Christians Archives - Colin Dye

Massive Desert Prayer Gathering Draws Together Egypt's Christians

Colin Dye — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 12:37:27 +0000

A massive four-day national prayer event is starting today, Oct. 26, in the desert north of Cairo, and is expected to draw 50,000 people from all over Egypt and reach around 5 to 6 million viewers with television coverage. Last November 70,000 Egyptian Christians gathered for praise, worship, and prayer at St. Simon Church in Cairo while millions around the globe followed the event live on TV and the Internet. This was a significant event: It was the largest Christian gathering in the modern history of Egypt.

Thousands of Egyptian christians had gathered in November and we expect a large attendance this time also

“What is happening in Egypt this month is truly awesome. In the midst of increased persecution, turmoil and uncertainty, Christians are reaching out to others and fervently praying ‘in such a time as this.’ Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ during this weekend event,” said Jerry Dykstra, Media Relations Director for Open Doors USA.
Let us rejoice and pray for our brothers and sisters in Egypt and indeed in the whole of the Middle-East. Let us pray that multitudes will come to Jesus.
Every knee will bow before God and every tongue will confess that Jesus-Christ is Lord!

The post Massive Desert Prayer Gathering Draws Together Egypt's Christians appeared first on Colin Dye.

Obama vs. Romney-Should American Christians vote for a Mormon?

Colin Dye — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 12:53:34 +0000

The CatholicVote.org ?Research team has published a post on their website to express their views on the two candidates. Through the public statements and?positions of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney on?issues which matter to them they make it clear that their choice is the Mormon Mitt Romney. Although I am not a catholic, I can identify with some of the points they are making, and you? What is your take on this? Should Christians vote for a Mormon?

Obama vs Romney, who is the best choice for us Christians

Read the article below and leave your comment at the bottom of the page:

“We believe the choice is clear: Catholics should vote for Mitt Romney for President.
We have life, marriage and religious liberty at the top of the list, because these issues are foundational. And on life, marriage and religious liberty, Mitt Romney is immeasurably better than Barack Obama.
We have also included other areas of concern to Catholic voters, including fiscal responsibility, education and health care. On these issues, we also think Mitt Romney comes out on top. Unlike abortion which involves an intrinsic evil which can never be justified, Catholics are free to disagree on which approach is best on education, health care and education.

Obama on life:

Supports Roe v. Wade and affirms, ?I remain committed to protecting a woman?s right to choose.? (Source: White House Press Statement)
As part of his healthcare legislation, almost every health insurance plan will be required to cover sterilizations and contraception?including birth control pills that can cause abortions?with no co-pay. (Source: US Department Health & Human Services)
Overturned a law that prevented the government from giving aid to international family planning groups.? Now our government can pay for people?s contraception (including abortifacients) overseas as well. (Source: White House Executive Order)
His campaign boasts that he ?stood up to Republicans trying to roll back a woman?s right to choose and defund Planned Parenthood.?? He praises Planned Parenthood and refuses to cut government funding ($487 million in 2012) for the organization.? Planned Parenthood performs on average 900 abortions per day. (Source: Huffington Post)
In the Senate, he opposed a pro-life bill designed to prevent partial-birth abortions. (Source: IL General Assembly)
Ended a ban on using taxpayer money to fund embryonic stem cell research, which kills human embryos. (Source: White House Executive Order)
Eliminated conscience protections for medical workers who morally object to dispensing the morning-after pill (which is designed to destroy embryos).? Recipients of federal money can now discriminate against these workers.(Source: Catholic News Agency)
Promises to veto legislation that would prevent taxpayer funding of abortion.(Source: LifeNews.com)

Top 2012 issues for Catholics

Obama is endorsed by pro-choice groups NARAL and Planned Parenthood.? Planned Parenthood spent $1.4 million on an ad campaign for Obama. (Source: Planned Parenthood)

Romney on life:

Believes abortions should be limited to only cases of rape or incest or to save the mother?s life. (Source: CBS News)
Supports overturning Roe v. Wade and promises to appoint Supreme Court Justices who are committed to fair interpretation of the Constitution (Source: Life News)
Supports the Hyde Amendment, which bars using federal tax revenue to pay for abortions (Source: Mitt Romney)
Promises to support efforts to eliminate federal funding for Planned Parenthood (Source: Huffington Post)
Promises to support the Mexico City Policy, which will bar NGOs that receive federal funding from promoting or performing abortions as a method of family planning in other countries. (Source: Mitt Romney)
Promises to advocate for and support legislation that will make it illegal to destroy unborn children who are developmentally capable of feeling pain (Source: Life News)
He says, ?If I have the opportunity to serve as our nation?s next president, I commit to doing everything in my power to cultivate, promote, and support a culture of life in America.? (Source: Mitt Romney)
As governor of Massachusetts, he vetoed a bill that would have allowed girls of any age to obtain emergency contraceptive pills (which are designed to destroy embryos) without parental consent (Source: Mitt Romney)
As governor of Massachusetts, he opposed legislation that would allow the creation of human embryos for the purpose of stem cell research, which would result directly in the destruction of those embryos (Source: Romney at NRLC)”

Obama on marriage:

Supports homosexual ?marriage? (Source: CNN Politics)
Believes the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) should be repealed (Source: The Atlantic ? Wire)
Decided with the Justice Department that they would not defend DOMA in new cases (Source: Dept. of Justice ? Press Release 2/23/11)
Extended to same-sex partners of federal employees many of the benefits that spouses of federal employees enjoy and supports legislation that would grant same-sex partners of federal employees exactly the same benefits as spouses (Source: Politico & OPM Rule)
Required any hospital receiving federal funds to allow visitation rights for same-sex partners (Source: Washington Post)
Supports the Respect for Marriage Act, which requires all states to recognize same-sex ?marriages? performed in other states, which would effectively make homosexual ?marriage? legal?even as he emphasizes his belief that the question of same-sex ?marriage? should be decided by individual states. (Source: Whitehouse.gov ? Blog & ?Respect Marriage Act?)

Romney on marriage:

Romney?s campaign page says, ?Marriage is more than a personally rewarding social custom. It is also critical for the well-being of a civilization. That is why it is so important to preserve traditional marriage ? the joining together of one man and one woman.? (Source: MittRomney.com)
Opposes civil unions that resemble marriage (Source: USA Today)
Favors some domestic partnership benefits but believes that states should decide which of these benefits are appropriate. (Source: Real Clear Politics ? with Video)
Promises to appoint an Attorney General who will defend DOMA (Source: MittRomney.com)
Promises to champion a new amendment to the Constitution that will define marriage as a union of one man and one woman. (Source: National Review Online & MittRomney.com)

Obama on religious liberty:

Obama?s Affordable Care Act will require most employers to purchase insurance that covers abortions, sterilizations, and contraception with no co-pay, even though many of those employers?including Catholic schools, hospitals, and dioceses as well as individual business owners and people of many different faiths?object to paying for such insurance plans on religious grounds. (Source: The Weekly Standard)
Obama?s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claimed the power to compel a church to rehire a former employee to a teaching position.? The case (Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church v. EEOC) went to the Supreme Court, which ruled unanimously in favor of the church.? The decision reads, ?authority to select and control who will minister to the faithful is the church?s alone.? (Source: Wall Street Journal Online)
Obama?s HHS would not renew funding to the Migration and Refugee Services (MRS), which provides services to refugees, migrating children, and human trafficking victims, because MRS, a Catholic organization, refused to provide or refer for abortions or contraception. (Source: National Catholic Register)

Romney on religious liberty

Romney writes, ?If I am elected President, on day one of my administration I will issue an executive order directing my Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue a waiver from its requirements?to?all 50 states.?? This would allow states to not force employers to purchase insurance that fully covers abortions, contraception, and sterilization, limiting the effects of Obama?s healthcare legislation while he works to repeal it entirely. (Source: Washington Examiner ? OpEd)
Supported the Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC decision that affirmed the right of churches to make their own hiring decisions. (Source: ABC News)
Defended the right of Catholic Charities of Boston to decide on its own whether it would allow same-sex couples to adopt children in its care. (Source: Fox News)

Obama on fiscal responsibility:

Added more to the national debt than the previous 43 presidents combined (Source: CNS News)
Almost doubled the national debt over his term as President (Source: CBS News)
Added $1 trillion to the deficit each year as President (Source: Real Clear Politics)
Spent 25% of GDP, the highest spending-to-GDP ratio since World War II (Source: Forbes)

Romney on fiscal responsibility:

Romney?s goal is to reduce federal spending to 20% of GDP by the end of his first term (Source: Mitt Romney)
Promises to send a bill to Congress that will cut non-security discretionary spending by 5% (Source: Mitt Romney)
Promises to repeal the Affordable Care Act, privatize Amtrak, reduce subsidies to organizations that have access to other funding sources or that offer duplicate services, eliminate federal funding of groups that perform abortions, and reduce foreign aid for a total projected savings of $97.6 billion. (Source: Townhall)
Wants to cap Medicaid spending and allow it to grow at the inflation rate + 1% per year (Source: Economist)
Plans to reliquish more power to the states, resulting in federal savings (Source: Mitt Romney)
Plans to work to repeal the the Davis-Bacon Act, which requires the government to pay its employees above-market wages (Source: Mitt Romney)
As governor of Massachusetts, Romney closed a $3 billion budget gap without raising taxes and left $2 billion in a rainy-day fund (Source: Mitt Romney)

Obama on education:

Increased federal funding for scholarships and financial aid (Source: Whitehouse.gov)
Spent $100 billion of the $831 billion stimulus on education-related issues, including teacher salaries (Source: Eductopia.org)
Issued waivers from the No Child Left Behind Act to 26 states after Congress would not repeal the law, freeing the states from the obligation to ensure that students are proficient in math and reading by 2014 (Source: NY Times)
Implemented Race to the Top, a program that rewards schools with money for conforming to a set of federal standards (Source: Wall Street Journal Online)
Refused to continue funding the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program, which grants public-school students in DC vouchers for private-school tuition (Source: National Review)

Romney on education:

In the third year of his term as governor, Massachusetts 4th graders and 8th graders ranked first in the nation in math and reading (Source: Taunton Daily Gazette)
As governor, he vetoed a bill that would have put a moratorium on adding charter schools in the state. (Source: MittRomney.com)
Created the ?John and Abigail Adams Scholarship? to reward high-performing high school students with college scholarships to any state institution.? (Source: MittRomney.com)
Supports empowering states to determine education policy, rewarding teachers based on student achievement, and school choice for students (Source: NY Times)

Obama on health care:

Raised taxes by $500 billion to pay for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which the CBO estimates will cost $1.5 trillion over the next decade. (Source:?Congressional Budget Office)
The ACA compels insurance companies to cover people with pre-existing conditions. (Source: New York Times)
The ACA, along with the HHS mandate, requires most employers to purchase insurance that covers abortions, sterilizations, and contraception with no co-pay, even though many of those employers?including Catholic schools, hospitals, and dioceses as well as individual business owners and people of many different faiths?object to paying for such insurance plans on moral grounds. (Source: USCCB)
The ACA requires every individual to purchase health insurance, whether or not they need or want it. (Source: The Huffington Post)
The ACA makes it illegal for a health insurance company to spend more than an arbitrary amount on employee salaries, administrative costs, and marketing. (Source: PennLive.com)

Romney on health care:

Promises to repeal the Affordable Care Act as soon as possible, beginning with the stopgap of offering waivers to all 50 states while he works on reversing the law entirely. (Source: Mitt Romney)
Envisions the federal government?s primary role in health care as creating a level playing field for competition with the goal of driving down premiums. (Source: Mitt Romney)
Plans to cap the amount that a person can win in court for suing a doctor. (Source: Christian Science Monitor)
Promises to prevent discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions who maintain continuous coverage. (Source: Mitt Romney)
Will end tax disincentives that make it relatively more expensive for individuals to purchase health insurance apart from their employers, increasing real consumer choice. (Source: New York Times)
Will allow individuals to purchase health insurance across state lines, increasing competition. (Source: National Public Radio)

source

The post Obama vs. Romney-Should American Christians vote for a Mormon? appeared first on Colin Dye.

Christian GP found guilty of malpractice for sharing his faith

Colin Dye — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 14:31:45 +0000

The General Medical Council?s Investigation Committee has today (14 June) reprimanded a Christian doctor for sharing his faith with a patient at the end of a private consultation.?The GMC has ruled that his actions ?did not meet the standards required of a doctor?. Dr Richard Scott has now been issued with a Warning which will remain on his record for five years.

Dr Scott was initially investigated by the GMC after it received a complaint from a patient that Dr Scott had discussed the benefits of Christianity with him.

The National Secular Society encouraged the proceedings and handed transcripts of evidence to the GMC, detailing Dr Scott?s appearances on radio and television where he had defended himself.
Dr Scott, who has been a doctor for over 28 years, was initially investigated by the GMC after it received a complaint from a patient that Dr Scott had discussed the benefits of Christianity with him.
The GMC proceeded with the case despite the fact that the patient refused to give evidence in person.
No cross-examination
Dr Scott, represented by Human Rights Barrister Paul Diamond, and supported by the Christian Legal Centre, argued that the case should be ?Struck Out?, as a proper and fair hearing could not take place if Mr Diamond was not able to cross-examine the patient in person.
However, the GMC ruled that the patient?s evidence could be given over the telephone and in secret – an extraordinary procedure – meaning that Dr Scott?s defence team were denied an adequate opportunity to assess the patient?s responses.
In his evidence, the patient was unclear about how long his consultation with Dr Scott had lasted, yet he maintained that he was offered no medical options, but was told that belief in Jesus Christ was the only way that his suffering would be relieved.
However, Dr Scott testified that he had provided medical options, but raised his faith because he believed it could help the patient. Dr Scott claims that when he asked whether he could discuss faith, his patient said ?Go for it?.
The GMC preferred the patient?s evidence over Dr Scott?s.
Comment
Dr Scott said:
?I?m deeply upset at this decision by my professional body.
?My professional reputation has been compromised and I have been disciplined, just for sharing my Christian views – yet it is recognised by many peer-reviewed articles that faith can help unwell people.
?My barrister was not given the opportunity to cross-examine the complainant face to face and for the case to be tried in this way is plainly wrong.
?The GMC has taken two years to drag this case out knowing that the complainant would never show up.
?I will be seeking further legal advice as to a Judicial review of the GMC?s handling of its disciplinary procedures, as the amateur and unjust way this trial is being conducted is an insult to me and to every member of the medical profession.?
Andrea Williams, CEO of the Christian Legal Centre, said:
?I am appalled by this decision. Many doctors will be deeply concerned with the way this case has been handled by the GMC. Why was the evidence heard in secret??
?Our society seems to becoming more and more repressive, with ordinary, decent people being reported to the authorities and disciplined, not for committing any crime, but just for expressing their Christian beliefs.?
Resources
Case File: Dr Richard Scott
Christian Concern: Religious Freedom

The Perfect Storm and the Fiery Trial

I have been speaking recently about a perfect storm and a fiery trial coming to Britain and the nations of Europe, aimed at the Christian faith. For those who have asked to hear more about this, I have prepared a summary of what I believe we are facing.
I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek (Romans 1:16).
We are engaged in a spiritual battle for the soul of Britain and Europe. More than ever, the urgent need is for a generation of genuine disciples of Christ to proclaim the gospel in power. The spiritual destiny of Britain depends on it.

The perfect storm ahead of us

Opposition to the Christian message is increasing and is set to increase all the more in the days ahead. It would be wrong to call this a conspiracy, but various trends and influences in society are rapidly coming together and will combine to produce a perfect storm against followers of Christ in Britain and wider Europe. I believe it will strike on every front and at every level of the church of Jesus Chris. Militant atheism, liberalism, secularism, political and social antagonism, as well as false religion seem to be joining together, in an unprecedented way, with one ultimate aim – to weaken the influence of Christian churches and push the Christian faith to the margins of our society.
The potential of such a storm is that many believers will make shipwreck of their faith, abandoning it altogether or becoming weak and ineffective as disciples of Christ. But if we respond as God wants us to, we can withstand the storm and present Christ as the only solution to society?s problems.
Beyond the storm, I believe a fiery trial is looming. This is the kind of opposition in which our very lives may well be on the line for the sake of the gospel. I do not wish to be alarmist, but if we are unable to withstand the storm, how will we withstand the fire? I see the storm as inevitable (some might say it is already here), but I believe that we may be able to avert the fiery trial. If we seek God, set our house in order, stand firm as disciples of Christ and actively present Christ both in our personal lives and in the public domain, we may yet see God intervene and save our nation from what is looming ahead.
Read the helpful scriptures below, and see my article ?Facing the Storms of Life? .
1 Timothy 1:18-19
Fight the Good Fight
This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck?
Hebrews 3:12-14
Exhort One Another
Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end?
1 Peter 4:12-19
Suffering for God’s Glory
Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.
17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 Now
“If the righteous one is scarcely saved,
Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?”
19 Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.

The post Christian GP found guilty of malpractice for sharing his faith appeared first on Colin Dye.

Muslim Indonesia Hosts Historic Christian Gathering

Colin Dye — Thu, 17 May 2012 08:44:41 +0000

Amazing to see that God is moving powerfully in Indonesia, a country predominantly Muslim. Praise God!

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Thousands of the world’s Christian leaders are in Indonesia seeking God’s guidance on how to transform the nations with Christ’s message of love.
It’s an historic prayer gathering in many ways, not the least of which is Indonesia’s decision to host the event. The huge Southeast Asian island nation is home to the world’s largest Muslim population.
“That’s what we are well known for, but there’s something else taking place in our country,” one Indonesian woman said.
Her words echo a deep desire among Indonesia’s minority Christians to make the name of Jesus Christ famous.
“We are a small percentage of the population, but we are compelled to tell others about Christ,” the woman said.
Winds of Revival
A massive prayer movement is underway, connecting some 500 Indonesian cities with more than 5 million believers.
This week, an hour’s drive south of Jakarta, the capital city, Indonesian churches invited more than 9,000 Christians to take part in the World Prayer Assembly 2012.
“We feel that the epicenter of the world revival is going to be Asia and especially Indonesia,” World Prayer Assembly’s John Robb told CBN News.
Such a large Christian event has never been held in this majority Muslim country.
“We see the WPA as kind of a stepping stone toward the fulfillment of Habakkuk 2:14: ‘For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea,'” Robb said.
For five days, representatives of more than 60 countries will network and strategize on how to bring Christ’s salvation and healing to the nations.
“A new wave is coming so we wanted to catch it, the spirit of prayer, so that we can bring revival to our nation,” Pricilla Abbathurai of India said.
“I’ve been praying that I would be a part (of) what God is doing in my country and for the whole world as we fulfill the Great Commission,” Philippines resident Julius Velasco said.
“My prayer for this Congress is that this movement of prayer, this movement of mission will be joined together to see the Great Commission accomplished in the coming decades,” American Paul Eshlemen said.
Organizers say worship and intercession will serve as the cornerstone for all the week’s activities.
Throughout Indonesia some 1.5 million believers have committed to praying this entire week, and about 300 cities are joining together with all of their focus and prayer right here outside Jakarta.
The highlight of the gathering comes Thursday, when an estimated 100,000 Christians are expected to fill Indonesia’s largest stadium with several more hours of worship and prayer for the nations.
source

Muslim Indonesia Hosts Historic Christian Gathering

The post Muslim Indonesia Hosts Historic Christian Gathering appeared first on Colin Dye.

70,000 Egyptian Christians gathered for an all night prayer meeting

Colin Dye — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:37:34 +0000

Over 70 000 christians attended the prayer meeting in cairo, the most significant christian gathering in a thousand years

An estimated 70,000 Egyptian Christians gathered on November 11, 2011 for praise, worship, and prayer at St. Simon Church in Cairo while millions around the globe followed the event live on TV and the Internet. This was a significant event: It was the largest Christian gathering in the modern history of Egypt; it brought together, for the first time, all Christian denominations: Coptic Orthodox, Catholics, and all branches of Protestant and Evangelical Christians. The prayer meeting that started at 6:00 PM continued uninterrupted till 6:00 AM the following day!
Read more here
What next for Egypt?
The most likely result is that the uprising will speed up democratic reform, and the Islamists will end up making gains in elections. Because of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the West is so unpopular in the Middle East that any parties even smacking of being pro-Western will not perform well.
The status of Christians will not alter much, at least not in the short term. Apart from Lebanon where Christians constitute around 40% of the population, Christian worship is already restricted and Christians persecuted.
In the long term though, the rise of Islamism might turn out to be a blessing for the church. That might seem like an illogical outcome for some, but right now, the Islamist groups can act as if they were purerthan- pure champions of the people, and present Islam as the solution to any problems.
The truth is that Islamists don’t have any working solutions, but they are offering a version of Islam that is pre-medieval and ill-suited to fix anything that is broken.
Take Palestine. Although Hamas won the popular vote there in 2006, its rule in Gaza has been disastrous and led to general disillusionment. Take Iran. The Iranian government has described America as the Great Satan since the Revolution in 1979 – making the Iranians the most pro-American people in the whole Middle East. Both of them are becoming ripe for Jesus revolution.
Let’s pray that Christians will continue to rise up in Egypt, in the rest of North Africa and in the Middle-East.

The post 70,000 Egyptian Christians gathered for an all night prayer meeting appeared first on Colin Dye.

Message to the Christians in the Middle-east and North Africa

Colin Dye — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:46:24 +0000

The post Message to the Christians in the Middle-east and North Africa appeared first on Colin Dye.