Pakistan: 'The Lord reached me right in the mosque'

Like other boys in his Pashtun tribe along the Pakistan-Afghan border, he was sent to a madrasa at age four, where he was compelled to read, recite and memorize the Koran. ‘The children mimic or copy the mullah, who is very heavy-handed. You have to memorize out of fear,’ says John Taimoor, founder of The Crossbearers, a ministry devoted to presenting biblical Christianity within an Islamic context. By age 14 he stumbled across the name ‘Isa,’ the Arabic name for Jesus in the Koran. ‘I read the name of Jesus and became curious,’ he says. ‘The Lord reached me right in the mosque.’ When he asked the mullah about Jesus, he was told that he should find ‘The Book of Isa.’ ‘Nobody had ever heard of a Bible.’ Taimoor searched for a ‘Book of Isa’ for two years. When he asked his teacher or inquired at the library he was met with suspicion.

Praise:

God for the way He reveals Himself to those who are searching. (Jn.17:6a)

Helping young people navigate the Bible

Why bother with the Bible? Can we trust it? What difference does it make to life today? 'Navigate' is a free resource designed to help teenagers explore these questions and engage with the Bible. Produced in partnership between the Methodist Church and Bible Society, Navigate is designed for youth leaders to use with 11-15 year-olds as a basic introduction to the Bible. ‘As Christians we take for granted that we should read the Bible, but we often don't ask why or consider the challenges it presents,’ said Methodist Youth President Tamara Wray. ‘This course is a fantastic introduction for young people to the most world-changing, exciting and significant book the world has ever seen.’ The five interactive sessions, each with an easy-to-use session plan, contain discussions, quizzes, creative and reflective activities as well as five short animations following the journey of Bob as he asks questions about the Bible.

Praise:

God for this tool to encourage young people to explore His world-changing book.(Dt.32:2)

UK 'will reap consequences' of anti-family tax laws

Families in Britain face one of the highest tax burdens in the developed world, according to a new analysis. A married couple in which one parent works and the other stays at home to care for children pays 45 per cent per cent more in tax in the UK than the average across countries in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the study found. The position has worsened as a result of Coalition policies over the past two years as tax and benefit changes make it less worthwhile for parents to go out to work, according to the report, published by the Christian research charity, Care. The findings led a senior Church of England bishop to warn that Britain will ‘reap the consequences’ of a tax system that incentivises people to remain single, rather than marry and have children.

Pray:

for the forthcoming budget to build in support for marriage and families. (Heb.13:4)

Lib Dem minister backs secular marriage

Simon Hughes, the Liberal Democrat justice minister, says the traditional Christian wedding ceremony should no longer have legal status under a shake-up of marriage laws. Couples who want to wed in Church would have to undertake two separate ceremonies in order for their marriage to be recognised by the state if his proposals are adopted. The French-style reforms would see couples undergo one secular, state-recognised ceremony, before exchanging religious vows if they wish. But any bid to overturn centuries of legal precedent by stripping church or synagogue weddings of their legal status is likely to be fiercely opposed by clergy as an attempt to marginalise religion. The suggestion follows a landmark Supreme Court ruling that decreed the Church of Scientology has the right to conduct weddings because it is a legitimate ‘place of meeting for religious worship’. Critics say the organisation is a dangerous cult.

Pray:

for the Church to remain a place of legal marriage. (Gen.2:24,Mt.19:4-5)

Defence Committee increases pressure on MoD to raise recruitment age

The Defence Select Committee has increased the pressure on the MoD to stop enlisting minors, in a report published last week. The report called on the MoD ‘to respond in detail to the argument that the Army could phase out the recruitment of minors without detriment to the Army 2020 plans’. The report highlighted evidence presented by campaign groups Child Soldiers International and ForcesWatch that raising the enlistment age to 18 would save around £94 million p.a. on training costs and increase the Army’s operational effectiveness. The Committee’s challenge over enlistment age comes just a few months after church groups across the UK, including the Church of Scotland and the Bishops of the Church in Wales, wrote to the Minister for the Armed Forces calling for the enlistment age to be raised to 18.

Pray:

for the MoD to give serious and positive consideration to this proposal. (Ps.119:15)

Evangelicals back No More Page 3 campaign

One of the UK’s largest groups of Christian evangelicals has joined a campaign to ban The Sun’s topless page 3 images. The Evangelical Alliance, which represents two million people across the UK, has voiced its support for the No More Page 3 Campaign. It made its announcement a day after the national paper published a topless image of a model on the front page in support of breast cancer awareness. The Sun claims its ‘Check ‘em Tuesday’ campaign will make people more ‘aware of the dangers of breast cancer.’ But a breast cancer survivor, who is the Alliance’s head of supporter relations, said she is ‘concerned about the tactics the newspaper has used’. The general director of the Alliance, Steve Clifford, added: ‘There is no way having naked women featured in a ‘family’ newspaper can be seen as good for society’.

Pray:

for the Sun to respond to public opinion and recognise that their 'campaign' is in bad taste. (1Co.6:18)

Health unions call on MPs to oppose hospital closure

Health unions joined campaigners on Tuesday in Westminster to raise their concerns about government proposals to fast-track hospital closures through a controversial clause in the Care Bill. Unions involved in the TUC’s All Together for the NHS campaign are supporting a rally on College Green as MPs meet to debate the Bill as it enters its final stages in the House of Commons. Clause 119 of the Care Bill – which has come to be known as the hospital closure clause – will give new powers to special administrators who take over failing NHS trusts. It will allow them to recommend the fast-track closure and downgrading of neighbouring hospitals as part of a restructuring of services across a whole region. Health unions argue this means that high performing and financially sustainable NHS trusts could face closure simply because they are in close proximity to another trust in financial distress.

Pray:

that the discussions over the Care Bill will lead to wise decisions for our NHS. (Pr.3:13)

Hate preacher investigated over driving ‘al-Qaeda van’ in London

An extremist preacher who recently drove a van emblazoned with al-Qaeda logos on a busy London high street could face prosecution under the UK's anti-terror laws, according to The Sunday Times. Hate preacher Anjem Choudary and his followers staged what is being called the ‘al-Qaeda van' stunt last Saturday, on a busy road in northeast London. Abdul Muhid, one of Choudary’s followers, used a loud-speaker from inside the van to shout: ‘Islam is the solution for Great Britain, Islam is the solution for the world.’ The YouTube footage of the stunt was uploaded by a group called Need4Khilafah, the newspaper said. The ‘road show’ featured a van with posters on its bonnet and back doors of the logo used by the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS), a radical Islamic militant group fighting in war-torn Syria. Choudary appears halfway through the footage, while chants of praise for Dawlet al-Islam, or ISIS, can be heard in the video.

Pray:

that ways to control radical extremism will be found. (1Jn.5:19-20)

Northern Ireland violence could re-emerge

Former US diplomat Dr Richard Haass has warned that violence could re-emerge in Northern Ireland if progress is not made in dealing with the legacy of the Troubles. The former diplomat, who last year chaired six months of talks on flags, parades and NI's past, made the remarks to the US Congressional subcommittee of foreign relations, having been called to provide an update on the state of the Northern Ireland peace process. Dr Haass said he continues to believe the final blueprint he negotiated with the Stormont parties is viable.

Pray:

that the negotiations will be reinstated and a lasting solution found to end the troubles. (Ps.34:14)

Re-evangelising secular Europe

Despite its Christian heritage, Europe is often seen to be the least religious continent of all. Its lands are scattered with empty cathedrals and quiet church halls that so often seem to stand more as relics of a bygone age than the centres of a vibrant spiritual life. So when you hear of a plan aimed at turning secular, postmodern Europeans into Bible-believing Christians, you cannot help but admire the ambition, while at the same time feeling the need to remind yourself of what Jesus said in Matthew 19:26 – ‘With God all things are possible.’ It's exactly this kind of plan that Dietrich Schindler says he was prompted to create by God. The thought was: ‘Let us begin to think about engineering a new course for secular post-modern Europeans that will lead them totally into the Church of God and will lead to church planting.’The future of the church needs a bifocal vision on both the harvest and the workers,' Mr Schindler explained To demonstrate this further, he drew a comparison between a dying church and an expanding one. 'A dying church will focus on three things: their members, their youth, and their buildings and facilities.' He contrasted this to the outward looking mentality of a living church: 'Good churches emphasise the harvest, the work of going into the harvest, and tending to those already in the barn.' A big part of how he hopes to enable churches to do this is through his new course, entitled My Life Workshop, which is specifically designed to appeal to the postmodern secular mindset of many Europeans.

Pray:

that God’s vision for Europe given to Dietrich Schindler will be fulfilled. (Mt.9:35,Amos.3:7)

Ukraine: Rival protests escalate amid military tensions

Ukrainian Christians gathered for prayers as pro-Russian activists attacked a pro-Kiev rally on Ukraine's disputed Crimea's peninsula with clubs and whips on Sunday, March 9, while thousands took to the streets across Ukraine in rival demonstrations. The protests came while Interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk vowed Ukraine would not cede ‘an inch’ of its territory to Moscow. The turbulent political crisis gripping Ukraine has led to a standoff between Russia and the West over the fate of Crimea, an autonomous Ukrainian region with a narrow ethnic Russian majority. Crimean authorities have refused to recognize the legitimacy of the new central government in Kiev, which was installed after the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych in late February. Local officials announced last week that they intended for the peninsula to become part of Russia. A referendum on the issue has been set for March 16. Authorities in Kiev and international leaders have condemned the referendum as illegitimate.

Pray:

for a solution to this turbulent political situation and bring peace to the people of Ukraine. (Job.22:21)

Nigeria: a state of war as Islamist insurgency rages

More than 1,300 people have died in the past two months as an insurgent Islamist group, Boko Haram, wages a rebellion rooted in poverty, corruption, religion and geography. Boko Haram is believed to be responsible for killing at least 1,300 people in the past two months and more than 130 people in the past week. The radical sect claims ties to al-Qaida and has ambitions to impose sharia law on Nigeria's 170 million people. In Boko Haram's heartland, even the national military is outgunned in what is fast becoming a lesson to the world in how not to tackle an Islamist insurgency. ‘What is clear is that they are as ruthless as any Islamist group or terrorists anywhere in the world,’ said Antony Goldman, a west Africa risk analyst at London-based PM Consulting. ‘They're quite happy to hit soft targets, including schools. Some in the Nigerian administration expect this to be a problem for another 10 years.’

Pray:

that ways will be found to control Boko Haram and bring peace to Nigeria. (Ps.46:1)

China: Bibles for China looking forward to May

This May, Bibles for China is heading into China to distribute 20,000 Bibles. Wendell Rovenstine of BFC says, ‘The Chinese soil is so fertile for God’s Word.’ The team wants to distribute “as many Bibles as we can get funded. The more Bibles, the more souls for Christ, the more commitment for those people to really have opportunity to get into God’s Word and really understand and know what it says.” As with last year, Bibles for China has been blessed with a matching grant. For every $5 given to buy a Bible, two Bibles will find their way into the hands of someone who has perhaps never held a Bible before. Rovenstine says, “The Bible is needed. We know that it’s going to someone that desperately needs that Bible. We want to make Bibles for China available to the churches and the Christian community that have a heart for God’s Word in the heart of China.”

Pray:

for the work of Bibles for China in bringing the Word of God to so many in China. (Mk.16:15)

North Korea: To execute 33 for missionary work

North Korea has ordered the death of as many as 33 people because of their alleged contact with a missionary, South Korea’s largest news organization has reported. The 33 North Koreans are charged with attempting to overthrow the regime by setting up 500 underground churches, according to the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo, which cited an unnamed source. The newspaper said they are accused of working with Kim Jung-wook, a South Korean arrested by North Korean authorities in October on suspicion of trying to establish underground churches. The executions will be carried out in a secret location administered by the State Security Department, Chosun Ilbo reported. Kim, a Baptist missionary, appeared on North Korean television on Feb. 27 and said he was working at the direction of the South Korean National Intelligence Service, and that his goal was the collapse of the Pyongyang regime. It’s unknown whether Kim’s TV appearance will earn his release.

Pray:

that the North Korean authorities will show clemency. (Is.13:3)

Venezuela: Churches attacked in' ongoing unrest

As the civil unrest and anti-government protests continue throughout Venezuela, churches are finding themselves the targets of attacks. Monsignor Victor Hugo Basabe, Undersecretary of the Episcopal Conference of Venezuela, was quoted by Agenzia Fides as saying that violent groups had attacked churches located in places affected by the unrest. He said the Church of Santa Barbara in Mérida was broken into during Mass by what Agenzia Fides described as ‘irregular groups’. In the town of La Victoria, the parish church of Our Lady of La Candelaria was vandalised and desecrated. A group of what El Periodiquito newspaper called "common criminals" attacked the church by night. They broke the altar, destroyed the tabernacle container for the specially blessed wine and wafers for the Eucharist, scattering them to the ground. In the place where the tabernacle had stood, they left human excrement. They also damaged a niche containing a statue of Jesus.

Pray:

that God will extend His protection over His people. (Ps.5:11)

Israel: Teargas and rubber bullets on the streets of Bethlehem

The reality of the tense Middle East situation was brought home for attendees at the Christ at the Checkpoint Conference Tuesday afternoon. Bethlehem’s main street was permeated with choking tear gas and rubber bullets when the Israeli army faced off against stone throwing Palestinian youth. One observer estimated that there was about 100 young people involved, upset about what they believed is the killing of at least two Palestinians by the Israeli army (IDF) in the last few days. However, that may be incorrect. A Times of Israel story said that according to a Ma’an News report, while driver Fidaa Muhye Addin Majadlah was killed and passenger Ibrahim Adnan Shukri was seriously injured after their car went off the road and flipped over, it may not have been by the IDF.

Pray:

against disturbances between the IDF and Palestine youth that both sides will hold back from excess violence. (Ps.7:9)

South Sudan: Refugees in bad shape

Building the state of South Sudan was ambitious, exciting, and hope-filled. However, in the days after ethnic killings exploded in South Sudan in December, an estimated 10,000 people died in the fighting, and delayed hope has led to disillusionment. Since the start of the year, the United Nations estimates 234,000 people have fled fighting but became Internally Displaced People. The number of people who have fled from South Sudan to neighbouring countries has increased to 226,000. The United Nations reports that up to 3.7 million people now face extreme hunger or starvation because of the conflict. Baptist Global Response executive director Jeff Palmer says, ‘I think there’s just a weariness of seeing all of this war. But at the same time, we have to remember these are still people who are suffering, that are really in need of our help.’

Pray:

for the many displaced people suffering from extreme hunger or starvation. (Is.40:28)