Justin Bieber heads Down Under for Hillsong Church worship

Teen idol Justin Bieber has made headlines for his hard-partying lifestyle and run-ins with the law in several countries, including a January 2014 arrest for allegedly racing a Lamborghini through Miami. He announced in January on his Facebook page that he wanted to leave behind his ‘arrogant and conceited’ behaviour. Bieber arrived in Sydney on Monday to attend a week-long gathering at a Hillsong pentecostal church, in an attempt to discard his hard-partying image. ‘Justin is here, like tens of thousands of others, as a delegate who is seeking to build stronger foundations into his life,’ Hillsong Church said in a statement. Music is central to Hillsong's form of worship but the Canadian singer is unlikely to perform any of Hillsong's faith-based songs, according to the church. Last year, Hillsong's conference in Sydney attracted around 20,000 followers from more than 60 countries.

Praise:

God that Justin is turning around and facing a new way forward; pray that this worship conference will lead him into new life in Jesus Christ. (Mk.8:35)

He made $1000 a week stealing cars, then Jesus stole his heart

By age 14, Rosario ‘Chayo’ Perez was stealing pickup trucks from Tucson and bringing them across the border, where mafiosos paid him $1,000 each. When Chayo was 16, his best friend was murdered at his house on Christmas Day. ‘Life was such a haze,’ he recalls. He reached a point where he was living like an animal – just partying, drinking, using drugs and fighting. Then his older brother got saved at a church that street-preached and started to witness to him but he asked to be left alone. Then one day his brother said, ‘OK, I’ll leave you alone, but first let me pray for you. If nothing happens, I’ll leave you alone.’ Chao said, ‘I put my beer down. He prayed for me, and the Holy Ghost came down. I started weeping. My friends were freaking out because I was weeping. It was something supernatural. Even to this day, I can’t explain it.’

Praise:

God for Chayo’s brother’s persistence, and thank Him for answering desperate prayers. (Mt.21:22)

TWO DAYS TILL TRUMPET CALL 2015 - a day to unite in prayer for our nation

This is your chance to stand in prayer for our nations. Online bookings are now closed but you can still book by phone on 0121 633 7393. Come and join with brothers and sisters in Christ at the ICC in Birmingham this Saturday, 4 July, and pray for revival. ARE YOU READY FOR REVIVAL? Revival has to start in our hearts first. As TRUMPET CALL 2015 approaches, the team at the World Prayer Centre have a growing sense of excitement and expectation. It will be a momentous day - a memorable meeting with God. Yesterday, they had a word about rain clouds on the mountains. Read more and pray with us. Travel info: allow plenty of time to park, walk to the ICC, find the venue and get yourself prepared for this time with God. Please be aware that access to the car parks around the ICC is more difficult than usual due to significant city centre road works. Find out more and where to park at the link below. Watch the video

Pray:

that God will renew the vision of everyone who comes to stand in prayer for our nations. (Matt.21:22)

Hospital chapel to lose its Christian distinctiveness

The Spiritual Care Chaplaincy team at North Manchester General Hospital intends to change the way the Catholic Chapel of Saint Raphael is currently used in order to create a Muslim prayer room, but nearly 5,000 people have signed a petition protesting against the plans. Worship space will also be provided for Jewish people and Christians and there will in addition be a ‘quiet room’ for people of no faith at all. However there will be no space that is specifically Catholic. St Raphael's Chapel currently contains the Blessed Sacrament, and Mass is celebrated weekly. According to a petition launched by Father Ged Murphy of St Patrick's and St Malachy's parish in Collyhurst, the chapel is well-used and highly valued by patients, staff and visitors as a ‘valued resource which is much needed when people are at their lowest ebb.’

Pray:

that the worship spaces provided will meet the needs of all those seeking solace. (Ps.32:6a)

Assisted suicide: MPs set to vote on new bill

Labour MP Rob Marris has taken up the campaign to introduce assisted suicide and will bring a Private Member's Bill to Westminster in the coming weeks. He wants to see a ‘compassionate’ assisted suicide law passed by Parliament; pro-life Christian charities say caring is always better than killing. Downing Street said the Bill would not be given Government support, with David Cameron’s spokesman saying he was ‘concerned that legislation may push people into things they do not actually want for themselves’. SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon voted against assisted suicide in Scotland last month, and former Liberal Democrat party leader Nick Clegg has spoken out against the practice. Dignity in Dying, formerly known as the Voluntary Euthanasia Society, is supporting the proposals. Although MPs are expected to vote on the issue in September many are praying now that this bill will not pick up momentum in the coming months.

Pray:

that the government will honour their duty of the law of the land to protect the vulnerable who are at risk if physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia is legal. (Ps.71:18a)

Major counter-terrorism exercise in London

Police officers, soldiers, emergency services and intelligence officials took part in London's largest counter-terrorism exercise to date. The simulation of a terror attack has been six months in the planning and codenamed ‘Strong Tower’. It involved 1,000 police across the capital during Tuesday and Wednesday and has tested responses to extremists using firearms. It comes days after 38 people were killed by a gunman in Tunisia, the majority of them British holidaymakers. The Metropolitan Police says this week's exercise is not based on any specific intelligence and is part of a long-term strategy of planning and preparing for all possible types of terror attack. The threat level for terrorism had been raised over the last year, making it vital ‘that we train and we learn’. The reason we have exercises like these is because the police and government are concerned that there are people planning terrorist events.

Pray:

that preparations to stop terrorists from attacking and disrupting any attack that may take place will succeed in protecting our cities. (Gen.14:20)

Education Secretary says homophobia may be sign of extremism

Nicky Morgan, the Education Secretary, was speaking as schools in England and Wales were issued with a guide to identifying pupils in danger of radicalisation. She said attacking core British values or being extremely intolerant of homosexuality were examples of behaviour that could raise the alarm. The NUT said the guidance would cause teachers ‘nervousness and confusion’. The advice is designed to enable teachers to identify pupils who may have come under the influence of extremist organisations or being ‘groomed" by extremists. Teachers would then be expected to alert senior staff, social services and the police. The move has not been prompted by the massacre in Tunisia but follows David Cameron's call for people to become ‘intolerant of intolerance.’ Ms Morgan told BBC Radio 4's Today programme, ‘Radicalisation or the risk of children being drawn into non-violent extremism is a very real threat in this country.’

Pray:

for wise decisions to be made as teachers attempt to identify children who have become radicalised or groomed on the internet. (Ps.12:7)

Challenges of doing faith-based films

Creating faith-based films and shows is no easy feat for Christian couple Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. They have admitted that they relied heavily on prayer and research in order to get the job done correctly. They are busy working on the film ‘Ben-Hur’ and the new TLC series called ‘Answered Prayers.’ While it seems that the two are on a roll to create inspiring films, Burnett and Downey said they actually devote a lot of time and attention to make sure they get things right. Burnett said they did their homework before embarking on the shows The Bible and A.D. The Bible Continues. He said he told himself before embarking on his last project, ‘It better be authentic and you better not (sic) cross any lines.’ ‘When you're dealing with Jesus in a screenplay, it's not really the time for improvising,’ added Downey.

Pray:

for all Christian writers, authors and actors to be faithful in every area of their work. (Ps.65:4)

UK fracking hits setback

Jubilant anti-fracking protesters danced in the street, popped champagne and chanted ‘Frack-free Lancashire’ outside the county hall in Preston after council leaders blocked a contentious drilling campaign by shale gas explorer Cuadrilla. Among energy executives there was stunned disbelief. For Britain’s shale explorers, hoping to replicate the ‘fracking’ boom in America that has sent US oil and gas output soaring, much was hanging on Cuadrilla’s proposals to drill up to four wells at a site in Little Plumpton, near Blackpool. The decision raises serious doubts over the longer-term prospects for fracking in the UK, putting one county council sitting on top of possibly substantial gas resources at odds with David Cameron’s claim to be ‘going all out for shale’. Electricity can be generated from wind, water, geothermal and solar energy. These energy resources are renewable. All resources have advantages and disadvantages. See also

Pray:

that God will direct the Government to make wise decisions regarding renewable energy. (Ps.24:1)

Northern Ireland: A&E waiting times deteriorate

Only 73.8% of people attending Accident & Emergency departments were treated and discharged or admitted within four hours of their arrival during 2014/15 despite the target being 95%, according to the latest A&E waiting times. Ulster Unionist Party health spokesperson Jo-Anne Dobson MLA, said last year's performance was a further deterioration on the year before and demonstrates that the crisis facing hospitals is continuing to deepen. She said, ‘This gridlock is not only bad for our hospitals and staff, but it’s bad for the health of patients. Delays in receiving treatment can often lead to conditions worsening, and I am often told by medical practitioners that hospitals are not always a safe place for patients if they do not absolutely need to be there.’

Pray:

for help for those working in A&E departments as they attempt to provide best practice. (Ps.9:4)

Belgium: Euthanasia ‘appropriate’ for suicidal woman

A 24-year-old Belgian woman has been told she qualifies for euthanasia because she suffers from ‘suicidal thoughts’. The anonymous woman says that she has wanted to die since her childhood and spoke about her decision in an interview with a Belgian newspaper. She has been a patient in a psychiatric institution since she was 21 but feels that the treatment did not help, saying, ‘Death does not feel to me as a choice. If I had a choice, I would choose a bearable life, but I have done everything and that did not work.’ Last year, a Dutch academic who supported legalising euthanasia in the Netherlands, warned of rising numbers of patients with psychiatric illnesses or dementia being euthanised. He said, ‘Cases have been reported in which a large part of the suffering of those given euthanasia were aged, lonely or bereaved. These patients could have lived for years or decades’. At Westminster, Labour MP Rob Marris is set to introduce an assisted suicide bill in the coming weeks (see article 2 in British Isles section).

Pray:

against the spirit of death that appears to be causing this trend to ‘opt out of life’ (Ex.20:13)

Dirty business: mafia’s toxic waste crimes spread across Europe

The illegal dumping of domestic and sometimes even hazardous industrial waste by the mafia has long been a problem in Italy. Now it has emerged that the trafficking of rubbish has spread across Europe, with garbage transported from Italy to countries including Germany and Sweden. It is a dirty business, but a hugely profitable one for the crime gangs. The price may be even higher for some, as the clandestine disposal of dangerous substances is being linked with rising cancer rates and birth defects in the areas affected. People are asking what is being done to deal with this toxic time bomb. Why are investigators and prosecutors not bringing the guilty to justice? How are the gangs’ activities spreading across Europe and what more could politicians at a national and European level be doing? These issues were discussed with a panel of experts from Eurojust, the European Union’s prosecutorial agency this week.

Pray:

for European citizens and governments to wake up to the relatively well-hidden toxic waste spread across Europe and for eco-criminality to be removed. (Job 12:22)

2014 Record-breaking year for Bible translation globally

A new record in Bible translation may have been set in 2014 for the highest number of new translations published in one year. According to the Global Scripture Access Report, last year there were complete translations in 51 languages spoken by more than 1.3 billion people. Some were launched in countries facing significant challenges. In Nigeria the Bible Society launched four new translations, one being the Bura Bible, which was launched despite a Boko Haram bomb attack on the translation office. All of these were first-time translations, potentially giving 2.1 million Nigerians access to the full Bible in their heart language for the first time. Liberia also faced enormous difficulties, losing more people to Ebola than any other country, but the Bible Society launched two first-time full Bible translations. The Bible in Kpelle and Southern Kisi, spoken by nearly a million people, arrived at a time when people needed God's Word in their language more than ever before.

Pray:

that this trend will continue to grow throughout the world. (Mt.24:14)

Tunisia: Terror group had warned of shooting in tweet

A spokesman for the arm of IS in Tunisia, which has pledged allegiance to the main extremist IS group, had warned British and western tourists last month in a tweet not to go there for their summer holidays and that they were planning an attack. It said the warning was aimed at countries taking part in the coalition against IS in Iraq and Syria. ‘To the Christians planning their summer vacations in Tunisia, we can’t accept u in our land while your jets keep killing our Muslim Brothers in Iraq & Sham’, it said (Sham is the word usually translated as ‘the Levant’). ‘But if u insist on coming then beware because we are planning for u something that will make you forget #Bardoattack.’ The reference to the coalition is significant because one witness to the shootings said the attacker, Seifeddine Rezgui, told him to ‘get out of the way’ as he was looking for ‘British and French’. Britain and France have both joined the coalition against IS. See also

Pray:

for the terrorists to be thwarted, and for God to heal the bodies, minds and spirits of victims. (Ps.9:3)

Israel: Arson attack on Galilee church

A suspected arson attack on a church on the shores of the Sea of Galilee has left two people injured and caused serious damage. An elderly monk and a German volunteer needed hospital treatment for smoke inhalation after the attack on the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes in Tabgha village. There was minor damage to the main worship hall but other areas were badly affected. No one has been arrested in connection with the blaze, but sixteen Jewish ‘youths’ were taken in for questioning before being released. In April last year, young Jewish extremists desecrated crosses and an altar at the same church. Graffiti painted inside the church during the attack earlier this month read, ‘The false gods will be eliminated.’ The Galilee church was built in the 1980s on the site of ancient places of worship that commemorated the spot where Jesus fed 5,000 people with the loaves and fish.

Pray:

that the culprits are brought to justice and for Jews, Christians and Muslims to stand in solidarity against ‘violence and extremism’ in Israel. (Ps.5:11)

Syria: IS release elderly Christian hostage as Christians displaced in Aleppo

Four months after he was taken captive by IS fighters in north-eastern Syria, 70-year-old François Sawa was safely released and is in good health. Meanwhile In Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, Christian families are fleeing their homes after horrific fighting killed at least ten people, most of them children, and injured a further 150 . A few days later, two Armenian Christian men were killed in a mortar explosion in Aleppo. One was a visiting pastor from Armenia who had arrived only two days earlier. ‘All our congregation members are in agony,’ said Barnabas Fund’s partner on the ground in Syria, as he relayed the news. With fighting coming from four fronts, thousands of Christians have fled the city in terror. There are between 45,000 and 90,000 Christians living in Aleppo, down from 465,000 in 2010. IS forces have again attacked the north-eastern city of Hassake as well as the northern city of Kobane on 25 June.

Pray:

for the 227 still being held captive, and for the protection of Christian villages being raided by IS. (Pr.2:8)

China: Abandoned children

Four children were found dead last week in southern China. The police said they had been living alone and killed themselves by ingesting pesticides. Their tragic deaths lay bare the tough ordeal facing a third of children in the Chinese countryside, forced to fend for themselves when their parents leave to work in the cities. The four brothers and sisters, aged between 5 and 13 years, had been fending for themselves for several years. Their mother had abandoned them and their father had left their home to work in a city 1,400 kilometres away. In a goodbye letter, the eldest wrote that he could no longer stand the pressure of looking after his brothers and sisters while studying at the same time, as his dad had wanted. Currently six million children have been left to fend for themselves - that’s one-third of China’s rural child population.

Pray:

that Chinese law will change and make provisions for looking after such children. (Ps.116:6a)

Iraq: Shiite expansion

Arab Shiites cannot be ignored thanks to the rise of the Shiite political identity in Iraq, establishing a bridge between Iranian and Arab Shiites. The Gulf States are concerned about the growing influence of Shiites in neighbouring countries, expressing their fears of the relations established between the Shiites of Iran and Iraq and their own Shiite communities. Shiites have long-standing historical ties with Iran’s Shiites on one side, and with Arab Shiites in other Arab countries, such as Kuwait, Bahrain and Lebanon. The most important and oldest Shiite religious institution, the Najaf Seminary south of Baghdad, brings together Shiite clergy from the Indian subcontinent to Iran and the Arab world. This major force poses a challenge to the Sunni regimes in the Arab world, especially in countries neighbouring Iraq and Iran. The challenge is not only religious differences. The ‘Saudi Cables,’ made public on 19 June by WikiLeaks, revealed the Arab regimes’ concerns over the rise of Shiite identity in the region.

Pray:

that clannish violence will not erupt because of the recent WikiLeaks revelations. (Pr.14:3)