Iran: World’s 'fastest-growing church,' celebrates new Bible translation

A major new translation of the Bible into modern Persian, launched in London Monday, marks a remarkable transformation for the Church in Iran. According to a news release from Elam Ministries, the organisation behind the translation, at the time of the Islamic revolution in 1979 there were no more than 500 Christians from a Muslim background in the country. Now Iran is thought to have the fastest-growing church in the world. ‘A very conservative estimate puts the number of Christians in Iran at 100,000,’ said David Yeghnazar of Elam Ministries, speaking in the news release. He continued, ‘The generally-accepted estimate is 370,000. Some believe there are 700,000, some over a million. Operation World puts the annual growth rate at 19.7 per cent. If that is the case, Iran will very soon have one million Christian believers.’ Yeghnazar believes there are a number of reasons why the church has grown so rapidly.

Praise:

God for the growth of His church in Iran and new translation of the Bible. (Mt.4:4)

Holy Spirit sweeps across Reinhard Bonnke crusade

We truly experienced a move of the Holy Spirit at the Reinhard Bonnke Gospel Crusade in Greensboro, North Carolina.Once again we saw hundreds of churches join together across denominational lines to rally around the foot of the cross. Over the two nights, nearly 15,000 people joined together in prayer and worship and were touched by the Word of the Lord. Each night, hundreds of people streamed to the altars to make a decision to follow Jesus as Saviour after hearing the red-hot gospel message preached by evangelist Reinhard Bonnke. What a joy to see so many people move from darkness into light! Our team is busy even now working to connect these precious people into the participating local churches for follow-up and discipleship. On Saturday night, power from on high was on full display as evangelist Daniel Kolenda prayed for every person in attendance to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Many testified to being healed instantly during times of healing prayer.'

Praise:

God for the move of the Holy Spirit bringing many to a relationship with Jesus. (Mt.3:11)

Young British Muslims are campaigning against the Islamic State

Young British Muslims have a message for the so-called ‘Islamic State': Don’t murder innocents in God's name'. Activists led by Britain’s Active Change charity are spreading peace online, using the same social media platforms that the terrorists are using to propagate hate. The young people are openly lambasting the Islamic State for ‘hiding behind a false Islam'. Young British Muslims are sick and tired of the hate-filled propaganda the terrorists IS and their supporters churn out on social media,’ the charity’s founder, Hanif Qadir, said. The Islamic State claims its reign of terror in Northern Syria and Iraq is rooted in faith but their actions prove otherwise. Another young Muslim said ‘Islam teaches us respect, mercy, peace and kindness, a faith we strongly believe in and one we want to protect from radicals and fanatics whose very existence threatens our religion.’

Pray:

for the message of these young Muslims and that of many other faith groups in the UK to be loud and strong to show the falsehoods of the IS claims. (1Ti.4:1)

Parliament 'set to be recalled' over Islamic State action

Parliament is expected to be recalled on Friday to discuss the UK's role in air strikes against the Islamic State, the BBC understands. There has been no official confirmation but an announcement could come later. It is understood there has been a reluctance to make the announcement while Labour's conference is under way. There has now been a formal request from the Iraqi Prime Minister for the UK to join in air strikes. David Cameron told NBC News in the US that the fight against the Islamic State (IS) militants was one ‘you cannot opt out of’. IS has taken control of large areas of Iraq and Syria in recent months. ‘It has oil, it has money, it has territory, it has weapons and there's no doubt in my mind it has already undertaken and is planning further plots in Europe and elsewhere’, Mr Cameron said.

Pray:

that as parliament gathers wise decisions will be made over this very serious and challenging subject. (Pr.1:7)

Disability hate crimes

Data from Crime Survey England and Wales estimate that, on average, 62,000 people per year are discriminated against on the grounds of their disability. Home Office statistics reveal police recorded 1,841 reports of disability hate crime in 2012-13, with 810 incidents going to court. This led to 349 convictions, but only seven of these resulted in an increased sentence with the victim's disability being considered an aggravating factor. Reviews by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary show that police often feel uncomfortable asking an individual about their disability and that not enough officers are trained to deal with people with learning disabilities. Kelly, one of the thousands of disabled abuse victims, said, ‘I'm getting bullied in the shops, when I walk home and then I get bullied in the pubs’. After a passer-by poured a fizzy drink over Kelly in the street, she says the police officer's response was ‘Just ignore it.’

Pray:

for an end to approaches and attitudes that ignore the abuse that adults with learning disabilities have to suffer. (Mat.5:5-8&9)

Referendum division will take time to heal, says moderator

More than a thousand people have attended a service for reconciliation in Scotland after last week's independence referendum. It was led by the Church of Scotland moderator at Edinburgh's St Giles Cathedral. Rt Revd John Chalmers told the congregation, including Scotland's Finance Secretary John Swinney and Labour's shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander there would be no quick fix. He said: ‘The Church here and in congregations across the country are playing their part in making it a little easier to stretch out that hand of friendship to those who are our fellow Scots who did not support the side we supported. How we voted on one particular day does not define who we are. How we work together to put in place the democratic will of the Scottish people will be defining - both for us as individuals and for us as we work to redefine our place within the United Kingdom.’

Pray:

for our nation as our political leaders seek to establish a new balance between Westminster and the regions of the UK. (1Ti.2:1-2)

‘Crack cocaine’ betting machines to hit arcades

Amusement arcades are being converted into betting shops in order for highly addictive gambling machines to be installed, The Independent on Sunday has reported. The fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) allow gamblers to bet up to £100 every 20 seconds and have been dubbed the ‘crack cocaine’ of gambling. A Gambling Commission report earlier this month found that half of adult gaming centres (AGCs) allowed people under the age of 18 to use their machines without challenging them to prove their age. Emails seen by The Independent on Sunday revealed that the arcade industry is already converting arcades in order to use FOBTs. In Watford, part of an arcade owned by gaming firm Praesepe is being converted into a betting shop, allowing it to apply for licences for up to four FOBTs. Praesepe is the country’s fastest growing AGC operator, with 159 premises across the UK.

Pray:

for local authorities to be more cautious about granting new licences and in most cases to refuse them. (1Ti.6:9)

Bone paste could provide treatment for osteoporosis

A liquid bone tissue is being developed by scientists that could help regenerate weak and fragile bones in patients suffering from osteoporosis. The paste is made up of porous calcium phosphate microspheres which contain stem cells to trigger new bone growth. This would be injected into specific areas of concern, providing a minimally invasive treatment for thinning bones. Calcium phosphate, which is the principle mineral in bones, provides a protective casing for the stem cells, which are very delicate and often die after being transplanted. The treatment is being developed by a team from the University of Nottingham, who hope to target the growing number of older people at risk of fracture, reducing hospital visits and easing the financial burden on the health system. Dr Ifty Ahmed, a researcher at Nottingham University, said his team wanted to provide a preventative treatment, strengthening the bones of those at risk before they suffered a fracture.

Pray:

for the work on this new treatment that it might prove effective in humans and be of significant help to those with osteoporosis. (Pr.3:13-14)

Britain secretly decriminalised cannabis – and it's a disaster

For some time now, England and Wales have had a semi-decriminalisation programme for cannabis. And it has ended up criminalising more cannabis users than ever before. But it doesn't criminalise all cannabis users: it primarily targets people who are young, black or Asian. It is a story of muddle-headed government initiatives, skewed police incentives, racism, drug wars and the old, old habit of treating white people more leniently than everyone else. In 2004, when cannabis was made Class C, cannabis warnings were introduced. These were spoken warnings given by a policeman on the street if you were caught with a small amount of weed for personal use. Five years later the drug was returned to Class B, but the cannabis warnings remained. This effectively gave the police discretion in how they treated cannabis possession. The result of this discretion has been s the disproportionate targeting of black and Asian youths.

Pray:

that the use of cannabis will still be considered seriously and the Police use more balanced discretion over criminal charges. (Is.8:16)

Jihadists from The Hague planning attack on European Commission

The Belgian Justice Department has leads that jihadists from The Hague have plans to attack the office of the European Commission in Brussels. In August, a man and a woman of Turkish origin were arrested at Brussels airport where they had returned from Turkey. They had most probably been in Syria. Apparently the Belgian Justice Department is searching for additional jihadists in the Netherlands. All of these jihadists are Dutchmen of Turkish descent who are suspected of having connections to jihadist networks.

Pray:

for the success of the authorities in seizing jihadists.

Ukraine troops and rebels 'begin withdrawing'

Ukranian officials have said that government troops and pro-Russian rebels are withdrawing forces and artillery from frontline positions in eastern Ukraine in line with a peace agreement. Monday's withdrawal leaves a 30km buffer between the two sides as part of a nine-point memorandum signed on Saturday. The agreement came after a truce signed on September 5 was hampered by violations, leading to the deaths of 39 Ukrainian troops and civilians. However, reduced fire from pro-Russian rebels in recent days has allowed Ukranian forces to begin to pull back troops, said Anriy Lysenko, a Ukranian military spokeswoman. Although the withdrawal has begun, it is ‘not as large as expected’, added Lysenko. ‘We are seeing a trend that [the rebels] are reducing their use of heavy armed weaponry.’ Neither side has completed their withdrawal. The Ukrainian president, Petro Poroshenko, said that a continued Ukrainian offensive risked alienating support from the US and other Western governments.

Pray:

for the successful withdrawal of combatants in this conflict, leading to a real truce. (Ps.60:12)

Australia: Radical Islam recruitment and a call for Muslims to kill Australians

A small but high-risk group of radicals in Australia are causing concern to Corrective Services by preaching a misrepresented Islam to Aboriginal inmates in prisons. Sheikh Omar Habbouche said Islam was taught face-to-face and knowledge needed to be properly explained. He cited British soldier Lee Rigby's murder as being due to a wildly misinterpreted sentence in the Koran ‘kill unbelievers wherever you see them’. On Monday IS called for Australian Muslims to kill Australians indiscriminately. On Tuesday Melbourne Police shot dead a ‘known terror suspect’ after he stabbed two officers in a chaotic scuffle. Last Thursday 800+ police were involved in a security operation in Sydney and Brisbane to thwart an IS plot to behead a member of the public. Two men recently photographed holding the severed heads of Syrian soldiers were Australian IS members. (The Aboriginal recruitment article was reported by the Australian Prayer Network.)

Pray:

for Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott to have much wisdom in using the much tougher counter terrorism messures proposed in parliament on Wednesday 24th. (Pr.2:12)

Japan: A mission field in waiting

Japan has many of the world’s largest companies, the world’s third largest economy, and educated and peaceful population and is the second largest un-reached people group in the world. 1.5 million young people (mostly men) have Hikikiimoro (an extreme depression that exists only in Japan) They completely withdraw from society. Some have not spoken or seen anyone for over two years.It's like internal suicide or living like a corpse. Japan also has the world’s largest sex industry, a significant proportion involves underage girls. (It’s largely Japanese money funding sex industries in Thailand and Vietnam.) Many Japanese live with no hope and no desire to change. 35% of high school students feel they have no worth as a person. 0.22% of the population attend church. With 100% freedom of religion Japan still has the lowest rate of Christian workers in the world. The good news is when Japanese people visit the West, a high percentage of them become Christians.

Pray:

for the growing number of churches that are springing up in Japan. Pray for many more to join the evangelists, teachers and pastors serving there. (Ro.10:14)

USA: National Prayer Assembly meet before mid-term elections

Elections in the United States are being held throughout 2014, with the general elections scheduled for 4 November. During this midterm election year 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 33 of the 100 seats in the Senate will be contested; along state and territorial governorships, state legislatures and numerous state and local races. Leaders of four major ministry coalitions have sensed a call from God to hold a National Prayer Assembly in Washington prior to Election Day on 29-30 October and some time will be spent praying on-site in downtown Washington. The chairman of America’s National Prayer Committee believes the event comes at a crucial time in the nation’s life. It's not a time for politicking or posturing, but for passionate prayer for a fresh move of God for the transformation of America. The prayer focus will be on repentance, reconciliation and revival in the spirit of God’s restoration promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14.

Pray:

that many in the States and around the world will hear God’s call to pray for America’s government at this time.

North Korea: People living on 250 grams of food per day

Due to drought and sanctions imposed on the Kim regime of North Korea because of the nuclear programme the population is at risk of acute malnutrition. In August the distribution of free food to citizens, which is the basis of North Korea's socio-political system, reached its lowest point in the last four years. The Government provided an average of 250 grams of food per day to its inhabitants. According to the United Nations World Food Programme, the minimum survival ration is 573 grams daily. The United Nations' food aid organisation concluded from recent data that most ordinary North Korean people are not properly fed, in danger of acute malnutrition and the group ‘calls on’ governments and non-governmental organizations to ‘find a way’ to resume the sending of humanitarian aid which was blocked after the latest military provocations by the Pyongyang regime. The current South Korean government has stopped all forms of humanitarian cooperation.

Pray:

for more groups to be allowed to bring provision of food aid and health care to the North Koreans.(Tit.3:1 & 14)

South Sudan: Four million face extreme hunger

Nearly four million people in Christian-majority South Sudan face dangerous levels of hunger after two years of violence, crop failure and disease. Acute malnutrition has doubled since last year. The UN predicted in May that half of South Sudan’s population could be either displaced internally, refugees abroad, starving or dead by the year’s end. Cholera outbreaks were reported in nine of South Sudan’s ten states by July. In the same month the UN estimated that nearly four million people (out of a total estimated population of 11.4 million) were facing ‘dangerous levels’ of hunger. An official declaration of famine was predicted for the end of 2014 or early 2015. Pray for the churches and various organisations working towards identifying, prioritising and releasing aid to the South Sudanese.

Pray:

for all those affected by recent turmoil to know comfort and peace despite all that they are going through. (Ps.23:4)

Yemen: Civil war threatens

In 2011, Yemen ended a 33-year dictatorship in the third successful revolution of the Arab Spring, but reconciliation did not follow revolution. Over the weekend, after a week long siege of the capital, rebels ousted Yemen’s prime minister and captured the Defence Ministry, government television station and the central bank. On Sunday their President signed a UN proposed agreement dictated by the rebels (the Houthis) calling for a new prime minister, a plan to devolve power from the capital and a reduction in fuel prices an issue the rebels seized on to justify their protests. However, the Houthis refused to sign the UN’s anticipated security clauses of the agreement calling for the withdrawal of Houthis forces from the capital, Sana, and several other areas they had seized. Many Yemenis believe the Houthis are agents of the Iranians as Iran backs them. Pray against further Houthis chaos in Yemen.

Pray:

for the international community to support Yemen into stability, positive change and development. (Pr.29:4)