Army Chaplain Rebuked for Citing Christian Faith

USA - Army Chaplain Captain Joseph Lawhorn was rebuked for citing his Christian faith during suicide prevention training, the Washington Times reports. Now 20 nonprofit organizations dedicated to religious freedom are lining up in support of Lawhorn, sending a letter to Army Secretary John McHugh “urging him to overturn action” against Lawhorn.

The Ecumenical Imperative: Intrinsic to the Church

VATICAN - In late November, Pope Francis told the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity that ecumenism — the quest for unity among Christians — must be an ever-present concern for the Church. Acknowledging problems created by new divisions over moral and doctrinal issues, the Pope emphasized the importance of “spiritual” ecumenism — common prayer and cooperation in good works — as well as the ecumenism of blood, that is, recognizing all martyrs for the Faith.

Britain battered by hurricane-force winds

UK - Hurricane-force winds have battered northern Britain overnight with gusts reaching 113mph on the island of Stornoway. The ferocious Atlantic storm has caused chaos with at least 75,000 homes without power this morning and all train services across Scotland are suspended for 'safety reasons' until at least 10am. Gusts peaked at 113mph on Stornoway - the strongest winds since records began in 1970 - while wind speeds hit 110mph at Loch Glascarnoch in the Highlands, 97mph in Altnaharra and 61mph in Glasgow and Edinburgh. At the summit of Cairngorm speeds hit 140mph.

‘Muslims don't believe in freedom of speech’ – radical cleric Choudary

UK - Radical British preacher Anjem Choudary has come under heavy criticism for controversial remarks regarding Wednesday’s terrorist attack in Paris. London based Choudary wrote a letter, published by US news outlet USA Today, claiming that Muslims “did not believe in the concept of freedom of expression,” and that the Sharia (Islamic law) was more important than the legal systems of liberal democracies.

Le Pen May Gain as Magazine Attack Strains French Divide

FRANCE - France’s Front National leader Marine Le Pen pinned the blame for the killing of 12 people in Paris yesterday on Islamic radicals, as mainstream leaders tried to downplay the religious dimension of the attack.

Europe's struggle with Islamism

EUROPE - In the heart of Europe in 2015, the killing of cartoonists and journalists for allegedly insulting God still comes as a shock, despite the rising number of such attacks in recent years. In rational, post-Enlightenment Europe, religion has long since been relegated to a safe space, with Judaism and Christianity the safe targets of satire in secular western societies.

New terror in Paris

FRANCE - A policewoman was shot in the back and killed and a hero street cleaner was shot in the face as he tried to grapple with the gunman in a second horrific attack on the streets of Paris within 24 hours. The officer, who has not been named, died this morning after being attacked just before dawn in Montrouge, a suburb in the south of the French capital. A street cleaner who stepped in to try and disarm the gunmen is also said to be in a serious condition, after he was shot in the face. The shooting came less than 24 hours after the massacre at the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo, which left 12 dead - including two police officers. It is not known if the two attacks are linked.

 
Nigel Farage blames Paris attack on 'rather gross policy of multi-culturalism'

UK - Nigel Farage has been accused of exploiting the murders of cartoonists in France for political gain after saying the attack was a result of “a really rather gross policy of multi-culturalism”.

Suspected Islamists kill 12 in Paris attack on satirical weekly

FRANCE - Hooded gunmen stormed the Paris offices of a satirical magazine known for lampooning Islam and other religions, killing at least 12 people in the most deadly militant attack on French soil in decades.

‘Charlie Hebdo’ (Charlie Weekly) is well known for courting controversy with satirical attacks on political and religious leaders of all faiths and has published numerous cartoons ridiculing the Prophet Mohammad. Jihadists online repeatedly warned that the magazine would pay for its ridicule.

 
Kim Jong-Un has a cyber-army of 6,000

NORTH KOREA - South Korea has accused Kim Jong-Un of using a 6,000-strong cyber army to launch attacks on its military and government, as well as targeting organisations overseas. North Korea may now be able to hit the US mainland with nuclear warheads thanks to advances in rocket technology and efforts to minimise the radioactive bombs, Seoul's defence ministry said. The warning comes after days of rising tensions on the Korean peninsula after Kim said he was open to 'high level' talks with the South during his New Year speech.

 
German anti-Muslim protesters rally despite Merkel plea

GERMANY - Protesters marched in several German cities on Monday against higher levels of immigration and what they see as the growing influence of Islam, in defiance of an appeal from Chancellor Angela Merkel to spurn rallies she views as racist. Some 18,000 people, the biggest number so far, turned out in Dresden on Monday but similar rallies in Berlin and the western city of Cologne were heavily outnumbered by counter-protesters who accuse PEGIDA of fanning racism and intolerance.

 
Eurozone economy slows further

EUROPE - The eurozone economy saw anaemic growth in December and suffered its worst quarter for more than a year, a survey has indicated. The closely watched Markit/CIPS composite purchasing managers' index (PMI) for December fell to 51.4 from an earlier estimate of 51.7. The eurozone economy has seen 18 months of continuous, albeit weak growth. The problem has been exacerbated since the summer by the falling price of oil.

 
Boko Haram seizes army base in Nigeria

NIGERIA - The militant group Boko Haram has seized a town and key multinational military base in north-eastern Nigeria, officials and eyewitnesses say. A senator in Borno state said troops had abandoned the base in the town of Baga after it was attacked on Saturday. Residents of Baga, who fled by boat to neighbouring Chad, said many people had been killed and the town set ablaze. Baga, scene of a Nigerian army massacre in 2013, was the last town in the Borno North area under government control.

 
Euro touches a nine-year low against US dollar

EUROPE - The euro slid to a nine-year low against the dollar as investors predicted the European Central Bank (ECB) may act to stimulate the economy. The euro fell by 1.2% against the dollar to $1.1864, marking its weakest level since March 2006, before recovering slightly to $1.19370. The drop follows ECB president Mario Draghi's comments indicating the bank could soon start quantitative easing.

Greek political turmoil also weighed on the currency.

 
Anti-terror plan to spy on toddlers 'is heavy-handed’

UK - Nursery school staff and registered childminders must report toddlers at risk of becoming terrorists, under counter-terrorism measures proposed by the Government. The directive is contained in a 39-page consultation document issued by the Home Office in a bid to bolster its Prevent anti-terrorism plan. Critics said the idea was “unworkable” and “heavy-handed”, and accused the Government of treating teachers and carers as “spies”. The document accompanies the Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill, currently before parliament. It identifies nurseries and early years childcare providers, along with schools and universities, as having a duty “to prevent people being drawn into terrorism”.

 
“Just what is an APOSTLE?”
Just what is an Apostle?

Today we find the Church of God in a “wilderness of religious confusion!”

The confusion is not merely around the Church – within the religions of the world outside – but WITHIN the very heart of The True Church itself!

Read online or contact email to request a copy

Listen to Me, You who know righteousness, You people in whose heart is My Law: …I have put My words in your mouth, I have covered you with the shadow of My hand, That I may plant the heavens, Lay the foundations of the earth, and say to Zion, “you are My people” (Isaiah 51:7,16)