Bishop: Church must lead by example
The Church must be an example of reconciliation to the rest of society, says the Bishop of Edmundsbury and Ipswich. The Right Reverend Nigel Stock said he had been impressed by the new Archbishop of Canterbury's own priority on reconciliation within the Church and the nation. Bishop Stock said: "The Church can influence society and make a real difference, but we do need to be a model of living together and reconciliation ourselves not least over the issue of women becoming bishops and over the differing views on issues of human sexuality." Part of leading by example, he said, meant taking care of the least well off in society. He praised the church-run Ipswich Winter Night Shelter which has provided shelter and hospitality for 12 homeless people through the winter. Bishop Stock said: "This project continues to rely on the hard work and dedication of many people whose willingness to help is an inspiration for the whole of Ipswich.
Pray: for reconciliation in the Church so that it will be able to lead the nation by example. (2Co.5:18)
More: http://www.christiantoday.co.uk/article/bishop.church.must.lead.by.example/32006.htm
Archbishop Justin Welby warns against trusting fallible leaders
Justin Welby has used his first Easter sermon as archbishop of Canterbury to warn of the dangers of investing too much faith in frail and fallible human leaders, be they politicians or priests. Blind belief in the power of the individual to bring about true change in any sphere, he said, was simplistic and wrong, and led inevitably to disillusionment and disappointment. In a lengthy broadside against what he termed the "hero leader culture" – with its automatic expectations of quick, easy and gratifying solutions to even the most intractable problems – Welby said that only by acknowledging God and trusting in his power could human beings escape "cynical despair" and fear. "Human fallibility recognised, God's sovereignty trusted; these are also the only stable foundations for human beings in society," he said. "Setting people or institutions up to heights where they cannot but fail is mere cruelty."
Pray: for us all, including our leaders, to heed God's call and place our trust in His ways. (Ps.119:60)
More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/mar/31/archbishop-justin-welby-warns-against-trusting-leaders
Teachers attack ‘rebranded’ sexism
Teachers are warning that young people are being damaged by an over-sexualised culture. The National Union of Teachers annual conference heard claims that sexism is being “rebranded” as something fashionable and mainstream. Delegates criticised the “raunch culture” of lap-dancing clubs and pole dancing saying it can have a “disastrous effect on the self-image of girls”. They said that old-fashioned sexism has not gone away, but has been re-invented into something that appears to be “ironic or empowering”.There are concerns that pupils are growing up in a culture where pornographic images are widely available, cosmetic surgery is advertised and there is a “fixation” with staying slim. Teachers fear this can undermine young women’s self-confidence and contribute to problems such as eating disorders and anxiety about their appearance. This can disrupt both girls’ school work and their social life, say teachers.
Pray: for the creeping tide of the sexualisation of young people to be turned back. (Th4:3-5)
More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-21990043
Teachers say bad behaviour in schools rising
A survey of teachers suggests a rise in the number of pupils with emotional, behavioural and mental health issues. Over half (56%) of the 844 teachers surveyed said behaviour in the classroom had deteriorated in the last five years. 62% said problematic behaviour was worse now than two years ago. The survey was carried out by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers. A majority of those surveyed said they had been forced to deal with at least one challenging or disruptive pupil in the last year. Over three-quarters (77%) reported verbal aggression, followed by physical aggression (57%). Two in five (41%) said they had experienced bullying, while just under a quarter (23%) reported students breaking or ruining the belongings of others. Teachers reported being spat at, kicked, punched and scratched by pupils. Nearly 80% of teachers felt the rise in bad classroom behaviour was down to a lack of boundaries being set by parents in the home.
Pray: that the lack of discipline within schools will be overcome and the authority of the staff and parents will lead to an improvement in behaviour.(Job.38.33)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/articleteachers.say.bad.behaviour.in.schools.rising/31938.htm
Girls of 13 pressured to pose for home-made blue movies
Girls as young as 13 are facing pressure to appear in home-made porn movies, teachers warned yesterday. Young teenagers are also submitting to demands from boys for explicit photos which are often shared among friends and even placed on the internet for millions to view. A conference was told yesterday how easy access to depraved online content is destroying children’s innocence and changing how they perceive themselves and others. Delegates warned that lads’ mags, the surge in explicit ‘mummy porn’ novels, exposure to inappropriate movies and the depiction of women in computer games are also contributing to a dramatic moral decline among the young. The Association of Teachers and Lecturers’ annual conference in Liverpool warned that pornography and other depraved imagery was becoming part of everyday life. Delegates called for sex education classes to be used to explain to pupils that the behaviour they see online is not normal and the ‘perfect’ bodies they see are usually unattainable.
Pray: against those who are presurising the young to get involved in pornography. (Ps.140:4)
Pirs are persons who have spiritual power from below and who have control over geographical areas and people that they control spiritually, e.g. over the Taliban and suicide bombers. If the gospel of Jesus Christ is going to be freed to shine in Pakistan, then these demonic principalities and the power of these pirs have to be cast down. If we are afraid of terrorism, then the demonic powers held by pirs have to be overcome. Praying against these pirs is a high calling. It is high spiritual warfare. The battle is won or lost right here.
The Chief of the Muslim League (Functional) and also a religious leader is Pir Sahib Pagara. Pray Pir Pigara will not be put in place as the interim Prime Minister who will hold all power during this month. The Pakistan Muslim league under Nawaz Sharif has had meetings with the Pakistan Muslim league faction following Pir Pagara to form an alliance. Pray that these fractions stay hopelessly divided.
Previously Pakistan has always had conventional governments. Much of the present government is made up of pirs. From the highest official in the land down through his cabinet and other ruling members, the government is made up either of pirs themselves or of people who are dependent on pirs for advice. Pir Pigara coming into power would be an "open door" for spiritism and Shamanism. So it is very important to pray and intercede for these elections.
PIR / Shrine sites and festivals
Syed Jalal-ud-Din Bukhari - Uch Sharif - March 29-31
Uch Sharif is the central place of pirs from which evil spreads out across the nation. This festival will have people from across the nation and will last longer than three days. Pray there will be confusion and evil will not be transmitted. Demonic evil has to be stopped in this central place first.
Sharp rise in number of homeless families
Government figures released last week show a sharp increase in the number of homeless families over the past year. In 2012, 34,080 households with children were accepted as homele ss, an increase of 12 per cent on the previous year. At the end of 2012, 76,790 children were living in temporary accommodation, an annual increase of 11 per cent. Currently every fifteen minutes another family find themselves homeless. The figures also show an increase in the number of families living in bed and breakfast accommodation, up 29 per cent since the same time last year. Official guidance to local authorities says bed and breakfast temporary accommodation should be avoided ‘wherever possible’. Lack of privacy, inadequate provision for cooking and washing means it is ‘not suitable’ for families with children or for pregnant women ‘unless there is no alternative accommodation available and then only for a maximum of six weeks.’
Pray: for all those who are facing the difficulties of homelessness that suitable accommodation will be found and they will come to realise that God will be their provider. (Ps.104:1-3)
Diane Abbott calls for purge of 'sexualised' imagery
Shadow Health Minister Diane Abbott has called for a purge of sexualised imagery from public spaces in the UK. ‘I think it has reached a point where we need to detox our High Streets, and make Britain a family friendly country again,’ she told the Mumsnet website. She also blamed a ‘disturbing’ trend for online bullying of young women on a ‘crisis in masculinity’. Ms Abbott plans to make a speech on the issue. ‘I think we need to clear our public spaces of the worst elements of unrestrained markets - including addressing music videos that blare out at us and our children. The online bullying including problems around 'sexting' and 'slut-shaming'; the huge billboards that have very sexualised images of women that loom over our public spaces and the sexualised figures of women in films that are now commonplace. For me the key is putting parents back in control and also putting open-minded family values back in our public spaces’ Ms Abbot says.
Pray: for significant progress to be made on this issue with a cross-party response in Parliament. (Gal.5:19)
More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21878027
50,000 postcards invite cinemagoers to explore Christian faith
The Christian Enquiry Agency is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a new poster and postcard campaign. The organisation provides free and confidential information about the Christian faith. Its campaign is inviting people to take a look at the website Christianity.org.uk and offers them a free colour magazine-style Gospel of Luke. The postcards ask the question 'At what moment in your life did you feel most fully alive?' On the reverse is the challenge: 'It's time you found out what Jesus said about life in his own words.' People can add their details and send the postcard to a freepost address or use the QR code to ask for a Gospel. It is hoped the 50,000 postcards placed in cinema foyers around the country will make their way into the hands of people unlikely to set foot in a church.
Pray: that this initiative will lead to many people discovering Jesus and new life. (Ac.20:24)
Hungary: Massive exodus of street children into Western Europe
Key non-governmental groups and officials have urged the Euopean Union to urgently tackle the ‘growing problem’ of street children moving from Eastern to Western Europe by improving cross-border co-operation and child protection. They made the appeal at the 'European Forum On Street Children 2009' in Budapest, amid concerns that the EU's open borders mean that ‘unaccompanied’ minors from poorer member states are increasingly roaming the streets of richer Western European cities. There are believed to be a quarter of a million street children in Europe, although officials cautioned that the figure may be higher because as many as 1.5 million young gypsies, also known as Roma, are ‘unregistered’. In a final declaration, delegates attending the Forum, urged the EU to realize the European Parliament's goal of ending ‘the phenomenon of street children’ by 2015.
Pray: that the governments and authorities will be able to tackle this problem speedily. (Job.14:21)