Displaying items by tag: USA

After a US policy reversal, withdrawing its troops, Turkey was free to send forces into northern Syria, and they have done so - causing tens of thousands of people to flee an area controlled by the US-backed Kurdish militia who fought against IS. Turkey is bombing people who are also part of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). It wants a ‘safe zone’ along its border where it can send an unwanted 3.6 million Syrian refugees, and also aims to prevent Kurds from establishing a self-ruling Kurdish area on its doorstep. Pray that the Kurds, the Middle East’s largest ethnic group without an independent country, will be allowed to settle without persecution. Pray for the safety of Syrian refugees forced to move to a ‘safe zone’ and the refugees fleeing current bombing. Pray for the 60,000 fighters of SDF, cut loose from America, who may be looking for alliances with Russia or Iran. Also, SDF Syrian prisons hold 10,000+ IS fighters who could now escape and find a path back to the battlefield. See also

Ninety heads of state attended the annual UN general assembly this week. Every September kings, presidents and prime ministers fly to New York City and attend the UN headquarters. The top priority at its 74th General Assembly is the world's climate emergency. Country leaders were told not to speak without ‘concrete and transformative plans’ to halt rising global temperatures, achieve carbon neutrality and cut carbon emissions by 45%. But VIPs with proposals only had three minutes to speak. Then the UN will collate speeches and brainstorms into a report. Angela Merkel attended the climate summit, but skipped the rest of the week. Donald Trump skipped the climate summit and attended different sessions. How concrete the summit results will actually be is unclear. Meanwhile an angry Greta Thunberg told global leaders, ‘We are in the beginning of a mass extinction and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you?’ See

This month a US court sentenced Anthony Schultz to 84 years in prison for filming rape and sharing the abuse online. The case dated back to 2016, when he was arrested for multiple counts of child pornography he created in the Philippines. US-based FBI investigators discovered Schultz would film himself abusing children and then sell the materials online. He also convinced a Filipino mother to sexually abuse her own daughter and sell the videos to him. Throughout 2017 the International Justice Mission (IJM) supported Philippine authorities as they used this intelligence to rescue three girls aged 10, 15 and 17 from Schultz’s videos. While we can praise and thank God for the success of this investigation, please pray for the release of thousands of other children in similar circumstances across the nations. Pray for the work of IJM as they work to end slavery in our lifetime.

A New York state trooper, Chris Mahoney, at a petrol station, noticed a man carrying several heavy bags. Striking up a conversation, the trooper learned the man was homeless and carried all his belongings on his back. When Mahoney asked him when he’d last eaten, he learned the man had only had a doughnut. When he offered to buy the man a meal, another customer took a photo of his kindness, which went viral. Now, Mahoney encourages more people to do kind things for others. Jesus said we are to ‘love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind and to love your neighbour as yourself.’

A New York state trooper, Chris Mahoney, at a petrol station, noticed a man carrying several heavy bags. Striking up a conversation, the trooper learned the man was homeless and carried all his belongings on his back. When Mahoney asked him when he’d last eaten, he learned the man had only had a doughnut. When he offered to buy the man a meal, another customer took a photo of his kindness, which went viral. Now, Mahoney encourages more people to do kind things for others. Jesus said we are to ‘love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind and to love your neighbour as yourself.’

Benny Hinn says he is done with the prosperity gospel. Since the 1980s, he has taught that God rewards active faith with health and wealth. But on 2 September, during his weekly broadcast,  he told his studio audience and those watching online, ‘I am correcting my own theology and you all need to know it. The blessings of God are not for sale; miracles are not for sale; and prosperity is not for sale.’ Hinn said he now believes ‘give-to-get theology’ is offensive to God. He specifically repudiated the practice of asking for ‘seed money’, where evangelists tell people that God will bless them if they give a specific amount. He himself has done this numerous times, promising God will give material blessings in exchange for a gift of $1,000. He said he would not do it any more. Many are praying he will be true to his word.

People crowded onto Jacob Riis Beach on a hot July afternoon to witness an unusual event - 51 people presenting a public witness for Christ through baptism. As exciting as it was, for the Journey Church, one of the city’s largest Southern Baptist churches, it wasn’t necessarily out of the ordinary. The Journey is on track toward 140 baptisms this year - close to the church’s average over its 18-year history. Since its founding in the days following 9/11, the church has baptised more than 2,750 people. On a typical weekend it draws 1,000 people for worship in three Manhattan locations. Kerrick Thomas, its lead pastor, said that New York is one of the most unreached cities in America. They see reaching people with Christ as their primary mission, focusing on training and equipping believers to talk about their faith with their friends and co-workers.

As Hurricane Dorian battered the US eastern coast on 5 September, the Bahamas reported 'total devastation' in its wake, with 'apocalyptic' scenes after being hit by one of the most powerful Atlantic storms ever recorded. The death toll is expected to be high. Pray for all who are organising food and shelter relief to deal with an unfolding humanitarian crisis. Ask God to release abundant quantities of food, water, shelter, clothing, physical help, healing and comfort to people whose lives have been torn apart. Pray for the damaged hospitals to be repaired, and for the elderly and vulnerable to be found swiftly by rescuers. Pray for the many bereaved, and those whose family and friends are missing. Pray for God to anoint agencies bringing repair to the infrastructure, and remember all those in North and South Carolina anxiously watching the oncoming hurricane.

Recently there have been four attacks on weapons storage facilities belonging to Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) militia. Some factions of the PMU are believed to be Iran proxies, which might explain why there have been accusations of possible US and Israeli involvement. The latest attack took place even though prime minister Mahdi had closed Iraqi airspace to all unauthorised flights of drones, spy planes, jets and helicopters; including the US-led coalition. With Israel being suspected of organising these attacks, some claim that the United States and Russia have allowed them to do so. Iraq’s president said his country does not want to become a battleground for other countries at the expense of its people. ‘Iraq's interest comes first, and the nation will not allow others to turn it into a land for competition.’

US military suicide deaths reflect a national trend. The national suicide rate has increased by 33% since 1999, and suicide is the second leading cause of death among people 10 to 34 years old. 325 active-duty members died by suicide in 2018, the highest number since collecting data began in 2001. The defence department said suicide rates among the military population are ‘devastating, unacceptable and not going in the desired direction’. Every life lost has a deeply personal story that shatters the lives of families. The defence and veterans affairs departments are working to reduce suicide in the ranks and among veterans, who die at an average rate of twenty a day. Between January and March 2019, ninety active duty service members committed suicide - 30 soldiers, 20 sailors, 26 airmen, and 14 marines.