Australia: Government protest Iranian Pastor's death sentence
The Australian Christian Lobby is calling for the Australian Government to make representations to the Iranian Government about Christian Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani who has been sentenced to death in Iran. ACL’s Lyle Shelton said the case is in conflict with the religious provisions of Iran’s constitutional law and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which allows freedom of religion and freedom to change one’s religion. ‘We join with many churches and groups nationally and internationally to condemn the death sentence of Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani', Mr Shelton said. Meanwhile some are saying ‘placing Pastor Yousef’s case into the hands of high Supreme Leader Ali Khameini could make or break his chances of an acquittal.’ (See last week's Prayer Alert) Voice of the Martyrs director said, ‘Whatever decision is made there will be a hefty amount of people who are not happy with it.’ see:
Pray: for international condemnation to succeed in bringing Iran to recognising religious freedom. (Ps.45:4)
India: Human trafficking
Human trafficking is modern-day slavery in India and has become one of the fastest growing criminal industries in the world. Homeless girls and boys become victims of violence, deceit and compulsion for sexual exploitation or other forced labour. Every day hundreds of thousands of minors are trafficked, sold and forced into prostitution and bonded labour. Helpless poor people, seeking a better life because of poverty, domestic violence or other pressures they have no control over, are brutally oppressed, often sexually abused, raped, beaten, starved and humiliated by those making a god of power and money. So it is heart-warming when we read, ‘Two minor girls stuck in prostitution ring in a red light area in Pune were rescued by the Christian organization, Indian Rescue Mission, along with the Social Security cell of Pune police on Thursday, October 13, 2011. Acting on a tip they raided the brothel and rescued Roopa (16) and Gowri (17), and the manager of the brothel was arrested.’
Pray: for God to minister healing to the girls and for more traffickers to be found and punished appropriately. (Ps.64:7-10)
More: http://www.breakingchristiannews.com/articles/display_art.html?ID=9440
Brazil: Miracles at city scale
More than one hundred Brazilian mayors have presented the keys of their city to Jesus, reports Dutch prayer leader and author Pieter Bos. ‘In Brazil local deities are so incorporated in the city life and festivals, that at the annual carnival in an official ceremony, most of the mayors hand over the key of their city to Prince Carnival, or Rei Momo. Carnival in Brazil is known for its rampant drunkenness, licentiousness, immorality and violence, but this is a structural problem. Many city mayors are now so desperate to break out of this pattern that they are giving the key of their city to Jesus,’ says Bos.
Praise: God for this initiative and pray that He will bless their choice to follow Jesus. (Mt.4:19)
More: http://ausprayernet.org.au/newsletter/DisplayNewsletter.php?e_id=00000002278#st2
Brazil: Miracles at city scale
More than one hundred Brazilian mayors have presented the keys of their city to Jesus, reports Dutch prayer leader and author Pieter Bos. ‘In Brazil local deities are so incorporated in the city life and festivals, that at the annual carnival in an official ceremony, most of the mayors hand over the key of their city to Prince Carnival, or Rei Momo. Carnival in Brazil is known for its rampant drunkenness, licentiousness, immorality and violence, but this is a structural problem. Many city mayors are now so desperate to break out of this pattern that they are giving the key of their city to Jesus,’ says Bos.
Praise: God for this initiative and pray that He will bless their choice to follow Jesus. (Mt.4:19)
More: http://ausprayernet.org.au/newsletter/DisplayNewsletter.php?e_id=00000002278#st2
Wednesday Afghanistan prayer meetings
Every Wednesday evening at eight o'clock Afghanistan time, prayer meetings are held in Camp Bastion and other military bases in the region. Christian troops on operations are asked to add their prayers at that time if they are able. A growing number of Christians in various parts of the world are now 'attending' these prayer meetings as 'virtual' members. Please consider joining this band of supporters, the UK time for the meetings is 1630hrs.
Praise: God as they all join together constantly in prayer. (Acts 1:14a)
More: http://www.afcu.org.uk/
Wednesday Afghanistan prayer meetings
Every Wednesday evening at eight o'clock Afghanistan time, prayer meetings are held in Camp Bastion and other military bases in the region. Christian troops on operations are asked to add their prayers at that time if they are able. A growing number of Christians in various parts of the world are now 'attending' these prayer meetings as 'virtual' members. Please consider joining this band of supporters, the UK time for the meetings is 1630hrs.
Praise: God as they all join together constantly in prayer. (Acts 1:14a)
More: http://www.afcu.org.uk/
New Bible for Cornish speakers
Cornish speakers can now read the complete Bible - An Beybel Sans - in their chosen language. The New Testament was translated into Cornish by Prof Nicholas Williams and published in 2002. It has taken him about six years to translate all the books of the Old Testament, using a variety of versions, including Hebrew and Greek texts. An Beybel Sans is written in standard Cornish and its 10 maps also have place names in Cornish. The 69-year-old professor from London, who is considered to be one of the leading experts on Celtic languages, taught himself Cornish at the age of 15 because it seemed ‘a bit odd and a bit bizarre’. He told BBC Radio Cornwall: ‘One of the reasons we lost the language was because there was no Bible in Cornish. ‘Once you have the Bible you have created your literary heritage and I hope this book will be influential in the Cornish revival.’
Pray: for this new version of the Word of God to raise interest and reach new audiences. (Acts12:24)
More: http://www.christiantoday.co.uk/article/new.bible.for.cornish.speakers/28768.htm
Archbishop celebrates 200 years of church schools
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, preached last Friday at Westminster Abbey in a service to celebrate 200 years of church schools. He spoke of the importance of church schools in providing an environment for children to become good citizens. Preaching to a packed Westminster Abbey congregation of school children, teachers and church and education leaders, the Archbishop said that whether pupils were of the Christian faith or not church schools provided a vision for them ‘to see the biggest possible picture of humanity and the world they live in.’ Church school children from across England and Wales carried specially-made banners to celebrate the founding of the Church of England's National Society in 1811 offering education to the poor in every parish - 50 years before the state joined in. The Revd Jan Ainsworth, Chief Education Officer for the Church of England, said ‘Our task is to make sure our church schools find a place within the new system and to bring other schools into relationship with us.’
Pray: Thank God for the work of the National Society and pray for the future of our Church schools in an increasingly secular society. (Col.3:17)
Bishop of London attacks top public school after it demolishes its chapel
St Paul's has become the first of Britain's top public schools to pull down its chapel and do without a place of worship. It is one of Britain's oldest and most prestigious public schools, founded 500 years ago by the Dean of St Paul's Cathedral. St Paul's School has knocked down its chapel to make way for new science classrooms, becoming the first of the country's leading public schools to do without a place of worship. The decision has upset the Church of England and brought complaints that the institution is turning its back on its Christian heritage in favour of a more secular approach to education. The Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, has expressed his dismay in a letter to the school and the Rev Robert Stanier, an Anglican chaplain and former pupil said he was appalled, ‘This is a school with a Christian foundation. They're spending nearly £80 million and yet they can't find any space for a chapel.’
Pray: for the school authorities to reconsider their decision and also that this does not mark the start of a new trend. (2Ki.17:37)
Judge slates same-sex couples’ fight over girls
A High Court judge has criticised a lesbian couple and a male homosexual couple who are fighting over parenting rights for two little sisters they had by IVF. Mr Justice Hedley said: ‘The four adults in this case regard the price paid by these two children as an acceptable price for the pursuit of their own adult disputes.’ The judge also said: ‘The case provides a vivid illustration of just how wrong these arrangements can go.’ A social worker informed the court that the older girl has suffered serious emotional harm. The couples met after the women placed an advert in a homosexual publication in 1999 asking for ‘a gay man or couple who would like to start a family with a lesbian couple’. The men replied, saying, ‘We would love to be father and stepfather’. But relations broke down in 2008 when they fell into a dispute over the girls.
Pray: for the children in this case and for society to recognise the serious problems that may emerge in such flawed arrangements. (Pr.11:3)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/judge-slates-same-sex-couples%e2%80%99-fight-over-girls/