Displaying items by tag: Praise

Bibles For The World president John Pudaite was asked for a million Gospels of John to equip church-planters for their ministry in India. He offered first to bring 80,000 copies to a conference organised for church-planting leaders. 800 people serving on the frontlines of Gospel outreach came to the conference. When the Scriptures arrived, just in time for the last night of the conference, they were met with an enthusiastic response. ‘It was just amazing. 80,000 Gospels of John, about 100 per church planter, and they were snatched up literally in minutes’, said Pudaite. ‘They were so excited to be equipped in that way. We are working hard now to fulfil their requests for a million Gospels of John before the end of 2023.’

Jewish and Christian leaders representing fifteen nations gathered at Israel's parliament, the Knesset, to discuss how scripture says the law of the Lord will come out of Jerusalem. Micah 4:2 says, ‘For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.’ Knesset members from the Netanyahu coalition and the opposition addressed the gathering. Ohad from the Religious Zionist Party said, ‘The Bible is the core of the base and the core of our identity and of all Western civilisations. We all need to strengthen and deepen our relation, connection and knowledge of the Bible.’ Michael from the opposition National Unity Party thanked others for their commitment to the state of Israel. Dr Ruth Plummer added, ‘Today was such an important time for the Knesset members, the rabbis and Christian leaders to study the word of God together in the capital, Jerusalem. It was just beautiful.’

Sakachep Christians in India celebrated the dedication of the New Testament in their language, which took several years to complete. Now, for the first time, God's Word is available in their mother tongue. After the dedication, eager Sakachep people came forward for their own copy of God's Word. In the coming months several more Bible distributions in new languages are scheduled near the Tibetan border, and in the next few years over 20 new translation projects are planned. Also 771 million people in undeveloped countries catch diseases because they cannot get safe drinking water. The Bucket Ministry reduces that number by sharing God’s love and providing safe, clean water using a filter attached to a bucket that removes harmful bacteria in North America, South America, Central America, Asia, and Africa. Providing clean water also leads to opportunities to share the gospel. In ten years they’ve helped 250,000 families. The difference is lifesaving physically and spiritually.

David consumed a lot of cocaine. When he was In hospital after his third overdose, doctors told him his kidneys had failed, he had Hepatitis C, and would need dialysis for the rest of his life. With hopelessness and despair, he mourned his lost life. ’The night before dialysis was to begin, David cried out, ‘God, I don’t even know if you’re real, but if you are, please help me.’ The next day doctors came to his room. ‘We can’t explain it, but you’ve had a complete recovery,’ one told him. ‘You’re being discharged today.’ David wept profoundly. ‘It was mind-blowing,’ he recalls. ‘I don’t know how long I was on the floor asking God to forgive all the things I had done. God is in the restoration business.’

A family is rejoicing because Sammy Berko is alive after suffering cardiac arrest before miraculously coming back to life two hours later. He reached the top of the wall at a rock climbing gym, and then went limp. He was lowered and then lifesaving measures were unsuccessfully implemented. ‘They looked at us and said, “I’m so sorry, but he’s gone”’, Sammy’s mum Jennifer said. She and her husband were left in the room to say goodbye to Sammy and Jennifer started speaking to Sammy and to God. ‘As I started praying, my husband said, he’s moving.' The 16-year-old came back to life.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have arrested a terrorist cell in Jenin that intended to carry out an attack ‘in an immediate time frame’. Five terrorists were detained during the raid carried out by the IDF’s undercover counterterror unit, a paratrooper patrol, and a Shin Bet-directed military unit which seized ammunition and military equipment. Two other wanted suspects were arrested overnight in counterterrorism operations elsewhere. In a village near Ramallah, Israeli forces arrested a wanted man. During the raid, rioters burned tires and threw stones at the soldiers, who responded with crowd disbursement measures. Another suspect was arrested in the village of Abu Najim, where Molotov cocktails and stones were thrown at soldiers, who employed crowd disbursement methods. The wanted men were transferred for questioning. These arrests follow a week of terrorist activity, killing Israelis and tourists. See also this week’s world article, ‘Israel: terrorist tensions’.

Before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iranian women could vote and wear Western clothing. Religious minorities, like Christians, were protected by law. Since 1979, leaders have been doing everything according to Islamic principles, which is driving people to look for something else. Jesus is ‘something else,’ something separate from Islam, and many Iranians are finding him. Many Iranian believers also have Muslim friends and family members who are sick of Islam, are sick of what is happening in their country, and want something else. To help Iranian believers reach loved ones and neighbours for Christ, Voice of the Martyrs USA is sending 300,000 Bibles into Iran this month. When equipped with Scripture, Iranian believers can hand those (frustrated) people a Bible and say, ‘Why don’t you read this? This is a different path.’

Less than 2% of deaf people follow Jesus. A new form of sign language technology can now transform presenting Scripture to a deaf person. ‘Chameleon’ features a digital avatar, or animated character, signing the Bible to the viewer. Chameleon technology offered by Wycliffe Bible Translators and global partners transcends race and culture. ‘As a white man, if I sign the Bible to another culture, I don't want that culture to think the Scripture is merely “the white man's beliefs”.’ The avatar can be converted to the local nationality, making the translator's appearance anonymous. Filming someone signing the gospel in one of these countries can be dangerous. The avatar allows Christian sign language to be presented in countries unfriendly to the Bible while protecting the person responsible for the translation. A win for the deaf community, taking Bible translation to the next level.

Blac Chyna (real name Angela White), the popular OnlyFans model, shut down her $240 million porn channel when she became a Christian. Her conversion is significant because of the influence she had over millions of teens and her exposure of the manipulative nature of influencers. Angela is one of many ‘influencers’ discovering the hollow core of lavish lifestyles of sin and turning to Jesus. ‘God said, you don’t need to be doing this, I didn’t put you here, to degrade yourself’, she says on social media. ‘I’m just going by faith. Just letting God lead me. I have my church home helping me along.'

‘I served in Ukraine alongside those who risk their lives preaching the Gospel, delivering humanitarian aid, and evacuating people. Many opened their hearts to Christ everywhere I preached. I have never seen such a hunger for God in any other country. We were going to the churches where the Ukrainian pastor with us had been delivering pastoral care until Russians beat him almost to death. In my heart I carried the word I received from the Lord for the people of Donbas, where the war had continued for nine years: “The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great Light, and those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death, upon them a Light dawned”. It was there in Donbas that I saw how powerful prayer is, how powerful God’s protection is, and how great a desire for salvation the Holy Spirit can arouse in people.’