As Pope Francis delivered an Easter Sunday message of peace, the U.S. sent out fighter jets to the Korean peninsula for military drills amid rising tensions and the danger of war.

"Peace in Asia, above all on the Korean peninsula: may disagreements be overcome and a renewed spirit of reconciliation grow," Pope Francis stated, speaking in Italian. He was speaking in his first Easter Sunday address since being appointed leader of the Roman Catholic Church, greeting over 250,000 people from the central balcony at St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican.

He also prayed that Jesus would inspire people to "change hatred into love, vengeance into forgiveness, war into peace," Reuters reported. more >>

NEW YORK – Christian leaders from several organizations gathered in New York on March 27 for a prayer service over the Arms Trade Treaty currently being reviewed by world leaders at the U.N.

"One of the goals here is to reduce the trafficking of these weapons, which has often resulted in Muslim terrorist groups having tremendous amounts of weapons to bring down or to weaken Christian nations in Africa and other places. This is a small effort, because it is hard to enforce these things – it's really more spiritual warfare than having something on paper," said Paul de Vries, president of the New York Divinity School, speaking with The Christian Post at the event.

The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is an attempt to create restrictions and enforce laws aimed at tackling the widespread illegal distributions of weapons and ammunitions in underdeveloped nations where crime is high, and children are often taken as soldiers by local armies. more >>

During his trip to Israel, President Barack Obama stated that the Jewish state has "the unshakeable support" of the United States in its efforts to defend its country and make peace with its neighbors.

At remarks given Thursday at the Jerusalem Convention Center, President Obama spoke about the strong ties between the United States and Israel.

"Those ties began only 11 minutes after Israeli independence, when the United States was the first nation to recognize the State of Israel," said Obama. more >>

The Executive Committee of the World Council of Churches has voted to accept the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land as a full member of their organization.

Concluding a two-year process wherein the WCC leadership considered the application of the ELCJHL, the committee voted unanimously earlier this month to accept the church.

In a speech given to the WCC after their vote, ELCJHL Bishop Dr. Munib A. Younan pointed to the longstanding cooperation his church has had with the WCC. more >>

A Christian ministry worker who encourages and equips believers and the local church inside Pakistan to face persecution, said that the recent rioting against a Christian colony in Lahore, in which 150 homes were burnt, was further evidence of increased Islamization in the country.

"The event did not come as a surprise to the residents of the area called Badami Bagh, in which there is a smaller colony called the Joseph Colony where Christians live," Hana, whose real name was not given for her protection, told The Christian Post earlier this week.

Even though Pakistan's National assembly condemned the action, Hana said it will take more than a proclamation by the government to help curb the problem. more >>

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea has declared invalid the armistice of 1953 with South Korea, ending the truce between the countries, and has cut off the direct phone connecting the two governments.  

"The U.S. has reduced the armistice agreement to a dead paper," declared the Supreme Command of North Korea's army, according to CNN. The isolated Pacific nation is blaming the U.S. and the U.N. for imposing tougher sanctions on the Kim Jong Un-led government after it carried out nuclear tests on February 12, defying international regulations.

North Korea has also cut off the direct phone link it had with its southern neighbor at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom, which served as an emergency line of communication between the two sides. more >>