Displaying items by tag: Christian

In 2016, 350 Church leaders gathered to talk about and tackle the issue of pornography in their congregations and communities. Since then a move to combat pornography in the Church has grown. The CARE organisation sees the need for the Church to tackle this issue head on, after research in 2014 showed 79% of men and 76% of women aged 18-30 watched porn at least once a month. A growing number of Christians are aware of the effects of pornography and addiction on both men and women. Pray for more leaders to hear about and attend these conferences, and learn how to address the immorality that is damaging on spiritual, psychological and relational levels. Pray for more Christian therapists to be trained. For the 2018 conference details, click the ‘More’ button.

A prayer team recently visited some places in Pakistan connected to terrorism. They felt the presence of evil, but also felt prayer backup that allowed them to pray as God wanted them to pray. They experienced protection by the prayers of others. Please pray that their intercessions will bring real change, and that people will be encouraged to pray even more for their country. Continue to pray for God’s protection over the team - that there will be no backlash, particularly for those inside Pakistan who do not have intercessors covering them. We can also praise God that unreached people groups will soon be targeted with prayer petitions. A large prayer organisation will soon produce daily prayer material for the Hindu ethnic groups in Pakistan.

It is hoped that 1.2 million Underground passengers will notice new posters inviting them to find out more about Jesus by taking an Alpha course. The banners will appear for two weeks on staircases, escalators, and platforms at 400 different locations. Alpha’s marketing and communications officer said that the beginning of January is a ‘natural’ time of year to highlight the evangelistic programme.

Sony’s new animation picture, The Star, was released on 17 November. The film’s director said they are preparing for the movie to be this generation’s Christmas classic. It is the first faith-based animation film to hit cinemas since Prince of Egypt in 1998. The director added, ‘We’re living in divisive and stressful times, and we read about violence continually. The power of this story is - many people from different walks of life. The “three kings” are upper-class foreigners, and the local shepherds are the bottom of the working class, making note that Jesus brought people from all walks of life together. The Star is “the greatest story never told”’.

Nizar Shaheen, of Light for the Nations (a Christian programme aired in Muslim-dense areas), says, ‘I've seen many, many Arabic-speaking people turning to Christ, accepting Him as Lord and Saviour. It's happening all over the Arab world; in North Africa and the Gulf countries; in Europe, Canada and the United States. Everywhere, people are accepting Jesus.’ Also in the Middle East, Coptic priest Father Zakaria Botros is confronting Islam with an in-your-face style of television and internet evangelism. He reports Muslims turning to Jesus: ‘young and old, educated and not educated, males and females, even those who are fanatical.’ It is not uncommon these days to hear of Muslims encountering God as they slept. Around the world, many who have converted to Christianity say they have done so after dreaming of a person who they believe is Jesus Christ.

A family court judge has ordered that a five-year-old Christian child, who had been placed with strict Muslim foster-parents, should live with her Muslim grandmother. A leaked internal document from Tower Hamlets council said the child was ‘very distressed’ after her foster-parents had taken a necklace with a Christian cross from her and banned her from eating bacon. Judge Khatun Sapnara made this decision at Tower Hamlets’ request. The Children's Commissioner, Anne Longfield, said her office would contact Tower Hamlets with questions regarding placing a Christian girl with two Muslim foster families within six months. Media reporting on the case has been criticised by the Muslim community, who said the family dispute had been seized upon in an effort to demonise Islam.

With an average age of 29, Morocco has a young population. But, as in neighbouring North African countries, their horizons are limited. Some 22% of young men and 38% of young women are unemployed (as at June 2013). Most of those who do work are engaged in the informal sector without the security of a contract, guaranteed work or income. In an environment which can fuel frustration and depression, a new series of SAT-7 podcasts has a clear message that God accepts us, offers change and sets us free. ‘WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD’ targets Moroccan and North African youth with messages of hope and wisdom, using a mixture of proverbs, comedy, rhymes and biblical values. Its presenter-producer, Hamid, says the short five-minute episodes aim to ‘change young people’s view of themselves and uncover deceptive views and ideas absorbed from culture and folk religion in a humorous way’.

A Christian couple in Oregon were fined $135,000 (£109,000) for refusing to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple. Aaron and Melissa Klein, who own a local bakery called Sweet Cakes in Oregon, maintain that they did not refuse to serve the gay customers; they only refused to participate in making a cake for their wedding. They have decided to appeal against the ruling, with First Liberty Institute attorney Hiram Sasser representing them. They said, ‘We have no litmus test for customers. We serve everybody no matter who they are, from every walk of life. That’s part of being open to the public. These two women were in fact return customers.’ The couple cannot discuss the case due to a gag order.

Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom (PVV) is set to win the largest number of seats in the Dutch election. The current global wave of anti-establishment sentiment, and the migrant crisis has boosted support for PVV. The election is less than a month away, and Wilders is recorded as saying, ‘All Christians should vote for my party because we are against Muslims and for Israel.’ But many believe that his populist policies generate fear and hate. A study in 2016, Saving the People, says that populists hijack religion for their cause. They see two groups of ‘enemies of the people’- the ‘elites’ and the dangerous ‘others’ who threaten the wellbeing of the people. Pray for voters to be discerning, see the bigger picture, ask what the fruit of populist policies will be, and to view everything through the lens of the radical politics of God’s kingdom. See also

A worker for Christ wanted to write about recent news, but didn’t. Firstly it was too depressing, and secondly there was a fear of information getting into the wrong hands with the possibility of personal danger. The desperation is to get people praying. Asked for their greatest fears, most replied, ‘being hacked to death and wasting away through starvation.’ Burundi has the highest rate of malnutrition in the world. The worker and colleagues need prayers for protection and wisdom in complex situations. He write: ‘“Why are you still here?” Because God calls us to weep with those who weep, to be a voice for the voiceless and to “not love our lives so much as to shrink from death”. (Rev 12:11) “How do you see things going?” Not well in human terms but, through the eyes of faith, I still believe that God is on His throne and that the Church is the hope of the world as He has stationed His best troops in Burundi. “What about your family?” We have agreed to live by faith, and want to model this to our children as we stand alongside the precious suffering Burundi community. Will you stand with us in prayer, if you have the emotional energy? I am here, amongst other things, to fly the flag for Burundi. Can you see it waving? It’s small, soiled, stinking, fear-ridden, torn, blood-and-tear-stained, but look more closely….that is not the whole story.’ See also