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• Hometown

  Tirunelveli
• Home Country

  India
• Current Office

  Tamilnadu
• Bio

  Meet C.Umashankar IAS. A native of Tirunelveli, the 42-year-old bureaucrat had served in three nationalised banks before joining the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).C.Umashankar IAS, an honest and efficient officer joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1990. He started his journey as an assistant collector in 1992 in Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam district in Tamil Nadu. He questioned irregularities in cyclone relief work taking place in the area and was promptly transferred to Seiyar, Thiruvannamalai district. This is indeed is part of the vicissitudes in the professional life of an honest official.
  Umashankar faced the ire of the AIADMK government in 1995 when, as Additional Collector in Madurai, he unearthed a scam related to construction of cremation sheds. It became a major embarrassment for the Jayalalithaa government as he exposed the role of the then Local Administration Minister, T M Selvaganapathy, and his immediate boss, the District Collector of Madurai.He was soon transferred from the post, against which he moved the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) against Selvaganapathy, who incidentally switched sides and won the nomination to Rajya Sabha as a DMK candidate earlier this month.
  After AIADMK was voted out in 1996, Karunanidhi brought the officer back, appointing his as Joint Vigilance Commissioner. The DMK was more interested in reaping political benefit rather than really trying the culprits. He was disappointed with the government's response and sought to be relieved from the position.Later, Umashankar was appointed Collector of Tiruvarur, Karunanidhi's home district. During that time, he made Tiruvarur the first e-district in India, introducing transparent and technology-enabled administration for the public.This project got an international attention. Umashankar in Tamil Nadu, Sonal Misra in Gujarat and Sanjay Saju in Andra Pradesh are pioneers in e-governance.He is a guest lecturer at IIM-B (the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore) for the e-governance training program targeted at senior Government officers, and a post-graduate diploma program titled `Reinventing government’. Also, he lectures at the National Productivity Council, New Delhi, on transformation of administration using e-governance.Umashankar groomed himself as an IT and e-governance specialist and he brought many important discussions in e-governance's platform. He strongly argued that developing countries like India should adopt Free Software in e-governance implementation and other government funded projects. In his speech in the National Conference on Free Software which was held in Bangalore on March 20&21, 2010 he reiterated the above points which inspired the audience and injected into them the national importance of using Free Software in government funded project and embracing open standards in such projects. He continued as Thiruvarur collector in June 2001. During his two-year tenure as the District Collector of Tiruvarur (1999-2001) all the seven Taluk offices could achieve over 85 per cent paperless automation. They use an ERP (enterprise resource planning) called Taluk Automation Software, which has modules for HRD (human resource development) , land record administration, national old age pension scheme, distress and accident relief scheme administration, agricultural labourers’ insurance scheme, community certificate issue, income and solvency certificate issue, birth and death registration and issue of certificates, etc,” explains Umashankar.
  In 2001 assembly elections the ADMK was voted back to power and Umashankar was transferred as Commissioner of Disciplinary Proceedings to Selam. It was a sort of punishment post.Between 2001 and 2006, when he was working as commissioner of Disciplinary Proceedings he sharply observed what is happening in IT and e-governance and made necessary contribution as well as intervention to his capacity. One incident is worth quoting now. On April 27 2005, Umashankar wrote an e-mail to Satyanarayan who was then the CEO of NISG(National Institute of Smart Government), the subject line is 'Mr. Satyanarayan are you corrupt?'. The allegation that Umashankar levelled against Satyanarayan was that when the latter was the principal secretary of Communication and IT,he granted many projects to one particular corporation (Price Water House Coopers). Umashankar alleged that there could be an unlawful connection between Satyanarayan and the particular corporation and asked him to reply in 7 days. Srivasta Krishna IAS replied to that by saying that it's unacceptable to level such allegation against an IAS by another fellow IAS officer. Then Srivasta Krishna was working in World Bank, Washington DC, USA in deputation. In the reply Srivasta Krishna mentioned another important information about Umashankar that when Umashankar worked as deputy collector in Trichy between July 1994 and January 1995, he deposited the money that was allocated for ( DRDA - District Rural Development Agency) in the bank where his younger brother was working. This reply looks like 'Are you Mr. Perfect?'. Umashankar replied to Srivasta that he did not deposit the money in the bank where his younger brother is working. He stated that his brother was working in Trichy SBI and the money is deposited in Chennai SBI and he added that he deposited the money in Chennai SBI since the bank offered more interest ie between 11.5% and 13%. This deposit allegation against Umashankar was taken in 2004 by the ADMK government. We have already seen the relation between the ADMK and Umashankar. In the same reply Umashankar mentioned that Srivasta was trying to divert the allegation against Satyanarayan by replying something else and he questioned that when the benefits of e-governance reaches widows, pensioners, the poor and socially marginalized scheduled caste and scheduled tribes? If corruption is tolerated in e-governance, the benefits of e-governance reaching such people will be further delayed.
  In May 2006, the DMK came back to power in Tamil Nadu. Umashankar's fame and experience in IT helped him in being appointed as the MD of ELCOT (Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu). He burned his mid night oil in executing important tasks. He worked as a software engineer by extending working hours and sometimes stayed in office. He proved that the government can save between 10% and 20% money when it goes for Free Software such as GNU/Linux and Open Office instead of Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office. He not only recommended Free Software to the government employees but also organized the training for them in Free Software. Besides that he developed a model of an ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) which runs on Free Software coasts only 1.5 lakhs where the proprietary alternative costs between 6 and 7 lakhs. Umashankar introduced ORCA,a Free Software screen reader to the visually challenged people where the proprietary alternative is Rs.20,000/= and more. He organized a training class for such people by Krishnakant Mane, a visually challenged person working for TIFR( TATA Institute of Fundamental Research – Mumbai).
  
  
  
  
  
  An honest officer and a government indulged in rampant corruption, contradiction starts here! Honesty is the most hated word for the bourgeois politicians. For probing financial irregularities of Thiagaraja S Chettiar while in ELCOT and for condemning and recommending actions against the Arasu cable for it's unlawful actions, Umashankar has been taken revenge by the capitalist-political nexus.
  
  ELCOT is a government of Tamil Nadu enterprise before Umashankar has been appointed as an MD, New Era Technologies (NET) of Thiagaraja S Chettiar and ELCOT jointly started a company called ELNET Technologies Ltd (ETL). ELCOT and NET owned 26% and 24% stack respectively the rest owned by the public. In 2004 ETL started a company called ETL Infrastructure. ETL Infrastructure is an 100% subsidiary company of ETL. Thiagaraja S Chettiar and his wife Unnamalai Thiagaraja were the chairman and the MD of ETL Infrastructure respectively. ETL Infrastructure availed a huge sum of loan by showing the ETL property. ETL Infrastructure owned 1,800,000 square feet land at Pallikarunai worth Rs.700 Cr. Umashankar wondered how ETL lost the control over a company, which started with the fund of ETL and availing huge loan in ETL's name. On July 28 2008, he went to ETL Infrastructure office at Tharamani in searching the documents related to ETL and ETL Infrastructure and retuned without success. As per regulations the MD of ELCOT would be the Chairman of ETL. Umashankar as the Chairman of ETL circulated a special resolution through ETL company secretary in ETL's Annual General Body Meeting on 30th July 2008, to remove Unnamalai Thiagarajan from the MD post. Thanks to that Umashankar was removed from ELCOT by the Tamil Nadu government.
  
  Umashankar was appointed as an MD of Arasu cable on October 30 2008. He condemned the Sumangali Cable Vision's(SCV – a part of Sun Network) unlawful actions against the Arasu cable. In December 2008, He wrote a detailed letter to the office of Tamilnadu Chief minister and the Inspector General of Tamilnadu about Sumangali cable unlawful action and the dying necessary to take action against Sumangali TV. It's alleged that to interrupt Arasu cable telecasting, the cables of Arasu cable were cut by unidentified persons all over the state as per Sumangali's direction. It completely paralyzed the Arasu cable's telecasting. On January 7, 2009, Umashankar wrote to Karunanidhi that the only way to save Arasu cable is to nationalize the Sumangali cable. In order to divert this issue the Tamilnadu government gave a memo to Umashankar which alleged that Umashankar misused his power by granting some benefits to a company called Tessolve through his wife who was then working for Tessolve. Umashankar refuted this allegation with proper explanation. He said that 2.5 acre land allotted to Tessolve in Madurai IT park has been allotted to the company after the cabinet approval on September 28 2008. In October 2008, when Tessolve approached the TIIC (Tamil Nadu Industrial Investment Corporation) for a loan, he rightly intimated the government about his wife's employment with the concerned company and the loan was rejected . Such politically motivated actions against Umashankar had an adverse impact on his promotions. He was transferred as Commissioner of Small Savings on January 23 2009.
  
  On May 6, 2010, Karunanidhi government started an inquiry against Umashankar without filling any case. On June 6, 2010, Umashankar filed an affidavit in Madras high court under the article 226 of constitution of India, challenging the enquiry. In the affidavit he mentioned that it's unconstitutional to enquire an IAS by an officer in the rank of DSP without registering a case. The court's judgement came in favour of Umashankar on June 16, 2010.
  
  We've to wait and see the cases that will be filled against Umashankar and to see how the corrupted politician and the business class in forming an unholy alliance and the public and media's on this issue.
  
  Karunanidhi is known for playing caste cards on sensitive issues. In 1999 Karunanidhi rejected action against the district collector and the police commissioner and other officials connected with Tirunelveli massacre in which 17 people were killed( and 11 of them were Dalits) by stating shamelessly that if the government take action against the officials “people belonging to the backward classes” would object to it. In 2010, Karunanidhi is taking action against an IAS officer by alleging that he produced fake community certificate. Many know that Umashankar was a Hindu when he was selected to the Indian Administrative Service and a few know that he embraced Christianity later. Every citizen has a right to practice the religion he/she likes and to change that as they wish. The problem for Karunanidhi is not that Umashankar produced fake community certificate, the real problem for Karunanidhi is that Umashankar may unearth many fraudulences in ELCOT and other areas which may unearth nexus between the bourgeoisie politicians and the business me.

Meet the "Jewish Indiana Jones" Searching for the Lost Ark of the Covenant—Where No One Else is Looking

Jan 22, 2015 : Breaking Israel News

"The game changer that made me pursue with interest the Lost Ark was a book published in 1982 called 'In the Shadow of the Temple' by the great Israeli archaeologist Meir Ben-Dov. That book changed my whole perspective." -Harry Moskoff
(Israel)—The Ark of the Covenant has inspired a whole sector of humanity to chase after one of the world's most treasured—and missing—items. In what is known today as the Lost Ark, the search continues for Judaism's most holy and significant artifact of religious and historical importance. (Photo: Raiders of the Lost Ark/Josh Hallett/Wiki Commons)

Meet Harry Moskoff, the man who is becoming known as the "Jewish Indiana Jones." A filmmaker and researcher by hobby and an IT specialist by trade, Moskoff has spent the last 25 years of his life dedicated to uncovering the location of the Lost Ark.
"Truth of the matter is, for the last 25 years, it's been a personal hobby of mine to find the Makom Hamikdash, the exact location where the Jewish Temple once stood," he told Breaking Israel News.
Inspired by the teachings of Maimonides, Moskoff has met with world renowned rabbinical and archaeological authorities in Israel as he comes closer to finding the Lost Ark.
Plated with pure gold and mounted with two golden Cherubim, the Ark was carried by the Levites as the Jewish nation wandered in the desert for 40 years. Playing a significant role in various Biblical accounts, the Ark is described as having supernatural powers.
Eventually, the Ark came to rest in the First Temple, which was built by King Solomon. The Ark was placed in a special inner room known as the Holy of Holies, where the High Priest would enter once a year on Yom Kippur. (Photo: Raiders of the Lost Ark/DailyMail)
The Ark was last seen in 586 BC when the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the First Temple. What happened to the Ark remains unknown until today.
Moskoff believes that he is getting closer to finding the true location of where the Ark is buried—right under the Temple Mount itself. His "Moskoff Theory" explains that where we believe the location of the Holy of Holies is—the current location of the Dome of the Rock—is in fact wrong.
Based on historical, archaeological, topographical and Biblical evidence, the Moskoff Theory states (in simple terms) that when we find the true location of the Holy of Holies, the Ark of the Covenant may very well be found in a secret chamber built directly underneath, in a room built for it by King Solomon, who foresaw the destruction of the Temple. He designed this underground Temple room to hide and protect the Ark for future generations until the advent of the Third Temple.
"Is the Dome of the Rock the real place of the Temple? Some Jewish sages argue that God would never put any building on top of the Holy of Holies," Moskoff explains. "The Dome of the Rock is not on the Foundation Stone, but rather the highest point on Mount Moriah."
Moskoff explained that after researching various theories by well-known historians who claim to know the exact location of the Jewish Temples and where various features, such as the altar, stood, he realized that "they all cancelled each other out."
"I found in one theory that some things just didn't make sense with the original topography of the mountain. It didn't jive," he said. "So I went to another famous theory and found that things didn't make sense from a Scriptural perspective." (Photo via Breaking Israel News)
"The game changer that made me pursue with interest the Lost Ark was a book published in 1982 called 'In the Shadow of the Temple' by the great Israeli archaeologist Meir Ben-Dov. That book changed my whole perspective," Moskoff said.
In his book, Ben-Dov recalls the discovery of a tunnel spoken about in Jewish scripture that was used by ritually impure priests. The tunnel is said to run directly under the Temple Mount.
"The tunnel ran to the south under the Mount into a ritual bath with a fire and bathroom. This place is described in the Talmud. He (Ben-Dov) found that tunnel and it exists today, described in the exact same way," Moskoff said.
"This tunnel was blocked up 150 years ago and it is clear that the original finders wanted it to remain closed. Over 2,000 years old, the tunnel exists in complete form. If we go through that tunnel it would lead us to the exact location of the Temple because we know from Scripture where it surfaced."
"Following the tunnel would either prove or disprove the Moskoff Theory! It would tell us the exact place of the altar, Holy of Holies and the location of the Ark," he explained.
"The archaeologists were not religious and it was a huge find," he continued. "Once I read about this find, I thought how all the other theories were not possible with the direction of the tunnel. Something clicked and I realized that what we think about the Temple Mount today is not all correct."
While some may roll their eyes and say Moskoff is just another adventurer out for glory, this notion is far from the truth. He is the first person to ever come close to finding the Ark in a way that makes sense.
"I've spoken with other archaeologists and researchers. None of them have the Scriptural sources or references where the holiest and most valuable item ever in history is located," Moskoff stated. "None of them are looking for the Ark from a true Jewish, traditional, Biblical perspective combining all the sources..."

PRAY FOR NIGER

Christians in Niger Ask for Prayer: 72 Churches Burned by Boko Haram, and It May Not be Over

  Jan 27, 2015 :

"Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in Heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." -Matthew 5:11-12
(Niger, Africa)—Although Niger is 98% Islamic, the people have always maintained a respect and friendship between majority and minority religious groups. However, that changed shortly after the Charlie Hebdo terror attack. (Photo by: Danette Childs)

Amie Cotton, Director of Public Relations for Christian Aid, describes the attacks that have erupted against Christians in the country...
"[The violence] was very shocking to the people there... the different religions [normally] get along. They have relationships with one another, so there is a respect for the other even though there is not an agreement on the type of religion. They work together a lot better than their southern neighbors in Nigeria.
"But the Charlie Hebdo situation seemed to rile up some folks.
"Christian Aid supports two indigenous ministries in Niger; one since 2000 and the other since 2009."
72 Christian Churches Burned
"We got our first communication from Niger on the 17th. They were asking for prayer and telling us that houses and churches in Niger were being attacked. Then he came back and reported that 45 churches were burned, four Christians were killed, 17 families lost homes completely—that report was from just one ministry.
"Then we received [similar] word from the other ministry and came to the cumulative number of 72 churches burned and at least 10 killed. [Boko Haram] was pretty much going around torching churches and known Christian homes, and they were marking other Christians' homes for further attack."
And yet there is that photo of Christians standing in the ruins of their burned-out church, praising God. (Photo by: Christi Childs)
"Isn't that an amazing shot?! ...I wonder if I would do that under those circumstances. In Niger, being a Christian is a whole different world. They know their life is on the line. For us, it's very easy to sit in a church pew, get baptized and accept Jesus as our Lord. But they teach folks who are interested in learning about Christianity that it's a hard cross to bear, and it may cost your life—it may cost your family. They don't mislead people, but they let them know; 'in this world you will have trouble...' but that God will be with them through the storms. So I really respect the faith of the Believers there."
How can the Body of Christ in the West be praying for fellow Christians there in Niger?
"Their safety is paramount right now. That part of Africa is between the Sahara in the North and the Savannah in the South, so it's desert. Food and water are always an issue there; there are very few natural water supplies going through Niger.
"One indigenous ministry works with the children, widows and orphans; digging wells, and supplying practical needs.
"The other indigenous ministry we assist works with a hospital there, and they also have a radio and TV ministry. A lot of the country is illiterate so it's important to reach them in a way that they can be reached. Radio is a powerful tool for that.
"Believers in the West can pray for their peace, that it will go back to that quiet existence of working and living together, and that there won't be any more of these violent attacks."
Go to ChristianAid.org for more information or to help.

PRAY FOR CHINA

Church Growth Continues to Explode in China Despite Rampant Government Opposition

  : Jan 27, 2015 : The Gospel Herald

"By 2030, China's total Christian population, including Catholics, is predicted to exceed 246 million, placing it above Mexico, Brazil and the United States as the largest Christian congregation in the world." -Reuters
(China)—While Christianity continues to weaken in many parts of the world, China's Christian churches are experiencing significant growth despite government restrictions. (Photo via Gospel Herald)

"Some Sundays we are full. We also have 1,600 volunteers," said Zhou Lianmei, the pastor's wife of the Chongyi Church, one of the biggest mega-churches in the country. The convention-building sized church holds up to 5,000 worshipers and there are several services available every Sunday.
"I come because I found a love here that isn't dependent on a person. It is like a river that doesn't go away," stated a young businesswoman from Hangzhou, the city where Chongyi Church is located.
The city of Wenzhou, often referred to as "China's Jerusalem," is home to over 1 million Protestants out of a population of 9 million. Experts believe that by 2030, China will hold the most Christians on the planet based on current growth rates.

"Chinese Christians know the Bible better than some Southern Baptists. That's not a small thing," Philip Wickeri, a Christian leader in Hong Kong, told the Business Insider.

For many years, Christianity was seen as a religion for elderly peasant women. However, that view has significantly changed: many of the newly baptized Chinese Christians are young, well-educated and earn a comfortable living.

Last year, half a million Christians were baptized in the country, according to China's chief of religious affairs. Texas-based Baylor University and Peking University conducted a joint study that estimated 70 million Christians over 16 years of age reside in China.

Some Christians are even incorporating Biblical principles into their businesses. One company in China asks members to pledge a "Ten Commandments" of good behavior that includes "no bribing, no taking mistresses, no avoiding taxes, and no mistreating employees."

Although China's Christian population is growing, the government continues to tighten its hold on the faith. Over the past year, the country's Communist police have bulldozed church buildings, demolished crosses, and destroyed religious artifacts.

One church offered to pay a series of fines in the belief that the attacks were about money. "We were fooled at first," says one local pastor. "Then we discovered they didn't care about fines. They went after our crosses and gave the impression they enjoyed it." The aim was to humiliate and shame, he believes.

Pakistan Local Gov't Destroyed 13 Christian Families' Homes After They Refused to Work for Free as Bonded Laborers

PRAY FOR PAK CHRISTIAN PEOPLE

Thirteen Christian families in a small village located in the Punjab province of Pakistan are now homeless after the local municipal government demolished their homes because the families refused to work for no pay and become bonded laborers.
Members of the Christian families, who all worked at a local brick kiln in the village of Samundri, refused to continue working unless they received fair compensation for their labor. Pakistan Christian Post reports that the village's municipal government carried out the destruction of their homes last week after being pressured to do so by the "influential" Muslims who owned the brick kiln operation.

(Photo: Reuters/Faisal Mahmood)

Members of the Pakistani Christian community attend a protest rally to condemn Sunday's suicide attack in Peshawar on a church, in Islamabad, September 23, 2013. A pair of suicide bombers blew themselves up outside the 130-year-old Anglican church in Pakistan after Sunday mass, killing at least 78 people in the deadliest attack on Christians in the predominantly Muslim country.

"Houses of 13 Christian families have been demolished by the Town Municipal Administration Samundri under the pressure of the influential people of the village just because they refused to bonded labour without any penny," the news report stated.
The owners of the brick kiln behind the demolition of the homes successfully lobbied the town administration and claimed that the homes needed to be demolished in order to make room for a new village hospital, since the village's old hospital that was built about 20 years ago has been "non-functional since its beginning."
With about 72 Christian families living in the majority Muslim village, all the Christian families in the town are forced to live in a segregated corner of the town because "they may not be mixed with the people of the majority religion."
Professor Anjum James Paul, chairman of the Pakistan Minorities Teachers Association, chastised the municipality for destroying the Christian homes. He said these families are now living without shelter and now have to cope with the cold winter nights.
"Shame on such elements who destroy the peace of mind and properties of the marginalized Christian community," Paul told the Pakistan Christian Post.
Paul further criticized the government for not providing shelter for the displaced families adding that it is the responsibility of the state to give shelter to all citizens as underlined in the Pakistani constitution.
"Let us see when they are granted equal rights and shelter in their homeland," Paul added.
Mistreatment of Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan is not just isolated to the village of Samundri. In November, all the Christians in the Punjabi village of Sahiwal were forced to flee their homes after receiving threats from the town's Muslims after one of the town's Christian men married a Muslim woman.
With about 97 percent of Pakistan's population being Muslim, the accusations made by Muslim people against religious minorities go a long way in the court of public opinion and in the Pakistani court of law. Hundreds of religious minorities are killed, imprisoned or executed just because they have been accused, not proven guilty, of blasphemy.
In early November, a Pakistani Christian couple was beaten, tortured and incinerated by a mob of over 1,500 people in the village of Kot Rodha Kishan all because they were accused of burning the pages from the Koran.
The Pakistan Christian Congress recently issued a note to all clergy in Pakistan asking them not to invite any government officials to their congregation's services for Christmas or New Years in protest of the unconstitutional mistreatment of Christians in Pakistan.
"Rising violence on pretext to blasphemy, kidnapping and forced conversion to Islam of Christian and Hindu women, and total denial of equal basic rights to religious minorities in true face of Pakistan and justice is never ensured," said President of the Pakistan Christian Congress, Dr. Nazir Bhatti, according to Pakistan Christian Post.

Christian Churches Set on Fire in India; New Delhi Archbishop Says There's an Emerging Pattern of Attacks on Christians

(Photo: Reuters/Babu)

Women attend a mass inside a church to celebrate Easter in the southern Indian city of Chennai March 31, 2013. Holy Week is celebrated in many Christian traditions during the week before Easter.

Archbishop Anil JT Couto of New Delhi says there's an emerging pattern of attacks on Christian churches in the city, after a fourth church was vandalized and had its windows smashed on Wednesday.
"A clear pattern of orchestrated attacks is emerging as more and more churches are targetted, vandalised and set on fire," Couto said, according to NDTV. "This is very disturbing and we request the authorities to take adequate measures to bring to book the miscreants who are threatening to weaken the social fabric of this great nation."

The latest church to be vandalized was Our Lady of Graces Church, with CCTV cameras catching the attack and the perpetrator.
"One person came on a scooter, broke the glass, then returned a minute later and toppled the statue," said Fr. Balraj.
Another church was targeted earlier in January in Outer Delhi, where a minor fire was started inside the building, charring a Christian crib placed outside. St. Sebastian's Church in East Delhi's Dilshad Garden area was burned down in December, with police confirming that the case was arson.
Church goers have been protesting the attacks, with India's home minister promising to order a special investigation to look into the cases.
Christians, who make up a minority of India's 1 billion-plus population, were targeted throughout 2014 in a number of attacks by Hindu extremists.
In December, a group of around 30 Hindu radicals left a pastor and four other Christians singing Christmas carols in the city of Hyderabad severely injured following an attack.
India finds itself at 21st place on persecution watchdog group Open Doors' World Watch List of countries where Christians face the most hostilities for their faith.
"This year, and during the reporting year, India has become a more dangerous place for Christians, largely because Hindu extremists seem to think that the new government there will give them impunity when they attack Christian churches. The episodes of violence there from extremists are on the rise," Open Doors CEO David Curry told The Christian Post in an interview last week.
Curry accused the Indian government of not doing enough to protect Christians, despite its ambitions for further partnership with Western countries.
"India is following a very familiar pattern," he said. "We have other 'partners,' so to speak, Saudi Arabia being the most notable, that want to do business with us, but are still brutally suppressing the freedom of religion for Christians."

For 58th Time, Rev. Billy Graham Honored on Gallup's 'Most Admired Man' List

IN An end-of-the year Gallup poll, Americans named Billy Graham as the fourth "Most Admired Man" in the world for 2014. These results mark the 58th time the reverend has made the top 10 list since 1955.

The 96-year-old Southern Baptist minister received the honor as a result of the popular pollster's telephone survey conducted through 805 American adults from December 8 through 11.
Although Graham only received 2 percent of the total vote, putting him in the fourth-place spot, he hold the top spot for the Most Admired Man ranking since the Gallup poll first started in 1946. Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, and Pope John Paul II are just behind Reverend Graham.
Billy Graham was born in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1918 and has led over 400 crusades in 185 countries to teach people about the Word of God. He has also served as pastor for several churches, the president of Northwestern Bible College in Minnesota, a radio minister, a televangelist, and even applied as a chaplain in the armed forces before contracting mumps.

One of Graham's most famous actions was during the early 50s when the reverend tore down ropes meant to separate black and white attendees at one of his revival rallies. Even before the civil rights movement of the 60s became so widespread, Graham was one of the first to oppose racism and preach to his prominently white audience that "we have been proud and thought we were better than any other race, any other people. Ladies and gentlemen, we are going to stumble into hell because of our pride."
The reverend has served as the official pastor to several U.S. presidents over the years, including Dwight D. Eisenhower, Harry S. Truman, Richard Nixon, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Ronald Reagan, and Barack Obama. He was even offered the position of ambassador to Israel under President Nixon, but refused.
Graham has enjoyed recent attention for his part in the life of Louis Zamperini, the World War II veteran whose story is told in the new Angelina Jolie film, "Unbroken." Although Jolie decided not to include the part of Zamperini's life where he got saved at a Billy Graham crusade, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association featured the story in its documentary "Captured by Grace" that was released on Christmas Day.
This year's Most Admired Man ranking was dominated by President Barack Obama, who has held the top honor since he was elected president in 2008. Pope Francis took the number two spot while Bill Clinton and George W. Bush rounded out the top five.
As for the Most Admired Woman category, former first lady Hillary Clinton took the number one spot while Oprah Winfrey, Nobel Prize-winning Pakistani teen Malala Yousafzai, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and first lady Michelle Obama completed the top five.

Archaeologists Uncover Site of Jesus Christ's Trial By King Herod in Ancient Jerusalem

rchaeologists believe they have uncovered the site of Jesus Christ's trial by King Herod before He was crucified in Jerusalem's Old City--the most famous trial in all of history.

According to the Washington Post, the discovery was made during an excavation that began 15 years ago beneath an abandoned building close to the Tower of David Museum in Jerusalem.

Amit Re'em, the Jerusalem district archaeologist who led the excavation, said that while the uncovered building had in past centuries been used as a prison by the Ottoman Empire, Christ was likely trialed there by the brutal ruler, Herod the Great, as found in the New Testament book of John.

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The Independent reports that the remains are being opened to the public through tours organized by the Tower of David Museum, which hopes the site will become a standard attraction for Christians in the future.

"We will continue to develop the prison for visitors," said museum director Eilat Lieber, adding that the historical richness of the prison will give visitors a better understanding of the past.

"It's like a cake," she said. "Showing all the layers of Jerusalem."

Yisca Harani, an expert on Christianity and pilgrimage to the Holy Land, said, "For those Christians who care about accuracy in regards to historical facts, this is very forceful."

He added, "For others, however, those who come for the general mental exercise of being in Jerusalem, they don't care as long as [their journey] ends in Golgotha - the site of the Crucifixion."

The site of Jesus' trial has been debated by Christian leaders and historians for many years due to differing interpretations of the Biblical account. Fox News reports that some  suggest that Jesus was brought before Pilate in a "praetorium," a Latin term for a general's tent, while others believe this word could have described military barracks, or indeed the palace built by Herod.

However, Shimon Gibson, an archaeology professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, told the WP that the Gospel of John describes the trial as taking place near a gate and on a bumpy stone pavement--which fits the archaeological finds at the site.

"There is, of course, no inscription stating it happened here, but everything - archaeological, historical and Gospel accounts - all falls into place and makes sense," Gibson said.

Turkey Allows First Christian Church to be Built in Country Since 1923

PRAY FOR TURKEY

While many Islamic Middle-Eastern countries are forcing Christians out of their lands, Turkey is taking the opposite approach by building a new Christian church for the first time since 1923.
The new church will be for the country's small Syriac Christian community and will be built in the Istanbul suburb of Yesilkoy, right near other Greek Orthodox, Armenian, and Catholic churches on the shores of the Sea of Marmara.
Syriac Christianity is a traditionally Middle-Eastern denomination of Christianity that still speaks the ancient Aramaic language of the 5th century B.C. and thought to be the language of Jesus. In Turkey, the Syriac population is only around 20,000 people who live in the southeastern part of the country, with the majority being either Orthodox or Catholic traditions.
"It is the first since the creation of the republic," a government source reported on Saturday, explaining that the creation of new churches was banned after the Ottoman rule crumbled in 1923. "Churches have been restored and reopened to the public, but no new church has been built until now."
Even though Turkey is 99 percent Muslim, the officially secular government approved the new church to be built on land donated by the local council and paid for by a Syriac group. It's said that the church is being built as a show of solidarity among the world religions and is meant to act as part of Turkey's bid to join the European Union Amlara.

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Although originally a Christian nation, Turkey has a long history of Muslim culture dating back to the rise of the Ottoman empire in 1453 when Constantinople (now Istanbul) was first conquered. The ruling sultan at the time ordered the Hagia Sophia Greek Orthodox church to be converted to a mosque, but the building has served as a museum since 1935.
But in July of 2013, controversy arose as the Hagia Sophia was used for first Friday prayers during the Muslim celebration of Ramadan. Many Christians accused Turkey of trying to erase its Christian past, but Adnan Ertem, the General Director of Foundations, disagreed. "The population of this city consists of Muslims. If the majority are Muslims, the places of worship need to be mosques," he said. "Suppose that the majority of this city was Christians or Jews, would they keep this place as a museum?"
A local court agreed that the occupation of the church for the Ramadan prayer was illegal, ordering a stop to the prayers in a further attempt to show the country's push for a separation of church and state.
Turkey's ruling political party, the Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi (AK Party) is thought to be pro-Western culture and described as "Neo-Ottomanist." The party disavows any notion that it's an Islamic party and considers itself "conservative-democratic."
There is no word yet on when construction on the new church is expected to begin or end.

How African Christians and "Divine Inspiration" Saved Israel at the UN

Nigeria's surprising turn at the UN Security Council should be no surprise at all, but rather a moment of clear Divine inspiration. -Lea Speyer
(Israel)—The Palestinians latest attempt towards statehood via the United Nations has ended in humiliation. Why? (Photo: Kobi Gideon/GPO/via Breaking Israel News)

In a surprise, last minute move, Nigerian President and devout Christian, Goodluck Jonathan thwarted the passing of the resolution by ordering his country's ambassador to abstain from a vote recognizing a Palestinian attempt towards statehood.
Set on using the international community to formally create a "State of Palestine," Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was rejected by the UN Security Council last week in a stunning, and surprising, victory for Israel.
A resolution submitted by Jordan on behalf of the PA called for a full Israeli withdrawal from Judea, Samaria and East Jerusalem by 2017 and the establishment of a state based on pre-1967 borders.
While Israel knew that the resolution would ultimately be vetoed by the US should it garner the nine votes needed to pass, drastic action was not needed.
Nigeria's startling change of heart stood out since diplomats expected a "yes" vote. The PA believed it had Nigeria's vote secured since it is part of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), a group that claims to be "the collective voice of the Muslim world."
The swing vote on the Security Council, Nigeria's abstention changed support for the Palestinian resolution from nine to eight votes, leading to the ultimate downfall of the resolution.
The culmination of three months of vigorous campaigning by the Palestinians at the UN came to an end.
What could have caused Nigeria's sudden change of heart? The answer may lie in an unexpected place.
To understand the significance of Nigeria's actions, we need to look no further than the millions of African Christians in Nigeria who support the state of Israel.
According to the PEW Research Center, Nigeria has the largest Christian population of any country in Africa, making it the dominant religion. Between 40-49.3 percent of Nigerians are Christians, with more than 85 million people in Nigeria belonging to some sort of Church.
Since 1953, the number of Christians in Nigeria more than doubled from 21.4 percent to 49.3 percent in 2010.
While Nigeria has usually maintained a position of political neutrality regarding the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, President Goodluck Jonathan has bolstered ties with Israel since ascending to the presidency. The vote of abstention at the UN marks a historical turning point in support of Israel.
The Nigerian president has made several official and unofficial pilgrimages to Israel. In one October 2013 trip, Jonathan said, "Nigeria and the State of Israel have a very warm relationship."
During his trips to Israel, Jonathan visited the Western Wall as well as several Christian holy sites throughout the country. In October 2014, Jonathan once again returned to Israel because, as close aids explained to the media... he wanted to receive a divine blessing before the Nigerian elections in 2015.
After the vote at the UN, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally spoke to President Jonathan and issued a statement of thanks.
"I would like to voice... special appreciation for... the president of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan" who "told me and promised me, personally, that [he] would not support this resolution. [He] kept their word, and that's what clinched this matter. I think this is very important for the state of Israel," Netanyahu stated.
Aside from religious ties, Nigeria and Israel share a common bond over the fight against radical Islamists and violence against non-Muslims. While Israel battles Hamas on the home-front, against an enemy who vows the country's destruction based on religion, Nigeria is doing the same against Boko Haram.
For a man who makes no apologies over being a Christian Zionist and is backed by thousands of Nigerian Christians, Nigeria's surprising turn at the UN Security Council should be no surprise at all, but rather a moment of clear divine inspiration.

The Good News of Christ Advances in Pakistan, Despite All the Bad News

PRAY FOR PAKISTAN

"From the outside it seems like Pakistan has no hope because of the radicalism and its political instability, but when one gets a closer look, it is like any other country where there is opposition to the Gospel. The indigenous missions are committed with a God-given vision to move forward with their heavenly mandate... Another September 11 can happen, but they're not going anywhere. They are bringing the Gospel to their own people, and they're determined." –Ministry Director
(Pakistan)—The worst terrorist strike in the history of modern Pakistan on Dec. 16, 2014, reinforced the country's image as a hotbed for the Pakistani Taliban and other Islamic terrorists, including the reported arrival of the Islamic State (ISIS) in the country. For the average Pakistani, however, life goes on as usual—as it does for indigenous missionaries offering the Bread of Life. (Photo via Christian Aid Mission)

The slaughter of 134 schoolchildren among the 150 people gunned down by Taliban militants at an army-run school in Peshawar shocked the world. Two months prior, six key Pakistani Taliban commanders, including the spokesman of Tehrik-e-Taliban—a Pakistani umbrella group of violent Islamist insurgents—announced their allegiance to ISIS. A rebel commander of the Baloch Liberation Front was quoted as saying that Pakistan's notorious Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was both "activating" and financially supporting ISIS.

While terrorist activity since 9/11 has driven many foreign missionaries from Pakistan, a visit to the country by Christian Aid Mission's South Asia director found local Christian workers dedicated to their Gospel tasks without interruption. In fact, the departure of many foreign missionaries due to the increased Islamist radicalization, she said, has led to indigenous missionaries learning to take leadership roles.

"Again and again I heard that after 9/11 a lot of the missionaries left the country, but in a way they were somewhat relieved," she said. "They were almost thankful that finally they were in charge."

The leader of a seminary supported by Christian Aid Mission put it this way:
"Now the responsibility of leadership has come to us."

Just as officials and teachers at the seminary have not let little or no pay keep them from following their calling, they are determined to contribute to the advance of the Gospel and the planting of churches in spite of various challenges. The terrorist threat and social opposition in the 96-percent Muslim country is the least of their concerns. A greater challenge is learning the administration and fund-raising they were never trained to carry out.

"They're really good at going out, preaching the Gospel and sharing the Good News, but when it comes to doing the administrative part, they just don't have any training," the director said. "So they've had to learn and start from scratch. That's where the challenge is. Again and again I heard that."

A church-planting organization that Christian Aid Mission assists needs to provide support for evangelists. The group has planted three churches in the administrative territory of Azad Kashmir. One of the group's primary activities is selling Bibles, rather than distributing them freely. This is done for legal reasons—buying a Bible for $5 and selling it for about $1.50, the organization cannot be accused of proselytizing or coercion. Pakistan is one of the few Islamic countries where evangelization is legal, but social pressures against spreading Christianity are intense.

Conversations about faith take place naturally, however, and some ministries even organize open-air evangelistic events. Still, once Muslims convert to Christianity in Pakistan, they may stay "underground" for a long time.

"Sometimes if they are the only Believer in the family, they may not come out so easily," the director said. "But when a whole family comes to faith in Christ, it's easier and they're all there in the church."

Unlike in many countries, Gospel proclamation in Pakistan meets less resistance in rural areas than in urban ones, where some Islamic extremist groups are more active, and the ministries Christian Aid Mission assists are in more remote areas. In both cities and villages, people are going about their daily lives in spite of political and religious firestorms. (Photo via Christian Aid Mission)

"It's not as chaotic as it looks from outside, and that's where the ministries focus, such as a remote school in the middle of nowhere," the director said. "So the ministries are penetrating those remote areas that the Taliban is not interested in."

Mercy ministries, groups caring for children, Bible correspondence courses, church planters and those reaching out to the persecuted are all pushing forward.

"From the outside it seems like Pakistan has no hope because of the radicalism and its political instability, but when one gets a closer look, it is like any other country where there is opposition to the Gospel. The indigenous missions are committed with a God-given vision to move forward with their heavenly mandate," she said. "There are indigenous ministries that are not going anywhere else. Another September 11 can happen, but they're not going anywhere. They are bringing the Gospel to their own people, and they're determined."

The Gospel is Being Preached to Iraqis Displaced by ISIS, but Affected Families Still Struggle with Forgiveness

 PRAY FOR IRAQ

 

"The children are very traumatized. They've lost their hopes and dreams and we try to help them understand that life keeps going. But a child is like a flower, we can shape them. We have to take care of them now; otherwise the next generation of ISIS could come from these children." -Father Daniel Alkhory

(Iraq)—Iraqi Christian leaders are struggling to teach children the Biblical message of forgiveness as thousands of families living in the region remain homeless after Islamic State militants ordered them to convert, flee, or die. (Photo via the Gospel Herald)

"It's hard to explain what is happening," Father Daniel Alkhory told Fox News in the predominantly Christian district of Ankawa inside the Kurdish capital of Erbil. "I was teaching them the parable of Ishmael and Lazarus, talking to them about Heaven and Hell, so I used that to bring up ISIS. I asked them where ISIS will go and they said, 'Directly to Hell!'"
The Islamic State, an al-Qaeda offshoot, has gained control of large swathes of territories in Iraq and Syria in an attempt to establish a caliphate, or state ruled by Islamic law. Since last June, its militants have killed hundreds of Christians and displaced thousands of others in an attempt to "cleanse" the region of religions other than Islam.
Survivors, helped by Iraqi, Kurdish and U.S. forces, have told how many of their women and young girls were stolen by ISIS militants, many sold into sex slavery. Now living in refugee camps across Iraq, Turkey, and northeastern Syria, survivors have expressed shock at witnessing their formerly peaceful Muslim neighbors joining the terrorist group in attacking them.

Alkhory told Fox News the story of a Christian living in Mosul, Iraq's second largest city which was once home to thousands of Believers. The Christian man had been living next to a Muslim man for more than 20 years when the Muslim man one day suddenly threatened him, ordering him to leave Mosul within 24 hours simply because he was Christian.
"So the Christian man started to pack his things, but before leaving he said he won't leave without saying goodbye to that neighbor," Alkhory recounted. "His neighbor opened the door and was really angry and shouting at him, 'Why are you here? I told you to leave Mosul!' The Christian man said he wouldn't leave without first saying goodbye. His Muslim neighbor then started to cry and promised to protect him."

The thousands of displaced families strewn across the Kurdish region are forced to re-start their lives in unfamiliar territory, as chances of returning home grow increasingly slim. The transition is particularly difficult for children, says Alkhory

Billy Graham's My Answer and other resources.

Q:

Both my parents were alcoholics. I always swore I'd never go down that path, but now I'm afraid I have. What's wrong with me? I know alcohol will destroy me, but I can't seem to stop, no matter how many times I say I'm going to. Can God help me?

---

A:

The most important thing I can say is that God cares about you and doesn’t want you to destroy yourself. And because He loves you, He wants to help you turn away from the path you’re on, and set your feet instead on another path — Christ’s path.
This is why I pray you’ll turn to God and admit your need to Him. He knows all about your struggles and failures, but He hasn’t rejected you. In fact, He loves you, and you can be completely honest with Him. Then by faith invite Jesus Christ to come into your life — and He will. He’ll not only forgive you, but He’ll also be with you and help you. The Psalmist said, “The Lord is my strength… my heart trusts in him, and he helps me” (Psalm 28:7).
How will he help you? First, He’ll help you understand why alcohol has become such an important part of your life. For example, perhaps your parents didn’t know how to deal with their problems and used alcohol to escape from them — and now you do the same. A trained counselor may be able to help you here; your doctor or pastor may know what resources are available in your community.
Then God will give you a new desire to rebuild your life, with His help. It may not be easy, but “Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

Billy Graham's My Answer

Q:

I just added up all the credit card slips from our Christmas spending, and I'm really depressed. It's going to take all year to pay them off. I don't know why I'm writing, but how did we get in this mess? God must be very disappointed in us.

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A:

I suspect many feel the same way you do this time of year; it’s far too easy today to spend more than we meant to spend around Christmas, without even realizing it.
But debt can be like a heavy chain wrapping itself around us, burdening us and taking away our freedom. Instead of enjoying the good things God has for us, we end up thinking all the time about our need for money to pay our debts. Tragically, it also can lead to conflict in our families and even divorce. No wonder the Bible commands us not to take on debt we really can’t afford. The Bible warns, “The borrower is slave to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7).
What should you do? First, take practical steps to pay off your debts, and the sooner the better, since interest rates on credit cards can skyrocket out of control. Make a realistic budget that not only limits your spending but includes repaying the money you owe, and then stick to it. It might even be a good idea to lock up your credit cards and use them only in emergencies.
But the most important thing you can do is to ask God to teach you His lessons through this experience. Why did you overspend? Were you trying to impress people by having the latest technology or giving lavish gifts? Whatever the reasons, learn from this experience, and then ask Christ to take control of your money — and your life.

How to Make 2015 Count: Answers from Billy Graham

Q:

One of my New Year's resolutions this year was to read some of the Bible every day. But like most of my resolutions, I've failed to keep it. I found some of it interesting, but I didn't really understand most of it, so I stopped. Was I doing something wrong?

---

A:

I commend you for making this resolution — because nothing will help you become the person God wants you to be more than the Bible. The Psalmist said, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105).
You aren’t alone in finding the Bible difficult; many people have the same problem. But it doesn’t need to be like this if you approach it in the right way. For example, many people do what you did: They start at the beginning and try reading the Bible straight through. After all (they say), isn’t that the way you read any other book?
Yes, perhaps so — but when we come to the Bible, it’s better to begin at the center — that is, with Jesus Christ. All Scripture points to Him, and He is the center of God’s plans for this world. Begin, therefore, with one of the Gospels in the New Testament (I often suggest John), for they tell us about Jesus — His life, death and resurrection for us.
Read a small portion every day — perhaps only a few paragraphs at first. Ask God to help you understand what you’re about to read, and then read it carefully and thoughtfully. What does it tell us about God, or Jesus, or God’s will for our lives? Then ask yourself what God is teaching you through it, and what difference it should make in your life.

Billy Graham’s My Answer: Who is Responsible When Bad Things Happen in the World?

You’ve probably been asked this many times, but who is responsible for all the bad things that happen in the world?

The answer is both! Satan is constantly working to bring chaos and death to the human race, but we also are responsible for turning against God and bringing untold sorrow into the world.
Although he is unseen and often unnoticed, Satan is constantly at work behind the scenes to disrupt God’s plans for the world. Don’t think of him as a cute but harmless cartoon character, dressed up in a red suit and brandishing a pitchfork. Satan is a powerful evil spirit, who works throughout the universe trying to block everything God is doing. The Bible says, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
But the Bible also stresses that while Satan may influence and tempt us, ultimately we are responsible for the evil we do. Every sin we commit is an act of rebellion against God—and we alone are responsible for it. Furthermore, sin has taken root in our souls, and it constantly bears its bitter fruit in our lives. In thought, word and deed, sin brings nothing but evil into our lives.
The most important thing I can tell you, however, is this: Satan is a defeated foe—and so is the sin that resides in us! Yes, they are still active, but by His death and resurrection Christ conquered them, bringing us forgiveness and new life. Don’t be a slave to Satan or sin any longer, but by faith commit your life to Christ and allow His Spirit to control you. Christ gives us hope—hope today, and hope for eternity.

Billy Graham’s My Answer: Why God Didn’t Make Man Perfect

Did God know the human race was going to end up fighting and killing each other and so forth? If so, why did He bother to make us? Or why didn’t He create us so we’d be perfect and wouldn’t behave this way?

God made us because He loved us, and He wanted us to love Him in return. The Bible says that in the beginning, before sin ever entered the world, Adam and Eve enjoyed a perfect, unbroken relationship with God.
What went wrong? Perhaps you know what happened: Satan tempted Adam and Eve to turn against God and disobey Him –and they did. Although they had been warned of the consequences, they still believed Satan when he called God a liar and told them instead that “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4). From that moment on, sin–like a deadly cancer–invaded their souls and severed their relationship with God. It also brought death and human selfishness into the world.
Why didn’t God make us so we couldn’t sin? The reason is simple: Then we would have been like puppets, unable to choose between right and wrong. Our love for God wouldn’t have been genuine either, because we couldn’t have freely chosen to love God. Love is real only when we can choose it.

Did God know what would happen? Yes, He did; the Bible says that God planned our salvation even “before the creation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4). And the good news is that we don’t need to fear God’s judgment any longer, because Jesus Christ opened Heaven’s door to us by His death on the cross. Is your faith and hope in Him for your salvation?

plz pray for nigeria people

2,000 Feared Killed in "Deadliest" Boko Haram Attack in Nigeria

  : Jan 12, 2015 :

Most of the victims are children, women and elderly who could not run fast enough when Islamic Terrorists Boko Haram drove into the town of Baga in Borno State, firing rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles.
(Nigeria)—Reports of hundreds of bodies—too many to count—remain strewn in the bush in Nigeria prompts Amnesty International to suggest this latest assault, if true, as the "deadliest massacre" in the history of Boko Haram. (Photo: AP/via Gospel Herald)

"If reports that the town was largely razed to the ground and that hundreds of even as many as two thousand civilians were killed are true, this marks a disturbing and bloody escalation of Boko Haram's ongoing onslaught against the civilian population," said Daniel Eyre, Nigeria researcher for Amnesty International.
Most of the victims are children, women and elderly who could not run fast enough when Islamic Terrorists Boko Haram drove into the town of Baga in Borno State, firing rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles.
Local spokesman for the poorly armed civilian who are fighting the Boko Haram said the civilian fighters gave up on trying to count all the bodies. "No one could attend to the corpses and even the serious injured ones who may have died by now," he said.
Musa Alhaji Bukar, a senior official in Borno, told BBC that a fleeing resident reported to him that Baga, which had a population of about 10,000, was now "virtually non-existent" and "burnt down."
He said that Boko Haram killed more than 2,000 people. If the report is true, it would mean the group equaled its total kill count last year in this latest attack. More were said to have drowned in Lake Chad while attempting to swim to a nearby island. (Photo: Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP/Getty Images/via Gospel Herald)
According to Reuters, a local who fled the massacre detailed how Boko Haram was killing people.
"I saw bodies in the street. Children and women, some were crying for help," said Mohamed Bukar after fleeing to the state capital Maiduguri.
Since 2009, Boko Haram has terrorized northern Nigeria, attacking police, schools, churches and civilians and bombing government buildings, resulting in over 9,000 dead. In 2014 alone, over 2,000 people have been killed, while more than 1.5 million people have been displaced from their homes.

NASCAR Driver's Testimony: Angels Pushed Cars Out of the Way in Horrendous Crash

  Jan 13, 2015 :

"There is no question in my mind this was a miracle." -Robert Bakke, author of "Prayer at Full Throttle"
(Golden Valley, MN)—He grew up with little self-confidence, but after God took control of his life he gained the courage to pursue his dreams—and a lifestyle filled with adrenalin-fueled adventures. (Photo via God Reports)

"I was raised in a mainstream church and didn't have a personal relationship with the Lord," says Robert Bakke, author of "Prayer at Full Throttle."
He also suffered from an inferiority complex. "I was the scrawniest kid in my school and the last one picked for gym class," he recalls. "I didn't have a lot of self-confidence."
Bakke felt somewhat lost as he entered college, and was put off by people who tried to tell him what he should or should not believe. He had never read the Bible for himself, but one day, he started to read the New Testament and the power of God's Word bowled him over.
"I couldn't understand why they didn't teach this stuff in church," says Bakke. The Word and the Spirit transformed his heart and revolutionized his thinking as he was born again.
"It was the most encouraging and powerful information I had ever laid my eyes on. It completely changed what I thought about God, myself, and my capabilities. When I had finished reading it, I truly believed that with God's help I could accomplish anything."
Bakke had a successful business career after college, then he began to pursue more exciting dreams God planted in his heart. He became a jet captain and aerobatic flight instructor and a black belt in karate.
Six years ago, he began to pursue his dream to become a race car driver, something he wanted to do since childhood. (Photo via God Reports)
On a Sunday in September, 2012, Bakke found himself out-of-town, driving a rental car on his way to get dinner.
He glanced at his watch and noticed it was about 7:00, the exact time his racing friend, Rylee Michaelson, was about to start a race.
He decided he would lift up a certain prayer for Rylee that he often uses before his own races. "Help her to run fast and clean and keep her safe…"
He got halfway through the prayer but couldn't continue. A wave of unaccustomed emotion hit him and he began to weep, with large drops running down his cheeks.
Then he cried out: "God, release your angels to go to Rylee at the speed of lightning!"
Bakke had never prayed or even thought of uttering such a phrase. Where did that come from? he wondered. Why am I so emotional?
He started to pray his customary pre-race prayer once more for Rylee, but again became so overwhelmed by his feelings he had to stop.
Bakke went into the restaurant shaking his head, wondering what it all meant. After dinner, he got into his rental car, and was driving to his hotel when he got an urgent phone call. "Rylee had a bad crash and the car flipped…" the caller began.
Bakke almost drove into a ditch when he got the shocking news.
Bakke watched a video replay afterward of the crash and was amazed by what he saw. "As it was sliding all the other cars disappeared. In my heart I know it was angels pushing the other cars out of the way."
"All things are possible with God," Bakke marvels. "Never let anybody talk you out of your dreams."

The Miracles of Jesus

37 Miracles of Jesus
#	Miracle	Matthew	Mark	Luke	John
1	Jesus Turns Water into Wine				2:1-11
2	Jesus Heals an Official's Son				4:43-54
3	Jesus Drives Out an Evil Spirit		1:21-27	4:31-36
4	Jesus Heals Peter's Mother-in-Law	8:14-15	1:29-31	4:38-39
5	Jesus Heals Many Sick at Evening	8:16-17	1:32-34	4:40-41
6	First Miraculous Catch of Fish			5:1-11
7	Jesus Cleanses a Man With Leprosy	8:1-4	1:40-45	5:12-14
8	Jesus Heals a Centurion's Servant	8:5-13		7:1-10
9	Jesus Heals a Paralytic	9:1-8	2:1-12	5:17-26
10	Jesus Heals a Man's Withered Hand	12:9-14	3:1-6	6:6-11
11	Jesus Raises a Widow's Son in Nain			7:11-17
12	Jesus Calms a Storm	8:23-27	4:35-41	8:22-25
13	Jesus Casts Demons into a Herd of Pigs	8:28-33	5:1-20	8:26-39
14	Jesus Heals a Woman in the Crowd	9:20-22	5:25-34	8:42-48
15	Jesus Raises Jairus' Daughter to Life	9:18, 23-26	5:21-24, 35-43	8:40-42, 49-56
16	Jesus Heals Two Blind Men	9:27-31
17	Jesus Heals a Man Unable to Speak	9:32-34
18	Jesus Heals an Invalid at Bethesda				5:1-15
19	Jesus Feeds 5,000	14:13-21	6:30-44	9:10-17	6:1-15
20	Jesus Walks on Water	14:22-33	6:45-52		6:16-21
21	Jesus Heals Many Sick in Gennesaret	14:34-36	6:53-56
22	Jesus Heals a Gentile Woman's Demon-Possessed Daughter	15:21-28	7:24-30
23	Jesus Heals a Deaf and Dumb Man		7:31-37
24	Jesus Feeds 4,000	15:32-39	8:1-13
25	Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida		8:22-26
26	Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind				9:1-12
27	Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon	17:14-20	9:14-29	9:37-43
28	Miraculous Temple Tax in a Fish's Mouth	17:24-27
29	Jesus Heals a Blind, Mute Demoniac	12:22-23		11:14-23
30	Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman			13:10-17
31	Jesus Heals a Man With Dropsy on the Sabbath			14:1-6
32	Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers			17:11-19
33	Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead				11:1-45
34	Jesus Restores Sight to Bartimaeus	20:29-34	10:46-52	18:35-43
35	Jesus Withers the Fig Tree	21:18:22	11:12-14
36	Jesus Heals a Servant's Severed Ear			22:50-51
37	Second Miraculous Catch of Fish				21:4-11