Free Republic

In the weeks after a series of airstrikes shook Iran this summer, a house-church pastor organized a small team to deliver hot meals to neighbors. In the war’s aftermath, many Iranians were overwhelmed by food scarcity and mounting debts. A bowl of hot soup may seem small compared to a stew of global conflict, but to struggling families in Iran, the practical help pointed to a powerful gospel… Jesus the living bread…The kindness of believers pointed to the compassion of Christ. Sam Ahmadi spoke with the house-church pastor and came away deeply encouraged: “It was a vivid reminder that a...

In recent years, a surprising trend has emerged: more and more Muslims are converting to Christianity. But what is driving this shift? At the heart of many conversions is a deep desire for a personal relationship with God…For many Muslims, the message of grace, forgiveness, and love is incredibly compelling. In Islam, there is a strong emphasis on works, laws and obedience. While these are important values, some Muslims who convert to Christianity find a sense of freedom and peace in knowing that they don’t have to earn God’s love—it’s given freely through Jesus. According to Ephesians 2:8, “For it...

On September 24, 2025, a South Korean court confirmed Pastor Son Hyun-bo’s detention, rejecting his appeal for review. To most Western readers, this name may mean little. But in Korea, Son is no fringe figure. He leads Segero Church in Busan, one of the country’s largest congregations, baptizing over 1,000 new believers annually. His arrest marks a chilling escalation in what many now call a war on religious liberty. Son’s story reads like a Korean epic. In 1993, he took over Noksan Jeil, a dying Presbyterian church in Busan with twenty members. He renamed it “Segero”—“To the World”—and built it...

One of the new crop of self-made and self-credentialed online evangelists has flamed out in spectacular fashionJesus, it could be reasonably observed, recruited a motley cast to serve as the first heralds of the gospel. An endlessly squabbling band of fishermen, with a few tax collectors and zealots thrown in, the biblical narratives have them endlessly jockeying among themselves for prominence and status before they, to a man, flee when the going gets tough and their Messiah gets arrested. In the two thousand years since, the Catholic Church has done its best to balance the inevitable imperfections of its messengers...

Christianity is growing at an unprecedented rate in several regions around the world, particularly in Africa, Latin America, and Asia, known as the Global South. From the spread of passionate faith-based communities to the establishment of thriving churches in urban centers, Christianity’s growth rate continues to climb. “According to the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary”, these trends indicate that Christianity is expanding in new and dynamic ways...Factors like migration, high birth rates, and the influence of revivalist movements are all contributing to the rapid growth. Let’s examine where in the world Christianity is growing...

There is a spiritual battle going on, but if we'll stay true to the Word of God, He will provide!

It’s no secret that over the past 60 years U.S. Christian apologists have witnessed a dramatic cultural sea change. In the past, we could assume two things: the general belief in reasonable objective truths, and a baseline cultural familiarity with what’s in the Bible. All that shifted with the appearance of Gen Z, which Barna Group has dubbed “the first truly ‘post-Christian’ generation.” - Shifts in the Apologetics Landscape: 1. Students are asking questions about God at a younger age than before. 2. Nonbelievers now have equal access to young people. 3. There has been a move from objective to...

In every military operation, intelligence is critical. You don’t launch an assault or prepare a defense without first assessing the terrain, the threats, and the timetable. In the same way, Bible prophecy serves as spiritual reconnaissance—it gives believers advance knowledge of God’s redemptive plan, coming judgments, and final victory. But this intel is not meant to be hoarded by the Church like a top-secret file. It’s meant to be shared—urgently, boldly, and with compassion. Bible prophecy is not merely a roadmap of the end times—it is a divine megaphone shouting to the world: “Jesus saves, and He’s coming back soon!”...

Recalling a sober moment he had while at Cornerstone Church, Chan said he baptized a kid from a gang but that kid later left though he was quite involved in the church. "One of my friends asked him, 'Hey, how come you're not at Cornerstone anymore?' He said 'I didn't understand church. When I was baptized, I thought that was going to be being jumped into the gang where it's like 24/7 they're my family, because I didn't know it was just somewhere we attend on Sundays." When Chan heard that, he said it made him sick. "That makes me...

A Missionary from Africa comes to the United States and shares with a concerned Christian how he feels the church in America is being deceived and in great danger. The Christian is very convicted by what he hears, makes a significant change in his life, and then sets forth a plan to reach his city with the Gospel.

Praying daily since 2015:Join with fellow FREEPERS to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Military, Business, Healthcare, Education, Churches, and the Media. I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone: for kings and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ~ 1 Timothy 2:1-2 Religion Forum Threads labeled [Prayer] are closed to debate of any kind.

Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, ‘Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?’” (Acts 8:30-31). One consistent criticism of Bible prophecy—or at least advocates of the importance of God’s prophetic Word—is that it has little relevance to individual believers, or the core work of the Church. Many pastors express reluctance to preach on prophecy because they have so many other concerns clamoring for their attention, from marriage and family issues to Satan and sin nipping at the heels of their flock. Others are openly hostile toward Bible prophecy. Rick Warren, a prominent pastor who leads...

What will the post-Hamas era look like for Palestinians and Israelis in 2024? While many geopolitical changes are ahead, tonight on THE ROSENBERG REPORT on TBN, a Palestinian Evangelical Christian from Gaza tells me that he believes a great spiritual awakening is about to take place in the Gaza Strip when the Hamas terrorist organization is finally and fully vanquished. Last week on THE ROSENBERG REPORT, Taysir Abu Saada – known to his friends as “Tass” – told me his testimony of how he was once a radical Islamist terrorist working for Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in the 1970s and...

Comedian Jay Leno unwittingly sent a desperately needed message to every preacher and teacher of the word of God in the days after his accident. I do not know if Jay Leno is saved man, a Google search failed to reveal what church he may attend, and precious little information was forthcoming. I did find an interesting blog post from a Ron Stewart, who had this to say about Leno. “A few years ago, I was watching Jay Leno interview a guest on his show named Howard Stem, a New York radio personality. During the interview, Stem began to make...

The Metropolitan Police in London has apologized for falling "below standards" in the case of a Christian evangelist who was wrongfully arrested twice while preaching the Gospel at the city's Speakers' Corner. Hatun Tash, who critiques and debates the Quran and Islam at Central London's Speakers' Corner, has received £10,000 (about $11,304) in compensation and costs, the Christian Legal Centre announced Friday. In late September, Inspector of the Metropolitan Police Directorate of Professional Standards Civil Actions Unit, Andy O'Donnell, sent Tash a letter formally apologizing for service that fell below the department's "requisite standard.""I would like to take this opportunity...

“And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:42, 43). As Jesus hung on the cross, dying for the sin of the world, two criminals hung on either side of Him. Condemned for their crimes, they too would die that day. But one of them ultimately recognized who Jesus was. It was that criminal who called Him “Lord”. The Greek word for Lord Is “Kyrios” which is a title given to God, the Messiah. And...

Join with fellow FREEPERS across the world to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Military, Business, Agri-Business, Healthcare, Education, Churches, Technology, and the Media. "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone: for kings and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." (1 Timothy 2:1-2) Religion Forum threads labeled [Prayer] are closed to debate of any kind.

Very frequently mission mistakes result from a lack of appreciation for, and even ignorance of, the culture in question. It may be that the greatest flaw today in missionary orientation for post-Soviet lands is not its brevity, although that is frequently a serious shortcoming. The greatest flaw may be inadequate to nonexistent country-specific and culture-specific preparation; that is, woefully insufficient study of pertinent languages, literature and history. Ministry training too often focuses on what might be called generic preparation...Greater attention to culture-specific orientation and training... would reap ample dividends in terms of less traumatic culture shock and greater longevity for...

And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.( Mark 10:17-19)We have been discussing the fact that a primary function of the true church must be Evangelism. We are called to “go...

I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an...