'International Day of the Bible' on 23 November
20 Nov 2015
‘International Day of the Bible’ is organised by the American Bible Society, Bible Gateway, Scripture Union, YouVersion, Bibles for the World, and the National Bible Association. It will take place this Monday, 23 November, giving Christians the opportunity to set aside a day to honour God's word and to show solidarity despite differing backgrounds, denominations, and political beliefs. A variety of events will take place - public readings of Scripture, breaking into a flash mob to read the Bible in unusual locations, singing and dancing Scripture, painting or drawing a picture with a few lines of verse, or capturing God's creation in photos (selfies included) and sharing them along with a psalm. A public Bible reading at the Capitol has already taken place, last Tuesday.
South African revivalist Lindy Ann Hopley recalls an incredible testimony of God’s faithfulness, mercy, kindness and love. ‘A month and a half ago at a meeting where I was preaching, Amanda Van Der Bank came to the front with her phone in her hand. She showed me a picture of her son and asked me to pray for him - he was addicted to marijuana. I prayed and asked God to reveal Himself in a dream. The next day she messaged to say, ‘He had a dream about Jesus!!! In the dream a man came and told him to remove a green bush from his back garden. It was difficult but it came out, leaving a large hole which he was concerned about. The man gave him a fully-grown palm tree to plant in its place.’ When he woke up he told his mother the dream, and that day he stopped doing drugs.’
How do we pray for ISIS?
18 Nov 2015
Most of us face news of the atrocities and inhumane things happening at the hands of ISIS on a daily basis due to our work/ministry; we are bombarded with prayer requests for the people suffering, who are being persecuted for their faith, taken as sex slaves and fleeing their countries. And because we are compelled to as Christians, by love for our brothers and sisters, we pray. We even heard how the family members of the 21 Egyptians who were slaughtered in Libya, ask us to pray for those who killed their loved ones. And as believers we are very aware of Jesus' command in Matthew 5:44 to pray for our enemies.
These words of Jesus became a real "challenge" to many of us when we heard about the attacks in Paris, France this week as we realize the threats are coming "closer to home". It is then when we ask: Should we pray for the defeat of ISIS, or their conversion? Our hearts and our minds tell us that we need justice, not mercy, condemnation not salvation!
Jesus says to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). BUT the Spirit of Jesus in the prophets and in the apostles also tells us that those who turn a blind eye to the killing of others are wrong. So how do we pray?
The main problem is that we sometimes forget that we are called to be a people of both justice and justification, and that these two are not contradictory.
It sounds awfully spiritual, to say that we should not pray for the defeat of our enemies on the field of battle. But that's only the case if these enemies are not actually doing anything. This terrorist group is raping, enslaving, beheading, crucifying our brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as other innocent people. To not pray for swift action against them is to not care about what Jesus said we should seek, what we should hunger and thirst for, for justice. As Christians, we ought to be, above all, people concerned with such justice.
At the same time, praying for the salvation of our enemies, even those committing the most horrific of crimes, is not a call to stop praying for justice against them.
We ought to pray for the gospel to go forward, and that there might be a new Saul of Tarsus turned away from murdering to gospel witness. At the same time, we ought to pray, with the martyrs in heaven, for justice against those who do such wickedness.
Therefore praying for the military defeat of our enemies, and that they might turn to Christ, are not contradictory prayers because salvation doesn't mean turning an eye away from justice.
The thief on the cross—a Middle Eastern terrorist by Rome's standards—in his act of faith did not believe that his salvation exempted him from justice. He confessed that his sentence was justice, and that he was receiving "the due reward for our deeds" (Luke 23:41) even as he cried out to Jesus (and was given) for merciful entrance into the Kingdom of Christ (Luke 23:42).
Pray for 30 Days
May God give you HIS love for ISIS during these 30 days and that the body of Christ will pray through and into His heart. This Prayer Guide is a guide line for praying for ISIS.
Source: Jericho Walls International, Russell Moore
Pray for Paris
16 Nov 2015
The events of this weekend's Paris attacks have changed Europe forever. We have all watched with sadness and wept with the people of Paris, for those who have lost loved ones, and those traumatised by this brutal attack on the city and people they love.
Lord, have mercy on France and bring deep comfort to those who mourn. Draw close to those in hospital and bring healing.
France is a secular nation, where the Church is restricted, and it birthed much of the secular and humanist thought in Europe that set itself up against God. At the Bataclan concert hall on Friday night it was as the band Eagles of Death Metal were playing a song called 'Kiss the devil' that the gunshots started (see reports in The Sunday Times). In many ways France has given up on God. In Zephaniah, the Lord says "here comes upon you the day of the wrath of the Lord. Seek the Lord all you humble of the land, who do His commands; seek righteousness and humility" Zephaniah 2: 2-3. God has not given up on France. His cry is "turn to me", "I will comfort you" I will give you peace in your hearts".
We declare God's love for France. May your Church in France be equipped and enabled during this time of mourning, may many come to know you. May you bring hope.
Great wisdom is needed at this time. As France responded with bombing ISIS strongholds in Syria, will there be ramifications? On social media, people are already pointing the finger at refugees.
Lord, we ask for Your wisdom for world leaders and those in government and the security services searching for the right ways forward. For God to reveal intelligence to the French Police, Interpol and other security services to expose the works of the enemy and for His to light to shine.
President Hollande said 'this is a declaration of war'. We believe that war was declared by ISIS some time ago in the heavenly places – God wants to bless and Satan wants to bring evil, mayhem, murder and lawlessness. As the Archbishop of Canterbury said on Friday, "Lord, deliver us from evil".
We declare the Supremacy of Christ 'who disarmed the principalities and powers and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in Him' over France. (Colossians 2:15) Protect our brothers and sisters on the frontline of this spiritual battle in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and Iran, and provide for their basic needs. Change the hearts of the ISIS leaders and persecutors.
This is not just a French problem. Europe was once the Gospel-sending centre of the world – now it is in desperate need of the Gospel again. The refugee crisis will become an even more complex and troubling issue. Jesus says "I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me" Matthew 25:35-36. We believe much of the spiritual warfare is because many Muslims are coming to Christ. Finally, pray:
- Prepare us Lord for the times that lie ahead – humbly, with compassion and grace.
- That the deep mercy of God and his grace will be revealed in every nation in Europe.
- Bless the refugees across Europe – may they meet with Jesus, their only hope.
- For the peoples of Europe 'let them say among the nations – the Lord reigns.' 1 Chronicles 16:31
Syria: two-year IS siege broken by Syrian army
13 Nov 2015
Syrian soldiers fought their way into an air base in northern Syria on Tuesday and freed hundreds of military personnel. A military source close to the government said the army was securing the Kweires air base in Aleppo Province, where soldiers and officers have been under attack since 2013. It is the most high-profile victory for Syria since Russia launched an air campaign on 30 September. State television broadcast live footage from the air base of an emotional fatigue-clad reporter announcing the news, played victory songs and ran archive footage of military exercises. ‘We, the heroes of Kweires, are now celebrating with our brothers this victory,’ one of the freed soldiers told state TV. ‘We dedicate this victory to President Bashar al-Assad and we promise him we will continue fighting until all of Syria is liberated. We will not kneel to Daesh,’ he said, using an Arabic name for Islamic State.
The European Commission has called Turkey to address urgently significant failings on human rights and democracy. An annual report on Turkish prospects for EU membership says there have been serious setbacks in the past two years on freedom of expression. It also says that the independence of the judiciary had been undermined and that new laws run against EU standards. The report's publication comes at a time when the EU needs Turkey's help in trying to control the refugee crisis. Turkey's ministry for EU affairs called the comments unfair and excessive. The BBC's Brussels correspondent said the key findings are a direct criticism of Turkey's powerful president. In Turkey there are now ongoing and new criminal cases against journalists, media writers and social media users. There is intimidation of journalists and media outlets as well as authorities blocking websites without a court order. All these are of considerable concern.
Bible translation into every language
13 Nov 2015
In many areas of life, we are challenged to balance speed and accuracy - for example medical researchers searching for the quickest path to a cure with the fewest side effects. When it comes to Bible translation, speed and meaningful accuracy are fundamental principles that undergird the work. Translators have an incredible sense of urgency to ensure that all people can access the gospel message, and take very seriously the spiritual responsibility to ensure that each new translation accurately relays the Scripture’s full meaning and spirit of the gospel. Please pray for all those engaged in the balancing act of delivering the Bible in a new language as quickly as possible while ensuring that the accuracy of God’s Word is captured. Technology has allowed translators to make huge leaps forward in accelerating the process. Pray for all who develop cutting-edge software that not only safeguards Bible translation, but also provides immediate access to collaboration tools of historical, archaeological, and linguistic value.
Myanmar: historic vote
13 Nov 2015
Myanmar president Thein Sein congratulated Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition party on its success in Sunday’s polls. Ms Suu Kyi has written to the leadership requesting talks on national reconciliation, but the president’s spokesman has delayed any meetings until after the final results are announced. Correspondents say Ms Suu Kyi is treading carefully despite her landslide victory. The NLD won elections decisively in 1990 - only for the result to be nullified and Ms Suu Kyi placed under long-term house arrest. The ruling military-backed Union Solidarity Development Party - which won the last, widely criticised election five years ago - has only won 5% of the seats being contested. A quarter of seats are reserved for the military. An anti-persecution charity has called on Myanmar's military government to accept the will of the people in the country's first free election for a quarter of a century. See also: http://www.premier.org.uk/News/World/Christian-advocacy-charity-urges-Myanmar-military-government-to-respect-the-people-after-historic-vote