Month: April 2025

Kidnapped American Pastor ‘Miraculously’ Rescued in Dramatic Fashion: ‘Thank You Lord!’

On By Geri UngureanIn Uncategorized5 Comments

From westernjournal.com

An American missionary kidnapped in front of his family and church congregation last week was rescued Tuesday amid a hail of police bullets.

Josh Sullivan, a Baptist pastor of a small church in South Africa, was “miraculously unharmed” after a specialized police unit raided a property where his abductors held him, according to NBC News.

Three kidnappers were killed in a car as they fled with Sullivan is inside, but the clergyman was not injured. And his family is praising God for his safety.

“A sad situation but I’m so thankful my son is home alive and safe,” Sullivan’s mother, Tonya Morton Rinker, wrote in a Facebook post.

“Thank you Lord!”

The saga began Thursday when armed men took Sullivan from his church while he was preaching in the town of Motherwell, outside the city of Gqeberha, on the country’s Indian Ocean coast.

Among the congregation were Sullivan’s wife, Meaghan, and the couple’s children.

When Sullivan’s home church, Fellowship Baptist in Maryville, Tennessee, near Knoxville, spread the news, social media witnessed an outpouring of prayer for Sullivan’s safe return.

Others also posted about it:

On Tuesday, that return took place.

According to The Herald, a local newspaper in the Gqeberha region, police had received information about where Sullivan was being held.

As they approached the home — about 14 miles from the site of the kidnapping, according to NBC — the officers saw a vehicle with men inside. When the men in the vehicle spotted the officers, they opened fire and attempted to flee, The Herald reported.

“The officers responded with tactical precision, leading to a high-intensity shoot-out in which three unidentified suspects were fatally wounded,” police spokesman Lt-Col Avele Fumba said, according to The Herald.

It wasn’t clear where Sullivan was in the vehicle, but the fact that he was inside it while three men were killed by flying bullets, yet remained uninjured, had his mother ecstatic with gratitude.

“PRAISE GOD FOR HIS GRACE AND MERCY,” she wrote in another Facebook post.

And she was not alone.

 

 

 

Naturally, with leftist contempt for Christianity rampant in the modern culture, cynics and critics of sometimes-dangerous missionary workchimed in, too.

And according to NBC News, Fellowship Baptist said it “had faced growing questions, including what it described as ‘malicious and hateful’ messages about why it deploys missionaries.”

But the messages on Wednesday were overwhelmingly thoughts of gratitude for Sullivan’s safety.

“Miraculously unharmed, he was immediately assessed by medical personnel and is currently in good health,” Fumba said, according to The Herald.

HALLELUJAH! 

THANK YOU LORD!!

The Most Prized Possession

On By Brother BillIn Uncategorized1 Comment

By William Oldham

“…As Jesus was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ” And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” Mark 10:17-22

This is a story most Christians are familiar with, but don’t readily identify with because most of God’s children don’t have great possessions. But while we may not have great possessions as he did, if we look real close, we’ll see that we all, rich and poor alike, share the most prized possession of all: our eternal souls.

First and foremost, this story is not about the man’s earthly possessions. Earthly possessions are not evil; its not sinful to have possessions, many or few. But when they become our treasure, that’s when they become our downfall. Jesus warns us:

““Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21

This story is about the man’s soul, the eternal destiny of his soul. And that’s what was on his mind when he approached Jesus: “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” He asked Jesus an honest question, and Jesus gave him a true and honest answer: “One thing you lack: Go, sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow Me.”

At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. His great possessions had such complete control of his heart, that when he came to his Maker, he chose to reject the words that he had asked for; he refused the words that would save him, and walked away from Jesus. Paul said this:

“Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:9-10

So much for those proud shepherds who like to parade their wealth before their flock.

The man was so blinded by his love for his earthly possessions, that he couldn’t see that his most prized possession was his eternal soul; and more importantly, He couldn’t see that Jesus loved his soul.

We have to live in this present world and are to do the works of God until Jesus returns for us. Now, we grow up in a family, we find work, we get married, we make a home for ourselves. Our family whom we love very much, is not our most prized possession—our eternal soul is. And if Jesus is our first love, we will not only look out for the welfare of our own soul, but for the souls of those near and dear to us.

I was a pastor for many years, but I was also a factory worker for 44 years. I got weary of punching the timeclock every day, but I liked my work and was good at what I did. Ten years into working with a group of unsaved men, I was born again. From that point on, my primary concern and prayer was not my work, but the welfare of those men’s souls. Thank God over the years, several gave their hearts to Jesus.

We love our family, our home, and hopefully like our work. And over the course of the years, the Lord blesses us with a decent income. We may have hobbies or activities that we like; we may take vacations and have regular family get-togethers; we may really be into the sports scene. But whatever path our lives may take, however much we may love our family, how much we may value our home, may we never prize anything above our immortal souls, and may we never love anyone more than Jesus.

Jesus lived on this earth 33 years without owning a single thing. And at the end of His life, He willingly gave up the earthly possession we all prize most highly—His body! And Jesus did it because of the value of your soul, and His love for it; Jesus purchased your soul from death with His own blood because He loves you!

I know how the rich young man’s life ended: he died just like everyone else does. I’m also sure of this: that as he saw his days coming to a close, he would have given up all his possessions to live just a while longer. And so Jesus’ word is: “What does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his soul.” Mark 8:36

As children of God, our most prized possession is Jesus Christ. He has purchased us with His own blood—body and soul. Our eternal souls are hid with Him at the right hand of God. When Jesus comes, not only will our eternal lives be revealed, but God has prepared a new, glorious, incorruptible, immortal body that will house our eternal soul—Praise God!

“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” 1 John 3:2

Brother Bill Oldham       bboldham@sbcglobal.net

American Pastor Abducted at Gunpoint While Preaching a Sermon

On By Geri UngureanIn Uncategorized2 Comments

From westernjournal.com

He’s given his life to missionary work. Now, his supporters are praying for his life.

A Baptist pastor in South Africa was abducted Thursday by armed men while he delivered a sermon, according to news reports.

Among the worshippers who saw it happen were the pastor’s wife and children.

The kidnapping of the Rev. Josh Sullivan took place during service Thursday outside the city of Gqeberha, formerly known as Port Elizabeth, on the country’s Indian Ocean coast, according to CBS News.

Sullivan’s home church, Fellowship Baptist in Maryville, Tennessee, near Knoxville, announced the news in a Facebook post Thursday.

While the Fellowship Baptist post said there were six gunmen involved, CBS reported there were four.

“It is alleged that while a sermon was conducted at the church, four armed and masked male suspects entered the church,” a police statment said, according to CBS. “They robbed two cell phones and then took the 45-year-old male pastor with them and fled the scene.”

About 30 members of the congregation were present, according to CBS, including Sullivan’s family.

The gunmen, who appeared to be aiming to collect ransom for the kidnapped clergyman, were well aware of his identity, according to CBS.

“They knew him by name,” said the Rev. Jeremy Hall, a fellow pastor in the South African city, according to CBS.

Josh and Meagan Sullivan had been in South Africa for missionary work since 2018, according to Sullivan’s website. And missionary work has its dangers.

Sullivan’s monthly updates about their activities are full of enthusiasm about his work, but hint that all is not easy. In a February post, he wrote that some “troublemakers” had tried to stir up trouble and even threatened to burn his church down, but they were dissuaded by a South African woman who was not a Christian, but was now “ready to be saved.”

Sullivan’s father-in-law, David Witt, told WLVT-TV in Knoxville in a report published Friday that the family has one urgent request:

“We’re asking that everybody pray for Josh. I came out here to ask for prayer,” Witt said, according to the station. “We’re in a really tense situation right now.”

WLVT reported that the kidnappers have been in contact with authorities and are asking for ransom. No amount was disclosed.

Word of the abduction sparked an outpouring of support for Sullivan on social media.

At least one sought the intercession of U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett, a conservative Tennessee Republican whose district includes Maryville.

According to the BBC, a U.S. State Department representative has confirmed that the department is aware of the situation and said the department has no “greater priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens abroad.” source

PRAY, BRETHREN, PRAY!

Paula White-Cain’s Prosperity Gospel Twists Scripture for Profit

On By Geri UngureanIn Uncategorized4 Comments

From christianpost.com

Are you aware that President Trump appointed a prosperity preacher to lead the White House Faith Office, who, just a few years ago, was under investigation by the IRS and the US Senate for the lavish lifestyle she was living with donor money?

In this article, I’d like to raise three theological concerns about Paula White-Cain and explain why I believe Trump’s choice does not reflect strong, consistent Christian leadership. It is imperative to have a leader whose teachings promote sound doctrine and foster genuine spiritual growth.

To be fair to Paula, I want to point out that she deserves recognition for her strong advocacy for religious freedom and pro-life policies. Every Christian can appreciate and support these critical issues, so I am thankful to see Paula holding firm to these biblical truths. With that said, here are my concerns.

Theological concern #1:  Prosperity gospel

You might be wondering why Trump appointed Paula as the Senior Advisor of the White House Faith Office. Well, they do have history, and many in the Evangelical world support Paula’s claims that she was the one who led Trump to Jesus Christ. I hope that is true. However, one significant thing that Trump and Paula share in common is their mutual admiration for Norman Vincent Peale, the famed author of The Power of Positive Thinking and The Power of Positive Living.

This makes sense because Paula’s teaching revolves around “sowing seeds of blessings” or urging people to give money to her ministry to be blessed in return.

Her prosperity preaching is very appealing and sounds good until you read what the Bible says.

A few years ago, while preaching about the resurrection of Lazarus from John 11:38-44, Paula asked her congregation at New Destiny Christian Center in Florida to give $1,144 to receive a “resurrection seed.”

Here’s another example of her prosperity teachings mixed with positive thinking, which she posted on X: “Your words are containers for power, and by the words you speak, you frame your world!”

These two examples of Paula’s prosperity doctrine distort the essence of genuine faith and manipulate vulnerable individuals by linking their financial status to their spiritual worth. This can pressure individuals into believing that a lack of wealth is a sign of weak faith, which is misleading and harmful.

Theological Concern #2: Manipulation of faith

At The River Church in Tampa, Fla., Paula declared on stage, “Wherever I go, God rules. When I walk on White House grounds, God walks on White House grounds. When I walked in The River, God walked in The River. When I go into the dry cleaners, that dry cleaning place becomes holy. I have every right and authority to declare the White House as holy ground because I was standing there and where I stand is holy.

Paula conflates her personal presence with God’s presence. Nowhere in the Bible do we see any prophet or apostle making such audacious and heretical claims. God’s presence is not contingent upon where we go or what we do. It is very dangerous to associate our holiness with that of God. When God told Moses to take off his sandals, it wasn’t because Moses was holy. The ground was holy because of God’s presence (see Exodus 3:5).

Furthermore, Paula’s self-declaration is nothing more than pride and wishful thinking. When we look into the pages of Scripture, we find that God declares, “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite” (Isaiah 57:15).

Paula is promoting a misguided understanding of God’s nature, the nature of redeemed believers, and the essence of faith itself.

Theological Concern #3: Misinterpretations of Scripture

If there is one thing to caution you about, it is that when listening to Paula, you should approach her “interpretations” of the Bible with care and consider proper hermeneutics that take a historical-grammatical approach to the structural integrity of the biblical text.

Paula loves to cherry-pick promises in the Bible, as seen in her Passover sermon on Exodus 23.

“I believe that when you honor God on Passover, starting on April 12, at sundown through Good Friday on the 18th, and concluding on Easter Sunday, you can receive these seven supernatural blessings for you and your house. According to Exodus 23, God will assign an angel to you. He’ll be an enemy to your enemies. He’ll give you prosperity. He’ll take sickness away from you. He will give you long life. He’ll bring increase in inheritance, and He’ll give a special year of blessing. You’re not doing this to get something, but you’re doing it in honor to God, realizing what you can receive.”

Extracting promises from Exodus 23 and applying them directly to modern Christians without considering the historical and covenantal context distorts the passage’s original meaning while replacing the original audience — the Hebrews!

If you read Exodus 23 carefully, you will find that the seven promises Paula deceitfully proclaims are not what God promised Israel at all. This level of eisegesis from Paula goes far beyond mere misinterpretation of the text; it is her deliberate act of putting words in God’s mouth.

Paula is not a biblical theologian. She is a prosperity preacher whose agenda seeks to impose her modern framework of false teaching on the Bible. Learning how Paula twists the Scriptures will help keep you from disaster and preserve your faith from bad doctrine.

Jason Jimenez is the founder and president of Stand Strong Ministries and is a respected Christian-worldview speaker, and faculty member at Summit Ministries. He is the best-selling author of Hijacking Jesus: How Progressive Christians Are Remaking Him and Taking Over the Church, Challenging Conversations: A Practical Guide to Discuss Controversial Topics in the Church, and Parenting Gen Z: Guiding Your Child through a Hostile Culture.   source

Brethren, don’t be deceived by Paula White and other prosperity gospel so-called ‘preachers!’ They preach a different gospel than the true Gospel of Jesus Christ from Scripture!!

Pray that a true believer from Trump’s inner circle will be brave enough to tell him the truth about this women and her Jezebel spirit!

HOW CAN I BE SAVED?

COME LORD JESUS!