The Jim Bakker Show

Matthew 24: 6-8 – A current statistic point of view

An American flag flies near the base of the destroyed World Trade Center in New York on September 11 2001

By Kami Klein

“If you want to know the future you must know the Word of the Living God.” Jim Bakker

In every moment, the events that Jesus spoke of are evident all around us. In the vastness of this world, it is sometimes difficult to see the big picture of what is happening NOW! We must keep our eyes and ears open.

Matthew 24:6-8 (MEV) You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled. For all these things must happen, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines, epidemics, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

NATION WILL RISE AGAINST NATION, KINGDOM AGAINST KINGDOM –FROM GLOBAL CONFLICT TRACKER – Total of 25 conflicts in the world. Below are listed most significant to U.S. and linked to the history of each conflict

Critical impact on U.S. Interests

Civil War in Syria -Iran, Russia and Turkey’s deeper involvement- recent Chemical weapons attacks

War against Taliban in Afghanistan

Territorial Disputes in the South China Sea

Tensions in the East China Sea

North Korea Crisis

War Against Islamic State in Iraq

Significant Impact on U.S. Interests

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Political Instability in Lebanon

Instability in Egypt

Conflict between Turkey and armed Kurdish groups

Islamist Militancy in Pakistan

Conflict in Ukraine

Criminal Violence in Mexico

Boko Haram in Nigeria

Conflict between India and Pakistan

Civil War in Libya

War in Yemen

Great humanitarian concerns– Rohingya crisis in Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan Civil War, Destabilization of Mali, extreme violence in Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of Congo.

THERE WILL BE FAMINE – Global report on Current hunger crisis – March 2018 report

Around 124 million people in 51 countries face Crisis food insecurity or worse

This is an increase of 11 million people – an 11 percent rise in the last year – in the number of food-insecure people needing urgent humanitarian action across the world.

Last year’s Global Report on Food Crises identified 108 million people in Crisis food security or worse across 48 countries. The rise in numbers are attributed to increasing instability and conflict as well as drought and very poor harvests. Some countries are suffering from economic conditions that contribute to the malnutrition of their people. The country of Venezuela is now suffering from lack of food sources or money to purchase necessary food and medicine. Thousands are fleeing to neighboring countries to feed their families.

Approx. 21,000 people die each day, one every four seconds, of malnutrition

Forty percent of preschool-age children who suffer from malnutrition are estimated to be anemic because of iron deficiency, and anemia causes 20 percent of all maternal deaths. In addition, it is estimated that 250 to 500 thousand children go blind from Vitamin A deficiency every year.

EPIDEMICS

Germs with Unusual Antibiotic Resistance Widespread in U.S- (From CDC Press release April 3rd, 2018)Health departments working with CDC’s Antibiotic Resistance (AR) Lab Network found more than 220 instances of germs with “unusual” antibiotic resistance genes in the United States last year, according to a CDC Vital Signs report released today.

FLU – As of the end of February 2018 4,000 people a week in the U.S. were dying of Flu and Pneumonia according to U.S. Center for Disease Control

The levels of influenza-like illnesses being reported for the 2017-2018 flu season are as high as the peak of the swine flu epidemic in 2009, and exceed the last severe seasonal flu outbreak in 2003 when a new strain started circulating, said Anne Schuchat, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s acting director. Swine flu, which swept the globe in 2009 and 2010, sickened 60.8 million Americans, hospitalized 274,304 and killed 12,469, according to CDC data. Deaths from the current outbreak will likely far outstrip those of the 2009-2010 season. It is April and the Flu season continues.

AIDS –AIDS is now second only to the Black Death as the largest epidemic in history. (From the World Health Organization) Aids or HIV was originated with non human primates (monkeys) in Central and West Africa

AIDS kills roughly 1.5 million people a year, or about one person every 20 seconds.

MALARIA –Approximately a half million people die from malaria each year and many millions more are seriously weakened by it. Malaria is spread by mosquitoes.

CHOLERA – Between 42,000 and 142,000 people die of cholera each year. You can get cholera by eating or drinking contaminated water or food.

LASSA FEVER– Lassa fever, a viral hemorrhagic fever with symptoms similar to those of Ebola virus disease. This disease is spread through contact with Rat feces and urine. Originated in West Africa. This year has generated more severe and fatal cases. Usually an estimated 300,000 people are infected with the virus annually, with up to 5,000 deaths. But this year the fatality rate has gone to 50% of those infected.

AND EARTHQUAKES IN VARIOUS PLACES

According to the USGS there have been 42 ‘significant earthquakes since January 1st, 2018. A significant earthquake is determined by a combination of magnitude, number of Did You Feel It responses, and PAGER alert level. Those that have been counted are earthquakes above 4.2. 12 were in the U.S. The largest was a 7.9 in Alaska on 1-23-18.

227 people have died around the world. For the last 365 days the total for all measurable earthquakes around the world has been 40,561.

Currently there are 33 erupting volcanoes and 55 that are having minor activity or have an impending warning issued.

Landmine clearing near Jordan River baptism site begins before Easter

By Eli Berlzon

QASR AL-YAHUD, West Bank (Reuters) – On the western bank of the River Jordan, not far from the spot where Christians believe Jesus was baptized, experts have begun clearing thousands of mines from the ruins of eight churches and surrounding land deserted more than 50 years ago.

Once the anti-tank mines and other explosives are removed, the compounds containing a Roman Catholic church and seven Eastern Orthodox churches abandoned after the 1967 Middle East war can be re-opened, said HALO Trust, a Scottish-based charity organizing the endeavor together with Israel.

The mined area, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, is about a kilometer (half-mile) from Qasr al-Yahud, the baptism site which HALO said was visited by around 570,000 Christian pilgrims last year.

A team of Israeli, Palestinian and Georgian experts, using hand-held mine detectors and armored mechanical diggers, began clearing the church compounds and the surrounding desert shrubland shortly before the Christian Holy Week that precedes Easter.

A sign warning from land mines is seen on a fence near Qasr Al-Yahud, a traditional baptism site along the Jordan River, near Jericho in the occupied West Bank, March 29, 2018. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

Rusting barbed wire fences, with signs warning “Danger Mines!” in Hebrew, English and Arabic, run along a dusty road leading to the 100-hectare (27 acre) area. HALO says the land contains around 2,600 mines and an unknown number of other unexploded ordnance.

Some of the churches may be boobytrapped, the charity says.

In a safe zone at the riverside on Thursday, a family from Spain wearing white baptismal robes stepped into the water.

HALO has been raising funds for the project over several years and said in a statement it intends to complete work at the site by Christmas.

Israel’s Defence Ministry and its Israel National Mine Action Authority have contributed at least half the funding for the project, a ministry spokeswoman said.

HALO described the project as a rare example of multi-faith collaboration in the Middle East, involving Israel and the Palestinian Authority that administers limited self-rule in the West Bank, which welcomed the efforts.

The river area was once a war zone between Israel and Jordan. The two neighbors made peace in 1994 but it took many years before some mine clearing began.

Both claim that the site where John the Baptist and Jesus met is on their side of the biblical river. The Gospel of John refers to “Bethany beyond the Jordan” without further details.

In 2002, Jordan opened its site, showing remains of ancient churches and writings of pilgrims down the centuries to bolster its claim. UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 2015.

A sapper belonging to the HALO Trust, an international landmine clearance charity, looks for old mines in an abandoned church property complex near Qasr Al-Yahud, a traditional baptism site along the Jordan River, near Jericho in the occupied West Bank, March 29, 2018. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

Israel opened the baptism area on the western bank of the river in 2011. It has a modern visitor center and stairs for pilgrims to descend into the muddy water.

HALO, which has cleared landmines all over the world and was once sponsored by the late Princess Diana, said on Thursday that three of their staff members were killed and two injured by the accidental detonation of an anti-tank mine in Nagorno Karabakh.

The group were in a vehicle conducting a minefield survey when the explosion occurred in the separatist region in Azerbaijan.

(Writing by Jeffrey Heller; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)

Nazareth Christmas celebrations will be held as normal

Israeli Arabs perform a nativity scene for tourists in the northern town of Nazareth December 22, 2008.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Nazareth, the Israeli Arab city where Jesus is thought to have been raised, will celebrate Christmas as usual, its mayor said, denying the festivities would be curtailed in protest at the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

On Wednesday, a city spokesman said there would be some cuts to the celebrations to protest against President Donald Trump’s decision on Jerusalem that angered Palestinians as well as U.S. allies in the Middle East and the rest of the world.

Mayor Ali Salam told Reuters on Saturday that three singers who had been due to perform would not appear. He gave no reason for their absence, but said that the celebrations would proceed as normal.

“I don’t know why people thought that there would be cuts to the celebrations. Everything, except for three singers who will not be coming, will be held as normal. We have already welcomed 60,000 people to the city today,” Salam said.

Nazareth, the largest Arab town in Israel with a population of 76,000 Muslims and Christians, is one of the Holy Land’s focal points of Christmas festivities which begin officially on Saturday evening.

Nazareth’s imposing Basilica of the Annunciation is built on a site that many Christian faithful believe was the childhood home of Jesus’ mother, Mary.

(Writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

CHRIST IS BORN!!

By Kami Klein

For Christians, Christmas represents the light of hope that we carry within us. The birth of Jesus and the tremendous acts of courage throughout the Christmas story, inspire us to have more faith, spread more love, forgive quickly and freely while making that extra effort to show compassion to others.

The moment the song “Oh Holy Night” fills the air, that sweetness of faith wraps it’s arms around us and if we allow it, no matter our differences, inspires us to show that light of Christ to the world.

The account of Jesus’ birth in the Bible shows the simple faith of shepherds in the field, willing to listen to an Angel! They trusted what they heard from this Holy being and simply had faith.

The same is to be said for the Three Wise men who decided to blindly follow a star and listen when warned without falter. It was Faith.

As we celebrate the birthday of our Savior, let us ask for the love of God to wash away any old resentments, fears and grudges. Let us take that one simple act of faith and courage and live as Christ has asked us to and honor the man, the teacher, the Savior, the Son of God.

Christmas is not just a time for friends and family..Christmas is for ALL of humanity!

Luke 2:1-20

The Birth of Jesus

2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the entire inhabited earth should be taxed. 2 This taxation was first made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And everyone went to his own city to be taxed.

4 So Joseph also departed from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to the City of David which is called Bethlehem, in Judea, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be taxed with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So while they were there, the day came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in strips of cloth, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

8 And in the same area there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And then an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were very afraid. 10 But the angel said to them, “Listen! Do not fear. For I bring you good news of great joy, which will be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign to you: You will find the Baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly there was with the angel a company of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, and good will toward men.”

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

16 So they came hurrying and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby lying in a manger. 17 When they had seen Him, they made widely known the word which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!

After alleged ban, “Jesus” reappears in Johnson Space Center newsletter

The name “Jesus” has reappeared in the Johnson Space Center newsletter, drawing celebration from a religious freedom advocacy group that claimed NASA banned the name from publication.

The First Liberty Institute made the announcement Tuesday, exactly one month after threatening the space agency with a federal lawsuit over what it claimed was “blatant religious discrimination” against Christian employees in a prayer club at the Johnson Space Center.

The issue stems from an announcement that ran in the JSC Today newsletter last May.

According to the First Liberty Institute, the newsletter is emailed to all employees who work at the Houston facility. The JSC Praise and Worship Club, like other groups, routinely submitted announcements to the newsletter as a way to spread the word about its upcoming gatherings.

On May 28, the newsletter published an club-written announcement that included the line “The theme for this session will be Jesus is our life!” and invited other JSC employees to attend.

The First Liberty Institute claims that attorneys from NASA subsequently contacted the club and told them that “Jesus” could not be used in any future announcements, as it could lead someone to believe that NASA was endorsing Christianity and therefore violating the Establishment Clause, which prevents government entities from promoting one religion over another.

The employees countered that their speech was private and NASA’s restrictions amounted to illegal censorship. The club stopped using “Jesus” in announcements as it sought legal advice.

On February 17, nine days after the First Liberty Institute contacted the space agency, the newsletter published a JSC Praise and Worship Club announcement that included the line “The theme for this session will be Jesus is our Victory!” showing the name did appear in the email.

NASA’s attorneys contacted the First Liberty Institute the following day, saying there is no ban.

“JSC does not prohibit the use of any specific religious names in employee newsletters or other internal communications,” Chief Counsel Bernard J. Roan wrote in a letter to the institute.

Roan added in his letter that some NASA employees had expressed concerns that the prayer club’s May 28 announcement “went beyond mere announcement of the time, place and general nature of an activity; was essentially proselytizing; and, and as such, was inappropriate.”

He said that attorneys reached out to the club to discuss those concerns, but did not mention what, exactly, those conversations entailed. He did note the newsletter has published several “religiously-oriented postings” from the prayer club and other groups in the past few months.

“It is clear from subsequent ‘JSC Today’ postings for the Club that JSC to this day continues to facilitate its employees’ right to freely exercise their religious beliefs,” Roan wrote.

First Liberty’s Senior Counsel, Jeremy Dys, welcomed the recent developments.

“Although NASA’s initial censorship of the name ‘Jesus’ gave the Praise & Worship Club cause for alarm, we are grateful NASA took subsequent corrective action, and now clarifies its policy permitting religious expression by its employees,” Dys said in a statement.

NASA accused of banning ‘Jesus’ from Johnson Space Center newsletter

NASA is being accused of discriminating against some of its Christian employees after allegedly telling a prayer club that it was no longer allowed to mention the name “Jesus” in a newsletter.

The Liberty Institute, a religious freedom advocacy group, is representing the employees and on Monday threatened to file a federal lawsuit if NASA does not remove the alleged restriction.

The employees are 16 members of the Praise and Worship Club at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, according to the institute, and submit meeting announcements to the center’s JSC Today email newsletter to invite other employees to attend the club’s upcoming gatherings.

Last May, the newsletter ran the group’s announcement saying the theme for its upcoming meeting would be “Jesus is our life!”

A NASA attorney allegedly told the employees they were not allowed to include “Jesus” in future advertisements because NASA would be violating the Establishment Clause, which prevents government entities from promoting one religion over another. The employees say their speech is private and their announcements do not represent NASA’s official stance, so NASA censoring them from saying “Jesus” in the newsletter is an illegal restriction of their religious freedoms.

The club has been meeting since 2001, according to the Liberty Institute, and members currently gather during their lunch hours to discuss their faith and sing Christian songs.

“We are shocked that NASA would censor the name of Jesus from our Praise and Worship Club’s announcement,” JSC Praise and Worship club spokesperson Sophia Smith said in a statement released by the Liberty Institute. “NASA has a long history of allowing the religious speech of its employees, so why would they ban ‘Jesus’ from our announcements?”

The Liberty Institute noted NASA astronauts have famously made high-profile religious comments in the past. Notably, Scott Carpenter said “Godspeed, John Glenn” when Glenn became the first American to orbit the planet in 1962 and Bill Anders, Jim Lovell and Frank Borman read from the Book of Genesis as they orbited the moon on Christmas Eve, 1968.

The institute argues the ban is discriminatory, claiming the newsletter still publishes other “generic religious references.” The Praise and Worship Club’s announcements are also still published, the institute claims, though the club stopped mentioning Jesus as it sought counsel.

“It is illegal for the government to censor the name of Jesus in employee emails,” Jeremy Dys, senior counsel for Liberty Institute, said in a statement. “Censoring a religious club’s announcement to specifically exclude the name ‘Jesus’ is blatant religious discrimination.”

Morningside Celebrates Community Birthday Party for Jesus

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas as Morningside opened their hearts for the 4th annual Christmas Community Outreach Birthday Party for Jesus! Families from all over the community came to enjoy and celebrate together with the staff and volunteers of Morningside Church!

On Saturday December 5th, Jim and Lori Bakker, Marie Bakker, Zach Drew and Sasha Voltz welcomed hundreds of families to Grace Street to give back to the community. As Tammy Sue Bakker and the Morningside band joyfully brought Christmas to life with all of our Christmas favorites, the smell of pancakes and a full delicious breakfast wafted through the air. Families joined together to savor their meal and remember that Christmas is all about the birth of Jesus.

A multitude of gifts were raffled off for children as well as adults. The smiles of boys and girls as they picked out a new bike or toy, hugged Santa and danced to the music is what inspires Morningside and the Jim Bakker Show to put on this huge event together each year.

For families who are in need, the opportunity to provide gifts for their families and feel the presence and love of God, as they pick out items they could never have provided on their own brings a peace to their spirit that the volunteers and staff are grateful to share.

This ministry is incredibly blessed by our community and this small of way of giving back could never be enough to thank you.

Happy Birthday Jesus! And a Very Merry Christmas from Jim and Lori Bakker and everyone here at Morningside!

Radical Imam in Training Turns to Jesus

A man who was a devout Muslim and training to be a radical imam in the land of ISIS is now a Jesus fanatic who claims Christ came to him supernaturally in a dream.

“I was a…Muslim and often preached, but there was something missing. There was something empty about Allah and the Quran. Jesus appeared to me in a dream and open my eyes … what has missing was His love and peace,” said Iraqi Barazan Azeezi to The Christian Post.

Azeezi said that he was a “violent person” and was motivated by fear of Allah. After the meeting with Christ in his dream, he not only renounced violence but says he experienced “love” for the “true God” and that he sees God’s truth.

Azeezi also faced persecution and anger from his Islamic family.

“In the beginning, my family thought I was joking and claimed that I was going mad,” he said. “After months of debates, they started to threaten to kill me. … It was God’s grace that helped me overcome the fear.”

Azeezi said that he is not the only person to come to Christ through supernatural experiences. He shared the story of an ISIS terrorist who had been sent to destroy a church building. When he entered the church, a bright light appeared on him. A voice in the light said he was Jesus. The fighter immediately dropped his items and accepted Christ as Lord.

Azeezi says that he believes satan is trying to keep those in the Middle East from seeing the truth of Christ.

“I believe Satan creates chaos in the Middle East to stop the gospel from reaching our people. This is one of his last strongholds in the world and he won’t back off easily,” he said.

Witch Comes To Christ Through Jesus Movie

The leaders of the Jesus film are celebrating the fact a witch has renounced their previous life and came to Christ because of the movie.

Alex Mbewe was showing the movie to a village in Zambia. A witch came into the event, furious that they were showing the movie to the residents. Witnesses say that she summoned a demon that flipped over the table holding the film equipment and terrified the audience.

Alex and his group wouldn’t be swayed by the witch.

“Lord, You own all the creation in heaven and on earth. Everything on earth belongs to You, and we believe this ground also belongs to You. We are very confident that the show tomorrow will be the source of salvation for many in this area,” Alex and his team prayed.

The group played the movie the next day.

The witch showed up.

And the witch was one of 600 people who accepted Christ as Lord.

The witch told the Jesus team that over the last few nights she had been taunted in her dreams but a beast that would drag her toward a pool of fire. As the beast went to throw her in, he said she was going to hell because she didn’t respond to the message of truth in the village.

She joined a church with 83 members that was planted in the village. She recently passed away so she accepted Christ before it was too late.

Judge Rules Commissioners Can’t Pray Only In Jesus’ Name

A federal judge has ruled that a group of county commissioners cannot present prayers in Jesus’ name even if all the commissioners are Christians.

The ACLU and the ACLU of North Carolina Legal Foundation filed suit against the commissioners of Rowan County in March 2013 claiming that commissioners said during their opening invocations that “there is only one way to salvation, and that is Jesus Christ,” and thank the Lord for the “virgin birth,” the “cross at Calvary” and “the resurrection.”

A local resident who was against the Christian message in the public meeting explained why they helped bring the suit.

“I want my local government to be open and welcoming to people of all beliefs,” Nan Lund, a local resident who is among three plaintiffs named in the suit, stated in a news release announcing the legal challenge. “But when officials begin a public meeting with prayers that are specific to only one religious viewpoint, I feel unwelcome and excluded.”

Federal Judge James A. Beaty Jr., ruled in favor of Lund and the other plaintiffs, saying that the actions of the councilmen was unconstitutional.

“The practice fails to be nondiscriminatory, entangles government with religion, and over time, establishes a pattern of prayers that tends to advance the Christian faith of the elected commissioners at the expense of any religious affiliation unrepresented by the majority,” he wrote.

“While an all-comers policy is not necessarily required, a nondiscriminatory one is,” he said. “When all faiths but those of the five elected commissioners are excluded, the policy inherently discriminates and disfavors religious minorities.”

The county has not announced if they will appeal the ruling.

Luke 2:1-20

The Birth of Jesus

The Shepherds and the Angels

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