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The Malaysian government has said it will release 35,000 Bibles that have been impounded for months for using the word ‘Allah’ in reference to God. The Bibles were printed in Indonesia for Christians in the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak. Muslim groups protested against the Christian use of the word Allah, saying it is an attempt to make Christianity appeal to Muslims. Malaysia's constitution promises freedom of worship to all faiths, however Malay-language Bibles containing the word Allah have repeatedly been blocked at customs over the years even though they have been using the word Allah in Bibles since 1963, before Malaysia was formed as a federal state. Rising Malay and Muslim consciousness, sparked by Malay nationalist groups seeking political power, has brought the issue to the fore in recent years, but we can praise God that His word will be spoken, read, sung, and prayed in Malaysia regardless of opposition. Praise: God for this decision and intercede for more demonstrations of His authority wherever the Good News is resisted.
Marking her 16th birthday, Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teen who was shot by members of the Taliban last year and survived, addressed the United Nations on Friday. She told a UN Youth Assembly, ‘They thought that the bullet would silence us, but they failed.’ Malala, a student in Pakistan who had been known for speaking out for children and women's educational rights, was shot in the head by a Taliban member while she was in a vehicle on her way to school. Amazingly, after extensive surgery in the UK, she recovered; this was Malala's first public speech since the attack. The courageous young woman presented UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon with a petition signed by 3 million people, calling for support from the UN for educational rights of children around the world.
Praise: God for the living testimony of this young lady; may she be an example to many. (Ph.3:17)
Church attendance in Greater London grew by 16% between 2005 and 2012, from 620,000 to 720,000, representing 9% of the capital’s population at the latter date, and thereby bucking the downward trend in most national religious indicators. The number of places of worship in London also rose during these seven years, by 17% from 4,100 to 4,800. Growth was especially to be found among black majority and immigrant churches, which together accounted for 27% of all Christian places of worship in London in 2012 and 24% of churchgoers. Black people were farmore likely to attend services than whites (19% against 8%), and in Inner London 48% of worshippers were black. 14% ofall churches use a language other than English and 52% of attendees are in evangelical churches. By contrast, many traditional, smaller places of worship are still contracting. These are among the initial findings from the London Church Census, undertaken by Brierley Consultancy and sponsored by the London City Mission.
Praise: God for the growth of His church and long may it continue. (Ps.145:1-2)
More: http://revivalmedia.org/2013/10/01/londons-significant-church-growth-320-report-2/
The M25 Nutcracker was part of Global Day of Prayer London and took place in various guises all around the capital. The M25 region hosted prayer activities in twelve locations (prayer altars) and seventeen junctions on the M25 were covered in prayer. Each junction was seen as a gateway in and out of the capital, vitally important in the nation’s communications and commercial life. The link below will take you to a video of a few who prayed in a light aircraft right around the M25 on Monday (24 May) It shows them praying the Lord's Prayer over the QE2 Bridge and the Thames. You can find a full written report on www.transformationthurrock.com.
Praise: God for drawing His nations to Him in the unity of prayer and worship around the globe. (Jn.17:21)
More: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQNKHc3PpMQ&feature=youtube_gdata
John, a secret believer travelling covertly by jeep to escape the country, had been dropped off at an oil field in the middle of the desert to await a driver to escort them to the next location. A close encounter with armed oil-field workers thinking they were bandits alerted John to existing dangers and he silently thanked God for His protection. When his next contact came out of the desert John was amazed to recognize Christian music playing inside the jeep. As his journey continued with Samy the driver they listened to ‘Jesus, only you’ and ‘Blessed are those who dwell in the house of the Lord.’ John asked Samy if he knew what the music is about and he replied. ‘Yes, we are free now!’ Author's note: the ancient Berbers of Libya were called Imazighan, meaning ‘free men’. John’s prayer, ‘May Libyans experience political, personal and religious freedom.' Praise: God for divine appointments, giving us hope and courage in difficult situations. (1Thes.1:3)
The northern African nation of Libya has released from detention two South Korean nationals – including one pastor – who were arrested this past summer for their alleged engagement in missionary activities, according to Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. One of the men, a Protestant pastor identified only by his family name, Koo, had been arrested in June for violating the predominantly Muslim country’s religious law, which prohibits the proselytizing of Muslims.The other man, identified by his family name, Jeon, was arrested the following month for aiding in Koo’s efforts, which included bringing Christian books and other materials for missionary work into the country. While South Korea – as the second largest missionary-sending country in the world – is no stranger to situations involving missionary activities, the case in Libya was complicated by the recent expulsion of a South Korean Embassy official who was suspected of collecting information on Libya's leader and other sensitive issues. Praise: God for the release of these prisoners and pray that others still imprisoned would be released soon. (Ps.146:7)
Joshua Blahyi, a brutal warlord who confessed to killing nearly 20,000 people during Liberia's 14-year civil war, is now an evangelist who is serving God and seeking forgiveness from those he harmed. As a young boy Blahyi was initiated as a tribal priest, participated in human sacrifices for years before later being appointed as ‘spiritual’ advisor to the Liberian president. Blahyi's life changed 180 degrees when Jesus appeared to him as a blinding light and told him that he would die unless he repented of his sins. Now a ‘chilling documentary’ about Blahyi's life has been produced. Said Blahyi in the documentary, ‘It's only Christianity that can help this nation, because Christianity, - is the only faith that tells you to love your enemies - that tells you to accept and forgive the one who hurts you; and that only God is able to turn lives around.’ He freely admitted to his crimes (not knowing what the consequences would be), now he ‘tirelessly preaches the Gospel to everyone he comes across’ and, he is constantly seeking forgiveness from those his crimes affected.
Praise: God for His amazing touch on people's lives bringing forgiveness and love. (Ac.2:17)
More: http://ausprayernet.org.au/newsletter/DisplayNewsletter.php?e_id=00000002334#st3
The head of a Sunni political movement in Lebanon has expressed concern over the decline of Christians in the region allegedly due to growing Shiite influence. Ahmad Hariri, secretary-general of the Lebanese Future Movement, urged Muslims in Lebanon to ‘nurture Christian presence’ in the region, saying it was an ‘Arab and Islamic responsibility as much as it is a Christian one’. According to The Jerusalem Post, Hariri is extremely worried about the repercussions of Christian emigration from some Middle East countries. While Christians used to be a majority in Lebanon, the country has recently witnessed decline due to emigration and the increase in Muslims. Greg Mussleman, of Christian advocacy group Voice of the Martyrs, said the announcement is good for Christians in the Middle East. ‘Whether we'll see that spreading to other countries like Iraq and Afghanistan? That may never happen,’ he said. Praise: God and pray that Christians in Lebanon will be stronger in their faith, have the desire to grow, and be more outspoken about their faith. (Ac.4:29
In small teams of three, Christian university students from Beirut are visiting residential communities to share practical life skills and their faith. They simply go from house to house, introducing themselves as students and explaining that they have prepared a seven-week mini-workshop on health and family values. Would the family like them to share this with them? It quickly becomes evident that they are Christians, but they have been welcomed to every home they have gone to so far! They are following the pattern Jesus suggested, when he taught how to enter new communities in Luke 10:5-9. In the communities in which they are sharing, these students are finding it takes about 7 weeks for families to be ready to read the Bible and learn about Jesus as their Saviour.
Praise: God for these Christian students and the message they bring. (Ez.33:30)
More: http://www.joelnews.org/frontpage.htm
Christians in Oxford are celebrating after their local authority rejected a licence application for a 'sexual entertainment venue' to operate yards from a church. Members of St Ebbe’s Church in Oxford as well as local residents have praised the Council for its decision. The Revd Vaughan Roberts, Rector of St Ebbe’s, said: ‘As a church, we campaigned against this licence application as we did not believe this sort of establishment should continue to have a base in the city centre of Oxford. Last year the church was unsuccessful in its appeal against the grant of a licence to the club. (See Prayer Alert 2710) In April 2010 the law in relation to the licensing of sex venues changed, giving more powers to local authorities to monitor whether and where the venues could be established. Yesterday’s hearing was the first of its kind in Oxford since the law changed’. Praise: God for this example of His power in answering our prayers. (Ps.17:6) More: http://www.christianconcern.com/our-concerns/sex-trade/licensing-victory-in-oxford-as-lap-dance-club-loses-licence-application