Displaying items by tag: North America

Motions against ‘Islamophobia’ are not legally binding but extremists are demanding them as laws. Shutting out any criticism against hardliner behaviour in the West actually means giving extremists a license to commit atrocities. Resolution M-103, seeking to condemn ‘Islamophobia,’ was introduced recently in Canada’s House of Commons, sparking a controversy. A similar motion, labelled M-37, was later tabled in the Ontario provincial legislature and was passed. Like its predecessor it demanded that lawmakers condemn all forms of Islamophobia and reaffirm support for the Anti-Racism Directorate, in order to address and prevent systemic racism across government policy, programmes and services. It is feared that hardliners supporting this form of censorship and other restrictions required by Islamic sharia law aim to blur the line between genuine bigotry and criticism of core problems such as anti-Semitism, violence against women and minors, female genital mutilation, child marriage, etc. Canada already has laws to curb any discrimination or abuse against individuals or groups.

A Christian couple in Oregon were fined $135,000 (£109,000) for refusing to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple. Aaron and Melissa Klein, who own a local bakery called Sweet Cakes in Oregon, maintain that they did not refuse to serve the gay customers; they only refused to participate in making a cake for their wedding. They have decided to appeal against the ruling, with First Liberty Institute attorney Hiram Sasser representing them. They said, ‘We have no litmus test for customers. We serve everybody no matter who they are, from every walk of life. That’s part of being open to the public. These two women were in fact return customers.’ The couple cannot discuss the case due to a gag order.

A national poll has found that while there is deep disagreement between Republicans and Democrats over whether Christianity is central to American identity, a majority of the population (seven out of ten) agrees that the country is losing its identity as a whole. Democrats, independents and Republicans agree that there is confusion as to what American identity actually is. Only one in ten Americans has a biblical worldview, and overall Christian religious beliefs were ranked near the bottom in terms of what is critical to the national identity, with only 40% saying a culture grounded in Christian religious beliefs is extremely important.

All 100 members of the US Senate are asking for President Trump to provide help for the Jewish community, in the light of a number of bomb threats against Jewish community centres . They have signed a letter requesting the White House to act decisively over these threats. The letter stated, ‘We are concerned that the number of incidents is increasing. Failure to address and deter them will place innocent people at risk and threaten the financial viability of Jewish Community Centres (JCCs), many of which are institutions in their communities.’ The letter also calls on the White House to reach out to Jewish centres and institutions with victim assistance, grant opportunities, or other methods of enhancing security measures and improving preparedness.

Among all homeless families in the USA, over three-quarters are headed by single women with children; about 30 percent of children in the foster care system would be discharged if their parents were properly housed. CityHouse in Delray Beach, Florida, is now providing transitional housing and support for those who would otherwise be homeless and at risk of having their children placed in foster care. Families at the Avenue Church had been providing shelter for such children. ‘We would take that child till the mum or dad got better. But what we discovered was that it was really the mum that needed care as well,’ explained Casey Cleveland, lead pastor at the church. In 2013 a small apartment building was secured with enough units to house five single mothers and their children, and CityHouse was established. The mothers must demonstrate a willingness to make a positive change in their lives, pay a small amount of rent, and attend weekly Bible studies on the property.

President Trump named Judge Neil Gorsuch as his nominee for the Supreme Court of the United States, to replace Justice Antonin Scalia who died last February. Gorsuch currently serves on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals and has the backing of pro-life and conservative groups. Trump recognised the importance of the decision, saying, ‘He is the man our country needs to make sure the rule of law and the rule of justice are followed. After defence of the nation, appointing a justice is the most important decision a president makes.’ Gorsuch pledged that, if confirmed, he would uphold the Constitution of the United States. There is likely to be strong opposition from the Democrats and other liberal groups when his confirmation is voted on. See

Jadine Louissaint is a second-generation Haitian born and raised in the USA. While growing up, she experienced the stigma associated with her culture and ancestry, and tried to escape from that social disadvantage through education and a good career. She trained as a nurse and did an MBA in healthcare, but in 2015 realised that something was missing from her life. She began to seek God through prayer and fasting. He showed her that His will and purpose for her life was not only to embrace her culture and heritage for herself, but to seek to empower young Haitian women and girls to effect positive change in their country - spiritually, socially, and culturally. In response, she founded TransforMe Ayiti (Transform Haiti), which seeks to provide the next generation of women leaders and innovators with tools for success. Jadine’s vision is to help Haiti become a self-sustained country, by investing in its most precious resource: the youth, specifically young women.

The inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States of America took place in Washington, watched by tens of millions around the world. His speech was full of rhetoric and confirmed many of his aims mentioned in the campaign leading to his presidency: America First, never let you down, trade deals changing, Mexico wall, anti-terrorism. Think big, dream bigger. Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham, before reading a passage from 1 Timothy, said: ‘Mr President, in the Bible rain is a sign of God's blessing. It started to rain, Mr. President, when you came to the platform. It's my prayer that God will bless you, your family, your administration, and may He bless America.’ We will wait to see when the rhetoric becomes reality and what priorities President Trump sets. One of his first actions was a memorandum designed to move forward the controversial Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines. See:

In the Messianic Jewish community that I’m part of, we define ourselves as Jews who are at the same time loyal to Yeshua as Messiah and Lord, and loyal to the Jewish community with its values and traditions. This can be a balancing act at times, but it also unlocks a prophetic vision for the restoration of all Israel, not just individual Jewish people, through Messiah Yeshua. This restoration, in turn, is to be the source of blessing for all of humanity. “For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?” (Rom. 11:15).

This vision was rekindled in the late 60s and early 70s as many Jewish people got swept up in the Jesus movement of those days. Today’s Messianic Jewish community was pioneered at that time and on through the 80s, but in North America it’s been in a less dynamic mode in recent years. In contrast with our early days, we are missing:

• Unabashed enthusiasm for Yeshua and his rule present and future.
• Active moving of the Spirit of God among us.
• Simple and powerful reliance on Scripture.
• Constant concern for Jews who need Messiah and how to reach them.

I request prayer for our community to be renewed on these four vital points. We also need prayer for:

1. Spiritual awakening among the Jewish communities of North America, including (and probably starting with) our existing Messianic Jewish community.
2. Our community to have a new level of influence and impact in the wider Jewish community, with boldness and wisdom in sharing the good news of Messiah, and many Jewish people of all ages responding.
3. Renewing our founding vision in terms that younger Jewish people can understand and find compelling, and which remain true to Scripture.
4. The growth of a thriving prayer network within our community.

Russ Resnik

Rabbinic Counsel

Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations

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