Displaying items by tag: North America

Hurricane Florence reached the Carolinas on 14 September. For days the president has been tweeting, ‘Be prepared, be careful, be SAFE’. Two years ago a category 1 storm caused $10.6 billion in flood damage and killed 25 people in the Carolinas. Florence is a category 2 storm with expected category 4 storm surges. It is moving slowly, and coastal areas could experience hurricane-force winds and hurricane conditions for 24 hours or more. Once it moves inland, flooding risk increases, with up to 25 inches of rain forecast (more in some areas). Residents were warned to evacuate not only for their safety, but for the safety of first responders. Pray for homeowners, farmers and businesses contending with a major flooding event; for the safety of first responders; for reliable electricity supplies to hospitals and emergency stations; and for the frail, vulnerable and elderly to be cared for, reassured, and made comfortable.

North Carolina Baptists on Mission and the North Carolina conference of the United Methodist Church have made a name for themselves during previous hurricanes and disasters by feeding people, clearing debris, gutting uninhabitable homes and rebuilding them. On 12 September, in preparation for Hurricane Florence, they were deciding how to deploy their volunteer armies and equipment. ‘God has opened a lot of doors and given us a lot of opportunity,’ said the Baptists. ‘We are thankful for that. We want to glorify God if we have opportunities to, and we’re looking for the best way to do that right now.’

Most Israeli Jews believe in God. The US is the most God-fearing country in the West. The figures for faith in God are almost identical for the two nations, leaving other ‘Christian’ countries far behind. At a time when Jewish settlers and evangelical Christians appear to run foreign policies in both Jerusalem and Washington, it is hard to escape the conclusion that religion has a pivotal role in the special relationship between them. Also the tense political relations between Israel and the EU and between the EU and Washington are defined by religious beliefs. Israelis and Americans view Europe as godless and decadent, while Brussels believes Israel and the USA are drifting into fundamentalist crazy-land. These specifics come from a recent poll by the Dialogue Institute that surmised, ‘Religious beliefs are also a reliable marker for political views’.

All across the vast land, intercessors unite under the umbrella of ‘Ears to Hear’ as they pray for Canada via conference calls, skype and emails. We can join them as they intercede for the summer to bring an unprecedented spiritual harvest. Pray that the nation will grow deeply hungry for God, and that the Church will use every opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus boldly. Keep lifting up all the summer camps and outreaches. The Lord has been speaking to Canada’s Prophetic Council through a vision of a church bell being rung in these days. The vision represents what He desires to do with the prophetic. May the gift of prophecy ring out in new and freshly restored ways. Pray that it is clear, pure and centred on Jesus. Across Canada, the Lord has been strongly emphasising that it’s time for reconciliation. Pray that even long-estranged relationships will be restored. Pray for grace, humility and forgiveness to grow in the Body of Christ. Believe for miraculous reconciliations.

The oldest and thickest sea ice in the Arctic has started breaking up, opening waters north of Greenland that are normally frozen, even in summer. This phenomenon, never previously recorded, is due to warm winds and a climate-change driven heatwave. One meteorologist described the loss of ice as ‘scary’. Others said it could force scientists to revise their theories about which part of the Arctic will withstand warming the longest. ‘I think that solar heating of the water column will increase during this opening (of the ice) and this will delay freeze-up and ice formation,’ said an expert at the Danish Meteorological Institute. Freakish Arctic temperatures have alarmed climate scientists since the beginning of the year. There are concerns that the polar vortex may be eroding.

Donald Trump's former personal attorney and ‘fixer’ pleaded guilty to eight felony counts, including two that implicate President Trump and Paul Manafort, President Trump's former campaign chairman who was found guilty on eight counts in a separate case. Meanwhile Trump is tweeting repeatedly that the campaign finance regulations Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to are not crimes. We can pray for America’s president and all who hold positions of authority and influence in government to be men and women who walk in righteousness, integrity, wisdom and truth. May any who are dishonest or irrational be removed from their positions of power. See

Police in Chicago have asked for more help to combat gun violence after over sixty people were shot in one weekend. More than thirty were gunned down during just one three-hour period on Sunday. Police said most shootings were gang-related. Donovan Price, a pastor and emergency administrator, said, ‘This is just out of control. It's a war zone going on right now. Chicago is just crazy.’ But in a country where it is easier to buy a gun than spray paint and there are nearly as many guns as people, not everyone wants stricter gun controls. President Trump has repeatedly vowed to intervene in Chicago, where law-enforcement officers have struggled with intractable violence problems. Pray for Trump to release enough federal help for control to be more successful.

The Christian relatives of Richard Russell say they are ‘stunned and heartbroken’ after the airline worker stole a passenger plane from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on 10 August, and was killed when he crashed 25 miles away. The FBI is leading an investigation, and President Trump was briefed on the incident, and tweeted his comments. The family said, ‘This is a complete shock to us. We are devastated by these events, and Jesus is truly the only one holding this family together right now.’ We can pray that their testimony of God’s favour in times of trouble receives as much media discussion as the terrible event.

Less than three months after winning a Supreme Court case backing his religious freedom of expression, Colorado Christian cake artist Jack Phillips is facing yet another battle. A new complaint was recently filed against him after an attorney asked him to make a cake pink on the inside and blue on the outside, representing a transition from male to female, to celebrate a gender transition. Phillips declined to make the cake, because of his religious beliefs. On 15 August attorneys representing him and his Masterpiece Cakeshop filed a lawsuit to fight this new complaint, which they said constituted a ‘doubling down of anti-religious hostility’ by Colorado officials. They said, ‘Colorado is ignoring the message of the US Supreme Court by continuing to single out Jack for punishment and to exhibit hostility toward his religious beliefs.’

A new LifeWay Research study on Christians and prosperity theology concludes that ‘more than a few people in the pews have embraced it’ and ‘evangelicals appear to be to the most eager to embrace a link between God’s financial blessings and their actions.’ Researchers asked 1,010 adults who attend Protestant and non-denominational churches once a month to agree or disagree with three statements: -To receive material blessings from God, I have to do something for God. - if I give more money to my church and charities, God will bless me in return. -God wants me to prosper financially. 1/3rd of Protestants said their church teaches - God will bless them if they donate money. One in four said they have to do something for God to receive material blessings. Two-thirds believe God wants them to prosper.