Displaying items by tag: Praise

The UK and Commonwealth will celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with a four-day holiday weekend (2 to 5 June). HOPE Together is working to help churches around the Commonwealth to mark this special occasion and, in particular, to celebrate the Queen’s seventy years of faith and service. It has produced a web-page resource (see link below) with information to assist churches and organisations as they plan their celebrations. HOPE have commissioned a new anthem, ‘Rise Up and Serve’, written by Graham Kendrick and Rend Collective for choirs to sing as part of the celebrations. The highlight for many will be on Pentecost Sunday, where services in churches around the Commonwealth will give thanks for the Queen’s life of service and witness to her Christian faith.

The Come to the Table global broadcast is an invitation for believers all around the world to gather on Pentecost weekend (3 to 5 June) in a time of worship, prayer, fellowship and communion. Its website reads: ‘Amidst great shakings across the earth, we would invite you to join us in John 17 unity as we pray, believing in the 2 Chronicles 7:14 promise of the healing of our lands. This 46-minute broadcast celebrates how God’s family from every nation and tribe and language, coming together as one, can experience the transformation of cities and nations that comes through the powerful convergence of prayer and missions! Expect to be inspired, encouraged and challenged!’ Come to the Table is live from Friday 3 June.

Over 2.5 million Ukrainians have now found refuge in Poland, and the number just keeps rising. Even on a rainy day, the border crossing is crowded with war-weary refugees searching for some relief. Denys, a 40-year-old single dad, fled Kharkiv after living in his basement for a month. He's been raising his son alone since his wife died 18 months ago. He arrived at the Operation Blessing tent cold, wet, and hungry, but left full and dry, with a new coat and a suitcase for his belongings. Nearby, a crying baby is now smiling and content after being rocked to sleep by a volunteer. The sounds of war gave Marina’s three young sons nightmares, so she fled leaving behind an older son and husband to defend her homeland. Oksana, Denys, and Marina are so thankful that Operation Blessing was there in their time of need to help and pray with them.

Rita and Zairus felt called by God to serve in a remote area occupied by a predominantly Muslim tribe who are very strict about observing Islamic laws and customs. This tribe desperately needs the gospel, but workers must be extremely careful in evangelising to such highly religious communities so that the people they want to reach do not reject them. The platform they use to reach them is a beach café where many locals gather. They have been successful selling light snacks, and will soon expand their menu. Many locals gather at their café, and Rafi and Zairus are building positive relationships with many in the community. Their goal is for these relationships to lead to opportunities to share the gospel. One of the few believers in their community said, ‘I am very grateful for this café. May it be God’s plan to save our area.’

Good News for Everyone (formerly the Gideons) distribute Bibles in hospitals, hotels, education, public services, clubs and prisons. A Bible in Andy’s cell at Aylesbury Young Offenders Prison turned his life around. ‘While in prison, I decided to take my own life. My situation had become so hopeless I had lost the will to live. I made a noose and decided to fix it to the window then let myself hang to death. At that moment a quiet voice spoke to me “Just read that Bible”. On the shelf sat a copy of the New Testament and Psalms. I started reading at the beginning of Matthew. At Luke, the story of the lost son, my tears began flowing, my hopelessness disappeared, and the wretchedness I suffered went. If no Bible had been in that cell, I would be in hell right now, instead of living my life in the joy of the Lord!’

Pastor Denis, a Russian with an Odessa-based YouTube channel, says, ‘I believe the situation in Ukraine will shake the false foundations of many people’s lives and they will turn to God, who is the Rock of our salvation and who is a strong tower.’ Dodging rockets, Pastor Denis and his congregation are in the streets telling people about Jesus.He says,  ‘When we can, we keep witnessing to people, we keep evangelising, unless incoming missiles ruin our plans. We continue to hold church services unless curfews make us stream them.’ Not every Russian supports Putin’s imperialistic designs against neighbouring Ukraine, especially those living outside Russia who have access to western media sources. Pastor Denis believes that the malevolent war against neighbouring Ukraine will lead to revival.

Erdie Carter, senior pastor at Glasgow Baptist Church, said Evelyn faithfully attended church until the pandemic. Then she began watching the church’s services on a local TV broadcast with her husband, 93-year-old Bernice. During their 67-year marriage Evelyn had faithfully prayed for Bernice to receive Christ as his saviour. Members of the church visited their home to bring food as part of the church’s pandemic community outreach program. A few weeks ago, when Erdie visited them, Bernice said he was ready to make a decision for Christ. Erdie asked him if he would like to be baptised, and he said yes! Carter said seeing the transformation in Bernice deeply affected him and his congregation. ‘Pastors say it’s never too late - but seeing Bernice at 93 have a spiritual realisation and publicly profess his faith in Christ, was a joy,’ Erdie said.

Aisha was born to a strict Islamic family. Her father abused her verbally and religion gave her no peace. She felt constantly condemned by Islam and was desperate to be loved. She became pregnant at 17 and knew her father would kill her for dishonouring her family. Fearing for her life, she had an abortion, a shame she carried for many years. In Islam, ‘her sins were unforgivable,’ and she was ‘hated by Allah’. Suffering from depression, she cried out to Allah for mercy and heard an audible voice say ‘Jesus’. After hearing from heaven, Aisha turned her prayers to Jesus, asking him to reveal himself to her. ‘The first time I felt any peace was when I prayed to Jesus’, she explains. That one supernatural experience gave her an insatiable hunger for truth. Aisha finally discovered that Jesus is full of mercy and compassion for women, a stark contrast to Islam.

When the Russians seized Berdyansk, four days into the war, Anya and her eleven foster-children were forced to stay in a bunker below their house for 42 days. ‘It was hard and dangerous, but every day we woke up and thanked God that we were still alive and still able to worship Him’. Anya said. They were rescued by Orphan's Promise. It was scary to leave. At the last checkpoint they were on a bus that came under fire when the Russians began firing on Ukrainian troops. Everyone on the bus fell to the floor, the children cried and shouted, but they all miraculously survived. Now the Russians have closed Berdyansk, not allowing anyone out or humanitarian aid in. The family expect to get visas for Switzerland to wait out the war.

In 2010, when T C Stallings landed a very small role as an extra in the film Secretariat, he knew he wanted to make acting his career. The 44-year-old Christian explained that he was always interested in acting but didn’t think he could do it. He said his priority is to use his work as a vehicle to share his faith. ‘I try to use all my gifts and talents for Him. Acting gives me an opportunity to reflect all the glory toward Him.’ Today Stallings is known for starring in faith-based films. ‘What makes it easy for me to share my faith is like, “What would God want me to do?” I care more about what He thinks than anybody else. I don’t control the outcomes; I let the Holy Spirit lead.’