The Stock Markets of the 10 Largest Economies Are All Crashing

You would think that the simultaneous crashing of all of the largest stock markets around the world would be very big news. But so far, mainstream media in the United States are treating it like it isn't really a big deal.

Over the last 60 days, we have witnessed the most significant global stock market decline since fall 2008, and yet most people still seem to think that this is just a temporary "bump in the road" and that the bull market will soon resume. Hopefully they are right.

When the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted 777 points on Sept. 29, 2008, everyone freaked out, and rightly so. But a stock market crash doesn't have to be limited to a single day. Since the peak of the market earlier this year, the Dow is down almost three times as much as that 777-point crash back in 2008.

Over the last 60 days, we have seen the eighth-largest and 10th-largest single-day stock market crash in U.S. history on a point basis. You would think that this would be enough to wake people up, but most Americans still don't seem very alarmed. And of course what has happened to U.S. stocks so far is quite mild compared to what has been going on in the rest of the world.

Doctor Expelled From Hospital for Exposing Truth About Homosexuality

A Harvard-affiliated hospital reportedly expelled a popular doctor after he voiced his religious beliefs about homosexuality.

Dr. Paul Church, who had admitting privileges at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston, was told his position on homosexuality constituted as "discrimination," "harassment," and "unprofessional conduct," and that Bible verses regarding homosexuality are similarly "offensive" and discriminatory.

"Dr. Church was censured and subjected to disciplinary action for stating an objection on medical and religious grounds to the promotion of homosexuality," says Richard Mast, a Liberty Counsel attorney representing Church.

Mast confirmed Church received a letter from the hospital, assessed the letter and exercised his rights under the bylaws for admission purposes. Though the hospital had handed down the expulsion in March, Church was denied an appeal in early September.

Google just introduced a new 'block' button to Gmail

Google just answered many email-users' prayers by launching a new "block" button.

"Sometimes you get mail from someone who’s really disruptive. Hopefully it doesn’t happen often—but when it does, you should be able to say, "Never see messages from this person again," the company writes in its blog post on the news. 

400 Percent Spike in Legal Requests After Supreme Court Gay Marriage Ruling, Reveals Conservative Law Firm: ‘We Can’t Keep Up’

A conservative law firm saw a 400 percent increase in calls requesting legal help since the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage nationwide.

At a panel event titled "Are You Ready for the Coming Legal Attack?" at the tenth annual Values Voters Summit on Saturday afternoon, Jeff Mateer, who served as the panel's moderator, of the Texas-based Liberty Institute explained that many religious organizations have contacted him and his colleagues with legal concerns centered around the possible fallout from the decision.

"At Liberty Institute we have seen our requests for legal help go up 400 percent just since the Supreme Court's gay marriage decision," said Mateer to those gathered.

"You can imagine the twelve lawyers who work with me, even our vast army of volunteer attorneys who work with us. We can't keep up with all those requests."

WATCH: The Moment Ben Carson’s Campaign Manager Shuts Down CNN Interview During ‘Muslim’ Exchange: ‘This Interview Is Over’

 

Ben Carson’s campaign manager literally shut down a CNN interview on Sunday as anchor Jake Tapper grilled the Republican presidential candidate on his views on Muslims.

Asked about his recent remark that he wouldn’t “advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation,” Carson clarified his statement by saying he would “have problems with somebody who embraced all the doctrines associated with Islam.”

“If they are not willing to reject Shariah and all the portions of it that are talked about in the Koran — if they are not willing to reject that, and subject that to American values and the Constitution, then of course, I would [have problems],” Carson said.

He also declined to backtrack when Tapper asked if he could have made his statements on Islam any clearer.

Buhari directs all universities to introduce courses on leadership

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday tasked all Nigerian universities to introduce courses that will teach moral and leadership roles. He said the aim is to serve as standard for fighting corruption at institutions of higher learning.

Speaking through the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission NUC, Professor Julius Okojie, yesterday in Jos during the combined 27th and 28th convocation of the University of Jos which also coincided with the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the university, the President noted that such will ensure perfect governance structures at all levels.

He equally charged all Vice Chancellors of federal and private universities as well as all higher institutions to key into his administration’s policies of ensuring standard of higher learning in tertiary institutions.

President Robert Mugabe outburst at the UN general assembly: 'We are not gays!'

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe tells UN general assembly: 'We are not gays!'

Robert Mugabe used the United Nations podium on Monday evening to attack homosexuality in front of the general assembly.

Deviating from his prepared remarks, the 91-year-old leader of Zimbabwe reportedly barked: "We are not gays!"

Mugabe made the comment as he criticized western nations' "double standards" and attempts to "prescribe 'new rights' that are contrary to our values, norms, traditions and beliefs."

Zimbabwe has one of the worst LGBT rights records on the African continent, with the country's leader frequently demonising homosexuality. In 2013 he described homosexuals as "worse than pigs, goats and birds."

In the same speech Zimbabwe's leader — who has been in power since 1987 — claimed the UN human rights charter did not give states "the right to some to sit in judgement over others".

"In that regard, we reject the politicization of this important issue and the application of double standards to victimize those who dare think and act independently of the self-anointed prefects of our time."

"We equally reject attempts to prescribe "new rights" that are contrary to our values, norms, traditions, and beliefs. We are not gays! Cooperation and respect for each other will advance the cause of human rights worldwide. Confrontation, vilification, and double-standards will not."

Watch Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's sensational tirade against gay rights at the United Nations General Assembly.

This man surely does not give a hoot whose horse is gored. He has always maintained his position when it comes to gay rights.

London rated world's leading financial centre, overtaking New York

London is the world's leading financial centre, according to an index published by Z/Yen Group. It overtook New York which led the chart in 2014.

The index is based on an online survey of more than 2,000 individuals who rank various financial centres across the world on the basis of factors such as workforce quality, infrastructure, business environment and development of the financial sector. According to the survey, the win by the Conservative party in the May general election helped London overtake New York this time. "We saw quite a significant change in assessments [of London's strengths] after the election. From then on the assessments were 40 points higher than immediately before the election" said Mark Yeandle of Z/Yen.

Obama Admin. Covering Up the Facts on ISIS Fight?

The retired Marine Corps general picked to lead the U.S. fight against ISIS in Iraq is stepping down this fall.

Gen. John Allen is leaving over his frustration over U.S. policy in the Middle East as well to help care for his wife who suffers from an auto-immune disease, sources told Fox News.

Allen, who has held the post for a year, has been unhappy with the aministration's policy for much of that time. He's stayed six months longer than he planned and will leave the position in early November.

Pastor Helps Disarm Gunman in Church

Rev. Earl Carswell is pastor of Oasis Tabernacle Church in Selma, Alabama. Last Sunday morning, James Junior Minter joined the congregation for worship, sitting on the front row. According to police, Minter then pulled a handgun and opened fire.

Rev. Carswell and others acted swiftly, disarming him. Minter got away, but was captured quickly. The pastor was shot in the leg. Police are hailing him and others who defended their congregation as "heroes." They are, indeed.

Violence against churches has become all too common in recent years. More congregations than ever before are hiring security guards and taking other measures to protect themselves. But we give less attention to protecting ourselves from spiritual attack. Here's why we should. 

Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16). Therefore, they belong to the One who created them. As C. S. Lewis notes, "Every faculty you have, your power of thinking or of moving your limbs from moment to moment, is given you by God." My ability to compose this essay and even to type these words is God's gift to me. The body by which I am working, the air I am breathing, the life I am living—it all comes from him. I am the tenant of this "temple"—he is the Owner. 

Yes, the US Is Deporting Iraqi Christians. Here's Why.

A federal immigration judge has ordered 15 Iraqi Chaldean Christians deported for immigration fraud.

The Chaldeans have been held for more than six months in detention by Homeland Security. They were arrested earlier this year for using false documents to enter the United States from Mexico, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Five other Iraqi Christians will be tried for immigration fraud. Seven detainees have already been deported.

The Iraqi Christians told US officials that they were fleeing persecution at home. However, most had already been granted safe haven by Germany, Sweden and other European countries before coming to America.

“Asylum is for emergencies only,” Ginger Jacobs, a San Diego attorney, told the Union-Tribune. “There are many, many people fleeing Iraq for bona fide emergency reasons. But if somebody is able to live as a citizen in a country like Germany or the United Kingdom or Australia, then they don’t necessarily deserve an emergency remedy such as asylum.”

The Chaldean detainees are being held in a San Diego detention center run by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

A number of activists and churches from nearby El Cajon, California, have protested the treatment of the detainees. About 60,000 Chaldeans live near El Cajon, making it a natural draw from asylum seekers.

The city is a destination for an underground railroad operated by Mark Arabo, founder of the Minority Humanitarian Foundation, a nonprofit that seeks safe passage for Iraqi Christians fleeing ISIS.

For a reported cost of $25,000 a family, Arabo’s organization helps Iraqis flee to Mexico and then enter the US.

Arabo told a local television station that his group has helped transport about 300 Iraqi Christians to San Diego. He said that Iraq no longer issues visas for travelers to the US, so there’s no way for Iraqi Christians to flee their country legally.

“The underground railroad wasn’t our first choice. It was our last choice,” Arabo told the Union Tribune.

Huckabee Implies Obama not a Sincere Christian

GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee implied President Barack Obama is not sincere about his Christian faith, during an interview on Newsmax TV.

Huckabee affirmed there is no religious litmus test for the presidency when asked whether a candidate's faith should prevent them from holding office.

"I'm less concerned about what faith a person has, I'm more concerned about the authenticity of their faith and how that plays out in their policies," he said.

"I'm also concerned about a guy that believes he's a Christian and pretends to be and then says he is but does things that makes it very difficult for people to practice their Christian faith," Huckabee said, in an apparent reference to Obama.

Research team comes out with report against the use of antibacterial soaps

Yet another research team has come out with a report against the use of antibacterial soaps. The South Korean scientists discovered that antibacterial soaps only kill more bacteria than regular soaps do, if the antibacterial soaps are exposed to the bacteria for hours.

When the antibacterial soaps and the regular soaps were both used for 30 seconds, both killed the same amount of bacteria.

The active ingredient in antibacterial soaps is a product called triclosan. Current law forbids soap manufacturers from using more than 0.3% of it in antibacterial soaps. The South Korean researchers found that such a weak percentage of triclosan means it does not kill more bacteria than regular soap and water. They discovered the percentage of triclosan needs to be much greater than 0.3% to kill substantially more bacteria than regular soap.

PROPHECY: Get Ready for Sudden Unseen Alignments

This morning I heard the words "sudden alignment." Where many are standing believing for sudden alignment—and there isn't any "indication" of it coming in the natural—I heard the Lord say "the sudden unseen alignment is about to be seen!"

The "alignment" that you have been "sowing into" by your faith and your prayers is about to spring forth.

It's not over yet. Don't move from your "position."

I saw the Lord holding a huge bowl and it was full to the brim of honey. He tipped this bowl over the people of God as they were positioned for new alignments and healing was happening, and a sudden "coming together" of His promises and plans. He is bringing all things together now. Things are going to begin to "make sense." A greater revealing of the "bigger picture" in its circumstances is being uncovered before the people of God.

Actress Tisha Campbell-Martin Confronts Demons, Forgives Childhood Rapist in Powerful New Song (Video)

More than two decades after releasing her debut album Tisha, Hollywood actress Tisha Campbell-Martin is back with a powerful new single "Steel Here," which she said is about forgiving her alleged childhood rapist.

At age 3, Campbell, who's a Christian, was allegedly sexually assaulted by a man who apologized for the attack more than 40 years later via a five-page letter. She described the apology as a blessing and has since forgiven her attacker.

"When the letter arrived, it blessed me. It allowed me to FORGIVE and I'm so incredibly grateful," Campbell, 46, wrote via Instagram on Tuesday.

The painful experience inspired the "Martin" actress' new single "Steel Here," which she released on Monday. In the music video, a vulnerable Campbell is seen with words from her attacker's letter painted on her body.

Christians Worldwide Are Signing Up to Share the Gospel in #Goeverywhere 'Thunderclap'

An international online evangelism organization is aiming to bring together thousands of Christians on Sept. 30 to create an online "Thunderclap," where a Gospel message video, along with further outreach, will collectively be shared at the same time through the participants' social networks, aimed at getting the world's attention.

"The timer is ticking down to the actual Thunderclap. The Thunderclap is what happens when the software that we use will be posting on everyone's behalf. Everyone who signed up around the world, on their behalf there will be a post made on their Facebook timeline, or their Twitter feed, depending on what they choose," Ian Walton, country manager for the African region, told The Christian Post in a phone interview on Wednesday.

The website for the campaign, which features a timer to Sept. 30 and shows how people can sign up and add their voice, describes:

"Imagine Christians all over the world, standing together in a single moment in time, declaring their faith. Imagine millions receiving the answer of the Gospel, transforming their lives and their worlds. Imagine you're sending that message to a friend, a family member, or to someone you know who is looking for answers."

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings predicts when cable TV will die for good

Netflix has taken the world by storm, transforming itself from a mail-order DVD company into a streaming behemoth that uses 37% of the bandwidth in North America.

And it represents the massive change many think will take place in the entertainment industry, with traditional cable TV companies buckling in favor of streaming services.

In the first half of 2015, year-over-year subscriber growth for cable companies, like Time Warner Cable and Comcast, actually went negative. And in a short time, more people will stream video online each day than will watch scheduled programs on traditional TV, according to a new study from Ericsson.

Looks like America agrees with Ben Carson’s anti-Muslim stance

Ben Carson is a hell of a lot craftier than he looks. Still polling behind the slipping Donald Trump in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, and closely eating surging Carly Fiorina’s exhaust in the latest CNN/ORC poll, the mealy-mouthed retired pediatric neurosurgeon, 64, has been reluctant to say boo to a goose — or to slam Trump for his demonstrably dumb claim that vaccines cause autism in children.

So Carson lobbed the political equivalent of a Hail Mary pass in a cynical ploy to get himself noticed. And it seems to be working, big time.

He lit into an issue that, fair or not, unites many Americans, not all of them Republicans: the belief that an adherent of the Islamic faith should not be elected president.

“I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation,’’ Carson, sounding sure of himself for a change, declared in an interview broadcast on NBC’s “Meet the Press” this past Sunday.

Millions of Jews have begun searching for the Messiah

A big, untold story: Since last Yom Kippur, millions of Jews have begun searching for the Messiah, and for atonement for their sins. The media isn’t reporting this. But it’s worth examining.

At sundown, we begin Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This is the highest holy day on the Jewish calendar, and one of great Biblical and historic and cultural importance to my people.

I so wish I was home with Lynn and our sons in Israel tonight. Instead, I am in the U.S. speaking at a number of events, from Dallas to San Luis Obispo to Washington, D.C. to Toronto. I am speaking about the darkness that is falling in our world. But I am also explaining to people about a fascinating phenomenon that I’m observing.

Since last Yom Kippur, millions of Jews have begun a quest to find the Messiah. For reasons I cannot fully explain, Jews are suddenly searching for answers to the deepest and most important questions concerning life and death and God and atonement and eternity, in numbers unprecedented in history. Some are searching through the Hebrew Scriptures for answers. A stunning number are actually reading the New Testament, most for the first time. They are searching on Google for information about the Messiah. They are even watching a new series of videos by Jews who claim to have found the answers. The videos — some of which have gone viral — were produced and posted on a new website called www.imetmessiah.com.

Fmr Nobel Leader: Obama's Peace Prize a Failure

The former secretary of the Nobel Peace Prize committee says the 2009 award to President Barack Obama failed to live up to the panel's expectations.

He said the committee expected the prize to give a boost to Obama.

Instead, it was met with fierce criticism in the United States where many people argued that Obama had not been president long enough to do something worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize.

Former Secretary Geir Lundestad writes in his new book out this month, Secretary of Peace: 25 years with the Nobel Prize, that many of the president's supporters also believed the prize was a bad idea.

"Even many of Obama's supporters believed that the prize was a mistake," Lundestad wrote in excerpts of the book. "In that sense the committee didn't achieve what it had hoped for."


CBN NEWS

How Apple could make a car without actually building a car

So you've probably heard by now that Apple is working on an electric car, with a planned release of 2019.

You may have also seen the head-scratching on the part of analysts and industry-watchers, wondering why Apple would get into the automotive market, where low margins and high levels of regulation could lead to a ton of headaches for a company that's happily printing money with the iPhone. 

There's an easy possible answer here. Apple is building a car, sure. That much seems certain.

But that doesn't mean it wants to get into the car business. 

By developing a car design, and then selling it to car manufacturers, Apple could push its vision for the future of cars — while dodging much of the risk and costs associated with getting into the manufacturing business.

Mark Zuckerberg took Facebook users on a virtual tour of the office. Watch tour video.

Facebook expanded into a new 430,000-square-foot building designed by architect Frank Gehry a few months ago, and this week Mark Zuckerberg took Facebook users on a virtual tour of the office.

The space, which fits 2,800 employees, boasts a massive open floor plan and a desk for Zuckerberg right in the mix.

"The whole idea here is that, by having an open floor plan where people work close to each other, it facilitates people sharing and communicating about what they're doing, which enables better collaboration, which we think is key to building the best services for our community," the CEO explains.

Do Pastors Trust Pope Francis on Theology? New Survey Reveals How Preachers Responded When Asked if the Pontiff Is a True Christian

Nearly four-in-10 Protestant pastors in the U.S. say that Pope Francis has had a positive impact on their views of the Catholic Church, though half of preachers do not value the pontiff’s opinion on theological matters, according to a new survey.

In results that clearly indicate an array of views on Pope Francis’ ministry, 37 percent of a sample of 1,000 pastors said that the pontiff has impacted their view of the church in a positive way, while 14 percent said he has done so in a negative way.

Additionally, 43 percent report no change in views whatsoever, according to the new LifeWay Research survey.

Ben Carson: Islam 'Inconsistent' with Constitution

Republican Presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson is under fire for saying he doesn't believe Islam is consistent with the U.S. Constitution and that he's not in favor of putting a Muslim in the White House.

"It depends on what that faith is," the retired neurosurgeon said on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday. "If it's inconsistent with the values and principles of America, then of course it should matter. No I do not. I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation. I absolutely would not agree with that."

In response, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a controversial Muslim advocacy group, is calling on lawmakers to repudiate Carson's comments.

Muslim Parent Warns School Board ‘We’re Going to Be the Majority Soon’

The Jersey City Board of Education voted last week not to close schools for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, one of the most important holidays for Muslims.

School board members in New Jersey made their decision Thursday despite appeals from Muslim attendees who showed up to advocate that the board change the school schedule.

At one point, things became so heated that an official urged security to “take charge” of the situation. At least one person was seen on video being escorted from the meeting.

CEO of $50 billion Salesforce shared his epic founding story to inspire a small business owner

Marc Benioff is the CEO of Salesforce, a cloud enterprise software company worth about $50 billion.

But it took many years for Benioff to get to where he is now. When Salesforce first launched in 1999, he and his three cofounders worked out of a small apartment in San Francisco.

So people always ask him for advice on starting a new business. And whenever they do, Benioff likes to share his own founding story — like he did on Friday, during the closing Q&A of Dreamforce, when he was asked for advice by a small business owner in the crowd.

Back in 1999, before starting Salesforce, Benioff was a star executive at Oracle. But he was growing tired of the big company culture. He wanted to get out.

“I remember working for a big company for a long time, thinking I got to get out of here,” Benioff said.

Amazon's latest TV streaming device now lets you talk to its smart assistant, Alexa

Hot on the heels of Apple's announcement of its new TV streaming device, Amazon is revamping its own product offerings for the living room with a redesigned Fire TV settop box.

Although its original version had voice controls, the new device goes one step further by integrating with Alexa, the smart assistant that powers its home assistant product, Amazon Echo.

With Alexa, you can use the microphone button on the remote not only to find content more easily, but also to ask general questions like, "What's the weather in Seattle?" if you're going on a trip, or "What was the score of last night's Giants game?"

FINALLY: You'll soon be able to 'dislike' things on Facebook, says Mark Zuckerberg

Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook is finally working on a "Dislike" button.

"I think people have asked about the dislike button for many years. Today is a special day because today is the day I can say we’re working on it and shipping it," Zuckerberg said during a Q&A at Facebook's headquarters.

Zuckerberg said that the social network didn't immediately design way because it didn't want it to become a Reddit-style system of upvoting and downvoting. 

"That isn’t what we’re here to build in the world," Zuckerberg said.

But, Facebook and Zuckerberg have realized that people aren't looking to downvote each other, but to have an option to express feelings other than "liking." Zuckerberg cited moments like the news about the recent refugee crisis or even posts about family members who have died. Users don't want to "like" those items, but right now, have no other option.

Parents Speak Out at School Board Meeting Over Transgender Policy

Following a  Ohio school district’s decision to allow a transgender student to use the restroom that correlates with the gender the teenager identifies with, parents and community members met to discuss the school’s transgender policies.

Troy City Schools held the forum Thursday to field questions from parents and offer an informal presentation from Dr. Lee Ann Conrad, director of the Transgender Clinic at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

“I think the biggest thing is that [parents are] afraid that that child is a sexual deviant of some sort. So they’re afraid that child is going to come into the school and take advantage of their child,” Conrad told WDTN-TV. “And in reality, that just isn’t the case.”

While WHIO-TV reported that the school district has allowed the student — who was born female but identifies as a male — to use the men’s restroom for weeks, gender-neutral restrooms are available for students who may feel uncomfortable. However, according to WHIO, transgender students are not allowed to use the locker room that correlates with their gender identity. Instead, students are issued a private changing space.

LG invented a new double-sided TV

Imagine a TV that allows you to get a full view of what's happening no matter where you are in the room — even if you're behind the television.

That's exactly what LG has invented, as it's just shown off a super slim double-sided OLED TV, according to multiple reports including this one from Mashable.

The TV comes in two sizes: a massive 111-inch version and a smaller 55-inch model. The company showcased both models at the recent IFA technology conference in Berlin.

The Mysterious World of Islam

Since the September 11 terrorist attacks, politicians and media pundits have tried to stay politically correct in their attempts to define the Islamic faith. The result has been confusing for most Americans who have been told that Islam is both a peaceful religion and one that aims to destroy Western civilization.

The discussion became more perplexing when church leaders invited Muslim clerics to address their congregations—and church members were told that Christians and Muslims worship the same God.

Things heated up in November when evangelist Franklin Graham described Islam as a "wicked and violent" religion, prompting President Bush to publicly disagree with him. A White House spokesman said the president views Islam as "a religion that preaches peace," and Bush later hosted a group of Muslim dignitaries at an Islamic prayer ceremony.

To help Charisma's readers sort through this complex issue, we invited a group of experts on Islam to answer the toughest questions about this misunderstood religion.

Charisma: Isn't it true that many Muslims are peace-loving people?

Marvin Yakos: When there is a terrorist attack, there is a tendency to profile all Muslims as fanatical, machine gun-toting zealots engaged in jihad. But there are undoubtedly countless Muslims who do not fully comprehend the subtle aspects and spiritual foundations of the Quran. Nor is every Muslim convinced of the Taliban's interpretation of Islam.

Undoubtedly, many Muslims truly seek love for themselves and their families. Many sincerely believe that the Quran teaches peace, justice and com­passion toward all human beings and that killing innocent people is strictly forbidden. And undoubtedly there are Muslims who struggle between the dis­tinction of peace and the fringe of active jihad. And there are moderate Muslims who interpret jihad to be a completely personal, spiritual struggle.

WATCH: Crane collapse at Grand Mosque in Mecca kills over 87 people

At least 87 people were killed and 201 more were injured when a crane collapsed on the Grand Mosque during storms in the Muslim holy city of Mecca on Friday, the Saudi Arabian government has said.

The country’s civil defence authority said on its Twitter account that rescue teams had been sent to the scene. It said stormy weather was to blame for the tragedy and offered its “sincere condolences” over the deaths and its prayers for speedy recoveries for those injured.

WATCH: Migrant Turks and Kurds battle on Frankfurt streets, German army called in

At least five arrests were made in Frankfurt on Thursday night after a march by supporters of Turkish nationalism descended into bloody violence when they clashed with rival Kurd separatists.

Video of the riot has emerged on the same day Germany announced it will place 4,000 soldiers on standby over the weekend to help with a new wave of up to 40,000 refugees arriving in the country.

Police said The Thursday event was billed as a “solidarity march commemorating fallen Turkish soldiers”. According to  FR Online to it was organised by the “Federation of Turkish young people” which campaigns on behalf of Turkey. The fracas involved a group of around 380 participant and started at the city’s main railway station at 18.30.

Soon after the Turkish supporters set off there were attacks by immigrant Kurd counter-demonstrators who used sticks, bottles and stones to attack marchers. One taxi driver reportedly had his car damaged in the brawl.

Police confirmed the counter-demonstrators were of Kurdish origin and quickly withdrew.

More than 40,000 people have died since the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) launched its armed campaign in 1984 calling for an independent Kurdish state within Turkey.

Now immigrants from both sides of that battle are carrying their fight onto the streets of Frankfurt.

US House rejects Iran Nuclear Deal

On the anniversary of Sept. 11, the House voted to reject the Iranian nuclear deal on a vote of 162-269.

Nearly the entire Republican caucus voted against the deal Friday, save for Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) who voted “present.” Twenty-five Democrats joined Republicans in voting their disapproval.

The House’s rejection of the Iran nuclear deal will not have much force beyond putting members on record and sounding objection to the Obama deal as Thursday the deal survived a vote in the Senate.

Following the House’s vote rejecting the deal, the chamber voted 247-186 to prevent the president from waiving or reducing sanctions on Iran until January 21, 2017, when Obama is out of office.

10 things in tech you need to know today

1. A Netflix executive says users would be "paralyzed" if the service offered offline playback. Neil Hunt says the company wants to avoid the "paradox of choice," and that he's "[not sure] that it's worth providing that level of complexity."

2. The iPad Pro will reportedly come with at least 64GB of storage and cost around the same as a MacBook. That's according to 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman, who also says the big-screened device won't ship with Apple's rumored new stylus.

3. Uber has raised $1.2 billion in China — but its biggest rival has raised more than twice as much. The homegrown ridesharing service Didi Kuaidi has netted $3 billion in new funding.

4. Apple is ramping up its hiring of artificial intelligence experts. The company wants the iPhone to know what you want before you ask it.

Non-Stop Prayer Movement Grips Atheist China

NORTHEAST CHINA -- Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, thousands of Christians are meeting in a corner of northeast China for an unprecedented prayer movement.

What started as a small gathering six years ago has become a nationwide prayer initiative uniting hundreds of Chinese churches. Television cameras have never been allowed to film the prayer services, but CBN News was granted exclusive access.

For years, the Chinese government tried to snuff out Christianity. In the late 1940s, some 500,000 Chinese Christians were killed because of their faith.

Now decades later in what is officially still an atheist nation, Christianity is the fastest growing religion.

A Vision for Prayer

"We had a dream that someday we would build a church focused on prayer for China and the world," prayer leader Ha Bining said.

Ha Bining and her husband Feng Kai are witnesses to this profound move of God across China. In 2000, the Christian couple had a dream to turn this piece of land in a corner of northeast China into a place of prayer.

"My tears fell like the rain and I started praying," Bining told CBN News. "God gave us a vision to help bring churches across China together for 24-hour non-stop prayer for our country and the world."

Nine years later, on June 30, with construction on the property almost complete, the couple sent out email and text messages to friends and pastors inviting them for a prayer meeting.

"We didn't know who would show up or how many. I was praying that at least people from seven churches would show up. To my absolute amazement 70 churches joined us that day," Bining said.

CBN News obtained home video of that first prayer meeting.

"May your children pray here; their souls are healed here," one believer prayed. "The glory of this present house will be greater than the former house. May you win more children back. May this place be your new lamp that lights up China and the world."

"We were overwhelmed at the response," Binning said. "It was totally beyond our expectations."

Oregon judge hit with ethics probe after refusing to do gay ‘marriages’

An ethics investigation has been launched against an Oregon judge who ordered his staff to recommend same-sex "marriage" requests to other judges, even though he isn't required to perform the ceremonies.

On Thursday, Judge Vance Day’s spokesperson, Patrick Korten, confirmed that Day was being investigated by the Oregon Commission on Judicial Fitness because of his opposition to redefining marriage. While Day has never performed a same-sex "marriage" in his four years on the bench, it was only this past spring that he told his staff to recommend other judges to same-sex couples that request him to oversee "marriage" ceremonies.

In 2014, Day decided to stop doing weddings at all, except for one in March of this year that had been previously scheduled, according to Korten. "He made a decision nearly a year ago to stop doing weddings altogether, and the principal factor that he weighed was the pressure that one would face to perform a same-sex wedding, which he had a conflict with his religious beliefs."

Mike Huckabee: "lock me up in Kim Davis' place"

"I am willing to spend the next eight years in the White House leading this country, but I want you to know I'm willing to spend the next eight years in jail." –Mike Huckabee

Mike Huckabee hopes his next home will be the White House, but he's willing to go to the Big House, if it keeps Rowan County clerk Kim Davis free.

The 2016 Republican presidential hopeful said in a rally this afternoon that if U.S. District Judge David Bunning wants to jail someone for refusing to issue marriage licenses, Huckabee would take Davis' place.

"I have a message for the judge, and I say this with all my heart," Huckabee said just before four o'clock Eastern time.

"Let Kim go, but if you have to put someone in jail, I volunteer to go. Let me go. Lock me up, if you think that is how freedom is best served," he said.

"I am willing to spend the next eight years in the White House leading this country, but I want you to know I'm willing to spend the next eight years in jail," he told the crowd. "But I'm not willing to spend one day under the tyranny of people who believe they can take our liberty and conscience away!"

The line brought roars of appreciation from supporters from the local area, where Davis was elected county clerk last November—a post her mother held for 36 years.

Huckabee made a point to mention that Davis is "an elected Democrat."

"I don't want people to think this is an issue about Republicans and Democrats, because it was a Republican judge who put her in this jail to begin with," he said.

Judge who jailed Kentucky clerk Kim Davis orders her release

"Gavin Newsome in San Francisco as mayor performed same-sex weddings even though it was illegal. Did he ever get put in jail? He most certainly did not." –Former Governor Mike Huckabee

According to a Breitbart report, Kim Davis, the Rowan County clerk who refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses citing her Christian faith, and was sent to jail last week, is now being released. 

District Judge David Bunning reportedly issued Davis' release from the Carter County Detention Center on Tuesday, he was the same judge who had ordered her to jail without bail last Thursday.

A rally in support of Davis was planned by GOP presidential candidate Gov. Mike Huckabee for later on Tuesday.

[CBN News] Attorneys for Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis had officially appealed a judge's decision to jail her for refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples [because of her Christian faith].

As hundreds of Davis supporters rallied outside the Carter County Detention Center this weekend, her lawyer said his client was in good spirits and showing incredible resilience. 

Even so, there are those on the right who think she should back down.

"I respect the fact that this lady doesn't agree, but she's also a government employee," Gov. John Kasich, R-Ohio, said. "She's not running a church—I wouldn't force this on a church—but in terms of her responsibility, I think she has to comply."

Davis' legal team says she's committed both to following her conscience—and keeping her job.

"She has no intention of stepping down because she loves her people and loves her job," attorney Mat Staver, chairman of Liberty Counsel, said.

7 Internal Barriers to Church Growth

There is rarely a simple explanation for the decline of a church. It is often a complex mix of cultural, theological, attitudinal and internal issues. In this article, I address the latter issue.

Internal barriers refer to those obstacles that are inherent in the organization and the facilities of the church. They are also called structural barriers. Stated simply, these barriers are self-imposed or self-inflicted.

Some of these barriers are long-standing and difficult to remove. Others, such as a redesigned website, can be accomplished with little pain. Let's look at the six most common internal barriers in churches.

1. Facility barriers. We have addressed these barriers several times on this site and on the "Rainer on Leadership" podcast. The two most common are poor signage and inadequate parking. The former is often more easily addressed than the latter. Other common facility barriers include dirty and cluttered facilities, inadequate worship space, inadequate children's space, and poor sound and lighting in the worship space.

2. Governance barriers. These barriers include restrictive bylaws and policies, a model of church government that is not working as intended and frequent acrimonious business meetings. I am familiar with a church that had a policy where the executive pastor was on every committee, but the pastor was not. The particular problem was the personnel committee, where the executive pastor abused his authority and prevented the pastor from leading staff or having an influence on any personnel matters. That situation did not end well.

3. Staffing barriers. Churches often staff the way they've always done it. But times change and needs change. Staffing alignment and job descriptions of the 1990s may be inadequate today. Sometimes the job descriptions can be fine, but the wrong people are in those positions. Jim Collins, in his classic book Good to Great, uses the metaphor of getting the right people on the bus, and getting the right people in the right seat on the bus. If a church leader is not in a position that matches his or her gifts, abilities and passions, the church has a structural growth barrier.

Miraculous Growth of the Church in Cuba: Suffering = Challenges then Victory

We have evangelized everyone who lives in this area, a New Testament Bible to each home. We can't stop—we won't stop—because even if they won't accept the Lord the first, second, third or fourth time, even so—we can't stop until they come to the Lord." -House Church Pastor "Francisco"

(Screengrab via CBN News)

As Cuba transitions to a new relationship with the United States, Americans have a renewed interest in learning how the Church there has fared for the last 50 plus years. 

The short answer is: amazingly well. In fact, many believe the hardships and suffering have paved the way for an explosion of church planting.

Comfort not a Concern
On a typical Sunday morning in Cuba, you can find churches across the island overflowing with worshippers. Many meet in homes and others meet in churches that look more North American but operate in a political climate that is very different.

Space is the biggest challenge for many churches. Under current government rules they typically cannot buy land or expand. One church CBN News visited responded to the rules by building several stories up. Others cram into homes and multiply when they become too big.

Pastor "Miguel" leads a church that used to meet in an apartment but now meets in the yard next to his apartment building.

"When you have 80 to 100 people [meeting] in an apartment it's hard, very hard," he told CBN News. "And neighbors get upset."

It's a common theme in Cuban churches, but it seems to have also helped to encourage church growth. In the past 20 years, more than 16,000 evangelical churches have opened their doors.

Pastor "Nestor" and his wife "Rosa" live in one room above their tiny house church. He told CBN News, "One of the things that has made us grow in faith has been the limitations and the difficulties."

On Sunday mornings and during weeknight services, only a few will have a real seat.

"People here don't care how comfortable they are," Rosa explained. "They could be exhausted from working all day and they will sit on a bag of rocks, a stitched up chair, or stand the whole service, and they're okay with that."

Christian rapper and former lesbian shares how she overcame her same-sex attraction

Christian rapper and former lesbian Jackie Hill-Perry recounted in a recent interview how she was able to overcome her same-sex attraction, saying it was due to the efforts made by church leaders who made her understand that her identity is more than just her sexuality.

"What was helpful for me was that my leadership did not isolate my same-sex attraction from my whole person," she said in a recent interview with The Gospel Coalition.


After talking to church leaders, she said she realised that her struggle was not with lesbianism but "with hatred, bitterness, laziness, gluttony, lack of stewardship, pride."

She said she eventually realised that "there was a lot to me that was much deeper than just my sexuality."

Hill-Perry accepted Christ into her life in 2008, letting go of her previous lifestyle. She is now married to fellow artist Preston Perry, and they have a daughter. She said it really helped when she realised that all she needed was Jesus Christ in her life and "only Jesus can make me whole."

"When I was able to see that all of me needed Jesus, all of me needed to be whole and all of me needed to be disciplined, that's what helped me. Because it kind of humbles you where [I said] 'I'm real messed up because it's not this one little fraction of me. It's all of me.' And I'm able to really crawl to Jesus and know He can fix me," she said.

The rapper wrote several articles regarding Christianity and homosexuality after her conversion. In 2013, when rapper Macklemore released the single "Same Love," which says that homosexuals can't change, she wrote in response: "What I would say to Macklemore is, if we believe the Bible is completely true and God breathed—which it is—then we need to deal with texts like 1 Corinthians 6:9-11."

ISIS Issues 11 Commandments for Christians to Obey If They Want to Live in Their Ancestral Homeland

The Islamic State terror group has issued a "safety contract" that Christians living in the captured Syrian town of Qaryatian must follow, which includes 11 specific commandments, if they want to live.

"The meeting showed images of a lot of Christians abducted from the city of al-Quaryatayn, in what is believed to be a cultural center. It also stipulated 13 items to give security to the Christians in the city, "Jamil Diarbakerli, director of the Assyrian Monitor for Human Rights, told International Christian Concern.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights noted that Christians in the captured town will have to pay the jizyah or jizya tax imposed on non-Muslims, in addition to the other commandments issued by IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

The watchdog group listed the 11 stipulations, which prohibit: the establishment of churches, the displaying of crosses, making Muslims hear Christian prayers or rituals of worship, the hiding of spies, offending Islamic religious beliefs, the carrying of weapons, the sale of pork or wine to Muslims, and failing to dress modestly.

Nahren Anweya, an Assyrian-American activist, said that the terror group, which has captured cities and towns across Iraq and Syria, is seeking to suppress any Christian presence in the region.

"Our entire ancestral homelands have been completely taken and now they won't even allow us to sustain our religious faith in one God and his son Jesus Christ, " Anweya told the International Business Times.