China: World's most Christian nation in 2030

According to research by professor Fenggang Yang from Purdue University within less than a generation, China could be home to more Christians than any nation on earth. Though officially the communist country of 1.3 billion is atheist, Christianity has spread so rapidly that by 2030, it could be home to more than 247 million Christians. In an interview with The Telegraph, Prof Yang noted that the country’s Protestant churches had just one million members in 1949; in 2010, that number was 58 million. Many of those attend unsanctioned ‘underground’ house churches in an effort to avoid government oversight. Catholicism is also growing in China. Interest in Christianity is on the rise throughout the country. The story notes that, ‘A recent study found that online searches for the words ‘Christian Congregation’ and ‘Jesus’ far outnumbered those for ‘The Communist Party’ and ‘Xi Jinping’,

Praise:

God for these amazing statistics and pray for God’s continued blessings. (Dt.28:1-2)

Prostitute found Jesus when she least expected it

As darkness fell in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cecile, a ‘woman of the night’ wandered the streets aimlessly. She noticed a large crowd forming on the outskirts of the city and went to investigate. People were slowly filling up an empty field where a large, white screen had been erected.' What is this all about?' she wondered. There seemed to be a buzz of excitement and anticipation in the air. A movie began that was like no other she had seen: The JESUS Film. She watched Him heal a leper and befriend sinners rejected by the ‘religious.’ He even befriended prostitutes! On bended knee, she began to weep over her sins. And when the invitation was given, she stood up to receive Jesus as her Saviour and Lord. God has worked mightily in her life since that night. Cecile became involved with a local church and attends weekly Bible classes.

Praise:

God for the ongoing success of the Jesus Film in bringing people to Christ. (Ps.21:6)

Christian nursery worker 'sacked after refusing to read gay stories'

A Christian nursery worker is taking her former employers to court claiming she was sacked for her beliefs after refusing to read stories about gay couples to children. Sarah Mbuyi says she was dismissed due to religious discrimination, having also been accused of ‘harassing’ a lesbian colleague to whom she gave a Bible when she was recovering from an accident. The case, lodged at an employment tribunal, comes amid growing concerns among some Christians that religious beliefs are being ‘outlawed’ in the workplace. A Christian group backing the case says it is an example of believers being ‘robbed’ of the freedom to express views. Eric Pickles, the Communities Secretary, has warned that ‘militant atheists’ are attempting to impose ‘politically correct intolerance’ on others. ‘We’re a Christian nation,’ he insisted. Last week David Cameron said Christians should be ‘more evangelical’ about their faith and ‘get out there and make a difference to people’s lives’.

Pray:

for Sarah as she faces the employment tribunal and that they will hear her case fairly. (Am.5:24)

Value of Christianity should not be confused with community projects

David Cameron's praise for the Christian faith last week is welcome but one bishop warns that the distinctiveness of Christianity should not be confused with acts of service. On Easter Sunday, Bishop Mark Davies commended the Prime Minister for his ‘brave acknowledgement’ of Christianity's value in the face of an ‘increasingly intolerant secularism seeking to impose its grim orthodoxy on society’. While welcoming Cameron's comments, however, the Catholic Bishop of Shrewsbury reminded the faithful of Pope Francis's recent assertion that the Church is more than an NGO. ‘The difference Christianity makes must not simply be confused with the effectiveness of community projects and the generous spirit of service. 'Rather’, he said, ‘the Church's primary calling is to confess Jesus Christ. So many good works flourish in our society today because they are rooted, built on Christian faith.’ However, he voiced fears that the dwindling affiliation to Christianity in Britain is leading to confusion on issues of conscience.

Pray:

for the distinctive character of the community work undertaken by the Church and Christian groups. (Jas.2:8)

Cardinal warns politicians over ‘alarmist’ immigration rhetoric

Cardinal Vincent Nichols has warned that the debate about immigration shouldn't be ‘cushioned’ in expressions which are ‘alarmist and evocative of anger or of dismay and distress at all these people coming to this country’. Cardinal Nichols, leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, spoke exclusively to the Telegraph following visits to a refuge for asylum seekers in north London and a crisis centre in Folkestone, alongside the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. He appealed to politicians to ensure the debate about immigration is done with ‘a sense of realism and with a sense of respect’. Speaking about how refugees and asylum-seekers coming to Britain are treated, the Cardinal said: ‘I think it's very important that into our political debate goes a good dose of reality, and the reality is that people who are waiting to have a due process are treated in a way that leaves them very crippled.’

Pray:

for the important debate on immigration policy to be rooted in real facts and conducted with respect for the people it will affect. (Lev.19:33-34)

Charity Commission warns of Islamic extremism threat

Islamic extremism is the ‘most deadly’ threat to charities in England and Wales, the Charity Commission has said. Chairman William Shawcross warned that while the issue is not currently widespread, it is growing. Mr Shawcross told the Sunday Times the regulator is taking action against charities sending money to various groups in Syria. He has asked the prime minister for measures to stop those with terrorism convictions from setting up charities saying ‘Currently, those convicted of money laundering or terrorism are not automatically barred from doing so, or from becoming a trustee. It is ludicrous that people with convictions for terrorist offences are not automatically disqualified from serving as charity trustees.’ The regulator is currently investigating a number of charities raising funds for causes in Syria. 'The problem of Islamist extremism and charities is not the most widespread problem we face in terms of abuse of charities, but is potentially the most deadly. And it is, alas, growing.’

Pray:

for the Government to respond to this matter quickly and ensure that 'charity' is not abused. (Gal.6:7)

New Family Court system comes into being

New combined Family Courts have come into being in England and Wales as part of family justice system reforms. The plan also includes new time frames for cases where children are taken into care and compulsory mediation awareness sessions for separating couples. Justice Minister Simon Hughes said it was ‘a hugely important change’ to what had been a ‘very dysfunctional system’. Sir James Munby, President of the Family Division, said the changes were the biggest in a lifetime. There are about 270,000 new family cases each year dealing with issues such as local authority intervention, divorce, domestic violence and adoption. A review carried out in 2011 found that vulnerable children were having their ‘futures undermined’ by excessive delays, with care and supervision cases taking an average of 56 weeks.

Pray:

that these changes to the family justice system will lead to an improvement to the system and less delays. (Pr.18:5)

Ban gambling adverts in sports, says Kirk

The Church of Scotland urged the Scottish and UK Governments and sporting bodies to impose a ban on gambling advertisements in sports, the Church of Scotland has said in a report published ahead of the Commonwealth Games. The report, Striving Together: Celebrating Competitiveness in Sport, also urges the Scottish and UK Governments to ban adverts for short-term loan companies who ‘charge exorbitant rates’. The Glasgow 2014 games, which involves athletes competing across 17 sports, will begin in July. Sponsors include a host of organisations such as John Lewis, Virgin Media and ScotRail. But Scottish football team Hearts is sponsored by payday loan company Wonga and Rangers are set to receive support from online casino 32Red. The Church of Scotland said: ‘We also urge the Scottish and UK Governments and sporting bodies to implement measures designed to reduce hazardous and harmful gambling and to impose a ban on advertising gambling in the context of sports.’

Pray:

that the Church of Scotland’s challenge to the Scottish and UK Governments to ban gambling and loan companies will be successful. (Ps.118:25)

Faith groups urged not to be 'tricked' by new work placement schemes

Faith groups and charities have been warned that they could end up exploiting the people that they exist to help if they take part in the Government's new ‘Community Work Placements’ (CWPs). CWPs will force unemployed people to work with a charity or community group full-time for six months for no wages whatsoever. Their benefits will be cut if they fail to accept. Two organisations today warned voluntary groups not to ‘fall for’ attempts to portray the scheme as ‘work experience’ or ‘volunteering’. The warning comes from the Boycott Workfare campaign along with the National Coalition for Independent Action (NCIA), who work to keep the voluntary sector free of government interference. They said that the voluntary groups should not be tricked into seeing workfare schemes as a way of helping people in poverty. ‘With CWPs, charities that have a genuine desire to help people could end up exploiting them instead,’ said NCIA's Andy Benson. ‘We must not be naive.’

Pray:

that faith groups and charities will be given wisdom in their guidance to those they are trying to help. (Pr.1:5)

Ukraine crisis: Russia 'to respond if its interests are attacked'

Russia will respond if its interests in Ukraine are attacked, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said, drawing a parallel with the 2008 Georgian war. Speaking on Russian state TV channel RT, Mr Lavrov also accused the US of 'running the show' in Ukraine. It was ‘quite telling’ that Kiev had re-launched its ‘anti-terrorist’ operation during a visit by US Vice President Joe Biden, he said. Ukraine's government is struggling with an armed revolt in the country's east. Kiev and the West say Moscow commands gunmen there - a charge denied by Russia. In recent weeks, pro-Russian militants have seized administrative buildings in at least a dozen towns in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. They have occupied public buildings and installed their own officials, in similar tactics to those used to take over the Ukrainian region of Crimea earlier in the year. The US has called on Moscow to ask pro-Russian gunmen to lay down their weapons and leave public buildings. It has also urged Russia to tone down its aggressive rhetoric or face further sanctions.

Pray:

for the situation in the Ukraine and pray that ways will be found to bring peace and reconciliation. (Ps.37:37)

Nigeria: Terror grips northern Nigeria after Boko Haram kidnappings

Last week 230 schoolgirls in Borno State were kidnapped from Chilbok boarding school by Boko Haram. Efforts by officials have not rescued them so a group of fathers clubbed together to buy motorcycle fuel, and risking their own lives they drove into the Sambisa forest to try to find their daughters. They were unsuccessful. Musa Muka, whose 17-year-old daughter Martha is missing, said ‘We plead with the government to help rescue her and her friends. We pray nothing happens to her.’ Schools had been closed for four weeks for security reasons but girls aged 16 to 18 were recalled for a physics exam. Dozens of students managed to escape their captors by jumping from the back of an open truck or by running away and hiding in the dense forest. On the same day 75 people were killed and 141 injured by an explosion at a bus station in Abuja. (see last week’s Prayer-Alert)

Pray:

for God to strengthen the military who are struggling to protect civilians from this insurgency. Pray for God to give the government His strategies for victory over death and destruction. (Pr.11:11)

Nigeria: Roots of a nation

While the violence directed against Christians in northern Nigeria lately has been at the hands of the Islamic insurgent group Boko Haram, previous attacks against Christian villages were perpetrated by members of the nomadic Fulani herdsmen. The Fulani are traditionally Muslim and resent the encroachment of Christian settlements on land they use for grazing their cattle. They consider Christians as infidels that should be exterminated. Going back further into Nigeria’s history we get a glimpse of a root of division and animosity that todays challenges may stem from. In 1809 the North of Nigeria was established as a single powerful Islamic state that existed throughout the 1800s. Meanwhile in the south between 1830s-1886 civil wars plagued the Yorubaland speaking region. In 1960 Nigeria gained independence from Britain and an amalgamation of more than 200 tribes was divided into three regions based on the three major ethnic groups. Ethnicity and religion still play a huge role in Nigerian politics.

Pray:

for God to remove violent spiritual roots that have been allowed to grow in the nation; pray that every altar raised against God’s purposes for Nigeria shall fail. (1Jn.3:8)

Iran: Messages from pastors in hospital

Pastor Farshid Fathi is serving six years in Evin Prison. On Thursday Fathi and other prisoners were injured by prison guards and transferred to Taleghani Hospital. Farshid's foot is in a cast and will probably need surgery. On Easter Sunday he told reporters, ‘Today I celebrate our Lord's resurrection in a mixed feeling of joy and pain in a different way and in a different place. My left foot is in a cast after they broke it on Thursday in violations against helpless prisoners under the excuse of inspections. After three days of pain they finally took me chained and shackled to a hospital.Though I was in pain, I took it as a gift from our Lord to get out of prison even for a few hours on Easter morning.’ Also Pastor Saeed Abedini, serving an eight year sentence for his faith, sent a heart-warming Easter message from his hospital bed. See: h ttp://aclj.org/iran/american-pastor-saeed-writes-easter-mess age-as-a-prisoner-in-the-darkness-of-iran

Pray:

for God to strengthen Christian mission and martyrs in Iran. (Ps.119:86) Pray for God’s Kingdom to continue to expand in Iran and beyond (Mat.24:14)

USA warns Russia to end illegal Ukrainian occupation

Vice President Joe Biden warned Russia to end ‘illegal occupation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula’ as the West prepares more sanctions against Russia. He unveiled a multi-million dollar aid package to support the Ukraine’s embattled government. He urged Kyiv to crack down on the rampant corruption that overwhelmed the previous government. Meanwhile hundreds of residents of Slaviansk came to the Church of the Holy Spirit for the funerals of three men killed in a shootout at a roadblock manned by pro-Russian separatists on Easter Sunday. The EU is considering reducing the import of Russian natural gas. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said his nation would not be intimidated; adding that Russia is implementing solutions for exporting gas and oil to Asian and Pacific countries. (China). Currently 1/3 of Europe’s natural gas is supplied by Russia. Britain says Moscow is using its status as ‘energy superpower’ to hold Eastern European countries to ransom.

Pray:

for God to give the wisdom to Joe Biden and other international representatives to turn this situation around. (Pr.19:8) Pray against further violence and bloodshed. (Pr.19:9)

Canada: Exploitation of First Nation People

First Nations People in Canada are the people who used to be called ‘indians.’ The following are two of the areas where they are being exploited: 1) Human trafficking of women and girls. A high percentage of sexually exploited children are of aboriginal descent and last month a strategy to prevent human trafficking of women and children on Manitoba's First Nations People was unveiled. It aims to create a Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking Act designate two specialized Crown attorneys to co-ordinate and prosecute sexual exploitation cases; criminal property forfeiture legislation and a victims' bill of rights. 2) Environmental protection. The First Nations-led movement ‘Idle No More’ emerged in Canada in December 2012 to protest against legislation that threatened both the rights of First Nations People on the land and environmental protections. The movement has since spread into the US and beyond and has become one of the central voices in the struggle for indigenous and ecological justice. See also: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/program-targets-human -trafficking-of-aboriginal-women-girls-1.2572202

Pray:

awareness will be raised and counter actions - implemented across Canada against human trafficking. Pray for the voice of justice to be heard above the noise made by the powerful energy industry lobbyists. (Pr.2:21-22)

Israel: Netanyahu tells Abbas to choose peace partner - Hamas or Israel

Delegates from Hamas and Abbas's Fatah party-led PLO held a fence-mending session on Tuesday in the Gaza Strip their. Their first since 2007. On Wednesday Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cautioned Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas saying he had to choose between peace with Israel or its Islamist enemy. Amplifying this warning Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Abbas's signature on a unity accord with Hamas would be tantamount to ‘signing the termination of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority’. President Netanyahu responding to a possible unity deal said, ‘Does he want peace with Hamas or peace with Israel? You can have one but not the other. I hope he chooses peace with Israel. So far he hasn't done so,’ and ‘We're trying to re-launch the negotiations with the Palestinians. Every time we get to that point he stacks on additional conditions which he knows that Israel cannot give.’ See also: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4512098,00.html

Pray:

an ending for this decades-old conflict, pray for the innocent communities caught in the middle of conflict. Pray for forgiveness and reconciliation. (Ps.147:2-6 & 13-14)

Brazil: Two months before the World Cup

Street violence closed two main thoroughfares in Rio de Janeiro and there was gunfire when an elite police unit moved in to subdue disorder after a young man was beaten to death by police mistaking him for a drug trafficker. One protester was shot dead. The unrest comes two months before Brazil hosts the World Cup and is the latest to break out in Rio’s slums. The city launched an ambitious ‘pacification’ programme in 2008 to drive drug gangs out of the city and increase the police’s presence in preparation for 2014 World Cup. So far 37 units cover an area populated by 1.5 million people but there are repeated complaints of heavy-handed police tactics resulting in civilian deaths. Some say the police violence is replacing what the drug gangs carried out before. Recently drug gangs have attacked police outposts to block the expansion of ‘pacification’ and to win back lucrative drug-selling territory.

Pray:

for World Cup preparations to bring positive permanent change to Rio de Janeiro. Pray against corruption and violence. (Ps.140:1-2)