The internet ministry of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association announced the reaching of a milestone for their website PeaceWithGod.net.
The five millionth person has messaged them that they have accepted Christ as Savior through the materials provided by the ministry.
“This is significant because we’re following Billy Graham’s legacy of taking the most advanced technical capabilities available and reaching people where they are with the hope of Jesus,” said John Cass, BGEA’s Director of Internet Evangelism. “This has given us the opportunity to go to the ends of the earth.”
The BGEA says the website has allowed them to present the gospel through videos of Dr. Graham to millions in countries where they would never be allowed to visit in person such as Saudi Arabia and Syria.
“Even though we’re celebrating and giving God praise for the 5 millionth decision for Christ through this ministry, we realize that it’s not about the number,” Cass told the Christian Post. “Each and every person who has responded to the Gospel message on our site – from the first to the 5 millionth – is somebody’s son or daughter; somebody’s mother or father. Each person is someone who has been prayed for and who is loved by God.”
When someone contacts the group that they’ve accepted Christ, the group works with them to find a local church body and answer any additional questions the person may bring to them.
The parents of a baby girl in Buffalo are praising God for sending who they called “two angels” after the massive snowstorms stranded them before they could reach a hospital.
Bethany and Jared Hojnacki tried to rush to a hospital when Bethany went into labor early Tuesday morning. She and her husband ended up stranded on the highway when the snow became too heavy.
The couple ended up being stranded near a woman who was a labor and delivery nurse. Jared told CNN the nurse stayed with his wife throughout her labor and delivered the baby girl at a nearby firehouse.
Stranded at the firehouse was a maternity nurse who was able to take care of the new baby.
“It was kind of incredible,” Hojnacki said on Wednesday. “God really put the people who needed to be in the right spot for us at the right time.”
The baby was named Lucy Grace Johnacki.
The Guinness world record for the longest speech marathon has been broken by the Word of God.
Pastor Zach Zehnder of theCross Mount Dora in Florida broke the record with a 53 hour, 18 minute sermon. The pastor under took the quest to break the previous mark of 48 hours, 31 minutes to raise funds for a non-profit that helps addicts.
“The Idea was to break the Guinness world record for the longest speech ever and I’m a pastor obviously, and so I chose to speak on the Bible and kind of cover the entirety of the story from Genesis to Revelation,” said Zehnder to The Christian Post. “My goal of the whole sermon was to talk about God’s ridiculous commitment to his people, even though we give up on him that he never gave up on us and kind of trace that theme throughout.”
Zahnder had prepared 50 sermons for the event but only used 45.
The event raised more than $100,000 for a recovery house for Powerhouse Recovery.
Wycliffe Bible Translators USA has said that over 5.8 billion people worldwide now have access to God’s word.
“Last year, Wycliffe Global Alliance reported that 4.9 billion people could access at least part of the Bible in their first language. This year the number has grown to 5.8 billion,” Bob Creson, president and CEO of Wycliffe, told The Christian Post. “This represents tremendous progress toward our goal of starting a translation project in every language needing one by 2025.”
Creson said that advances in technology that increase the speed of translations have helped them.
“There are about 7000 languages in active use and at least one book of Scripture exists in almost 2,900 of these languages,” noted Wycliffe Global Alliance. “At least 1.3 billion people do not have the full Bible available in their first language. Over 634 million of these have the New Testament; others have portions or at least some level of work begun.”
Amber Vinson, the second nurse to contract Ebola from Liberian Thomas Eric Duncan, praised God as she left Emory University hospital after being declared Ebola free.
“I’m so grateful to be well, and first and foremost, I want to thank God. I sincerely believe that with God all things are possible,” the 29-year-old told reporters at a press conference. “While the skill and dedication of the doctors, nurses and others who have taken care of me have obviously led to my recovery, it has been God’s love that has truly carried my family and me through this difficult time, and has played such an important role in giving me hope and the strength to fight.”
Vinson had caused concern when she became symptomatic after flying back to Dallas from Cleveland. The CDC had to contact all the passengers on the flight to alert them to be vigilant for possible Ebola infection.
“While this is a day of celebration and gratitude, I ask that we not lose focus of the thousands of families who continue to labor under the burden of this disease in West Africa,” Vinson said. “Thank you to Dr. Kent Brantley and Nancy Writebol, both of whom were successfully treated here at Emory, for your donations of plasma for me and other patients. Finally, my family and I would like to thank many people whose prayers have helped sustain us.”
Dr. Bruce Ribner of Emory University said that Vinson is no threat to the community.
The Green family of Hobby Lobby has purchased a 14 ½ acre property in the Chicago area and then donated it to Fellowship Baptist Church to build a center for the needy of their community.
Pastor Charles Jenkins said their Legacy Project is aimed at “building people, building communities.”
“As we looked at expanding (church), we didn’t just look within but we looked without. As we talk about those who are returning home from prison, we looked at the desolation, the destitution, the healthcare disparities. We looked at the unemployment rate in the neighborhood where we serve; it’s almost 70 percent. And there’s so many challenges, and that’s when we started to look at the idea to not just share the Gospel, but show the Gospel in a broader more dynamic way,” explained Jenkins to Christian Post.
Pastor Jenkins said that he was connected to the Green family through Pastor James McDonald. He told Jenkins that the Green family was all about spreading the Gospel through acts of service.
“Bless God for people like that who engage. My wife does remind me that 11 cents of every dollar spent at Hobby Lobby does go to Christian ministries, so I’m blessed when she shops there,” said Jim Liske, moderator of the panel where the donation was discussed.
An Irish couple are speaking out after the birth of their healthy baby boy that doctors had pressured them to abort, claiming that he had abnormalities.
Melanie and Damien Sheehan told the Christian Institute in the UK about the ordeal that began with a 20-week scan of the baby. The doctors said that the baby had “severe abnormalities” such as the brain and the spinal cord not being formed.
“They felt that the child wouldn’t survive birth and if it did, it would be so profoundly disabled that, their words were, ‘it would have no quality of life,’” Melanie recalled. “I was put under immense pressure to go ahead with the abortion.”
“I had phone calls to my mobile and my house phone to tell me how many days, weeks that I had left till my 24-week cut-off [to have an abortion],” she continued. “Whenever we went to appointments, the nurse in charge of the consultant would introduce us as ‘the couple who was continuing with the pregnancy against medical advice.’ We were made to feel that we were doing something terribly wrong by wanting to keep our baby.”
Their baby Joshua was born completely healthy.
“The doctors said that Joshua would be incompatible with life, and now he is sixteen weeks old and he’s brilliant,” Damien said. “He’s doing everything that he should be doing. He’s the best thing that’s happened to our family. We couldn’t imagine our family without him now. Just to see the joy and the love that he brings to the house.”
Nina Pham, the 26-year-old intensive care unit nurse who has been infected with Ebola, has been given a blood transfusion from Ebola survivor Dr. Kent Brantly.
Officials with Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital gave the transfusion to Pham on Monday. A priest in Pham’s congregation told reporters that she was doing better after the transfusion.
“I’m doing well and want to thank everyone for their kind wishes and prayers,” Pham said in a statement released by the hospital. “I am blessed by the support of family and friends.”
CBS Dallas says that one person who had close contact with Pham is now under hospital observation but has not developed any signs of Ebola.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization released a statement saying at the current spread of infection, it’s possible to have 10,000 new cases a week starting in December.
The pastor of an influential Sacramento, California megachurch has said he will live on the streets for two weeks or until $100,000 is raised to start a homeless shelter in the area.
Rick Cole says that he feels God calling him to take the step to raise awareness of the need for a winter shelter for the homeless of his community.
“Tomorrow, I’m going downtown on light rail, I picked up my light rail pass today…I’ve never ridden light rail in my life, not even once, not even for fun, and so that’s gonna be my mode of transportation for the next two weeks and we’ll adjust as we go along the way and we’ll communicate to you as we go along the way,” Cole explained in a sermon to his congregation Saturday.
“That’s what I believe God wants me to do and what we’re gonna do together,” Cole went on to say. “I’d like us just to make our prayer about God’s power to touch our city…This idea is not very old, probably about two or three weeks old and every step along the way it’s only gained momentum and excitement. My wife even has grown Ok with it. That was a miracle all by itself so we are excited about the many things I think God wants us to do with this particular project and how we can grow and impact this community.”
The shelter, which will be called Winter Sanctuary, has an overall goal of $300,000. A website has been created at www.revonthestreet.com to allow people to donate to the mission.
“The ultimate goal is there are some hurting people, really hurting and we’re taught by God to help ’em. Go to them, make a difference. When you do this to the least if these Jesus said you done it to me. You want to get close to Jesus get close to some hurting people and when you help ’em in His name then you’ve just touched him in the most profound way,” Cole told his congregation Saturday.
Friday is a day of worldwide prayer for Pastor Saeed Abedini.
The event was organized by Saeed’s wife Naghmeh and is including groups of Christians from the United States to Mexico to Kenya.
The American Center for Law and Justice says the event is focusing on prayer for Abedini as the day marks the 2nd anniversary of his wrongful imprisonment for being a Christian. The event will also pray for other Christians imprisoned around the world for professing Christ.
At the Washington, D.C. event, Naghmeh Abedini read a letter that Saeed wrote to his daughter for her recent eighth birthday.
“I know that you question why you have prayed so many times for my return and yet I am not home yet,” it read. “The answer to the why is who. Who is in control? [The] Lord Jesus Christ is in control.”
“Jesus allows me to be kept here for His glory,” Abedini continued. “He is doing something inside each of us and also outside in the world. People die and suffer for their Christian faith all over the world and some may wonder why. But you should know the answer of why is who. It is for Jesus. He is worth the price. And He has a plan to be glorified through our lives.”