One Million Translated Copies Of The Quran To Be Distributed To Non-Muslims A Cause For Concern

Majlis Perundingan Malaysia Agama Buddha, Kristian, Hindu, Sikh dan Tao
Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism

MCCBCHST STATEMENT

9 February 2015

The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST)refers to a project organised by the Islamic Information and Services Foundation under which one million copies of the Quran will be produced and translated into Tamil, Chinese, English and Malay to be distributed to the public (STAR on 9/01/2015). Tun Dr. Mahathir who is the projects patron said it was aimed at lessening misconceptions and alleviating the fear of Islam amongst Non-Muslims. Dr. Mahathir further gave an example of "the verse that allowed Muslims to kill Non-Muslims only touched on one event in the history of Islam. It does not mean we are told to kill other people".

The reason and example advanced by Tun Dr Mahathir on the need to distribute the translated version of the Quran to the Non Muslims specifically does not make sense. It is Muslims who are indulging in killing and condemnation of other religions and religionist. Therefore, the need is for Muslims to be educated on the true teachings of Islam and not the Non Muslims.

Further, it appears that the purported ignorance of the Muslims is sought to be transferred to the Non-Muslims, to justify the distribution of copies of the Quran in Chinese, Tamil, etc. to the Non-Muslims. We have to emphasise that Non-Muslims have not carried out any acts of terrorism in the name of Islam and thus are not confused.

The actual intention thus appears to be to propagate the Islamic faith to the Non-Muslims under the guise of removing misconceptions of Islam.

The first objection to this is that the intended distribution of the translated Quran to Non Muslims is being done in bad faith as the main reason given to remove misconceptions does not hold water as the misconception is with the Muslims and not the Non-Muslims.

Muslims vehemently object to any exposure of Non-Muslim religions to them. They rely on Article 11(4) of the Federal Constitution which allows the State to restrict or control the propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among persons professing the religion of Islam.

Article 11(4) is supposed to be used as a shield by the Muslims. However, It cannot be used as a sword to oppress the others or to propagate their faith to the Non-Muslims. The maxim "Do onto others, what you would have them do onto you" is apt. Nothing in Article 11(4) authorises Muslims to propagate their faith to the Non-Muslims.

Section 298A of the Penal Code makes it an offence for any person to "cause, or attempt to cause, or is likely to cause disharmony, disunity, or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will... on grounds of religion..." Thus, propagation of one's faith by inducements, other pretexts, etc. may amount to an offence under Section 298A.

Article 11(1) gives every person the right to profess and practise his religion. Therefore he has every right to reject the propagation of other faiths to him.

The following instances show that there is a concerted effort to persuade Non-Muslims to abandon their faith:

1. Various instances reported in the last few years about students in colleges and universities being converted to lslam.
2. A recent instance in Sabah where 69 natives were alleged to have been converted to Islam through deception.
3. Yayasan Pusat Hidayah (HCF), an Institution under the Prime Minister's Department has stated its objective as "mensasarkan untuk mendapatkan 3,000 mualaf tahun ini" (Free Malaysia Today on 18/7/14).
4. Multi-racial Reverted Muslims founded in 2010 by Firdaus Wong Wai Hung (Buddhist turned Muslim) distributed between 15,000 to 20,000 CD/s in Peninsular Malaysia last December just days before Christmas including one entitled "Jesus Christ in the Quran".
5. The Role of Jakim, Perkim and Jabatan Agama is well known. Jakim has an Annual Budget of about RM800 million.

In addition to the above, various inducements are provided for converts to Islam, although it is officially denied. For example, Section 29(1) of "Akta Pentadbiran Undang-Undang (Wilayah-Wilayah Persekutuan) 1993 provides that a registered mualaf (i.e - a person who has converted to Islam), "is entitled to receive assistance as determined by the Majlis as follows:

(a) conversion to Islam; (b) circumcision; (c) lbadah kit and (d) funeral expenses. Section 29(2), the mualaf may further apply for assistance for (a) living assistance (b) residential assistance (c) medical assistance (d) marriage assistance (e) for any form of education or training which the Majlis thinks necessary, including Islamic studies, academic and skills and (f) legal assistance". The Majlis has also discretion to provide any other necessary assistance which it deems necessary to the mualaf.

MCCBCHST is of the view that the intended distribution of the translated copies of the Quran to Non-Muslims is obnoxious as a similar right is not given to Non-Muslims. Further, the Quran being a Holy Book should not be distributed so freely as there may not be proper respect shown to it. Some Muslims may think that the possession by Non-Muslims of the translated copies of the Quran is blasphemous. What happens if the translated copies have words which have been forbidden for use by Non-Muslims by the various State Enactments?

MCCBCHST therefore, advise Non-Muslims not to accept the translated copies of the Quran. The Non-Muslims have every right to protect their religion and to alert their children and members of their family of the advances made by Islamic information and Services Foundation. Non Muslims have every right to practice their religion in peace and harmony as provided for in Article 3(1) of our Federal Constitution.

Article 3 (1) sates "Islam is the religion of the Federation; but other religions may be practised in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation.".

Dated: - 09 February 2015

Sardar Jagir Singh President	Venerable Dato Seri Jit Heng Deputy President
Daozhang Tan Hoe Chieow Vice-President	Datuk R.S. Mohan Shan Vice-President
Elder Kong Yeng Phooi Vice-President	Prematilaka K.D. Serisena Hon. Secretary General

Source: http://www.necf.org.my/newsmaster.cfm?&menuid=43&action=view&retrieveid=1603

Police look foolish probing minister after Cabinet clears him, says Kit Siang

Published: 5 February 2015 11:31 AM

The police have been made to look foolish for investigating Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob over a racist statement he made as the Cabinet has already cleared the minister of any wrongdoing, the DAP said today.

The party's parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang was referring to police hauling up Ismail over his call for a boycott of Chinese businesses after a statement by the Prime Minister's Department, which defended the minister.

"After the Cabinet meeting, the police today called up Ismail Sabri for investigation over his racist call on his Facebook to Malay consumers to boycott Chinese business, which prompted my tweet: 'Sheer rigmarole when PMO has cleared Ismail Sabri'," the Gelang Patah MP said in Sarikei last night.

"This has only made the police, the overwhelming majority of whom are dedicated and professional officers, committed to the duty to maintain peace and uphold law and order, look very foolish."

Lim also noted that the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar's Twitter had been "strangely quiet" after Ismail's statement went viral although he was quick to take to the social networking site to direct his men to investigate non-Barisan Nasional politicians or civil society members.

"I had occasion to ask Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar whether his Twitter account had broken down or whether Bukit Aman had suffered a breakdown of Internet access, as he had been strangely quiet for several hours on his account.

"It was a few hours after my tweet that Khalid took to the Twitter to say Ismail would be investigated, but all this was only for show, full of light and thunder but meaning nothing," he added.

In a strongly-worded speech, Lim also fired at the Cabinet for coming to Ismail's defence, saying that all 35 ministers have been shown to have "comprehension" problems worse than ordinary school children, who are already several years behind their peers in other countries, as shown in international assessment tests.

"It is fortunate that the 35 Cabinet ministers did not represent the country in these Pisa and TIMSS tests or Malaysia would be 10 or even more years behind other countries," he said, referring to the Programme for International Student Assessment and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study respectively.

"This is because even the average school children would not have made the colossal error committed by the 35 ministers in concluding that the call by Ismail Sabri to Malay consumers to boycott Chinese businesses was not targeting Chinese traders alone but aimed at all traders."

Ismail, the Bera MP, courted controversy after he wrote in a Facebook post that Malay consumers had a role in helping Putrajaya fight profiteers by using their collective power to lower the price of goods.

"The majority of consumers are Malay, Chinese are a minority, if the Malays boycott their businesses, they will surely have no choice but to reduce their prices," the agriculture and agro-based industries minister wrote on his Facebook page.

He also singled out the OldTown White Coffee chain owned by OldTown Bhd, saying DAP MP Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham owned shares in the company.

"As long as the Malays don't change, the Chinese will take the opportunity to oppress the Malays," said Ismail.

A statement from the Prime Minister's Department yesterday, following a Cabinet meeting, defended Ismail, saying the minister had not targeted any specific race with his social media post.

Instead, it was "meant to rebuke traders who refuse to lower the price of goods" despite the drop in fuel prices," the statement said.

"The Cabinet meeting is the most disgraceful in the nation's history as the Cabinet ministers just fell short of former Umno youth leaders who gathered yesterday with the 'I am Ismail Sabri' placard endorsement," said Lim.

"It shows that the 35 ministers are incapable of taking a stand on the great rights and wrongs in the country.

"Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region, gender or age will have to pass judgement on the quality and character of the 35 Cabinet members, for no Malaysian has brought more shame and disgrace to the country's international reputation and standing than the ministers themselves since the start of the new year." 

Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/police-now-look-foolish-probing-minister-after-cabinet-clears-him-says-dap

在新加坡驾车须知：2月1日生效，新条例禁驾车用移动通讯设备

2015年01月31日

（联合早报网讯——孙梦漪整理）根据现有公路交通法令，司机不可在驾车时，拨打电话和发送短信。而从明日（2月1日）起，司机将被全面禁止在驾车的途中使用移动通讯设备。违者将被处以六个月以下监禁或不超过1000元罚款，或两者兼施。

新法令全面禁止 司机驾驶时使用移动设备

腾达法律社律师符兆明指出，司机不可在驾驶车辆时拨打电话、视频通话、阅读/发送/撰写/查看简讯（包括手机短信、WhatsApp、微信、推特等社交平台），浏览互联网，观看视频，查看全球定位系统（GPS）路线图，玩游戏，查看电邮或社交媒体，以及下载资讯数据等。

此外，法案也扩大对通讯器材的定义，除了手机，平板电脑等移动通讯产品也被纳入违禁的名单内。

根据该法案，初犯者将被罚款1000元或被判六个月的监禁，或两者兼施。重犯者将被处以12个月监禁或2000元罚款，或两者兼施。

事故发生后 交警将没收相关者移动设备

除了全面禁止司机驾车时使用移动设备，新条例也改变了事故调查的处理方法。符兆明律师指出，明天起，在严重交通事故发生后，交警将会没收司机双方的手机和平板电脑，获取其中所有的资料，并将其交至刑事调查局技术法证调查处进行分析。

这意味着，当交通事故发生后，无论你是受害者或是肇事者，都将被没收手机与平板电脑。若交通事故牵扯到官司，那么相关手机和平板电脑将被长久扣押至官司审讯完毕。

如被法庭定罪，肇事者的手机将被充公，而其中所存储的资料也会消失。

谷歌、云储存 司机应备份移动设备资料

符兆明律师建议司机利用谷歌或云储蓄备份手机中的联络号码、短信以及电邮等资料。

此外，司机在驾车时，可将手机与平板电脑放置在车内的手套箱或车后的储物处，以证明在驾驶车辆时无法接触到此类电子设备。因为即使司机使用蓝牙或耳机与他人通话，也可能会因拨号时使用手机而触犯法律。

值得注意的是，交警有能力在远方判断出司机是否在驾车时拨打电话，或发送短信。因此，司机不可有侥幸心理，应严格遵守交通规则。

>>>链接：符兆明律师《开车使用手机新条例》全文

（联合早报网编辑：孙梦漪 )

Source: http://www.zaobao.com.sg/special/zbo/story20150131-441756#sthash.eVKhmp7f.dpuf

Prophecies by Rev. Cindy Jacobs for 2015

January 6th, 2015
By Cindy Jacobs

2015 - The Turn-Around Year

This is the year when God will give His people the chance to recalibrate in the midst of what will seem to be a whirlwind year. To recalibrate means to correct in mid-course, modify, amend, change, metamorphose, renovate, transform, or turn.

When caught in a whirlwind, you may need to do all of the above. The good news is that God is going to release the anointing, wisdom, and supernatural ability needed to change your circumstances on a whole new level. Remember that God often speaks to us in unusual ways in the midst of shakings and whirlwinds—and sometimes it’s a recalibration word.

God spoke to Job out of the whirlwind: “Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, ‘Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?’” (Job 38:1-2, KJV)

The Living Bible interprets verse two like this: “Why are you using your ignorance to deny my providence?”

Job’s thoughts were out of alignment with God’s. There are many things that are out of proper alignment, but God is going to set them in proper order if you believe. This year God will show you how to move from helplessness to hopefulness!

This will be a year when God will hear your cry. In 2 Kings 20:1-11, Hezekiah was told that he was going to die, but he turned his face to the wall, cried out to God, was given 15 more years of life. Hezekiah had a turnaround from death to life.

A new grace to fight for healing in the face of an evil report will come upon God's people. In this violent, tumultuous season, the strategies for turning even the most desperate situations in your favor will be given to those who seek God's face. God is going to turn around your impossible situations.

Rest

The 15th day of the month in the Hebraic calendar represents rest. There will be a new emphasis on the Sabbath's rest. The admonition was given by the prophets that each person should seek the Lord about how to enter into rest in this season. For some it will be to take a Sabbatical. Others will adjust their schedules not to work on Sundays. Others will cut down their workloads or schedules. Everyone, in some manner, needs to make a change in their lives to enter into rest.  This will empower you to overcome the giants you faced in the last season and be refreshed as you enter into a new season.

This is also what is known in Hebrew tradition as the shemitah year or the 7th year of the 7-year agricultural cycle. This is not just a usual Sabbath year, and this re-enforces the need for rest.  What is true rest for some may not be restful for another.

The number 5 represents grace in the Bible, and a special grace will be given in the midst of the whirlwinds.

Avoid distractions that will take away from your focus on the central things God is giving you to accomplish. It could be said like this: “Don’t take on assignments that God will not hold you accountable for, things that will hinder your ability to complete with excellence the assignments for which He will hold you accountable.” There will be swirling around you, but don't be pulled off of your God-given assignments.

In the Hebrew calendar, this is the year 5775, and the two fives represent double grace or the double portion. This is a continuation of the double portion season from last year. Expect grace for fulfillment, to complete, and to finish.

Again, in the midst of the whirlwinds and trials, worship is the key to see your release!

Divine Midnight Turnarounds

This is going to be a year for divine midnight turnarounds. There is a significant contrast between what was and what is to come. The midnight hour is that dark time when we have to choose between believing God or the devil, where we either say that God is faithful or we experience a faith failure by letting our emotions rule.

Paul and Silas worshipped God when in chains, and at the midnight hour, God gave them the turnaround (Acts 16:25). The Lord will remove your chains at the midnight hour!

Samson lay down until midnight but then got up and tore the doors off the city gate (Judges 16:3). Supernatural strength comes at the midnight hour!

Deliverance from the Egyptians came at the midnight hour (Exodus 11:4). The Lord will move on your behalf at the midnight hour. You will be released from any oppressor!

Ruth changed the heart of her kinsman-redeemer at midnight (Ruth 3:8). The Lord will manifest as your kinsman-redeemer at the midnight hour! This speaks of the restoration of generational inheritance.

There are also those who have despaired of getting married, and for many, their Boaz will manifest in this season.

God will require us to stand firm in the midnight hour of changing seasons. We cannot afford to stay in the old season. As mentioned above, the word “recalibrate” indicates metamorphosis; the picture is appropriate because it involves a struggle.  

The Enemy’s Plans For You Will Boomerang

Esther 9:1-4 speaks of the turnaround from the plans of their enemy that God gave His people. Interestingly, in verse one, this Hebraic word "turned" in the Strong's Concordance is the number 2015! It means “to overturn, to turn around, to transform and reverse.”  

This is the year of divine reversals! The number 15 in scripture is linked to victory and harvest. The Feast of Tabernacles, Unleavened Bread, and Purim all happen on the 15th day of the month.

Esther 9:24-26 says that the evil scheme the Jews’ enemy, Haman, had worked out came back onto his own head (boomeranged). This was a divine turn around at the Jews’ midnight hour!

So what has the enemy been plotting against you? It’s going to boomerang right back onto his head!

The Church

We are now in the Jesus People Movement that has been prophesied about for years. The great harvest of souls is now upon us, and with it, another Great Awakening.

This is the age when God is releasing a new wave of evangelists and evangelism into the church.  Revivalists will once again go to the streets and move in great supernatural power.

The Lord gave us the admonition that the role of the evangelist must be emphasized in the church. With this will come a shifting in emphasis from preaching a more social gospel to preaching a supernatural gospel. God is getting ready to make surprise visits in the church with His miracle-working power. Coupled with this, a new move of compassion and acts of mercy will flow from the church. The church will remember the poor, and the love of God will touch broken lives.

There are also those who will arise like Moses to lead God's people out of idolatry.

We in one accord felt the strong admonition to guard against deception in the church. Many will deceive themselves in order to follow the lusts of their flesh.

The church will learn to wage spiritual warfare once again, and many will teach on this subject again from the pulpits of the nation. The church will shine as a light into the dark places of our culture on new levels.

New prayer movements will arise, and their prayers will cause a turning away from casual Christianity.

The church is coming into a new level of maturity. With the teaching on Kingdom, there has been a great acceleration of nations turning to the Lord through the different sectors of society bring reached.

Israel

This is the time for the harvest of the Jews to begin. Bold witness will arise from believers in both the Jewish and Arab sectors.

United States

The Lord is going to use the coming shakings, even from more internal attacks, to wake up people to their need for God. This will come seemingly in waves, subside, and come again.

Christians will boldly start giving testimony of their Christian faith and be very counter-cultural.  More producers will make movies with godly values, and Hollywood will start to lose money on the "dark field" as the appetite of the nation changes.

Even the news media will be affected by righteousness as more and more Christians rise to places of visibility in the coming years.

The United States has been given one more season to turn the nation to righteousness. As will be noted in the section on Europe, there will be an economic shaking that will affect the U.S., but many prayer groups are heeding the warnings. We feel that prayer will be able to greatly lessen what is coming. We believe 2 Chronicles 7:14 can still be applied to the economic structures both personally and nationally.

New lawyers will arise who have God's anointing upon their lives, and they will start to "turn the tide" in our legal system.

Corruption will be exposed on a national level. It will be exposed in the Pentagon and in Congress—in both political parties.

Canada

An increased vigilance to pray for this nation was called for from our midst. Canada is going to be a key missions force to reach those who are in ISIS and radical Islam.

Latin America

Communism will start to lose its grip in Latin America. The people of Latin America will start to shift the trend from hard leftist ideology to more moderate forms of government.  

Europe

Europe will experience a financial shaking, and this will affect the US economy, though not at the level of the 2008 economic meltdown. This may or may not happen in the fall of 2015, depending upon people's prayers, but will eventually happen.

Again supernatural wisdom will be given to those believers who seek God for strategies to get out of debt, and in some cases, break the cycle of debt.

In the midst of this, the re-evangelization of Europe will begin. God is listening to the prayers of those in Europe who are shaken and distressed, and He is preparing to answer.

France

The Latin Americans in France will play a large part in seeing France come into revival. France is going to begin to experience an awakening but it will be in the midst of continued shakings.  There is an admonition for the Houses of Prayer to continue to pray against terrorism from ISIS connected groups.

Spain

We see the same for Spain, with the Latin Americans being used by God for awakening.

Russia

The Russian bear will continue to test it muscles against other nations. Alaska and the Aleutian Islands must be very watchful during this time. The Empire Spirit has been loosed; however, the body of Christ in Russia will once again see a powerful move of God such as was seen after the fall of Communism. Another wave of God's power will sweep the land.

Ukraine

The serious issues with Russia are going to bring a tremendous unity to the church, and many cooperative efforts will take place for mass evangelism.

Japan

God is going to move in a powerful way with new, young Japanese revivalists, and this once-difficult place for evangelism will see a great harvest of souls.

Middle East

ISIS will continue seemingly unchecked for a season, but in contrast, their wickedness will cause openness to the gospel as many, many turn to Christ. Even some of those who left their own countries to seek to join the coalitions will become followers of Jesus and begin to evangelize the Middle East.

Prophets

We ourselves received an admonition from the Holy Spirit to be very intentional to share with great love what we are receiving from the Lord as we prophesy in the coming season of shaking and whirlwinds.

Turnaround Decrees You Can Make

I will enter into rest. So, therefore, I decree healing for all stress-related problems which may include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Sleepless Nights
• High Blood Pressure
• Acid Reflux
• Heart Related Issues related to Stress

I will prosper and pay off all debts. In my turnaround year, I will receive the God-given plan to get out of debt.

I will go to new levels in my faith. Poverty will not have any hold on me.

All court cases against me and problems related to business will turn around.

Source: http://www.generals.org/articles/single/word-of-the-lord-for-2015/

MH370 was lost in an accident?

Published: January 30, 2015 09:02 AM

Repetitions, contradictions, kin’s lawyer says of latest MH370 announcement 

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 30 — Malaysia’s latest update on Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Flight MH370 did not shed any light on the still-missing aircraft and only succeeded in further flaring the tempers of affected families, a lawyer representing one next-of-kin said.

Gary Edward Chong pointed out that in the 11 months since the aircraft’s disappearance on March 8 last year, the family members of those aboard the plane have been demanding for transparency from the authorities but their cries have been left unheard.

Yesterday’s announcement, he said, only made matters worse.

“It is in our opinion, a mere repetition of earlier reports peppered with strings of contradictions lacking transparency and accountability especially in view of the on-going investigation as well as the search efforts.

“The statement, despite apologising to the next-of-kin of MH370 publicly and sympathising on their loss, has not helped but has instead infuriated a lot of them even more by simply not doing enough in providing them with concrete answers and leaving them in the dark all this while,” he said in a statement here.

The Malaysian Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) was initially scheduled to hold a press conference at 3.30pm yesterday but in a last-minute change of heart, decided to cancel the meet to hold a televised address hours later without the presence of the media and MH370’s next-of-kin.

During their 6pm announcement, the DCA formally declared the Boeing 777 jetliner lost and all 239 passengers on board dead, finally allowing their families to proceed with the process of claiming damages.

Despite finally getting some semblance of closure from the 11-month-old tragedy, the families cried foul at the way DCA handled the announcement, with some accusing the authorities of lacking the guts to speak to them face-to-face.

Chong, who is a co-counsel in a suit filed by two boys whose father was aboard the ill-fated jetliner, said the case’s lead counsel Datuk Dr Arunan Selvaraj is presently discussing the matter with expert witnesses abroad.

“We will possibly be holding a press conference on this matter after his return and consultation with our clients,” he said.

The boys, 13, and 11, have filed a suit against MAS, the DCA director-general, Immigration Department director-general, Royal Malaysian Air Force chief and the federal government for the loss of support with the disappearance of their father, Jee Jing Hang, who was a passenger in MH370.

Apart from damages for loss of support, the boys are also seeking aggravated damages for injured feelings and emotions, mental distress and pain, and exemplary damages for gross neglect and breach of duty by the defendants.

The first of the expected torrent of lawsuits over the tragedy started taking shape in the United States by Chicago-based law firm Ribbeck Law in March, just a few weeks after the Boeing 777 jetliner went missing.

At that time, many relatives of the plane’s Malaysian victims considered the move premature, saying they wanted to allow investigators more time to search for the missing plane and that without hard evidence of a crash, they would not mount a lawsuit.

On March 8 last year, Beijing-bound Flight MH370 disappeared with 239 people on board and remains missing till today, with months of searching failing to yield any clues of its resting place or debris.

Source: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/repetitions-contradictions-kins-lawyer-says-of-latest-mh370-announcement

Why a Christian Can Have a Demon

5:00PM EST 1/20/2015 JOHN ECKHARDT

(Charisma archives)

There was a time when we taught in our church that Christians could not have demons. I preached long sermons stating that Christians could be oppressed, regressed, digressed, obsessed and suppressed, but never possessed. We believed that a demon could be outside a Christian oppressing him but that it could not be inside him. The reasoning I used to defend this position was that Jesus and the Holy Spirit could not live inside the same body in which demons reside.

The problem was, our experience did not match our theology. When we ministered deliverance, we frequently prayed for people we knew were born-again, Spirit-filled believers--and they manifested demons! We had to face the fact that either our experience was wrong or our doctrine was wrong.

We couldn't question our experience because we knew what we were seeing. So we began to question our theology.

In our search for truth, we realized that in the Bible, Jesus tells us to cast devils out, not to cast devils off. Obviously, for something to come out, it must be in. We finally came to the conclusion that our interpretation of the Bible had been wrong.

Now I am convinced not only that a Christian can have demons but also that there are demons that operate in the realm of theology, encouraging us to argue and debate endlessly over doctrine rather than meeting the needs of people who are hurting. Demons actually help promote the teaching that a Christian cannot have a demon, because they gain strength from staying hidden. They can operate in their destructive ways without being challenged!

Some may argue that a believer cannot be possessed. But the dismaying fact remains that born-again Christians, including leaders, are experiencing difficulties that can find no solution in natural infirmities or the endless conflict between the flesh and the Spirit.

It's time to acknowledge that we are dealing with real people who have real problems and that God did not save and commission us so we could argue over doctrine. He called us into ministry so we can help people who are hurting, wounded and bruised.

When you come into contact with someone who is controlled by demons, the answer is to cast the devils out, not to argue about whether or not the person is a Christian. The answer is to bring help to that person.

Possessed or Not Possessed?

I realize I'm not the only believer who has ever had an erroneous idea about Christians being possessed. And the sensationalized picture Hollywood has painted of demon possession has not helped. It has led us to believe that if we say a Christian can be possessed, we are saying he can be fully owned and controlled by the devil and will manifest, Hollywood-style, with head spinning and eyes popping out.

The word "possessed" is an unfortunate translation because it connotes ownership, and we know that the devil cannot own a Christian--that is, have complete control of him. But in the Bible, there is no real distinction between being possessed and being oppressed, digressed, suppressed, obsessed and so forth. All these terms mean that a person is, to some degree, under the influence of a demon.

Personally, I do not have as much of a problem with the word "possessed" as other Christians do. In fact, to me the word "demonized" sounds worse.

When I looked up "possess" in the dictionary, I discovered that one definition of the word is "to occupy." My contention is that if a demon occupies your big toe, he possesses that part of you. It doesn't mean he possesses your spirit, soul and body. But if he occupies even a small portion, such as a physical organ in your body--as a spirit of infirmity does--then there is possession to some degree.

I often ask those who are skeptical of demon possession whether or not cancer is demonic. Most will agree that sickness is of the devil.

So then, I continue, is cancer inside the body, or is there something on the outside that's the problem? If it isn't on the inside, doctors probably wouldn't cut people open trying to remove it. Evidently, as a Christian, you can have something in you that is possessing a certain organ of your body and is not of God.

Knowing that a Christian can be possessed (or demonized) in some part of his being raises the question: Is any part off-limits to demons? Here is where we can reconcile the issue of Jesus and the Holy Spirit residing simultaneously within someone who needs deliverance.

One thing that has helped us in our understanding is the realization that every person is made up of three parts: spirit, soul and body. When Jesus comes into a believer's life, He comes into that person's spirit. John 3:6 tells us clearly, "That which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (NKJV). A demon cannot dwell in a Christian's spirit because that is where Jesus and the Holy Spirit dwell.

It is the other components that make up a human being--the soul (mind, will and emotions) and the body--that are the targets of demonic attack. Demons can dwell in those areas of a Christian's life. So when we say that a Christian is demonized or possessed, we are not saying he has a demon in his spirit but in some part of his soul or body.

To illustrate this truth, the Lord reminded us of the biblical account of Jesus' going into the temple and cleansing it of thieves and moneychangers. The Greek word used for "drove out" in this account is ekballo, which means "to expel or drive out." It is the same word that is used in Mark 16:17: "In My [Jesus'] name they will cast out demons."

We know that according to the Bible God's children are the temple of the Spirit of God (see 1 Cor. 3:16). In the Old Testament the temple had three parts: the holy of holies, the holy place and the outer court. This picture is a type or representation of who we are as His temple today.

The shekinah glory of God, or God's "presence," was in the holy of holies. This part of the temple represents our spirits.

But when Jesus went into the temple to drive out the thieves and moneychangers, He did not go into the holy of holies. He went into the outer court, where these evildoers were carrying on their business transactions.

The whole account is a picture of deliverance--of what Jesus wants to do in our temples. There may be demonic thieves in our lives that are operating in our outer courts (bodies or souls). Even though they cannot enter the holy of holies (our spirits), Jesus wants them expelled because the temple of God was never intended to be a place for thieves to operate. It is meant to be a place of worship and a place of prayer.

A Covenant Right

Those who believe that the ministry of deliverance is not for believers need to reconsider their position. The truth is, rather, that deliverance is not for the unbeliever.

What good would it do to cast demons out of an unbeliever, unless he is planning to get saved? Unbelievers cannot maintain their deliverance. In fact, according to Luke 11:24-26, after undergoing deliverance, the unsaved person is subject to receiving seven times as many demons as he had before.

The ministry of deliverance is the covenant right of believers. Like every other blessing from God--healing, prosperity, miracles and so on--it is promised only to His covenant people, those who believe in Jesus and come to God through Christ's blood. God, in His mercy, will bless people outside the covenant because He is merciful. But primarily, His blessings are based on covenant.

Source: http://www.charismamag.com/spirit/spiritual-growth/846-why-a-christian-can-have-a-demon?showall=&limitstart=

More of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to rise up

Pray that there is a "Martin Luther King Jr." to rise up in Malaysia.
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15 January 2015
Original Title: The Life and Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. dedicated his life to the nonviolent struggle for racial equality in the United States. The third Monday in January marks Martin Luther King Day, a U.S. holiday that honors King’s legacy and challenges citizens to engage in volunteer service in their communities.

Beginning the journey

(National Park Service)

Born on January 15, 1929, to a long line of Baptist ministers, King grew up in Atlanta at a time when Jim Crow laws made segregation and discrimination a daily reality for blacks in the South.

King attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, where he came to view religion as a powerful catalyst for social change. He received his doctorate from Boston University’s School of Theology before returning to the South, where he served as pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

Today, King’s Atlanta birthplace is registered as a National Historical Site with the National Park Service.

Civil rights struggle in the 1950s

(© AP Images)

King helped organize the Montgomery bus boycott, a yearlong campaign touched off when seamstress Rosa Parks was arrested after refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. After the Supreme Court overturned Alabama’s bus segregation laws in 1956, King co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and promoted nonviolent action for civil rights throughout the South. He was influenced by the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and traveled to India in 1959.

An iconic figure of the 1960s

(National Archives)

Joining his father as co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, King continued to use his oratorical gifts to urge an end to segregation and legal inequality. Throughout the 1960s, he was arrested during nonviolent protests in Alabama, Florida and Georgia. While incarcerated after one such arrest, in 1963, King penned the Letter from Birmingham City Jail, outlining the moral basis for the civil rights movement. That August, he delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech to more than 200,000 people gathered on the National Mall in Washington.

(© AP Images)

March 7, 1965, became known as Bloody Sunday because voting-rights marchers were beaten by state troopers and civilians as they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. The violence turned them back, but the ordeal led King to call for another, longer march (pictured) — an 87-kilometer-long, Selma-to-Montgomery march for voting rights.

Civil rights victories

(© AP Images)

In 1964, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, which banned discrimination in employment, public accommodations and other aspects of life. King attended the signing of the act into law (pictured). He continued to press for a law to ensure that blacks could not be denied the right to vote by discriminatory practices such as literacy tests, and, in 1965, Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act. King received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

In the wake of assassination

(© AP Images)

On April 4, 1968, King was assassinated on the balcony outside his Memphis, Tennessee, hotel room. At his funeral, thousands of mourners marched through Atlanta behind a mule-drawn wagon bearing his coffin.

In a posthumously published essay titled “A Testament of Hope,” King urged black Americans to continue their commitment to nonviolence, but also cautioned that “justice for black people cannot be achieved without radical changes in the structure of our society.”

King’s legacy: Nonviolent protest

(© AP Images)

In a 1959 radio address during his visit to India, King said: “Today we no longer have a choice between violence and nonviolence; it is either nonviolence or nonexistence.” His philosophy was inspired by Gandhi’s nonviolent action to end British rule in India. In his turn, King inspired others to change their societies through nonviolent means, from the Solidarity movement’s cracking of Soviet occupation in Poland to Nelson Mandela’s struggle to end apartheid in South Africa.

King’s legacy: Fighting prejudice

(© AP Images)

During the 1963 March on Washington, King declared that all people should be judged “not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” The King Center in Atlanta is a living memorial to King’s vision of a free and equal world dedicated to expanding opportunity, fighting racism and ending all forms of discrimination.

King’s legacy: Pursuing social justice

(© AP Images)

The Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University is home to the King Papers Project, a comprehensive collection of all of King’s speeches, correspondence and other writings. The institute is also involved with the Liberation Curriculum Initiative and the Gandhi-King Community, both of which use King’s life and ideas to connect social activists around the world working to promote human rights.

King’s legacy: Service to others

President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama paint Martin Luther King Jr. quotes as part of a volunteer community service project. (© AP Images)

In the U.S., Martin Luther King Day is designated a national day of service. Americans are urged to celebrate “a day on, not a day off” in honor of King’s commitment to improving the lives of others. President Obama promotes volunteerism as a way to help meet the challenges facing our world.

Keeping the dream alive

(© AP Images)

A national memorial to King was built near the Lincoln Memorial, where King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. The memorial invites visitors to reflect on King’s life and legacy.

Source: https://share.america.gov/life-legacy-martin-luther-king-jr/