UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said he is 'appalled' at the ongoing persecution of Christians.

One of the countries clamping down is China. Churches continue to be closed, and Christians have been arrested because of their faith.

That is because the country is officially an atheist state, with freedom of religion guaranteed in the constitution. Sky's Tom Cheshire explains.

Watch the SKYNEWS video on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZE4y4PSjCw

Pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters in China.

Christian Responsibility for Europe

Uniting in prayer, hope, reflection and action

Shaping Europe’s future – the European Parliament

The European Parliament can seem remote from daily life but it helps to shape the values and direction of our continent. Through its power to block and amend legislation and to lobby hard for other changes, the European Parliament has huge influence. Between 23rd and 26th May, EU citizens will get the chance to vote and thus collectively choose who will represent them at European level until 2024.

What will the European Union look like in 5 years’ time? What values will European society prioritise? Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) will have a big say over the answers. What challenges will this continent face? MEPs will help choose Europe’s response.

Europe needs prayer

Of course it is always important to pray for politicians (1 Timothy 2: 1-4) and election seasons are especially significant. But, if we step back and look at our continent as a whole, it is clear that Europe is in trouble. So the importance of intercession is huge. Across Europe, fear, division and even anger are common, truth is often getting lost or ignored in the noise. Every nation and the EU institutions themselves are falling short of God’s standards as Evangelicals have historically believed them to be. We have been given good gifts of family, freedom, nation, human rights, security, sex, often relative economic prosperity, etc. but we have turned them into idols as we prioritise them over the Lord or distort them from what he designed them to be. Secularism, meanwhile, makes politics itself an idol and tries to silence other faith-inspired voices. There is also a growing culture of “them versus us” in which many believe that those they disagree with are completely wrong whereas they are completely right. This makes it difficult for people to see good in those who oppose them or to examine their own faults. As a result, wisdom is lost, pride and stubbornness abound.

Hope and responsibility

Individual Christians can feel powerless as they look at these socio-political and economic challenges. We can wonder if there is any point in praying about elections. But, hope returns when we focus our attention on the King of Kings, the one who is in ultimate charge and isworking out His eternal Kingdom purposes no matter what. As we remember that we are called to pray that “His will be done on earth as it is in heaven”, we are motivated to persevere in our intercession. But it also means that we have homework to do – to work to understand what is happening on earth and equally try to understand the will of the Lord. We do this in humility, remembering that we will not fully comprehend until Jesus returns.

Strength in unity

There is particular power and wisdom in praying and reflecting together with other Christians. The diversity of local Church (and indeed Church at national or European levels) means we can choose to understand the lives, problems, gifts and opinions of those who are very different to us. Our identity in Christ gives us a firm foundation for mutual respect, collaboration and the possibility of softening our opinions. We know that, when we pray in humility, repentance and unity for our nations, we can be confident that the Lord listens and will heal (2 Chronicles 7: 14). And when we consider socio-political matters with those who are different to us, it becomes much easier to find a truly biblical perspective on what is important.

A biblical worldview sustains democracy

There is much we can agree on from the Bible. We know that every single human being is made in the image of God and, therefore, has infinite value. So Christians are united in wanting to see European society valuing all, no matter their sex, age, ethnicity, faith or worldview, “economic usefulness”, health or if they are yet to be born etc. As image bearers, every human has the capacity for immense and creative good, so we seek a Europe where there is opportunity for that flourishing contribution from each one. But, since the Fall, each human is capable of unspeakable sinfulness. And so public policy and, indeed, the political system itself must take this into account.

It is this biblical worldview which has provided the foundation for sustainable democracy and free societies.

• Since human beings can do good, they should be able to contribute to the political decision making system and to society.
• Since human beings can do evil, democratic systems should spread power as widely as possible, not allowing any individual or institution to dominate.
• Since every human being has infinite worth, politicians should work for the good of all, including those who did not or could not vote for them.

So let’s be proactive in our praying, voting and influencing to speak up for these core biblical principles and to protect and strengthen the health (in God’s eyes) of our democracy, nations and continent.

Uniting despite differences

As Christians, we should be able to agree on foundational principles of what the Lord would want but there will still be much we continue to disagree on. Since no political party has a monopoly on truth and wisdom, Christians will vote in different ways. But, there is still huge value in praying and discussing together, asking for the Lord’s blessing and mercy, and seeking to understand what is needed for His Kingdom values to be more strongly reflected across our continent.

Therefore, the European Evangelical Alliance urges its members and local churches across the EU to unite in

• non-partisan intercession for our nations and continent,
• biblical reflection about the Lord’s values, listening to other opinions, asking big questions,
• challenging untruth, disrespect and idolatry,
• encouraging people to study political manifestos carefully and to vote.

Politics has its limits

However, no matter how important these elections are, politics becomes an idol when we expect it to solve every issue, give 100% guarantees of security and answer our every need. We look to the King of Kings first, trusting in His sovereignty and ultimate Kingdom purposes. And we also understand the responsibility of citizens to contribute to the common good. Local Church has a particular joyful task to offer the hope of Jesus Christ in word and deed. There is so much anger, fear, loneliness, injustice and hardship around. The Church is doing a vital job in serving communities, reaching out to the most vulnerable, encouraging neighbourliness, building peace, offering hope for today and ultimate hope for eternity. Let’s keep going, whatever happens in political life.

Pray for the European Parliament elections 23-26 May 2019

Christians may vote for different political parties but there is great significance in praying together in humility and unity for our nations and continent.

Here are suggestions for united intercession. We invite people to pray in non-partisan ways

so that all Christians can say AMEN.

Let’s pray for

• the well-being of all candidates and their families during this stressful time,
• peaceful and safe campaigning and voting,
• truth to be sought, seen and heard, valued and accepted,
• opportunities for respectful debate, with a variety of voices being heard,
• growing support for core biblical values, including love, truth, justice, righteousness, forgiveness, integrity, respect, service and generosity,
• the success of politicians who will
  • preserve and strengthen democracy and freedom,
  • work for the good of all, including the weakest and most vulnerable,
  • be a blessing to their nation but also work well with politicians from other nations.
• The next 5 years of the European Union to be a period
  • where mutual respect and listening in political debate increase,
  • where every Member State of the EU is able to be and to offer its best to the whole and to be humble enough to learn from others,
  • where there is greater understanding of the value of every human being,
  • where wise and just decisions are made to face the many economic, technological, environmental, social and security challenges Europe faces, and where the weakest are better protected,
  • where freedom of religion or belief and of expression are strengthened,
  • where decisions are made at the appropriate level – European, national, local,
  • where there is a stronger connection and trust between politicians and officials and the citizens of the European Union.

More: https://www.facebook.com/EuropeanEA

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has appointed a new chief commander of the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), just days after the United States designated the paramilitary force as a foreign terrorist organization.

Iranian state media reported on April 21 that Khamenei appointed General Hossein Salami as the new head of the IRGC, replacing Mohammad Ali Jafari, who had been in charge for more than 11 years.

Salami, 59, had been serving as a deputy commander in the IRGC. State media gave no reason for Khamenei’s decision to replace the IRGC commander.

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration on April 8 designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization in an unprecedented move that drew Iranian condemnation.

Tehran responded by designating the U.S. military's Central Command as a terrorist organization.

The estimated 100,000-strong IRGC is a branch of the military that also plays a major role in Iran’s economy.

It is in charge of Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs and runs its own intelligence operations.

The IRGC has been involved in enforcing Islamic codes and crushing dissent at home, experts say, while taking part in covert operations, arms smuggling, and other efforts aimed at expanding Iran's influence abroad. It answers directly to Khamenei.

The United States has already blacklisted dozens of entities and people for affiliations with the IRGC, but not the organization as a whole.

More:https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-s-supreme-leader-appoints-new-chief-of-revolutionary-guards/29894970.html?ltflags=mailer

Pray that the devious and manipulative actions of the IRGC will be thwarted
Pray for the people of Iran, who yearn for freedom of speech and true democracy

Elections in Israel were yesterday.  This afternoon (Wednesday) with some 97% of votes counted, the Likud with Benjamin Netanyahu and the Blue and White party with Benny Gantz were tied, each having received 35 seats each in the new Knesset. 

However, because the two religious parties, the Sephardic Shas and the Ashkenazy United Torah Judaism, received an astounding eight seats each, and have vowed to join a Netanyahu government—and there are still several other right-wing parties expected to do the same,

Netanyahu is being seen as winner (President Rivlin will almost certainly give him the task of forming a coalition after the final military and write-in votes are counted tomorrow).  This will be Netanyahu’s fifth term.  It means that Israel will go into this next season with a proven, strong defense stance against the threat from Iran.  It will continue with a leader whose prowess as a statesman is respected (if not always loved) in the international community.  There should continue to be a government with strong feelings for Israel’s right to a presence in the Covenant Land of the Mountains of Israel—Judea & Samaria—the West Bank.  And, extremely important for the present time, the relationship forged between Prime Minister Netanyahu and U.S. President Trump continues in a realm of mutual favour no new Israeli leader could hope to imitate.

On the other hand, a coalition so strongly impressed with the religious parties means one which will likely continue with a “double standard” related to religious and civil responsibilities of citizens (most ultra-Orthodox demand to be allowed to study Biblical commentaries of rabbis rather than to fulfill those responsibilities).  And the Shas party will almost certainly demand to maintain control of the Ministry of the Interior and other offices related to immigration—thus deciding who is considered a “Jew”, and discriminating against Messianic Jews and others it considers not lining up with its narrow religious views. 

In general, a far-right government is far less concerned with civil rights of Israeli citizens.  Any overtures the government might wish to take, for example, towards allowing other streams of Judaism to have access to their own portion of the Western Wall, can (as happened two years ago) be nipped off at the bud by a threat from one of the religious parties to leave and bring down the government.

Another question mark relates to the “Deal of the Century” for solving the Israel/Palestinian questions, which President Trump is due to release within a few weeks after the new government is on its feet.  Will it “allow” Israel to annex portions of the Mountains of Israel, and for Jerusalem to remain undivided?  Will the present relationship with Mr. Trump and America be able to remain close if there are tenets of the plan which Israel finds impossible to accept?

The Prime Minister Elect will have a month to put together a coalition; if that fails, he may ask for one short extension.  That failing, the country goes again to new elections.

PLEASE PRAY:

• That the God of Israel will watch over and guard the building of the new government. That none will be allowed to be formed which would restrict His path of mercy for his covenant land and people during the coming season.
• That grace will rest upon Mr. Netanyahu—a grace which leads to humility, and to seeking heavenly counsel for his governance during this term.
• That no occult powers would be able to influence the forming of the new coalition.
• That the most recent Shas leader (a convicted felon) will not be allowed to again hold the office of Ministry of the Interior. That the anti-Messiah spirit would not be allowed to reign over that office.

Martin & Norma Sarvis

Jerusalem

The senior member of the world’s biggest Muslim organisation has insisted that Islamophobia is not rooted in racism and that the distrust of Muslims in many countries is a result of Islamist extremism and terrorism throughout the world.

Yahya CholilStaquf, the secretary-general of Indonesia’s Nahdlatul Ulama movement, which claims to have more than 90 million adherents, wrote in an article in Britain’s Daily Telegraph saying that the traditional Muslim mindset needed to change.

He called for a rejection of Islamic orthodoxy, condemning it as “obsolete and problematic” and “fuelling violence on both sides”.

 The influential cleric wrote that the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims was “factually incorrect” in linking the definition of the word “Islamophobia” to racism, and that it was “counter-productive” to do so.

“The truth, we recognise, is that jihadist doctrine, goals and strategy can be traced to specific tenets of orthodox, authoritative Islam and its historic practice. This includes those portions of sharia that promote Islamic supremacy, encourage enmity towards non-Muslims and require the establishment of a caliphate. It is these elements – still taught by most Sunni and Shiite institutions – that constitute a summons to perpetual conflict,” he wrote.

Staquf stated that Brenton Tarrant’s murder spree, which killed 50 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 15 March, was part of an “ancient cycle of violence” and that the killer shared a “historical framework” with many Muslims that went back almost 1,400 years. He explained the traditional Islamic teaching that “Muslims and non-Muslims are and shall remain in a state of permanent conflict, until the end of time (according to Islamists) or the disappearance of Islam (according to advocates of a ‘counter-jihad’).”

“If Muslims do not address the key tenets of Islamic tradition that encourage this violence, anyone – at any time – can harness them to defy what they claim to be illegitimate laws and butcher their fellow citizens, whether they live in the Islamic world or the West. This is what links so many current events, from Syria to the streets of London,” he added.

More:https://barnabasfund.org/en/news/leading-muslim-cleric-says-islamophobia-a-result-of-islamic-extremism-and-not-racism

Pray with many others globally for 30 Days - for the Muslim world this Ramadan. See the article.

Over a dozen Christians, including children, were slaughtered by Fulani militants following an infant dedication service in the Nigerian state of Nasarawa.

Morning Star News reports that the attack took place on Palm Sunday as Christians in the predominantly Christian community gathered to eat after the child was dedicated that morning at Ruhaniya Baptist Church in the village.

Fulani militants, who have increasingly targeted Christians, stormed the party and opened fire indiscriminately, killing 17. The militants claimed the life of the baby’s mother, Safaratu John Kabiru Ali, along with several others, some of whom were children as young as 10. The baby’s father, John Kabiru Ali, is currently in critical condition after suffering gunshot wounds.

A local resident told Morning Star News that among those killed were “10 members of the Ruhaniya Baptist Church, five members of Evangelical Reformed Church of Christ, one member of the Evangelical Church Winning All, and a musician playing for guests.”

Samuel Meshi, chairman of the Akwanga Local Government Council, told the outlet the group of Christians did nothing to provoke the horrific attack.

“They just started shooting sporadically on a community that was just having a feast of the dedication of a child after a church service earlier in the day on Sunday (April 14) at a Baptist church in the area,” Meshi said.

“The killings occurred in the evening of that day. Unfortunately, these persons were killed in cold blood for just no reason,” he noted.

Pastor Samson Gamu Yare, community leader of the Mada ethnic group in Nasarawa state, described the killings as “barbaric” and called on the federal government to urgently take measures toward curtailing the menace of extremist herdsmen attacks on his people.

Nigerian outlet The Punch notes that the governor of Narasawa State, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, has demanded that the perpetrators be apprehended immediately.

“This is something we are going to take seriously. We are going to have a Security Council meeting and I have already directed security operatives to ensure that they fish out these people and bring them to book,” Al-Makura said, according to Channels TV.

Major General Adeyemi Yekini subsequently announced his strategy to track and arrest those involved in the attack.

“I have directed my troops to move to Akwanga and join other security forces to track down the perpetrators of this crisis; let us apprehend them so that justice can be done,” he said.

Nigeria ranks as the 12th worst country in the world when it comes to Christian persecution, according to Open Doors USA’s 2019 World Watch List.

The Fulani herdsmen are an ethnic group of over 20 million in West and Central Africa. Herders have been known to travel hundreds of miles while carrying weapons to protect their livestock. While they have clashed with indigenous tribes and Christians for centuries, only a small subset are extremists and engage in attacks, according to the Global Terror Index.

However, Open Doors notes that the clashes have intensified in recent years and led to the destruction of houses and churches, as well as the seizure of land and properties belonging to Christian owners. Open Doors concluded that the Nigerian government has historically failed to protect Christians, particularly women and children, from Fulani extremist violence.

Last Easter, Fulani herdsmen carried out an attack on morning Mass at Saint Ignatius Catholic Church in Mbalom, central Nigeria, leaving two priests and at least 17 parishioners dead. About 30 attackers also ransacked a burial ceremony and burned dozens of homes in the community, according to reports.

On March 4, Fulani militants in the Benue state reportedly attacked three villages, killing 23 people with bullets and machetes, according to International Christian Concern.

Also in March, 52 people were killed, dozens injured and around 143 homes were destroyed in attacks on the villages of Inkirimi, Dogonnoma and Ungwan Gora in the Maro district of the Kajuru Local Government Area.

PRAY

Pray for the bereaved that they will know the comfort and presence of God in their grief.
Pray that the extremists will be brought to justice.
Pray for the Government of Nigeria to have greater success with resolving this longstanding issue.

More: https://www.christianpost.com/news/nigeria-christians-slaughtered-by-fulani-militants-at-baby-dedication-children-among-the-dead.html

The Situation in the North

In the weeks following the Hanoi Summit, the issue of North Korean denuclearization has been in the news a lot.  As evidence mounts that the North is rebuilding a major missile launching site that it had been dismantling, Trump has been warning against just that. The commander of U.S. forces in South Korea states that North Korea's activities are "insconsistent" with denuclearization.  While the U.S. also believes that North Korea wants to continue denuclearization talks, the North has threatened to discontinue them. In the meantime, the U.S. has been reaching out to China to help with the situation.  To be honest, I don't thing anyone really knows what will happen; however, the website, 38 North, has a number of very thoughtful articles on the whole denuclearization process.  I recommend taking a look.  There are some hopeful developments in Trump cancelling additional sanctions and the UN lowering sanction barriers for humnitarian work, specifically by the Mennonite Central Committee.  Pray for things to open up for other humanitarian organizations as well.

A few brief items.  Here's a story on how Russian technicians keep the North Korean leaders' bodies looking fresh.  North Koreans are managing to get outside media through new smartphone aps and as workers overseas.  Pray that they learn about the things that are really important and don't spend all their time on dramas...

Remembering Our Brothers in Prison 

We continue to pray for six South Koreans held in the North as well as Daily NK journalist, Choi Song Min (alias). Here's information on the pastors and others who have been detained and released.  Please remember them in your prayers.

MOSCOW - In Verkhnebakansky, a town just outside Novorossiisk on Russia's Black Sea Coast, Baptists gather in a small house with a set of windows in the shape of a Christian cross.

Their presence in the Krasnodar region goes back 110 years, the past 25 of which -- since the Soviet collapse and the opening up of religious expression -- have seen a faith long repressed by authorities flourish once again.

So it was a shock when, on April 7, as some 50 congregants celebrated Annunciation, law enforcement agents stormed in and interrupted the service.

According to presbyter Yevgeny Kokora, the choir temporarily halted its rendition of Jesus Is My Lighthouse while the pastor pleaded with the officers. They wrote up a report and left just as the service was drawing to a close.

The following day, Kokora went with 71-year-old pastor YuryKorniyenko to the prosecutor's office in Novorossiisk, seeking to file an official complaint. They were told the prosecutor wouldn't be taking visitors for the next three weeks. The local branch of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) heard the two Baptists out, Kokora told RFE/RL, but made no promises.

On April 9, Korniyenko received a court summons and was subsequently charged with engaging in illegal missionary work. His case will be heard this week, and he faces a hefty fine if convicted.

"This is the first time we've had such troubles," Kokora told RFE/RL in a telephone interview. "I don't understand who needs this, who's playing this card."

While freedom of religion is constitutionally guaranteed in Russia, the relevant legislation names Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism as the country's four traditional, protected religions. Others with smaller presences in Russia, including denominations like Baptists, have been subjected to increased scrutiny in recent years.

In 2016, Russia introduced a package of laws outlawing missionary work outside officially designated places of worship, part a broader crackdown on minority faiths operating in the country.

The new laws have been cited as necessary measures in the state's fight against extremism and have led to charges against hundreds of religious activists across the country and, in 2017, to an outright ban on Jehovah's Witnesses, a Christian denomination with headquarters in the United States.

Roman Lunkin, a religious expert at the Russian Academy of Sciences, told RFE/RL that the Baptists in the Krasnodar region are falling victim to "not so much an expansion" of the government's campaign against minority religions as "its logical continuation."

The implication, he said, is that the clampdown will spread.

So far, the Baptist church in Russia has kept comparatively under the radar, despite a flock that Lunkin estimates at more than 250,000 people. Its members stand out from those of other minority faiths through their strong "civic stance," Lunkin said -- many are community leaders or members of local government.

But in November, its adherents were shaken by news that a pastor in Tatarstan had been fined 20,000 rubles ($310) for organizing an unsanctioned public gathering: A group of Baptists had assembled that June to watch him baptize their newest member in the Kama River.

Kokora said he believes the campaign against his congregation is a largely local affair, a case of officials trying to curry favor with their superiors. He noted that Novorossiisk has seen several similar cases in recent weeks, but faith groups in other parts of Krasnodar have been largely left alone.

In March, the Pentecostal meeting house in Novorosiisk was torn down after officials declared it an unauthorized construction. Seventh-Day Adventists in the city have been banned from gathering for worship, Kokora said. They now travel to Gelendzhik, 50 kilometers away.

On March 1, law enforcement officers in Novorossiisk detained two Mormons -- Americans KoleBrodowski, 20, and David Gaag, 19 -- on suspicion of violating Russian immigration law. They were released two weeks later and deported to the United States.

The Baptist congregation in Verkhnebakansky has felt pressure from the authorities grow over the past year, according to Kokora. He said they've had weekly calls from officials demanding summaries of the latest sermon delivered, as well as reports on attendance.

On April 21, the deputy head of the Russian Baptist Union, Viktor Ignatenkov, visited Verkhnebakansky to discuss the April 7 incident and the possible legal repercussions for local church members. The meetings "gave everyone a sense of confidence in God's intercession," the church said in a statement on April 23.

Kokora, who spent four years working in the Novorossiisk administration and was a member of the city's civic council, said he is reluctant to try and leverage his official contacts and plans instead to take the legal route by appealing to the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights in Moscow.

"We have laws, and we have courts. Let's fix this through a legal framework," he said.

That council may be the last hope for groups who feel targeted for their faith.

On December 11, in a meeting with council members, President Vladimir Putin suggested that official policy toward some religions should be liberalized.

"We probably can, and even at some point should, be much more liberal toward representatives of various religious sects," he said.

Putin ordered Supreme Court Justice Vyacheslav Lebedev to oversee the drafting of a general legal framework for adjudicating cases brought against religious groups. The deadline is July 1.

Kokora is among thousands of believers vesting their hopes in the initiative as a chance to reverse what they see as a tightening of the screws on Russia’s minority faiths.

In the meantime, he awaits the court's judgment.

"If this case becomes a precedent, then all our congregations will fall like a house of cards," he said. "The administration's hands will be untied."

More:https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-charges-baptist-pastor-in-a-sign-that-its-religious-clampdown-could-be-spreading/29901315.html?ltflags=mailer

Pray for theseefforts of Kokorato succeed -as he challenges the government’soppressive treatment of people due to them practicing their faith.
Pray for the persecuted Christians and their families. May they be richly rewarded for being strong in adversity.

Sri Lankan Christians fear more attacks are coming as the nation is still in mourning over the horrific bombings on Easter Sunday.

At least 253 people were killed and hundreds more were wounded. Thursday the number was decreased from 350 to 253, officials explaining that they initially thought many people had been killed due to unidentifiable body parts.

In two major cities in Sri Lanka it's very quiet as residents and office workers are staying indoors and shops are closed. There's concern that more attacks are on the way with the US embassy warning that terrorists could target places of worship again this weekend.

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe issued a stark warning Thursday saying, "Well, they've rounded up a lot of suspects but there are still some of the active people on the run. They may be having explosives with them, or they may have hidden the explosives so we have to find the suspects as well as the explosives. So that's still on."

Meanwhile, the military is actively seeking some 140 people suspected of having links to the Islamic State.

Last Sunday's bombings were one of the world's worst terrorist attacks since 9/11, but there's still a sense that Americans don't grasp that Christians around the world are so targeted. In fact, the New York Times ran an opinion piece this week asking "Are Christians Privileged or Persecuted?"

Doug Bandow, an analyst at the CATO Institute answers that question writing, "Christianity's dominant role in American culture has obscured the fact that it is the most persecuted faith globally."

And Emma Green, an Atlantic writer, says that Easter has become an "anniversary of death, "noting Easter attacks on Christians in Egypt and Nigeria in the last several years.

Religious freedom advocate Dr. Daniel Mark tells CBN New the attacks show how believers in the West need to be more aware of global persecution of Christians.

"I think Christians should -- Christians who of course are extremely charitable and extremely caring to people worldwide -- could even so take a lesson in this and make sure that on the top of their mind at all times is the persecuted church around the world which makes us appreciate what we have here, too, and makes us more mindful of what we need to protect what we have here."

Please take time to intercede for Sri Lanka using these guidelines supplied by Leslie Keegel, one of our senior leaders, who lives in the country:

• The death toll as of now is at 253 persons and people on the injured list is at 359. Attacks and attempts of attack are still in the air.
• Please pray for the public, fear, anxiety and hopelessness is high.
• For the government and rulers to be united and intentionally decisive to overcome enemy factions.
• It is discovered that ISIS is behind these attacks. They are looking for more opportunities to strike churches and Christians.
• Shops, offices, schools are closed, people who are dependent on daily wages are not finding work. Therefore, starvation and frustration is creeping in.
• Public demonstrations against the government are threatened.
• It is learnt that our decision makers do not see eye to eye with each other, therefore important decisions are not being made.
• There is leadership failure therefore there is economic, social and political instability in our nation.
• The forces of darkness in high places are raging against the Church and her leadership.
• The Church must receive strength and comfort to battle against the powers of darkness.
• Please pray that the support lines would be cut and resources would stop flowing to the ISIS leadership here.
• Pray for the Church to be United in Tragedy: The Evangelical and Pentecostal Churches stand together in solidarity with the Catholic Church during this time of tragedy and share their pain and sorrow as the whole Body of Christ is suffering.
• Pray that this unity will be a witness to the nation.
• Pray that the funeral services will be a powerful witness of forgiveness and reconciliation and also of the living Hope to other religious communities.
• Pray for the opportunity for the Church to reach out to the Moslem community as well.
• Pray for the Grieving Families: Sri Lanka had been through 30 year of war and seen immense suffering and bloodshed and also natural tragedies like the Tsunami. The Church has been both victims and instruments of God’s grace to bring relief and comfort to the suffering. We are working together to help with families with the funerals and provide ongoing emotional and other support.
• Pray for Christians to have courage and hope: This attack specifically targeting Christians and have resulted in the largest number of martyrs of the recent history. The Sri Lankan Church wants to honor their sacrifice and want the families to know that they have not died in vain.
• The Church must be strong in opposition and suffering because we believe that Sri Lanka is destined for Revival.

Thank you very much for your partnership in prayer.

More: https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/cwn/2019/april/as-warning-emerges-of-new-sri-lanka-church-attacks-global-christian-persecution-still-obscured

The leader of Sudan's interim military council has vowed to "uproot the regime" two days after a military coup.

Speaking on TV, Lt-Gen Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan announced the restructuring of state institutions, the end of a night curfew and the release of political prisoners.

Protests continue despite the ousting of long-time leader Omar al-Bashir.

Demonstrators have demanded an immediate move to civilian rule and vow to stay in the streets.

Gen Burhan, who replaced the coup leader after he resigned on Friday, also dissolved all provincial governments and pledged respect for human rights.

The army would maintain "peace, order and security" across Sudan during an already announced transition period that would last at most two years until elections could be and civilian rule introduced, he added.

Using a more conciliatory tone, Gen Burhan also called on the opposition to "help us restore normal life", promised to try those who killed demonstrators and vowed a war on corruption.

The speech followed the resignation of feared security chief Gen Salah Gosh hours after the coup leader himself, Defence Minister Awad Ibn Auf, stepped aside. No official reason has been given for either departure.

Later on Saturday the army named Lt Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo as the deputy head of the Transitional Military Council.

Known by the nickname "Hemeti", the general commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF), which grew out of the government-backed Janjaweed militia.

The Janjaweed are accused of carrying out atrocities in the western region of Darfur in the early 2000s.

What has the opposition said?

Opposition groups have met the military to discuss "transitional arrangements".

Protester spokesman Mohammad Youssef al-Mustafa told the BBC they insisted on the immediate creation of a civilian government, but said military figures would be allowed a role in it.

And according to the privately-owned Baj News website the leader of the opposition Sudanese Congress Party, Omar el-Digeir, said representatives had demanded a civilian government with "full executive powers" and a role for civilians during the transition.

He also said they were waiting for the army to release jailed demonstrators, as promised.

The Sudan Professionals Association (SPA), which has been spearheading the demonstrations, said the council's response "did not achieve any of the demands of the people" and urged protests to continue.

Among its demands are the restructuring of state security, the arrest of "corrupt leaders" and the dissolution of militias that operated under former President Bashir.

How did we get here?

When Mr Bashir was removed, he was replaced by a military council led by Mr Ibn Auf.

But demonstrators camping out outside army headquarters in the capital Khartoum refused to disperse, rejecting Mr Ibn Auf as an ally of Mr Bashir.

Mr Ibn Auf was head of military intelligence during the Darfur conflict and the US imposed sanctions on him in 2007.

On Friday the new leader announced he was resigning and being replaced by Gen Burhan, who is seen as a less controversial figure.

Protestors have called for the abolition of "arbitrary decisions by leaders that do not represent the people" and the detention of "all symbols of the former regime who were involved in crimes against the people".

"Until these demands are fully met, we must continue with our sit-in at the General Command of the Armed Forces," the SPA said.

On Saturday, Sudanese TV reported the resignation of Gen Gosh, head of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) which has powerful forces within the capital.

The general has been a key ally of Mr Bashir since the early 1990s and is among 17 Sudanese officials indicted for genocide, human right abuses and war crimes in the Darfur region by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2009.

The NISS has extensive powers and influence, supervising the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

More:https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-47918736

Pray for a peaceful transition back to democratic elections
Pray that those who have led unjustly or corruptly will be held accountable.
Pray that the interim leaders do not take unfair advantage of the situation.