Dear friends and family in Christ, For those of you in the Melbourne area, we’re very excited to personally invite you, your family, friends and neighbours to join our very…
ANSAmed, October 2 (thanks to Insubria) Salman Rushdie usually demonstrates that he doesn't really have any clue about why he is under an ongoing death fatwa, but in this he…
9/7/2012 – Charisma News – Steve Yount
As a missionary, Tom Doyle has made dozens of trips to the Middle East. But when he first heard the stories of God working in a supernatural way there, he had trouble believing them.
Then, in the words of one of his friends, “God showed me that my theology does not determine his actions,” Doyle and co-author Greg Webster write in the just-released Dreams and Visions: Is Jesus Awakening the Muslim World.
Doyle fell in love with the Middle East on his first biblical tour of the Holy Land. After 20 years as a pastor in Colorado, New Mexico and Texas, he felt called to full-time ministry in the Middle East in 2001 and accepted e3 Partners‘ offer to direct its ministry there. He has since become a vice president for e3, a church-planting ministry that works in more than 40 countries.
The book is a collection of never-before-told stories from the front lines of the campaign to bring the gospel to the world of Islam. In his 11 years working in the Middle East, Doyle has met former Muslims who were first introduced to Jesus through either a dream or a vision.
Dear friends and family in Christ, For your ongoing prayerful interest in changing the terrible abortion laws in Victoria and across Australia, we’re forwarding the following email from Salt Shakers…
Dear family & friends in Christ,
1) The weekend gone by was one of so much activity at Catch the Fire Ministries and Rise Up Australia for the Kingdom of God!
Starting on Friday night, with only 24 hours’ notice, a bunch of faithful prayer warriors gathered at the steps of the Victorian State Parliament to pray and light candles in remembrance of those who lost their loved ones 10 years ago in Bali.
It was raining as we were driving to the Victorian State Parliament in Melbourne city. We started praying and the rain stopped just 15 min before the meeting started! We thank God that we were able to pray for our city of Melbourne and nation of Australia, right on the steps of Parliament. Many passing by tooted their horns in support, while others put their windows down and gave us the thumbs up. Some even joined the service.
Many were greatly impacted as they read the signs we held and saw us waving Australian flags and praying for our nation. We also prayed for the culture of violence to stop in our cities, for protection over our nation and for God’s peace to prevail. One police officer on duty commented, “It is so nice to see a group genuinely caring for our nation and praying for us.”
2) The first AGM of Rise Up Australia Party was held in Melbourne on Saturday the 13 of Oct. The RUA Party National Executive was very encouraged with the number of people who
turned up for the meeting. The meeting went very well with RUAP members attending from across the country.
The National President Daniel Nalliah addressed the gathering and challenged the people to rise up to take a stand to protect Australia and ‘Keep it Australian’. He also re-enforced the vision, emphasising that the task ahead of us is very challenging, but by God’s grace Rise Up Australia Party will fight to ‘Keep Australia Australian!’
He spoke very passionately and boldly about the importance of protecting our Judeo-Christian Heritage, and ‘Keeping Australia Australian’ for generations to come, so that our sons & daughters can enjoy the freedoms we have. He also spoke out very strongly against Islamic Sharia Law and Multiculturalism. His speech was received with much applause and shouts of support by those present.
Following the National President’s speech, the four State Presidents for Vic, WA, Tas & QLD addressed the gathering. They too spoke with great passion and love for Australia, re-enforcing their commitment to ‘Keep Australia Australian!’
Randal Burtis (Oct 4, 2012)
“I think it’s historic. For the first time, we have had the elites of Albanian society—the business community, the political community—being addressed in such a genuine way with the Good News of salvation.” -Toni Gogu
(Tirana, Albania)—Just over two decades after the fall of Communism and state-imposed atheism in Albania, local churches and Luis Palau collaborated to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to more than 20,000 people at Tirana’s Mother Teresa Square.
TiranaFest with Luis Palau, a massive evangelistic campaign, took Albania’s capital city by storm September 22-23. The square resounded with live music; an extraordinary stunt show by skate, BMX, and motocross athletes; a program just for kids; and clear presentations of the Good News by Luis Palau and partner evangelists.
“This was totally different . . . something that has never happened in Tirana,” Pastor Paulin Vilajeti of Albania Christian Center said. “Because people were attracted by different events. I believe and I hope that God touched different generations—from children to the old people.”
10/4/2012 Jennifer LeClaire – Charisma Magazine
Another day, another prayer rally. That’s the sentiment of the naysayers who don’t believe intercession can turn the direction of a nation.
After all, they say, you’ve got IHOPs all over the world praying—some of them filling up the bowls 24/7. You’ve got TheCall. You’ve got TheCry. You’ve got the National Day of Prayer. You’ve got OneCry. You’ve got Cry Out America. You’ve got Broken Before the Throne. Indeed, there is a diversity of dedicated prayer warriors from coast to coast organizing solemn assemblies based on 2 Chronicles 7:14.
If all this prayer worked, the naysayers argue, why haven’t abortions ended? Why hasn’t revival come? Why hasn’t there been a long-prophesied Third Great Awakening? Why isn’t the prayer changing anything? I believe the prayers are making an impact, even though things often appear to be growing worse despite massive intercession.
Beware the Spirit of Unbelief
Still, some are skeptical. They don’t believe that God’s Word doesn’t return to Him void. They don’t believe it accomplishes what He sent it to do (see Is. 55:11). They don’t believe if two of us agree on earth as touching anything that we get what we ask for (see Matt. 18:19). Simply stated, they don’t believe.
That unbelief leads to questions, arguments and declarations. They ask, “Why even bother praying anymore?” They argue, “This nation is going to hell in a hand basket no matter what we do!” They declare, “It’s too late for America.”
By Katherine Weber , Christian Post Reporter – October 3, 2012
Multiple sources have confirmed that about 25 to 30 Christian college students were massacred at a university in northeastern Nigeria late Monday night, causing Christians to pray for a “change of heart” among the extremist Islamist group Boko Haram to put a stop to the continued violence.
While there is speculation as to the motive of the massacre, sources close to the human rights watchdog Open Doors USA confirm that the massacre was performed by Boko Haram.
Emily Fuentes, the communications and public relations coordinator for Open Doors who recently visited Nigeria and spoke to Christian leaders about Boko Haram, told The Christian Post that believers around the world can agree that prayer is the “only thing that will change the people of Boko Haram.”
“There are people who are turning to Christ who used to be in the Boko Haram, and God is changing their hearts,” Fuentes told CP.
“A lot of Christians believe that God will change these peoples’ hearts,” she added.
Posted by Daniel Greenfield Bio ? on Sep 27th, 2012
According to the Victorial Police Commissioner...
Sudanese and Somali-born Victorians are about five times more likely to commit crimes than the wider community, a trend that must be addressed to prevent Cronulla-style social unrest, police warn. The most common crimes committed by Somali and Sudanese-born Victorians are assault and robbery illustrating the trend towards increasingly violent robberies by disaffected African youths.
Are they mugging Australians because they are “disaffected” or because they make money that way?
‘Property is one of the issues, so they’re stealing iPhones or money or things of value,” Mr Cartwright said.
Media release For immediate release Candlelight vigil for the 88 Aussies and the others who were tragically killed in Bali We still enjoy our holidays, but 88 Aussies never came…
Millions of Christians united across denominational, cultural, and political differences on Sunday, October 7, as part of The Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem (DPPJ) to intercede for the city God calls His own and to invoke God’s blessing, purposes, and provision upon all of Jerusalem’s people. From over 175 nations, believers gathered to pray in their worship services, in their homes, on college campuses, in regional gatherings, and on a 24 Hour Prayer Conference Call.
Broadcast by GOD TV to over 200 nations, Christians were also able to join the special DPPJ Celebration at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem. It was co-hosted by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem ( ICEJ), who had gathered more than 5,000 believers from nearly 90 countries for that week. Its Executive Director – Dr. Jürgen Bühler – told the packed audience: “We have to pray for Israel like never before and stand with Israel like never before. We have to pray for all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, both Jew and Arab…and as we pray for Israel, we must pray for the Arab nations too.”
Special guests and speakers participating in the Jerusalem event included the Israeli Hip Hop artists “Lions of Zion”, as well as Deputy Speaker of the Knesset, MK Danny Danon; Chief Rabbi of Efrat, Dr. Shlomo Riskin; International Director of Interreligious Affairs of the AJC, Rabbi Dr. David Rosen; and other Jewish and Evangelical Christian leaders.
This multinational, multi-denominational DPPJ global prayer movement was started in 2002 by Evangelical Christian leaders with Dr. Jack W. Hayford and Rev. Dr. Robert Stearns serving as co-chairmen. Rev. Stearns, Founder/Director of Eagles’ Wings, explained: “We are gathering together in Jerusalem during the season of the High Holidays and declaring that Christians will continue to pray for G-d’s peace to come to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. We will remind G-d of His promises, and we will remind Israel’s detractors that Israel is not alone.” (more…)
Excerpted from Higher Ground (Christian Focus Publications Ltd., 1995) by R.T. Kendall
If the Lord had not been on our side when men attacked us … they would have swallowed us alive. … Praise be to the Lord, who has not let us be torn by their teeth. —Psalm 124:2-3, 6
Do you know what it is like to have somebody physically attack you? The trauma is one that, humanly speaking, you don’t overcome easily. Or perhaps you have been verbally attacked. You know the awful feeling when somebody points a finger of blame at you.
The Lord’s people in this psalm were the objects of anger. It is very frightening to be near someone who is angry. Perhaps you live in constant fear of a co-worker’s temper or the angry outbursts of a loved one. You know how it feels to live in a situation from which you wish you could be delivered.
The truth is, your real enemy is the devil. The devil’s work is to cloud your mind. He can come as an angel of light; that means that he will work through someone who has the appearance of being very righteous, a person of integrity, a person who is believable. Or he may come as a roaring lion.
Charisma News – 9/12/2012 Russ Rankin/Lifeway
While the majority of churchgoers desire to honor Christ with their lives and even profess to think on biblical truths, a recent study found few actually engage in personal reading and study of the Scriptures.
“Bible engagement” is one of the eight attributes of discipleship identified in the Transformational Discipleship study conducted by LifeWay Research. The study produced the Transformational Discipleship Assessment, which measures an individual’s spiritual growth in each of these areas of development.
The survey found 90 percent of churchgoers agree “I desire to please and honor Jesus in all I do,” and 59 percent agree with the statement: “Throughout the day I find myself thinking about biblical truths.” While the majority agree with both statements, there is a significant difference in the strength of agreement. Nearly two-thirds of churchgoers (64 percent) strongly agree with the first statement, but only 20 percent strongly agree with the second.
Dear Family and Friends in Christ, 1) This Sunday 7th October and also next Sunday 14th October Pr Daniel will be ministering at both the 9.30am & 6.30pm services at…
Dear family & friends in Christ,
Further to our previous post regarding Bob Carr’s statement on the religious vilification laws re the two Danny’s, please read and act on the following important email from Salt Shakers.
UN – Blasphemy laws and ‘defamation’ of Islam Posted online.
The UN is again considering ‘defamation of religion’ laws. Last year a ‘compromise motion’ on ‘religious tolerance’ – with similar aims – was approved by the UN (source).
We want Australia to oppose – and vote AGAINST – both ‘defamation of religion’ laws and also ‘religious tolerance’ laws.
See the ACTION section below – contact PM Julia Gillard and Foreign Minister Bob Carr.
In Victoria, we are acutely aware of the problems caused by the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act, introduced by the Bracks Labor government in 2001.
The most high-profile case, involving Pastor Daniel Scot and Catch the Fire Ministries, caused huge angst and took five years to ‘resolve’! Religious vilification laws create disharmony and unrest. They are often used to shut down debate and criticism.