Don't go for the money grab!

For the love of money is the root of all evil:  which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

-- I Timothy 6:10 (KJV)

Everyone needs money because money is a necessary resource in order to live upon the earth.  Understand that money is not the root of all evil; loving money is the problem.  Going for the money grab is the issue.

Last week, a perfect example of the money grab was put on display in the city of Chicago.  Pastor Corey Brooks is the pastor of New Beginnings Church on the South Side of Chicago.  He is one of the few people that is looking to help out African-Americans in the #1 murder capital of the United States.

Helping others requires plenty of money.  However, in an act of desperation, Rev. Brooks fell for the money grab.  Last week, he was featured in a political commercial for Illinois gubernatorial candidate and billionaire Bruce Rauner.

As a result, Rev. Brooks have been receiving death threats.  Also, the church was broken into and thousands of dollars were stolen.  As a result of the money grab, he has put the lives of  his family and the lives of his congregation in dire straits.  This money grab has resulted into others erring from the faith and having sorrows ensue.

Politics and religion should never mix.  Plus, no African-American person living in Illinois should support Bruce Rauner.  For example, Bruce Rauner is in a motorcycle club called A.B.A.T.E.  In this club, no African-Americans are allowed.  In May of this year, Rauner was shown at one of their motorcycle rallies shaking hands with another member of the club who was wearing a Confederate Flag patch.  Why should any African-American support a man who associates himself with the Confederate Flag?

In life, never go for the money grab because you will save yourself from being distracted and from being depressed.

Numerical Expositions: Genesis 1:10

And God called the the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas:  and God saw that it was good.

-- Gen. 1:10 (KJV)

In this verse, God created the earth and the seas.  If there is no God, then there would not be an earth or groups of water called seas.

From a scientific standpoint, understand that there is enough water upon this earth to drown everyone upon it.  However, the waters upon this earth is kept within certain boundaries due to wind circulating the paths in which water travels.  Nevertheless, floods still occur upon the earth due to torrential rainfall and due to mankind gradually destroying the world's delicate ecosystem over the past few hundred years.

Numerical Analysis:  The numerical pattern for this verse is 1,2.  (1) Following God is a requirement for those who live upon the earth.  (2) To be delivered, realize that unity is necessary.

Harassment from the Cuban government

Religious freedom activists Reverend Mario Felix Lleonart Barroso and his wife Yoaxis Marcheco Suarez have a history of being harassed by the Cuban government, and the month of October has been no exception. On October 15, Reverend Barroso was threatened with criminal charges and the following day his wife, Yoaxis Suarez was arrested. Authorities attempted to force her to sign paperwork accusing her of criminal activities. She refused.  Prior to the threat of criminal charges on Barroso and Suarez's arrest, Barroso had visited with numerous church leaders who reported violations of religious freedom. The couple's involvement with defending religious freedom or belief has made them a target for the Cuban government, which apparently equates that as "counter-revolutionary" activity. Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW)says,"The Cuban government must be held to account for its ongoing violations of the religious freedom of its citizens and its harassment of those who are involved in documenting these violations." The Reverend and his wife were both previously detained by the Cuban government on June 22, 2014. They were "released two hours later without charge, but their laptop computers and a memory flash drive were confiscated," reported Assist News. The couple was told that the police were keeping the flash drives and computer for further investigation into criminal activities.   The restriction of the right to religious freedom and belief of Christians in Cuba is not going away. CSW reported that from January to June 2014 they registered more than 130 serious documented violations of religious freedom in Cuba. Corey Bailey, Regional Manager for ICC says, "We demand the Cuban government  cease its harassment of Reverend Mario Felix Lleonart Barroso and his wife Yoaxis Marcheco Suarez. The people of Cuba must be free to practice their right of freedom of religion and belief. The government must no longer be allowed to get away with these scare tactics, threats and wrongful arrests." For interviews, contact Corey Bailey, Regional Manager for Central Asia:  RM-Asia@persecution.org # # #

You are free to disseminate this news story. We request that you reference ICC (International Christian Concern) and include our web address, www.persecution.org. ICC is a Washington-DC based human rights organization that exists to help persecuted Christians worldwide. ICC provides Awareness, Advocacy, and Assistance to the worldwide persecuted Church. For additional information or for an interview, contact ICC at 800-422-5441.

Crosses vandalized throughout China

At 3:30 a.m., October 17, 2014, three hundred people in uniforms blocked all the entrances of the Kaiyang village, climbed over the church wall, broke into the church building, and forcibly removed the church cross of Kaiyang Church, Pingyang County, Wenzhou City. Local believers reported that there was a member of the church staff sleeping in the church, but she was awakened and forcibly removed from the church building. ChinaAid also reports that two other church crosses in Zhejiang Province were removed on the same day. The church cross demolition campaign, under the guise of "removing illegal construction," has been carried out by China's Zhejiang Provincial government for over six months. Within Pingyang County of Wenzhou City, "only Zengshan Church's cross has not been taken down," a worshipper said to ChinaAid. "Believers from seven or eight pastoral regions in Pingyang are taking turns guarding the cross of Zengshan Church. Now, the only cross listed to be taken down in Pingyang County is Zengshan Church. As many as a hundred people are guarding the place." The Zhejiang Provincial government has been showing determination in removing all "illegal" church crosses and they claim the campaign has nothing to do with religious persecution. However, all the local believers we have interviewed are strong in their stance that "the church crosses are not against any building code." A local believer even quoted a report by China Central Television (CCTV), the official state-run media in China, that Chinese government forbids forcible removal of any kind of construction at night. "Look at what Zhejiang Provincial government is doing! They still tear down church crosses at night! What are they afraid of? Even if church crosses are illegal, why can't they just come during the daytime?" the local believer asked during the interview. Sooyoung Kim, ICC's regional manager for Southeast Asia, said, "Zhejiang Provincial government must follow China's law and stop tearing down church crosses illegally at night. Your own people's hearts are hurt by the government's actions and it is not wise to continue this campaign. ICC strongly urges Zhejiang Provincial government to stop tearing down church crosses and to listen to its own people's cry." For interviews, contact Sooyoung Kim, Regional Manager for Southeast Asia:  RM-SEAsia@persecution.org # # #

You are free to disseminate this news story. We request that you reference ICC (International Christian Concern) and include our web address, www.persecution.org. ICC is a Washington-DC based human rights organization that exists to help persecuted Christians worldwide. ICC provides Awareness, Advocacy, and Assistance to the worldwide persecuted Church. For additional information or for an interview, contact ICC at 800-422-5441.

On death row for drinking water in Pakistan

International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that the conviction and death sentence of Asia Bibi, a Christian mother of five convicted under Pakistan's blasphemy laws, has been upheld by the Lahore High Court. Many human rights and religious freedom organizations, who consider Mrs. Bibi's case a symbol of the persecution faced by Christians in Pakistan and how Pakistan's blasphemy laws are often abused, are disappointed by the court's decision. Mrs. Bibi has been on death row awaiting appeal since her conviction and death sentence were announced by the Session's Court in District Nankana, Pujab, in October 2010. Her appeal hearing, originally scheduled to take place on March 17, 2014, was delayed and rescheduled seven times, but was finally held today, October 16. After four hours of hearing the arguments from lawyers on both sides of the appeal, Justice Anwar-ul-Haq, one member of a two-judge bench hearing the appeal, passed a short order confirming Mrs. Bibi's death sentence. "A two-judge bench of the Lahore High Court dismissed the appeal of Asia Bibi but we will file an appeal in the Supreme Court of Pakistan," Mrs. Bibi's lawyer, Shakir Chaudhry, told AFP. Mrs. Bibi and her lawyers now have 30 days to file an appeal with the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Over a dozen Islamic clerics, including Qari Saleem who brought forward the initial complaint against Mrs. Bibi, were present in the court. "We will soon distribute sweets among our Muslim brothers for today's verdict, it's a victory [for] Islam," Saleem told AFP after the court announced its decision. The blasphemy accusation against Mrs. Bibi originates from a dispute that took place in June 2009 between Mrs. Bibi and a group of Muslim women with whom she had been harvesting berries in Sheikhupura. The Muslim women became angry with Mrs. Bibi when she, a Christian whom they considered unclean, drank water from the same water bowl as the Muslims. An argument between Mrs. Bibi and the Muslim women ensued and later the Muslim women reported to a local cleric that Mrs. Bibi had blasphemed against Islam. Now that Mrs. Bibi's death sentence and conviction have been confirmed by the Lahore High Court, the case can only be appealed to Pakistan's Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is more insulated from the growing religious extremism that often holds heavy influence Pakistan's trail courts causing many to hope the Supreme Court will be adjudicate Mrs. Bibi's case on the merits of the case. If the death sentence and conviction is confirmed by the Supreme Court, which many Christian and human rights organizations see as unlikely, Mrs. Bibi will be the first woman in Pakistan to be lawfully executed for violating Pakistan's blasphemy laws. ICC's Regional Manager for South Asia, William Stark, said, "The case against Asia Bibi is a great example of how Christians and other religious minorities are abused in Pakistan by fundamentalists wielding the controversial blasphemy laws. The blasphemy laws were originally written to protect against religious intolerance in Pakistan, but the law has warped into a tool used by extremists and others to settle personal scores and persecute Pakistan's vulnerable religious minorities. Sadly, the vast majority of blasphemy accusations brought against Christians and others are false. Unfortunately, pressure from Islamic radical groups and general discrimination against Christians in Pakistan has transformed trial courts and now appeals courts into little more than rubber stamps for blasphemy accusations brought against Christians, regardless of the evidence brought to bear in the case." For interviews, contact William Stark, Regional Manager for South Asia:  RM-SAsia@persecution.org # # #

You are free to disseminate this news story. We request that you reference International Christian Concern (ICC) and include our web address, www.persecution.org. ICC is a Washington D.C.-based human rights organization that exists to help persecuted Christians worldwide. ICC provides Awareness, Advocacy, and Assistance to the worldwide persecuted Church. For additional information or for an interview, contact ICC at 800-422-5441.

Congressional briefing on Iraq and Syria held by ICC yesterday

On Thursday, International Christian Concern (ICC) is teaming up with the International Religious Freedom Caucus on Capitol Hill to host a major briefing for congressional staff on the enormous threat to religious minorities in the Middle East.  The briefing, entitled "The Ongoing Threat to Vulnerable Communities in Iraq and Syria - Challenges & Solutions," brings together a panel of experts from International Christian Concern, Open Doors USA, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International to weigh in on the issue. Speaking both from firsthand experience and in-depth research on the region, the panel will address security concerns, needs for humanitarian assistance, and protection of these communities in the long-term. Speakers include Isaac Six, Advocacy Director for International Christian Concern, Sarah Margon, Washington Director of Human Rights Watch, Sunjeev Bery, Middle East North Africa Advocacy Director for Amnesty International, and Kristin Wright, Advocacy Director for Open Doors USA. The briefing is set to take place as concern for vulnerable communities in Iraq and Syria, including Christians, is at an unprecedented level. In early August, the potential massacre of tens of thousands of members of the Yazidi faith in Iraq's Sinjar Mountain at the hands of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) awakened the international community to the dramatic peril confronting religious and ethnic minorities in the region. Ethnic cleansing, mass executions, kidnappings, and demands for religious conversion on the threat of death have been reported at alarming rates. Vulnerable communities, including women, children, and religious and ethnic minorities in both Iraq and Syria, continue to face ongoing threats not only to their religious freedom and other fundamental human rights, but to their very existence. The scale of the peril to these communities is enormous. The conflict in Syria has continued for more than three years and has claimed at least 191,000 lives, according to UN reports. More than nine million people have been displaced inside Syria and across the region. In Iraq, more than 13,000 civilians have been killed in 2014, according to the Iraq Body Count report, and more than 1.7 million people have been displaced. Amnesty International has highlighted how the targeting of minorities in Northern Iraq has resulted in "Ethnic Cleansing on a Historic Scale." A report released on Sunday by Human Rights Watch also documented the explicit targeting of Yazidi women and children for forced marriages and forced conversion. Entire Christian towns have been emptied of their population; in Mosul, Iraq, all 45 Christian churches and institutions have been destroyed or occupied by ISIS. Congressional staff members from dozens of offices are expected to attend, as well as representatives of other government agencies and the NGO community. ICC Advocacy Director Isaac Six said, "The threats facing Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq and Syria are urgent and widespread. It is imperative that the United States government consider these communities as it formulates its strategy for confronting ISIS and in crafting its broader Middle East priorities. Our hope is that this briefing will help drive U.S. actions towards ensuring the protection of fundamental human rights for religious minorities in the Middle East while also doing everything possible to ensure the incredibly diverse ethnic and religious fabric of Iraq and Syria is not completely torn apart by the horrific conflicts we see there today."   For interviews, contact Isaac Six, Advocacy Director: Advocacy@persecution.org  # # #

You are free to disseminate this news story. We request that you reference International Christian Concern (ICC) and include our web address, www.persecution.org. ICC is a Washington D.C.-based human rights organization that exists to help persecuted Christians worldwide. ICC provides Awareness, Advocacy, and Assistance to the worldwide persecuted Church. For additional information or for an interview, contact ICC at 800-422-5441.

Numerical Expositions: 1:9

And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear:  and it was so.

-- Gen. 1:9 (KJV)

In this verse, God gives the command for the water to remain together in one place so that the land masses underneath would appear.  If the water upon the earth was high enough to cover the entire earth, then why isn't the entire earth underwater now?  The reason is due to the various wind currents that keep the waters from drowning everyone on this planet.

Remember in verse two of this chapter that the "Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."  The Spirit of the God moves like the wind.  When He spoke the command to keep the waters from drowning the earth, then His movement of the waters ensures that the earth will not be inundated with water.  However, the lack of stewardship by mankind over the environment will continue to result in massive flooding worldwide.

Numerical Analysis:  The numerical pattern for this verse is 1,9.  (1) To follow God, listen to Him.  (9) To overturn evil, remain in unity.

6 Months with Boko Haram is too long

For six months, an estimated 219 schoolgirls have suffered captivity at the hands of radical Islamic militants in Nigeria's vast Sambisa forest. Abducted at gun-point on the night of April 14, more than 260 girls (ages 14 to 19) were ripped from their families, homes and communities and have yet to be restored to the life they once knew and the people they so love and miss. Packed into military-grade vehicles and carried deep into the Sambisa, less than 50 escaped on-foot the night of the abduction. Risking life and limb, some jumped out as the trucks slowed at bends in the narrow jungle roads. Others, like the three brave, young survivors ICC spoke with here in Washington, prayed "God be with us" before darting between the trees, pained by the thought of having to leave friends, neighbors and classmates behind for an opportunity to escape. Racked with grief, parents, family and friends of the abducted joined hands with activists Tuesday to demand their safe return. Frustrated with the Nigerian state's inability to effectively combat Boko Haram, which has gained control of vast swathes of northeast Nigeria in recent months, #BringBackOurGirls-a quasi-political advocacy group built in response to the mass-abduction-has threatened to vote incumbent Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan out of office should he fail to secure the girls' freedom. According to the International Red Cross, talks of a prisoner swap to secure the release of those abducted, which began in July of this year, continue as government officials and senior Boko Haram commanders negotiate terms of a possible exchange. Noting the insurgency's natural distrust of government following the extrajudicial killing of its founding member, Mohammed Yusuf, in 2007, experts attribute little significance to the ongoing talks. Stained with tears and garbed in red, the 60 protesters that exchanged words in front of the presidential palace before meeting with Nigerian Minister of Lands and Housing, Akon Eyakeny, contrasted starkly with the recent lack of international attention paid to the girls' ongoing suffering following the rise of the Islamic State. Immortalized for its brutal treatment of women-videotaped beheadings of foreigners and forced departure from the al-Qaeda network-the Islamic State pulled the attention of pundits and politicians from Boko Haram's decade-long campaign of terror just weeks after repeated calls for the immediate and safe return of "the Chibok girls" were made by world leaders. Overshadowed by the declaration of an Islamic caliphate in Iraq and Syria, Boko Haram launched its most aggressive offensive yet, taking control of more than two dozen towns and villages across northeast Nigeria, destroying 185 churches and declaring an Islamic state of its own. Having proven its inability to combat Boko Haram's guerilla warfare tactics, curb the recruitment of disenfranchised youths or secure the safe return of the abducted, the Nigerian state stands in desperate need of international support. In the immediate aftermath of the mass-kidnapping, several western nations pledged to extend informational and logistical support to the ill-equipped Nigerian military. In an unparalleled display of assistance, President Obama tasked 100 U.S. military personnel to conduct search and rescue drone flights over the Lake Chad region in search of those abducted in addition to sending a task force of military and law enforcement personnel and experts in hostage negotiations, strategic communications, civilian security, and intelligence. Following the wane of public interest in the girls' plight, though, no update as to the status of those operations has been made public, nor has the intended length of stay for deployed personnel been announced. Despite a loss of global interest, advocates across the world have remained dedicated to demanding world leaders and the Nigerian state ensure the Chibok girls' safe return. Protests were held in Abuja, London, New York City, Los Angeles and Washington in solemn commemoration of the girls' 100th day in captivity. Articles detailing the experiences of those who have escaped have been published by major and minor news outlets worldwide and congressmen have taken the time to hear the first-hand accounts of survivors. Scholarships have been granted for some of those abducted to study in the United States, and the University of Abuja has initiated a program guaranteeing a free education to more than 40 of those that escaped on the night of the abduction. Inspired by the courage of these schoolgirls willing to speak on the behalf of their still-suffering classmates, concerned citizens across the globe are demanding an end to Boko Haram. Known for its lethal bombings, village massacres, toll booths for terrorism and abduction of foreigners (including two Italian priests and a nun from neighboring Cameroon) for financial gain, Boko Haram made a statement in abducting more than 300 innocent schoolgirls that night in April: nothing and no one is off-limits. Dedicated, for years, to a policy of gender-based violence against men, Boko Haram historically has left the wives and children of its victims to wallow in grief and poverty. No longer. Following the girls' mass-abduction, Boko Haram has perpetrated an indiscriminate campaign of terror against men, women, children, the elderly and the disabled in a no-holds-barred pursuit of a separate Islamic state to be ruled by Sharia law. Reportedly supported by the Islamic State, Boko Haram has advanced on the Borno State capital, Maiduguri, with little push back from the Nigerian military. Overwhelmed by more than 650,000 Nigerians displaced from their homes, communities and livelihoods by years of Boko Haram violence, experts fear Maiduguri is in no position to protect itself from Boko Haram's front lines, looming less than 30 miles from the city's limits. Stronger than it has ever been, Boko Haram poses a significant threat to the region's stability and, thereby, to international security. Having celebrated the abduction, forced conversion to Islam and sale of some of those abducted as child brides to their militant captors, Boko Haram has placed itself at odds with the values of the United States and of the international community. Action can and must be taken to return the more than 200 stolen daughters and sisters to their grieving families, friends and communities. Furthermore, action must be taken to degrade, and ultimately destroy, Boko Haram, so that no Nigerian, male, female, old, young or disabled should ever again suffer the violence and intimidation Boko Haram has inflicted on so many for so long.  In meeting protesters Tuesday, Eyakeny assured all those gathered that, "by the grace of God the girls will be brought back home." With prayer and petition, every concerned citizen can play a part in bringing about that reality. Learn everything you need to know about Boko Haram's heinous schoolgirl abduction, here.  For interviews, contact Cameron Thomas, Regional Manager for Africa:  RM-Africa@persecution.org # # #

You are free to disseminate this news story. We request that you reference International Christian Concern (ICC) and include our web address, www.persecution.org. ICC is a Washington D.C.-based human rights organization that exists to help persecuted Christians worldwide. ICC provides Awareness, Advocacy, and Assistance to the worldwide persecuted Church. For additional information or for an interview, contact ICC at 800-422-5441.

Numerical Expositions: Genesis 1:8

And God called the firmament Heaven.  And the evening and the morning were the second day.  

-- Gen. 1:8 (KJV)

Notice that at the end of the second day, God only gave a name to Heaven after dividing the firmaments.  To show the difference between heavenly things and earthly things, God devoted all of His time to Heaven first.  Our focus must be upon things that are above instead of upon things of this world.

Numerical Analysis:  The numerical pattern for this verse is 1,8,9.  (1) To stay in the anointing, realize that God reigns over all.  (8) To have a new beginning in God, remain consistent.  (9) To overturn evil, remain consistent.

Numerical Expositions: Genesis 1:7

And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters above the firmament:  and it was so.

-- Gen. 1:7 (KJV)

Notice that when the Earth was in its preliminary stage that it was divided from Heaven.  Earth was placed under Heaven by God and separated both of the firmaments by placing the atmosphere between them.  Therefore, if there was no God, then there would not be an atmosphere.

Notice also that division always occurs at the lower level.  To increase your level in life, stay out of division.  Create unity upon the Earth.

Numerical Analysis:  The numerical pattern for this verse is 1,7,8.  (1) To stay in the anointing, realize that God made the Earth.  (7) To be complete, realize that God created the atmosphere so that mankind would have air to breathe.  (8) To have a new beginning in God, allow for Him to work within your life so that manifestations will occur.

Numerical Expositions: Genesis 1:6

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

-- Gen. 1:6 (KJV)

In this verse, God decided to make earth beneath Heaven by separating the waters.  Therefore, the spiritual realm is above the earthly realm that we live in now.  If we want to pursue spiritual things, then we must look up and no longer focus upon the things upon this earth.  Spirituality is the only way that we can reach a new level within our lives.

Numerical Analysis:  The numerical pattern for this verse is 1,6,7.  (1) To stay in the anointing, listen to the voice of God.  (6) To expose evil, realize that you must maintain space between yourself and others.  (7) To be complete, learn to separate from earthly things.