Displaying items by tag: Religion

British evangelist Rico Tice spoke at GAFCON, warning that God would take His power, spirit and gospel outside the Anglican institution if Anglicans leaders do not submit to scripture and repent of sin. He said he could relate to Rev Behan when he said he wept and grieved over New Zealand’s church; adding, ‘To come here and see the largest collection of Anglicans for the last 50 years meet together and have a Nigerian bishop rebuke us about our sin was so refreshing.’ He said that the road to ruin in Britain is defined by tolerance and permissiveness, doing what you please, thinking what you please. ‘In a way I come to GAFCON partly grieving but also delighted to find a family that is Anglican, that I can trust, who submit to the Lord Jesus and to Scripture. There’s a loss of nerve in the Church because culture is intolerant of people holding onto the uniqueness of Jesus and his high and holy standards.’

Published in British Isles
Friday, 22 June 2018 00:05

National parliamentary prayer breakfast

Christians in Parliament, at their annual national prayer breakfast, gave 470 leaders time to stop and reflect, sing hymns, pray, and hear the American Presbyterian pastor Tim Keller. One of the themes was, ‘What role can Christianity play in contemporary public life?’ Theresa May said that Christianity had transformed the United Kingdom with its values and teachings, helping to shape the laws, customs and society of the country. She added, ‘Whether you are a Parliamentarian or a constituent, I encourage you to continue your engagement as Christians in public life for the common good of all.’  The Christians in Parliament ethos is for more Christians to respond to God's call and engage positively in party politics and government. Their mission is to make the biblical case for participating in party politics at high-quality events, and connect Christians and churches to people or organisations that can help them engage politically.

Published in British Isles
Friday, 22 June 2018 00:00

Primary schools conference

On 21 June the Archbishop of York Youth Trust hosted a regional conference, for primary head teachers in church schools across the Diocese of Manchester. It provided an opportunity for them to learn more about the Young Leaders Award delivered at Key Stage 2 and to share in the experiences of those completing the award. To date the Youth Trust has enrolled over 550 primary and secondary schools in these award schemes, empowering 63,000 young people to put leadership into action and make a difference in other people's lives through acts of service and community volunteering.

Published in British Isles
Thursday, 21 June 2018 23:47

Algeria: Christian persecution

Algerian Christians cannot openly practise their faith. 99% of the population are Muslim, and intolerance from Muslim relatives and neighbours is a major source of persecution. The state restricts freedom of religion through stringent laws and bureaucracy. Many ethnic Berbers are coming to Christ and Arabs are persecuting them. Laws regulate non-Muslim worship, ban conversion, and prohibit blasphemy. In recent years, several Christian churches with Muslim-background congregations have been ordered to close. Slimane Bouhafs, imprisoned for insulting Islam, was violently harassed by fellow prisoners for his faith. On 16 May a judge denied Pastor Nouredine Belabed's appeal against a sentence of a 100,000-dinar fine and payment of court fees plus a suspended sentence. Pray for the young people, who make up a large percentage of the population as well as the majority of Christians.

Published in Worldwide
Thursday, 14 June 2018 23:16

Free speech or hate speech

(From a Prophecy Today blog) Today, if speech does not conform to secular social mores of ‘tolerance’, ‘diversity’ and ‘equality’, then it becomes ‘hate speech’. In today’s politically correct environment, what we can and can’t say is increasingly regulated - we even censor ourselves for fear of offending some ‘victim’ groups which are given a higher status, deserving special consideration, and placed beyond criticism. Designation of victim groups, undoubtedly well-meant to rid society of prejudice by positively discriminating in favour of ‘victims’, is turning genuine justice on its head. Women’s rights are championed. Men’s rights are unheard of. LGBT rights are promoted over and above those of heterosexuals. Many ‘virtuous’ causes promote immoral living, false religions and the destruction of the family - while Godly living and thinking is ostracised. Pray for a reversal of society’s revolt against Biblical truth, rebellion against God, and the shying away from declaring His truth in public.

Published in British Isles
Thursday, 14 June 2018 23:14

A UK Barnabas Church?

The executive leader of the Church Mission Society, Canon Philip Mounstephen, after a recent visit to in Nepal, ponders what difference it would make to the Church in the West if it was as filled with the Holy Spirit. He said that Nepali churches have experienced sustained and significant growth over recent years, while the older UK Church is in decline, facing indifference and suspicion. The Nepali Church is a living demonstration of what happens when the holy and the human meet - a church full of the Holy Spirit and faith, resulting in a great many people being brought to the Lord. The name Barnabas means ‘son of encouragement’, and the Nepali church should encourage us to explore what happens when a Church is filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith. We must begin with prayer. We must recognise our emptiness, and ask to be filled.

Published in British Isles
Thursday, 14 June 2018 23:10

Pray for Europe’s revival

Europe has almost two thousand years of Christian history, from the Apostle Paul planting the first European church in Lydia’s house in Philippi through to the Moravians, Jan Hus in Moravia, Count Zinzendorf and the Herrnhut community in Saxony, Pietism in the Lutheran church, Huguenots in France, and the evangelical awakening in Britain through George Whitefield and John and Charles Wesley. More recently there have been Pentecostal revivals in Wales. God is still at work in Europe today! It is said that where a revival has happened before, it is easier for it to happen again. This encourages us to hope that the recent decline in church life can turn to growth again. Pray for such a total turnaround in the spiritual situation in Europe that atheism and humanism can no longer claim to be dominant.

Published in Europe
Thursday, 14 June 2018 22:57

North Korean Christians

Intellectual and religious freedom in North Korea is atrocious, but God could use Trump and Kim’s meeting to initiate freedom from the constant oppression Christians receive for following Jesus. They are imprisoned for their faith, often entire families confined for generations. They are banned from being part of a church, or expressing their religious beliefs to their children, out of fear that they will say something to the wrong person. There are about 300,000 Christians in North Korea who hide their faith and meet in extreme secrecy. An estimated 50,000 Christians are imprisoned in labour camps or detention centres or banished to remote regions. Government propaganda calls Christians ‘deceitful and evil people, to be avoided at all cost.’ The abuse they endure is reminiscent of people being forced by Nebuchadnezzar to worship idols or be thrown into a furnace. Also, see the article in the UK section.

Published in Worldwide
Thursday, 07 June 2018 23:22

Being Christian in Western Europe

7 out of 10 Western Europeans call themselves Christians. However, the majority are non-practising (defined as attending church less than once a month). Across the 15 countries studied, 79% of self-identifying Christians believe in God, ranging from 93% in Portugal to 59% in Sweden. No national Christian population in Western Europe puts a high premium on evangelism; only 8% of believers say they try to persuade others to adopt their Christian convictions. Fasting during holy times and wearing religious symbols are also uncommon practices. About 24% say they tithe, ranging from 43% in Portugal to 18% in the UK. Among non-practising Christians less than half believe God is all-knowing (34%), all-powerful (26%), or all-loving (47%). Most practising Christians assert God’s omniscience and His all-loving nature, but barely half agree that God is all-powerful.

Published in Europe
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Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga, Imam Oumar Kobine Layama and Rev Nicolas Guérékoyamé-Gbangou have international recognition for their peacekeeping efforts, and have blamed foreign mercenaries for an upsurge in violence. The so-called 'Christian rebels', the Anti-balaka, wear occult charms around their necks and fight with knives, clubs, rifles and machetes to rid the south of Muslims. The Bambari cathedral was looted, as were the bases of nine NGOs including the National Commission for Refugees. The clerics called all armed groups to lay down weapons, stop illegal exploitation of natural resources, and have ‘frank and inclusive dialogue’. The UN reported that 37,000 people, displaced by recent violence, are living in nine camps. The Red Cross said Muslim and Christian communities in Bambari want to live peaceably but are driven apart by violence and revenge attacks that trigger more assaults, making it harder to persuade people to live side-by-side again. See

Published in Worldwide