Please pray for a dear brother in Christ, Sherif Ramses. He is one of four foreign nationals who have been arrested on February 10 in Benghazi, Libya, on suspicion of Christian activities.
Sherif is being subjected to severe torture including hanging from a ceiling and beatings. They are attempting to force him to confess to things he has not done.
Sherif Ramses is an Egyptian Christian who lived and operated a bookstore in Libya for many years. When Ramses was arrested, he allegedly had 30,000 Bibles in storage. He has been accused of printing Christian literature and proselytizing.
Please take urgent action on his behalf. What you can do:
1. Ask your church to pray for brother Sherif and three others arrested with him
2. Write an email or letter to your congressman: *find info at: http://www.dohi.org/us/human_rights_violation_action.php
3. Contact any media news paper, TV, News Radio, Talk shows
4. Publicize his situation via social media: FaceBook, Twitter…ask your friends to spread this info to all their friends and acquaintances
Brother Sherif is in a very grave situation. Please take action!
He needs our daily prayers. Pray that God sustains his faith and for his quick release.
The other three foreign nationals arrested with him are a South African, Korean, Swedish-American. On Feb. 13 and Feb. 16, three additional Christians were arrested, bringing a total of seven arrested.
Sherif Ramses is the only one of the arrested that has been named. Names and location of the other 6 detainees have not yet been identified. Please keep them also in prayer. God knows their names.
Thank you for your faithful prayers. God alone can sustain someone suffering such evil.
Together in His Ministry,
Paul H. Popov
"I would really like to see people around the world rally to the fact that there are fellowships in the country of Libya and they need our prayers. At the center of the 90 days prayer and fasting is seeking God for a movement breakthrough in the nation."
Diane Abbott calls for purge of 'sexualised' imagery from High Streets
Shadow health minister Dianne 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 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."
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
After just over one year in power, North North Korea’s novice leader, 30-year old Kim Jong Un, has dashed hopes that he will change course from the brinkmanship-style policies pursued by his late father, Kim Jong Il. For the first time in decades, U.S. intelligence and defense analysts believe the threat of an outbreak of significant hostilities on the Korean peninsula is a distinct possibility. How would a potential conflict play out? While there is little doubt that North Korea would lose, the consequences for the region would be dire, with casualties potentially in the hundreds of thousands, if not more.
Christian graphic designer refused job because of his faith
A graphic designer has claimed that he was denied a job with a county hotel near Colchester simply because of his Christian faith. Jamie Haxby (24) was invited for an interview with Prested Hall Hotel after applying for a job to design the venue's advertising and promotional material. But after discovering that he was a Christian, manager Celie Parker said that he could not be considered for the role because his beliefs would upset atheist employees. Mr Haxby says that the interview was going well until Ms Parker saw his portfolio which contained samples of work that he had done for his local church and a Christian charity. Just over halfway through looking over my portfolio, Celie stopped me and said she did not think we needed to go any further. She then explained that she thought my work was brilliant, but that she and others on her team were atheists.
Pray: for believers as they face challenges to their faith especially when it has nothing to do with what they are involved in. (1Cor.16:13)
Changes in the church?
Roman Catholics have a new leader, and the wider world has a new ministry to watch. The direction the new Pope takes his flock is important for committed Catholics. The pope wields vast influence as the world’s most powerful moral leader and the public face of Christianity. The Orthodox Union lauded Pope Francis for his solidarity with the Argentine Jewish community and expressed hope that the Pope ‘will be an active force in the battle against those who would use religion as a justification for violence and intolerance.’ New Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby was formally installed two days after Francis’ official installation on March 19th and said he will keep his Catholic counterpart in prayer.
Pray: for these two men as they take up the most visible Christian leadership roles. (Nu.6:23-25)
More: http://www.religionnews.com/2013/03/14/non-catholics-greet-pope-francis-with-guarded-optimism
Church hounded from hotel over its traditional beliefs
A church in Aberdeen was blocked from holding a Sunday service in a hotel function room because of the church’s beliefs about sex and marriage. The Gilcomston Church has recently broken away from the Church of Scotland in opposition to the ordination of gay clergy. They had booked a function room at the Copthorne Hotel in Aberdeen to hold their first Sunday service as an independent church on 10 March. Hotel management broke off the agreement after it received complaints because of the church’s beliefs. Rev Smart said: ‘So much for the tolerant society. We were just going to have a church service.’ The Gilcomston Church has now come to an amicableagreement to lease its old church building, until they can find a permanent venue so it no longer needs to hire a hotel function room.
Pray: that secular political correctness will not stop Christians from worshipping in differing ways. (Jn.17:23)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/church-hounded-from-hotel-over-its-traditional-beliefs/
Church of Cyprus has offered to help.
‘The entire wealth of the Church is at the disposal of the country so that we c
an stand on our own two feet and not relying on foreigners,’ Archbishop Chrysostomos said after meeting Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades early on Wednesday. The Church of Cyprus is a major shareholder in Cyprus's third-largest domestic lender, Hellenic Bank. Unless Europe, the International Monitory Fund or Russia give Cyprus more money or the banks will go bust. Cyprus has become the tax evasion centre for Russian oligarchs. It is doubtful Angela Merkel would agree to a bailout blueprint that causes German taxpayers to subsidise Moscow billionaires with a German election looming this autumn. Anastasiades - a month in the job - gathered party leaders and the governor of the central bank at his office on Wednesday and was due to hold talks with officials from the EU, European Central Bank and IMF while Finance Minister Michael Sarris was in Moscow negotiating a Russia bail out to safeguard high levels of Russian deposits in Cypriot banks.
Pray: for God in His mercy to sort out the looming turmoil that would affect ex-pat European citizens. (Ps.20:1)
More: http://news.yahoo.com/cyprus-throws-bailout-disarray-seeks-russian-help-074339638--sector.html
Church of Cyprus has offered to help.
‘The entire wealth of the Church is at the disposal of the country so that we c
an stand on our own two feet and not relying on foreigners,’ Archbishop Chrysostomos said after meeting Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades early on Wednesday. The Church of Cyprus is a major shareholder in Cyprus's third-largest domestic lender, Hellenic Bank. Unless Europe, the International Monitory Fund or Russia give Cyprus more money or the banks will go bust. Cyprus has become the tax evasion centre for Russian oligarchs. It is doubtful Angela Merkel would agree to a bailout blueprint that causes German taxpayers to subsidise Moscow billionaires with a German election looming this autumn. Anastasiades - a month in the job - gathered party leaders and the governor of the central bank at his office on Wednesday and was due to hold talks with officials from the EU, European Central Bank and IMF while Finance Minister Michael Sarris was in Moscow negotiating a Russia bail out to safeguard high levels of Russian deposits in Cypriot banks.
Pray: for God in His mercy to sort out the looming turmoil that would affect ex-pat European citizens. (Ps.20:1)
More: http://news.yahoo.com/cyprus-throws-bailout-disarray-seeks-russian-help-074339638--sector.html
EU’s Ashton expects breakthrough In Kosovo dispute
The European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton says Serbia and Kosovo are close to a deal to end the ethnic partition of the former Serbian province. She spoke after the leaders of both nations expressed optimism about an agreement as early as this week. In a significant U-turn, Serbia offered to recognize the authority of Kosovo's government over the north, in exchange for autonomy for Serbs living there. The two sides were at odds however over the powers any Serb institutions in the north would have. But Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic now says they are in his words ‘never closer’ to settling their differences. Kosovo's Prime Minister Hashim Thaci told reporters earlier they were at what he called ‘the beginning of the end’ in reaching an accord to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia. The two men spoke after separate talks with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton in Belgrade and Pristina.
Pray: for the success of these discussions and pray for a breakthrough that will bring reconciliation. (Eph.4:13)
More: http://www.bosnewslife.com/27189-news-watch-eus-ashton-expects-breakthrough-in-kosovo-dispute
EU’s Ashton expects breakthrough In Kosovo dispute
The European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton says Serbia and Kosovo are close to a deal to end the ethnic partition of the former Serbian province. She spoke after the leaders of both nations expressed optimism about an agreement as early as this week. In a significant U-turn, Serbia offered to recognize the authority of Kosovo's government over the north, in exchange for autonomy for Serbs living there. The two sides were at odds however over the powers any Serb institutions in the north would have. But Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic now says they are in his words ‘never closer’ to settling their differences. Kosovo's Prime Minister Hashim Thaci told reporters earlier they were at what he called ‘the beginning of the end’ in reaching an accord to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia. The two men spoke after separate talks with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton in Belgrade and Pristina.
Pray: for the success of these discussions and pray for a breakthrough that will bring reconciliation. (Eph.4:13)
More: http://www.bosnewslife.com/27189-news-watch-eus-ashton-expects-breakthrough-in-kosovo-dispute