4.5 Million online decisions for Christ
Frenchman Eric Célérier heads up Jesus.net, an internet evangelism movement he founded over seven years ago and that now involves more than 100 people from 20 countries. Jesus.net is best known for the websites Knowing God and Peace With God. Since the movement started, Célérier has seen more than 36.8 million people click on one of the Jesus.net websites that deliver a gospel presentation through video format. More than 4.5 million people have indicated they prayed to receive Christ and roughly 25 per-cent of those have filled out a personal information form, which has been used to send discipleship material as well as help new believers get plugged into a local church. A network of 330 churches has signed on to help new Christians grow in their faith. You might want to check out the fascinating Google Earth map with real-time decisions for Christ in 3D. Every minute three people come to Christ.
Praise: God for the many thousands of decisions for Christ every day. (Joel.3:14)
More: http://about.jesus.net/about/decisions-to-know-jesus/
4.5 Million online decisions for Christ
Frenchman Eric Célérier heads up Jesus.net, an internet evangelism movement he founded over seven years ago and that now involves more than 100 people from 20 countries. Jesus.net is best known for the websites Knowing God and Peace With God. Since the movement started, Célérier has seen more than 36.8 million people click on one of the Jesus.net websites that deliver a gospel presentation through video format. More than 4.5 million people have indicated they prayed to receive Christ and roughly 25 per-cent of those have filled out a personal information form, which has been used to send discipleship material as well as help new believers get plugged into a local church. A network of 330 churches has signed on to help new Christians grow in their faith. You might want to check out the fascinating Google Earth map with real-time decisions for Christ in 3D. Every minute three people come to Christ.
Praise: God for the many thousands of decisions for Christ every day. (Joel.3:14)
More: http://about.jesus.net/about/decisions-to-know-jesus/
Gay marriage: Catholics plan wave of 'grassroots' protests
Worshippers in London on Sunday added their signatures to new petitions against David Cameron’s plans while one charity launched an online campaign to encourage Catholics to lobby their MPs. Last week more than 1,000 priests – a quarter of all Catholic clergy in England and Wales – signed a letter to The Daily Telegraph arguing that the change could open the door to new discrimination against Christians. These moves signal the start of a string of new ‘grassroots’ protests organised independently of the Church hierarchy in the run-up to the publication of the Government’s Equal marriage Bill, due at the end of this month. Meanwhile evangelical Christians from Britain travelled to Paris to observe a mass protest by Christians and Muslims against President Francois Hollande’s plans for same-sex marriage in France. Organisers said that 800,000 people converged around the Eiffel Tower for a demonstration attended by Jean-Francois Cope, the leader of the centre-right UMP party.
Pray: for the success of these protests and that the petitions will have the desired effect. (1Cor.12:2)
Northern Ireland: Peace rally against latest violence
Around 1,500 protesters held a peace rally at Belfast City Hall on Sunday in reaction to Northern Ireland’s 40th night of violence. The protest took place hours after 29 police officers were injured during the latest sectarian clashes in east Belfast. Loyalist anger has built over several weeks following restrictions on the use of the union (or British) flags at official buildings. Police say paramilitary groups are behind some of the violence. The organisers of Sunday’s peace rally said protesters were speaking for ‘the silent majority’.‘What you’ve seen on TV over the last weeks has nothing to do with what we want for this country or for our children,’ said one man. ‘We don’t want to go back in time and the peace march was a really positive atmosphere of everybody coming together just to make that statement,’ said another protester. (See also 02-2013)
Pray: that these protests will bring a breakthrough leading to a sensible resolution to this situation. (Ps.120:6)
More: http://www.euronews.com/2013/01/13/northern-ireland-peace-rally-against-latest-violence/
Persecuted church inspires faith among young Christians
Open Doors and Youth for Christ have teamed up to create an exciting new resource for youth groups. My Heart Bleeds looks at the plight of persecuted Christians around the world and the valuable lessons that can be learned about staying in faith through tough times. The resource is broken down into six lifestyle sessions looking at what it means to follow Jesus through the inspiring lens of the persecuted church. The resource, available for a donation of £10, contains teaching material, activity discussion ideas, games and film clips for use with each session theme. National Director of Youth for Christ, Gavin Calver said ‘This is a deeply challenging resource that will have a huge impact on young people throughout Britain.’ Jonny Goodchild, Open Doors youth spokesman, said: ‘My Heart Bleeds is a way of taking seriously our responsibility to stand with the suffering.’
Pray: for the success of this new resource leading to a wider understanding of persecution and its causes. (Job.28:12)
European Court judgments send wrong message
Tuesday’s judgments on religious liberty have sent out the wrong message about the position of religious faith in Britain today, Theos, the religion and society think tank, has said. Of the four discrimination cases, only one, Nadeia Eweida, was ruled for the Christian in question. The other three – nurse, Shirley Chaplin; marriage counsellor, Gary McFarlane; and registrar Lillian Ladele – all lost. Although each case has mitigating details, and there was a dissenting judgment in Ladele’s case, the general impression is that the default position is a narrow interpretation of the right to manifest religion. Elizabeth Oldfield, Director of Theos said: ‘Disputes around freedom of religious belief and manifestation are an inevitable part of living in a free and diverse society. However, it seems as if the courts are erring on the side of limiting rather than accommodating religious freedom’
Pray: that, with the results of these cases sending mixed messages, God will give us wisdom on how to pray. (Eph.3:12)
European Court judgments send wrong message
Tuesday’s judgments on religious liberty have sent out the wrong message about the position of religious faith in Britain today, Theos, the religion and society think tank, has said. Of the four discrimination cases, only one, Nadeia Eweida, was ruled for the Christian in question. The other three – nurse, Shirley Chaplin; marriage counsellor, Gary McFarlane; and registrar Lillian Ladele – all lost. Although each case has mitigating details, and there was a dissenting judgment in Ladele’s case, the general impression is that the default position is a narrow interpretation of the right to manifest religion. Elizabeth Oldfield, Director of Theos said: ‘Disputes around freedom of religious belief and manifestation are an inevitable part of living in a free and diverse society. However, it seems as if the courts are erring on the side of limiting rather than accommodating religious freedom’
Pray: that, with the results of these cases sending mixed messages, God will give us wisdom on how to pray. (Eph.3:12)
Church on the Streets in Greece
A co-founder of Church on the Streets in Greece Malcolm Bradshaw is working with other Christians to feed the destitute in Athens. Unemployment in Greece has spiralled in the last year, with more than half of young people out of work. The things that were once considered basics are now luxuries, says the Rev Jimoh Adebayo. He and his church are helping to run a soup kitchen in central Athens that is feeding around 700 people each day. Church on the Street was set up four years ago to assist destitute migrants but after the country plunged into economic crisis, more and more Greeks are lining up for the free lunch. Malcolm Bradshaw, of the Anglican Church in Greece, a co-founder of the project, estimates that around a third of the recipients are Greek. ‘The situation is very dire,’ says Rev Jimoh, who pastors Faith Apostolos Ministries, a Pentecostal church in Athens.
Pray: for the Church as it reaches out into the community to help those in need. (2Cor.9:12)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/church.on.the.streets.in.greece/31303.htm
NIGERIA: President says Islamists won't stop godly worship
The president of Nigeria said: ‘The Church is one of the main targets’ of terrorist attacks by the radical Islamic group Boko Haram. ‘If the idea of Boko Haram is to stop Nigerians from worshipping God, they will not succeed,’ President Goodluck Jonathan told parishioners at a church in Nigeria's capital Sunday. Gunmen suspected of belonging to Boko Harem have attacked a Nigerian village in the last week. They rounded up men, women, and children and killed at least 15. The Christian Association of Nigerian-Americans has been urging the United States to label Boko Haram a foreign terrorist organization, a move that could hurt its funding and support. However, while US State Department is considering the request, so far, the Department hasn't decided if labelling the group that way is the most effective way to deal with them. Boko Haram is blamed for killing nearly 800 people in 2012 alone, according to the Associated Press.
Pray: that the prayers of God’s people will hold back those that worship other gods. (Ps.81:9)
More: http://www.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=42436&PN=1&TPN=1
Mali: Hope rises with international military intervention
Christians had enjoyed widespread freedoms in Malian society, including allowing foreign Christian missionaries into the country. But the situation dramatically changed with the 2012 capture of the northern part of the country by Tuareg separatist rebels and Islamist fighters. However, French troops have launched a military operation aiming at stopping the advance of Islamists from their bases in the north to the South. The French intervention started on Friday, Jan 11 with air strikes, and had enabled the Malian troops to regain control of the central town of Konna, occupied by Islamists the day before. Since then, French warplanes have been bombing Islamists’ positions in Timbuktu, Gao and elsewhere in the North. Military authorities said France would double its commitment of troops to the country to about 1,500. More than half of Mali has been controlled by rebel groups, some with links to al-Qaeda, since April 2012. Many of the displaced Christians are anxious because they don’t know whether some of their family members are alive or dead.
Pray: that the French intervention will not cause Malion citizens to suffer but rather allow Mali to return to peaceful cohabitation between various religious groups. (Eph.12:13-14)
More: http://www.worldwatchmonitor.org/english/country/otherafrica/article_2012420.html