Bishop Marks 40th Wedding Anniversary With Release Of Books
Jamaica Gleaner
After 40 years of being happily married and performing more than 300 wedding ceremonies, Bishop William Hutchinson has chronicled his life's experiences in two books - Autobiography and Pictorial of a Fulfilled Life and A Unique Passion For A Healthy Marriage.
The first sees him sharing his life story, which includes his struggle with stuttering and being called into the ministry.
At the launch, held on Saturday, September 1 at the Bustamante Church of God of Prophecy, Hutchinson shared how he struggled with the call of God on his life to enter the preaching ministry.
He said he resisted the calling, arguing with God that he couldn't speak properly, so how was he supposed to preach.
He also opened up about how he met his wife, Arlene, more than 40 years ago on an intended trip to Kingston to seek work. He overnighted in May Pen ... fast-forward to 2018 and he is yet to find employment in Kingston or leave the Clarendon capital.
WRONG CONCEPT OF MARRIAGE
Expanding on his second book, A Unique Passion For A Healthy Marriage, Hutchinson said too many marriages are falling apart when they don't have to, and the main reason he attributed to this is the fact that they have not taken enough time to know about the institution they are entering.
"There are many theories that are not standing up with the true theological teachings. Many persons have been misled with the wrong concept and end up being separated and divorced when they didn't have to do that," he said, adding that they should make every effort to seek help and ensure it is sought in all the right places.
For those who read his book, which offers some insight and goes in-depth into making the union thrive and survive, Hutchinson said what he would most want them to take away from the experience is that marriage was meant to be permanent - the way God designed it, the way it should be and can be.
"But first, forgiveness and healing must take place," he said.
Hutchinson, who is the overseer for Clarendon South Church of God of Prophecy churches, as well as a licensed marriage officer, said the book is in honour of the significant milestone in his own marriage.
Teen Sisters in Laos Beaten, Tied Up by Family for Converting to Christianity
Two teenage sisters in Laos who converted from animism to Christianity have shared how their family members beat them, tied them up, locked them out of the house, and left them there for four days -- but their faith remains unshaken.
17-year-old Nani and 16-year-old Nha Phong converted to Christianity in autumn 2016 after hearing the truth of the gospel from a family member.
"My cousin told me about the Good News," Nani told persecution watchdog Open Doors. "He is a pastor in a church located in a village near ours. I liked what I heard very much, and that's why I became a believer."
The sisters soon became involved in their local church -- but their newfound faith didn't come without repercussions. The girls' parents and extended family members, devout animists, strongly opposed their decision to become followers of Jesus.
"When we went to church one time, our family became very angry at us. They told us not to go. My cousin and nephew said I needed to go back to my old religion, and if I didn't they would hit me and force me out of the church," said Nani.
That time, the cousin did not fulfil his threat. But three weeks later, when the girls left for church, their family members - around six to nine people - followed them secretly and dragged the sisters out of the worship service
"They tied us up and my dad hit my sister, but he didn't hit me. I don't know why," Nani recalled.
They took the sisters back to their village, where they were separated and kept tied up for several days.
"They took me to my uncle's house and asked me over and over again: 'Do you still believe in God?' They threatened me and told me that unless I renounced my new faith, they would keep me tied up," said Nha Phong.
Eventually, after four days, the sisters were released.
"Our family was still very upset over our decision to stand firm in our faith in Jesus," Nha Phong said.
Despite such persecution, the girls say their faith is stronger than ever.
"I believe that our strength to stand firm is a gift from God. God gave us the passion to believe," said Nani. "There is a Bible verse in Ephesians 6. When people fought in the past, they used a shield, and I want to have faith like a shield. When the evil one tries to shoot arrows at us, I will use the shield to protect me. So I have to put my faith in Jesus."
While Nani and Nha Phong's father is still opposed to his daughter's religion, his wife has shown interest in Christianity and even followed her daughters to church on occasion.
"Our mother never hit us, but our father did. He did this after the head of the village told him to. Dad listened to the authorities who did not want us to go to church," said Nani. "He didn't want my Bible in the house, so he took my Bible and hid it somewhere I couldn't find it. I found it later, so now I can read my Bible again."
"It has been really hard to not obey our father, who is the head of the family. But we want to obey Jesus more than anyone. We know that Jesus died for us, and we do not want to go back to our old religion. Even if it is difficult, we want to follow Jesus," she added.
While the girls have been able to go to church for Sunday service from time to time, they continue to face persecution.
"The head of the village told our mum that if we, her daughters, continue to go to church, they will throw us in jail. They said that we should get out of the village," said Nha Phong.
In May, authorities arrested the girls along with seven other Christians. Shortly after, the sisters were released, and they escaped to another village. Today, they live in their Christian cousins' village.
Because Nha Phong cannot read, she's only able to hear the Word of God when she's able to come to Church.
"But I believe in my heart," she said.
Open Doors asks believers around the world to pray that Nani and Nha's mother, father and cousins will come to believe in Jesus; that God will give the girls the strength and courage to stand firm; and that Nha will be able to learn to read and write so that she can read the Word of God for herself.
Laos is ranked 24 on Open Doors' World Watch List of countries where believers face the most persecution, and has received the maximum score in the violence category.
Buddhists make up more than 57 percent of the population of the Communist country, according to Operation World. About 35 percent of the population adheres to indigenous religions, and only 3.4 percent of the population is Christian.
Open Doors notes that Buddhism, animistic beliefs and practices, is deeply ingrained "in the thinking and culture of society."
"Every deviation from it is unthinkable and perceived as dangerous," says the outlet. "Therefore, Christians refusing to participate in Buddhist practices are perceived as foreign and a threat to traditional culture. Witnessing to Buddhist neighbors and family can be a huge challenge, but believers here are boldly living out their faith."
Pope: Humility needed to stop preaching
watered-down Gospel
ROME - The only way to give an authentic witness of
Christ’s death and resurrection is by sharing the Gospel with humility, Pope
Francis said.
Gospel Singer
Tasha Cobbs Faces Backlash for Teaming with Racy Nicki Minaj on New Song
Grammy
award-winning gospel singer Tasha Cobbs-Leonard, whose song, "Break Every
Chain," which landed as Billboards' #1 song for a total of 12 weeks, is
coming under fire for featuring Nicki Minaj on her new album.
The
36-year-old singer responded to the many fans who disapprove of the move,
sharing a meme on her Instagram page.
UNLIKELY GOSPEL SINGER TEACHING MUSIC TO TEENS IN HARLEM
HARLEM, Manhattan (WABC) --
Gospel music is a beautiful part of African-American culture and it's had a profound effect on all types of music and people.
That's particularly true when it comes to the music teacher we met in Harlem.
"I know he'll wipe my tears and lift me up," sings Eli "Paperboy" Reed in a gospel song.
Not the sounds you'd expect from a 32-year-old Jewish guy who grew up in Massachusetts.
But Eli has been singing gospel since he started singing.
"You can be a believer or non-believer, and I think the music can move you and from a purely musical standpoint its importance is undeniable," he said.
For three years now he's been sharing his passion for the music with teenagers, teaching gospel quartet classes at the Mama Foundation for the Arts in Harlem.
"You'd think he would be an unlikely guy for this program," said Vy Higgensen of the Mama Foundation, but she found her perfect quartet teacher in Eli.
"He came and got on the piano and started to sing and play, and when he did that, I knew that he was almost sent by divine order," she said.
His students agree.
"I'll admit I was kind of skeptical, how is a white guy going to teach gospel music, so I had to feel him out," said Luke Waldron. "After the first rehearsal I thought, we're going to be friends forever."
"Everything we learn here is very inspiring and uplifting, and when we leave here we feel energized and revived and reborn," said Thomas Gatling.
And Eli feels that too. When he and Warner Brothers parted ways, teaching buoyed him and gospel makes its way into his newest album due out this month.
He will likely tour, but will continue to find time for these young men.
"I want it to be a place they look forward to come and enjoy themselves, and get to let loose. I mean it's hard to be a teenager," said Eli.
Jennifer
Garner revives her faith
Two teenage sisters in Laos who converted from animism to Christianity have shared how their family members beat them, tied them up, locked them out of the house, and left them there for four days -- but their faith remains unshaken.
17-year-old Nani and 16-year-old Nha Phong converted to Christianity in autumn 2016 after hearing the truth of the gospel from a family member.
"My cousin told me about the Good News," Nani told persecution watchdog Open Doors. "He is a pastor in a church located in a village near ours. I liked what I heard very much, and that's why I became a believer."
The sisters soon became involved in their local church -- but their newfound faith didn't come without repercussions. The girls' parents and extended family members, devout animists, strongly opposed their decision to become followers of Jesus.
"When we went to church one time, our family became very angry at us. They told us not to go. My cousin and nephew said I needed to go back to my old religion, and if I didn't they would hit me and force me out of the church," said Nani.
That time, the cousin did not fulfil his threat. But three weeks later, when the girls left for church, their family members - around six to nine people - followed them secretly and dragged the sisters out of the worship service
"They tied us up and my dad hit my sister, but he didn't hit me. I don't know why," Nani recalled.
They took the sisters back to their village, where they were separated and kept tied up for several days.
"They took me to my uncle's house and asked me over and over again: 'Do you still believe in God?' They threatened me and told me that unless I renounced my new faith, they would keep me tied up," said Nha Phong.
Eventually, after four days, the sisters were released.
"Our family was still very upset over our decision to stand firm in our faith in Jesus," Nha Phong said.
Despite such persecution, the girls say their faith is stronger than ever.
"I believe that our strength to stand firm is a gift from God. God gave us the passion to believe," said Nani. "There is a Bible verse in Ephesians 6. When people fought in the past, they used a shield, and I want to have faith like a shield. When the evil one tries to shoot arrows at us, I will use the shield to protect me. So I have to put my faith in Jesus."
While Nani and Nha Phong's father is still opposed to his daughter's religion, his wife has shown interest in Christianity and even followed her daughters to church on occasion.
"Our mother never hit us, but our father did. He did this after the head of the village told him to. Dad listened to the authorities who did not want us to go to church," said Nani. "He didn't want my Bible in the house, so he took my Bible and hid it somewhere I couldn't find it. I found it later, so now I can read my Bible again."
"It has been really hard to not obey our father, who is the head of the family. But we want to obey Jesus more than anyone. We know that Jesus died for us, and we do not want to go back to our old religion. Even if it is difficult, we want to follow Jesus," she added.
While the girls have been able to go to church for Sunday service from time to time, they continue to face persecution.
"The head of the village told our mum that if we, her daughters, continue to go to church, they will throw us in jail. They said that we should get out of the village," said Nha Phong.
In May, authorities arrested the girls along with seven other Christians. Shortly after, the sisters were released, and they escaped to another village. Today, they live in their Christian cousins' village.
Because Nha Phong cannot read, she's only able to hear the Word of God when she's able to come to Church.
"But I believe in my heart," she said.
Open Doors asks believers around the world to pray that Nani and Nha's mother, father and cousins will come to believe in Jesus; that God will give the girls the strength and courage to stand firm; and that Nha will be able to learn to read and write so that she can read the Word of God for herself.
Laos is ranked 24 on Open Doors' World Watch List of countries where believers face the most persecution, and has received the maximum score in the violence category.
Buddhists make up more than 57 percent of the population of the Communist country, according to Operation World. About 35 percent of the population adheres to indigenous religions, and only 3.4 percent of the population is Christian.
Open Doors notes that Buddhism, animistic beliefs and practices, is deeply ingrained "in the thinking and culture of society."
"Every deviation from it is unthinkable and perceived as dangerous," says the outlet. "Therefore, Christians refusing to participate in Buddhist practices are perceived as foreign and a threat to traditional culture. Witnessing to Buddhist neighbors and family can be a huge challenge, but believers here are boldly living out their faith."
Pope: Humility needed to stop preaching watered-down Gospel
ROME - The only way to give an authentic witness of
Christ’s death and resurrection is by sharing the Gospel with humility, Pope
Francis said.
Christians
who preach must resist the temptation of power, pride and worldliness, which
can lead to “preaching a watered-down Gospel without strength, a Gospel without
Christ crucified and risen,” the pope said April 25 during morning Mass in the
chapel of Domus Sanctae Marthae.
“Why is
this humility necessary?” he asked. “Precisely because we bring forward a
proclamation of humiliation, of glory but through humiliation.”
The pope
reflected on the day’s reading from the First Letter of Peter (5:5-14) in which
the apostle calls on the early Christian communities to be vigilant and resist
the devil who “is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to
devour.”
True
preachers of the Gospel, the pope said, are always out “on the road” and going
out of their way to proclaim Jesus Christ despite the risks and suffering they
may endure.
“There is
no life insurance for preachers,” he said. “And if a preacher seeks life
insurance, he is not a true preacher of the Gospel; he does not go out, he
remains secure.”
Although
there is always “some form of temptation and even persecution” when
evangelizing, the pope said, it is “the Lord who picks us up, who gives us
strength.”
Pope
Francis added that it is Jesus who will always strengthen those who go out of
their way to “preach Christ crucified” if done with “true humility.”
“May the
Lord give us this grace, as baptized people - all of us - of taking this path
of evangelization with humility, trusting in him, announcing the true Gospel:
‘The Word was made flesh,'” the pope said.
Gospel Singer
Tasha Cobbs Faces Backlash for Teaming with Racy Nicki Minaj on New Song
HARLEM, Manhattan (WABC) --
Gospel music is a beautiful part of African-American culture and it's had a profound effect on all types of music and people.
That's particularly true when it comes to the music teacher we met in Harlem.
"I know he'll wipe my tears and lift me up," sings Eli "Paperboy" Reed in a gospel song.
Not the sounds you'd expect from a 32-year-old Jewish guy who grew up in Massachusetts.
But Eli has been singing gospel since he started singing.
"You can be a believer or non-believer, and I think the music can move you and from a purely musical standpoint its importance is undeniable," he said.
For three years now he's been sharing his passion for the music with teenagers, teaching gospel quartet classes at the Mama Foundation for the Arts in Harlem.
"You'd think he would be an unlikely guy for this program," said Vy Higgensen of the Mama Foundation, but she found her perfect quartet teacher in Eli.
"He came and got on the piano and started to sing and play, and when he did that, I knew that he was almost sent by divine order," she said.
His students agree.
"I'll admit I was kind of skeptical, how is a white guy going to teach gospel music, so I had to feel him out," said Luke Waldron. "After the first rehearsal I thought, we're going to be friends forever."
"Everything we learn here is very inspiring and uplifting, and when we leave here we feel energized and revived and reborn," said Thomas Gatling.
And Eli feels that too. When he and Warner Brothers parted ways, teaching buoyed him and gospel makes its way into his newest album due out this month.
He will likely tour, but will continue to find time for these young men.
"I want it to be a place they look forward to come and enjoy themselves, and get to let loose. I mean it's hard to be a teenager," said Eli.
Jennifer
Garner revives her faith
Jennifer
Garner’s new faith-based movie “Miracles
From Heaven” left a lasting impact on the actress and her children, she
said while visiting Bishop T.D. Jakes church, The Potter’s House. Garner spoke
openly in a question-and-answer session about the film, captured on video and
posted here.
According
to the interview, Garner said she
has been taking her
kids to church as a direct result of the faith of the family she portrayed in
her film, which hits theaters March 16.
Marvin Sapp gets two Billboard Music nods; set for McDonald's IGCT tour
While the Gospel music genre is churning out exciting new
artists every year, there are some voices that remain timeless and relevant
within an industry that is constantly reinventing itself. One of those artists
is Marvin Sapp, who this
week heads to Las Vegas for the Billboard Music Awards.
He is nominated in two categories: Top Gospel Artist and Top Gospel Album (You
Shall Live).
“It is always an honor to be nominated
among your peers, and I am grateful for the continued support of the music
industry and Gospel music fans,” says Sapp who was Billboard’s Top Male Gospel
Artist of 2015.
You Shall Live is
Sapp’s 10th album, and his fourth consecutive #1 debut. You
Shall Live was
inspired by the last words Sapp heard from his late wife, MaLinda: “honey if
you want me to be happy in my transition, promise me after I transition that
you will live.” Her compassionate and sincere words make up the mantra that he
lives by, as well and the overall theme the album.
The current single, the title track, is
Top-10 at Gospel Radio, and is an inspiration to anyone encountering life’s
most difficult moments “No matter how crazy it looks…God is declaring you to
live…” he says, as he talks about the important meaning of the song: Marvin
Sapp inspires with "You Shall Live"
With the words of his late wife and the
grace of God fueling him, Sapp dexterously makes the most of each and every day
– pouring his all into his preaching ministry, his music ministry and his
business ventures. A Bishop in the Global United Fellowship, Sapp oversees 75
churches in 10 states in the Fellowship’s North Central Province, and travels
around the country weekly for preaching engagements. He continues to oversee
Lighthouse Full Life Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan and rarely misses a
Sunday there.
On May 25, he begins the McDonald’s
Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour that will travel to 13 cities, and this
summer will open a unisex day spa in Grand Rapids. All of this is in addition
to his hands-on leadership of the pre-K – high school academic institution he
founded with his late wife.
Artist
arrested for posing naked beside painting of a nude in Paris museum
A
woman has been arrested for indecent exposure after lying down naked in Paris's
Musee d'Orsay in front of Edouard Manet's similarly nude painting of the
prostitute Olympia, her lawyer said Sunday. Museum-goers were enjoying an
exhibition entitled "Splendor and Misery: Images of Prostitution
1850-1910" when Luxembourg artist Deborah de Robertis got undressed and
took on the pose of the famed Olympia.
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