Victory for evangelist in freedom of speech case

A Christian evangelist was cleared of criminal charges by Dartford Magistrates after being arrested for distributing leaflets outside a Tesco supermarket. Mr Bachoo was temporarily imprisoned and charged with public order offences in January after handing out leaflets disapproving of Tesco’s decision to fund the 2012 Gay Pride parade. He was due to stand trial last week for allegedly using ‘threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour’ but magistrates dismissed the case after the prosecuting barrister failed to give evidence. The National Director of Christian Voice, Stephen Green, said: ‘Christians just keep winning these freedom of speech cases. It is not against the law to preach against sodomy, to tell the public the facts about homosexual lifestyles, nor to display graphic images of the effects of abortion. These things might upset people, but they are not threatening, they are not abusive, they are not insulting and they are not against the law.

Praise:

God for the clarity of understanding by the magistrates and for the dismissal of this case. (2Tim.2:9)

NDOP Wembley submerged by waves of prayer and praise

Wembley stadium was overtaken by a wave of prayer and praise when over 32,000 gathered for the National Day of Prayer and Worship on Saturday September 29th. Tens of thousands more were able to join the day through live broadcasts and streams via GOD TV, Revelation TV, OHTV, Premier Radio and UCB. During one of the key moments of the day as 300 young Christians in red hoodies were being commissioned to carry on the baton of prayer into the next generation, a Mexican wave of united prayer engulfed the whole stadium as tens of thousands were believing for a new wave of revival to hit the UK. The day carried the theme of the Lord’s Prayer and began with a time of thanksgiving for the fulfilment of a 17 year old Wembley vision, the Diamond Jubilee, the Olympics, More Than Gold and for Government.

Praise:

God for the many thousands who gathered in fulfilment of the Wembley vision, especially the young people. (Ps.89:19)

Don’t be ashamed, Franklin Graham tells UK’s Christians

Franklin Graham, Samaritan's Purse President, has called on Christians to be faithful in preaching the Gospel message as he visited the UK to launch this year’s Operation Christmas Child - Nov 18th ‘shoebox Sunday’ - an annual Christmas initiative aiming to deliver 8 million shoeboxes filled with Christmas gifts for children in impoverished communities around the world, including parts of Europe. ‘Secularism has conquered much of Europe and the West and it came in overnight,’ he told reporters. ‘As evangelicals and Christians we need to be more outspoken than we’ve ever been about our faith.’ Mr Graham said some schools in the UK had dropped out of the project because they were upset about the Christian faith being shared with children receiving the boxes. However, he said: ‘I don’t apologise for sharing Christ. This is who we are. This is what we do.’ Mr Graham encouraged everyone giving a box to say a prayer for the child receiving it.

Pray:

for more to get involved in Operation Christmas Child and for God to meet with the children as they receive their gifts. (Ps.100:5)

Labour’s three-line whip on gay marriage is illiberal

Ed Miliband tells the Evening Standard today that Labour will give ‘wholehearted’ backing to gay marriage and says that churches and religious bodies should be allowed to conduct these ceremonies. At the same time Labour has let it be known to the Standard that the party is ‘highly likely’ to impose a three-line whip on the gay marriage bill, though it can’t say so for certain until it knows the wording. Same as the Lib Dems, then, but unlike the Tories, who are allowing a free vote. As Mr Miliband says, ‘I think whether you’re gay or straight, you should be able to signify your commitment, your love, with the term ‘marriage’.

Pray:

for the Labour Party to allow its MPs a free vote on this important matter. (2Co.1:12)

John Sentamu snubbed - Church may take months to name new Archbishop

John Sentamu, the charismatic Archbishop of York, appears to have been snubbed in the hunt for a successor to Rowan Williams, amid claims that church leaders are in ‘deadlock’ and could take months to nominate a new Archbishop of Canterbury. Speculation about who will be the next head of the Church of England went into overdrive after the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) failed to announce a decision. The CNC had been widely expected to send a two-name shortlist to the Prime Minister on Friday. The PM then recommends the leading candidate to the Queen. But instead, the commission released an opaquely worded statement saying ‘its work was continuing’. Leading contenders such as Dr Sentamu and the Bishop of London, Richard Chartres, were thought to be out of the running Tuesday, with new favourites including the ‘compromise candidate‘ Graham James, the Bishop of Norwich and dark horse Justin Welby, Bishop of Durham. (See item 5 below)

Pray:

for wisdom and God’s guidance for those charged with the responsibility of the selection of the new archbishop. (1Sa.16:7)

EU squanders our aid millions, says minister

An aid minister has accused the EU of squandering hundreds of millions of pounds of British taxpayers’ cash on countries that are too wealthy to need help. Alan Duncan said that while he shared the public’s anger over the massive spending, the UK was being ‘forced’ to hand over huge amounts of money – but then has no say over how it is spent. One sixth of Britain’s aid budget – some £1.4billion – goes straight into EU coffers. Much is spent in relatively rich nations such as Barbados, Iceland, China and Brazil; which the UK refuses to fund directly. Some £800,000 of the EU aid budget is going on a water park and tourist complex being built in Morocco by the French owners of Center Parcs. The cash is being spent to ensure L’Oasis de Noria, on the outskirts of Marrakesh, is ‘environmentally friendly’.

Pray:

for action to ensure our aid budget directly helps the truly needy and vulnerable around the world. (1Jn.3:17-18)

British banks face heat from on high

The beleaguered British banking industry has faced angry politicians, regulators and consumers. This Autumn, a new player has joined the inquisition: a bespectacled bishop wearing a cross made of nails. The Right Reverend Justin Welby, Bishop of Durham, (See http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/faith/article3554265.ece ) is grilling top bankers as part of a new parliamentary inquiry into ‘banking standards’ that represents the U.K. government's latest attempt to shake up the industry. The inquiry was established in July on the heels of news that several banks allegedly sought to rig interest rates such as the London inter-bank lending rate, known as Libor. Bishop Welby, a former oil executive who sits in Britain's House of Lords, has joined nine other lawmakers in assembling a report that will consider new rules on everything from corporate governance to conflicts of interest. The inquiry also involves a series of public hearings already under way.

Pray:

for God’s wisdom and justice to guide those researching this report. (Lev.19:35)

Church of England sets sights on growth

The Church of England is encouraging people to engage in its Church Growth Research Programme. The programme is exploring the factors behind spiritual and numerical church growth. The Church of England is working with researchers at the University of Essex, Cranmer Hall, St John's College Durham, the Oxford Centre for Ecclesiology and Practical Theology, and Ripon College. A website has been set up with case studies and literature on church growth. Visitors to the site can sign up to the discussions forum to share their views and experiences of church growth. Discussions include Fresh Expressions and church planting, how to measure church growth, and experiences of decline. The Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, said: ‘There are many communities and parishes that are growing and we want to identify the levers and drives of this growth. In addition to the information gathered via the website, researchers will survey 4,000 Church of England churches’.

Pray:

that the work of the Holy Spirit will be recognised as central to the growth of the Church. (1Cor.6:19)

Government drugs chief criticises Channel 4 show

The Government’s chief drugs adviser has heavily criticised a Channel 4 programme showing volunteers taking ecstasy. Professor Leslie Iversen, chairman of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, said the programme may ‘glamorise’ drug-taking as a ‘form of entertainment.’ The Oxford University professor made the criticisms in a letter to The Daily Telegraph. He said: ‘Viewers were repeatedly told this was groundbreaking research that had never been done before. However, a search of scientific literature reveals that there have been no fewer than 68 human studies of Ecstasy using brain-imaging techniques.’ The programme showed 25 volunteers, including a former MP, being given an MDMA tablet (pure ecstasy) or a placebo. They then underwent tests including a brain scan. Almost 2 million people watched the programme, and campaigners accused the show of being an advert for drug taking.

Pray:

that TV shows such as this will be halted and not be allowed to glorify drug taking. (1Jn.5:19)

France to ban ‘mother’ and ‘father’ in all legal terminology

As with most of the jurisdictions that have adopted ‘gay marriage,’ France will be changing the language of its laws and regulations related to marriage and parenthood to eliminate the terms ‘mother’ and ‘father’. All references to mothers and fathers, the government has said, will be changed to ‘parents’, reports LifeSiteNews.com. The new socialist government has promised to bring forward a law by the end of October. They have already said there will be no provisions granted for conscientious objections from state marriage ministers. The bill, being drafted now, will create identical marriage ceremonies for same-sex partners as for natural marriages. French media reports that the bill calls marriage ‘a union of two people, of different or the same gender’. It will also grant adoption rights to homosexual partners.

Pray:

for the bill being drafted to recognize the rights of the traditional family in law and that it should never become lost or subsumed into fuzzy language. (Ex.20:12)

Netherlands: Haarlem coffee-shops offer alternative to weedpass

Coffee-shop owners in the city of Haarlem have reached an agreement with the mayor, which they believe will make the introduction of the weedpass unnecessary in their city. Under the covenant, the owners have pledged to monitor who enters their coffee-shop, bar minors from entering, provide reliable information about soft drugs and ensure that there aren't any disturbances or troubles in the immediate area around the coffee-shops. The mayor of Haarlem is pleased with the measures. But he says, if the weedpass is introduced throughout the Netherlands on January 1, 2013, it will also go into effect in his city. The weedpass was introduced in the south of the Netherlands in May. Only Dutch residents can now legally purchase soft drugs in coffee-shops. Foreigners are barred. The measure has led to a surge in the illegal trade in soft drugs in the southern part of the country.

Pray:

for the government to be sensible in its decisions and not make judgements that increase the use of drugs.

Iran: Currency and Human Rights

In July we prayed for poverty stricken Iranians abandoning traditional eating habits which were too expensive; and for shortages of medicines because of sanctions. The crisis is worsening. The currency plunged to less than two-thirds of where it stood a week ago. Iranian authorities are blaming (and threatening) currency speculators. Iranians say the government is at fault. This week a petition of 10,000 names was addressed to Iran’s labour minister amid wide-reaching public outcries over the economy, and alleged Government mismanagement. Some are saying a Tahrir-style uprising could erupt in Tehran in the run-up to the presidential elections next summer, and Khamenei is considering a constitutional change to cancel the office of ‘president’. Meanwhile Mohammad Ali Dadkhah begin a nine-year prison sentence at Evin prison on trumped-up charges. He was Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani’s lawyer. Mohammad Ali Dadkhah co-founded Iran’s Center for Human Rights Defenders (CHRD). Several other leaders of congregations remain behind bars and need advocacy. See: http://www.bosnewslife.com/23772-breaking-news-iran-jails-la wyer-of-freed-pastor-nadarkhani

Pray:

that the people of Iran would experience a better quality of life physically, emotionally and spiritually. Pray for true law and order in Iran and for God’s comfort, provision and protection for the Iranian church. (Tit.3:1-2)

Nigeria: Gunmen kill Mubi students

At least 20 people, mostly students, were killed by unknown gunmen in north-eastern Nigeria at a student hostel. One Mubi resident said more than 40 students had been killed but there is no official death toll. The killing comes days after a major operation against the Boko Haram militant group in the town. BBC Nigeria correspondent Will Ross says mobile phone masts in the area were recently attacked by the militants, so getting information from Mubi is difficult. ‘Everybody is scared.’ A resident who did not want his name to be used told the BBC that men in military uniform asked the students to line up and say their names. Some were then shot and others stabbed with knives and their bodies left in lines outside the buildings. He said it is not clear why some were killed and others spared. Some of those killed were Muslims and others Christian. STOP PRESS: Arrests have been made See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19807964

Pray:

for all those living in fear in Nigeria to have a sense of God’s presence in their lives daily. Pray for Nigeria to come into the inheritance that God has provided for her. (Ps.27:13-4) & (Ps.35:20-23)

Sudan/South Sudan: Buffer zone

Last week Sudan and South Sudan signed nine agreements settling some disputed issues and established security cooperation between the two governments to stop rebel attacks from both sides through a number of measures including a 14 mile buffer zone of pasture land on the common border. Some Dinka think they have been abandoned by their government, believing this agreement gives another opportunity for the marauding Murahaleen to resume their rustling; while others view it as a trading off of their land for a region that initially in terms of law and administration chose not to be part of South Sudan. Meanwhile, although they welcomed these agreements, the rebel alliance Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) said they are determined to bring down Khartoum's regime. An SRF spokesperson said they doubt Khartoum's regime will implement what is agreed in Addis Ababa. See also: http://allafrica.com/stories/201210030016.html

Pray:

for peace between the two Sudans and for speedy implementation of all the agreed provisions. (Lk.6:37)

Uzbekistan: Pastor urgently needs prayer

Protestant churches in Karakalpakstan are illegal. Pastor Makhset is a housechurch leader and has been to court six times, his family’s apartment was raided in 2007 and they fled to Kazakhstan where they initiated the process of seeking asylum through the United Nations. The UN’s High Commissioner for Refugees determined the family to be refugees who would face prosecution in Uzbekistan because of their Christian faith. - The Kazakh government disagreed and ruled against Makhset. His case now rests before the country’s highest court, which has yet to set a date for his extradition hearing. On September 2nd Kazakh authorities arrested Makhset, prosecutors are responding to Uzbekistan’s request to return him to face charges. Open doors are asking for Christians to send a message to the Kazakh Ambassador to the United States, asking that the Kazakh government may not forcibly return Makhset to Uzbekistan! We are asked to pray.

Pray:

that Makhset, his pregnant wife Aigul and their four children will not be repatriated and that Makhset will be free to preach and practice his faith. (Acts14:22)

USA: Human trafficking

On Oct. 19, a conference in Des Moines hopes to recruit an army of Christians to combat the abduction of thousands of children each year. The Preventing Abuse Conference will inform, equip and organize people to be part of the solution to the rampant human trafficking problem of 1,000,000 children reported missing each year - 60,000 to 80,000 are abducted by non-family members. The problem is made worse by child pornography to be an increasingly sexualized culture and the spread of drug cartels smuggling children across the border. The FBI reported child pornography the fastest growing form of pornography on the Internet. Organisers of the conference said, ‘Our conference is focusing on the church. No law enforcement agency can match the vast reach of the church and the church has a moral mandate from God to relieve the oppressed and set the captive free. Once the American church is educated about warning signs of a predator they can make the call that could lead to rescuing a victim.’

Pray:

that this and similar conferences would lead to the rescue of thousands of children and the arrest of predators. (Mt.10:16)

Middle East: Terrorism and criminality

The political turmoil which has swept the Arab world has benefited terrorism and criminality, the Council of Arab Interior Ministers head, Mohamed Ben Ali Koumane, said on Wednesday. ‘The preachers of terrorism have profited from the security deficit in the region’, Koumane said. ‘The spread of weapons and explosives has allowed terrorists to get hold of the tools of death and destruction.’ He was speaking at the start of a meeting of Arab security officials on the fight against terrorism, held at the Tunis headquarters of the council, which was set up in 1982 with the agreement of the Arab League. ‘Since last year the Arab region has witnessed political changes that have resulted in acute security crises, directly linked to a rise in crime.’ Koumane said. The deteriorating security situation has provided fertile ground for organised crime, illegal migration plus human and drug trafficking.

Pray:

against the wave of violence and lawlessness afflicting Arab countries and for God to bring about His purposes and provision for Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. (Is.59:19)

Colombia: Pastors being assassinated

20-30 Church leaders are assassinated each year in Columbia. The most recent murder was of pastor Henry Rodriguez, 44, who was shot dead as he left United Pentecostal Church in Bogota’s afternoon service on September 16th .The reasons behind the murder are unknown but it was carried out by what appeared to be professional hit men using a moped, a method commonly used in professional hits in Colombia. While the assassination of a pastor is extremely unusual in Bogota, countrywide church leaders are frequently targeted by illegal armed groups. The Colombian Council of Evangelical Churches Peace said leaders are targeted because of their refusal to cooperate or support the objectives of the illegal armed groups; however, the reasons behind the murder of Pastor Rodriguez are unclear, as he had not reported receiving any threats prior to Sunday. Rodriguez, who was on course to graduate from seminary in October, is survived by his wife and three children. CSW is calling for a full investigation.

Pray:

that the Colombian authorities would carry out a full investigation into this and similar assassinations and for those responsible to be brought to justice. (Ps.45:3-5)