Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, hurricanes, civil wars, and oppressive dictatorships all play a part in the story of Nicaragua. This nation of only 6.3 million people is physically the largest of the Central American republics. As it continues to face unending obstacles, leaving it one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, it also suffers from the ongoing conflict and violence associated with drug trafficking. There is poverty, there are broken families; but the suffering of many Nicaraguans has softened their hearts toward God. They are asking spiritual questions. Evangelicals have grown forty-fold in fifty years! Believers are growing in considerable influence, even in the government, but deep-seated poverty has also opened doors for false teachings such as liberation theology and prosperity gospel. Pray for seekers to be wise and discerning and for false teaching to be revealed for what it is - fake news, not good news.

One of the most well-known and probably most frequently told stories of the Old Testament is that of the battle between David and Goliath. The battle is set like many other historic battles; Israel was perched on one mountain ridge and beyond the valley on the other side is the Philistine army. There is a ‘standoff’ as the Philistines best man, and he’s quite some man, takes the valley floor. Goliath challenges the leaders of Israel to send their best fighter down to meet him. Whoever wins in the proposed hand to hand combat wins the war! Simple, but who have Israel got that is an equal match to an experienced and extremely strong champion warrior whose physical and military stature is of massive proportions?

You will recall the story I am sure, the youthful David takes him on but without armour, without a sword or a spear and slays him with a stone from a sling. He takes Goliaths sword and chops his head off. This is the sort of stuff that films are made of!

So, if I asked you where the real battle of this story was fought you’d look at me quizzically and either think me stupid for asking the question or perhaps feel I’d lost the plot! You’d probably say “It’s in the valley, between David and Goliath of course”. But is that the real battle? What territory is being fought for here in this battle? We are perhaps too quick to hail David as the victor and hero of the story. Sure, he’s been extremely bold, but even he says that his victory is not his!

The real battle being fought here was for the hearts and minds of God’s people - Israel. The battle ground was in fact an internal one; this was not simply just a fight between our hero David and the evil Goliath.

David say’s in 1 Samuel 17:46-47 that it is the Lord who gave Goliath into his hands, the battle isn’t David’s it’s The Lords, and not just that, The Lord is the true victor. The Lord seems to have set up this battle for a purpose! But, if He has, why has He? Look at these verses, David speaking to Goliath said “This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands.....that all the assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword and spear; for the battle is the Lords.......” The ground that is being contended for is not simply, Israel’s land or Saul’s sovereignty over Israel. The land the Lord is trying to occupy is the hearts of His people. The issue at stake is one of trust! Where is God’s people’s trust? Is it in the might of the sword and the spear or in the name of the Lord?

The battle ground is one for the hearts of His people. Nothing changes! The true battle ground is always internal. Do we place our trust in our own might and strength, our own types of swords and spears or do we place our trust in the Lord. Maybe the battle that you thought you are fighting is in fact not the real battle!

Adrian Lowe

Christian education leaders have new hope after Prime Minister Theresa May promised that she would be an advocate for the establishment of new faith schools. During the last Prime Minister's Question Time before the summer recess, Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh asked if her Government will be honouring its manifesto pledge to remove the faith-based cap for free schools. He said, ‘Catholic dioceses up and down the country are anxious to open free schools, and some have even purchased sites.’ Theresa May responded, ‘The reason we put that in our manifesto, and the reason it was in the schools Green Paper that we published before the election, is that we do believe it is important to enable more faith schools to be set up and more faith schools to expand.’

Christian filmmakers King Street Pictures have begun production of a ground-breaking faith-based fantasy adventure film, based on the 1678 novel ‘The Pilgrim's Progress’ by John Bunyan. Regarded as the first novel written in English, it has been translated into over 200 languages and has never been out of print. It is second only to the Bible itself in global sales, and was begun by Bunyan when he was in prison for conducting religious services without permission. Now, the beloved Christian allegory will be put to film in ‘Heavenquest - A Pilgrim's Progress.’ The film will bring together an international cast of well-known actors from South Korea, Mexico, Australia, and North America. See also