Displaying items by tag: Religion

Rabbi Jason Sobel recently spoke on the significance of baby Jesus being placed in swaddling clothes after his birth, as announced by the angel to the shepherds. He believes these shepherds weren’t ordinary shepherds. He believes the lambs they were raising needed to be without blemish, because they would be offered as sacrifices in the temple. So these ‘Levitical shepherds’ would wrap the lambs in swaddling clothes to protect them. In that case, swaddling would have been an important connection point for the shepherds. ‘What did they see? A baby born in the same place that the Passover lambs were born, swaddled like a Passover lamb, pointing to the fact that Messiah was the Lamb of God who would take over the sins of the world.’

2018 has been a year of great triumphs and unimaginable tragedies. We have seen both incredible good and unfathomable evil. We have witnessed miracles and seen suffering. But as we look ahead, we remember and proclaim that God is sovereign over every corner of the globe. He alone is the hope of 2019 - the Hope of the Nations. Though some situations may seem hopeless, we recognise and rejoice that He reigns ‘far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title’, and that ‘all things are under His feet’ (Ephesians 1:21,22a). Nothing is impossible for Him. God reigns, and is moving today all over the world!

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.

As the media increasingly report LGBT and 'gay pride' issues, the Christian response has been unclear. A Christian Concern article presents six reasons why LGBT is not biblical. The authors believe the church must boldly and clearly tell the truth. They explain why the practice of different sexualities and same-sex unions are in direct conflict with God’s intended purpose for marriage and sexuality, and quote many Bible passages confirming this. They remind us that ‘Gay pride’ conflicts with 2000 years of the Church’s teaching, and changing our teaching on marriage and sexuality is something that should worry us - especially if what is being taught is false (Jeremiah 23:16-17). Also, by partaking in ‘pride’ events, we are ‘doing an injustice to our brothers and sisters in Christ who experience same-sex attraction, and leading them to believe God blesses such intimacy.’ For the full article, click the ‘More’ button.

The high degree of Turkey’s religious nationalism places incredible pressure on Christians. The government doesn’t target Christians directly, but its nationalistic bias leaves little room for Christians to preach the gospel, which is considered an opposing message. Converts from Islam face social opposition, and often lead double lives to keep their faith hidden from family and community. If found out, they might be threatened with divorce and loss of inheritance rights, and all Christians face employment discrimination. Pray for Muslim-background converts to minister graciously and wisely to their families, especially if they are labelled and treated as traitors. Pray for evangelist David Byle who was refused re-entry into Turkey to be with his family. He had lived and preached there for 19 years and had experienced increasing harassment. See

Rev David Robertson, former Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland, said new guidance on transgenderism sent to Scottish schools is 'harmful and totalitarian'. The document, 'Supporting Transgender Young People', was partly funded by the Scottish government and created in partnership with LGBT Youth Scotland and the Scottish Trans Alliance. It says that teachers should not inform parents of a child's desire to change gender unless the child agrees, and allow children to use whichever toilet and changing room facilities they prefer, adding, ‘If parents voice concerns about their child sharing toilets and/or changing rooms with a trans learner, they should be reminded of the school's ethos of inclusion, equality and respect'. The guidance also recommends gender-neutral dress code options and allowing students to compete in sports according to their gender identity.

Campaigners in Ireland celebrated the end of a ‘medieval’ ban on blasphemy after voters backed removing the offence from the constitution in a referendum. The decision is the latest in a ‘quiet revolution’ of seismic social and political changes in the country. Until recently, Ireland was conservative and dominated by the Catholic Church. Recently Ireland has legalised gay marriage and abortion in popular votes, and is now led by an openly gay Taoiseach. Reflecting the speed of changes, four in five voters under 35 backed the change, while over-65s only approved it by a narrow margin.

2,500 people attended a vigil at a memorial hall and 1,500 stood outside in the rain, listening to loudspeakers, the day after an anti-Semite murdered eleven people and injured six in their place of worship on 27 October, their Shabbat. ‘We need love, not hate’, said the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. The Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Michael Curry, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and others stood by the Bishop of Pittsburgh whose response to the shooting was, ‘This terror is added to the heap of such crimes we have witnessed in the past. Yet our hope is not dimmed. “Behold, I set before you this day, life and death, blessing and curse: therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live’’ (Deuteronomy 30:19).’ See

Finding Biblical figures and saints is the challenge posed to users of a new Catholic mobile game which echoes the Pokémon Go app. Rather than pursuing Japanese monsters, players seek out Biblical characters and recruit them to join their own 'evangelisation team' - if they correctly answer Bible-based questions. The game, which is free to download for smartphone users, incorporates augmented reality and geo-location technology, allowing users to progress through the game as they walk about in real life. It was developed ahead of a visit by Pope Francis to Panama next year for World Youth Day.

These are crucial days, and God is stirring His church. As previously reported (see ), the Pray for Scotland network has introduced a 24-hour prayer rota for churches to sign up and commit to pray for unity on 30 November (St Andrew’s Day). Across the nation, spontaneous days of prayer have been happening recently. No one knows what the Brexit outcome will be - but we know the One who has the answer! This is not a time to wait until the storm blows over. It is a time to battle for our nation - on our knees,crying out for His forgiveness and mercy and calling forth a fresh move of His Spirit to revive His Church and transform our communities.