The Alcoholics Anonymous Prevention Plan: Pointing people away from Christ

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Many people are unaware that Alcoholics Anonymous founders were heavily into the world of the occult. John Lanagan of My Word Like Fire has done extensive research on AA he and reports some of his findings here:

It’s prevention and dilution, all in one twelve step package.

Alcoholics Anonymous has two spiritual purposes. One is to point unbelievers away from Christ; the other is to water down or weaken the theology of the Christians who have joined the AA religion. Because of exposure to the twelve step program there are many AA Christians who confuse “recovery” with sanctification.

Hurting alcoholics who do not know the Lord learn, through meetings and the AA Big Book, that they do not need Christ at all in order to have a relationship with the Father:

“The central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered our hearts and our lives in a way that is miraculous.” (AA Big Book, pg.25)

“[A]ll of us, whatever our race, creed, or color are children of a living Creator with whom we may form a relationship upon simple and understandable terms as soon as we are willing and honest enough to try.” (AA Big Book, pg.28)

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Most Expect Gay Marriage Will Sweep the US

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Christian Headlines reports:

Same-sex marriageMost Americans — including people from every major religious group — predict gay marriage will be legalized nationwide when a hotly anticipated Supreme Court ruling is announced later this month.

Among those who favor legalizing same-sex marriage, 80 percent think the high court will rule their way, according to a survey by the Public Religion Research Institute released Thursday (June 11). And among those who oppose gay marriage, 47 percent say that’s the likely outcome, too.

Overall, PRRI found that 65 percent of U.S. adults expect a sweep for gay marriage. Only 25 percent predict the Supreme Court will leave existing state bans intact. And despite how contentious public debate has been on this issue for a decade, 10 percent of Americans say they have no opinion.

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Support for a Young Earth? Scientists Baffled by Preserved Dinosaur Blood Cells

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Christian News Network reports:

The discovery of well-preserved blood and proteins in a supposedly 75-million-year-old dinosaur fossil has stumped secular scientists and led one Christian apologist to herald the findings as evidence of a young Earth.

A team of scientists at the U.K.’s Imperial College London carefully examined eight Cretaceous dinosaur bones discovered in North America, scrutinizing the bones’ interiors with an electron microscope. The researchers were stunned when they discovered what appeared to be red blood cells in one of the specimens.

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Transgender “Female” MMA Fighter Brutally Injures Female Opponent

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Liberty News Now reports on what happens when men fight women. After the fight the injured female fighter, Tamikka Brents, commented:

“I’ve never felt so overpowered ever in my life.”

“I’ve fought a lot of women,” Brents stated. “And never felt the strength I felt in a fight as I did that night. I can’t answer whether it’s because [he] was born a man or not, because I’m not a doctor,” she stated. “I can only say, I’ve never felt so overpowered ever in my life, and I am an abnormally strong female in my own right.”

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NC Lawmakers Officially Override Governor’s Veto of Same-Sex ‘Wedding’ Judicial Opt-Out Bill

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According to Christian News Network:

Lawmakers in North Carolina have officially voted to override the governor’s veto of a bill that would allow some judges to opt out of participating in same-sex ceremonies.

As previously reported, S.B. 2 was introduced earlier this year by Sen. Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) to allow magistrates to recuse themselves from officiating over the services, as well as to permit register of deeds workers to opt out of issuing licenses due to religious objections. The bill comes with one condition: that the individual remove themselves from the marriage business altogether.

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Religious leaders ‘Obey God Rather than Men’ in Open Letter to U.S. Supreme Court

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Christian Examiner reports:

Setting aside theological differences, 85 Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox Christian, and Jewish leaders joined civic and business leaders in signing an open letter to the U.S. Supreme court published in a June 10 ad in the Washington Post,vowing to disobey any court mandate which would force them to operate from any definition of marriage apart from a union between one man and one woman.

“We ask you not to force us to choose between the state and the Laws of God. We are Christians who love America and who respect the legitimate rule of law,” the religious leaders wrote. “However, we will not honor any decision by the Supreme Court which will force us to violate a clear biblical understanding of marriage as solely the union of one man and one woman.”

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Amen, amen I say to you, unless one is born again, he is not able to see the Kingdom of God

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

3 ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, ἐὰν μή τις γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν, οὐ δύναται ἰδεῖν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ. (John 3:3 NA28)

3 Jesus answered and said to Him, “Amen, amen I say to you, unless one is born again, he is not able to see the Kingdom of God.” (John 3:3 translated from the NA28 Greek text)

What causes corruption of the Gospel message? A careful study of John’s account of our Lord’s earthly ministry reveals what? John makes it clear that all through our Lord’s earthly ministry He  was in constant contention with the Jewish religious leaders. However, John also makes it clear that Jesus came to Israel to reveal the Father to them proving that He, the Son, was deity, to live a perfect, sinless life and then lay His life down voluntarily to purchase those who were chosen before the foundation of the world with the price of His blood. His perfect sacrifice was their propitiation. We learn these things and so much more by going to the Word and learning from the Holy Spirit as He transforms our minds as we submit to it. Studies into the Word, like this one, are sorely needed in the Body of Christ. I would hate to be a Pastor whose time has come to stand before our Lord to give an account that had sold out and ministered in a way that simply tickled itching ears. View article →

Openly gay Willow Creek leader to speak at Matthew Vines’ conference

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Berean Research reports:

Kicking off today in Atlanta is the Reformation Project conference designed to train and equip leaders to advocate for homosexual Christians. Among those leading: an openly gay worship leader from Willow Chicago, a satellite campus of the well-known Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Ill., pastored by Bill Hybels.

The worship leader, Darren Calhoun, has issued a statement through Willow Creek:

I’m a follower of Jesus,” Calhoun wrote. “My church community is Willow Chicago, the downtown campus of Willow Creek Community Church. There, I’ve served as a volunteer for eight years in various parts of our arts ministries including leading worship. … I’m also gay. As a Christian, I’ve been on a long journey to reconcile the reality of my orientation with the various views that the church world has on the topic of people who are attracted to the same sex. … At Willow, I was able to begin a journey of celibacy and prayerfully discerning what that means for my life.

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Which Way, Evangelicals? There is Nowhere to Hide

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Dr. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, addressed the same-sex “marriage” debate and pulled no punches: This is a moment of decision, and every evangelical believer, congregation, denomination, and institution will have to answer. There will be no place to hide.

Dr. Mohler writes:

Photo courtesy AlbertMohler.com

Photo courtesy AlbertMohler.com

The very first issue of Christianity Today is dated October 15, 1956. In his first editorial, Carl F. H. Henry set his course for the magazine: “Those who direct the editorial policy of Christianity Today unreservedly accept the complete reliability and authority of the written Word of God. It is their conviction that the Scriptures teach the doctrine of plenary inspiration.”

Henry also affirmed continuity with the great orthodox tradition of biblical doctrine and moral principles: “The doctrinal content of historic Christianity will be presented and defended. Among the distinctive doctrines to be stressed are those of God, Christ, man, salvation, and the last things. The best modern scholarship recognizes the bearing of doctrine on moral and spiritual life.”

In that same issue, Billy Graham stressed the authority of the Bible in evangelism. “I use the phrase ‘The Bible says’ because the Word of God is the authoritative basis of our faith,” Graham said. “I do not continually distinguish between the authority of God and the authority of the Bible because I am confident that he has made his will known authoritatively in the Scriptures.” View article →

Duty, honor, country and gay pride? Pentagon opens “Pride Month”

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From Berean Research:

Steam is coming out of my ears. For the first time in 20 years the U.S. Army brass says it will not provide an honor guard from nearby Fort Gordon for Abilene Baptist Church’s annual Independence Day celebration because of a 2011 regulation instituted by the Obama Administration. The regulation declares that the Army cannot participate in any event that promotes a religious movement. Yet the Pentagon promotes LGBT “Pride Month”? There is something wrong with this picture.

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John 3:16

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16 οὕτως γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν κόσμον, ὥστε τὸν υἱὸν τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλʼ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον. (John 3:16 NA28)

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only son that everyone believing in Him should not perish but have life eternal. (John 3:16 translated from the NA28 Greek text)

The first verse I memorized in Sunday School as a child was John 3:16 from the King James Bible. This must have been sometime around 1956-1957 since I did not learn to read until the 1st grade. My mother even had a plaque made with that verse on it and put it on the wall over my bed. I still have the little white New Testament I got for memorizing the most verses in my class that year. So what? When I look back on my life from that point to the time God had mercy on me in 1986, I am truly amazed that He did at all. Since the time I came to know Christ, I have known much of both of the tender mercies of our Lord as well as His flail of tribulation. My brethren, the school of the cross is the school of light, it discovers the world’s vanity, baseness, and wickedness, and lets us see more of God’s mind. Out of dark affliction comes a spiritual light. With that, let us look at John 3:16-21. View article →

Congress Urged to Pass Law Protecting Religious Schools from Punishment Over Marriage Beliefs

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Christian News Newtork reports:

Administrators from Christian and Catholic schools nationwide have signed on to a letter urging Congress to pass a law that would protect religious schools from punishment over their biblical beliefs on marriage.

Daniel Egeler, the president of the Association of Christian Schools International, Al Mohler, the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Michael Ferris, the Chancellor of Patrick Henry College and Alan Hodak, the executive director of the Minnesota Association of Christian Schools, were among those who signed the letter to House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

“We write to express our deep concern with the potential loss of tax-exempt status for educational institutions should the Supreme Court find constitutional legitimacy for same-sex marriage,” it read.

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How to Attract Goats to Your Church

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Berean Research reports on Preston Trails Community Church in Frisco, Texas that recently won a design award for its building and its brand: Making goats feel accepted:

Goats heading to churchIs church about saints (those who are saved), or sinners goats? Look, we’re all sinners; we need to use our words correctly. Those who have repented and put their trust in Christ alone for their salvation are saints. Another great word we can use here is sheep. The opposite term in the Bible is goats. The real question is, what – and Whom- is church about, and whom is it for?

Let’s not “kid” ourselves; it’s not for goats. It’s for former goats. The Bible teaches us that church is the gathering of those who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit:

…to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. – Ephesians 4:12-16

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Saddleback Church raising $71 million for its largest expansion yet

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From Berean Research:

Pastor Rick Warren is asking people to donate their hard earned money to open 10 more Saddleback campuses in Southern California. Even teens are getting into the act as you will see in Orange County Register’s piece. They’re called PEACE centers and they’ll provide assistance locally with food, medical help and counseling, Helping people is what churches do, right? But is it prudent for God’s people to spend their money this way?

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You must first believe in order to abide

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38 καὶ τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔχετε ἐν ὑμῖν μένοντα, ὅτι ὃν ἀπέστειλεν ἐκεῖνος, τούτῳ ὑμεῖς οὐ πιστεύετε. (John 5:38 NA28)

38 “And His Word you do not have abiding in you because He whom He sent, this one you do not believe.” (John 5:38 translated from the NA28 Greek text)

In John 5:30-47 the apostle gives us several witnesses to establish the truthfulness and genuiness of Jesus Christ and His ministry. Our Lord Jesus presented these witnesses who testified to His identity as the Son to those who opposed Him. The first witness given is John the Baptist in vv32-35. The second witness is our Lord’s own words in vv 35, 36. The third witness is the Father in vv 37, 38. The fourth witness is the Old Testament Scriptures in vv 39-47. However, as is the case from this point to the end of John, those who most vehemently opposed our Lord and His ministry, refused to believe. View article →

Madeleine L’Engle’s foundation awards grant to LGBT group at Wheaton College

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Religion News Service reports:

The foundation of Madeleine L’Engle, the late National Book Award-winning author of “A Wrinkle in Time,” has awarded OneWheaton, an independent community of LGBT students and alumni from Wheaton College, a $5,000 grant.

OneWheaton is committed to affirming LGBT students but is not officially recognized by the prominent evangelical school, which can expel students caught in homosexual behaviors.

The group plans to use the money to fund public discussions and forums about LGBT issues and evangelical culture.

“We couldn’t be happier to receive this grant from L’Engle’s Crosswicks Foundation,” said Paul Canaday-Elliott, a OneWheaton board member.

“Wheaton tells a very one-sided narrative about LGBT persons without making room for dialogue,” he added. “So this will help us continue to supply something that the college isn’t.”

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Gay activist Matthew Vines quietly holds private meetings with Christian leaders

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Amy of Berean Research has written a follow-up story to Emergent Church leader Tony Campolo’s call for full inclusion of gay and lesbian “Christians” in the Church. She reports that some well-know Christian leaders are wavering. She writes:

In his newsletter, Matthew Vines, author of God and the Gay Christian and founder of The Reformation Project (to reform biblically-based churches to accepting homosexuality and gay marriage), wrote this:

Pretty amazing news: Yesterday, evangelical leader Tony Campolo announced his support for “gay Christian couples” in the church, changing his position in a moving statement on his website after many years.

And then this morning, the work of The Reformation Project made the front page of the nation’s paper of record, The New York Times. The headline of the landmark article: “Evangelicals Open Door to Debate on Gay Rights.”

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The Gospel and Paul and Silas in Philippi

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

11 Ἀναχθέντες δὲ ἀπὸ Τρῳάδος εὐθυδρομήσαμεν εἰς Σαμοθρᾴκην, τῇ δὲ ἐπιούσῃ εἰς Νέαν πόλιν 12 κἀκεῖθεν εἰς Φιλίππους, ἥτις ἐστὶν πρώτη [ς] μερίδος τῆς Μακεδονίας πόλις, κολωνία. Ἦμεν δὲ ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ πόλει διατρίβοντες ἡμέρας τινάς. (Acts 16:11-12 NA28)

11 And having set sail from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and on the next day to Neapolis 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a prominent city of the District of Macedonia, a colony, and we stayed in this city some days. (Acts 16:11-12  translated from the NA28 Greek text)

As you know, Paul’s friend and companion Luke wrote the book of Acts in the New Testament. In Acts 16:10, we read that after Paul had seen the vision to leave Asia and come to Europe after seeking the will of God for the next focus of his missionary journey, Luke includes himself in the narrative as an eyewitness, therefore, his account of what happened to Paul and Silas in Philippi are given as one who was there. View article →

Media respond to Houston dropping hot potato “pastor” Driscoll from Hillsong Conference 2015

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From Berean Research:

Mark DriscollHere’s a comedy of errors if ever there was one. Hillsong Church’s pastor and notorious false teacher Brian Houston decided to drop former pastor of Seattle’s Mars Hill Church, Mark Driscoll, from Hillsong Conference 2015 even though he has been fully aware of the controversy over Driscoll. Houston had many people shaking their heads when he decided to do an interview with Driscoll. Well, over the weekend he decided to dis-invited him from the conference and offered the following reason:

It was clear to me that Mark’s attendance had the potential to divert attention from the real purpose of Hillsong Conference, which is to see people leave encouraged in their own spiritual journey.

For whatever reason, it finally dawned on Houston that a preacher who’s known for his potty-mouth…explicit sexual messages…plagiarism…bullying…and an over-inflated ego might not be the best one to encourage people in their spiritual journey.

Churchwatch Central has the details:

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Tony Campolo Calls for Full Inclusion of Gay & Lesbians Christians

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From Berean Research:

Tony CampoloThe founder of Red Letter Christians and Emergent Church leader Tony Campolo has called for full inclusion of gay and lesbian “Christians” into the church. Campolo is a “Progressive Christian” (read: liberal) so it comes as no surprise that he would go against the clear teaching of Scripture on the sin of homosexuality. For those who are unfamiliar with Mr. Campolo and red letter Christianity, listen to Apprising Ministries Ken Silva describe what he believes:

[O]n March 10, 2008 on his PBS show Tavis Smiley asks Tony Campolo, “what is a ‘Red Letter Christian?’” Campolo replies:

Well, he or she is somebody whose beliefs are very traditional in a sense. It’s a person that believes in the Apostles’ Creed, who believes salvation comes from Jesus, who believes that the bible was inspired by God, but whose politics are not aligned with the religious right. (Online source)

Hmm, that doesn’t sound quite right. Let me see if I can fix that:

“Well, he or she is somebody whose beliefs are very ‘traditional’ in an ecumenical sense where most any belief that considers itself Christian is accepted as simply another ‘tradition.’ It’s a person that relishes the brevity and non-specifiity of the Apostles’ Creed, who believes that the Bible becomes inspired by God as a given passage ‘speaks’ to them, but whose politics are not aligned with anyone we broad-brush as being part of some nebulous religious right.”

Now the stage is set for the reading of Campolo’s statement… View article →

White House to Order Faith-based Grant Recipients to Accept LGBT Applicants

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Center For Family & Human Rights reports:

A source within the federal government has informed the Friday Fax that the White House is quietly moving forward with a policy change that will require charitable humanitarian groups to accept LGBT applicants in order to qualify for government funding, even those religious groups that might have religious objections.

The policy change is linked to an executive order President Obama issued last July that prohibits federal contractors from discriminatory hiring practices based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Faith-based groups were already wrestling with that order.

Things are about to get exponentially worse for faith-based groups who perform humanitarian tasks and receive not contracts but financial grants for doing so.

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Gallup: Pro-lifers at lowest number since 2008

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According to Baptist Press:

Abortion pro-choicers significantly outnumber pro-lifers in the U.S. for the first time in seven years, according to the Gallup 2015 Values and Beliefs poll.

Half of Americans identified themselves as pro-choice in the poll that has since 2001 tracked Americans’ views on abortion. The last time pro-choicers accounted for such a large chunk of the populace was in 2008, when they also numbered 50 percent.

Of those polled, 44 percent identified themselves as pro-life, the same percentage found in 2008, Gallup reported.

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Christ the wisdom and power of God vs gospel contextualization

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

18 Ὁ λόγος γὰρ ὁ τοῦ σταυροῦ τοῖς μὲν ἀπολλυμένοις μωρία ἐστίν, τοῖς δὲ σῳζομένοις ἡμῖν δύναμις θεοῦ ἐστιν. 19 γέγραπται γάρ· ἀπολῶ τὴν σοφίαν τῶν σοφῶν καὶ τὴν σύνεσιν τῶν συνετῶν ἀθετήσω. (1 Corinthians 1:18-19 NA28)

18 For the word of the cross to those perishing is senseless, but to us being saved, it is the power of God 19 for it has been written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise ones and the understanding of the intelligent I will set aside.’ (1 Corinthians 1:18-19 translated from the NA28 Greek text)

Look around at those man-focused, pragmatic, seeker-sensitive “churches” in our time. They may vary in many ways, but there is a commonality that marks them all as products of the spirit of Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) rather than the spirit of Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13). That commonality is seen in the passage I placed at the top of this post. It is what makes them of the spirit of Laodicea. They are structured and operate according to the wisdom of men. Their very way of handling the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ depletes the cross of its power. What do I mean? When the “so-called gospel” that is “preached” is given in a way that intentionally removes its offense and an attempt is made to make it sensible to the lost and dying world by removing the blood and removing the necessity of our Lord’s death for those who owed a debt to God they could not pay, what is given is more of a sales pitch and self-help remedy. All this does is create a body of people who are neither cold nor hot. No, they believe they have everything and are right with God, but are in reality, wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked who are simply ready for the next deceiver to come along. View article →

Death Plunge: ISIS throws gay men off buildings under guise of Sharia law

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According to Fox News:

The Islamic State has released a series of horrifying photos showing blindfolded men tossed head-first off a building because, ISIS claimed, they were gay.

In photos obtained by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), ISIS militants are shown publicly executing the unidentified men for violating Sharia law.

A crowd of spectators, including children, was gathered below the 100-foot building in Mosul as the men were held by their ankles and then sent plunging to their deaths. The photos were believed to be recent.

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Prosperity Preacher Creflo Dollar to Get Coveted $70 Million Dollar Jet

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Christian News Network reports:

Prosperity Preacher Creflo Dollar’s recent pleas for money to buy him a mega-million dollar jet are no longer needed since his ministry’s board has now agreed to buy him one.

Dollar, whose teachings state that God wants all Christians to be prosperous and that material wealth is a sign of God’s favor, will get the coveted jet after the board of directors for his nonprofit organization known as “World Changers Church International” approved the purchase.

“A long-range, high-speed, intercontinental jet aircraft is a tool that is necessary in order to fulfill the mission of the ministry,” the board said in a statement. “We plan to acquire a Gulfstream G650 because it is the best, and it is a reflection of the level of excellence at which this organization chooses to operate.”

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