Nigerians need to sit down and talk –PaPa Ayo ORritsejafor

Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, founder of the Word of Life Bible Church in Warri, Delta State, and president of the Christian Association of Nigeria, spoke with FRIDAY OLOKOR on the state of the nation and other issues
What is your feeling about the presidential proclamation of a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, which were almost being taken over by Boko Haram terrorists?
I think this is probably one of the best moves President Goodluck Jonathan has ever made. He has made a move in a very proper and right direction to proclaim the state of emergency because the situation was getting worse before our eyes. It is either people who ought to know didn’t know or they knew and were pretending that they did not know. Two weeks before the proclamation of emergency, the situation had gone out of hand in Borno State, where I think there are about 27 local governments. Almost 24 of the councils were under the control of Boko Haram. As a journalist, you can go and carry out your independent investigation. In fact, in some local governments, Boko Haram members brought down the Nigerian flag, set them ablaze and raised their own flag. What they were gradually going to do was to proclaim an Islamic Republic just like what they did in northern Mali; that was where they were heading to. But thank God that Mr. President made the right move at the right time. I think the governor of that state was wise when he went to the President to inform him of certain things.

But a lot of critics have argued that the President goofed by refusing to replicate the example laid by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, who in his time allowed the sitting governors of Ekiti and Plateau states and other democratic structures to step aside for the military to take over.
Well, for me, what we see happening right now shows that the President’s decision was a right one because the sitting governors have not in any way hampered the movement of the military. The military men are doing what they are supposed to do. And by the way, because of how intense the situation was, nobody is moving about freely in those states right now because there is a curfew all over the place. Even the government is not functioning the way it would have functioned. Back to the constitution, does the law clearly state that when you declare a state of emergency, all political structures must be removed? Does it really say that? I don’t think so. My belief is that what the President has done is to continue to respect the political structures while at the same time getting their cooperation to make sure they do not disturb the military from achieving their mission. What we are looking for are results. If we get the results, we will be happy. From what we have observed and seen, we are getting the results.

A lot of people see the Boko Haram issue as a blend of religion and politics. What is your opinion?
Let me say it again that the issue of Boko Haram is fundamentally and basically religious. It is a jihadist and fundamentalist organisation, formed to propagate and promote a particular religion. Now, it has been like that from the beginning. We all know that there were politicians who said that if Jonathan won the 2011 presidential election, they would make Nigeria ungovernable. In my opinion, what they did was to find ways to give support to Boko Haram. In their calculation, if they give them the support, then obviously as Boko Haram is killing and destroying, it makes Nigeria ungovernable. We are seeing it happening but that does not make the Boko Haram menace a political issue.

 We have listened to the leader of Boko Haram again and again. He has never minced words and there is no ambiguity in all he has been saying. He has always been clear that their aim is to establish an Islamic state. So, what they actually want to do is what they did in northern Mali. That is the purpose and you see, for terrorists, any kind of support or assistance they can get from anywhere, they will gladly welcome it and use it to establish their purpose as long as it is coming from the Muslim community. It is not that there are no good Muslims. Nigeria has very good and wonderful men and women who are good Muslims and who believe in the unity of this country. Muslims have also been killed and I have said it many times that the primary target of Boko Haram is to kill government agents, including security agents, destroy schools because they believe it is a sin to go to school and churches because churches to them are also tied to western ideology. These are the people that they are primarily against.

What is your advice for Christians?
My advice for Christians is that they should believe in Jesus Christ. But believing in Christ does not exempt us from troubles; it does not necessarily separate us from hardships and persecution. So, what we are saying now is in the Bible. I will say to anyone who is a child of God and a Christian: Don’t give up your faith for any reason; hold on to what you believe in.
This will not last forever. Recently, the Secretary of CAN in Borno State (Rev. Faye Musa Pama), was killed in his own house before his own daughter who pleaded for his life. They refused to spare him. It is unbelievable but I said to Christians: that man of God is a martyr, a hero and heaven has received him. My prayer is that God will not allow more to go like that. I believe that there are two situations we must look at now critically in this country. The first one is what we call Fulani herdsmen who are operating freely across this nation today. No one is seriously looking at this situation. It is building; Fulani herdsmen are another version of Boko Haram.

We need to take this matter seriously and start doing something about it. When I was growing up, the best you can see Fulani herdsmen with is a dagger and their sticks. But today, they carry AK-47 rifles. Who taught them how to use AK-47? In fact, who bought AK-47 for them? These are questions begging for answers. Let me take you further. People in London, people across Europe, even in Indonesia, the largest Muslim nation in the world, don’t they eat cows? Do we see cows on the streets of London? Do we see people leading cows? For God’s sake, this is the 21st Century. We cannot continue like this. Government at every level, with a little help from the Federal Government, should go to where they came from and establish modern ranches. It is very possible, it can be done and they can be trained. The thing has to be handled

quickly because if it is not, I can tell you that the atrocities of the Fulani herdsmen will be more potent than those of Boko Haram. I say this with all seriousness without anything against any tribe. Let me also say that I believe Nigeria has reached a point where we must sit down and discuss. Call it anything, all the tribes that make up Nigeria. We must sit together and discuss.

Do we call it a Sovereign National Conference?
Those are big words; I said let us meet and discuss. Sometimes you can use words that aggravate things and offend the people. But I’m not interested in words, I’m interested in results. I just want something to happen, we must talk. I plead with Mr. President, I plead with all those in the National Assembly to please consider this. This one we are saying goes beyond politics.

You have received commendation for being the best president ever produced by CAN. After Oritsejafor, what type of successor would you gladly welcome?
God has arranged it for me to be the leader of His church at this time; He has already planned for the person who will take over from me. I believe there are people who will do better than me. That has been my prayer and it will happen because the church has actively participated in the establishment and development of this nation called Nigeria.

Ahead of the 2015 general elections, what type of President and leader would you wish for Nigeria? 
I believe Nigeria needs a leader first and foremost, who believes in God because any man who does not fear God will not care about man. That is part of the problems of this nation. I believe Nigeria needs a leader who will not only fear God but will, out of the fear of God, consider the ordinary citizens of this nation; a leader who will realise that he is a servant while the people are actually the masters; a leader who will truly fight this thing called corruption and attack it with everything that he has. But a leader who is strong and at the same time compassionate is also necessary in Nigeria. We need a leader that can hold everybody together and do away with all forms of tribalism.

A TERRIFYING GRACE: Why God’s omniscience is good news for us.

My wife, Barbara, and I have been married for more than 30 years, and yet some corners of our inner lives remain dark to one another. We know a lot about each other—a lot. But we're still learning how to reveal secrets. It's still scary after all these years.

When we take a step back from marriage and think of other relationships, it becomes clear how much we hide from each other. Most of the time, we try to make a good impression: on the boss, the coworker, the neighbor, the stranger we hold the door for at the bank. We share various and sundry intimacies with friends, lovers, parents, children, and priests or pastors—but we do not tell everything to anyone. We hold back.

We hold back in wisdom. It's probably not a good idea to tell coworkers of the opposite sex about your temptations to lust. It's not wise for parents to tell their young children how they sometimes wish they hadn't had children.

But we also hold back in fear. What would he think if I told him how hateful I feel? Would she still speak to me if I admitted my addiction to pornography? Could I still work in the church if they knew how many doubts I have?

Would I be accepted if I told all? That's the question. We long to be accepted, to be in the company of someone who will not blink regardless of what we say. But long ago we came to believe that this isn't possible. At some point we have all chosen to share a vulnerable secret, only to later endure humiliation or shame. So now we live with a low-grade fear that somebody is going to find out something about us we do not wish to reveal. It's a fear that nags us for life.

Bringing God into the picture does not seem to help at first. But bring him in we must, because a key attribute of God is his omniscience (lit. "all knowledge")—that he knows everything, in particular everything about us. Jesus makes this clear time and again when he says things like, "Your Father knows what you need" (Matt. 6:8). He admitted that while his own knowledge was temporarily limited—for example, he does not know the "day or hour" of his own return—the Father does know (Mark 13:32). Jesus always frames God's complete knowledge as a point of comfort, but if we're honest with ourselves, we see that we aren't always comforted.

For example, we're rightly told over and over that God accepts us just as we are. But truth be told, we're skeptical. If there is anyone whom we're really anxious to make a good impression on, it's God.

Sure, we confess things to God that we confess to no one else. But many of our confessions are attempts to manage the relationship so that we are acceptable to God: I admit my greed or selfishness in a moment of contrition. I'm sincere, but I'm also looking for absolution, forgiveness, and acceptance. If I do my part, God will do his part, and all will be well.

I know I'm managing the relationship with God because while I'm willing to bring some areas of my life before him, I find it difficult to speak with him about other areas. Like an alcoholic in denial, I struggle to admit my various addictions. I'm hiding the truth from myself, and in that sense, I'm hiding it from God. Many times when circumstances or the loving rebuke of a friend force me to acknowledge some dark area of my life, I have to admit that I was aware of it for some time, like being aware of the low speaker hum while you're listening to a speech. You do not hear that hum if someone is chattering into the microphone, but when the person stops talking and you just listen, the hum is there.

Mourning a Daughter's Suicide: How family and faith sustained Frank Page as he grieved the loss of his sweet, but troubled, Melissa.

Distress and Melissa," writes Frank Page, "were rarely very far away from each other." Some sources of that distress, like cancer, were beyond her control, but sinful habits and destructive life choices also played a pivotal role.

 Distress and Melissa would remain entwined until Page's daughter, one of three, committed suicide at age 32. After years of grief, Page, a longtime pastor and former Southern Baptist Convention president, has decided to tell his family's story in Melissa: A Father's Lessons from a Daughter's Suicide (B&H). CT associate editor Matt Reynolds spoke with Page about Melissa's turbulent life, the aftermath of her suicide, and the challenge of shepherding other fragile families through seasons of darkness.

How would you describe your daughter?

Melissa is little in stature, about 98 pounds of pure fire. She is a vivacious young lady who lit up the room with her smile and endeared herself to others. But she is also a young lady who, from early on, struggled in many areas of her life. The struggles never stopped. They changed in nature sometimes, and in their severity, but she struggled her whole life.

You certainly don't present an airbrushed portrait of Melissa. How were you able to be so candid about the chronic patterns of sin and disobedience in her life?

I felt that if this book was really going to touch a lot of lives, it was going to have to be transparent. For over two years after Melissa's death, I was not transparent about her. I didn't lie, and if someone wanted to talk about her, I certainly did. But I really began realizing that if this book was going to make a true impact—and hopefully among people considering suicide themselves—I needed to be honest. In the Christian community, sometimes, there's a lack of transparency and a lack of honesty, and it just would have been false if I had tried to pull a curtain over the reality of her life.

Why go to the effort of writing the book, if it involved such painful memories?

At the outset, I thought it might be cathartic, and therapeutic for me. And so I began writing, thinking it might help me deal with the loss of a daughter. But then I quickly began to realize that there's a huge epidemic of suicide, and so many people are dealing with this. And so I decided to put my pride aside, my love for privacy, and even a protective spirit toward my daughter. And I decided that the best way to honor her memory was by helping people in the name of the Lord.

How have you and your family dealt with the aftermath of Melissa's suicide?

From early on, we resolved that we would not blame each other. We all recognize we could have done things better. I could have been a better father. My daughters perhaps could have done something different to help their sister. We all know that, and we're honest about that. But we also realize that usually, honestly, we did the best we knew at the time.

We're open with one another. We talk about Melissa. We miss her, and at holidays and birthdays, we talk about how there's a place at the table missing, a big place. And so we hold onto each other and support each other. We pray through it. We realize that God's grace really is sufficient. At some point, when something like this happens, of this magnitude, you have to ask: Do we believe what we've taught, preached, read, and said all these years? Does God really come through in the dark times? And the answer is he does, and he did. And he has for all of us.

FRESH FIRE 2013

COUNTDOWN  -10 DAYS TO GO

World's most expensive motor home goes on sale for £2million

The world's most expensive motorhome has gone on sale in Dubai, covered in gold & worth £2m.

The space-age eleMMent Palazzo comes complete with a colossal master bedroom, 40-inch TV, on-board bar, fireplace and even its own rooftop terrace. But the most impressive piece of luxury is the 'Sky Lounge' - at the press of a button the 40ft home transforms into a personal retreat with pop up cocktail bar, underfloor heating and extravagant marble lighting. Continue...

 The luxury motor home comes in gold and white

At the press of a button the 40ft home transforms into a personal retreat with pop up cocktail bar, underfloor heating and extravagant marble lighting

The private jet on wheels is designed to cater for businessmen on the road, wealthy families on their travels or global superstars on tour

 

The master bedroom has a 40 inch TV, with warm water floor heating system & full air conditioning

Culled from UK Daily Mail

Removing the Stigma: Mental Illness in the Church

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Suicide kills more people in the United States every year than homicide, hypertension or motor vehicle crashes, yet it's seldom discussed in the Church. 

But now, mental health is moving to the forefront following suicides that rocked two prominent evangelical families.

Pastor Rick Warren, who leads Saddleback Church in Southern California, lost his 27-year-old son Matthew in April.

Also, Dr. Frank Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, just released a new book Melissa: A Father's Lesson's from a Daughter's Suicide about his daughter's death.  

The Day Melissa Died    
Page was alone at home when he received the call that would change his life. It was the day after Thanksgiving 2009 and his oldest daughter, 32-year-old Melissa, had just ended her life. Although she had struggled for years, Page knew something had changed that week. 

During an interview with CBN News in his Nashville home he explained, "Two days before she died I said, 'Melissa, no one loves you like your Daddy and nobody knows you like your Daddy and I know something's wrong, bad wrong baby. Please...' -- and she was getting ready to go talk to her mental health professional -- 'You tell him that your Daddy thinks you need to be hospitalized.'"
    
As the top leader for the Southern Baptists, Page sets the direction for the denomination's 15.9 million members.  He's also served as a successful mega-church pastor. 

But Page calls parenting Melissa one of his most daunting challenges.  It's why he wrote the book -- to encourage others on a similar journey and challenge the Church to reach out. 
    
Page and his wife, Dayle, explained that although Melissa accepted Christ as a child, her life was not easy.

"We worried about her constantly, wanted to be able to help her," Dayle told CBN News.

Frank explained, "She struggled with addictive issues, behavioral issues, rebellion issues. She struggled in many ways relationally. She was gifted beyond words and struggled beyond words." 
    
In her 20s, Melissa reached a period of stability. She married and seemed headed on a smoother path. But then a bout with cancer led to a prescription pill addiction and she spiraled downward once again. The Pages say she never mentioned suicide, leaving them in shock the day she died. 

For the first year, they remember feeling numb. 

"People say, 'She committed suicide in November, what was it like that first Christmas?'  I don't remember," Frank told CBN News. "Now the second Christmas I well remember. Then the grief was even worse for me."

After more than three years, the Pages describe their grief like waves, continually rolling in but varying in frequency and intensity. 

Suicide and Salvation

Their great comfort now is in knowing that Melissa is at peace in heaven. It's a biblical truth they say our culture has undermined. 

"You've got some people who say 'If you commit suicide you're going to hell,'" Frank explained. It's a belief the Pages want the Church to challenge. 

"I think you have to get to the point where if you belong to Christ you are His child and nothing can separate you," Dayle said. 

Frank added, "It's a family thing and family never changes. Sometimes we act like we're not a part of the family, but the truth is when you're born and you're born again-it's forever."

Raising Awareness
    
Moving forward, the Pages hope to build on the growing national awareness of mental health issues.  It started with last December's Sandy Hook Elementary shootings in Newtown, Conn., and continued in April with the suicide of Pastor Warren's son. 

"I think the timing is fascinating," Frank said, "that indeed all these things have happened in a very short period of time and I think God is going to use all these bad things to bring forth a movement among God's people."
   
At the Southern Baptist annual convention in Houston this week, the denomination will work to promote awareness of mental health issues.  Page is hoping to begin to remove some of the stigma and encourage churches to more pro-actively minister to those who are suffering. 

"These are legitimate, serious issues that people struggle with," he said. "And the church needs to be the place where we say 'we understand.'" 

Page says the local Church can help through support groups, counseling or simply awareness of what the community has to offer. It's an enormous challenge but with more than 36,000 people taking their own lives each year it could meet an enormous need.

Wedding photos: Njideka Odili weds Uzoma Iheme Nwosu

Njideka Odili, the third daughter of former Rivers State governor, Peter Odili, married Uzoma Nwosu Iheme, the son of Court of Appeals Judge, Justice Chioma Nwosu Iheme on Saturday June 8th in Abuja. And President Jonathan was there...! Oh, and check out the cake!

Bible Find a Small Miracle in Moore, Oklahoma

CBN's Operation Blessing  workers are still helping people get their lives back together in Moore, Oklahoma, the area hit by a massive tornado last week. And they're hearing stories of small miracles.

Dave Evans, the pastor at Highland Baptist Church on the east side of Moore, told the aid organization that even though his community was devastated, there have been some powerful "God moments."

"One of our church members who we loved so much, Cindy, she was killed in the storm," Evans said. "Several days after we had her memorial service I got a call from a man who was volunteering who was helping a few blocks away from where Cindy lived."

"He found a Bible, a Bible in a Bible case, and this F5 proof Bible case that had mud all over it, and he unzipped it and found this Bible in perfect condition. And it had Cindy's name on it and it had some info about the church and he called me and said I have a Bible I want to give to you," Evans continued.

"And so I called Cindy's son and he just began to weep, thinking about how special this Bible was to his mother, and how she carried it everywhere," he said.

Operation Blessing crews continue to help residents clean up debris and repair damage. Volunteers are also offering emotional and spiritual support with hugs and prayers.

Wedding pics: Actress Chacha Eke weds movie director Austin Faani

Fast rising Nollywood actress, Charity 'Chacha' Eke, married her longtime boo, script writer & movie director, Austin Faani on Saturday June 1 in Asaba, Delta State. Happy married life to them.

FBI Makes Changes to Not Offend Muslims

The FBI has removed material that may be offensive to muslims from its anti-terror training guidelines.

A report from "Judicial Watch" shows that materials linking the Muslim Brotherhood to terrorism or profiling terrorists as young male immigrants of Middle Eastern appearance" are now gone.

The FBI called such references "unsuitable in the current political context."

An independent group of subject matter experts reviewed the FBI's training curricula on counter terrorism.

The group recommended the removal of presentations and curricula on Islam from FBI offices around the country.

Sweden Grants Iran Christian Reza Jabbari Asylum

The Swedish government has decided not to deport Reza Jabbari, an Iranian Christian facing possible prison and torture in Iran.

Jabbari was given permanent residency on Monday by Sweden's migration board.

The Swedish government had previously ordered Jabbari to be deported despite his Christian testimony.

Jabbar's pastor, Cai Berger, says CBN News's story about Jabbari's situation changed the political climate for Christian refugees seeking asylum in Sweden.

Here's an excerpt from the letter Pastor Berger sent to our CBN News team:

This is truly a great day and first and foremost I wish to give thanks to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For His grace, support and comfort through all of this; in opening the right doors and getting us in connection with all the right people! Further, a special thanks to Reza's lawyer Lars Gagnér and his wonderful help and support. To Kassim, who made the program for Sweden's Radio International; who got the Directors of Legal Affairs to state the obvious, but for Reza and many converts the necessary words for all of us to work with. It has provided us with tools in this struggle I can't imagine we can see the benefits of yet. 

A very warm and heartfelt thanks and God bless to CBN; Steve Little, Gary Lane, Dale Hurd and Damien Cooney in particular - but, all of you known and unknown brothers and sisters at CBN. You really got this case to make it around the world, and you got Sweden's maltreatment of converts to be known and put immense pressure on the Migration board in Reza's case. I think what you did and especially the program Dale and Damien shot in Stockholm have changed the climate, and put Sweden's churches on the offensive when it comes to the issues of converts from Muslim countries. You have won many friends among us. Keep up you're wonderful work in Christ!

 

A warm thanks to the Council of Churches in Sweden. You have done a tremendous work in changing the views of the Migration board. On the convert issue Bengt Sjöberg, you have been working tirelessly for converts and deserve so many thanks for this, also you paved the way for many more. A special thanks to Bengt Sandqvist for you're constant "harassment" of the Migration board. We now pray that will get results for our friend Eddie Sajedi as well, which I know is you're first task in this struggle for converts. 

Thanks also to the following newspapers: Sändaren, Världen idag, Hemmets Vän, Aftonbladet and Dagens Nyheter. You have all written about Reza to a larger or lesser extent. It has all been invaluable. Thank you and God bless to all the blogs around the world for support and prayers. You made a huge contribution in showing ignorant Swedish authorities how big an issue question this really is. 

You are too many to mention by name here, but none of you are forgotten. From my special place in heart - friends and family: Thanks for all you're efforts in helping, supporting and cheering on: You're super! At last, but sure not the least - to my church, Tenstakyrkans Missionsförsamling: You have supported and cared for Reza, prayed for him and allowed me the time to focus so much on this. You're the best! Once again; Thank you Jesus for these great news today!

U.S Airforce removes Christian Art painting.

An artist whose painting was removed from an U.S. Air Force dining hall says the Pentagon is censoring Christian art.

Ron Dicianni's painting is called "Blessed are the Peacemakers" and references the scripture Matthew 5:9. It was part of a collection to honor the heroes who responded to the 9-11 terrorist attacks.

The painting was removed from Idaho's Mountain Home Air Force Base less than an hour after a complaint from Mikey Weinstein, the founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.

This is the same organization leader called religious proselytizing "a national security threat" in a private meeting with Pentagon officials last April.

The artist's son, Grant DiCianni, told Fox News, "On its face, this seems like nothing short of a clear anti-Christian agenda."

Grant DiCianni is also president of Tapestry Productions.

"It appears that the Air Force and the Pentagon have undertaken a dangerous war to rid the military of anything that points to Christ and that needs to be brought to light," he said.

Perfect for a Palace: Find Testifies to David's Royalty

JERUSALEM, Israel -- When Eilat Mazar realized she'd discover an ancient structure near Jerusalem, she turned to the Bible to help explain what she'd found. She learned that this new discovery supports the biblical accounts of King David and his son Solomon.

Second Samuel 5:11 says the Phoenician king Kiram "sent messengers to David and cedar trees, and carpenters and masons, and they built David a house."

"So it's a palace/fortress well built for good reasons, which is probably the palace that Hiram built for king David," Mazar speculated.

"We know its date, which is around 1000. That is around the time of King David. The Phoenician style of construction is quite emphasized. The Phoenicians are great builders as we learn from our excavations in Phoenician sites," she said.

Inside, the team found more evidence of royalty, from ancient seals used by court officials, to a variety of carved ivory utensils -- too expensive for a regular home, but perfect for a palace.

Mazar explained the "major part of the structure is still hidden and needs to be excavated." She believes "what we have in hand is less than a quarter."

A New Discovery

Across the street from the City of David, Mazar is directing another dig. She told CBN News just outside the Temple Mount she found more royal ruins. This time from David's son Solomon.

In 2010, excavations revealed a giant wall more than 220 feet long and almost 20 feet high. Mazar said this is the city wall described in 1 Kings 3, which says that Solomon built "the wall all around Jerusalem." It connected David's old city with Solomon's new temple. 

"And we can really say that the biblical description of King Solomon building the wall of Jerusalem around suits so well what we see (in the ruins).This is the only place that a fortification line is needed. It's surrounding that area; it connects to the Temple Mount. It's everything that fits the biblical story," Mazar argued.

Critics were quick to dispute Mazar's conclusion, but she had carbon dating on her side. Pottery shards found at the ground floor dated to the 10th century B.C. when Solomon was king.

"Sometime in the late 10th century, early 9th century, the king of Jerusalem built a most highly skilled fortification that indicated it's a strong regime, centralized, with great abilities. But then, we have this biblical story that tells about King Solomon doing the same thing. So, he did, and then like, 50 years later, some other king did the same thing?"

She suggests this is enough evidence for crtics to stop "fighting against the Bible." Mazar claims, "The reality is that a sophisticated fortification was built by King Solomon." And what has been discovered is "only part of it," a very big part.

Inside the wall were more clues pointing to King Solomon. 1 Kings 4:7 says that he had "12 governors who provided food for the king and his household." And inside the gate Mazar's team found evidence of their work: jar handles with seals inscribed "to the king" and large clay jars for storing grain.

Mazar believes they came from the royal bakery. 

"On one of the vessels, there is an inscription, an incision in ancient Hebrew saying "lazar ha'o" to the minister that was in charge of the "o." That's probably the ophim, in Hebrew, which is bakery," she said.

But Mazar's hunt for the house or David isn't over yet. Next on her agenda is another royal palace. This time she'll be looking for the house of King Solomon."

"Whatever I'll be able to add and contribute to the excavation of Jerusalem, this is my huge privilege. There is only one Jerusalem in the world. But it's not like I'll start or end anything. We are only at the beginning of it and it's going to be generations to come," Mazar predicted.

Pastor Saeed's Wife Pleas with Human Rights Council

The wife of the American Christian Pastor, Saeed Abedini, jailed and tortured in Iran for his faith, pled her case before the UN Human Rights Council Monday.

Naghmeh Abedini joined Jordan Sekulow of the American Center for Law and Justice to urge the panel to defend the persecuted church, specifically asking the member states to take more action on her husband's behalf.

Pastor Saeed Abedini was sentenced to eight years in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison on account of his Christian faith. He has been abused physically and suffers from internal bleeding. The prison leaders have refused to allow him to be treated for his injuries.

According to the Christian Post, in a letter written from prison in March, Pastor Saeed said:

"My hair was shaven, under my eyes were swollen three times what they should have been, my face was swollen, and my beard had grown. The nurse would also come to take care of us and provide us with treatment, but she said in front of others 'in our religion we are not supposed to touch you, you are unclean. Baha'i (religion) and Christians are unclean!' She did not treat me and that night I could not sleep from the intense pain I had."

On Friday, Sekulow told the Council that Naghmeh "represents the face of how Iran's persecution of Christians truly has a worldwide impact."

On the ACLJ's website he wrote, "I implored the nations represented on the Human Rights Council to stand up for the most basic of human rights - the right to peaceably assemble in exercise of one's religious beliefs - and urge Iran to release Pastor Saeed Abedini."

Iran's failure to apply the strict test of necessity and proportionality when reviewing whether to impose a restriction on an assembly, has resulted in a "severe violation of his (Saeed's) basic right to peaceful assembly and religious freedom," Sekulow said. "This violation must be addressed in order that the intersection between rights of religious expression and peaceful assembly may be reinforced as a cornerstone upon which peace may be established." 

Despite a call by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in March for Saeed's "immediate" release, Naghmeh has said she's been "disappointed that this great country is not doing more to free my husband - a U.S. Citizen." She said she expected more from her government.

More than 600,000 people around the world have signed a petition for Saeed's release.

Israeli Family Donates Kidney to Palestinian Child.

JERUSALEM, Israel -- A 10-year-old Palestinian youngster can look forward to a whole new life thanks to a highly skilled Israeli medical team and a Jewish family who believes every life is worth saving.

The donor's family, Avi and Sarit Naor, said it didn't matter who got their son Noam's kidneys because "the most important thing is that more children will not have to continue getting kidney dialysis." 

On Sunday, a team of specialists transplanted a kidney from the toddler, who had suffered irreversible brain damage from a two-story fall. A day after the surgery, the young Palestinian recipient was doing very well.

"He's doing fine, recovering well," Dr. Efrat Harlev, deputy to the CEO of Schneider Children's Medical Center in Petah Tikva, told CBN News.

One family's unspeakable tragedy gave new life to another child who has been kept alive since age 3 by dialysis treatments administered at Jerusalem's Sha'are Zedek Medical Center.

Schneider's is the only hospital in Israel doing pediatric transplants. A committee under the Ministry of Health keeps a detailed list of patients in need of any kind of organ transplant.

"In Israel, that means everyone who is an Israeli citizen, Jewish or Arab, is eligible," Dr. Harlev explained.

"In order to receive a donor organ, careful check is made to ensure a good match immunologically," she continued. "Only if there is no match in Israel, just like in this case, we turn to the Palestinian Authority for a suitable recipient." 

Dr. Harlev said Israeli doctors often know the Palestinian children who need help.

"Usually we know these children because there's a lot of cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, especially with regard to pediatric patients," she said, something people often don't know about.

"Usually when you hear about Israel, it's about the conflict we're experiencing," Dr. Harlev said. "But what we'd like people to know is there is tremendous collaboration between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, especially with regard to the pediatric population."

And, she emphasized, it's not a "one-sided effort."

"We are working together to give better care to these children," Dr. Harlev said. "It is an effort that is above and beyond any conflict between Israelis and Palestinians."

The recipient's father said he didn't have words enough to thank the family who saved his son's life.

"We've been through many years of suffering when my son was on dialysis and his life was in danger," he said. "We are grateful for the donation and hope, God willing, the couple will be blessed enough to have another child."

Imprisoned Chinese Pastor near Death

It's life and death struggle for an imprisoned house church leader in China.

Gong Shengliang once led an underground house church movement of more than 50,000 people called the South China Church.

In 2001, the government convicted him of rape, arson, and leading a cult.

Even though many witnesses later recanted their testimony, he remains in jail.
    
In a recent report in Christianity Today, Gong's daughter says he is near death after years of torture and neglect.

She wrote a public letter to Chinese President Xi Jingping requesting her father's release and medical treatment.

According to a Christianity Today report, she wrote, ""(My father's) life is in grave danger.... Accordingly, we have asked for his release on bail for urgent medical treatment. But, again and again, our petitions have been completely ignored, without any reasonable response. It is very urgent for my father to have immediate medical treatment, otherwise he will either die soon while imprisoned under false pretense or remain severely disabled for the remainder of his life."

The Bush Administration intervened in his case in 2001 and was able to get his death sentence reduced to life in prison.

'Shocking' Report Out on Christians Killed for Faith

The Vatican representative to the United Nations says 100,000 Christians around the world are killed every year for their faith.

In an address to UN Human Rights Council this week, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi said, "Credible research has reached the shocking conclusion that an estimate of more than 100,000 Christians are violently killed because of some relation to their faith every year."

"Other Christians and other believers are subjected to forced displacement, to the destruction of their places of worship, to rape and to the abduction of their leaders," he said.

Silvano said many of these attacks take place in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

Iraqi Christians Face Tough Times Amidst Violence

The nation of Iraq is awash in violence. More than 500 people have been killed there in just the last month.

The attacks are mostly Muslim against Muslim, but it also affects Christians.

Greg Musselman, with Voice of the Martyrs Canada, is just back from Baghdad. He told CBN's George Thomas that many Iraqi Christians are staying despite the violence in hopes of influencing their nation with the Gospel.

He also reports many Iraqis are having visions and dreams of Christ.

Pastor Youssef Shares Gospel in Muslim Indonesia

Indonesia is home to more than 200 million Muslims -- that's nearly 13 percent of the global Muslim population. So when the preparations began for a visit to Jakarta by Atlanta Pastor Michael Youssef, it wasn't an everyday occurrence.

For three days, with music and prayer, Youssef brought a message of God's love to Indonesians in the city of Jakarta.

Hundreds of thousands arrived, some facing persecution.

Pastor Youssef says he was amazed by "the hundreds of people that responded to the Gospel message by coming forward -- dangerous as it was for some of them -- and yet they were fearless."

"The love of Christ captured so many of them that hundreds were coming in every one of those three nights," Youssef said.

One Indonesian pastor brought 300 people to the gathering even though he was threatened with death by extremists.

"And the man, with joy of the Lord, said, 'What can they do to me?'" Youssef recalled. "And so night after night he would bring folks in to hear the Gospel message, some of them for the first time."

Organizers say a thousand people came to Christ during the meetings, and the hope is that millions more in the Muslim world will hear the good news on television and the Internet.

Sudan's 'Lost Boy' Finds God, Changes Nation

MOIS BRIDGE, Kenya -- Two years ago, South Sudan became a new nation, having won its independence from Sudan. Since then, thousands of former revolutionary soldiers have immigrated to the United States. But one soldier, John Garang, stayed to build a new nation.

During a recent visit to his homeland, Garang pointed out a memorial dedicated to his uncle of the same name and that of the current Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. He told CBN News Correspondent Russ Jones that they represented men who spearheaded the revolution which led to South Sudan's independence.

"So we put them here because they are heroes. We don't worship them, but we like to see them. They give us freedom." Garang explained. 

As one of the "lost boys of Sudan," as they are often called, Garang hasn't always enjoyed a regular meal or a roof over his head. Like thousands of African males in southern Sudan, Garang was separated from his family as a young boy in the 1980s to fight for his nation's freedom from extremist Muslims.

Garang's mother still lives in a small village where mud huts are common. 

"That is what we were fighting for - to be united with our people," he said. "This is joy. As I showed you before - we cannot worship them, but we need to thank God for how far they deliver us."

'Lost Boy' Takes Up New Fight

But 13 years into his military service under the command of his uncle, God delivered Garang from the ravages of the revolution. Garang heard the Gospel message for the first time. Leaving the battlefield, the "lost boy" of Sudan enlisted in a new army, taking on a new a fight. That decision led him to Kenya. 

It was in Room #4 of his dorm at the Bungoma Bible School that Garang absorbed all the Bible knowledge he could and received a calling to build leaders using biblical principles.

"God (was) in this room," he recalled. "When I was here I saw a great vision and what God is doing. This place is powerful. It is where I gave my life to God's plan."

Soon after graduation Garang and his new bride Tabitha, a fellow student at the Bible school, would chose to begin a fresh work in Kenya. Conditions were so poor that life was unsuitable.

Due to decades of civil war, many Sudanese are uneducated. In most outlying rural areas villagers live in primitive mud huts surviving off the land.

But thanks to donations from generous supporters in the United States, Garang was able to acquire land in Mois Bridge, Kenya, where he and his wife opened Children Are Ministries. It is an orphanage, training facility and church. 

Changing a Nation

Will Guest of Oxford, Miss., has watched the ministry grow from just an idea to a ministry that he believes can equip leaders to change the nation of South Sudan.

"We can hide beneath our material possessions, but there is a real world out here struggling," Guest said. "These Sudanese people have been through war their entire life. Why not want to step out in faith and help people throughout the world. I really believe this little plot of land here can change the whole country of South Sudan."

"It's in the these hallways of higher education in Eldoret, Kenya that Sudanese students have come from far, far away from home so they can learn new skills to go back home to South Sudan to build a bigger, stronger nation," he added.

Students like John Ghai from Bor, South Sudan, are direct descendants of the vision God gave to Garang in Room #4. Ghai is studying at Mount Kenya University in Eldoret to be a teacher.

By the time he completes his education he will have spent seven years in Kenya, away from his family in South Sudan. "After going back to my country I can assist my people," Ghai said.

"As you know my country is so bad - I will use all my means to bring my country up," he vowed. "If we can use all aspects of life - political and economic - to build our country - we shall be proud of it."

But even with a strong faith Garang admits it's a daunting task as he carries the weight of a nation on his back.

"I am fighting a different battle, but the Word of God says my burden is easy. Sometimes I cry… I kneel down and pray. Tomorrow I wake up and see the children… God gives me wisdom… it is a burden, but God is on our side," he said.

Meet 3 year old Nigerian photographer - Fuji Remet

I'm sharing this post for two reasons: One, to introduce Fuji to Nigerians so we can celebrate him and two, to discuss if it's OK for a 3 year old to already have a career. He has an exhibition coming up so yes, he has a career! CNN profiled the young budding photographer on Inside Africa yesterday and below is what they wrote about Lil Fuji... 

While most children his age in Nigeria - and the rest of the world - are more concerned with their toys than a career, Onafujiri "Fuji" Remet has already embarked on his mission to become a professional photographer.

Proud dad Pius Kugbere Remet sent in these images of his talented young son posing with family and at work in Lagos.

Himself an artist and graphic designer, he says Fuji's inspiration came from the work of his creative family.

Little Fuji even has an exhibition coming up in Lagos on June 8. Not bad for a three-year-old.

  

Little Fuji at work

 

Above are some of the photographs the 3 year old shot. Amazing really, but let's share our opinion on the issue I brought up. Should a three year old be more concerned about his toys or a career? You know what they say; catch them young, but how young is too young?

Photos: Footballer John Utaka weds in France

The Super Eagles striker got married this weekend in France. Kanu Nwankwo and his wife pictured with the newly married couple in the right photo.

Scientist Fired for Believing Jesus Heals

LEUVEN, Belgium --  People can believe a lot of crazy stuff nowadays and not be fired from their jobs, but a senior research associate at the Catholic University of Leuven learned that you better not believe that God can heal.

The university is the oldest and largest in Belgium. It was founded in the 1400s under the approval of the Vatican. But as modern Europe has secularized, so has the University, and even here, faith has come under fire.

Fernando Pauwels worked at the University's Research Institute for Work and Society for 11 years without a negative review when he was suddenly fired.

He said, "If you would have asked me, 'Do you get a new contract?,' I would say, 'Yes, of course.' 'Do you have problems with your colleagues?' I would say 'No, everything is fine.' So there were no issues there. A week later I'm out, and I'm like, 'What happened?'"

What happened was the Catholic University's great displeasure with Fernando's ministry website, Powerthroughlove.be that included testimonies of people healed through the power of God.

Pauwels said, "The University saw some of these movie clips of people being healed and giving their testimonies, and called them 'unscientific.'"

The university, which declined our interview request, told CBN News in a statement that "when a researcher working on matters of a scientific or medical nature allows religion to take the place of science, he compromises the scientific reputation of the university and breaks the bonds of trust with the university."

Pauwels says, "If I'm fired because of believing something unscientific like that, that Jesus Christ still heals, I'm fine with that. But it's still wrong."

Ward Kennes of the Christian Democratic Party, who serves in the Flemish parliament told CBN News, "I was very much surprised that a Catholic university, which is also a university where I have studied myself, was behaving like this."

Rik Torfs, a faculty member at the university, is a national media figure who wrote about the case for the Flemish newspaper, The Standard (***italics***). He said, "Freedom of religion means people can believe anything they like or anything they feel attracted to."

Torfs was recently elected faculty dean at the university, and had told CBN News that, if elected, he would re-hire Fernando Pauwels.

Pauwels, who has a heart for the persecuted church, especially in Pakistan, told us he feels privileged to have suffered for Christ, but he also wants those Christians who come after him to be protected from discrimination.

"One day I will stand before the Lord and He will say 'Well done.' That's all that counts. That's all that matters," he said.

Today marks one year of Dana Air crash

Today is exactly one year we lost 153 passengers on board the ill fated Dana airplane. There's a one year memorial service in honour of the victims going on right now at the Iju/Ishaga memorial Arcade. Families of the victims, Lagos State government officials, including governor Babatunde Fashola and his wife are at the memorial service. You can read the live updates on Telegraphng.com