| | Lent finds its place among Evangelicals | | Curated for you byCP Editors | | Good afternoon! It's Monday, April 11, and today's headlines include the rising popularity of Lent among Evangelical Christians, a former Disney Channel star's interview highlighting how he says his female co-stars were "heavily sexualized" at a young age, and details from an internal investigation regarding Carl Lentz, the former pastor of Hillsong NYC. | | While Lent has traditionally been observed primarily by Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopalian, and Methodist churches, some Evangelicals and non-denominational Christians choose to observe the traditional liturgical season of Lent, which marks an annual period of fasting that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends the day before Easter Sunday. Paul Jarzembowski, the associate director of the laity of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, explains that the "exact word 'Lent' is not in the Bible," so "there's accuracy" in opinions that find the tradition unbiblical. Jarzembowski shares, "[I]t’s not specifically mandated that we celebrate Lent. But it is an opportunity for us to draw inward." | Pastor Douglas Ponder of the Acts 29-affiliated Remnant Church of Richmond, Va., says around 20% of his nondenominational church celebrates Lent, noting it's a personal and private decision for each Christian. While the church does not officially celebrate Lent, Ponder explains, "If they want to observe Lent, I encourage them to use it as an opportunity to do the kinds of things that God says are good all the time." However, he also warns that Christians must consider their motives, saying, "There are some people who practice Lent, and in the process of doing it, they become more self-righteous than they were to start with. And that actually pushes them further away from Jesus." Continue reading.In Case You Missed It ...Christian MP ready to defend free speech again as Finnish prosecutors file appealMichael Youssef on equipping next generation as deconstruction, 'woke' theology permeates Church | | P.S. Will you stand with us? Here's how you can help: Support us with a paid subscription to CP Magazine, Follow us on social media (Facebook, YouTube, Telegram, GETTR), and Subscribe to and Share our newsletters with your family and friends. We're only getting started—stay tuned, stay involved, and stand firm in truth with us. |
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| Muslim woman poisons husband for converting to Christianity | | A Muslim woman in eastern Uganda reportedly added rat poison to her husband's food after he converted to Christianity. Hiire Sadiki, 56, a former Islamic teacher who converted to Christianity in March, is recovering in a hospital in Butaleja District, Morning Star News reported. "She questioned me because of the mode of my praying. I told her that I had believed in Issa [Jesus]," Sadiki was quoted as saying from his hospital bed. Continue reading. | | Also of Interest... | | Muslim extremists beat Christian apologist unconscious in UgandaEvangelist tied up, beaten and left for dead at the hands of Muslim family membersMuslims spray acid on family for accepting Jesus: ‘You deserve death’ | | Report: Former Hillsong pastor 'caused' mental health issues among staff | | Former Hillsong NYC Pastor Carl Lentz ruled the church with such ruthless manipulation that multiple staff and volunteers allege he caused them to suffer mental illness, per depositions in a report obtained by The Christian Post. The report, "Internal Investigation Report Regarding Carl Lentz and Other Matters," is the result of an internal investigation conducted on behalf of Hillsong Church by the New York City law firm Zukerman Gore Brandeis & Crossman, LLP, after Lentz’s firing in November 2020 over "leadership issues" and moral failures, including being unfaithful to his wife, Laura. "As with much of his testimony regarding non-sexual matters, Lentz was not credible when defending his demands for cultural isolationism from the Australian parent church. The Australian mother ship appears also to bear some responsibility here, since it never established effective oversight and accountability for the New York Lead Pastor," investigators noted. A Hillsong Church spokesperson confirmed the authenticity of the report to The Christian Post on April 1. Continue reading. | | Also of Interest... | | Hillsong Phoenix pastor announces separation from Hillsong Church, calls for investigation of boardHillsong Church founder Brian Houston resigns after revelation of misconductFormer Hillsong Dallas Pastor Reed Bogard resigned after he was accused of rape, investigation revealsHillsong Church not built on ‘any one person,’ leader says amid Brian Houston scandal |
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| The death of death in the death of Christ | | Christian apologist and author Robin Schumacher writes about his wife's recent medical treatment, humanity's instinct for self-preservation, and why Christians need not fear death. He explains, "Because Jesus’ death put death to, well, death, we can say, 'for I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord' (Rom. 8:38-39)." Continue reading. | | Caught in the perfect storm of viewing porn? Here’s how Jesus responded to sexual sin | | Pornography was a $6 billion to $15 billion dollar industry before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. With this pandemic only serving to accelerate "an already growing problem of isolation and anxiety," concerns about pornography accessibility are rising, writes Dr. Jim Denison. In this op-ed, Denison calls for believers to remember that "Jesus can calm the storm" and discusses how Christians can guard against the isolation that can lead to temptation and distraction. Continue reading. |
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| Celebrate Our Risen Savior This Easter on Crossmap.com! | | Leading up to Resurrection Sunday, Crossmap.com has unique content to bless you and those you love. | | From sacred Easter music performed by a host of today’s leading Christian artists, to powerful sermons preached by Louie Giglio, Rick Warren, and many others, to impacting devotionals and blogs illustrating the power and glory of the Empty Tomb, this truly is the most holy and exciting time of the year! | | Here is a look at some of the stories, videos, and podcasts from the Crossmap Easter Section that will help you prepare your heart for celebrating the Resurrection of our risen Savior:Learn More | | |
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| At the top of his game, Scheffler glorifies God | | Fifty-six days ago, Scottie Scheffler was a 25-year-old beginning his third full season on the PGA Tour, ranked 15th in the world but still seeking his first victory on the game’s top circuit. As of March 27, after winning three of five events, Scheffler shot up to No. 1 in the world. And, as of Sunday evening, he is a Masters champion as well. On how he balances his competitive career without letting it define him, Scheffler explains, "The reason why I play golf is I’m trying to glorify God and all that He’s done in my life." Continue reading. |
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| Former Disney star talks sexualization of female co-stars | | Former Disney Channel actor Cole Sprouse and his brother are known for their starring roles in the Disney series "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody." However, during a recent interview with The New York Times, Sprouse described a working environment that was anything but sweet. On the sexualization of female co-stars, Sprouse says, "The young women on the channel we were on [Disney Channel] were so heavily sexualized from such an earlier age than my brother and I that there’s absolutely no way that we could compare our experiences ... And every single person going through that trauma has a unique experience." The one-time child star, who left acting to pursue a degree in archaeology from New York University, says people used to remark, "'Oh, you made it out! Oh, you’re unscathed!’" However, Sprouse disagrees, noting, "I have now gone through a second big round of this fame game as an adult, I’ve noticed the same psychological effects that fame yields upon a group of young adults as I did when I was a child. I just think people have an easier time hiding it when they’re older." Continue reading. | | | | Also of Interest... | | New York pastor warns parents about ‘demonic’ content in Disney movie ‘Turning Red'Sean Feucht holds massive rally protesting Disney's embrace of 'perversion'Disney official admits to regularly 'adding queerness' to children's programming in leaked videoGLAAD CEO calls for more LGBT stories in children's programming | | | | | | Thank you for spending part of your day with us. We look forward to seeing you again tomorrow! -- CP Editors |
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