Displaying items by tag: Praise

Since 2000 there have been 300 churches planted across Sweden by other nations. The Nigerian Redeemed Christian Church of God has 40 Swedish church plants. Their vision is to plant worshipping communities within five minutes' distance from each other. Also from Nigeria there are church plants from Deeper Life Bible, Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries. There are plants from Ghanaian Church of Pentecost where the worship language is English, Ghanaian Swahili and Swedish. Chile’s International Mission Church gathers 1,500 people for Sunday services in Stockholm. For Sweden, this is a very big church. There are also congregations with Ethiopian, Eritrean, Iranian, or Afghan connections that are generally closer to the established Swedish denominations.

Two years ago, World Missionary Press (WMP) sent 6.4 million Scripture booklets to ministry partners through a project called ‘Blessings for Brazil’. WMP freight coordinator Helen Williams says she is flooded with reports of the Holy Spirit changing hearts. ‘The feedback is overwhelming as our distributors describe new opportunities; one ministry is sending 500 boxes a time to distribution points for pastors. There are places being reached that have never been reached because of the lack of resources. Some use Scripture booklets in the inner city, others take them to remote jungle tribal villages. Optician teams use Scripture booklets for their eye test reading charts. Where literacy is marginal, teachers use the booklets to teach the language - their lesson plan is the Scripture booklet. Eight million more booklets will go out before the end of 2022.

Craig's farm was seized by Zimbabwe’s government in 2003, forcing his family to move to Harare. He joined a Foundations for Farming group and began teaching the new owners and other small-scale farmers a unique way of farming revealed by God - farming without tillage or burning. He immediately got a 10% increase in yield. He started to grow it bigger, but he knew that God had given him this revelation not for himself but to share across Africa to the rural farmers, the hurting, the poor ones. Zero-tillage technique caught the attention of the government, which endorsed the method. In 2020 Zimbabwe experienced its first food surplus in two decades and now Foundations for Farming teaches the technique all over the world, with the main goal of sharing the Gospel. ‘80% of what we teach is the heart, using agriculture as an entry point for the gospel.’

Seven Australian rugby league team members boycotted a championship match against Sydney Roosters on religious grounds, after being told to wear a jersey celebrating LGBTQ+ rights, replacing white stripes with rainbow bands. Reverend Palu has never met the players but he’s proud of them, saying, ‘Christianity takes a very strong root in our people’. After another team told players to wear such a jersey without consulting them, that was another flashpoint in deepening tensions between people of faith and the mainstream community over sexuality and same-sex marriage. A similar battle is happening in schools, politics and inside the churches as secular and progressive religious communities embrace sexual diversity while theological conservatives say it contradicts the Bible. Reverend Fihaki said Christianity was ‘ingrained into our culture. It’s not just a matter of going to church on Sunday, it’s part of our DNA, it’s part of our culture, it is who we are’.

Tens of thousands attending ‘Festival Manchester’ heard the Gospel in the three-day event in Wythenshawe Park that was hosted by hundreds of churches, in partnership with The Message Trust and the Luis Palau Association. A sea of people came out each night to enjoy live music, worship, and prayer which resulted in thousands responding to God's Word. ‘This mission was on a scale not seen in a generation,’ said the founder of The Message Trust. Over 65,000 people heard about Jesus' love for them and over 3,400 responded to the good news they heard.

Iraqis, Muslims, Christians and those of no faith at all tune into a radio station vastly different from what is normally heard on Middle Eastern airwaves. ‘Saut al Salam’ or ‘Voice of Peace’ is broadcast from a tiny studio in Qaraqosh and reaches 150,000 listeners, living up to its name. The programmes have no politics or conflicts. The broadcasters tell stories about the church, Christianity and Christian life, dispelling many misconceptions in the Muslim world that are passed on from generation to generation. For instance thinking that Christians just like to party and drink alcohol. Saut al Salam is changing wrong perceptions with programs on raising children, Christian music, and reporting cultural church events. Their highest hope is that listeners, a majority of whom are not Christians, will hear a message of peace, consideration and love.

A UK mission worker says, ‘I had the joy of personally attending our outreach event in L attended by over 1,000 people! L is a nation in crisis politically and economically. What a blessing to share worship music and the Good News with the hurting people of this nation. Our local team member, a pastor himself, brought a powerful message. Then a sixty-year-old man who received Christ one year ago shared his testimony, telling the crowd, ‘Life without Jesus is death.’ Hundreds of people raised their hands indicating they had accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour and asked for prayer. Praise God!’

When Riaan Swiegelaar, co-founder of the South African Satanic Church, told a Christian radio interviewer he'd never been shown unconditional love, she came and hugged him. He said he’d never had anyone do that and didn’t know a Christian could accept him unconditionally. After interviews affirming that satanism is growing, he did a ritual by himself to see what was the next step. ‘How do I get more power and influence? I opened myself up, and Jesus appeared. I was extremely cocky and said, “If You are Jesus, prove it”. He flooded me with the most beautiful love and energy, and I recognised it immediately because of what the lady at the radio station did for me.’ As a baby Christian, Swiegelaar says he isn't sure what's next for him, but he knows he will continue to learn more about Jesus and grow in his love.

Ananthram opened the door and faced a Naxalite mob who grabbed him, tied his hands behind his back and dragged him away. His seven-year-old son tried to follow but the mob threatened to kill him. He ran to his uncle for help and they searched for Ananthram through the night. The next morning, they discovered Ananthram’s body on the side of the road, his skull fractured with a large rock and a note warning others against following Christ. Sukbati, his wife, was afraid they would kill the whole family after being threatened since his murder. When asked why she does not return to Hinduism to make her life easier she said that it’s difficult to care for five children alone but Jesus will care for them. They are the only Christians in their village and boldly share the gospel whenever they can. They occasionally see Ananthram’s killers but Sukbati holds no animosity towards them. She prays that they will come to know Christ.

‘Sand batteries’ could be a key breakthrough in storing solar and wind energy all year round. Solar energy stored in sand batteries could help get Finns through the long cold winter, which is set to be even tougher after Russia stopped its gas and electricity supplies. The new technology has been devised by young Finnish engineers Tommi Eronen and Markku Ylönen, founders of Polar Night Energy. This innovation could be used worldwide. Whilst a number of other research groups are testing the limits of sand as green energy storage, the pair are the first ones to successfully rig it to a commercial power station.