Charlottesville Riots Reveal Need for 'Sweeping Revival and Spiritual Awakening' - CHRISTINE D. JOHNSON CHARISMA NEWS

A protester holds a sign reading "Racism is not Patriotism" at a march against white nationalism in New York City the day after the attack on counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Reuters/Joe Penney)

Charlottesville Riots Reveal Need for 'Sweeping Revival and Spiritual Awakening'

 8/13/2017 CHRISTINE D. JOHNSON  CHARISMA NEWS

Join us on our podcast each weekday for an interesting story, well told, from Charisma News. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.

---

The Pentecostal Charismatic Churches of North America (PCCNA) is praying for peace and healing after Saturday's attack in Charlottesville, Virginia. The group, which represents thousands of churches, is calling upon the church to build bridges in light of the racial division in the U.S.

Several members, including Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, have also issued statements.

"When hell exhales, the outcome is hatred. Both unacceptable and diabolical, racism must be confronted by God fearing people," Rev. Rodriguez said.

Church of God in Christ (COGIC) President and Presiding Prelate Bishop Charles Blake, Church of God General Overseer Tim Hill and International Pentecostal Holiness Church Bishop Doug Beacham also spoke on the matter.

"The violence, hatred and white supremacy on display in Charlottesville, Virginia, must be condemned by all people of faith and goodwill," said Bishop Blake, representing the largest African-American Pentecostal Charismatic denomination in the U.S. "The injuries and death suffered by those supporting an end to the commemoration of the Confederacy are deeply saddening. We also regret any harm to their opponents. Our hearts go out to all who were hurt, and we call for an end to the violence."

Dr. Hill called for prayer in his statement.

"First, the prayers of the Church of God around the world go out to those that were injured and lost their lives today in the senseless act of hatred and violence in Charlottesville. While as a nation we support the right of freedom of speech and the right to freely assemble, racial hatred and bigotry should never be tolerated in any form. God created us all in His image and we are His children. Racial supremacy is not ordained by God and should never be condoned by the church or our society."

Church of God of Prophecy General Overseer Bishop Sam N. Clements also spoke out strongly on the violence in Charlottesville.

"The Church of God of Prophecy condemns racially motivated acts of violence in the strongest terms possible," Bishop Clements said. "These ungodly acts and racism itself are antithetical to the message of the Lord Jesus Christ, who called us to extend love to our neighbors and even to those we perceive to be our enemies. He was born into a violent, divided, hopeless society and offered the only viable solution, love that overcomes every cultural barrier. We mourn with the families of the victims of violence and pray for peace and love to overcome hate, prejudice and violence."

Pastor Aaron Campbell, president of the PCCNA Memphis Chapter, said: "I will be calling on the entire Memphis Chapter of the PCCNA churches and organizations in prayer to unite us as one to fight against racism and injustice. As Pastor Samuel stated, we are fighting against diabolical forces that can only be contained by spiritual means."

Bishop Doug Beacham of the International Pentecostal Holiness Churches commented on the divisions in the nation.

"As this Sunday morning dawns across the United States, let us remember that racial hatred and superiority are contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ," said Bishop Beacham. "As we pray for our nation, let the body of Christ stand for righteousness, rejecting the hatred and nihilism characteristic of the division and polarization seeking to destroy us. As members of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, let us remember that in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, some of our earliest founders sought to express gospel unity with other races, despite strong cultural and legal barriers."

PCCNA President Jeff Farmer encouraged members to pray: "Father, lay the axe to the root of racism, prejudice and injustice in our cities and nations. Bring down arrogance, pride and hatred, and replace them with humility, love and righteousness. Heal the soul of our nation from the divisions that infect us. Show us how to demonstrate unity ... and live and walk united ... in the power of the Spirit. We are desperate for you to visit us again with a sweeping revival and spiritual awakening. Come, Lord Jesus, come!  And precious Holy Spirit, please bring peace and comfort to Charlottesville and all who were touched by this tragedy. What the devil intended for harm and mayhem, turn into healing and hope. You stand in faith that you will 'turn our mourning into dancing.'" 

To see comments from other Christian leaders on Charlottesville, click here for Charisma News' earlier story.

Readers are Leaders! Subscribe now and get 3 magazines for the price of 1. Get Charisma, Ministry Today and SpiritLed Woman all for $24. YES - Sign me up!

3 Reasons Why you should read Life in the Spirit. 1) Get to know the Holy Spirit. 2) Learn to enter God's presence 3) Hear God's voice clearly! Click here to draw closer to God!

Franklin Graham: Islamic Storm Coming against West - CBN News

Franklin Graham: Islamic Storm Coming against West

CBNNews.com

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Ad Feedback

Franklin Graham is warning that a storm of Islamic persecution is coming against Christians in the West.

The founder of Samaritan's Purse wrote a message on Facebook after ISIS terrorists beheaded 21 Christians in Libya.

Graham asks why there hasn't been global condemnation from Muslim leaders.

"Can you imagine the outcry if 21 Muslims had been beheaded by Christians?" he wrote.

The Islamic terrorists released a video of their atrocity against the Christians, with a headline that read: "A Message Signed with Blood to the Nation of the Cross."

Graham says, "We'd better take this warning seriously as these acts of terror will only spread throughout Europe and the United States.... the storm is coming."

Other Christian leaders are also speaking out, saying the world must stand up to repudiate the ISIS massacre and the terrorist targeting of Christians.

Dr. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, is specifically calling out President Barack Obama to do more.

"We call upon the president of the United States of America and Congress to specifically address the persecution of Christians by ISIS, Islamic totalitarianism and regimes in the Middle East, and call upon the United Nations to convene a summit on Christian persecution around the world," Rodriguez stated in a press release.

He's also calling for a moment of silence Sunday to honor the beheaded Egyptian Christians and their grieving families.

**For more information visit the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference website.

Fast-Growing Hispanic Evangelical Population Steps Up Support for Israel

By JNS December 8, 2014

“I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3)

Thousands of Christian Evangelists wave their national flag along with the Israeli one as they march in a parade in the center of Jerusalem, marking the Jewish holiday of Sukkot or the Feast of the Tabernacles. October 14, 2014. (Photo: Nati Shohat/Flas90)

Against the backdrop of growing threats facing Israel at home and abroad, one of the fastest-growing ethnoreligious segments in the U.S. is stepping up its support for the Jewish state.

At the forefront of the interests of America’s Hispanic Evangelical Christian population is the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC)/Conela. Claiming to represent more than 100 million Hispanic Evangelicals in the U.S., NHCLC/Conela is now beginning to wield its considerable influence for the purpose of standing up for Israel.

NHCLC—which earlier merged with Conela, a Latin American organization that serves more than 500,000 Latin churches across the world—states that its vision is to “exercise prophetic leadership by reconciling the vertical and horizontal planes of the Christian message, sanctification with service, conviction with compassion, the image of God with the habits of Christ, holiness and humility, John 3:16 and Matthew 25, and the prophetic with the practical.”

The organization adds that it is looking to “enrich the narrative of American Evangelicalism by replacing the media exacerbated image of angry white evangelicals who oppose everything to a convicted yet compassionate multi-ethnic kingdom culture community committed to sharing truth with love.”

“We seek to combine the message of Rev. Bill Graham of salvation with that of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s march of prophetic activism,” Rev. Dr. Samuel Rodriguez, president of NHCLC/Conela, told JNS.org.

“That being said, our commitment to the Jewish people and Israel is also without compromise.” he said.

According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, Hispanics are one of the fastest-growing segments of the Evangelical Christian population, with 16 percent of American Hispanics identifying as Evangelical in 2013, up from 12 percent in 2010. Similar trends have developed in Latin America, where Protestants now make up 19 percent of the population, with 69 percent of them belonging to Evangelical churches.

These “Evangelicos” have an above-average enthusiasm for their faith. They display this fervor by attending church services, praying more, and strongly adhering to moral teachings, according to Pew. This Hispanic Evangelical surge has come at the expense of Roman Catholicism, which traditionally has been the faith of the vast majority of Hispanics and has historically shaped their outlook.

As the leader of one of the largest Hispanic organizations in the U.S., Rev. Rodriguez has spoken at the White House and frequently consults with federal legislators from both parties on such issues as social justice, the Latino community, and values.

Support for Israel has become a key aspect of the mission of many Evangelical Christian organizations, as is the case for the Evangelical movement as a whole. While Rodriguez said that most Hispanic Evangelicals are “absolutely committed to Israel,” he is concerned about the surge in anti-Semitism in the Latino world, especially among the younger generation.

While Latin America is home to many large and prosperous Jewish communities, most anti-Semitism in the region comes from the traditional sources based on prejudices inherited from Europe, especially from the Spanish Inquisition, as well as modern anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric promoted by far-left elements like former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.

Rodriguez said the mainstream media’s portrayal of Israel is one of the main culprits behind opposition to Israel among the younger demographic, especially in light of the recent summer war in Gaza—which sparked upsurge in anti-Israel and anti-Semitic attacks around the world, including in Latin America.

“Many Latinos have in essence absorbed the mainstream media message that Israel is an aggressive, antagonistic force in the Middle East, where Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank are suffering at the hands of Israel,” said Rodriguez.

“Most Hispanics want to do justice and they want to align themselves with those who are marginalized and suffering. So they see the Palestinian community as suffering at the hands of the Israeli government,” he said.

In order to combat this, Rodriguez has formulated a two-pronged approach.

“My job is to convince young Latino people that supporting Israel actually works for the good of all in the Middle East,” he said. “First by affirming the nearly 150 million Latino Evangelicals across the world in their commitment to Israel, then by elevating what we currently have in our community to teach about Israel to the wider Latino community.”

In order to spread this message, Rodriguez said it is important to “speak the truth about Israel” in order to counter the lies being spread about the Jewish state in the mainstream media.

“Israel is the sole democracy in that part of the world and a safeguard for religious pluralism. … When I go to Israel I meet with Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders. Israel is not persecuting Christians and Muslims. Israel is providing a space under democracy for religious pluralism to serve as an antidote against secular or even religious totalitarianism. Israel is not the problem, Israel is the solution,” he said.

NHCLC/Conela recently formed a partnership with the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ), one of the largest Christian Zionist organizations in the world. Since 1980, ICEJ has hosted the annual Feast of Tabernacles celebration in Jerusalem to coincide with the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. This year, the event drew more than 5,000 Christians from 80 countries.

Rodriguez sees the partnership with ICEJ and the Feast of Tabernacles as a rallying point for Hispanic Evangelicals to come to Israel every year and experience the country.

“The Evangelical movement has experienced tremendous growth in the Latino world over recent decades and it is exciting to see their support and enthusiasm for Israel,” ICEJ Executive Director Dr. Juergen Buehler told JNS.org.

“It is an indigenous expression of solidarity based on solid biblical grounds, and we are thrilled that our annual Feast of Tabernacles will be a channel for these Hispanic Christians to convey their love and concern directly to the Israeli people,” added Buehler.

In light of the recent surge of Palestinian terrorism and rioting in Jerusalem and across Israel, Rodriguez said that Israel and Jews can count on the support of Hispanic Evangelicals.

“My message to Israel and the Jewish people is that there is a Hispanic Christian community emerging that will not abandon Israel or the Jewish people,” he said. “We will build a firewall against anti-Semitism, and we will do that with integrity and compassion.”

Reprinted with author’s permission from algemeiner.org

Read more at http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/25454/fast-growing-hispanic-evangelical-population-steps-support-israel/#7HQVXsguuipULGKL.99