The Malaysian government has said it will release 35,000 Bibles that have been impounded for months for using the word ‘Allah’ in reference to God. The Bibles were printed in Indonesia for Christians in the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak. Muslim groups protested against the Christian use of the word Allah, saying it is an attempt to make Christianity appeal to Muslims. Malaysia's constitution promises freedom of worship to all faiths, however Malay-language Bibles containing the word Allah have repeatedly been blocked at customs over the years even though they have been using the word Allah in Bibles since 1963, before Malaysia was formed as a federal state. Rising Malay and Muslim consciousness, sparked by Malay nationalist groups seeking political power, has brought the issue to the fore in recent years, but we can praise God that His word will be spoken, read, sung, and prayed in Malaysia regardless of opposition.

Praise: God for this decision and intercede for more demonstrations of His authority wherever the Good News is resisted.

More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12756038

Marking her 16th birthday, Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teen who was shot by members of the Taliban last year and survived, addressed the United Nations on Friday. She told a UN Youth Assembly, ‘They thought that the bullet would silence us, but they failed.’ Malala, a student in Pakistan who had been known for speaking out for children and women's educational rights, was shot in the head by a Taliban member while she was in a vehicle on her way to school. Amazingly, after extensive surgery in the UK, she recovered; this was Malala's first public speech since the attack. The courageous young woman presented UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon with a petition signed by 3 million people, calling for support from the UN for educational rights of children around the world.

Praise: God for the living testimony of this young lady; may she be an example to many. (Ph.3:17)

More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/appeals.for.peace.in.egypt.after.sudden.increase.in.attacks.on.christians/33191.htm

Church attendance in Greater London grew by 16% between 2005 and 2012, from 620,000 to 720,000, representing 9% of the capital’s population at the latter date, and thereby bucking the downward trend in most national religious indicators. The number of places of worship in London also rose during these seven years, by 17% from 4,100 to 4,800. Growth was especially to be found among black majority and immigrant churches, which together accounted for 27% of all Christian places of worship in London in 2012 and 24% of churchgoers. Black people were farmore likely to attend services than whites (19% against 8%), and in Inner London 48% of worshippers were black. 14% ofall churches use a language other than English and 52% of attendees are in evangelical churches. By contrast, many traditional, smaller places of worship are still contracting. These are among the initial findings from the London Church Census, undertaken by Brierley Consultancy and sponsored by the London City Mission.

Praise: God for the growth of His church and long may it continue. (Ps.145:1-2)

More: http://revivalmedia.org/2013/10/01/londons-significant-church-growth-320-report-2/