Displaying items by tag: Praise

‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’ (Acts 1.8, ESV) Believers today have the same gift of the Holy Spirit that was given in Acts 2, and no matter how stony the ground might appear to be, we have the power to witness to others about ‘the mighty works of God’. This is a gift we have as individuals and as a body of believers, the Church. Pentecost is often described as the birthday of the Church. This year, via the internet, over 46,000 Christians united from different church traditions, different languages and races, standing together as God's people to celebrate Pentecost and asking for a fresh outpouring of His Spirit upon the church, our families, our communities and Nations. The event was saved on YouTube; click the ‘More’ button to view and engage with what God is doing today.

In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, as nations entered into the uncertainty of lockdown, we saw an outpouring of neighbourliness. Unable to venture away from our homes, we reached out, perhaps for the first time, to the people who lived around us. This was a beautiful thing. Wonderful stories emerged of people helping each other in a time of need – a poignant demonstration of why community is so vital. Churches responded to local needs by supporting the bereaved and lonely, increasing foodbank provision, and helping out in whatever ways they could. Surely this was a perfect example of what Jesus meant when he told us that the greatest commandment, in addition to loving God, was to love our neighbours.

‘Hope for the Coming Harvest’ is the title of a series of global prayer, worship and missional events between April and August. On Pentecost Sunday, 23 May, a 60-minute programme will be viewed across the world online, on GOD TV and many other networks. It will be a clarion call for the Body of Christ to unite and pray earnestly for the coming harvest. This celebration of diversity includes key voices from around the world, and opportunities to pray united prayers for justice, healing, restoration, reconciliation, and hope for the nations, with a special emphasis on the next generation and families. The programme has been available early for churches and networks to download, prepare for broadcast across their networks, translate, and play as appropriate. See the video: For details of other events, click here

IJM writes, ‘Praise God for the launch of a youth survivor network in Ghana called “My Story Counts”. Made up primarily of children who have survived abuses like trafficking, the group’s goals are to create economic opportunities for survivors, to empower and equip survivors as advocates against child trafficking, to support them in pursuit of justice for themselves and to create a safe space for sharing their stories and recommendations that will improve programmes designed to protect victims.’ Also, ‘Praise God for the opportunity to work alongside the local police to train over 600 officers in Bolivia. Even though Covid has made in-person training challenging, the commitment of the Specialised Police Force Against Violence to protect those who are most vulnerable continues. Our team recently supported them with a successful series of virtual sessions.’

Sadiq Khan has won another four years as London's mayor. He said in an interview that the church ‘does a lot of good for all Londoners’, and he finds the prayers for him when he visits churches ‘inspiring’. He thanks Christians for their prayers for himself and all our leaders, saying, ‘It is just so inspiring and I'm always struck.’ The former MP also praised churches for their role in social justice, saying, ‘Over the last five years, I've understood just how much our Christian communities contribute to London’s success. I've seen churches stepping up to provide support for lonely Londoners, give support for those sleeping rough, help the homeless and give young people constructive things to do.’ He added that churches are not just helping Christians, they are doing so much good for all Londoners, irrespective of faith, race or background.

James Merritt, pastor of Crosspoint Church in Duluth, met two men, Bartolo and Osmani. Neither of them spoke English - and he didn’t speak Spanish. But, thanks to the Google Translate app, what was supposed to be nothing more than an ad hoc purchase ended up as ‘one of the greatest witnessing experiences I’ve ever had in my life,’ the pastor said. Merritt said he and his wife always keep tracts in our home in both English and Spanish, but he really wanted to engage with the two men in a more meaningful way. That’s when he decided to try the translation app. As they spoke, Osmani learned Merritt was a pastor and decided to call his wife, who is already a Christian, to tell her. His wife then, using the app, asked Merritt to share the Gospel with her husband and Bartolo. That’s exactly what Merritt did, and the two men became Christians.

Abdel-Nour witnessed violence and humiliation from the Arab rulers of Algeria. ‘I was a racist, I disliked Arabs.’ He fought against the Arabic language forced upon him at school; when his sisters watched Arabic he turned the TV off. Then he met some people from a local church. He said, ‘They did not stop talking about Jesus Christ. I was curious so I went with them to the church. Verses like “Love your enemies” had a big impact on me. I loved God’s Word, this strengthened my faith, and I accepted Christ as the Saviour and Lord of my life. Christ radically changed my life. God loves us as we are, regardless of our nationality and language.’

At the height of the recent riots in Northern Ireland, Leading The Way launched a social media campaign. ‘After seeing the riots in Belfast, we decided to reach out on social media to young people across the city with these messages of hope from Dr. Youssef, as well as offering a free Finding True Peace booklet.’ The scale of the response was surprising, unexpected - and a huge answer to many prayers! On Facebook, tens of thousands of young people watched the videos. Nearly 400 people visited the Finding True Peace website, which explains how Jesus provides the only hope to people who increasingly need to know the love of God in their lives. On YouTube, over 17,000 people watched the video. 30% were under 24 years of age, and from Northern Ireland. See

An African proverb says, ‘If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a closed room with a mosquito.’ Jesus said the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed; a very small seed produces a large plant. Most major movements and spiritual awakenings started with one person or a small group. A mission worker who had the opportunity of introducing people to Jesus, then discovered the impact they had on others when he reconnected with a man he led to Christ years ago. The man described family members and co-workers that he had shared the Gospel with who had come to the Lord; his brother had become a Middle East pastor. When we sow the seed of God’s Word it does not return void. If we sow abundantly, we reap abundantly. God is faithful and will honor the little things we say and do in His name.

The EU has joined the United States in sending humanitarian aid to South Sudan. Contributions of more than $145 million will provide food, medical aid, and shelter. World Concern’s Joshua Bundi says the help could not have come at a better time. South Sudan is on the brink of famine thanks to the fallout of several compounded crises. Bundi said. ‘We’ve had the worst flooding in modern history. Over eight million South Sudanese need humanitarian aid to survive another day; half of them are children. Thankfully, hope reigns triumphant in South Sudan.’ The church is meeting the needs of the people and preaching the gospel.