Keeping Sunday special - back on the agenda
09 Jul 2015
George Osborne has announced an 'Enterprise bill' for the autumn which will include provisions for handing over decisions about Sunday trading rules to local mayors and councils. It's out for consultation. Our society still has one day when families can have more time together on a day that's theirs, instead of one of them having to work, and when law acknowledges ‘profit isn't everything’. Currently large stores can only open on Sundays for six hours (a concession won by campaigners against the liberalisation of Sunday trading laws in 1994). This means small family-run shops have some protection against the march of the megastores. It means that for those who have to work, days can be shorter. It means that communities in busy shopping districts have time to recover and to breathe before they're hit by waves of consumers again. See also THE MILL GATHERING STATEMENT at http://wpc.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/The-Mill-Statement-Apr-2015.pdf
Outreach to Muslims
09 Jul 2015
Horizons International, Frontiers, Mahabba and Marathana are just four of the many organisations God is using to develop Christian outreach initiatives into Muslim communities in the UK. God wants all the nations to know Christ, and He has brought thousands upon thousands of Muslims from a variety of nations to our doorstep in recent years. Now Christians are learning to interact and share their faith through friendship evangelism with these immigrants. Christians are learning through various teaching models how to empower their witness to Muslim neighbours, work colleagues, and fellow-students in schools. See also http://www.engagecourse.org/
IS has declared war on Britain
09 Jul 2015
On BBC Radio Four's Today programme David Cameron said that IS had declared war on us; we are being attacked at home and abroad whether we like it or not, and there are people in Iraq and Syria who are plotting to carry out terrible acts in Britain and elsewhere. He said it wasn't enough to ‘destroy them at source’ - we have to deal with the radical narrative taking over the minds of young people. Clifford Hill in Prophecy Today said we cannot defeat an ideology by weapons of war, it can only be successfully tackled with a more powerful and compelling counter-ideology. He reminds us that the Qu’ran 5:37 says that those who cause corruption in the land should be killed or crucified. However, Jesus said, ‘love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.’(Matthew 5:43). (See article 2 below)
Syed Choudhury, a Cardiff student whose family are from Bradford, trawled the internet for terrorist material and told friends he 'would do anything' to get to Syria. The 19-year-old researched flights to the IS-controlled region last February. Choudhury downloaded a video of a mass execution and had accessed websites called '10 reasons to join IS' and 'Turkey travel, Jihadist highway’. He was arrested last November after being spotted by a local anti-terror officer. When in custody, he spoke about bringing Sharia law to the UK and said he dreamed of dying fighting for IS. Choudhury pleaded guilty to preparing for acts of terrorism under section 5 of the Terrorism Act and was sentenced to three years and four months in a young offenders institution.
Brazilian Evangelical Christians have launched a new site that intends to be a ‘sin-free’ alternative to Facebook. The site, called Facegloria, attracted over 100,000 users in its first month of operation. The Christian Post reports that Facegloria will not allow curse words, nor about 600 other banned words. Violent content is prohibited, in addition to sexual content, whether gay or straight. Web designer Atilla Barros said, ‘On Facebook there is a lot of violence and pornography, so we thought we'd start a network where we could talk about God, love and share the word.’ Barros also said that the company aims to be ‘morally and technically better than Facebook. We want all Brazilian Evangelicals to shift to Facegloria.’ The creators of Facegloria hope to see ten million users on the site in the next two years. Facegloria offers Christian differences, including an ‘Amen’ button instead of ‘Like.’
Here is some news from the Ministry of Renaci - Children Intercessory Network here in Brazil.
Please pray for us! Currently, Renaci has 16 coordinators in six Brazilian states. We are implementing Prayer Centers with children in the Evangelical Churches throughout Brazil. I hope to soon be informing you of the number of children involved in intercession.
I pray that God bless you all, as well as the ministry of each.
In the love of Christ our Savior and Lord.
Arlety Calemi R. Nieto
(National Coordinator of Renaci - Brazil)
Renaci Brazil: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., www.redecriancas.com.br
We are writing to you as prayer leaders and intercessors out of deep concern for the state of our nation, its spiritual decline and national security. Lawlessness has entered our gates and is on the rise. Our government is steadily moving away from the Constitution. Core issues of covenant are now being contested at the Supreme Court amongst the multitude of issues we all know. For a nation that was founded on religious freedom, we are in a real danger zone and at a tipping point. Our nation's security and its future is now greatly at risk. This sense of urgency has been underlined through recent visions and words (please see three of them below). We believe there are two key factors that have increasingly put our national security at risk:
Insufficient alertness and prayer for military/police forces as well as for our overall national security in spite of the growing threats of ISIS and other radical Islamic groups to carry nuclear weapons into the continental USA, a re-arming Russia, a rapidly emerging Chinese military build-up, and the avowed North Korean intention to put nuclear missiles on submarines.
The shocking moral and spiritual decline of America has opened us for attack at all levels as a consequence of gross sin and broken covenants before our holy God who may rightly withdraw His protecting hand that has kept us relatively secure till now.
Given these urgent concerns, we remind ourselves that the Lord has always used the united prayers of intercessors to build up a wall of protection over a nation, indeed to change the history of nations (Ezekiel 22:30, Isaiah 62:1-7). We cannot do it alone. Our hope is that through corporate agreement across the many prayer networks and streams, we could together intervene strategically in united prayer for God's redemptive, restorative call on America. The time is now, the trumpet is sounding, and the call is real. As part of this increased watchfulness over our national security, we would like to encourage you to include this emphasis in any prayer initiatives or conference calls you have for the next 18 months, leading up to the next national election.
Please let us know if you are in agreement with this heightened prayer focus and would like to take part with us in this effort. If you have any other suggestions on how we can mobilize and seed this emphasis into America and other nations' prayer networks and initiatives, please let us know your thoughts.
We look forward to hearing from you and working with you to see His wall of protection extended and strengthened around our nation and other nations.
Dave Butts, National Prayer Committee
Dave Kubal, Intercessors for America
Lisa Crump, National Day of Prayer
Drs. Fred and Sue Rowe, Transform World Celebration Challenge
Dai Sup Han, Prayer Surge
John Robb, IPC
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Recent Prophetic Visions and Warnings:
June 5, 2015
Dr. Leslie Keegel, Global Co-chairman of the Foursquare denomination and one of the most accurate prophetic voices in our time
"I see a large storm approaching over the United States. The clouds are dark and thick darkness covers the landmass. With the dark clouds and approaching storm, I see the appearance of dark forces some small creatures, others rather large. The small creatures looked very poisonous though insignificant to the human eyes. The larger creatures looked very scary and intimidating. These dark forces collectively represent principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this age and spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places as recorded in Ephesians 6: 12. They are uniting themselves together to cause catastrophic damage in every sphere of influence. However, I saw the Church equipped with power rise up with authority and discernment. As the enemy surrounded and gathered up all its strength ready to attack the North American peoples, the intercessory prayers of the saints and strategic level spiritual warfare of the well equipped army of the Lord caused the evil storm to be defeated. The poisonous evil forces and principality spirits of darkness were thrown aback and broken apart into utter disarray and confusion. They were completely and utterly defeated to the point where they had no energy, subtle craftiness nor sinister plan to save their day. The Church and the Lord overcame every plan of the enemy, the enemy forces big and small were completed defeated. Their strongholds were demolished and a great flood of the Lord washed and caused the debris to be wiped away from every human sight and visibility. (Isaiah 59: 19).
What I hear the Lord say is, the enemy certainly is gathering in with well planned, sinister plans to cause catastrophic loss on the United States of America, but the praying Church's intercession will be heard by the Lord of the harvest and the enemy will certainly be put to shame. Our Lord is calling us out of fear to prayer in Holy Ghost strength. As you my Church, my army and the generals of intercession rise up together in Holy boldness you will defeat the enemy. I hear the Lord say, let courage rise up with danger, to defeat the enemy in every way. As you my people rise up in boldness to praise, worship and pray, you will see the enemy forces defeated. You will approach an era and season of profound prophetic victory over all the nations and national principalities of each of the nations. The gospel will spread like a flood as the glory of the Lord covers the earth like the waters cover the seas."
April 17th, 2015:
Dr. Susan Rowe, Prayer Facilitator for the Living Wall and the Celebration Challenge of the Transform World Movement
After a three day fast, I was wakened Friday, April 17th with the sound of the shofar blowing and vision of the nation (aerial view) that zoomed in towards Colorado Springs. I heard the Lord say, "Waken my people, the trumpet has sounded. Gather the remnant. Gather My people. Prepare for battle, for the nations are aligning for war." The nations are aligning for war, a trumpet has sounded. The vision distinctly zoomed in on Colorado Springs as the place to gather. But as the sound of the shofar was loud and deep, I sensed there would be a deeper component that would precede to prepare for any convening. As nations align for war, Colorado Springs is a hub for the Air Force and NORAD. It is also near the Continental Divide, a key place to unite the nation.
(Note, the date Paul Revere's Midnight Ride was on April 18th, 1775, date of vision was within one day of the 240th anniversary.)
September 3rd, 2011
David Wilkerson, Former Pastor of the Time Square Church, Author of "The Vision" and a leading prophetic voice for the USA
David Wilkerson warned America repeatedly that God's judgment was coming and that "the day of grace is about to come to an end". In this last message, shortly before his death he warned of "a catastrophe that would cost the lives of multitudes and change the way we live forever". Towards the end, in the last couple minutes, he expresses his fear of a nuclear strike on Washington, DC and New York City that would take out hundreds of thousands of our fellow Americans. Now ISIS and others are threatening that very thing.
Please see this 9 minute video on Youtube, "David Wilkerson's Last Message To USA & The World On The End Times. God's Warnings Before Judgment"https://youtu.be/C3wwEn9Uuh8
"When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you; then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the Lord your God, and you will be saved from your enemies." Numbers 10:
According to the Christian humanitarian agency, World Vision, nearly 12 million Syrians have been displaced by the fighting - more than 7.6 million within Syria, and more than 4 million as refugees in neighboring countries.
More than 1.6 million Syrian children are refugees.
Refugee children are at risk of becoming ill, malnourished, abused, or exploited. Millions have been forced to quit school.
World Vision is assisting affected families with interventions like clean water, cash assistance for food, hygiene kits, basic household goods, clothing, Child-Friendly Spaces, and education.
See more at: http://www.worldvision.org/
Prayer Concerns
1- Family unity between husbands and wives and children; in other words, there is a breakdown among the families in view of the stress caused by the ongoing war. e.g. a mother of two took her children and left her home/husband to a far away place (details can not be released).
2- Joy to return to the hearts and smiles to reappear on the faces of people. Most people are depressed, and wear black clothing as a sign of mourning due to the death of family members caught innocently in the fighting,
3- The need for laborers to rise from within the Church, to encourage, and lend a listening ear to counsel those in need.
4- Healing and comfort for those who are sick and especially those with chronic diseases due to:
a. shortage of pharmaceuticals
b. long distance from the proximity of medical centers
c. expensive cost of pharmaceuticals
d. emigration of professional doctors
5- Increase in various sicknesses; doctors' appointments at hospitals are almost not accessible for dialysis, and cancer patients.
6- The transportation system is in jeopardy
7- The economy was highly affected due to the war.
9- Comfort for the increased numbers of those who lost family members, businesses, and properties.
10- God is giving additional opportunities for the Syrian people to love, forgive, and turn away from their evil ways, that have increased recently.
11- The Syrian people to humble themselves and shun arrogance.
12- Many of the youth are hopeless and have no job opportunities in the country. Immigration is their only option, which is a major loss in the CHURCH and the country.
Jean (John) G. Bouchebel, L.H.D. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.