Pastor Who Helped Get ‘Under God’ in Pledge Dies

ALEXANDRIA, Pa. – The Rev. George M. Docherty, credited with helping to push Congress to insert the phrase “under God” into the Pledge of Allegiance, has died at 97.

Docherty died on Thanksgiving at his home in central Pennsylvania, according to his wife, Sue Docherty.

She said her husband of 36 years had been in failing health for about three years.

“George said he was going to live to be a hundred and he was determined,” she said in a telephone interview Saturday. “It’s amazing that he was with us this long.”

Docherty, then pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, just blocks from the White House, gave a sermon in 1952 saying the pledge should acknowledge God.

He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and was unfamiliar with the pledge until he heard it recited by his 7-year-old son, Garth.

“I didn’t know that the Pledge of Allegiance was, and he recited it, ‘one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all,’” he recalled in an interview with The Associated Press in 2004. “I came from Scotland, where we said ‘God save our gracious queen,’ ‘God save our gracious king.’ Here was the Pledge of Allegiance, and God wasn’t in it at all.”

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Church takes parable to heart, giving multiplies

Editors Note: This is not an Apostolic / {Pentecostal Church, but we felt the story may be of interest to you our reader. God bless you.

Associated Press, BLOOMINGTON, Ill. A church in Central Illinois has found an innovative way to raise money for the poor. It’s the power of multiplication.
The Rev. Ric Schneider of St. Mary’s Church in Bloomington passed out $100 bills during a Sunday service in August. The 180 parishioners who accepted the cash promised to multiply it and return with more.
They used the seed money to put on fund-raisers, including a euchre tournament, a motorcycle run, a bake sale and a car wash.
So far, more than $60,000 has been raised. The money will be given early next month to an Appalachian mission.

To encourage the effort, Schneider preached about the Parable of the Talents, a Bible story that directs people to multiply what they are given.

Renowned Abortionist Becomes Pro-life Advocate

Former European abortionist Stojan Adasevic has performed tens of thousands of abortions and now credits a heavenly dream for his conversion to a pro-life “apostle.”

Once known as the best abortionist in Belgrade, Serbia, having performed at least 48,000 abortions, Stojan Adasevic now says abortion is “satanic” and has become one of the nation’s most active pro-life advocates.

Adasevic says that though his mother tried to abort him, he’d never thought of abortion as murder until he began having daily reoccurring dreams about the children that he aborted.

“It was a long time before I grasped the fact that a child in the mother’s womb is a living person, not from the time it draws its first breath, as the communist professors taught us, but from the instant the human embryo is formed,” he told Love One Another magazine.  

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Planned Parenthood condemned for ‘lethal gift certificates’

INDIANAPOLIS – The nation’s leading abortion provider is under fire for handing out gift certificates for its services.

Pro-life supporters say the scheme by Planned Parenthood of Indiana denigrates the holiday season.
The network of 35 clinics across the state announced it is offering holiday vouchers for basic health care services “or the recipient’s choice of birth control method.”
The organization decided to offer the vouchers because so many people are uninsured or are putting off health care because of prohibitive costs, said Betty Cockrum, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Indiana. Nearly 800,000 Indiana residents don’t have health insurance, she said.
Planned Parenthood’s annual exams for women, which include Pap tests and breast exams, typically cost $58. The vouchers can be used for the exams, but also for insurance copays and for medication.
Opponents of abortion said Planned Parenthood was making a “mockery” of the holiday season.
“The tragedy is that almost 6,000 fewer children will be celebrating a first Christmas this year because they were aborted in Planned Parenthood’s Indiana clinics,” said Mike Fichter, president and CEO of Indiana Right to Life.

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Worker dies at Long Island Wal-Mart after being trampled in Black Friday stampede

A Wal-Mart worker died after being trampled when hundreds of shoppers smashed through the doors of a Long Island store Friday morning, police and witnesses said.

The 34-year-old employee, a temporary maintenance worker, tried to hold back the unruly crowds just after the Valley Stream store opened at 5 a.m. Witnesses said the surging throngs of shoppers knocked the man down. He fell and was stepped on. As he gasped for air, shoppers ran over and around him.

CAUGHT ON CAMERA: WAL-MART CROWD MOMENTS BEFORE DEADLY STAMPEDE

“He was bum-rushed by 200 people,” said Jimmy Overby, 43, a co-worker. “They took the doors off the hinges. He was trampled and killed in front of me. They took me down too…I literally had to fight people off my back.”

The unidentified victim was rushed to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:03 a.m., police said.The cause of death wasn’t immediately available pending results of an autopsy.

A 28-year-old pregnant woman was knocked to the floor during the mad rush. She was hospitalized for observation, police said. Early witness accounts that the woman suffered a miscarriage were unfounded, police said. Three other shoppers suffered minor injuries, cops said. Wal-Mart spokesman Dave Tovar called the incident a “tragic situation.”

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Christians decry Mumbai attacks

Churches and Christian organisations in India have condemned terrorist attacks across Mumbai that have left 119 people dead and 300 injured.

Armed men took hundreds of tourists hostage in the Taj Mahal Palace and Oberoi Trident hotels late Wednesday night as part of a coordinated attack on India’s financial capital. A number of hostages were freed from the Taj Mahal Palace on Thursday but it is believed that hostages are still being held at the Oberoi Trident.

An official with the National Council of Churches in India told Christian Today India that the group “condemns the heinous attacks and requests unity and peace at this time”.

“As the country is going through a turbulent time, we request Churches and Christians in the country to join hands, to shed tears for the people of this nation. For peace and stability to prevail,” he added.

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Ten video games to keep away from your kids

The video game industry can breathe a sigh of relief. It won’t have to hide its report card anymore.

The National Institute on Media and the Family, a conservative media watchdog group that has repeatedly criticized the game industry for failing to adequately warn families about inappropriate content, issued its 13th annual video game report card on Tuesday. And for the first time, the industry got nearly straight A’s, receiving high marks in its ratings system and retail policies.

“This year the industry has improved its ratings enforcement and given parents new tools when choosing the right video game for their child,” said NIMF president David Walsh. “That’s a significant step in the right direction.”

The NIMF still points out one problem-spot: parents. This year’s report gave parents an ‘Incomplete’ for not paying enough attention to ratings and failing to use parental controls built into game consoles.

To remedy the situation, the NIMF has red-flagged ten violent games concerned parents should keep away from the under-17 crowd this holiday, citing excessive bloodshed and brutality:

• Blitz: The League II
• Dead Space
• Fallout 3
• Far Cry 2
• Gears of War 2
• Legendary
• Left 4 Dead
• Resistance 2
• Saints Row 2
• Silent Hill: Homecoming

Exclusive Interview: Pentecostal Radio Talk Show Host Jesse Woodrow

The Apostolic Report had the opportunity to interview Jesse Woodrow of the Jesse Woodrow Show.

 

Excerpt from jessewoodrow.com “I have done it all.  I tried every kind of drug and every kind of thing that the world can ever offer and I have only found one solution for it… the Bible.  I thought I had it made and I thought I had everything figured out but I wasn’t even close.   Once I was honest with my self I was able to see everything for what it really was.  I say this to say… be honest with your self and always seek TRUTH!

If the audio above doesn’t work for your pc, please click on the following link: Jesse Woodrow Interview

Click The Picture Above To Link To The Show Website.

Court to decide whether campus evangelism a crime

California student, Ryan Dozier, decided to spend some time on campus sharing his faith and handing out tracts to fellow students, generating conversations about Christianity. Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) attorney Heather Hacker comments on the situation.
 
“A campus police officer came over and told him that if he continued to do so without a permit that he would be possibly expelled or arrested, and so Ryan stopped immediately,” she explains.
 
Hacker says Dozier thought the case was closed, but he was apparently mistaken. “Three weeks later he got a certified letter from the president of the college stating that his actions were the subject of a campus crime report,” she adds. “Last time I checked, sharing your faith on a public college campus was not a crime.”
 
But the letter informed him he could face expulsion if he shared his faith on campus again. ADF filed suit, and a federal judge has ordered the college to suspend enforcement of its highly restricted free speech policies until the lawsuit is resolved.

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Apostolic Church gives away 200 frozen turkeys

A steady stream of vehicles snaked through the parking lot of the Living Water Apostolic Church on Saturday, Nov. 22, where 200 free frozen turkeys were given away to those in need.

Pastor Randall Penrod said this was the third year the congregation at 420 W. Funderburg Road has done the giveaway before Thanksgiving.

Among the thankful recipients was Jessica Calhoun, 31, of Fairborn, a mother of two.

“I just got laid off from DMAX in June,” she said. Calhoun said she was able to find work at the Moraine assembly plant, but then was laid off from there in September.

“It’s been really hard to find a job making near what I was before, so this helps a lot,” she said, before driving off in her pickup with the frozen bird stuffed into a child car seat.

Member Don Reinert, 53, of Beavercreek, said the church — formerly known as Calvary Christian Fellowship — purchased the 2,200 pounds of meat that he was more than happy to help unload onto waiting tables.

“God’s blessed us,” he said. “We realized the neighborhood we’re situated in has a lot of people in need.”

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Featured Sponsor: The Gates of Hell

Note: Book Signing Announcement!  WaldenBooks in Lufkin Texas will be hosting a book signing event for “The Gates of Hell,” with author R.A. Perry, December 6th, 2008, from 1P.M. to 2 P.M..  Please Join Reverend Perry for this special event and invite a friend!  These books make great gifts. For more information, please visit raperry.com or email the author at perry.warren@sbcglobal.net

The Gates of Hell is a new novel that has just been released by an Apostolic Pastor. Reverend R.A. Perry has written multiple articles that have been printed around the world. The Gates of Hell is the first book in a trilogy. Reverend Perry is currently working on the second installment of the “Thy Kingdom Gone” trilogy.

The Gates of Hell is a spellbinding adventure/apocalyptic novel where two Jewish hero’s work hard to uncover the truth behind the strange disappearances. It begins immediately after the rapture of the church. Deric, a Jewish Archaeologist is briefly stranded in the tunnel beneath the wailing wall in Jerusalem. After he escapes the Stygian darkness he is met with violence and a vicious conspiracy.

Vicki, a beautiful Jewish woman has her Apostolic preacher husband ripped from her grip. Realizing that the most likely scenario is the catching away of the bride, she returns to Israel just in front of the conspirators, to restore her faith.

The story take these heroins across the globe, finally landing in Babylon and then Israel.

Two major sub-plots are that the Jews use the modern apostles writings and views of Christ to have their eyes opened. While the discovery of easy believism is the fuel behind the villains influence, the crew of hero’s discover the meta-physical properties of salvation.

You can order a copy of this new book by contacting the author directly at perry.warren@sbcglobal.net

The book can also be ordered online by clicking here.

Pentecostal Soldier Uses His Music, Testimony To Lead Lost to Jesus’ Love

By Amanda Kim Stairrett
Killeen Daily Herald

It was four years ago that Daniel Jens combined his love of music with his love of God.

He started playing worship music and started creating his own ideas for outreach and events. It fit his personality and talents. “I was led back to God by Christian music and by loving people taking time to outreach,” he said. “My mission today is to glorify God in all I do and to use my talents to be an inspirational light in the world as stated in Matthew 5:14-16.”
Matthew 5:14-16 states: “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Jens likes using his music and testimony as a bridge to lead the lost to the love of Jesus, he said, and “enhance the experience of the believer through music so they are inspired to draw closer to God. “I am able to utilize all of the talents I’ve been blessed with in outreach,” Jens said.

The Jens family attends Harker Heights Apostolic United Pentecostal Church. Jens said they searched for a United Pentecostal Church until they found a good fit, and are blessed to have found the Harker Heights location. Find out more about the church at http://www.theupchurch.org.

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Vonnie Ewing Lopez Featured on Premier Gospel Album

Sis. Vonnie Lopez, daughter of UPC pastor, Murrell Ewing, is a featured soloist on a new album by award-winning gospel artist, Kurt Carr.  Sis. Lopez bases her ministry out of her parents’ church, Eastwood Pentecostal Church in Lake Charles, Louisiana.  She has traveled extensively with Kurt Carr and has officially joined the Kurt Carr Singers.

Kurt Carr’s new album, Just the Beginning, features a stirring solo by Vonnie Lopez.  The song entitled “Ten Thousand One Million” is a powerful anthem of worship.

Sis. Lopez continues to minister at UPCI meetings and conferences and maintains a strong Apostolic witness.

Click here to read a review of the album.  Click here to visit Vonnie Lopez’s site.

A new twist on the “Is Obama a Christian?” debate

The “Is Obama a Christian?” discussion is starting up again, this time not by people who suspect he’s a Muslim but those who think he’s a phony follower of Jesus Christ. The occasion for this is the posting on Beliefnet of an interview he gave to the Chicago Sun Times in 2004, while he was still an Illinois state senator. Conservative Christians have taken his religious views as proof he’s not a real Christian, but there’s support from a more liberal corner for his views.

That there is disagreement isn’t really a surprise. Theologians have been debating who is a Christian almost since the dawn of the faith and still dispute where the dividing lines lie. What is more interesting is that critics are picking apart his views — or purported views — on theological issues that have no obvious importance for his job as president.

Bloggers Joe Carter and Rod Dreher read in Obama’s interview a denial of the Nicene Creed since he called Jesus “a bridge between God and man” rather than clearly saying he is the Son of God (hat tip to Steve Waldman). “Unless Obama was being incredibly and uncharacteristically inarticulate, this is heterodox. You cannot be a Christian in any meaningful sense and deny the divinity of Jesus Christ. You just can’t,” Dreher writes. Has Obama denied the divinity of Jesus Christ here? That’s not clear here. Another point that Carter notes is that he doesn’t believe that people who have not embraced Jesus as their personal savior will automatically go to hell. “I can’t imagine that my God would allow some little Hindu kid in India who never interacts with the Christian faith to somehow burn for all eternity. That’s just not part of my religious makeup,” he said.

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New AR Poll: Tithes from lottery winnings

A few months back we posted this story about a Church that refused to accept tithes from a man who had won the lottery.

The man offered to drop his tithe, around $600,000, in the collection plate at a First Baptist Church. But the church, and Pastor David Tarkington, politely declined and told Powell they will not accept the lottery winnings.

Which brings us to our new poll question… Was that a good or bad move?