BLOG

Tom White, Abuse, VOM, and the Power of the Internet

By Christian Post Guest Voices

Tom White, Executive Director of Voice of the Martyrs.

Last Thursday afternoon I received a call while in my office at Emmanuel Enid. One of our secretaries buzzed in and said, "I have a man on the phone who claims to be the father of the young girl abused by Tom White and he wishes to speak to you." My heart skipped a beat.

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