Super User
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur
A man sentenced to 190 years behind bars for a brutal murder is now leading a prison church in Colombia. According to associate mission partners Pancha and Terry Barratt, this came about through the prayers of Christian prisoners and through the SEAN theological education by extension programme they help direct. ‘This man was so violent he’d served eight years in solitary confinement. But his Christian fellow prisoners prayed for him daily – they would sit outside his cell singing and praying. ‘One night God touched this man and he believed.’ This had a big impact in the prison. This man eventually graduated from the SEAN programme in 2005 and now helps lead the prison church. His sentence has recently been reduced to 19 more years for good behaviour and the SEAN programme has been welcomed in 23 out of 25 major prisons in Colombia.
Praise: God the He can reach even those who seem far away and lost. ( Ac.3:19)
The Emmy Award-winning TV series 'The Bible' premiered last Saturday on Channel 5 and two of the largest UK Christian charities have created an online guide for those who will tune in to watch. The five-part series has had phenomenal success in the US with more than 100 million viewers. It covers Genesis to Revelation in one grand narrative, with each two hour episode focussing on two or three Biblical stories. The executive producers, husband and wife team Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, have said they conceived the idea for the series with the hope that it would ‘affect a new generation of viewers and draw them back to the Bible’. Following the announcement that the series would be shown on British television, the Damaris Trust and the Evangelical Alliance teamed up to provide resources that will give viewers background Biblical information and will explore the major themes of the series, such as forgiveness and transformation.
Nothing like this has been done for quite some time. So it's time.’ Colin James with the Luis Palau Evangelistic Association speaks of their bold endeavour to bring the Gospel to over 1 million people living in Marseilles in southern France. The Palau Association will be holding their Marseille Provence Festival on the beaches of Plage du Prado from June 30 - July 2. The festival will be a large undertaking, but the opportunity is enormous as James elaborates on the situation. ‘In France the opportunities are very limited and constrained because of the culture and the way the country has been run. It's not an evangelical-based country’ says James. The Palau team knows what they're getting themselves into. They've dealt with restrictions such as not putting the words ‘evangelism’ or ‘pastor’ in advertisements or posters for events in France. However, despite these difficulties, they are seeing a positive change in the tide of thinking for France and Europe. Praise: God for this initiative and pray for the intervention of the Holy Spirit. (Is.45:2-3)
As pedestrians walked along the river Seine in Paris on a recent balmy Sunday, they could hear soaring music coming from a boat moored quayside in the Bercy neighbourhood. The curious who crossed the metal gangplank to peek inside the vessel saw an energetic singer and a pianist, both dressed in white, and a bass player and saxophonist dressed in black. The quartet were performers at a ‘Gospel brunch,’ the latest example of the popularity of gospel music in France. Listeners don't always understand the words, since they're in English, but they understand the emotion, according to some performers.
Praise: that the words and emotion would speak into the hearts and minds of those who hear. (Jn.16:13)
More: http://www.eni.ch/news/
A Christian foster mother has won the right to be reinstated having been struck off after a Muslim girl in her care became a Christian. The foster mother, who had looked after more than 80 children in the last ten years and had an unblemished record, was removed by her local council who accused her of failing to preserve the girl’s religion and failing to prevent her from getting baptised. The Muslim girl in question was sixteen at the time and had decided by her own initiative to become a Christian. The foster mother said that she had put no pressure on the girl and had even tried to discourage her initial interest. The girl was in care as she had been threatened with an arranged marriage and faced violence from her family. Prayer-Alert Article
Praise: God for answered prayer and continue praying for His protection over those that convert from the Muslim faith. (1Tim.4:12)
A Filipino couple who are both pastors have become accidental entrepreneurs after their daughter's search for body care products for her allergy-sensitive skin led to the creation of a home-based industry, which the family sees as its ministry. ‘With this evolving business, poor parishioners can earn extra income, which can sustain their local churches,’ Pastor Robinson Ayupan told Ecumenical News International. ‘With more income, parishioners can give tithes, support their pastor, and sustain their ministries.’ Ayupan's wife, Lorna Jane, says many of the 100 dealers, who retail the family's bath soap and other body care products, are poor parishioners, some of whom are students working their way through college, others unemployed housewives. The Ayupans belong to the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, but the two pastors also minister to other Protestant and evangelical groups, where they tell people they can combine their ‘Christian faith with enterprising ventures’.
Praise: God for this initiative and pray that our God-given gifts will be developed to bless and encourage those in need. (Ps.22:26-27)
The Fijian government has dropped most of the charges against leaders of the Methodist Church in Fiji. Fijian Methodists have made contact with the Methodist Church in Britain to thank people for their prayers and support. All members of the Fiji Methodist Church Standing Committee were charged with attending an unauthorized meeting held in April 2009 and were held for questioning by police in July last year. (See Prayer Alert 3109) Now all but four of them have had their charges dropped due to ‘insufficient evidence’. Mike King, Leader of World Church Relationships, said: ‘The church leadership was keen to give us this heartening news and to thank the many Methodists in Britain who have prayed so faithfully for the Methodist Church in Fiji.’ Methodists in Britain fasted in solidarity with the Methodist Church in Fiji in February after increasing pressure was put on the Church from the country’s government led by Commodore Bainimarama. Praise: God for this move in answer to the believers prayers. (Jn.17:20)
Mandeville Hospital hosted a sporting event for wounded military personnel. In 2012 members of the Armed Forces wounded in action in Afghanistan and Iraq will represent their country once again in the London Paralympics. They all received help from Battle Back, a scheme which encourages recovering military personnel to take up sport. The Team GB Para Olympians includes discus thrower Private Derek Derenalagi who is still serving. In July 2007 his vehicle hit an improvised device in Afghanistan. He was pronounced dead in hospital at Camp Bastion, but later doctors found a pulse. Derek lost both legs in the incident and said that sport has been the best rehab possible for him. 'It doesn’t only help me physically but also mentally in taking away a lot of the negative thoughts from having such a horrific injury.’
Praise: God for the competitors who embody the spirit of a ‘can do’ attitude to life – may they encourage those facing unexpected challenges physically, emotionally or spiritually. (Ecc.11:1)
More: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2194450/Paralympics-2012-Fighting-fit-Forces-heroes-gunning-glory.html
This month we are delighted to report that three new Houses of Prayer are being launched. We welcome Glasgow House of Prayer, Sheffield House of Prayer and European House of Prayer. International House of Prayer Kansas is sending a team in November 2010 to the UK for three meetings in Newcastle on Tyne, Manchester and London (see the website). Houses of Prayer are a phenomenon. Prior to any outpouring of revival God has always called his people to pray, to intercede for a hurting world. Behind each House of Prayer there is a unique story of a God who loves His created world and is preparing to claim it for Himself. He has called individuals and groups to build for Him Houses of Prayer. Praise: Praise be to God for the prayerful initiatives shown by these Houses of Prayer. (2Sa. 22:47)
In the heart of one of Africa’s most influential cities, world evangelist Andrew Palau and 500 Ethiopian churches joined together in a significant effort to foster unity and love, and reach out with the Good News through Love Ethiopia, October 26 through November 17, 2013. The campaign visited the nation’s seven largest cities with the clear message of Jesus Christ. It included more than 17 partner evangelists, 120 short-term missionaries, more than 70 para-church organizations, and thousands of local volunteers in 175 events. From outreach events in local prisons to a private meeting with the newly-appointed president of the nation, the campaign reached every level of society and touched more than 250,000 people, with many thousands responding to the clear Gospel message presented by Andrew Palau and dozens of others. Andrew’s biblical messages of hope rang out to tens of thousands of people on the closing weekend of the festival, forming a potent capstone to the three-week-long campaign.