Breaking Christian News on The Gospel Herald

Evangelical leaders, including at least one from each state, reportedly purchased a full-page newspaper advertisement to denounce President Donald Trump's temporary ban on refugees, urging him to reconsider his Jan. 27 executive order and instead welcome people fleeing persecution and violence. The ad, which is slated to run in The Washington Post, is signed by 100 prominent evangelical pastors and authors, and is addressed to Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.

Evidence of a 12th cave related to the Dead Sea scrolls was found this week by Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers. Archeologists, including Oren Gutfeld and Ahiad Ovadia from the university's Institute of Archeology -- aided by Randall Price and students of Liberty University in Virginia -- are the first people in more than 60 years to have discovered a new scroll cave. Prior to this find, it was believed only 11 caves had contained the coveted scrolls.

Residents of Rienzi, Miss., rallied Saturday after the town's mayor said he was forced to remove a Christian flag from Veterans Memorial Park, following the threat of a lawsuit by an atheist organization, Freedom From Religion Foundation. More than 100 supporters united at the park, where the group waved Christian flags. FFRF representatives said the flag in question needed to come down to avoid unconstitutionally endorsing religion on public grounds.

One of the most well-known broadcasters in America's history, Paul Harvey, voiced a powerful and straightforward Super Bowl TV commercial for Ram Trucks in 1978, which is being lifted up today as one of the most memorable Super Bowl ads of the past...partially because God plays a starring role in the commercial.

President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and a few family members prayed with Judge Neil Gorsuch before his nomination this week to the nation's highest court, along with Maureen Scalia, and Fr. Paul Scalia, the wife and son of the deceased conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Gorsuch attends an Episcopal church and cited his faith in his nomination speech.

Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, or Purification of the Blessed Virgin, is being observed today (Feb. 2) by Christians around the world. While it is customary for Christians in some countries to remove their Christmas decorations on Twelfth Night (Epiphany Eve), those in other Christian countries historically remove them on Candlemas. On Candlemas, many Christians (especially Anglicans, Methodists, Lutherans, Orthodox and Roman Catholics) also take their candles to their local church, where they are blessed and then used for the rest of the year.

Pastor Rick Warren, of Saddleback Church in California, said this year's 65th annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., on Thursday is particularly important due to how estranged Americans have become following the recent presidential election. More than 3,000 attendees are expected.

Clergy were part of a religious outpouring against President Donald Trump's plan to suspend refugee entry from seven Muslim-majority countries. Faith leaders who support the president's executive order as a way to fight terrorism were less vocal this weekend.

Church choirs sang, a half-dozen religious leaders prayed and Donald Trump, as U.S. presidents before him, mentioned God in his inauguration speech. "There should be no fear. We are protected and we will always be protected. We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement. And most importantly, we will be protected by God," he said.

A group of Christian leaders prayed over the doorway through which U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will walk at the Capitol Building for Friday's inauguration. They reportedly asked for direction, leadership, protection and blessings for the incoming Trump Administration.

Trump International Hotel managers again will host the Presidential Inaugural Prayer Breakfast, reversing the previous cancelation of their contract to hold the Jan. 20 event, according to organizer Rev. Merrie Turner. Hotel representatives reinstated the contract with Turner Saturday, the day after the organizer hostess and her lawyer filed a $1 million lawsuit against the 58th Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) in U.S. Superior Court for the District of Columbia for interfering with a contract. The non-partisan, inter-denominational prayer breakfast dates back to 1993.

Christian ministers went to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Wednesday to appeal to Congressional members about Comcast Corporation's recent actions to decrease or cease distribution of The Word Network, the largest African-American religious network in the world that was reaching 3 billion people around the globe. On Nov. 11, 2016, Comcast executives sent a two-sentence letter to The Word Network, stating it will no longer offer the channel to millions of subscribers on 456 Comcast systems.

Three caves and hiking enthusiasts just discovered significant religious symbols dating back to Jesus Christ's era, according to an Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announcement. A cross, plus an ancient seven-branched menorah, was found engraved on the walls of an early water cistern in Judean foothills. The etchings are believed to be more than 2,100 years old.

The musical addition of Carrie Underwood at the Passion 2017 religious conference angered some attendees due to her open acceptance of gay rights. Rev. Louie Giglio, pastor and organizer of the gathering, received a letter from an angry Christian who was upset about Underwood leading congregation into worship on Jan. 2 in Atlanta, Ga.

Immediately following a gunman's shooting attack on passengers at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport in Florida Friday afternoon, groups and individuals began to send prayers for the victims, and their families and friends. Some say they are praying for a nation during this current transition period, which is also riddled with confusion, anger and sorrow.

New U.S Army regulations released on Tuesday state service members at the brigade level now will be granted religious accommodations to wear turbans, skullcaps, beards and hijabs, in accordance with their faith, effective immediately. The new policies also permit religious bracelets, as well as dreadlocks for female soldiers. Permissions of this type previously were made on a case-by-case basis.

Northern California county officials recently reversed their decision to ban a Christian congregation from meeting in a barn. Located just outside of Oroville, Calif. in Butte County, a group of Christians had been holding meetings in a barn, but county officials informed the owners of the barn and property they could no longer use the space to host church services. The same officials later even banned church gatherings in an open pasture on the property.

One of the most generous 2016 Christmas gifts bestowed actually started by church members donating one dollar at a time! A Coral Springs church in Margate, Fla., surprised a mother of two children with a new car after she thought her 1992 vehicle was being towed. Church by the Glades in Coral Springs staffers and members executed a convincing prank on one of its members, Nicole Rollins, as she watched her car being pulled away.

David Grisham, an evangelical street preacher from Anchorage, Alaska, decided to inform a line full of unsuspecting children at a mall in Texas they were being lied to about Santa Claus. "Kids, I want to tell you today that there is no such thing as Santa Claus," Grisham told people waiting in line for Christmas photos at the Westgate Mall in Amarillo, Tex. "Santa Claus does not exist. The Christmas season is about Jesus."

Christmas day for this year will be celebrated on Sunday. This leads to some of the churches asking whether they would hold services for December 25 since most of the people will celebrate Christmas with their families. Most of them, however, were looking into adjusting the services schedules to make up for the celebration of Christmas.

Paintings of artistic genius Rembrandt, who traditionally was more associated with Protestant Europe, now are on display at the Vatican Museums -- a first for the popular spot that attracts millions of visitors annually. Titled "Rembrandt in the Vatican: Images Between Heaven and Earth," the show includes 53 artworks from the Zorn Museum in Sweden and the Kremer Collection in the Netherlands. Some of the Dutch artist's best-known works are biblical scenes, such as "The Raising of the Cross" and "Adam and Eve."

Two American pastors -- Ryan Keating and Andrew Brunson -- recently were detained in Turkey and deemed "threats to national security" there. "Protestant or Christian churches are seen as an American influence, and now that Turkey is anti-American, they are being targeted even more," said Aykan Erdemir, a senior fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a former member of the Turkish parliament.

Kevin Labby, senior pastor at Willow Creek Church in Florida this week proclaimed disgraced pastor and grandson of evangelist Billy Graham, Tullian Tchivijian, should not be in ministry. Tchivijian used to minister at Willow Creek with Labby, who released a statement on Thursday stating Tchivijian needs to "pursue healing and renewal" before any return to ministry. Tchividjian's sordid sexual sins wrecked his marriage and ministry after they were publicly exposed in the summer of 2015.

Dolly Parton reunited with fellow cast members on red carpet at Dollywood last week to celebrate the premiere of "Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love." The movie airs Nov. 30 on NBC at 8 p.m. CST, and focuses on a Christmas miracle. Christian attitude is the backbone of the new film. "Hi, Lord, it's Dolly-I'm back!" says Alyvia Alyn Lind who plays a nine-year-old Parton living in Tennessee in the 1950s.

"The only explanation for everything God has done at NCC over the past 20 years is five words that Jesus declared 2,000 years ago - I will build my church," declared Mark Batterson, lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C., as congregants celebrate two decades of existence this year. NCC, referred to as "the theater church, is one creative church in eight unique locations in the DC metro area; it started from three people on the first Sunday service in 1996 to now a large group of Christians who supported 34 mission trips this year.