India: Attack on revival meeting sends Christians underground
As police looked on, militants attacked a church in central India on the second day of a revival meeting earlier this month at the Indian Christian Assembly of God Church in Rajnandgaon, causing severe injuries to some members and sending the pastor into hiding. The revival meeting included a graduation ceremony of 14 students who attended a short Bible training programme. About 300 Christians had gathered to witness the ceremony and attend the revival meeting. Attendees came from the neighbouring states of Maharashtra, West Bengal, Orissa, and Madhya Pradesh. ‘Everything went well on the first day of the meeting until the afternoon of the second day,’ a witness told World Watch Monitor. The witness asked not to be named in order to avoid possible retribution from the attacker.
Pray: against the increasing violence against Christians in many parts of India may God arise and his enemies be scattered. (Ps.10:12)
Egypt: Destroying tunnels and uniting Christians
A Cairo court has ruled the government must destroy all tunnels between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, a route for smuggled weapons and a lifeline for Palestinians. Egypt's ruling Muslim Brotherhood has close ties with the Hamas movement that runs Gaza. Many Egyptians fear the enclave is a security risk for Egypt. The national security adviser said Egypt will not tolerate the two-way flow of smuggled arms through the tunnels that is destabilising its Sinai peninsula. Also this week for the first time since the dawn of Catholic and Protestant missions in the 17th and 18th centuries Egypt’s Christians formally stand united as the heads of the five largest denominations - Coptic Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, Greek Orthodox, and Anglican - created Egypt's first Council of Churches. In recent decades, tension has dominated ecumenical relations with theological disputes, and accusations against minority denominations as sheep stealers. See: http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctliveblog/archives/2013/02/egypts-five-largest-denominations-unite-for-first-time-egyptian-council-of-churches.html
Pray: for the light of Christ to shine on and be in every decision made by Egypt’s leaders at this time of transition. (1Tim.2:2)
More: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/02/201322619219970812.html
We are in the midst of a fierce battle for marriage. The Supreme Court will be hearing testimony next week on March 26 and 27 concerning whether the Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and Proposition 8 in California (overturning homosexual marriage) should stand. The Court will render a decision probably in late June. There is MUCH political pressure on the Court to capitulate on these and cave in to the homosexual agenda. Even the president is pushing this.
Men and women, this is our generation’s Roe v. Wade fight! We must make a stand upon our knees for marriage.
From 7:00 PM, Monday, March 25, through 9:00 PM, Wednesday, March 27, intercessors around the nation from countless ministries will intercede as arguments are being heard at our Supreme Court.
Be encouraged by a word from a key leader in this initiative:
Since we have been obedient to pursue this course of action, to build a FIREWALL OF PRAYER around the Supreme Court during those two key hearings next week (DOMA/Proposition 8), the Lord has shown me a “new thing” that is on His heart! He has shown me that, while in days past, many of us have labored faithfully and fervently, fasting and praying and offering deep travail over issues that will impact us all, we were actually fighting inside our own fox holes!
On national issues like the Election last November and the Supreme Court hearings on “Obamacare” last spring, we each marshaled our own forces, pouring our hearts out to the Lord for help. We all know the rest of the story…could our Lord be ready to reveal a new strategy for a new season, and could the battleground at the Supreme Court be the launching pad to release this hidden work across the nation?
YES—today is a NEW DAY!
We now realize that, as ministry teams, we can no longer afford to fight these national battles “alone”, but that, instead, the LORD is requiring us to come up on the wall together in perfect alignment and in perfect unity as we face the forces that would seek to undermine our people and our nation. As we stand TOGETHER, we form a “seamless garment” before Him, and the enemy will find no breaches in the wall through which to attack!
We are now aligned in:
• His Will
• His Word: “What GOD hath put together, let no man rend asunder.”
• His Way
• His Love
We praise our God for the revelation of this winning strategy as we work together to find our won place on the wall and to defer to the others in their own positions, even honoring others as better than ourselves.
To GOD be the GLORY, for He is teaching all of us how to walk (or march) in this season, in His way!
(From an article Intercessors for America sent by Dave Butts, Chair of America’s National Prayer Committee)
This next week, the United States Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on two of the most significant legal challenges to marriage in our nation’s history.
Hollingsworth v. Perry will be heard on March 26 and centers around California’s Proposition 8, a statewide marriage amendment – much like Arizona’s – which passed in 2008 to constitutionally define marriage as only the union of one man and one woman.
United States v. Windsor will be heard the following day and concerns the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). This law defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman for purposes of federal law and says no state can be forced to recognize a same-sex union from another state.
If there’s anything we’ve learned from the Supreme Court in recent years, it’s that it is impossible to speculate what the court will do in either of these cases. Yet there is no denying that the decisions from these two cases – which typically are announced by June 30 – will have serious impact on the battle to protect marriage and therefore our country’s future.
The fundamental question that the court will be considering in both cases is this: does marriage, defined as the union of one man and one woman, serve a compelling governmental interest? Or to put it another way, does marriage benefit society?
The most important thing we can do now is pray. Pray for our friends and allies defending these laws in court and pray for wisdom and courage for the nine justices to do what is right.
http://www.azpolicy.org/_blog/5_Minutes_for_Families/post/Before_the_High_Court_/
One in three are voting with their wallet following tax revelations
Millions of Britons are using consumer power to boycott companies seen to be avoiding their fair share of UK tax, new research reveals. A ComRes survey about public perceptions around tax avoidance, commissioned by Christian Aid, found a third (34 per cent) of Britons say that they are currently boycotting the products or services of a company because it does not pay its fair share of tax in the UK. Almost half (45 per cent) say they are considering a boycott. Public outrage appears to be growing following recent revelations about the remarkably small amount of UK tax paid by some multinationals, the poll suggests. Two out of three (66 per cent) of Britons now believe tax avoidance to be morally wrong, up 10 percentage points from when people were asked the same question in August 2012. And a remarkable four out of five respondents (80 per cent) say that multinationals’ tax avoidance makes them feel angry.
Pray: that the public awareness of tax avoidance and other corporate greed will lead to changes. (Lk.12:15)
Payday lenders told to improve by OFT
Payday loan firms have been told to change their behaviour after the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) found evidence of ‘widespread irresponsible lending’. The OFT is giving the biggest 50 firms 12 weeks to change their practices, or they risk losing their licences. It also plans to refer the market to the Competition Commission, after it found ‘deep-rooted’ problems in how payday loan companies compete. In response, the loans industry said it was already changing its operations. The Government has also announced plans to ‘weed out rogue lenders’ and place further controls on the way they are allowed to advertise. In addition, it said the high rates of interest charged by payday lenders could make the consequences of irresponsible lending ‘particularly acute’. (See also Prayer Alert 50-2012)
Pray: that the OFT’s pressure and the Government's move to exert controls will restrict irresponsible lending. (Pr.28:25)
More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21683739
Child sex abuse: New policy and new inquiry
An overhaul of how police and prosecutors in England and Wales deal with alleged sexual offences against children is expected to be announced in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal. Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer told the BBC there was an ‘overcautious’ approach with victims. He said the focus was too much on whether the victim was telling the truth and not enough on the suspect. Describing this as a ‘watershed moment,’ Mr Starmer said we need to ‘clear the decks of a raft of existing guidelines’. A Scottish parliamentary inquiry into child sex exploitation and prostitution has also been launched, amid claims the problem may be far worse than thought http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-21669726 Holyrood's petitions committee is looking into the issue following the concerns from children's charity Barnardo's. MSPs will consider whether current measures and guidelines are doing enough to tackle exploitation.
Pray: that the authorities will bring measures and guidelines that will control this problem. (1Cor.6:18)
More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21673703
UK 'fares badly in European health league table'
The UK is lagging behind progress by similar countries on many indicators for ill-health, research suggests. Health data over 20 years was compared with figures from 18 other countries in the research published in the Lancet. Although average life expectancy has risen by four years since 1990, it says the UK needs to increase its strategies for tackling preventable problems such as heart disease and stroke. The UK had a high burden of smoking-related illnesses, and greater priority should be given to reducing lung disease. There was also a large rise in the number of recorded deaths related to Alzheimer's Disease. (See also Prayer Alert 08-2013) Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has said he has a plan to address the lag. Many deaths happen because the NHS is not good enough at preventing people getting sick or because treatment does not rival that seen elsewhere in Europe, says Mr Hunt who is responsible for health policy in England.
Pray: for our health care authorities that they would be granted wisdom and skills to meet the needs of their patients. (Ez.34:2b)
More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21654536
Bulgaria marches against poverty and corruption
Tens of thousands of people have protested across Bulgaria against poverty and corruption. The latest demonstrations came despite the resignation of the government and promises of early elections. (See Prayer Alert 08-2013) The protests followed earlier massive demonstrations with people shouting ‘Mafia, Mafia’, amid outrage over rising electricity prices by as much as 13 percent in what is the European Union's poorest member state. Protesters blamed foreign companies as well as high level corruption. It gradually grew into a civil unrest challenging the established order. Two weeks ago, clashes between police and protesters left two dozen people injured and prompted Prime Minister Boiko Borisov's centre-right cabinet to quit. He has since been hospitalised with high blood pressure. The government's resignation cleared the way for early elections, to be held on May 12. Yet, Bulgarians have expressed their frustration with politics and what they see as unfulfilled promises of EU membership. The Balkan nation joined the 27-nation block in 2007.
Pray: for the people of Bulgaria as they go through this transition of seeing non-corrupt and just government will be elected. (1Ch.21:12)
More: http://www.bosnewslife.com/26862-news-watch-bulgaria-marches-against-poverty-corruption
Bulgaria marches against poverty and corruption
Tens of thousands of people have protested across Bulgaria against poverty and corruption. The latest demonstrations came despite the resignation of the government and promises of early elections. (See Prayer Alert 08-2013) The protests followed earlier massive demonstrations with people shouting ‘Mafia, Mafia’, amid outrage over rising electricity prices by as much as 13 percent in what is the European Union's poorest member state. Protesters blamed foreign companies as well as high level corruption. It gradually grew into a civil unrest challenging the established order. Two weeks ago, clashes between police and protesters left two dozen people injured and prompted Prime Minister Boiko Borisov's centre-right cabinet to quit. He has since been hospitalised with high blood pressure. The government's resignation cleared the way for early elections, to be held on May 12. Yet, Bulgarians have expressed their frustration with politics and what they see as unfulfilled promises of EU membership. The Balkan nation joined the 27-nation block in 2007.
Pray: for the people of Bulgaria as they go through this transition of seeing non-corrupt and just government will be elected. (1Ch.21:12)
More: http://www.bosnewslife.com/26862-news-watch-bulgaria-marches-against-poverty-corruption