Anglican leaders to meet over homosexual bishops crisis
A high-powered group of traditionalist Anglican church leaders are to gather in London to address a growing ‘crisis’ over openly homosexual bishops. They want to restore ‘orthodox’ values to the worldwide Anglican Communion and outlaw liberal church leaders who have rejected traditional teaching. They will meet for the first time since more than 200 bishops boycotted an official summit for Anglican leaders in 2008 in protest at the presence of bishops from the US Episcopal Church, which had consecrated the first openly homosexual Anglican bishop. The decision by the leaders to hold talks in Britain is likely to increase tensions between the traditionalists and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, who will this year step down amid criticism he has failed to heal divisions over sexuality. The gathering of 200 clergy and laity will be led by Dr Peter Jensen, the Archbishop of Sydney, who is General Secretary of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans.
Pray: that the discussions at this gathering, led by the Holy Sprit, will bring unity and not added dissension. (Jn.17:22)
Lord Carey: Christians 'vilified' by courts
Christians are being ‘vilified’ by British courts and ‘driven underground’, Lord Carey, a former archbishop of Canterbury, has said. In a written submission to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), he blames judges for treating some worshippers as ‘bigots’. He also warns that believers are being sacked for expressing their faith. The criticism is part of an appeal to Strasbourg judges to protect religious freedom ahead of a landmark case. Lord Carey has voiced concern that a recent ‘secular conformity of belief and conduct’ has meant that conduct in keeping with the Christian faith is effectively being ‘banned’ in the public setting. He also argues that if rulings against wearing crosses and expressing Christian faith are not reversed it could lead to believers facing a ‘religious bar’ to employment.
Pray: that Lord Carey’s submission to the ECHR will be acted upon, leading to changes so that Christian views and practices would be deemed acceptable. (Gal.5:1)
Lord Carey: Christians 'vilified' by courts
Christians are being ‘vilified’ by British courts and ‘driven underground’, Lord Carey, a former archbishop of Canterbury, has said. In a written submission to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), he blames judges for treating some worshippers as ‘bigots’. He also warns that believers are being sacked for expressing their faith. The criticism is part of an appeal to Strasbourg judges to protect religious freedom ahead of a landmark case. Lord Carey has voiced concern that a recent ‘secular conformity of belief and conduct’ has meant that conduct in keeping with the Christian faith is effectively being ‘banned’ in the public setting. He also argues that if rulings against wearing crosses and expressing Christian faith are not reversed it could lead to believers facing a ‘religious bar’ to employment.
Pray: that Lord Carey’s submission to the ECHR will be acted upon, leading to changes so that Christian views and practices would be deemed acceptable. (Gal.5:1)
Belgium: National gathering of prayer 28th April
On Saturday 28 April 2012 between 10 am and 4pm there will be a gathering of Belgium prayer leaders at the International Baptist Church, Lange Eikstraat 78. Leaders from across the country will gather to exchange ideas and materials, forge networks and links, be encouraged by the Lord and strengthen each other in their motivation for prayer and intercession. The organizers are expecting individuals who are involved in a wide range of prayer initiatives, cells and groups, prayer websites, prayer leaders and coordinators. This day will focus on the whole of Belgium and will be in three languages (NL, FR, ENG.)
Pray: for the delegates to be encouraged and empowered as they get to know one another and intercede together for their land. (Mat. 18:19)
Belgium: National gathering of prayer 28th April
On Saturday 28 April 2012 between 10 am and 4pm there will be a gathering of Belgium prayer leaders at the International Baptist Church, Lange Eikstraat 78. Leaders from across the country will gather to exchange ideas and materials, forge networks and links, be encouraged by the Lord and strengthen each other in their motivation for prayer and intercession. The organizers are expecting individuals who are involved in a wide range of prayer initiatives, cells and groups, prayer websites, prayer leaders and coordinators. This day will focus on the whole of Belgium and will be in three languages (NL, FR, ENG.)
Pray: for the delegates to be encouraged and empowered as they get to know one another and intercede together for their land. (Mat. 18:19)
Open Doors invites Christians around the world to take up their position and pray and fast for North Korea on April 15th 2012.
The deceased leader Kim Jong-Il promised his citizens that North Korea would be a strong and prosperous nation in 2012, but his son, Kim Jong-Un, inherited a country where between two and three million people have died of hunger. Most North Koreans are chronically malnourished, unemployed and living miles below the poverty line. Society is gripped by fear. The police have informants everywhere and house raids are not uncommon. More than 1% of the total population lives in Nazi-like labour camps, among them are many Christians.
Because of this gruesome injustice Open Doors calls on Christians worldwide to participate in a global day of prayer and fasting on Kim Il-Sung’s birthday, April 15. According to the US Department of State, North Korea has one of the largest armies in the world. Its active duty military force is estimated to number 1.2 million. “But as God’s children we are part of His army and His army far outnumbers any force on earth,” states Open Doors. “The Lord has given us a most effective weapon in the fight against the forces of spiritual darkness – prayer. So on April 15th we would like to fight on behalf of our brothers and sisters in North Korea by fasting and lifting them up in prayer and asking the Lord to intervene in this nation.”
In the midst of pain, they find God.
From our believing brothers and sisters in Damascus, needing our prayers came this prayer request. Will you join us in praying for all those in Syria and elsewhere suffering under violence and trusting in Jesus to keep them....pray especially for those who do not yet have hope in Jesus after this life! So many still need to know His love!
Please pray that many will hear the truth and accept it.
• Pray that God will change the heart of those extremists who are coming to Damascus from other Muslim countries to fight. Pray that they will leave Syria with the message of the Gospel. Just like Paul, as he was heading to Damascus to persecute the Christians but later he left Damascus with the Gospel of hope.
• Pray for those who are being persecuted for their faith.
The crisis in Syria has created a flood of refugees. According to the United Nations, the number fleeing the regime's wrath has risen by several thousand in the past few days and now tops 34,000. Their most recent numbers show that hundreds of thousands are thought to be displaced within Syria. Bill Bray with Christian Aid Mission (http://www.mnnonline.org/groups/CAM) says, "Almost every day, we're getting new reports of increasing numbers of refugees and increasing sacrifice being made by the Christian community in the surrounding countries to reach out."
Most of the poor refugees, made up of nominal Christian and other minorities, are fleeing to neighboring countries where the reception has been chilly. "They are trying to contain the refugee crisis, and displaced persons within Syria and not welcoming them across their borders. All the borders are mined and armed--protected. They don't want a huge rush of refugees from Syria coming into their countries.
"God uses times of crisis to soften hearts to the gospel," added the Christian Aid staff spokesman. "This may be a time of harvest among Muslim and Christian refugees. God is sovereign. He cares for Muslims. Countries in the Middle East are going through great upheaval. Now many Muslims are turning to Christ. Maybe the long turmoil in Syria is God's way of bringing this about."
PRAY:
• Pray for strength for the Christian community and wisdom in dealing with the government and local police officials. A lot of these people are illegal immigrants, they're undocumented; there are no jobs for them so we need to pray for the Christian community as they try to integrate these refugees into their churches and into the community."
• Pray for continued open doors for the Gospel.
• Pray that God will cause seeds of the Gospel to grow.
• Ask God to provide the resources for this response.
Read full article http://www.mnnonline.org/article/16959
LIGNET has uncovered information suggesting Syria could provide Iran with sensitive nuclear technology and a secret stockpile of uranium to assist in the building of weapons of mass destruction. This is an urgent concern as the United States watches the situation in Syria deteriorate and terrorist groups like al Qaeda get a foothold.
The United States must start thinking about how to secure Syria’s nuclear program and to locate the missing uranium and nuclear weapons-related technology before they can find their way into the hands of the Iranians or terrorist groups, LIGNET Managing Editor Fred Fleitz said in an interview this week.
“If Assad thinks he’s in danger, he just may decide to transfer some technology, or maybe some uranium, to Iran,” Fleitz said of the Syrian president, who has earned international opprobrium for his brutal crackdown on the opposition.
“Now in terms of falling into the hands of terrorist groups, that is a real worry. The worry that militia groups could seize these weapons, such as militias in Libya did after that conflict, is a real concern.”
“Things always happen when we pray, especially when we pray in loving unity. (We) can hear God together and come to agreement. (We) can stand in the gap, ask forgiveness, bind and loose, and proclaim blessing.” John Dawson
Tehran, Iran: The ruling Islamic Regime of Iran is not only worried about the growth of Christianity inside the country, but is also concerned about the increase in tendency of Malays towards Christianity.
Following a recent conference focused on the Indo-Malay world of Southeast Asia, we sense the Holy Spirit freshly stimulating us to loving and united intercessory prayer
for the country of Malaysia and the Malay people.
• Praise the Lord there is more going on than any one of us knows ... thus we pray: ‘Your Kingdom come, Lord, all across Malaysia ... among every community, in every situation ... for Your glory!’
• Pray for an outpouring of grace upon every worker, every believer, every church community, and for an overflow of the love of God toward the unreached majority in the nation.
• Pray for an increasing, sovereign stirring of the Holy Spirit in the heart of every Malay, and breakthrough with millions opening to Jesus.
• Pray for God to raise up among the Malays those with an apostolic calling and gifting to reach their own people with the Gospel.