What has God called you to?

One of my favorite things about the persecuted Church is the amazing people we get to meet along the way, out in the field. Nowhere else do you see such examples of faithfulness, extreme devotion, and sacrifice for the faith.  

Pastor Argelio (pseudonym) is one such man whom I met in Cuba.

Boyhood Church Closed

Argelio was just a boy when the communists started locking up and torturing pastors. As a result, his little boyhood church scattered; it simply ceased to exist.

He doubted the church would ever grow there again, but he had this recurring feeling that one day, he would worship there again. So years later, as an adult, he felt God’s call to start a church back in his hometown.

A Fleece

So he laid out a fleece. He said, “God, if I can find one believer who attended my old church 24 years ago, I will start up the church again.” 

While visiting his boyhood home, as he’s walking down the street, he over­heard a woman talking openly about God.

He stopped and asked her if she had attended the Pentecostal church in town two decades prior. She nodded and said that she was the only believer left in the area who had attended that church. 

He began to pray fervently for the birth of a church there and prayed non-stop for the next seven years. 

The New Church Birthed

While he waited, he started several other churches in various places. The government would close them and he would start them up again. Finally, though, he started the church in his hometown. 

As the church began to grow, pressure from the secret police intensified. They wouldn’t let him build a church and constantly threat­ened to imprison him. The communists eventually closed the church. The doors of the church were locked and sealed. Anybody who broke the seal would immediately go to prison.

His flock of 60 scattered and two weeks later, he only had eight people left. That included him and his wife!

Argelio simply moved the remaining congregation to a new location. Then, the secret police closed down his church for the second time. 

“You Have Sacrificed Enough”

In despair, he met with the president of his denomination, who told him, “Argelio, you have sacrificed enough. Don’t sacrifice any­more. I will give you another church.”

Although the leader’s words were meant to comfort him, they didn’t. 

He felt that God had clearly called him to this church. He could only trust that this crossroad was a part of the plan. He rejected the offer to go to another church, regardless of the cost. He decided to press on with the work God had given him.

From Small Beginnings…

Argelio’s relentlessness and determination eventually caused the government to realize that he wouldn’t give up. After many years of persecution, they finally left him alone, and his church was left to grow.

After 16 years, when I met him, Argelio’s church had 700 members. The one church he started grew into 22 others, with a total membership of 3,000 believers. All of this hap­pened over decades of constant harassment and pressure from the secret police.

Looking back on his life, Argelio told me, “When you are faithful in the midst of adversities of life, God will be faithful to you and will bless you more. We were middle-class citizens before we started the ministry, but we forsook all the comforts of life for the glory of God. We must obey the Lord, even in difficult circumstances.”

What Has God Called You To?

Think about Argelio’s words and think about the parallel in your own life. What has God called you to? 

Whatever your calling is, you need to realize that it must be opposed by the evil one. That’s what he does!

Look at David, Abraham, and so many others. There is the calling, and then there is the struggle. 

Tooth and Nail

You will suffer struggle, setbacks, and pain. It is inevitable. But if the Lord has given you a calling, it will come to fruition despite all the setbacks and struggles you currently face. 

So even if you don’t trust yourself, trust God’s character and remember Argelio’s words: “We must obey the Lord, even in difficult circumstances.”

If you would like to help us as we support and train underground pastors and ministry workers, consider giving today.

Be Blessed,

Jeff King

President of International Christian Concern

Author of Islam Uncensored and The Last Words of the Martyrs

Host of Into the Deep Podcast

Why the fleece? Here is where it comes from in the Bible!

Faith and Fleeces

Judges 6:38-40 

Gideon said to God, "If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised--look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said." 

And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew--a bowlful of water.

 Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew." 

That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.

The greatest adventure!

It's with great pleasure that I share this event with you! 

It's not too late to book your place for The Greatest Adventure on 14 November. Here's 10 good reasons why we think you should come!

Amazing speakers

1. You won't hear anything like it anywhere else this year! We are pulling out all the stops for our 60^thanniversary, with seven international speakers, from top World Watch List countries, including: North Korea, Iraq and Nigeria.

Inspirational worship

2. Joyful praise and earnest intercession will be the order of the day with worship led by Sam Bailey of New Wine Worship. This is a chance to thank God for strengthening our persecuted family over the last 60 years and to pray for His continued presence with them.

Family time

3. Meet some of your amazing brothers and sisters in Christ from around the world and learn from them how to live a truly radical life for God.
4. Get acquainted with the Open Doors family: staff, new supporters, fellow volunteers, the faces behind the names and the phone numbers. We want to meet you, too!

Strength for the journey

5. Do you need encouragement in your work for the Lord? Be inspired by what you can do as part of your church - and as an individual - and be encouraged by the way your support has helped our persecuted family.

Great deals

6. There's a group discount for groups of 5 or more. Bring a car or coach load from your church or small group and share the blessing of the day!
7. Charity rates are available on nearby hotels. Come for the weekend - and do your Christmas shopping, too! For more details, see the booking form or call Inspire on 01993 460015
8. Food and drink included - that means less to think about on the day, just get up and go!
9. Receive an exclusive early copy of our new discipleship resource for Lent 2016: Live Like a Refugee.

Don't miss The Greatest Adventure!

10. Due to the demand for places, we have changed our booking to a much larger venue at the International Convention Centre, Birmingham - but spaces are filling fast! Don't miss out - join with 2000+ others for The Greatest Adventure of 2016!

Your sister in Christ,

Lisa Pearce CEO Open Doors UK & Ireland

Who is going to stop murderous Boko Haram?

A distraught father has described his constant anguish ever since his eldest daughter went missing two weeks ago during a murderous rampage by Boko Haram militants. "I am very worried about her," the dad in his 50s who asked to be identified as a civil servant told NBC News by telephone. "Every day I think about her, I have not even slept. I pray to God that she is still alive."

After attacking a military base near the town of Baga on January 3, the brutal Islamist sect turned its attention to the civilian population in and around the Nigerian fishing town. It torched thousands of buildings, kidnapped women and children, and killed townsfolk indiscriminately.

The father told NBC News that he only had enough time to bundle his wife and most of his children into a car, and head for the relatively safe haven of Maiduguri 100 miles to the south. But with the area under attack and the safety of his family to consider, he said it was simply not an option to travel across town to the home of his 23-year-old daughter and her husband.

How long are those massacres going to last unpunished? How long is Boko Haram going to taunt us? I say 'us' because I know that you and I feel the pain of all those parents and family members as if we were there with them. 

A prayer.

Heavenly father, we ask you who are all powerful and omniscient to twart the plans of our enemies and give wisdom to our political leaders to help bring peace in Nigeria and the countries nearby. May your will be done. In Jesus-Christ, our saviour and redeemer. Amen.

Prayer vigil for the abducted Nigerian schoolgirls

There will be a Mass Prayer Vigil in support of the safe return of abducted Nigerian schoolgirls on Monday 19th May at 7pm- 9pm at Emmanuel Centre, 9-23 Marsham Street, Westminster, London SW1P 3DW

(nearest tube station Westminster - Jubilee line)

Organised by Nigerian Christian leaders in the UK, and

endorsed by The National Day of Prayer and Worship,

The Overseas Fellowship of Nigerian Christians, Christian

Concern and the International Strategic Alliance Committee

Father, we ask you that you look after our sisters and guide them, strengthen them and comfort them with your love. May your peace surround their families in this agonising wait. May you give wisdom to all the leaders involved so that they take efficient decisions. May our sisters be free speedily. We ask you in the powerful name of Jesus, our saviour and redeemer. Amen.

Women's world day of prayer..

Today the women's world day of prayer is prepared by Christian women of Egypt. In the Mid-trent team, we will celebrate it in Stowe-by-Chartley. Egypt is one of the oldest civilisations in the world and it was populated soon after the flood by Mizraim, grandson of Noah. His name gives the Arabic for Egypt, Misr.

The literacy rate in 2010 was 72% 80% for males but only 63% for females. Many rural adolescent girls are discouraged from completing school, facing lives of early marriage, illiteracy and domestic abuse.The church in Egypt is doing all it can to counteract this. 

International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that at least eight Egyptian Christians from the Minya province have been abducted since January 25, 2014. The abductions, thought to be carried out by members of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), are just a handful among the hundreds of similar cases in the last few years.
On January 25, a “Muslim mob” abducted a 17-year-old Christian boy named Marcos Zakaria, Ezzat Ibrahim, the director of the World Center for Human Rights in Minya and Assiut, told ICC. Zakaria lived in Upper Egypt in Dier Mawas city in Minya province and is a student in his final year of secondary school. The kidnappers“contacted his family demanding a ransom of million Egyptian pounds for his return,”said Ibrahim.

To find out more, click on the link above (International Christian Concern).

Please join us tonight in prayers so that the persecution of our Christian brothers, sisters and leaders stop.

Tory Minister Baroness Warsi warns persecution threatens the Christian way of life

Baroness Warsi, the Minister for Faith and Communities, said Christians were being driven out of countries such as Syria and Iraq where the religion first took root.The peer, Britain’s first female Muslim Cabinet minister, raised her concerns in a speech at Georgetown University in Washington DC.Earlier, she said countries such as Pakistan should do more to “set the tone” for tolerance of minorities.Lady Warsi told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I’m concerned that the birthplace of Christianity, the parts of the world where Christianity first spread, is now seeing large sections of the community leaving and those remaining feeling persecuted.“There are huge advantages to having pluralistic societies – everything from the economy to the way people develop educationally, and therefore we all have an interest in making sure that Christian communities do continue to feel that they belong and are not persecuted.”
She said she had already had “very frank conversations” with ministers in Pakistan, telling them that senior politicians have a “duty” to speak out against persecution.

Source :  http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/443369/Minister-Baroness-Warsi-warns-persecution-threatens-the-Christian-way-of-life

The Degradation of Christian Women under Islam

The Degradation of Christian Women under Islam
Muslim Persecution of Christians: June, 2013

by Raymond Ibrahim at the Gatestone Institute

A church in the Syrian village of al-Duwayr, after an attack by Islamist militiamen. (Image credit: Syria Report)

Meanwhile, in Egypt, U.S. ambassador Anne Patterson was urging Christian Copts not to protest Muslim Brotherhood rule, even though they would suffer under it most. According to Al Azhar, the world's oldest Islamic university, Islam is a religion of peace.

The degradation of Christian women living in the Islamic world continued in the month of June. In Syria, after the al-Qaeda linked rebel group conquered Qusair, a city of the governate of Homs, 15-year-old Mariam was kidnapped, repeatedly gang raped according to a fatwa legitimizing the rape of non-Sunni women by any Muslim waging jihad against Syria's government, and then executed.

According to Agenzia Fides, "The commander of the battalion 'Jabhat al-Nusra' in Qusair took Mariam, married and raped her. Then he repudiated her. The next day the young woman was forced to marry another Islamic militant. He also raped her and then repudiated her. The same trend was repeated for 15 days, and Mariam was raped by 15 different men. This psychologically destabilized her and made her insane. Mariam became mentally unstable and was eventually killed."

In Pakistan, Muslim men stormed the home of three Christian women, beat them, stripped them naked and tortured them, and then paraded them in the nude in a village in the Kasur district. Days earlier, it seems the goats of the Christian family had accidentally trespassed onto Muslim land; Muslims sought to make an example of the Christian family, who, as third-class citizens, must know their place at all times.

Iraq: During the middle of the night, armed men attacked St. Mary's Assyrian Catholic Church in Baghdad; they wounded two Christian guards, one seriously. Later the same day, bombs were set off at two Christian-owned businesses, both near the church; they killed one Christian shop owner, a parishioner at St. Mary's. Since the U.S. "liberation" of Iraq in 2003, 73 churches have been attacked or bombed, and more than half of the country's Christian population has either fled or been killed.
Continue reading, click here
Father, we thank you that we have the freedom of faith and worship in our countries. We ask you in the name of Jesus-Christ our Saviour and King to stop those conflicts, to give wisdom to the leaders of those countries, to strengthen all our Christian brothers and sisters who live in such countries where those atrocities prevail, to help them rebuild their lives and guide us to do our utmost in our lives to spread your message of love, forgiveness and peace. May your will be done in Jesus'name. Amen

Pick of the week!

Christians in Britain and the US who claim that they are persecuted should "grow up" and not exaggerate what amounts to feeling "mildly uncomfortable", according to Rowan Williams..."When you've had any contact with real persecuted minorities you learn to use the word very chastely," he said. "Persecution is not being made to feel mildly uncomfortable. 'For goodness sake, grow up,' I want to say." True persecution was "systematic brutality and often murderous hostility that means that every morning you wonder if you and your children are going to live through the day". He cited the experience of a woman he met in India "who had seen her husband butchered by a mob".

.Sharing a platform at the Edinburgh international book festival with Julia Neuberger, senior rabbi at the West London Synagogue, Williams launched a withering critique of popular ideas about spirituality. "The last thing it is about is the placid hum of a well-conducted meditation," he said.

To read more, click here please as Rowan and Julia discussed other issues in this interview reported in the Guardian.

Save Syria, the persecuted church

I have been looking forward to this week-end with impatience. Last Tuesday we left the hotel where we stayed after our roof burnt to move in our temporary accommodation back in Hixon and this was wonderful. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining about the hotel but living in a house again is a bonus.
Yesterday, as I was unpacking boxes I found the Open Doors world watch list 2013. I stopped what I was doing to read it and I found out more about North Korea, the most difficult place on earth to be a Christian. It is opposed to religious of any kind. The following information can be found on Open Doors website. Click on the word Open doors to find out more.
North Korea

Leader: Kim Jong-Un
Population: 20 million (400,000 Christians)
Main Religion: Atheism/traditional beliefs
Government: Communist dictatorship
World Watch List Rank: 1
Source of Persecution : Communist oppression/Dictatorial paranoia

For the eleventh year running, this is the most difficult place on earth to be a Christian. One of the few remaining Communist states, it is vehemently opposed to religion of any kind. Christians are classified as hostile and face arrest, detention, torture, even public execution. There is a system of labour camps including the renowned prison No. 15, which reportedly houses 6,000 Christians alone. But despite severe oppression, there is a growing underground church movement of an estimated 400,000 Christians.

Please Pray:

• For real political and economic change under the leadership of Kim Jong-Un
• Spies have reportedly been sent to China to expose networks. Ask God to protect refugees and those helping them
• Give thanks that Open Doors is able to deliver emergency aid into the country.

Persecution dynamics

North Korea promotes two ideologies vehemently opposed to religion of any kind: the self-reliance of man or 'Juche' and the God like worship of the leaders or 'Kimilsungism'. Fuelled by a rampant ideology, North Korea believes Christianity to be linked to the West and sees it as a threat which could inflict harm on North Korea's  social disciplines. This threat must therefore be eradicated.Exact information is difficult to obtain due to the country's inaccessibility and the inability to gain timely information. Apart from some church buildings in Pjongjang, which serve to showcase religious freedom in the country, there is an underground church movement of an estimate 400,000 believers.Christians are classified as hostile and face arrest, detention, torture or even public execution. There is a vigorous elimination programme in existence to convert, imprison, banish or execute individuals who have converted to Christianity: Koreans who have converted after defecting to China and are later repatriated are in particular danger. Spies have reportedly been sent to China to expose networks; Christians helping defectors there have been killed. Christians are likely to remain targets of this regime.

Have a blessed week-end. N

Not ashamed of the cross

Last week, I received three postcards to support Shirley. I will send them to David Cameron, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. I think that we should have total freedom to wear a cross if we wish to therefore I support Not ashamed of the cross, an initiative led by Christian Concern..for the benefit of church and nation.
If you want to find out more, click here. http://notashamed.org.uk/.
I quote:
The high visibility of the campaign should also give rise to many opportunities to explain to others why Jesus is such good news for individuals and for our society. We hope that wearing the distinctive Not Ashamed logo, backed by the national profile will help in this. We’d love to hear encouraging stories – contact us here
Also on the same website, you can read, listen and watch Christians who are hugely involved in serving their communities, fuelled by their faith in Jesus Christ. Listen to Jonathan Bellamy who founded Cross Rhythms, a local radio.

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May the Lord bless you. Yours in Christ. N.

Fighting back against rising secularism

Last week, the Prime Minister held a private ‘Easter Reception’ at Downing Street, where he told a gathering of senior church leaders that the nation needed Christian values and also that he supported a "fight back" against rising secularism.

Mr Cameron told attendees: "I think there's something of a fight-back going on, and we should welcome that. The values of the Bible, the values of Christianity are the values that we need."

To read more on click here

Our Queen, defender of the Christian faith

Your Grace, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Prince Philip and I are delighted to be with you today to pay tribute to the particular mission of Christianity and the general value of faith in this country.This gathering is a reminder of how much we owe the nine major religious traditions represented here. They are sources of a rich cultural heritage and have given rise to beautiful sacred objects and holy texts, as we have seen today.Yet these traditions are also contemporary families of faith. Our religions provide critical guidance for the way we live our lives, and for the way in which we treat each other. Many of the values and ideas we take for granted in this and other countries originate in the ancient wisdom of our traditions. Even the concept of a Jubilee is rooted in the Bible.
Here at Lambeth Palace we should remind ourselves of the significant position of the Church of England in our nation’s life. The concept of our established Church is occasionally misunderstood and, I believe, commonly under-appreciated. Its role is not to defend Anglicanism to the exclusion of other religions. Instead, the Church has a duty to protect the free practice of all faiths in this country. It certainly provides an identity and spiritual dimension for its own many adherents. But also, gently and assuredly, the Church of England has created an environment for other faith communities and indeed people of no faith to live freely. Woven into the fabric of this country, the Church has helped to build a better society – more and more in active co-operation for the common good with those of other faiths.

This occasion is thus an opportunity to reflect on the importance of faith in creating and sustaining communities all over the United Kingdom. Faith plays a key role in the identity of many millions of people, providing not only a system of belief but also a sense of belonging. It can act as a spur for social action. Indeed, religious groups have a proud track record of helping those in the greatest need, including the sick, the elderly, the lonely and the disadvantaged. They remind us of the responsibilities we have beyond ourselves...

Source: http://www.royal.gov.uk

The Queen’s comments will be welcomed by many Christians after a week where secularists have challenged the place of Christianity in the nation. The High Court passed a ruling on 10 February that it was “unlawful” for local town councils to begin their formal meetings with prayer, breaking from hundreds of years of tradition. On the same day, two Christian guesthouse owners, Peter and Hazelmary Bull, lost their appeal against last year’s ruling that they had discriminated unlawfully against a non-married same-sex couple by only allowing married couples to rent double rooms in their guesthouse. Yesterday, Baroness Warsi, chairman of the Conservative Party, said that British society was under threat from a rising tide of "militant secularisation" reminiscent of "totalitarian regimes."
 Source: http://www.christianconcern.com

Pastor Zhang Rongliang released after nearly 7 years behind bars

CHINA – Pastor released early.

After nearly seven years behind bars Chinese house church leader Pastor Zhang Rongliang has been freed from jail early – after almost seven years' detention.
Release has learnt that he was released from prison in Kaifeng on August 31 – nine months before his seven-and-a-half-year sentence was officially due to end. 

Pastor Zhang leads the Fangcheng Mother Church in central China's Henan province and also heads up one of China's largest church networks, the China for Christ Church. 

He was detained in December 2004 and convicted of 'obtaining a passport through cheating' and 'illegal border crossing' in July 2006. He had frequently attended mission conferences abroad. 

Concerns over his poor health had prompted repeated international calls for his release. Pastor Zhang is said to have suffered several chronic diseases during his imprisonment, including diabetes – and had a stroke in 2007.
A house church leader of some 30 years' standing, Pastor Zhang had already served a total of 12 years in prison during five previous periods of detention. He spent seven years in the Xi Hua labour camp for the crime of 'counter-revolution under the guise of religion'.
Speaking of his most recent detention, Pastor Zhang has said that he was able to share the Gospel with many of his fellow inmates – including former high-ranking officials. He has returned to his home near Zhengzhou, provincial capital of Henan.
Meanwhile, China Aid President Bob Fu is currently in the UK for Release International, to talk about the situation for Christians in China following the recent clampdown on human rights lawyers. Bob will be the speaker at a Release meeting on Saturday in Birmingham – and at a prayer breakfast next Tuesday during the Labour Party conference in Liverpool. 

(For more details, visit www.releaseinternational.org (http://www.releaseinternational.org/) or ring 01689 823491.) 

Bob is a leading advocate on behalf of the persecuted church in China. Once a house church pastor, he was driven out of China due to persecution.

Love your enemies

Several public high school football coaches in Westmoreland, Tenn. are in trouble for bowing their heads during a student-led prayer before a recent game. 

According to local NBC affiliate WSMV, the coaches didn’t say anything aloud themselves, but bowed their heads in observance alongside the students.

Word got back to the principal and the school district, which found the coaches’ participation to be an uncomfortable mix of religion and public school.

“We’ve been telling our principals to kind of be looking for those things, because that is kind of a shift in how things have been done,” district spokesman Jeremy Johnson told WSMV. “It can in no way appear like it’s endorsed by Sumner County Schools personnel.” When asked whether bowing one’s head was considered “endorsing,“ Johnson said it ”depends what it looks like.”

“That‘s where you kind of get into the gray area that we’re having to deal with,” he said.

The coaches weren’t disciplined, but were made to sign letters indicating they understood the school’s policy, which prohibits staff from appearing to participate in a student prayer in any way, even if it takes place after hours.

Further violations of the policy could lead to disciplinary action for the coaches.

According to WSMV, the incident comes months after the American Civil Liberties Union sued the district for violating the separation of church and state, saying teachers led students in Bible studies, invited a pastor to come speak to students during lunch and at least one instructor displayed a 10-inch cross in their classroom.

“That’s a violation of their rights. We should be able to bow our heads in reverence to God, wherever we are,” Bentle said. “It’s time we draw a line in the sand and say, you know, this is ridiculous.”

I must admit that I was shocked to read this article. I call it a blatant case of persecution and if you read the comments, it looks as if the parents think this anti-Christian attitude is going too far! To watch the interview, go on www.theblaze.com . This is what come to my mind: 

But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and theunrighteous. Matthew 5:44-46 Your sister in Christ. N.

A pastor sentenced to death ...

In early July, it was reported that the case of Youcef Nadarkhani, an Iranian pastor sentenced to death for leaving Islam, (click here for more information) was being returned to a lower Iranian court. 

Youcef is 34 years old and is from Rasht, in the Gilan province of Iran. For the past ten years he has been a pastor in a network of house churches. He was previously imprisoned in December of 2006, the charges being apostasy (leaving Islam for Christianity)  and evangelism (spreading the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ), but was released two weeks later.He is married and has two sons, Daniel age 9 and Yoel age 7. They were attending a local school when the government decided

 that all children should be taught about Islam, including those from Christian families. Youcef went to the school and protested this based on the Iranian constitution, which allows for freedom to practice religion. As a result, the secret police called him before the political tribunal in Rasht, Iran on October 12, 2009. At that time he was arrested, charged for protesting, and has been in prison in Lakan (which is seven miles south of Rasht) ever since. Later the charges changed to apostasy and evangelism to Muslims. Read more, click here.

 In recent days it was learned that his lawyer has finally received the written confirmation of the ruling from the Supreme Court. According to one source, the Supreme Court has agreed with the death sentence verdict. However, the court also found procedural flaws and is asking the lower court to re-examine the case. The judges are reportedly seeking clarification as to whether Pastor Youcef was truly a Muslim prior to becoming a Christian.

 If Pastor Youcef is determined to have been a "true" Muslim and does not recant his Christian faith the death sentence will stand. It is also feared that Pastor Youcef could be executed before the court re-examines the case.Please pray for enduring faith for Pastor Youcef as he continues to face severe pressure to deny his Saviour.

 Pray that officials will repent of their unjust actions and allow Youcef to be exonerated and released.

 Pray that all Iranian Christians imprisoned for their faith will be sustained by the love and presence of their Heavenly Father. 

To all my blogging friends, please pass this message on. Blessings. N.

Coptic Christians struggle in Egypt

Thousands of Coptic Christians have taken to the streets to demand more protection after Islamist extremists torched and destroyed a village church near Cairo .  A mob of up to 4,000 Islamists exploded gas cylinders inside the Church of St George and St Mina in Soul village on Friday the 4th of March then demolished it over the course of Saturday...

To pacify the Copts, Field Marshall Tantawi, head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, issued a statement that the torched church would be rebuilt by Easter, at the expense of the army.

Copts are still uncertain about the future in an emerging post-Mubarak Egypt. Since the popular uprising earlier this year, several monasteries have had confrontations with the army: at least three monasteries have tried to erect security fences around their property, which have then been torn down by the military. In Wadi Al-Natroun, soldiers used live ammunition to repel monks who tried to protest.

The country's new Prime Minister, Essam Sharaf, has reportedly begun a dialogue with Coptic leaders and further meetings are planned. 

Join me in asking God to protect Pastor Hoshea and other members of the Church of St George and St Mina. Let us pray that their faith will be strengthened through this ordeal and that they will indeed have a new building soon.

Also, let us pray for Egypt's new Prime Minister, Essam Sharaf, as he grapples with the task of helping to shape a new Egypt where religious liberty for all is a priority. In Jesus-Christ we ask. Amen. 

The school diary: a European blunder or a deliberate decision?

The Europa Diary of the European Commission   Each year, the European Commission publishes a European school diary for schoolchildren throughout the European Union. Three millions copies of the 2010-2011 version of this diary, distributed to schools for free at the request of teachers, have been edited.The current version of this diary does not mention any Christian feasts, but do give the dates of Islamic, Sikh, Hindu and Chinese feast days.It does not refer, for example, to Christmas, recently celebrated through all Europe.

Why is this omission unacceptable ?   - The role of Christianity in the European construction is an undeniable and historical fact. How can this diary pretend to inform teenagers about the EU, removing all references to Christianity, negating a religion that contributed so much to its construction and unity ?

- Christianity is the first religion in Europe. This oversight offends many people. The denial of something so important for them, the oversight of the values and beliefs they share, is intolerable.

- Christianity is not only a religious factor, but also a cultural and founder factor of the history and identity of many European Nation’s. Christian holidays, in particular Christmas and Easter, absent in this diary, are celebrated through all Europe by many persons, even non Christians.

Whatever the reasons of this oversight of the Christian holidays in the 2010-2011 Europa diary may be, with this petition, we ask :

- That the school diary, in its current version, may not be distributed.

- That the future 2011-2012 diary explicitly mentions Christian holidays.

I have signed the petition, if you want to join me, click on this link. 

The Equality Bill

You know me, I don't do politics, however I happened to stumble on an e-petition related to our fundamental right of freedom of expression. Shouldn't we, as Christians, have the right to tell others about the Good News without being 'persecuted'. So I could not resist to let you know. 

The government has given the illusion that it has backed down on an amendment to the Equality Bill that would force people to act against their God-given consciences.

This innocuous sounding bit of legislation is just one more attempt by the government to take away more and more fundamental freedoms of conscience and liberty of speech, that have taken centuries to achieve and cost the lives of our ancestors, and force us to “conform to the pattern of this world,” The latest version of the Equality Bill is in effect, worse than that produced in 2003.

The Amendments to Equality Bill are to be voted on in the House of Lords very soon.

The legislation aims to strike out major exemptions for the purposes of organised religion, relating to occupational requirements, with regard to sex, marriage and sexual orientation. Specifically the legislation will restrict the rights of religious bodies to employ personnel who conform to their teachings only if their duties are confined to worship activities or the explanation of doctrine. The government is making out that it is prepared to make a few concessions, but these are mere crumbs.

 In my opinion, the legislation is designed to reduce religion to a mere cultural eccentricity, where there is no expectation that belief will be considered to be either objectively true or be translated into behaviour – certainly if such beliefs conflict with the government’s secularist ideology, morality and values – which are already imposed on us as absolute and objective truths. In my view, this is just another example of the government’s interfering (facilitated with threats, fines, loss of job and even worse) not just into our churches, but into the most intimate area of our lives: our consciences; our thinking; our emotions, into our families and the apples of eyes – our children.

The Petition can be found here: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/harryhammond/

David Skinner

To find out any more, click on this link

http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/2010/01/26/equality-bill-government-illusion/

Have a blessed evening. In Jesus' name.