5 Degrees of Communication for Men

Surface talk with surface friends punctuated by thumbs-up and smiley face emojis. Chitchat, which Merriam-Webster defines as "friendly conversation about things that are not very important." How do we move beyond these ankle-deep acquaintances and develop real community with substantive conversations and more satisfying relationships in the deep end of true brotherhood?

In the classic book Why Am I Afraid to Tell You Who I Am?, John Powell walks us through five degrees of communication. Getting to the fourth and fifth degree is where we leave the shallows and begin to experience the depths of true brotherhood.

1. Cliché level – Elevator talk. "How's it going?" without wanting to know how it's really going. "What do you think about this weather?" "How 'bout them Texans ... Astros ... Rockets ... etc.?" You can have conversations like that with total strangers, if you want to call them conversations. They're completely benign, low-risk exchanges with no real connections. Just clichés.

Ramadan dispute leads to fire causing £8m damage in German refugee camp

A dispute over Ramadan meals led to the destruction of a shelter in a German migrant camp, causing £8m worth of damage, according to German investigators.

The building housed 282 asylum seekers in the city of Duesseldorf. Two North African men were arrested in conjunction with the fire on Tuesday and approximately 24 treated for smoke inhalation, according to Breitbart.

After a late evening meal was introduced to accommodate Muslims who fasted for Ramadan, a group of men who were not fasting complained their lunch portions were too small, according to the BBC.

"We look at this as the motive," said one German investigator.

However the German newpaper Express said the fire was caused after two Moroccan men accused Iranian staff of "deliberately" not waking those who were observing Ramadan, causing them to miss their pre-dawn meal.

Why We Should Walk in the Fruits of the Spirit Daily

What are you putting on daily as a follower of Christ? What aren't you putting on?

Walking in the Spirit and putting on the Lord are action words. It means we have something to do as a follower of Christ, and complacency or passivity cannot take hold. We cannot sit around doing nothing and expect to see things change. Galatians instructs us to, "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Gal. 5:16), and in Romans, it says, "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts" (Rom. 13:14).

World’s social media giants agree to suppress ‘hate speech,’ sparking fears of free speech clampdown

Stoking fear of a free speech clampdown, the world’s leading social media companies have agreed to combat “hate speech,” including “homophobia,” on their platforms in an agreement with the European Union.

Social conservatives warn that the pact is not based on law and could be used to suppress politically incorrect views about Muslim immigration, abortion and the LGBTQ agenda.

Researchers use adult stem cells to reverse stroke symptoms up to 3 years later

Researchers at Stanford University’s School of Medicine have successfully treated stroke victims with donated adult stem cells, restoring the use of legs and arms rendered useless by the loss of brain function.

One test subject is Sonia Coontz, 36, of Long Beach California who was so fearful she wouldn’t be able to walk unaided down the aisle, she postponed her marriage. After the brief treatment under partial anaesthesia she married and is now pregnant.

Is It Time to Throw in the Towel?

Where does a pastor go to resign? Where does a minister go to throw in that infamous towel?

Does a missionary need God's permission to call it quits? What about your own personal ministry?

The answer is a very simple one, and it is the same answer for all four heart-wrenching questions.

Rend the Heavens and Come Down!

When God rends the heavens, there is an open manifestation of His presence and power. His breakthrough creates dramatic change, and opens the way for the blueprint of heaven to be established on Earth. Biblically, Pentecost was a time that the heavens were rent, and I believe the Lord longs to intervene with His Spirit during this Pentecost season.

Come and celebrate Pentecost 5776 with us on June 10-12 at the Global Spheres Center in Corinth, Texas! There is no charge to enter into this powerful time of breakthrough, whether onsite or via our live webcast.

Massive fire engulfs South Africa's Jesus Dome megachurch

Firefighters in Durban, South Africa, had a massive fire on their hands Tuesday evening at Durban Christian Centre. People on the nearby M3 highway watched as flames enveloped the church known as the Jesus Dome. A news anchor from eNews Channel Africa (eNCA) said the cause of the fire was unknown.

In an interview with eNCA, Robert McKenzie, KZN emergency services spokesman, called the blaze a "huge fire" and said that firefighters were doing a "sterling job."

"People from the church are on scene, and they've been able to give on-scene, firsthand accounts saying that everybody who was in the church is accounted for, and there is nobody missing at this stage," McKenzie told the television station.

However, a policeman was knocked over by a vehicle while directing traffic, according to Crime Intelligence & Community Awareness (CICA) South Africa.

Reporters were not able to reach the pastor, Dr. Fred Roberts, by phone.

US Senate bill would fine pharmacists $1,000 a day for refusing to provide Plan B

Senate Democrats have introduced a bill that would impose crushing fines on pharmacists who refuse to personally dispense “emergency contraception,” a potential abortifacient, removing conscience protections from the law.

The “Access to Birth Control Act” (S. 2960), introduced on May 19 by Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, would require pharmacists to provide “any drug or device approved by the Food and Drug Administration to prevent pregnancy.”

ISIS burns 19 Yazidi women to death for refusing to have sex with militants

Islamic State militants have burned to death 19 young Yazidi women in Mosul for refusing to have sex with jihadists, ARA News reports.

Eyewitnesses reportedly told the site that the women were forced into iron cages and set alight on June 2 as a crowd of hundreds watched on.

Women Who Remain Virgins Before Marriage Least Likely to Divorce, Study Finds

Women who were virgins before they got married are the least likely to divorce after five years, but these brides are scarce, according to the results of a new study released Monday by the Institute for Family Studies.

The study also found that women married since the year 2000 who had just two sexual partners prior to marriage are surprisingly just as likely to end up divorced at the same rate after five years as a growing cohort of women who had 10 or more sexual partners before marriage.

Nigerian Muslim leaders condemn murder of elderly Christian pastor's wife

Leading Muslims in Nigeria have joined in condemnation of the mob murder of pastor's wife Bridget Agbahime, who was aged 74 years old.

Jama'atu Nasril Islam, the umbrella group representing Nigeria's Muslim leadership, said in a statement: "It is hardly believable that such dastardly acts could happen in the name of religion." The organisation added that the act was "criminal and un-Islamic, perpetrated by miscreants and criminals."

Pope approves Vatican department on life, laity and family for September

Pope Francis has approved the establishment of a new Vatican department — or dicastery —  for family, laity, and life.

The new dicastery will open September 1, 2016 with the merging of the existing Pontifical Council for the Family and the Pontifical Council for the Laity, which will then be suppressed, according to Holy See Press Office’s June 4 statement.

Has Hillary Clinton clinched the Democratic presidential nomination?

Hillary Clinton has reached the number of delegates needed to clinch the Democratic US presidential nomination, according to tallies on Monday by two US media outlets, the day before six states were set to vote in nominating contests.

A former senator and US secretary of state, Clinton would be the first woman to be the presidential candidate of a major political party in the country's 239-year history.

Norway to Return Seized Children to Christian Parents After Int'l Pressure

The Christian parents of five children, who were seized by Norwegian child services seven months ago to "prevent" them from being "indoctrinated" with Christianity, will soon be reunited as the authorities have agreed to return the custody of the remaining four kids to the family.

"We thank you all for your love, support, prayers, and active participation in the reunification of this family. May God richly bless you and repay you for all you have done to bring this family back together," says a statement from the Romanian Pentecostal parents, Marius and Ruth Bodnariu, who have been living in Norway for more than a decade, according to Romania Insider.

Ramadan 2016 Begins on Monday

The holy month of Ramadan begins. Observed by Muslims around the world, it marks the first revelation of the Qur'an to the Prophet Mohammed. Followers of Islam abstain from eating and drinking in daylight hours during Ramadan, choosing instead to feast before sunrise and after sunset.

Syrian and Russian aircraft step up bombing of Aleppo city

Around 50 air strikes hit rebel-held areas in and around the Syrian city of Aleppo on Sunday in some of the heaviest recent raids by Russian and Syrian government aircraft, residents and a monitoring group said.

The group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, also said an unidentified war plane had crashed in countryside south of Aleppo, in an area where Islamist rebel fighters are battling the Syrian army and Iranian-backed forces. It had no information on what caused the crash.

Occult Wisdom I

The women stand for what is negative, passive and tender; while the men stand for what is positive, active and compelling. That depicts the core component of womanhood and manhood respectively.

The occult school of thought therefore stipulates that it is the negative, passive and tender attribute of womanhood that help the women connect with the higher substantiality which  is closely related with the Almighty creator, and from which spirit-germs or souls come to the world of matter through reincarnation--in the womb of a woman.

Salvation Has Nothing to Do With a Feeling

Most people do not think of themselves as "creative."

I've taught many classes in creativity and even conducted executive seminars on the topic. I usually begin a session by asking students to answer the question, "Are you creative?"

Justice Minister: If we broaden euthanasia bill, sex abuse victims could be euthanized

If the Trudeau Liberals eventually decide to widen their controversial euthanasia regime even further, as they’ve suggested they will, recent comments by the justice minister should provide fodder aplenty for their critics.

Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould has gone on the record insisting Bill C-14’s restrictions on euthanasia and assisted suicide need to be tougher than the Supreme Court decision in Carter or else it could allow assisted suicide for sex abuse victims, and combat veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Christian parents 'prayed for dying son for two hours before calling ambulance', court hears

A Christian couple prayed for two hours over their dying son before calling an ambulance, a court heard on Wednesday.

An autopsy determined that Alexandru Radita, 15, from Canada, died from bacterial sepsis from complications due to starvation and untreated diabetes in May 2013. The court heard he weighed just 37 pounds at the time of his death.

His parents, Emil and Rodica Radita, had returned from church to find Alexandru not breathing. They are currently on trial and have been charged with first degree murder.

7 Signs of a Poverty Mentality

If you recognize any of these seven signs in your life, you may have a poverty mentality:

1. You require your close friends to have an exclusive relationship with you. You get jealous when they have a relationship with anyone else. Why? You fear they will like them instead of you.

2. You assign negative motives to people who are prosperous, famous or powerful. Why? You probably are jealous of them, so you reduce them in your mind by building a case against them.

Confirmed: Prince Died From Opioid Overdose

Tests show music superstar Prince, who was found dead in his home in a Minneapolis suburb in late April, died of an overdose of opioid painkillers, the Associated Press reported on Thursday, citing a law enforcement official.

A spokesman for the Carver County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and a spokeswoman at the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office said that agency had no new information to release about Prince's death.

Lesbian Pop Duo: We Are 'Queering the Mainstream'

Here's something new: gay people gaining media attention for saying that they don't get enough media attention.

Twin singer-songwriters Tegan and Sara, best known for their song "Everything is Awesome" from The Lego Movie, have been in the music industry for almost 20 years, predominantly as cult indie artists with a few dedicated fans. But after the release of their last album in 2012, Heartthrob, they were propelled into the mainstream pop world. The album became one of the top 3 in the U.S. and Canada, and the duo performed on tour with both Katy Perry and Taylor Swift.

But now that they've moved from playing small indie music festivals to arenas with stadium seating, Tegan and Sara have a new goal: queering the mainstream.

America's Largest Distributor of Christian Products Closing Down This Summer

America's largest distributor of Christian products has announced that it will soon be out of business as more independent Christian bookstores and chains close due to the inability to compete with internet retail giants like Amazon.com.

The Tennessee-based Send The Light Distribution, which has been around for over 42 years and ships Bibles, Christian books and other Christian literature to over 10,000 stores across the United States, is in the process of ending business operations and is preparing to close down in coming months.

The company's President Glenn Bailey told reporters on Thursday that the organization plans to completely shut down by the end of the summer or the early fall.

Christian Universities Online Releases 'Top 50 Bible Colleges' 2016 Rankings

Emmaus Bible College in Iowa and Columbia International University in South Carolina have topped a recently released list of top Bible colleges in America compiled by the online academic reference source Christian Universities Online.

Christian Universities Online published on Tuesday its "Top 50 Bible Colleges 2016" reference guide, which highlights "the best among Christian Bible Colleges and schools" offering Bible and ministry-based degrees.

Catholic man sentenced to attend Baptist church services – for real

An Ohio judge sentenced a 23-year old Catholic man to 12 consecutive Baptist Sunday services after an altercation in downtown Cincinnati in January.

It was dollar beer night at the Cincinnati Cyclones vs. Fort Wayne Komets hockey game on January 23, and Jake Strotman and his buddies had had a few before heading downtown after the game (a Cyclones victory).

Strotman and his friends came across a group of Baptist street preachers, who Strotman claims were condemning him, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

A new wave of attacks against Catholics in France, Belgium

In recent weeks, Catholics in France and Belgium – countries still recovering from brutal ISIS attacks – have been hit with numerous acts of violence and aggression, including fires set in churches, an assault on a priest, the desecration of a tabernacle and the hacking of more than 100 Catholic websites.

In the French periodical La Provence, local priest Father Benoît Delabre reported that two weeks ago, the altar at the Church of St. Madeleine-de-l'Île was set fire in Martigues, about 800 kilometers south of Paris.

Baby missing part of his skull was supposed to die right away, but instead he’s thriving

A young Idaho couple given a terminal diagnosis for their unborn son is now celebrating his life.

Ben and Alyssa Reidhead were in to their doctor for a routine ultrasound at 23 weeks into their pregnancy, thinking they would learn the sex of their baby, when instead they received terrifying news: their child would probably die in the womb, if not soon after delivery.

Catholic campaigners for women's ordination gain private meeting with Vatican official

A Roman Catholic organisation advocating for women's ordination has been given permission to hold an official demonstration in Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome.

Two representatives from Womens' Ordination Worldwide (WOW) met with an official from the Vatican Secretariat of State discussing women's ordination, according to the Tablet.

WOW has been in Rome between June 1-3 during the Vatican's Jubilee for Priests and is holding a conference, reception and exhibition for women in priestly ministry.

The organisation challenges the official Catholic Church position that holds priesthood is a role solely to be exercised by men. It calls for the Catholic hierarchy to "courageously open the door to dialogue on women's ordination".

Nigeria: Christian women and children flee deadly attack by Muslim Fulani herdsmen

Children, men and women fled for their lives after their largely Christian community in the Nigeria's northern state of Kaduna was attacked by suspected Muslim Fulani herdsmen.

Two people were murdered and all the churches and some houses in Ninte burned to the ground in the attack which took place early on Thursday morning, according to World Watch Monitor.

How Do Leaders Learn to Lead?

The development of a leader is a concatenation of events highlighted by training, experiences and molding.

ISIS Blamed for Outbreak of Gruesome Flesh-Eating Disease Among Refugees

A parasitic flesh-eating disease is reportedly breaking out throughout the Middle East, with the Islamic State terror group contributing to the problem with its death and destruction campaigns that create environments where disease can fester and spread.

Breitbart News reported that thousands of cases have been reported in Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan, as nearly four million Syrian refugees flee their country's civil war and seek shelter in Europe.

The tropical disease, called Cutaneous leishmaniasis, is caused by bites from infected sand flies that live amid the squalid conditions created by IS (also known as ISIL or ISIS) destruction.

In Israel, public policy and unmet promises may put Christian schools at risk

The Israeli government's policies for Christian schools and unfair education budget cuts put them at risk of collapse, the Office of Christian Schools in Israel has charged.

Fr. Abdel Masih Fahim, general secretary of the Catholic Church’s Office of Christian Schools in Israel, urged the Israeli government to recognize the importance of continued Christian education in Israel. These schools are a “vital component of the Christian presence in the Holy Land,” he said in a May 23 statement.

“Christian schools in Israel are now in immediate danger of collapsing financially,” he warned.

Muslims converting to Christianity in Saudi Arabia, despite intense persecution

Forced to live in secret, Christians in Saudi Arabia are being supported in their faith online.

Islam is the state religion of Saudi Arabia, where the legal system is based on Sharia law. Courts regularly impose severe physical punishments, including the death penalty, for apostasy, and non-Muslim places of worship are prohibited.

According to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), Saudi Arabia "remains uniquely repressive in the extent to which it restricts the public expression of any religion other than Islam".

ISIS tries to sell sex slaves on social media

Islamic State is starting to sell captured women on social media as "sex slaves", according to new reports.

The Washington Post reports that an IS fighter Abu Assad Almani, believed to be a German man who has joined the terror group in Syria, advertised a young woman for sale at $8000 on Facebook.