Stephen Hawking again
In his new book, The Grand Design, Professor Hawking challenges traditional religious beliefs. He asserts that the laws of physics were behind the Big Bang instead of God. The professor is maintaining his well-known atheistic views and earning a good living from publishing material such as his The Grand Design. He concludes: 'Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist. It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going.' He sets out to contest Sir Isaac Newton's belief that the universe must have been designed by God as it could not have been created out of chaos. Hawking’s sophism deliberately ignores both the source of ‘laws’ that he references and simple historic and revealed human experience. Pray: that the Holy Spirit would bring true revelation to Stephen Hawking. (Ac.10:38)
Wycliffe Bible Translators’ 50th
On 1 September 1960 Wycliffe Bible Translators was officially born in the UK. The training of translators had been taking place in the UK since the early 50s, but 1960 was the year in which Wycliffe UK was formally recognised as part of this growing, world-wide family of translation organisations. The ministry was named after John Wycliffe, an early Bible translator who wanted people to be able to learn about God in their own language. In 1960 the world population was estimated to be around 3 billion with about 1,000 languages that required a translation. Today the world population numbers close to 6.7 billion people with around 6,900 different languages. Wycliffe is involved in 1,300 Bible translation programmes while another 2,200 are waiting to start. Eddie Arthur, Executive Director of Wycliffe Bible Translators in the UK says, ‘It is amazing to think that so many leaders in the world Bible translation movement have been trained and equipped for their roles in this quiet little corner of Buckinghamshire’. Pray: that God’s word will be read, heard and understood more widely through Wycliffe UK’s efforts. (Mk.16:17)
INSIGHT ARTICLE: Islamisation of Europe
Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a popular Sunni Muslim cleric said, 'Islam entered Europe twice and left it. Perhaps the next conquest, Allah willing, will be by means of preaching and ideology. The conquest need not necessarily be by the sword. Perhaps we will conquer these lands without armies. We want an army of preachers and teachers who will present Islam in all languages and in all dialects'. Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali speaking in a BBC interview on Islamism of Europe said There can never be sufficient appeasement and new demands will continue to be made by Muslims for changes in our society. A Barnabasfund call for prayer reported, ’The increasing power of Islamisation (political Islam) has affected European communities and radical Muslims are seeking to create dramatic changes in their host societies; wanting Islam to gain social, cultural, economic and political power. In response the West is gradually changing structures, laws and customs to suit Muslim communities. This week’s INSIGHT ARTICLE focus is on an Islamic subtle invasion of Europe Pray: that Christian values and the Christian message will gain popularity as Islam becomes more visible in Europe. (Gal.5:5) Info: http://www.prayer-alert.net/info/Apeacefulinvasionofeurope1.pdf
INSIGHT ARTICLE: Islamisation of Europe
Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a popular Sunni Muslim cleric said, 'Islam entered Europe twice and left it. Perhaps the next conquest, Allah willing, will be by means of preaching and ideology. The conquest need not necessarily be by the sword. Perhaps we will conquer these lands without armies. We want an army of preachers and teachers who will present Islam in all languages and in all dialects'. Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali speaking in a BBC interview on Islamism of Europe said There can never be sufficient appeasement and new demands will continue to be made by Muslims for changes in our society. A Barnabasfund call for prayer reported, ’The increasing power of Islamisation (political Islam) has affected European communities and radical Muslims are seeking to create dramatic changes in their host societies; wanting Islam to gain social, cultural, economic and political power. In response the West is gradually changing structures, laws and customs to suit Muslim communities. This week’s INSIGHT ARTICLE focus is on an Islamic subtle invasion of Europe Pray: that Christian values and the Christian message will gain popularity as Islam becomes more visible in Europe. (Gal.5:5) Info: http://www.prayer-alert.net/info/Apeacefulinvasionofeurope1.pdf
Vatican: Dismisses call for Islamic Europe
While Colonel Gaddafi was in Rome on an official state visit marking the second anniversary of a friendship treaty signed with Italy he said Islam should 'become the religion of all Europe'. The secretary of the Vatican’s Congregation for Evangelisation, Archbishop Robert Sarah dismissed the comments as a 'non-solicited provocation lacking seriousness. To speak of the European continent converting to Islam makes no sense because it is the people alone who decide consciously to be Christian, Muslim or to follow other religions', he said. True danger for Europeans was relativism, a lack of attention to faith, the weakness of religion and an indifference to the sacred. These are true enemies for our faith which could create a fertile ground for the eventual future penetration of Islam in all of Europe. Pray: for a Christian revival in Europe, enabling Christians to reclaim the years consumed by secularism, mammon and idolatry. (Joel2:25) More:http://www.christiantoday.com/article/vatican.dismisses.gaddafis.call.for.europe.to.convert.to.islam/26612.htm
Vatican: Dismisses call for Islamic Europe
While Colonel Gaddafi was in Rome on an official state visit marking the second anniversary of a friendship treaty signed with Italy he said Islam should 'become the religion of all Europe'. The secretary of the Vatican’s Congregation for Evangelisation, Archbishop Robert Sarah dismissed the comments as a 'non-solicited provocation lacking seriousness. To speak of the European continent converting to Islam makes no sense because it is the people alone who decide consciously to be Christian, Muslim or to follow other religions', he said. True danger for Europeans was relativism, a lack of attention to faith, the weakness of religion and an indifference to the sacred. These are true enemies for our faith which could create a fertile ground for the eventual future penetration of Islam in all of Europe. Pray: for a Christian revival in Europe, enabling Christians to reclaim the years consumed by secularism, mammon and idolatry. (Joel2:25) More:http://www.christiantoday.com/article/vatican.dismisses.gaddafis.call.for.europe.to.convert.to.islam/26612.htm
European Christians on the defensive
Netherlands: ‘If it'd said 'Allah Akbar', the council wouldn't have dared to try and remove it,’ says Marianne Bons, a member of the Dutch Reformed Protestant Church talking about a farm roof on which 'Jesus saves' is painted in enormous letters. The council says the text has to go. The farm's owner, a Christian, is refusing to obey. ‘You're allowed to believe in anything in this country, as long as it's nothing to do with Christians or the Church,’ says Ms Bons, describing the Dutch attitude to religion. http://www.rnw.nl/english/video/christians-defensive France: Friday in Paris. A hidden camera shows streets blocked by huge crowds of Muslim worshippers and enforced by a private security force. This is all illegal in France: the public worship, the blocked streets, and the private security. But the police have been ordered not to intervene. The Muslims in the street have been granted unofficial rights that no Christian group is likely to get under France's ‘Laicite', or secularism law. A French citizen watching the Islamization of Paris decided that the world needed to see what was happening. Using a hidden camera he posted videos on YouTube. See link: http://www.youtube.com/user/ciceropicas Pray: that the Church in Europe would speak boldly against these Islamic incursions. (Ps.138:3) More: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2010/August/Islamization-of-Paris-a-Warning-to-the-West/
European Christians on the defensive
Netherlands: ‘If it'd said 'Allah Akbar', the council wouldn't have dared to try and remove it,’ says Marianne Bons, a member of the Dutch Reformed Protestant Church talking about a farm roof on which 'Jesus saves' is painted in enormous letters. The council says the text has to go. The farm's owner, a Christian, is refusing to obey. ‘You're allowed to believe in anything in this country, as long as it's nothing to do with Christians or the Church,’ says Ms Bons, describing the Dutch attitude to religion. http://www.rnw.nl/english/video/christians-defensive France: Friday in Paris. A hidden camera shows streets blocked by huge crowds of Muslim worshippers and enforced by a private security force. This is all illegal in France: the public worship, the blocked streets, and the private security. But the police have been ordered not to intervene. The Muslims in the street have been granted unofficial rights that no Christian group is likely to get under France's ‘Laicite', or secularism law. A French citizen watching the Islamization of Paris decided that the world needed to see what was happening. Using a hidden camera he posted videos on YouTube. See link: http://www.youtube.com/user/ciceropicas Pray: that the Church in Europe would speak boldly against these Islamic incursions. (Ps.138:3) More: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2010/August/Islamization-of-Paris-a-Warning-to-the-West/
Middle East: Peace talks begin in Washington
The Israeli and Palestinian leaders, Binyamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas, began direct talks in Washington Thursday as Hamas pledged to scupper attempts to bring about peace after its second attack on Israelis in two days. Barack Obama described it as a ‘moment of opportunity that may not soon come again’.Netanyahu said the killing of four Israelis settlers by Hamas on Tuesday reinforced Israel's determination to ensure its security is at the forefront of the negotiations. Abbas said, ‘We want peace, we want normal life. We want to live as partners and neighbours.’ Obama said ‘terrorists who want to undermine the push for peace would not be allowed to weaken negotiations and harboured no illusions as to the challenges for a lasting settlement. Each side has legitimate and enduring interests. Years of mistrust will not disappear overnight. Politicians need to focus on the human face of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict not their own political agendas. Pray: God will release a spirit of optimism and trust to permeate all communications and for this to be a ‘partnership that produces peace’ (Ja.3:18) More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/02/middle-east-peace-talks-begin
Pakistan: Taliban kills three foreign Christian aid workers
After the Taliban warned they would attack foreign aid workers and Christian organizations security has been increased, but on Wednesday authorities recovered the bodies of three Christian relief workers who had been kidnapped and killed by members of the Pakistani Taliban in the flood-ravaged country. Their names have been withheld and the agency remains unnamed for security reasons. Military sources withheld news of the deaths from electronic and print media to avoid panicking other relief workers but they granted permission to Compass to publish it in limited form. Pointing to alleged discrimination against minorities in distribution of humanitarian aid a source added that Christians in severely flood-damaged areas in Punjab Province have been neglected. (See Prayer Alert 3210) The majority of the affected Christians in Punjab are in Narowal, Shakargarh, Muzzafargarh, Rahim Yar Khan and Layyah. Pray: for God’s protection and provision for Christians, and that greed would be replaced by Christian ethics. (Lev. 25:35) More: http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/pakistan/24862/