British Muslims Condemn Savage Attack and Slaughter

British Muslims Condemn Savage Attack and Slaughter
Christian and Muslim leaders issue joint statement following attack in Woolwich

By Jeremy Reynalds
Senior Correspondent for ASSIST News Service
LONDON (ANS) -- Leaders of Britain's 2.8 million Muslims reacted with horror and anger following Wednesday's (May 22) slaughter with knives and machetes of an off-duty British soldier in the streets outside the Royal Artillery Barracks in south London.

Slain soldier Lee Rigby

According to a story by Trevor Grundy for the Religion News Service (RNS), a statement from the Muslim Council of Britain condemned the slaughter of the soldier by two men - both believed to be Christian converts to Islam - as "a barbaric act that has no basis in Islam and which we condemn unreservedly."Abdullah al Andalusi, a spokesman for the Muslim Debate Initiative, which brings together Islamic scholars and researchers in the U.K., said, "These people claimed they killed the soldier in the name of protecting others from UK foreign policy. But if what they claim is true, they have acted no differently from the crimes they claim they wish to see stopped."
The slain soldier was Drummer Lee Rigby, 25, of the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.
Every major British newspaper carried graphic photos of one of the suspects, identified as 28-year old Michael Adebolajo, waving a butcher's cleaver, his hands soaked in blood, following the attack.
RNS said media reports indicate his Nigerian-born parents moved him to London at age 15 to get him away from Islamic fundamentalists. A report in Thursday's London Evening Standard said that he had been raised as a Christian but had converted to Islam.
"They have done a cowardly, barbaric act," said Imam Ajmal Masroor of the Islamic Society of Britain. "They have insulted God and Islam. They are low vile scum. We, the British, will remain together resolute and strong."
RNS said Prime Minister David Cameron, who cut short a visit to Paris when he heard the news of the horrendous slaughter, said the nation remains "resolute" in the face of the attacks. However, he also tried to prevent a backlash of anti-Muslim violence that has already resulted in attacks on at least two mosques.
"We will never give in to terrorism in any of its forms," RNS reported he said. "This was not just an attack on Britain and on the British way of life. It was also a betrayal of Islam and of the Muslim communities who give so much to this country. There is nothing in Islam that justified this dre adful act."
RNS said a prominent Muslim in the city of Leicester told the news service that that he and his community are "extremely worried" about right-wing reaction to the slaughter in London.
"This could fuel the anger of organizations like the English Defense League and the British National Party," he said, requesting anonymity because he feared for his safety.
He added, "The EDL last night had over 250 of its supporters wearing white balaclavas near the scene of the murder. They were shouting anti-Islamic slogans."
RNS said EDL leader Tommy Robinson told reporters, "They've cut off one of our army's (soldier's) heads in the streets of London. Our next generation are being taught in schools that Islam is a religion of peace. It never has been. What you saw today is Islam."
Joint Statement of Condemnation
Christian and Muslim leaders in Sheffield issued a joint statement following the attack.

A news release from the Diocese of Sheffield said, "As Christian and Muslim leaders in Sheffield, we condemn in the strongest possible terms the dreadful murder that has taken place in Woolwich.

"Eyewitnesses suggest that the murderers made Islamic slogans during their terrible deed and were thus motivated by their Islamic faith. This appalling action has no basis whatever in Islam and is to be condemned unreservedly."

The news release said the signatories' thoughts were with the soldier and his family. "Muslims have long served in our country's Armed Forces, proudly and with honour. This attack on a member of the Armed Forces is despicable and no cause can justify such a murder."

The statement continued, "We call on all our communities, regardless of their faith or ethnicity, to come together in solidarity to ensure that the forces of hatred do not prevail. And it is important that we support the police in their peacekeeping work at this time of tension."

The statement was signed by Rt. Rev. Dr. Steven Croft, Bishop of Sheffield, Rt. Rev. John Raw sthorne, Bishop of Hallam, the Rev. Vernon Marsh Chair of Methodist District, Mohammad Ali, Imam Mohammad Ismail, Imam Pro Sleem Akhtar, Imam M. Aslam Zahid, Imam Abu Saeed Kamali, Abdurrezak Bougara and Imam M. Ali.

A White Afrikaner Doctor Stuns Audience When He Apologizes To Black Doctors of Africa for the Racism of His People in South Africa

Dr. Frans J. Cronje made his request for forgiveness during a medical conference in Nairobi, Kenya By Dan Wooding Founder of ASSIST Ministries NAIROBI, KENYA (ANS) -- Dr. Frans J. Cronje, a white Afrikaner doctor stunned an audience in Nairobi, Kenya, recently when, during a keynote session at a Christian medical conference, he apologized to the hundreds of black doctors for the racism of his people in South Africa. Dr. Frans J. Cronje making his apology during the WCDN conference Speaking on the topic of "Spiritual Roots of Disease", Dr. Cronje said, "I was born in London. I have a British birth certificate. I also have a Dutch, French, and German ancestral heritage. And, I am an Afrikaner. So, I represent the African colonial empires and a white South African male. I am a symbol of generational racism.generational iniquity... "We have all had to learn that racism is contrary to God's word - that is sin - and I have had to learn to think differently. We have behaved contrary to what we know God's Word says - that is transgression -- and I have had to repent before God for my disobedience. "Indeed, I also want to repent to you, today: I repent for the way my ancestors and I have oppressed you out of greed and have dishonored you out of fear... But I also need to overcome the stain of this generational iniquity by demonstrating that I want to change; that I want to become my brother's keeper again; and that I have had a change of heart. Another picture of Dr. Frans J. Cronje "Therefore, I would like to deposit something into Africa today that may help to restore the health and dignity our generational iniquity has stolen from you... That is how you overcome iniquity. That is how love covers a multitude of sins - it does so by demonstrating a desire to represent God's nature again." He went on to say, "Unfortunately, this is not the way we minister on issues of health. As a result, we complain that God does not answer our prayers and we continue relying only on the methods of man to overcome our persistent violations of His instruction, His laws, and His sovereignty. We need to change and to show that we want to!" Some 500 doctors, scientists and medical professionals from 37 countries came to the Kenyan capital of Nairobi for the 9th International Christian Medical Conference held May 25-26, 2012, to explore whether miracles still happen today and, if they do, to provide medical data to prove them. After making his request for forgiveness; Dr. Cronje received thunderous applause from the attendees for his brave statement. One doctor from the Democratic Republic of Congo told me, "It was very courageous of Dr. Cronje to make this apology to us and, of course, we accept it. After all, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are commanded to forgive. He is the first Afrikaner that I have heard make a statement like this, and it is deeply appreciated by all of us from the continent of Africa." Dr. Cronje is a medical doctor who specializes in diving, hyperbaric and aerospace medicine, and received both his medical degree and a Master's of Science degree in Aerospace Medicine from the University of Pretoria cum laude in 1991 and 1997 respectively. He completed the full medical licensing exams to practice medicine in the United States and subsequently completed a clinical Fellowship in Diving, Hyperbaric and Underwater Medicine at Duke University, Durham, NC, USA in 2003. He is considered the pioneer of modern hyperbaric oxygen therapy in Southern Africa and has dedicated 17 years of his professional career to introduce and expand this scientific, therapeutic modality in South Africa. African doctors praying during the conference Dr. Cronje also went on to say, "This brings me to an important understanding: all unrighteousness is not biologically equal. 'All fall short of the glory of God' and, yes, 'the wages of sin is death'. So the eternal consequences are indeed the same. However they are not the same biologically: stealing your pen is not the same as murdering you even though both actions are unrighteous. "God himself makes the distinction in Exodus 34:6-7: Here He declares His own nature and says that He forgives iniquity, transgression and sin. Jesus uses this same distinction when He says that the thief comes but to steal to kill and to destroy. Please do not leave here today without getting this from my message: sin represents ignorance of God's principles. It robs you of God's blessings and reduces your quality-of-life. "The first example of this progression in Scripture comes from the life of Cain. He displays ignorance by bringing the fruit of his own labors as a sacrifice to God instead of the shed blood of lambs - our works do not atone for our sins; we have to follow God's instructions. His sacrifice is rejected, but God instructs him, tells him not to sulk, encourages him to do what is right, and warns him not to entertain anger because sin is lurking at his door. "God covers his sin. However, Cain disobeys this instruction, goes into the field and murders his brother in a deliberate violation of God's instruction. So transgression reduces life itself and leads to premature death. I encourage you to explore the Scriptures and you will find this consistently: transgression leads to death. There is another level, though: After murdering his brother, Cain is confronted by God who asks him where his brother is. Cain responds by saying: 'am I my brother's keeper'. The very meaning of brother in Hebrew is a 'strong fence' or 'strong keeper'. So in this simple statement Cain is challenging God's right as sovereign lawmaker. Dan Wooding with some of the Maasai dancers who performed during the WCDN conference "This is iniquity; the point where we determine right and wrong for ourselves rather than accepting God's absolutes. At the end of this initial confrontation, Cain expresses these profound words: my iniquity is more than I can lift off. The English translation is misleading. It reads 'my punishment is more than I can bear'. This is not about punishment primarily; this is about the consequence of violating God's sovereignty. It is Cain's iniquity that brings on a generational effect. Cain is now marked". He added, "In an effort to limit the damage, he is instructed by God not to concentrate in cities. However, he disobeys this instruction again and it leads ultimately to the destruction of the entire World except for eight people! Iniquity destroys. Steal, kill, destroy.Iniquity is also transferred from generation to generation until someone is willing to take it on. It is the basis of inherited sin, inherited mental illness, and inherited the biological disease. Like Cain, this is the point where people have the greatest problem with their understanding of God. "They interpret their suffering as punishment and accuse God of His lack of mercy. What they fail to realize, is that God is actually expressing His greatest mercy in that He does not destroy the person who became twisted immediately. Rather, God's appreciation of life is so great, and his willingness to demonstrate patience towards us is so vast, that He allows the person to live, to see the impact of his iniquity, in the hope that Ezekiel 18 will be fulfilled: That a father will look at his son and cry out: 'God what must I do'. Or a son will look at his father and say: 'I want to change'. This is the point where the restoration that comes by God's own sacrifice - through His Son's atoning death - can be appropriated. "Yes, Jesus died for our sins, but we must appropriate the fullness thereof by becoming willing to learn God's ways; by repenting of our disobedience; and by showing our change of heart as we choose to manifest His love." Dr. Cronje also said, "With few exceptions, the Bible attributes sickness to sin. However, with the discovery of microorganisms four centuries ago, the emphasis gradually shifted towards a more material and biological understanding of the cause of disease. "Today there is nearly a complete dissociation between the original Biblical understanding of man and the modern practice of medicine and psychiatry. Yet, for all the advances of science, nearly 70% of the population of most Western countries are on chronic medication whereas 40% have a mental health diagnosis; elsewhere, poverty and disease abound. Our modern biological and chemical approaches are not solving our present health problems. "Evidence from psycho-neuro-immuno-endocrinology (PNIE), epigenetic research and functional medicine all suggest that 75 to 85% of chronic and incurable disease have associated emotional root causes. These root causes are strikingly similar to those first described in Genesis 3 - fear, guilt and shame." In his presentation, the doctor offered a practical framework in which the links between spiritual roots and biological problems may be reconciled and understood from both a Scriptural and a scientific perspective. "The ultimate goal is the pursuit of wholeness and sanctification of spirit, soul and body," he added. Note: In South Africa, an Afrikaner minority party, the National Party, came to power in 1948 and enacted a series of segregationist laws favoring whites known as Apartheid (literally "apartness"). These laws allowed the systematic persecution of opposition leaders and attempted to enforce general white supremacy by classifying all South African inhabitants into racial groups. Non-white political participation was outlawed, black citizenship revoked, and the entire public sphere, including education, residential areas, medical care and common areas such as public transportation, beaches and sidewalks, was segregated. Apartheid was officially ended in 1990 after significant internal resistance and a long embargo against South Africa. The factual end to apartheid, however, is widely regarded as the election of 1994. After a long series of negotiations between President Frederik Willem de Klerk and Nelson Mandela, a democratic, multi-racial election was held, transitioning power from the National Party to the black African National Congress. Attendees wave farewell at the end of the medical gathering Dr. David Nico, PhD, CWC, from the United States was another speaker and he presented a "Deliverance Case Study - Demon Possession." The doctor described himself as a "Healthpreneur & Wellness Expert," and is an educator, researcher, and spokesperson for DR. HEALTHNUTT which inspires people to live an active, healthy and exciting lifestyle by taking personal responsibility for their health. He is the Founder and CEO of NICO VENTURES®, a health consulting, promotion, and seed stage investment company. He has also appeared as a guest on television and radio programs and is a speaker at conferences and seminars. At the end of the conference, it was announced that the 10th World Christian Doctors Network International Conference will take place in Mexico City, Mexico, next year at a date yet to be announced. Dan Wooding, 71, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 48 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS) and was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC. He hosts the weekly "Front Page Radio" show on the KWVE Radio Network in Southern California and which is also carried throughout the United States. The program is also aired in Great Britain on Calvary Chapel Radio UK and also in Belize and South Africa. Besides this, Wooding is a host for His Channel Live, which is carried via the Internet to some 192 countries and also provides a regular commentary for Worship Life Radio on KWVE. You can follow Dan Wooding on Facebook under his name there or at ASSIST News Service. Dan has recently received two top media awards -- the "Passion for the Persecuted" award from Open Doors US, and one of the top "Newsmakers of 2011" from Plain Truth magazine. He is the author of some 44 books, the latest of which is "Caped Crusader: Rick Wakeman in the 1970s." To order a copy, go to: http://www.amazon.com/CAPED-CRUSADER-Rick-Wakeman-1970s/dp/1908728302/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335474883&sr=1-1 . Wooding, who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, has also recently released his first novel "Red Dagger" which is available this link.

Receiving Correction

Alice Smith

Can you give away something that you don’t have? Of course you can’t! Yet, we somehow have the idea that we can consecrate our unsurrendered lives to the Lord. There is only one thing we can wholly give to the Lord—that is the right to ourselves! (See Romans 12.)

In God’s character building school there is a basic operational principle. If when we are tested, challenged, corrected or rebuked and we choose to receive the correction with grace and humility, then the Lord will continue to promote us. But once we get bitter, take offense or try to defend our rights, then the Lord registers our reaction and sees that we are not ready for any higher position of authority. Why? Because surely we couldn’t handle the criticism and pressure that comes with more responsibility.

God tested King David’s reaction to correction through the words of the prophet Nathan. When David and the beautiful Bathsheba had hardly risen from their bed of adultery, David made arrangements for her husband, his faithful military officer Uriah, to be killed on the front line of battle (See 2 Sam. 11:14-27.) It seemed that David had now cunningly arranged his world to make allowances for his sin. But God says, “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Num. 32:23).

Following the time of mourning Uriah’s death, God sent His prophet Nathan to confront King David with his sin (see 2 Samuel 12). Nathan told David a story about a poor man with one sheep—a family pet. He explained how a rich man stole and ate the poor man’s only sheep. Thinking that the story was true, King David grew incensed and demanded that the rich man be arrested and immediately executed for such a thoughtless and selfish act. Calmly, Nathan told David that the story was a parable about David’s own life. The prophet turned to David and said: “Sir, thou art the man” (v. 7).

How would David, who had unlimited power in his kingdom, respond to Nathan’s accusation? Would he turn his anger toward Nathan and have him executed instead? Would he deny his sin with Bathsheba? Would he ignore his sin and continue living his life of royalty?

Amazingly, David immediately repented and openly confessed his sin. His words still echo through the halls of history: “I have sinned against the Lord” (v. 13). David obviously was a man of integrity. He accepted with grace the correction due him. He didn’t want to compound his sin of backsliding by adding to it the sin of hypocrisy.

No one enjoys correction. Facing discipline is never fun. In fact, it can be quite painful. Sometimes the criticism is justified, but other times it isn’t. But correction is sometimes necessary if we are to remain spiritually healthy. To listen and heed correction builds our character and often opens the door to future opportunities. But the person who is spiritually unteachable will go back to address the same issues over and over again until he or she learns to receive correction with grace and humility.

The discipline may come in an incorrect manner, but that is not the issue at hand. The question is, When you are challenged, corrected, rebuked or even misunderstood, what do you do? How do you respond? Do you snap back a retort and defend yourself? Do you lash out and point the finger at another? Do you sulk, run away or make excuses for your behavior? These are common responses, to be sure.

However, in every correction there is kernel of truth. Find that truth, permit the Lord to change your character and see how the devil will be unable to find a way to accuse you. God wants to see you react supernaturally to these provocations. If you learn to receive correction with grace and humility, then promotion may be the next step in your future.

I was corrected last week regarding a situation that was taken out of context with what was happening. One of our employers told me what a woman in the organization had said, and honestly my first thought was, What? Just who does she think she is?

But I have learned to submit criticisms that come my way to prayer. I did the same with this criticism. When I went to prayer I began to argue with the Lord about what had been said about me. I was shocked when I heard the Father speak to my heart, “Alice, swallow your pride and apologize.”

Immediately, I confessed this to the Lord and asked Him to change my character that with any criticism I will have a godly response. This practice isn't fun, but I allow the sometimes-painful correction of others to help purify my life. How about you? Will you receive correction and be changed too?