Displaying items by tag: Religion

Whole towns flattened into fields of dirt, brick, and branches. People emerge from underground shelters to search for food and relief supplies. One country sent tanks. One country didn’t. Russia is winning. No, Ukraine is winning. Reports coming out of Ukraine are muddled. Different narratives spotlight different elements of the war. Yet the ones who feel forgotten are the Ukrainian families huddled in basements. The local churches are stepping up with aid to places where news cameras won’t go. The Holy Spirit is sending believers with the hope and help of Jesus Christ. Pray for more Christians to arise as messengers of His hope to the hopeless. Ask God to strengthen the Church as it becomes the hands and feet of Jesus, meeting physical and spiritual needs. Pray for increased opportunities for Ukrainians to discover and follow Christ.

500+ churches across Texas have left the United Methodist denomination, feeling it necessary for moving forward after it adopted an LGBTQ-friendly ideology, shown for example by the election of a second openly gay bishop in November 2022. A Houston pastor said, ‘I believe what scripture clearly teaches that human sexuality is a gift from God, reserved for a man and a woman in a monogamous marriage. That belief is not being upheld.’ Over 1,800 US churches have left since 2019 and joined the new theologically conservative Global Methodist denomination launched in 2022. Methodist churches in Bulgaria and Slovakia have also voted to do so. They have begun operations of an annual conference in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Philippines. Also the United Methodists permit other beliefs about Jesus, allowing pastors to proclaim that Jesus might not be the only way of salvation.

Country singing legend Dolly Parton recently said she always asks God to bless everything and everyone with whom she works, heralding the importance faith plays in her daily life. ‘My faith impacts everything that I do because I do believe that, through God, all things are possible. And I always ask God to bless everything that I do and the people that I work with and to bring all the right things and right people into my life and to take the wrong ones out.’ 

When a woman’s horse fell on her, the entire right side of her body couldn’t move. That night she felt a conviction to turn on Apostle Kathryn Krick’s live Zoom call. During the zoom ministry meeting she was calling on the name of Jesus and thought she had died and gone to heaven. ‘I could not move, I was paralysed, I couldn’t even move my arm. I was completely still and something was going on in my body. It was excruciating pain. And then God just healed my body.’ She was healed from her terrible injury. ‘As God took me up to the heavens, I thought I was no longer here in the earthly realm. I woke up, I could move.’

Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered in Jerusalem in a show of support for the controversial judicial overhaul plan by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Local media estimated that the event, which organisers had dubbed ‘The One Million March’, drew only about 80,000 people. It was sponsored by the Premier’s conservative Likud Party and its far-right coalition ally Otzma Yehudit faction. Among many who chanted ‘The people want judicial reform’ was justice minister Yariv Levin, who spearheaded the push for the overhaul. The nation has been gripped by unprecedented nationwide demonstrations against the deeply divisive plan since its unveiling 16 weeks ago. Mr Levin told demonstrators that ‘more and more people understand the need for the legislation. We are in an unusual situation. There is an atmosphere where people try to paint a picture of the elected government not representing the people. Today we are protesting to show that it does.’

The Pacific nation of Micronesia, with 100,000 people in 607 islands, is currently caught in a political tug of war. Its location makes it a key vantage point for foreign policy. Beijing hopes to gain influence in an area of strategic importance. Yet more important than its earthly political state is the eternal state of Micronesian souls. They largely identify as Christian but cultural influences appear in their religious practice, including animism, magic, narcotics, materialism, and ancestor worship. Nominalism is high among the protestant churches and there is much cronyism among the leadership. One estimate states that 99% of the pastors in Micronesia were appointed with no theological training. The Micronesian church has many challenges, including consumerism influences from America, high delinquency and suicide among the youth, Mormon missionary activity, and the low availability of Bible translations.

Bibles For The World president John Pudaite was asked for a million Gospels of John to equip church-planters for their ministry in India. He offered first to bring 80,000 copies to a conference organised for church-planting leaders. 800 people serving on the frontlines of Gospel outreach came to the conference. When the Scriptures arrived, just in time for the last night of the conference, they were met with an enthusiastic response. ‘It was just amazing. 80,000 Gospels of John, about 100 per church planter, and they were snatched up literally in minutes’, said Pudaite. ‘They were so excited to be equipped in that way. We are working hard now to fulfil their requests for a million Gospels of John before the end of 2023.’

Jewish and Christian leaders representing fifteen nations gathered at Israel's parliament, the Knesset, to discuss how scripture says the law of the Lord will come out of Jerusalem. Micah 4:2 says, ‘For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.’ Knesset members from the Netanyahu coalition and the opposition addressed the gathering. Ohad from the Religious Zionist Party said, ‘The Bible is the core of the base and the core of our identity and of all Western civilisations. We all need to strengthen and deepen our relation, connection and knowledge of the Bible.’ Michael from the opposition National Unity Party thanked others for their commitment to the state of Israel. Dr Ruth Plummer added, ‘Today was such an important time for the Knesset members, the rabbis and Christian leaders to study the word of God together in the capital, Jerusalem. It was just beautiful.’

The former Archbishop of York, Lord Sentamu, hit out at 'arrogant' Shell after he was prevented from delivering a Christian climate letter to the headquarters of the oil giant on behalf of Christian charities. When Sentamu, now chair of Christian Aid, knocked on the building entrance in central London, he was refused entry. The letter, addressed to Shell’s chief executive, was signed by Green Christian, Christian Climate Action, Tearfund, A Rocha UK, Christian Aid, Cafod, and Operation Noah. It calls on Shell to stop all new fossil fuel exploration and extraction and asks for a meeting to discuss the issue. Lord Sentamu said, ‘Climate change is the greatest insidious, brutal and indiscriminate force of our time. Those suffering the most have done the least to cause it. Continuing to search for new sources of fossil fuels, despite explicit warnings from the International Energy Agency, is an offence against humanity.’

Printing King Charles III ‘s coronation order of service has been delayed because the king wants a ‘diverse’ ceremony, including non-Christian religions, contravening centuries-old canon law that bars Muslim, Hindu, Jewish and other religious leaders from praying during the service. Charles has stated previously his desire to be a ‘Defender of Faiths’ rather than the Faith. Justin Welby is giving the King religious guidance on the significance of his oath, the commitments he will make to his subjects, and the Christian symbolism employed. Both he and the Archbishop of York said that ‘at its centre is a Christian service, rooted in long-standing tradition and Christian symbolism’. After Queen Elizabeth II died, King Charles delivered an exemplary, heartfelt speech, in which he talked of ‘the Church in which my own faith is so deeply rooted,’ giving an apparent nod to his respect for the Anglican Church. How far does his respect for other faiths go?