Displaying items by tag: Praise

Preachers at the Bethel Church in the Hague have been holding a round-the-clock service for over a month to stop a family of Armenian asylum seekers being deported. The family has lived in the Netherlands for nine years, integrated into the community, and made friends. But a court ruled on 25 October that they must return to Armenia. A centuries-old tradition states that authorities cannot enter a church while a service is taking place, so a service has continued since 26 October. The Tamrazyan family - mother, father, two daughters and a son - are staying inside the church, and therefore avoiding immigration authorities. The family’s asylum issue is still unresolved. The Dutch ‘children's pardon’ grants asylum to children who have lived there for over five years while their asylum application is processed. This action also calls attention to the fate of 400 children in similar circumstances.

Sami, a young boy from Aleppo, told his story during a day of filming for the SAT-7 children’s show Family of Jesus. ‘We came to Tartous for a vacation seven years ago, and then the war erupted. We had to remain here because our home was flattened to the ground. Many homes in Aleppo suffered the same fate. We’ve been here for seven years now. Thank you (SAT-7) so much for this day, I enjoyed it so much. We had so much fun. We learned about Jesus. He is with us wherever we go. He answers our prayers. We mustn’t be afraid because He is with us. When we face problems, we ask Jesus to calm the storm. He can silence all the storms, even the war. I’m not afraid of anything now with Jesus.’

Many thousands of Christians came to Melbourne for ‘Awakening Australia’, as part of a mission to bring 100,000 Australians to Jesus. Leaders spent the weekend preaching the gospel, leading people to Christ, and commissioning them to share the love of Jesus with others. Participants included Bethel Music, Todd White, Heidi Baker, Jake Hamilton, Daniel Kolenda, and Bill Johnson. ‘Hundreds were born of God as they responded to Jesus. There is truly something remarkable happening in Australia! There is an Awakening, a sound in God's people here, that will shake the nation’, said Ben Fitzgerald, leader of Awakening Europe. The weekend saw powerful moments of freedom, deliverance and salvation, followed by mass baptisms for those who gave their lives to Christ. Thousands proclaimed the gospel in the streets. ‘I can't believe this is happening in Australia,’ Fitzgerald said.

There are men and women who pray in the European Commission, even though it adopts a neutral position towards all religion and any display of it. However, this does not mean that religion and beliefs are banned from Commission buildings. About 175 staff members, from different denominations and nationalities, take part in one of the seven prayer meetings that gather on a weekly basis on Commission premises. Numbers vary as many can only take short breaks because of their heavy workload. Each prayer group in principle is independent of the others, although there have been some joint events in recent years.

Aisha (not her real name), 27, grew up in a Muslim family. Her father was devoted to Islam but constantly mis-treated her mother, and Aisha never heard him speak even one kind word to them. The more she watched the oppressive treatment, the more she asked why Allah had created her a girl. She began to reject Allah and his rules. One day she asked her mother why she allowed her father to beat her. 'Allah gave him that authority,' her mother replied. 'Then I don’t want to be a Muslim,' she cried. In response, her mother slapped her in the face. 'That is profanity against Allah; you were born as a Muslim and you will stay a Muslim till you die.' Later, talking to a friend at work who was a Christian, Aisha noticed that her friend frequently mentioned God’s name in their conversations. She described her home life, and her friend referred Aisha to her pastor. In time she gave her life to Jesus, accepting him as Saviour and Lord.

In October 2018, BBC2 showed a documentary, The Debt Saviours, about the work of Christians Against Poverty (CAP), which aims to help those who have piled up debts and do not know how to cope. When CAP’s founder John Kirkby was himself in that situation back in the 1990’s, his world falling apart, a Christian couple took a real interest in him and introduced him to Jesus. His life changed dramatically. He writes: ‘This became the model of how CAP works today too: we partner qualified debt counsellors with the love of the church. It’s an equal partnership, with both sides determined to see someone become debt-free and know they are loved. Love is what the church does best, and it’s an underrated and powerful resource in the UK. All of those who go through CAP’s debt relief are given money management principles that will stay with them long after they are debt free. Contrary to popular belief, people in debt do want to pay their debts off, if they can. However, as many of them are on a very low income with little to spare, it would take them decades to achieve and insolvency can be the sensible option. This is why our head office building is called Jubilee Mill, mirroring the Old Testament’s Year of Jubilee when debts were wiped.’

Praise God for the rescue of an 18-year-old woman in Ghana who had been enslaved for years on Lake Volta. Forced to work in the fishing industry seven days a week, Elinam (not her real name) had endured physical abuse and was denied food if she did not work. She attempted, unsuccessfully, to escape several times, but last week police and International Justice Mission (IJM) were able to find her and bring her to a safe aftercare home where she can recover and heal from trauma. Pray for her continued healing and wellbeing.

The Government has been forced to bring forward its proposed changes to gambling machine betting limits. Philip Hammond had announced in his Budget speech that the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) would be cut from £100 to just £2 by October 2019, five months later than had been expected. After considerable protest, including the resignation of sports minister Tracey Crouch (see https://www.prayer-alert.net/british-isles-ireland-pa-site/item/11140-minister-resigns-over-delayed-crackdown-on-betting-machines), this change will now be put into effect by April 2019. James Mildred, for Christian charity CARE, said it was a 'stunning victory' against FOBTs, which are seen as highly addictive and damaging to families and mental health. However, he added: ‘This is only the first step. The damaging effects of gambling are becoming more visible across society, and the Government must introduce legislation to tackle this. Unless change is forthcoming, it is going to be children who are losing out.'

A couple have been recognised for giving more than a hundred years of service to the Church of Scotland between them. Don and Alice Barrie have played key roles at a church in South Lanarkshire for 51 and 60 years respectively. On 4 November their church presented them with long service awards from the moderator of the CoS general assembly, at a special surprise party. Alice’s father had insisted that she take music lessons from an early age; she took over as church organist at the age of 13 and has never looked back! Don became a church elder in 1967, and served as treasurer. As well as their church duties, the couple successfully ran a farm and raised five children.Their minister, Mike Fucella, said: ‘Church in a rural situation like ours can at times be frustrating, with very few people to do a great deal of work. Don and Alice deserve a big thank you. They have served with cheerfulness, often willing to try new things - open to the future God has in store for us. Without their partnership in the Gospel, I would find things very difficult indeed.’

An eye surgeon from the Diocese of Peshawar, Khushbakht Peters, celebrates the work of the Christian hospital at Tank in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. She writes: ‘Tank is a city in the south of our province. The war against terrorism has been going on for a long time here; many people, both soldiers and civilians, have lost their lives. Yet even when things were at their worst, the dedicated staff at the Christian Hospital persisted in providing healthcare services. A few years ago, even the Taliban refused to attack the hospital, as this is where all their women and children go for treatment. For the past 150 years the hospital has been following the footsteps of the Good Samaritan, providing a healing touch for those in need. They have been helping the poorest of the poor, the underprivileged of society, giving them their only chance to better health. Following the living example of the hospital, let us be obedient to our calling to the Lord, and become a blessing for many.’