Today’s Headlines:

JORDAN PROMOTES CHRISTIAN BIBLICAL SITES FOR RELIGIOUS TOURISM

SPIRITUAL SCREENPLAY CONTEST OFFERS $50,000 IN PRIZES ANNUALLY

MUSLIM MOB IN NIGERIA INJURES 6, DESTROYS 10 CHRISTIAN CHURCHES

30 CHOIR ROBES: UNUSUAL DONATION FINDS PERFECT HOME IN ETHIOPIA

TED HAGGARD AND EVANGELICALS CONFIRM, ‘BUSH IS NOT THE DEVIL’

Today’s Top Stories:

JORDAN PROMOTES CHRISTIAN BIBLICAL SITES FOR RELIGIOUS TOURISM

Jordanian Tourism and Antiquities Minister Munir Y. Nassar is touting the country’s historical sites of Christian importance. “Jordan is the birthplace of Christianity, and Christians should come and visit its biblical sites,” Nassar said. He considers the “birthplace of Christianity” to be Jesus’ baptismal site at Bethany beyond the Jordan where the Holy Spirit came down upon Jesus after John the Baptist baptized Him. In addition, the northern area of Gadara where Jesus cast the demons into the swine, and Mount Nebo from where Moses is said to have seen the Promised Land, both reside within Jordan’s borders. Nassar also noted the importance of the country during the early Christian church. “We have more churches per square meter in Jordan — old Byzantine churches — than you have anywhere else in the world. In fact, the oldest church in the world was uncovered in Aqaba about six or seven years ago. Wherever we dig, we come up with a Byzantine church. Whenever we dig we come up with some kind of a Christian pilgrimage site,” Nassar said. (Religion Today/Assist News Service)

SPIRITUAL SCREENPLAY CONTEST OFFERS $50,000 IN PRIZES ANNUALLY

The John Templeton Foundation and partners with Movieguide and the Christian Film and Television Commission have announced $50,000 in prize money for their Kairos Prize for spiritually uplifting Screenplays. The first such contest was such a success that many asked for it to become a yearly event. Dr. Jack Templeton, son of the foundation’s founder, said that “Hollywood can reap the benefit of a continual stream of creative, inspiring scripts.” Screenplays submitted to the contest must be uplifting, inspirational and result in either an increase in man’s love for or understanding of the “one true creator God.” Dr. Ted Baehr, founder of Movieguide and the Christian Film & Television Commission, added, “Through our involvement with the film and television industry, we hope to encourage support of and approbation for those who desire to use their talents to give us a deeper awareness of the spiritual dimension of life. We want people of faith to work alongside the Hollywood studios to help them produce entertainment choices that appeal to the largest possible audience.” The prize values awarded are $25,000 for first, $15,000 for second and $10,000 for third. (Evangelical News)

MUSLIM MOB IN NIGERIA INJURES 6, DESTROYS 10 CHRISTIAN CHURCHES

A mob of Muslim youths in Nigeria’s Jigawa state capital of Dutse injured six Christians and burned 10 churches Sept. 19-20. The attacks were sparked by allegations that a Christian woman, identified only as a tailor named Jummai, blasphemed the prophet Mohammed during an argument with a Muslim man. The controversial comments of Pope Benedict XVI fueled the already-high religious tensions. Demanding the woman be stoned, the mob also destroyed 20 Christian homes and 40 shops, leaving more than 1,000 Christians displaced. Police have detained the accused woman along with more than 20 who were involved in the mob attacks. Witnesses to the original verbal dispute stated that Jummai was reacting to a blasphemous remark against Jesus Christ made by the Muslim man. An estimated 80 percent of Dutse’s population is Muslim. (Compass Direct)

30 CHOIR ROBES: UNUSUAL DONATION FINDS PERFECT HOME IN ETHIOPIA

After receiving the unusual donation of 30 choir robes, Christian Resources International (CRI) heard of an Ethiopian church that needed new robes. The choir at the 2,000-member Nazareth Misrak (East) Meserete Kristos Church, 62 miles from Ethiopia’s capital city of Addis Ababa, had used the same choir robes for years. But because of the donation, choir members are now proudly serving their congregation with handsome, much-improved robes. One leader at the Ethiopian church wrote that choir members had used their robes for many years, and they were nearly worn out. “At this time,” he said, “you sent us quality choir dressing.” CRI shares its resources to promote evangelism worldwide. (Mission Network News)

TED HAGGARD AND EVANGELICALS CONFIRM, ‘BUSH IS NOT THE DEVIL’

Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), issued a formal statement on Friday, Sept. 21, following comments made by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez during a controversial speech to the U.N. in which Chávez called George W. Bush “the devil.” Haggard said, “NAE theologians and scholars have conducted a thorough exegetical study of the biblical texts concerning the person, disposition and earthy manifestations of Satan (Beelzebub, Lucifer, Prince of Darkness). They have incontrovertibly concluded that, contrary to the assertion of Hugo Chávez, President Bush is not the devil.”(Christian Newswire)

Related Articles:

• SUDAN & BURMA: CHRISTIAN REFUGEES IN PERIL
• Pray for the World 6 February 2012
• PRAYER OF A HUMBLE SERVANT
• Prayers for Help in Times of Trouble
• Pray for the World (January 31, 2012)

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