Displaying items by tag: Pacific

Townsville, with 180,000 people, has been facing tropical cyclones, king tides and drenching summer rain. Over a metre of rain fell in seven days, leaving many residents without power; others were cut off by flooded roads. The Ross River dam flooded beyond capacity, necessitating the opening of gates and the release of 1,900 cubic metres of water a second. 20,000 homes were flooded. A flotilla of boats rescued hundreds, with police, emergency services and soldiers stretched to the limit. Authorities have now warned residents not to swim in flooded suburbs, where crocodiles and snakes have been spotted. More monsoon rain is forecast for next week. Meanwhile, parts of southern Australia are in the grip of a severe drought, and record temperatures of 49.5C have caused bushfires and hospital admissions. See

Many thousands of Christians came to Melbourne for ‘Awakening Australia’, as part of a mission to bring 100,000 Australians to Jesus. Leaders spent the weekend preaching the gospel, leading people to Christ, and commissioning them to share the love of Jesus with others.

Participants included Bethel Music, Todd White, Heidi Baker, Jake Hamilton, Daniel Kolenda, and Bill Johnson.

‘Hundreds were born of God as they responded to Jesus. There is truly something remarkable happening in Australia! There is an Awakening, a sound in God's people here, that will shake the nation’, said Ben Fitzgerald, leader of Awakening Europe.

The weekend saw powerful moments of freedom, deliverance and salvation, followed by mass baptisms for those who gave their lives to Christ. Thousands proclaimed the gospel in the streets. ‘I can't believe this is happening in Australia,’ Fitzgerald said.

IPC colleague, Donny McGregor from Generation Fire, Sydney, was involved with a team who ran 100 hours of prayer in the lead up to the Awakening Australia event.  Just that event saw 200 lives saved! 

‘We experienced a change in the spiritual atmosphere during the 100 hours of Prayer', said Donny.  'Our prayer focus moved from targeting the strongholds to speaking open heaven, breaking discouragements and hearts to be receptive to the Gospel… and we saw God move!  The hunger for God was off the chart!’

Awakening Australia saw an estimated 1,600 first time and renewed commitments and 250+ baptisms. Thousands of believers were involved in the witnessing around the city. 

Praise: God for the changed spiritual atmosphere in Melbourne; thank Him for breaking strongholds and opening hearts to respond to His truth. (John 8:32)

More: https://www.awakeningaustralia.org/  AND www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/cwn/2018/november/i-cant-believe-this-is-happening-thousands-experience-gospel

Faithful missionaries brought the Gospel to Tonga in the 19th century. The bold red cross displayed on the country's flag represents its Christian heritage. Today nearly everyone in Tonga has access to the Gospel. But the islands are experiencing a slow and steady spiritual decline. The church is plagued with bitter schisms, selfishness, politics, false teachings, and nominalism. Many are being drawn away to ‘new’ teachings. Tonga has the world's highest percentage of Mormons, and 4% follow Baha'i teachings. Some say that faith across the Pacific has become so shallow that the region must be re-evangelised. A move of God is desperately needed. Pray for freedom from the love of money among young adults tempted to seek riches abroad. Pray for emigrant believers to keep their Christian identity in their host nations. Pray for hope and eternal purpose for youth turning to crime and drugs as solutions to boredom.

An Australian Christian Lobby blogger states ‘The cultural climate of our day often makes the politically engaged Christian in Australia feel isolated. So many issues are beyond us. Safe schools, the rights of parents, conversion therapy, abortion, euthanasia, religious freedom, moral decay, children’s innocence, political apathy, weakened churches. The voices seeking to redefine truth, justice and morality are very loud and increasingly effective.’ He went on to say, ‘Elijah faced an infinitely more desperate set of political and cultural circumstances. He was overwhelmed and desperately cried out to God, ‘Lord, they have killed your prophets, demolished your altars, I alone am left, and they seek my life.’ God’s astonishing answer was, ‘I have kept for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.’ God has preserved a great many in Australia who have not bowed the knee.’ We can pray for our Australian brothers and sisters to engage more vigorously, and confidently to make an enormous impact on Australian society.

Farmers are struggling to afford to feed their animals in Australia's most populous state, New South Wales, which is now officially declared 100% in drought. The area produces a quarter of Australia's agricultural output and farmers tell harrowing tales of failing crops, severe water shortages and inability to feed livestock; having to spend the equivalent of £5,768 per truckload of hay to feed animals, and the threat of large cullings.  Cattle farmer David Graham said he was resigned to waiting for rain, adding ‘In our community you support each other through the tough times.’ Mental health group Sane Australia has said that suicide rates in rural regions are 40% higher than urban areas.

A next-generation prayer movement ‘Zoom gathering’ will take place on 19 June to raise up and encourage the next generation (15- to 35-year-olds) of intercessors in Australia. The event, organised by the National Day of Prayer and Fasting committee, is designed to reach more young people and alert them to all that is happening in prayer in the region. The vision is to raise up a next-generation prayer movement and spiritual awakening for Australia. Those gathered will divide into small groups of people being led by an older prayer warrior. The focus of the breakout room time will be on 50% discussion and 50% prayer. Each group will be asked: ‘What is God's vision for the Next Generation Prayer Movement, and how can you contribute to that? How can we as an older generation of prayer leaders serve you?’

There will be ten international chaplains at the Commonwealth Games. Their first role is to make themselves available on a pastoral level to anyone who wants it. Christian athletes will want to have Bible studies and corporate worship, and the chaplains will provide that for them. Pray for them to be excellent servants to all the athletes, coaches and games officials. Pray for the special relationships they will develop with athletes - both those who are committed Christians and those who wish to explore Christian faith. May those friendships grow deeper over the course of the Games. Pray for boldness at such a large event, where they will be outside their comfort zones.

Archbishop Allan Migi, the Anglican primate in PNG, has condemned the increasing number of alleged witches and sorcerers being killed. He said killing a child suspected of witchcraft is strongly opposed to the way of Christ; it is child abuse in its worst form. The practice of sorcery and witchcraft is ‘an evil thing’, as is ‘the killing of a suspect or taking somebody’s life’. Recently the UN high commissioner for human rights, visiting the country, called for ‘decisive government action’ to tackle the endemic gender-based violence and horrific attacks against those accused of sorcery. The new police minister said, ‘It is not in our history to burn or stone people for sorcery. In the last year or so it has accelerated.’ There is now a police task force to tackle attacks on suspected witches.

There is an expectation in Australia that once the result of the same-sex marriage postal vote is announced on 15 November the matter will be resolved once and for all. According to opinion polls a Yes vote looks likely, clearing the way for amendments to the Marriage Act. But there’s a twist in this long-running, angry issue (on 21 September a man head-butted former prime minister Tony Abbott as he campaigned for a No vote). Opposition leader Bill Shorten seeks to define marriage as ‘a union between two people’ meaning that all are eligible: heterosexuals, homosexuals and people of any other gender or sexuality. This could be immensely complicated.

Patrick Mitchell began transgendering to become a girl when he was twelve, then changed his mind two years later and will now be undergoing surgery to remove breast tissue that grew as a result of taking oestrogen. He gave a TV interview to explain how being called a girl actually made him realise he was comfortable as a boy. Walt Heyer, founder of SexChangeRegret.com, said ‘Patrick’s story is more proof that the trans-activist doctors go forward recklessly with transgender treatments, but have no way of verifying who is transgender and who is not. What we do know is that through persistent affirmation by parents, doctors and schools, we can cause children to think they are transgender.’ Transgenders undergo hormone injections and irreversible surgeries to feel better, yet surveys reveal that they attempt and commit suicide at an alarming rate, even after treatment. One UK survey showed almost half of transgender children have attempted to kill themselves. See