HE’S
ALIVE! Christian News and Views
Delivered From the Hand of the Enemy
‘I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen.’ — Rev 1.18a
Eleven Christian Workers in Syria Crucified, Beheaded Page 5 November 2015 • Vol. 2, No. 11
Bradenton, Florida | FREE — Donations Welcome!
Healed of Leukemia
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Syria Religious Cleansing Continues
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Thanksgiving is the time to Wake up America By Pastor Chuck Kennedy (Bradenton, FL) November is one of my favorite months of the year. The weather gets cooler, the leaves turn colors in some areas of the country with God painting a picture of His beauty like no artist quite can. It is also the time we here in America celebrate a day of Thanks-Giving to our God and for the freedoms we enjoy in this great land we live in. As Christians, we do have so much to Thank Him for. As Paul said in Romans, Rom 9:1-2 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. I too am concerned for my Country and the people thereof. One does not need to look far to see the effects of secularism and the end results it is leading to in this land. I have to wonder what the majority are giving thanks for?!? Their own selfish material possessions possibly or just out of tradition having grown up with turkey and all its trimmings. It used to be this great Country was the springboard for much of the world missions, but today we need missionaries to bring revival to us. Sad to say but I remember the time the church was heralding revival and in fact the minister was on the platform drunk from alcohol and in adultery with one his female workers. Most of the Body of Christ did not have discernment enough to know what was happening and flocked to the meetings blind as a bat. There was a time sound doctrine was upheld in the churches as well as in the land, but look at it today. Many major ministers, made popular through “Christian TV”, have perverted the Gospel by proclaiming a message whereby sin does not even result in Hell any longer! They do this with such skill in twisting the Scriptures it is in fact alarming, and the weak and unspiritual are seduced into a “bless me” society of false expectations of no judgement no matter what they do. You can see the spiritual temperature by the officials we elect. Those who promote their pathetic agenda of homosexuality legalizing same sex marriages and making our mi-
military a group of cross dressers that don’t know if they are male or female. Having glorified our god of sports with one of their own who “came out of the closet” and was celebrated for having his manly parts cut off so he could wear a dress publicly. It is shameful and perverted to say the least. These are acts that should be condemned as perversion, not boldness or award winning. It is a very sad day when our military chaplains are reprimanded for stopping child abuse and even threatened with losing their job. What does it say for our Great Nation to have non-gender rest rooms in our airports where any perverted voyeur can come and go as they please and excite themselves legally at the expense of our innocent children? When we elect mayors and congressmen and judges who are of this lifestyle, who is to blame? If the majority are Godly then the vote will go The United States of America, would turn its’ back on Israel. It to the moral and the Godly. is unimaginable and the conIt is appalling and heart wrenching sequences of it are just as dire. to view the videos of the massacre of the unborn it is pouring salt in the wound to have a portion of our elected officials vow to keep sending our hard earned tax dollars to continue funding it. How could we become so callous as to actually harvest live human baby parts for the almighty dollar and then support those who will defend it. This is a picture of depravity at its lowest stages.
You do not mess with God’s people or His promises. With the Iran nuclear deal whereby we are funding those who boldly proclaim death to American and death to Israel, our leaders make excuses and say they don’t really mean it, then send them millions of our dollars. Where is the reasoning in this? What does the Lord say about it? Political correctness has tried to silence the church by labeling us hate criminals and fear mongers like homophobic or Islamaphobic in order to intimidate right to look wrong.
Seems it is the new fad to arm yourself to the hilt and then walk into the most innocent place you can find just so you can blow everyone to bits and make a name for yourself and A supreme court that decides sin is a constitutional right and tells the your demonic purpose. Christians to just be silent and resign If that were not bad enough the our elected positions to the rule of elected officials want to bla- an ungodly people is downright disme it on the weapons and take gusting and it will not go on forever. all responsibility off the insane devil who did it. God help us. God is calling His people to stand I actually never thought I would and speak up in Thanksgiving for see the day that this great Country, what He has done for us and for this
great land satan is trying to steal. We can no longer stay quiet in order to keep peace, right is right and wrong is wrong, and those are both determined by the Almighty Creator, not a court, elected official, college professor, president or anyone else. God has created this land and He will have His way, you have to decide which side you will be on. On this Thanksgiving Day, make it a point to pray for our Country to get back to the Word of God and the Power of the Holy Spirit. There is still a few seconds of time left before His return and we must use it wisely. Give Him thanks, not just lip service through tradition or selfish motive, but honor Jesus, the Lord of all. 2Chr 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Amen
We need you! We are looking for testimonies, It can be your life story, or individual events in your life God has done for you. Be a blessing to many, submit yours today to: hesalivenews@yahoo.com Website:hesalivenews.org
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HE’S ALIVE: Christian News and Views
November 2015 • Vol. 2, No. 11
Bradenton, Florida | FREE — Donations Welcome!
Delivered From the Hand of the Enemy By James A Galiano O you who love the Lord, hate evil; he preserves the lives of His saints (the children of God), He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked. Ps 97.10 Amplified Bible It was biker week in Daytona Beach, Florida. Approximately 40000 bikers from all over the country had assembled for the festivities. For a Spirit filled taxi driver named Roy Hyatt – it meant cash in his pocket. Or so he thought. The taxi drivers were driving vans that weekend, anticipating the large volume of business. “I was looking forward to making a lot of money that day”, recalls Roy. “The bikers bring a lot of money into town. I was driving a taxi, hoping to have a good day, when I got a call. I had to pick up someone on the south side of town. It turned out that he wanted to go even further south and I was excited because it was the first fare for me that day. He was going a good distance where I’d make a reasonable fare off of him.” Roy pulled over in front of the house that his passenger requested. The total cab fare came to $22.20. “The man was carrying a bag with him. He had placed it behind the passenger seat in the van. When I told him how much the fare was – he walked between the seats, bent over, and went into his bag. I thought he was going for his money, but he came out with a sawed off shotgun!” The man pointed the shotgun at Roy, sat in the seat and said, “Drive!”
“Fine”, replied Roy, “Where to?” “I’ve learned to be obedient to authority”, laughs Roy – reflecting back on the incident. “He had the shotgun so he had the authority!” A short time later the kidnapper ordered Roy into the back of the van demanding him to lay face first on the floor. As he stood over Roy with the shotgun, Roy began praying silently under his breath. “Lord, I don’t know why this is happening to me but if it be your will, let him pull the trigger – because I know that to be absent from the body is to be present with you Lord.” “As soon as I said that, while I was saying it, all of the fear disappeared at that instant. At the same time he started tying me up, (he was using surgical tape) he taped my hands extremely tight and my ankles. He told me not to do anything to make him mad so I didn’t say a word to him.” During the next hour and a half the kidnapper drove and Roy prayed silently. “First of all,” said Roy, “I had to forgive him. I said Lord, I forgive him because he doesn’t know what he is doing. I don’t hold any resentment toward this man or bitterness. I put him in your hands. I pray that you protect him and that Christians will come into his life that will minister to him the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” An hour and a half later the van continued on its journey north of Daytona Beach. The circulation in Roy’s hands continued to be cut off due to the tightness of the tape
around his wrists. He became increasingly concerned about the possibility of gangrene setting in. “I remember praying a simple prayer”, recalls Roy. “I said Lord, at least let him pull over and untie my hands.” Two minutes later the kidnapper pulled the taxi-van to the side of the road to go to the bathroom. Moments later the kidnapper stood over Roy saying, “If I untie you – you won’t cause any trouble will you!?” “No sir, I sure won’t”, replied Roy, breathing a sigh of relief. The kidnapper produced a large knife with a 10” blade. “After he cut the tape he allowed me to sit in front with him”, said Roy. “He kept the shotgun on his lap – facing me the whole time. Then I realized that we were crossing the State line of Georgia.” At one point the kidnapper broke his silence. “He said, ‘I don’t want your money, I just want the use of your van,’” Roy recalled. “Then he said, ‘I’m not a murderer, but I will be if I have to. They’re not going to take me alive!” A short time later the kidnapper turned down a back road about 25 miles north of Brunswick Georgia. “He pulled off the road and ordered me out of the van and into the woods. He told me to lay face down and he started tying me back up again. I still did not have any fear, I didn’t believe in my hearth that he was going to pull the trigger. I just had that confidence that everything was going to be all right”.
A True Story of Tragedy and Forgiveness in the Muslim World By Dan Wooding, Founder of the ASSIST News Service NASHVILLE, TN (ANS – October 25, 2015) -- News about the Middle East and Islamic nations is often cast in a negative, and even scary, light in the United States. Fear, skepticism and anger have built a barrier between the faiths and people groups. According to a news release, if anyone has the right to be angry or skeptical toward people of Muslim faith, it is Ray Norman. Yet, in his upcoming release, Dangerous Love: A True Story of Tragedy, Faith, and Forgiveness in the Muslim World (Thomas Nelson, December 1, 2015), Ray casts a different light on the Muslim world, one that is loving and forgiving, one that needs understanding. In 1999, Ray, his wife, Hélène, and their two children, Nathaniel and Hannah, moved to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania in Northwest Africa, where Ray would serve as country director for World Vision, a Christian non-profit and humanitarian organization. They were there during the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and as a result, were put on high security alert for several weeks. On October 17, 2001, while Hélène was out of town and Nathaniel was at boarding school, Ray and Hannah, age 10, decided to take a late afternoon trip to the beach. While checking the tires of his Land Cruiser, Ray saw an Arab man emerge from the sand dunes. After a brief exchange, the man opened fire on Ray and Hannah with a nine-millimeter pistol. Ray managed to get in the car and escape, but his arm was shot. Then, he looked over at his daughter and saw blood coming from her chest. “It was then that my already shattered world fell completely apart,” says Ray. The events that ensued are nothing short of a miracle. Not only did Ray and Hannah survive, but the Normans decided to stay in Mauritania and keep serving
the people there. A few months after the shooting, they even visit their assailant in prison, where Hélène and Hannah offer him forgiveness and tell him about Jesus’ love. “In that moment,” says Ray, “I was witness to a fleeting glimpse of the incredible depth of God’s love for all people. It took my breath away.” Dangerous Love and the Normans’ story demonstrate that there is no place that hope, love and forgiveness cannot dwell, and there is no evil that they cannot conquer. For additional information, please visit www.thomasnelson.com
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“He tied my ankles and my wrists again but when he went to hog-tie my wrists to my ankles he ran out of tape.” As the kidnapper was turning to leave Roy asked, “could you do me one favor?” “What’s that?” he replied. “The black bag that is in the van – it has my Bible in it. Just throw it on the ground for me.” As soon as Roy heard the van speeding away he instantly snapped the tape that loosely held his ankles and wrists together. “I stood up and bent down with my hands behind my back and untied my ankles,” said Roy. “I walked out and there was my black bag with the Bible in it – where the van was parked.” Roy walked to a nearby intersection. As he walked, he called out to the Lord, “Lord, let some Christians pull over and give me a ride to the police station.” Finally, he was able to convince a carload of passing drivers that he had just escaped a kidnapping. They took him to the police station in Darien, Georgia. Roy later learned that his captor had driven through an area of heavy drug use on the way to dump him. A surveillance team from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation noticed the yellow van from Daytona Beach and followed it. The GBI agents pulled the van over. It stopped. Suddenly it took off on what was to become a high speed – 50 mile chase in which the van and two police cars were heavily damaged. The kidnapper, a twenty four year old man from Wisconsin, was charged with kidnap
ping and robbery. “Before I went to his sentencing, I received a letter from him from jail. He apologized for everything he did against me. He said, ‘I know I have a lot of time to spend in jail but I am going to be alright. I’m with God now. I’ve accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior’”. “Through all this,” concludes Roy, “I really believe that I may have been the only one praying for this young man’s salvation. And God honored my prayer, even all the way through the hard time that I was subjected to. Now – I know that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose!”
Concert at the River Walk Wende Thompson of Glory Cloud Ministries will be having a concert in the park November 21st from 6 pm to 8 pm. It is free to everyone and will be held at the Amphitheatre at the Bradenton River Walk. Various participants will be involved from local churches in the area including Faith International Christian Center. It will be a time of praise and worship to the Lord Jesus along with testimonies and the Word of God. Eveyone is invited. Contact Glory Cloud Ministries for more information at glorycloudmin@gmail.com.
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HE’S ALIVE: Christian News and Views
November 2015 • Vol. 2, No. 11
Bradenton, Florida | FREE — Donations Welcome!
Christians Experiencing Greater Persecution than Other Religions By Michael Ireland, Senior Reporter, ASSIST News Service
“Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.”-- Hebrews 13:3, ESV WHEATON, IL (ANS, November 2, 2015) – As churches all across America are this month focusing on the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, Sergey Rakhuba, President, MISSION EURASIA.,www.missioneurasia.org says Christians are experiencing persecution in more countries of the world today than followers of any other religion. In a ministry update to friends and supporters, Rakhuba says: “This is certainly true in Central Asia where it is becoming more and more dangerous to practice Christianity.
for their faith during the ongoing war with pro-Russian separatists.” Rakhuba says that, as believers, we know that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6: 12). “That’s why I am urging you to join me in prayer this Sunday and throughout the year for the following persecuted believers whom Mission Eurasia is supporting, and for other needs of the persecuted church in Eurasia.” Rakhuba is asking Christians across the United States to please pray for:
“In fact, four of the five Central Asian countries where Mission Eurasia works are listed on Open Doors World Watch List for 2015, including Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. Persecution is also a terrible reality for many other countries of Eurasia, such as Ukraine, where evangelicals have been abducted, tortured and murdered
then sentenced to 10 years in prison on fabricated charges. Ykylas Kabduakasov, an evangelist from Astana, Kazakhstan, who was arrested for “religious extremism,” but in reality, he was being persecuted for sharing the gospel with his Muslim coworkers and friends. He is now facing up to 10 years in prison. Dmitry Shestakov, a pastor from Uzbekistan who escaped religious persecution three years ago by fleeing to Kiev, Ukraine with his wife and three daughters. Karim Kashkumbayev, a pastor from Astana, Kazakhstan. He escaped arrest two years ago by fleeing to the US, where he is now living in exile, away from his wife and four young children.
ToharHaydarov, a young believer from Uzbekistan, who converted from Islam, and was
Churches in Central Asia,that they would continue to grow and fearlessly share the gospel, even though they face many challenges in this predominantly Muslim region. Churches in rebel-occupied areas in eastern Ukraine, that they would continue to share the Good News, despite the persecution they are suffering at the hands of pro-Russian military groups. Christians all throughout Eurasia, as religious persecution is increasing, and the number of persecuted Christian leaders is growing. Pray that God would strengthen them, and give them courage to proclaim the gospel, no matter their circumstances. Rakhuba also asks that believers also remember in prayer Mission Eurasia, as we strive to aid persecuted Christians and promote religious freedom in Eurasia through our Religious Freedom Initiative (RFI). Pray that God would provide opportunities, partnerships, and resources for us to grow this ministry. On the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, and throughout the year, Rakhuba thanks churches and individual believers for their support and partnership on behalf of believers who are suffering for their faith in Eurasia.
Image One: ToharHaydarov. | Image Two: YklasKabduakasov | Assist news Service PO Box 609 Lake Forest, CA 92609, USA www.assistnews.net
From Universal Pictures Home Entertainment: 90 Minutes in Heaven Universal Pictures Home Entertainment: 90 Minutes in Heaven
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Oct. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A powerful story of faith tested almost beyond human endurance, 90 Minutes in Heaven comes to Digital HD on November 17, 2015, and Blu-ray™ with DIGITAL HD, DVD and On Demand on December 1, 2015, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Based on the true story that inspired a New York Times best-selling book, 90 Minutes in Heaven is a thrilling and touching account of a struggle for life that is nothing short of miraculous. Both the Blu-ray™ and DVD versions are filled with inspiring bonus features that take audiences behind the scenes of “an intimate story of survival and faith” (Movieguide®). During the 90 minutes he is declared dead after a traffic accident, Don Piper experiences love, joy and life like he’s never known. But when he finally wakes in the hospital, Heaven’s bliss is replaced by excruciating
pain and emotional turmoil. Featuring Hayden Christensen and Kate Bosworth, 90 Minutes in Heaven is an emotional and inspiring story of perseverance that will bring hope and encouragement to all who see it. Hayden Christensen (Star Wars: Episodes II and III, Shattered Glass) and Kate Bosworth (Still Alice, Blue Crush) carries a film that Movieguide.org calls “Powerful and inspiring!” and what critic Joe Leydon of Variety describes as, “…more bluntly realistic than many other faith-based dramas in its depiction of an ordeal that likely would challenge the faith of even the most devout Christians.” Available in time for the holiday season, 90 Minutes in Heaven is a gift of comfort, hope and encouragement for when we don’t have the right words to say. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment: 90 Minutes in Heaven
Help and encouragement after the death of a loved one GriefShare is a special weekly seminar and support group designed to help you rebuild your life. We know it hurts, and we want to help.
Contact Us Today MONDAYS 7-9 –PM Wednesdays 7:00pm 9:00pm Restoration January 17Fellowship - April 25 Riverwood Church, 555-5555 5614 Richardson Road 9828Sarasota, Chambers FLRoad griefshare@riverwoodchurch.org Contact Phyllis at 941-284-1255
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HE’S ALIVE: Christian News and Views
November 2015 • Vol. 2, No. 11
Bradenton, Florida | FREE — Donations Welcome!
Healed of Leukemia (Bradenton, FL) Six years ago Virginia Alonso, better known as Vicky, received that dreaded report from her physician, Cancer of the blood, or Leukemia. In this case however, there is hope, Vicky is a devout Christian Bible believer. Vicky and her husband, Mario, are ministers of the Gospel, and sought the Lord regarding this evil report. The Word of God never fails. One evening recently Vicky needed to go to the Emergency room here in Manatee County. She was having severe symptoms and went to have it treated. While there, the attending physician recommended chemotherapy for Vicky as a means of treating the disease. Vicky gracefully refused and after thanking them went home with Mario and prayed. She asked the Lord for healing according to the
Ordeal in Orlando By Nancy Hollenkamp adapted from Deborah Mattson covered in blood. Then she saw a pickup truck pull up near Nancy. She ran back to her injured friend in hopes of getting help. The occupants of the pickup turned out to be undercover police, who were able to get help for Nancy rapidly. She was transported by ambulance to the trauma hospital nearby.
The Women’s Aglow conference began with a concert Nancy and a little known acquaintance at the time, attended. Shortly after 11 pm they left together and boarded a trolley to take them to the condominium they were staying. During the ride the women engaged in a conversation about spiritual warfare – something Nancy does daily. They were the last two women off the trolley, but the driver refused to drop them at the usual stop, saying it wasn’t safe. Instead, they were dropped about a block away from their lodging. Unknown to the two women, the trolley was being followed by a van with four boys inside. Neither of the ladies remembers feeling threatened when they got off the trolley. They were deep in conversation when all of a sudden Nancy felt someone pulling on her purse. “I didn’t let go of it right away,” she said. The next second her attacker was yelling at her to let go of the purse and Hollenkamp was then pistol-whipped by her attacker and beat to the ground. Her friends’ immediate response was to run for help. The first two houses did not respond to her knocking and cries for help. At the third house, the man slammed the door in her face. She kept looking back, helplessly, at Nancy, who, having been knocked down and dragged, was struggling to get on her feet,
Nancy had sustained a seriously fractured skull, which resulted in a loss of blood and brain fluid. Dorothy, the friend with Nancy said she was concerned Nancy might not make it. Miraculously Nancy never lost consciousness throughout the whole ordeal. Speaking of miracles, she has made a list of all the miracles that took place just prior to the assault, immediately following, and which were ongoing. There were 32 in all. Even though all this stuff happened, God was there at every point to see that certain things didn’t happen. God was truly with these ladies that night. Nancy needed brain surgery. About 10 women from the conference came to the hospital, prayed with her for healing and anointed her with oil. As they were praying, Nancy said, the swelling in her face went down and the hearing in her right ear – which had been lost as a result of the beating – was restored. Nancy had the surgery performed and a plate inserted above her right eye. Surgeons found damage to the optic nerve – not a detached retina, as they had originally feared. “The peace I felt going into surgery,” she said, “was unbelievable - I did not worry about one thing.”
years of her affliction. Some of the members of Faith International had even prayed for her healing while having lunch at Duffs Restaurant in Bradenton. Prayer works when mixed with faith and healing is the result in Vicky’s case. As the cold liquid flowed through her body and the soothing ointment alongside it, Vicky’s faith arose in her heart and she knew the Lord had indeed done the surgery He promised her. She was healed of this devilish cancer and is free of symptoms today. Then she felt a very cool plea- We praise the Lord with Vicky sing sensation begin in her and Mario. back and travel throughout her body. Like an ointment They have a radio program soothing her infirmed body on WWPR, 1490 in Bradenand ministering to her where ton every Saturday night from the Leukemia had taken its’ 7 pm until midnight. You toll. are invited to tune in. You Vicky had received much pra- may also call them at the rayer for her condition in the six dio station at 941-745-1490. many Scriptures that promise it, such as Ps 107:20 He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions, and Ps 103:2-3Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases. In prayer this evening, the same night she went to the emergency room, the Lord spoke to her and informed her He was going to do surgery. “Surgery” she thought, “How is that”?
When God Prepares the Heart
“God placed Christians at every place of need,” Dorothy her friend said. The Orlando police were good at keeping the women notified of their investigation. Two of the boys involved were 18, one was 16, and the other 14. The boy who assaulted Nancy was 18 and had two previous convictions. The deputy in charge of the case brought Nancy’s purse to her. Nothing was missing – the boy had run with her purse and then thrown it. He had hidden under a car for three hours, then gone home and confessed to his mother what he had done. She called the police. When the hospital administrator asked Nancy for a statement for the press, she recalls saying with no forethought, “All I want the public to know is that I forgive those boys, because they have no hope. They could have true hope only if they knew Jesus Christ.” Nancy’s greatest blessing is perhaps her reconciliation with her mother. The two had not been on good terms the previous three years. When Nancy arrived at the Minneapolis airport she was greeted by news cameras, her siblings, roses, balloons, and, much to her delight, her mother! “Just for this reconciliation, I would go through it all again,” concludes Nancy. Nancy is fully recovered today and maintains a home in Minnesota as well as Bradenton, Fl. She is attends church faithfully and gives God the glory everywhere she goes.
JESUS IS THE LORD!
What a wonderful thing it is to watch God work in people’s lives. Yet each and every time we go out to share the gospel we are surprised when we see just whose heart has been prepared for salvation for that day. We think often of a particular young man. He was outside with some friends that beautiful winter day in Bradenton. As the evangelist approached the group he gave his usual greetings to them and then proceeded to tell them about the Saviour and how he laid down his life on the cross for them. None of them seemed to have much interest in what they were hearing except this one young man who was listening intently. Most of the group talked among themselves not really caring what was being said, some drifted away, but the young man had fixed his eyes on the evangelist and seemed to be amazed at what he was hearing. When the evangelist got to the part where he asked the young man, “now based on the scriptures would you like to repent of your sins and accept Jesus as your saviour, he answered with a very excited “YES”! This young man had never heard about Jesus. He had never been told what Jesus had done for him and how Jesus will save anyone who will ask him. After he had prayed and asked for forgiveness of his sins he did what we do not experience very often. He asked the evangelist, “Will you tell my sisters and brothers what you just told me? “Luke 8:39 Praise God!!! He is so mighty to save!!! We can never pick and choose who we think we should share the gospel with. Share it with everyone! Romans 1:16 Tell everyone about Jesus! So, he ran to his house and brought back all his brothers, sisters, and even cousins for a total of 8 souls saved that day. I always have to say, God Is Great, God Is Good, Let Us Thank Him! And this is what happens when God prepares a heart. Lord We Love You. You Are So Amazing. What’s Amazing You Ask? GOD’S AMAZING SAVING GRACE. That Is What’s Amazing. Ephesians 2:8
5 HE’S ALIVE: Christian News and Views
November 2015 • Vol. 2, No. 11
Bradenton, Florida | FREE — Donations Welcome!
Eleven Christian Workers in Syria Crucified, Beheaded From Christian Aid Mission (www.christianaid.org) CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (ANS) --At several steps on their path to death by beheading and crucifixion last month, eleven indigenous Christian workers near Aleppo, Syria had the option to leave the area and live. The 12-year-old son of a ministry team leader also could have spared his life by denying Christ. The indigenous missionaries were not required to stay at their ministry base in a village near Aleppo, Syria; rather, the ministry director who trained them had entreated them to leave. As the Islamic State (ISIS), other rebel groups and Syrian government forces turned Aleppo into a war zone of carnage and destruction, ISIS took over several outlying villages. The Syrian ministry workers in those villages chose to stay in order to provide aid in the name of Christ to survivors. “I asked them to leave, but I gave them the freedom to choose,” said the ministry director, his voice tremulous as he recalled their horrific deaths. “As their leader, I should have insisted that they leave.” They stayed because they believed they were called to share Christ with those caught in the crossfire, he said. “Every time we talked to them,” the director said, “they were always saying, ‘We want to stay here – this is what God has told us to do. This is what we want to do.’ They just wanted to stay and share the gospel.” Those who chose to stay could have scattered and hid in other areas, as their surviving family members did. On a visit to the surviving relatives in hiding, the ministry director learned of the cruel executions. The relatives said ISIS militants on Aug. 7 captured the Christian workers in a village whose name is withheld for security reasons. On Aug. 28, the militants asked if they had renounced Islam for Christianity. When the Christians said that they had, the rebels asked if they wanted to return to Islam. The Christians said they would never renounce Christ.
not swear allegiance to its caliphate, both non-Muslims and Muslims. Consequently, the potential for large-scale executions has grown along with the gains in ISIS-controlled territory. The ministry assisted by Christian Aid Mission is providing resources and trying to find ways to evacuate these families by other routes. Many of the ministry’s teams also remain in Syria. Christian Aid Mission assists those who do not or cannot leave with the means to survive and operate their outreaches. Even those who leave, however, The 41-year-old team leader, his young son and two ministry members in their 20s were questioned at one village site where ISIS militants had summoned a crowd. The team leader presided over nine house churches he had helped to establish. His son was two months away from his 13th birthday. “All were badly brutalized and then crucified,” the ministry leader said. “They were left on their crosses for two days. No one was allowed to remove them.” The martyrs died beside signs the ISIS militants had put up identifying them as “infidels.” Eight other ministry team members, including two women, were taken to another site in the village that day (Aug. 28) and were asked the same questions before a crowd. The women, ages 29 and 33, tried to tell the ISIS militants they were only sharing the peace and love of Christ and asked what they had done wrong to deserve the abuse. The Islamic taken to another site in the village that day (Aug. 28) and were asked the same questions before a crowd. The women, ages 29 and 33, tried to tell the ISIS militants they were only sharing the peace and love of Christ and asked what they had done wrong to deserve the abuse. The Islamic extremists then publicly raped the women, who continued to pray during the ordeal, leading the ISIS militants to beat them all the more furiously. As the two women and the six
“The next day he came back and said, ‘I came to kill you, but last night I saw Jesus, and I want to know what are you teaching – who is this One who held me up from killing you?’“ the director said. “He received Christ with tears, and today he’s actually helping in the church, helping out other people. We’re praying for lots of such Sauls to change to Pauls.” The sorrow of the ministry team leader who lost eleven workers and one of their children last month has been deep, but he takes heart that their faithfulness could help change the hearts of persecutors. “They kept on praying loudly and sharing Jesus until their last breath,” he said. “They did this in front of the villagers as a testimony for others.”
men knelt before they were beheaded, they were all praying. “Villagers said some were praying in the name of Jesus, others said some were praying the Lord's prayer, and others said some of them lifted their heads to commend their spirits to Jesus,” the ministry director said. “One of the women looked up and seemed to be almost smiling as she said, ‘Jesus!’” After they were beheaded, their bodies were hung on crosses, the ministry director said, his voice breaking. He had trained all of the workers for their evangelistic ministry, and he had baptized the team leader and some of the others. Hundreds of former Muslims in Syrian villages are in danger of being captured and killed by ISIS, which is fighting to establish a caliphate in which apostasy is punishable by death. The underground church in the region has mushroomed since June 2014, when ISIS began terrorizing those who do
Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
may encounter ISIS militants and other criminals in refugee camps, said the leader of another ministry that Christian Aid Mission assists. He spoke of a Muslim from northern Syria who, like all men in areas that ISIS takes over, was coerced into joining the caliphate or being killed. Recruited into ISIS, he fled the country after his brother was killed in the fighting. Disillusioned with ISIS but still adhering to Islam and its teaching that Christians and Jews are unclean “pigs,” he went to Amman, Jordan, as he had learned that relatives there were receiving aid from Christians. The Muslim, whose name is withheld for security reasons, went to a Christian meeting with the intention of killing the aid workers gathered there. Something kept him from following through on his plan, though, and that night he saw Jesus in a dream, the ministry director said.
He asked for prayer for surviving family members and for himself. “These things have been very hard on me,” he said. “What wrong did those people do to deserve to die? What is happening is more and more people are being saved. The ministry is growing and growing – in the past we used to pray to have one person from a Muslim background come to the Lord. Now there are so many we can barely handle all the work among them.”
John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. HAPPY THANKSGIVING
John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
6 HE’S ALIVE: Christian News and Views
November 2015 • Vol. 2, No. 11
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Syria Religious Cleansing Continues By Charles Glass
BOSTON, Oct. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "Until the regional powers and superpowers agree that the war in Syria should end, it will not end," veteran Middle East correspondent Charles Glass said Wednesday at an event sponsored by Christian Solidarity International.
In a public lecture at Boston College, Glass, who has been reporting on Syria for decades and still regularly travels to the war-torn country, described the Syrian conflict both as a proxy war between the U.S. and Russia and regional powers, and a civil war rooted in local issues. "But the decisions, the money and the weapons come from the superpowers and the regional powers," he concluded, "from the Americans through their client states and from the Russians and the Iranians." According to Glass, "The U.S., Britain and France had long harbored a wish to get rid of the Syrian regime.” When the Syrian revolution began, Glass said, his contacts in the
opposition told him they were determined to keep the movement nonviolent, “to use a strategy the regime couldn’t cope with”: mass civil disobedience and general strikes. “It might have failed, but it would not have led to 250,000 dead and half the country homeless.” Instead, Western states and their allies in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey “persuaded members of opposition to take up arms, and turn peaceful demonstrations in a civil war.”
who initially participated in the peaceful, secular uprising against the Syrian regime “have been driven out of the revolution by jihadists, and forced to side with the regime just to survive.”
Alternatively, if Russia, Iran and the Syrian regime prevail, “there will be reprisals and massacres against Syrians who opposed the regime”. On the current trajectory, Glass said, the most likely outcome is not victory for either side, but “a long and bloody war with a big impact on Europe that endures as a problem in U.S. foreign policy for years to come.”
Despite the utter lack of political freedom in Syria before the war, Glass said, there was “social freedom,” particularly for Christians, religious minorities and women. Instead, Glass argued, the two superpowers should reach a But if the United States and its settlement on Syria, and imIslamist regional allies prevail, pose a peace on the country’s “that means Jahbat al Nus- warring parties, as was done Glass described the spread of ra [al Qaeda’s Syria affiliate] in Lebanon in the 1989 Ta’if violent sectarianism in Syria wins, Syria will be religious- accord. as a consequence of this poli- ly cleansed, and its people cy. Minority Christian, Alawi- will be enslaved to an ideo- “Lebanon healed very quicte and Druze contacts of Glass’ logy they don’t believe in.” kly, in one respect,” Glass said.
That could happen in Syria. The most urgent thing is for the outside powers that are keeping this war alive to stop. " "There's hope" for Syria's multicultural society, he concluded, "unless all the Christians are driven out first." Editor’s note: Glass was ABC News' chief Middle East correspondent when he was abducted and held hostage in Lebanon for 62 days in 1987. He writes regularly for The New York Review of Books, Harper's and The Spectator, and is the author of several books on the Levant, most recently Syria Burning: ISIS and the Death of the Arab Spring.
7 HE’S ALIVE: Christian News and Views
November 2015 • Vol. 2, No. 11
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My Damascus Experience Bob Duffany ByBy Charles Glass
Monday, early February, 1980, was not like any other workday I had ever known. The events of that particular day would change the course of my entire life. Let me explain by starting with my life before that momentous morning. I was not a Christian and did not think of myself to be of any kind of religious person. I was raised right by my Mom and Dad, and I was instilled with a great ‘work ethic’ which has lasted my entire life (so far). I was raised Catholic of sorts, and with my family of 6 siblings, I attended a small Catholic church in upstate New York. I was confirmed, attended catechism classes, and was even an ‘altar boy’ for a couple of years, pushed there mostly by my Mom. My Dad attended church sporadically with us, mostly at Christmas and Easter. At eighteen, I graduated from high school, entered the United States Air force, and promptly forgot what little religion I knew for many years. When I married, we attended church on the usual two holy days, but my life seemed to revolve around the various jobs I had. At thirty-five, my family and I were hoodwinked by the clever words of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, attending their classes until we escaped eighteen months later, but pursued, harried, and threatened to the end. I tried Herbert Armstrong’s stuff until I received a threatening letter in retaliation to my letter outlining where they were wrong about the Bible and the ‘End Times’ scenario.I also had been studying the Bible to learn about what might occur in the futurewhich left them greatly lacking in sound doctrine. Their theology, and the stuff of other such ‘religions’ just didn’t seem right– didn’t make sense or go along with the REAL Bible, which I respected quite a bit. For a few years, I read every book I could lay my hands on: Edgar Cayce, Rosicrucianism, and even the Egyptian Book of the Dead! Nothing clicked.
(It was Josh MacDowell’s “More Than a Carpenter”. I didn’t read it until I found it years later in my books.) To hurry them out, I said, yes. They left, saying they would pray for us. We soon moved to Maryland, about forty-fiveminutes’ drive from where I worked just off the Baltimore beltway. I was an electrical design engineer working on automotive aftermarket equipment. We had just finished production work on a particular product, and ten thousand or more had been shipped to all parts of the United States, and overseas, even to India.
All seemed useless imagination or senseless. I wanted to know what would happen when I died. I was now thirty-nine years old.Was it just annihilation? Or was there something else? At our apartment complex in Columbia, PA, a young woman spoke into my wife’s life, even persuading her to attend a Christian Speakers Conference in Lancaster. To no avail…. One evening, an older couple knocked on our door, stating they were from Youth for Christ. Having a good respect for Billy Graham (from my Mother’s watching his crusades on television for years), I let them talk. Could they have a few minutes to talk with us about our future and where we were going? My wife said sure, why not? I went into another room but listened to their spiel. At one point I went in and told them that we weren’t interested but thank you. They were very courteous and said they were leaving, but asked if I would do just onething for them: would I take a few minutes to read a small book theywanted to leave with me?
On a Saturday morning, I received a frantic phone call from Tom, our plant and production manager, saying he had received a phone call from one of our distributors in California. This particular product, all of them, were not working at all on any of the vehicles. We were in trouble! I was in trouble, because I was R&D Manager: it was my product, and now I knew my job and career were in trouble!We had tested each one and knew they should work, but they obviously didn’t, for some reason. I imagined the worst. We decided to wait until Monday to see if more calls concerning similar problems came in. They did, and this thing would probably kill our small company. I worried all weekend, and on Monday morning I drove the twenty-three miles to work. It was raining a mixture of sleet and snow as I stopped at the final traffic light before entering the the industrial park. My mind was in a frenzy of questions, no answers, and many dreary options for my future and that of our thirty-eight personnel. I was in the habit lately of listening to the “Kings Hour” (from New York) on radio, because the speaker made some sense, and I had grown tired of the raucous country music offerings on other AM stations. Our corporate boss was flying in later, and I just knew this was my last day with the company, and my last paycheck. I was vaguely listening to a speaker, Dr.
Robert Cooke. Amidst all my stomach knots and anxiety, Dr. Cooke said, in a calm, sweet tone (I’ll never forget the love and genuine caring in that voice), “If you’re having a problem today, and need answers and real peace in your life, just ask Jesus to come into your heart right now. He’s the One you need.” (Words to that effect). I was still at the traffic light in the cold rain on that wintry day. I literally shouted aloud, “Jesus, if You are real, and You are there, help me! Come into my heart – I need You, now!” The next thing I remember is the honking horn of the car behind me, the rain, and the green traffic light, as I sat there, crying uncontrollably. Jesus had really come into my life and heart, and I knew it without a shadow of a doubt! I knew in my heart there was no problem with the products we had shipped, though I still did not know what was wrong. (By the way, I did get to talk to Dr. Cooke a year or so later in person and thank him for speaking the Word that day.) I drove on as if in a dream, my crying now turning to joy and even laughter as I made my way to work. I went in and was accosted by Tom, who asked frantically what we were going to do. I told him in a calm smiling voice that there was no problem. It was going to be alright. He, of course, thought I was crazy and continued to ramble in a worried manner, asking what I meant, “no problem”. I said I had found Jesus and got saved, and everything would be OK. Don’t worry. He stared, then turned and went into his office, angry and thinking something had snapped in my brain. It had, as it turned out. At 9:00 AM he called the West Coast (that’s when they wake up) to determine the extent of the problem. They ducts
replied that now worked,
The real problem was that the instruction sheet had been printed wrong, causing the hookup wires to be connected wrongly. A new instruction sheet would take care of it all. Tom looked at me in a way I had never seen before, and asked, “How did you know?” I just said, “It’s Jesus. He said it would be okay.” My wife and children were saved a few weeks later. Then, God removed my twopack-a-day Camel cigarette addiction from my wife and myself instantly, with no withdrawal symptoms, after we prayed for Jesus to be our Lord and Savior. We attended a Baptist church, then a Pentecostal church. One day, as I drove from Reisterstown, Maryland (where we lived) to Gaithersburg, Maryland via the back roads which I knew well (I was in electronic sales, now), I was listening to a Christian song on the car radio. Suddenly, I was hit by the power of God and had to pull over to the side of the road, as I couldn’t see clearly through the tears and his power working in me. I had then and there been baptized in the Holy Spirit, right there on the road to a little town named Damascus, Maryland. His love overwhelmed me completely. God has a sense of humor, after all! Praise His glorious Name!
NEED MINISTERIAL CREDENTIALS? You can study the Bible online: Contact us: ficcpastor@yahoo.com
the proafter all!
Florida Missionaries reach Communist Viet Nam with Gospel Love Vietnam Missions Buddha has dominated this country religiously for centuries and today, the communists rule over the entire country relentlessly. And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; Acts 17.26 Vietnam Ministries provides short wave radios, Bibles, food and support to the tribal people, holding underground training classes for workers and teachers and encouraging our brothers and sisters who suffer many things, even prison for sharing their faith in Jesus. God gave Tom Marks, the founder, a vision of an Indian reservation on January 4, 1974. The vision was upside down and beautifully detailed. Strangely there were no people in the vision. For thirty years Tom prayed, seeking God for the meaning of this vision to no avail.
Huong, have been blessed to meet and minister to many of their cell leaders last December near the Chinese border. The ministry also encompasses over one hundred children in the Mekong Delta area. Many miracles and healings are manifest as the Lord confirms His word with signs and wonders. Tom and Huong covet your prayers and support. In January 2004, thirty years later, God brought revelation to the vision. After spending several weeks with the Vietnamese Pastor Tom works with in Vietnam, God revealed to him that that the Tribal people of Vietnam were the Indian Reservation he had seen in the vision.
The Tribal people live in villages, what we would call reservations in America. It was upside down in the vision, but rolling the vision over to the other side of the world, it would then be viewed right side up. God has helped Thomas to help His people in the coun-
try of Vietnam. Over the past several years, God has added to the ministry and to His church over one thousand Tribal Cell Churches in North Vietnam, encompassing over eleven provinces. There are between twenty to forty five souls in each cell. Tom and his Vietnamese wife
They are based out of Venice Florida. To learn more about their ministry and the persecuted church in Vietnam, please contact them. Vietnam Missions 941-773-9183 vnmissions@msn.com www.vietnammissions.org
8
HE’S ALIVE: Christian News and Views
November 2015 • Vol. 2, No. 11
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Simple Plan Of Salvation
The Spirit of Truth By Rev Madeline Montez Duffany
Dear Reverend,
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Dear Bette
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PO Box 14931 at e in el ad M ev R Write to 0 or by email at Bradenton, FL 3428 oo.com. Hesalivenews@yah rs om readers. Lette fr e ar s er tt le l al Not son but true in er p in s u io it ct fi e may b content. y t to edit or refuse an gh ri e th e rv se re e W d. questions submitte
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