Atheist minister says not allowing her to continue in church ministry would be a ‘betrayal’

February 5, 2019 — ChristianToday.com reports: “The atheist minister of a church in Toronto, Canada has claimed that it would be a ‘betrayal’ to remove her from her position because she didn’t believe in God.

Gretta Vosper, a 60-year-old minister in the United Church of Canada, told the Religion News Service that she was ‘very surprised’ to still be in her job after officially coming out as an atheist in 2013.

She admitted her true beliefs about God and the divinity of Jesus despite having been the minister of West Hill United Church in Toronto since 1997.

There were calls for her to be defrocked and the Toronto Conference asked the Church’s General Council to launch a review into her suitability for ministry.

However, before the review was due to start last year, the Toronto Conference and Vosper reached a settlement that allowed her to remain as minister of West Hill United Church.

She said that although she could not comment on the specifics of the settlement due to a non-disclosure agreement, she is ‘able to function in ministry with all the rights and privileges that clergy have’.

She also said that she continues to teach in the church what she learned during her years in seminary…” (“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.  Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” – Matthew 7:13-23.)

Syrian Muslims embrace Christianity after witnessing ISIS brutality

February 7, 2019 — ChristianToday.com reports: “Syrian Christians have shared how they converted from Islam to Christianity after witnessing the brutality of Islamic extremist groups like ISIS, who carried out barbaric acts in the name of Allah.

Members of the recently-established Church of the Brethren in Kobani — the first local Christian place of worship for decades — shared with NBC News how Christianity appealed to them after living under Sharia law.

Farhad Jasim, 23, who works as a mechanic, converted to Christianity late last year. He told NBC he was jailed by ISIS for six months in early 2016 after the militants discovered he didn’t know the basics of Islam. During his time in captivity, he was tortured and forced to read the Quran.

‘After I witnessed their brutality with my own eyes, I started to be skeptical about my belief,’ Jasim said.

After hearing about the Church of the Brethren, which opened in September and is part of a denomination that dates back to 18th-century Germany, Jasim decided to visit: ‘It didn’t take me long to discover that Christianity was the religion I was searching for,’ he said…”  (This is the reason thousands of Muslims are turning to Christ. In 2015 Rexella had several guests on television while I was recovering from heart surgery.  One of them, Walid Shoebat, testified stating that in Islam you kill to get to heaven, while in Christianity, Christ died for our sins. Isaiah 53:4 – 7 tells us “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. ”)