Displaying items by tag: Religion

With the second largest landmass in the world and a very sparse population, it's easy for a Canadian prayer ministry, house of prayer or city-wide worship ministry to feel isolated. ‘Ears to Hear’ responded to this need with a network which for ten years has connected and united the senior leaders of these ministries for mutual encouragement and support. As a result, they have been able to move together when a national or regional need arises, help one another grow, and endeavour to support the emerging expressions of prayer in the nation. Their website says, ‘We’re in this for the Kingdom and for the prayer of Jesus - that they might be one - to be fulfilled in Canada.’ The network meets regularly in video conference calls, praying, discerning and learning from each other.

Over 180 individuals and communities have been taken to court since ‘anti-missionary’ punishments came into force on 20 July 2016. Forum 18's list of known cases documents the wide range of people and communities across Russia subjected to such punishments.  The 180+ cases were punished for ‘issuing or distribution, within the framework of missionary activity, of literature and printed, audio, and video material without a label bearing this name, or with an incomplete or deliberately false label.’ Both Russians and foreigners were punished under this law, some were fined, some were deported. Vladimir Putin approved this law in a package of anti-terrorism laws and despite prayers and protests from religious leaders and human rights advocates, the Kremlin passed laws against sharing faith in homes, online, or anywhere that is not a recognised church building.

‘I got saved behind the glue factory at an open-air meeting, around a fire.’ said a softly-spoken Romany gypsy from the Gypsy Light and Life, evangelical Pentecostal church that has been spreading Christianity among UK gypsies since the 1980s. They are facing criticism after setting up their annual conference at Thame Showground in Oxfordshire. Local residents are complaining that their town has been 'taken over' while the showground owners are now claiming the booking was deceitfully made. It has claimed that lawyers and police are now involved. A festival organiser said they have done nothing wrong. ‘We've paid for it, signed a contract, we have insurance we have everything covered. As far as I know we have no problems.’ Festival organisers say many people without faith will attend the event and they hope many will come to know Jesus. A Town Councillor said, ‘it’s difficult to separate fact from fiction. Local opinions expressed outright support and outright indignation.’ See also http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-38016090

Statistics from the Home and Foreign Offices show that forced marriages have jumped from 1,220 cases in 2015 to 1,428 in 2016. Most were under the age of 15 and 140 had learning disabilities. August is the ‘critical’ month. Parents take their teenage daughters abroad on holiday then trick them into forced marriages. The government's Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) says it has received 770 calls for help this year from victims. Since 2009 schools have been helped to identify signs of forced marriages. However the numbers are still rising which indicates that some schools, communities and councils are failing to act on suspicions or evidence of abuse. Pray for schools and communities to play a greater preventative role. The UK’s Forced Marriage Unit said that because of the nature of forced marriage a number of them are not reported so the true scale of the problem remains unclear.  See also: http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/child-bride-speaks-out-forced-13429971

New Zealanders will elect 120 parliamentarians for its House of Representatives in the general election on 23 September. The Anglican Diocese of Wellington see the housing crisis as ‘a key issue’.  Many can’t afford a home, struggle to pay rent, are forced to pay for a motel or sleep in their car because of the lack of social housing. Children get sick because their home is too damp and cold. Bishop of Wellington, Justin Duckworth is calling the diocese to a period of prayer, reflection and action ahead of the election. ‘As homeowners, renters, landlords, communities and voters we will consider the part each of us can play, and listen to God’s call.’ he said. Throughout August, the diocese is encouraging Anglicans to use reflection, resources and videos of other Christians’ creative responses so that their hearts and lives are opened to respond personally to this crisis. On 27 August churches will hold ‘services of lament’ for people living without stable or adequate housing.

‘A’ woke up to the sounds of someone burning her house down. She grabbed her baby son and escaped. This was one of many hardships she had faced since deciding to leave her tribe’s traditional religion and follow Jesus. Laotians believe Christianity is an American religion. When someone in the community becomes a Christian, the community worries that the spirits they worship will be offended, and that the community might also suffer ill-effects as a result. ‘K’, his wife and daughter were recently evicted from their home by their eldest son. ‘K’ is a Christian leader of a church that he planted years ago after moving to the unreached region as a missionary.  ‘K’s son despises his parents’ faith and drank and used drugs. He demanded his inheritance from his father and said that the house should be his portion.  K and his family now live under a roof in a rice field.

Churches must be officially registered with the authorities. A recently passed new law  guaranteed religious freedom, but vague legislation banning religious activity that could ‘harm social order and/or national unity’ appears to give authorities freedom to crack down on religious freedom where it is deemed to be against the interests of the state. Vietnam’s communist government considers Christianity an opponent to the one-party state. Christians are facing harassment and violence. Gangs of nationalist youths have terrorised a Christian community in Song Ngoc, attacking a church and homes and targeting Christian business owners. Weeks of intimidation and low-level violence carried out in an orchestrated manner is being ignored by police. Church leaders helping impoverished local fishermen in a legal case following a marine pollution disaster have appealed to the authorities. Pray for church leaders to have strength as they stand against the government for the rights of poor fishermen.

Last week we prayed for religious freedom to be protected and upheld in the UK when Victoria Wasteney took her legal case to an Employment Appeal Tribunal. (see: http://www.prayer-alert.net/british-isles-ireland-pa-site/item/9618-christian-nhs-worker-s-legal-battle )  This appeal was refused and she is now taking her case to the European Courts. Victoria's career has been damaged simply for reaching out to a Muslim colleague with whom she had a friendly, positive relationship, and who at the time seemed grateful for her Christian support. The ensuing court cases have not displayed justice. It evidences the increasing hostility towards Christians and Christianity in the UK.

Some of the most powerful Americans are gathering weekly to learn from God's Word. The Trump Cabinet Bible Study is making history. They've been called the most evangelical cabinet since Jimmy Carter - men and women who don't mince words when declaring where they stand on God and the Bible. Also on 11 July evangelical leaders spontaneously prayed with President Trump in the Oval Office during a day-long ‘listening session’ with the Office of Public Liaison. A former Liberty University vice-president posted pictures of the prayer time on social media saying, ‘It shows a substantive relationship between the evangelical community and this administration,’ See: http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2017/july/faith-leaders-enjoy-open-door-at-white-house.

Praise God for the summer Bible camps that provide one of the only opportunities available to plant the seeds of faith in the hearts of millions of children throughout Eurasia who are trapped in poverty, hopelessness, and conflict. Many of these precious children live in areas hostile to Christianity or dominated by paganism and superstition, and we are called to love them as Jesus does. In Bible camps led by Next Generation Christian leaders this summer, an estimated 20,000 children will experience the love of Christian mentors and hear the gospel message in a fun, safe environment - away from the fear and poverty of their daily lives. For many of these children, this is the first and only time they will hear about Jesus.