Showing posts with label Stephen Little. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stephen Little. Show all posts

Sunday, December 31, 2017

Israel's Prime Minister Stands Up for Iran's Persecuted Christians - CBN News Stephen Little

Benjamin Netanyahu
Photo Credit: Benjamin Netanyahu via Facebook
Israel's Prime Minister Stands Up for Iran's Persecuted Christians
12-29-2017
CBN News Stephen Little
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood up for Christians in Iran, blasting the Islamic regime for hypocrisy after one its leaders tweeted out a Christmas greeting even as the government raids Christian meetings and imprisons their leaders.
Iran's foreign minister sent out a tweet a few days before Christmas, including this message:
"A very happy and peaceful Christmas to all. May Christ's universal message of peace be embraced in the coming year."
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Netanhayu took exception to the Christmas greeting from a representative of one of the world's harshest persecutors of Christians.
"I wonder what the Christians jailed this month in Iran would think about that tweet," he said in a taped message posted on his Facebook and Twitter pages.
CBN News has reported on the harsh treatment of Christians in the Islamic Republic of Iran. House churches are illegal and are often raided by security officials who arrest the congregants and jail the leaders. Bibles, literature and even office equipment is confiscated by the government.
"Imagine praying quietly in your home, surrounded by your family – and all of the sudden, armed thugs burst in and drag you away to prison. They torture you merely for practicing your Christian faith. Welcome to Iran. Saying 'Merry Christmas' while jailing Christians in your own country is the height of hypocrisy," said Netanyahu.
Despite the persecution, the church in Iran is one of the fastest growing churches in the world, as tens of thousands of Muslims are abandoning Islam to follow Jesus Christ.
Young people in Iran are especially disenchanted with the harsh Islamic regime and Netanyahu reached out to them in his message, saying, "I wonder what Iranian youth would think about that tweet, but sadly the regime bans Twitter. Except of course, if you're a high ranking official."
It's not the first time Netanyahu has drawn attention to the plight of Christians in Iran. Addressing hundreds of Christian journalists in October, he encouraged them to highlight the suffering of the church in the Islamic nation.
"Profile the brave Christian leaders jailed for practicing their faith. Sit with the families, the schoolteachers jailed for years merely for converting to Christianity... Call out the lies of President [Hassan] Rouhani, who promised in 2013 that all religions would quote 'feel justice' in Iran while so many Christians live there in constant terror," he said.
"Some world leaders are willing to ignore this repression and seek to appease Iran, but I am not one of them," Netanyahu continued. "I think that how a country treats religious minorities is a very good indicator of how it will treat its fellow citizens and its neighbors."
In this most recent message, Netanyahu takes a familial tone with Christians in Iran.
"We stand with you, brothers and sisters. The world stands with you."
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Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Symbolism in Trump Visit Points to One Fact: Jerusalem is Central to Israel - 05-22-2017 CBN News Stephen Little


Symbolism in Trump Visit Points to One Fact: Jerusalem is Central to Israel

05-22-2017  CBN News Stephen Little

President Donald Trump is the first sitting American president to visit the Western Wall. He did more than just stand for a photo-op; however, he said a prayer and then left a slip of paper in a crevice. That is the traditional practice of Jews leaving their petitions with God.
Dr. Cornelius Bekker, a Bible scholar and Dean of the Divinity School at Regent University, says the symbolism is purposeful and powerful.
"One of the extraordinary steps he is taking, is to communicate to the world that he believes that Israel has a claim on Jerusalem. That this ancient temple that was built there 3,000 years ago communicates the historic reality that Jerusalem is, indeed, the capital of Israel," Bekker told CBN News.
In Our Hands: The Battle for Jerusalem. Get Tickets
"To see the President of the United States making prayer a priority is an extraordinarily moving image. Then, of course, the choice of the place. The Western Wall is the last remaining retaining wall that formed the platform on which the Jewish Temple was built; and, it's the most holy site in all of Judaism and for him to go down there and to spend some time in prayer...a very moving image, indeed," he said.


The fact that President Trump also visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site where some believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected also sends a message by focusing "on the historic reality that Jerusalem is the center of the Christian faith, as well."
Watch below the FB Live analysis by CBN News' George Thomas and Gary Lane on President Trump's speech to Arab leaders Sunday before traveling to Israel. Learn the significance of his first stop to visit the Saudis.
However, his biggest prayer is that Mr. Trump will take "one step further" and keep his campaign pledge that the U.S will declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel.
Christians should be passionate about Israel and showing support for the Jewish sate, Bekker said.   
"It's very clear from the Scriptures that this is about God's faithfulness; and, if God is indeed not faithful to His first people, the people of Israel, we have no foundation for our faith. And, so it's ultimately about our faith and if we can trust God in the way that He has dealt with Israel, then, indeed, we can trust Him." 


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Saturday, April 8, 2017

REFLECTION: What the Spiritual Language in the Syria Speech Tells Us About Trump - CBN News Stephen Little

President Donald Trump

REFLECTION: What the Spiritual Language in the Syria Speech Tells Us About Trump

CBN News Stephen Little  April 7, 2017

President Trump's speech justifying the missile launch on Syria relied on spiritual language which reflected deeper meanings as he sought God's wisdom.
His approach will have strong appeal for his evangelical supporters, and it might go even deeper, showing the world a different side to the president.
The Underlying Theme Is Justice
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Justice demands punishment for a perpetrator who commits wrongs against innocent civilian populations.
"Numerous previous attempts at changing Assad’s behavior have all...failed very dramatically," the president said. "Tonight I call on all civilized nations to join us in seeking to end the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria."
Here he drew a bright red line between the need to take action to stop an agressor's criminal behavior and stand up for those who cannot protect themselves and passively hoping the situation will change.
He Appealed to Moral Law
While President Trump cited Assad's violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention, he appealed to a higher moral code than international agreements or the United Nations.
"No child of God should ever suffer such horror," he said.
With that statement, President Trump highlighted a higher law.
He said that all men and women are created by God and for that reason they are deserving of protection and safety from evil. People don't derive their right to freedom and security from any manmade organization, but from the Creator and if a government or individual transgresses those rights, then they should be held accountable.
His Words Reflected Humility
President Trump asked for God's wisdom in facing the challenges ahead. It's true that President Trump's actions and words don't often reflect humility, but the Bible is clear that a humble man seeks God's wisdom.
Proverbs 22:24 says: "Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life."
Also, in his closing, he asked God to bless not just America, but the entire world. He broadened the perspective beyond narrow self-interest and showed concern for the other nations and populations who are at risk if the Syrian war continues unchecked. That's a sign of a leader.
He Showed Compassion for the Suffering
President Trump pointed to the innocent victims suffering at the hands of a brutal dictator.
"Assad choked out the lives helpless men, women and children. It was a brutal death for so many. Even beautiful babies were cruelly murdered at this very barbaric attack."
Evoking these images brings the depths of the depravity of chemical weapons home and demonstrates empathy, another quality of great leaders.
Did he use these phrases simply to make his case and to appeal to his evangelical base? It's certainly possible. He is a politician, after all.
But hearing this speech brings to remembrance the reasons both Mike Pence and Ben Carson cited when they first cast their support for Trump. They said that when they sat down with him face to face, behind the spotlight, they found a man very different from the brash exterior. One of humility and grace.
This speech might have just given us all a glimpse of that man.
FULL STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT TRUMP ON SYRIA
Mar-a-Lago, Florida  -  Thursday, April 6  -  9:40 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT:  My fellow Americans:  On Tuesday, Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad launched a horrible chemical weapons attack on innocent civilians.  Using a deadly nerve agent, Assad choked out the lives of helpless men, women, and children.  It was a slow and brutal death for so many.  Even beautiful babies were cruelly murdered in this very barbaric attack.  No child of God should ever suffer such horror.
Tonight, I ordered a targeted military strike on the airfield in Syria from where the chemical attack was launched.  It is in this vital national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons.  There can be no dispute that Syria used banned chemical weapons, violated its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, and ignored the urging of the U.N. Security Council.  
Years of previous attempts at changing Assad's behavior have all failed, and failed very dramatically.  As a result, the refugee crisis continues to deepen and the region continues to destabilize, threatening the United States and its allies.  
Tonight, I call on all civilized nations to join us in seeking to end the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria, and also to end terrorism of all kinds and all types.  We ask for God's wisdom as we face the challenge of our very troubled world.  We pray for the lives of the wounded and for the souls of those who have passed.  And we hope that as long as America stands for justice, then peace and harmony will, in the end, prevail.  
Goodnight.  And God bless America and the entire world.  Thank you.
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