This is the International Christian Herald podcast. Here are the top stories you need to know about today.
According to Morning Star News, Islamic extremists stopped an evangelist on his way to participate in a debate about Christianity and Islam in Kampala, Uganda and beat him unconscious, he said. Charles Kamya, 43, said he was about 300 meters from the open-air debate site in the Bwaise area of Kampala when two men stopped his car. “I stopped my car only to be ambushed by six other Muslims in Islamic attire who resurfaced from the bush at around midday,” Kamya told Morning Star News from his hospital bed. He said one of the assailants told him, “You have been terrorizing our religion. Today Allah has called you, and you are going to meet him.” “Some beat me badly while others cut me with some objects, and I lost a lot of blood as they pulled me out of my car and threw me out,” he said. A blow to the head with an iron bar left him unconscious for about two hours, he said. A passerby found him in a pool of blood and called police. “They arrived immediately and saved my life,” Kamya said. “The attackers did not damage my car or take anything inside the car. They only wanted to destroy my life.”
According to CBN, Even though the number of atheists has increased worldwide, a newly released report shows the world’s population of religious people is growing even faster. Lifeway Research published its findings online titled 7 Encouraging Trends of Global Christianity in 2022 from data collected by the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at the Massachusetts-based Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. The statistics gathered by the center titled 2022 Status of Global Christianity Report reveal while the number of all religious people is growing at a 1.27% rate, the growth rate of nonreligionists is less than half that—0.52%, well below the total population growth percentage. In particular, the number of atheists is almost stagnant, only growing 0.18% per year, according to Lifeway. In addition, the evangelical research firm noted there are fewer atheists around the world today (147 million) than in 1970 (165 million).
According to Newsweek, Hillsong Church will be led by husband and wife pastors Phil and Lucinda Dooley, while its founder steps aside to focus on fighting a charge of illegally concealing child sexual abuse by his late father. Brian Houston, the church’s leader, said he had asked the Dooleys to take on the role of interim global senior pastors until the end of the year while he prepares to “vigorously defend” himself against the charge. The couple “are well-loved by many in our church, having successfully served as our youth pastors in Australia for many years,” Houston said in a statement posted on Hillsong’s website on Sunday. “Over the last 13 years they, with their family, have resided in South Africa and have raised up a phenomenal multi-campus Hillsong Church.” Houston said he and wife Bobbie “wholeheartedly support” the Dooleys. “We want to thank them and their family for stepping into this role and committing to spend a considerable amount of time in Australia for this season,” he added. The Dooleys are lead pastors of Hillsong Church South Africa and have three children, according to the Hillsong website.
In closing, remember, God loves you. He always has and He always will. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you don’t know Jesus as your Saviour, today is a good day to get to know Him. Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose from the dead for you. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart and He will. Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Thanks so much for listening and may God bless your day!