AUSTRALIAN PRAYER NETWORK NEWSLETTER

* CHRISTIAN LEADERS BLOW THE HALFTIME WHISTLE ON G8

* BLAIR LAUNCHES FUND TO IMPROVE TEACHING OF ISLAM

* US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PASSES EMBRYONIC STEM CELL BILL BUT PRESIDENT WILL VETO

* MUSLIM HARDLINERS STORM INDONESIAN CHURCH

* CHILDREN RISE FROM THE ASHES OF PERSECUTION TO PREACH, HEAL AND SAVE THOUSANDS

* IMPRISONED INDONESIAN SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS RELEASED

* STOP – PRESS RUTH GRAHAM DIES

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CHRISTIAN LEADERS BLOW THE HALFTIME WHISTLE ON G8

Chair of the global Micah Challenge campaign Rev Joel Edwards, and International Director of the World Evangelical Alliance, Rev Geoff Tunnicliffe, said that 2007 was halftime for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the promise made by all heads of state at the Millennium Summit in 2000 to halve poverty by 2015. “The MDGs are a compact between rich and poor that echoes the words of the prophets and the teachings of Jesus.” Rev Edwards said. “Churches worldwide are making the MDGs core business and the voices of Christians will be loud and constant in the ears of leaders that this compact must not be broken. At halftime, there are positives in our first half performance, like Ghana, that will halve poverty by 2015, but globally and especially in sub-saharan Africa, we can and must win from behind in the second half.” Rev Tunnicliffe said that the G8 leaders, that together represent 65% of the global economy, have an obvious role to play. He said Christians mobilized in the Jubilee movement had surrounded the Birmingham Summit in prayer and advocacy in 1996 to call for debt cancellation for the poorest countries, and were at Edinburgh in 2005 raising their voices for Africa. “The MDGs are not behind at halftime because of lack of knowledge, or technology, or money. It’s all about political will!” He said, “the G8 leaders have contributed breakthrough moments on global poverty when they have felt the political wind change in their own countries. “Micah Challenge represents a rising tide of local churches worldwide, seeking to ensure that the G8 won’t blow hot and cold on global poverty.” Rev Tunnicliffe said. “We are calling on the G8 to play its part to get the MDGs on track at halftime! We ask the G8 to fully implement the program it announced in 2005 and to take the decisions it must take to increase aid, extend debt cancellation and provide universal access for treatment of people suffering with HIV/AIDs and other diseases.”

Source: World Evangelical Alliance

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BLAIR LAUNCHES FUND TO IMPROVE TEACHING OF ISLAM

Prime Minister Tony Blair, in his last days in Downing Street, has launched a passionate defence of Islam as a religion of “moderation and modernity”, as he announced a  £1m government fund to aid teaching of the religion and train UK imams. In front of an audience of more than 200 Muslim scholars he said the voices of “calm” Islam had been hijacked by extremists, who were no more representative of the true faith than Christians in the Middle Ages who used torture to convert people to their faith. And he praised a book called The Muslim Jesus as highlighting where the two religions overlapped. Mr Blair was opening a two-day conference on Islam hosted by Cambridge University, which also marked the publication of a government-commissioned report into the teaching of Islam in the UK. The PM pledged a fund to implement the report’s findings, such as helping train Muslim imams in UK universities to reduce mosques’ reliance on overseas ministers who may not understand British society or speak good English. The PM said most Muslims complained more about the image of their faith as violent and extremist than about UK foreign policy. “The predominant complaint from Muslims is about how they believe their true faith is constantly hijacked and subverted by small, unrepresentative groups who get disproportionately large amounts of publicity.” Gordon Brown, the prime minister in waiting, hosted a reception at the same conference, while Tory leader David Cameron also attended and gave an address. Among the 200-plus clerics invited from around the world were the grand mufti of Egypt, Shaykh Ali Gomaa, and the grand mufti of Bosnia, Mustafa Ceric.

Source: Guardian Unlimited

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US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PASSES EMBRYONIC STEM CELL BILL BUT PRESIDENT WILL VETO

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that would ease restrictions on the Federal Funding of embryonic stem cell research. In response President Bush issued the following statement: “The United States House of Representatives, with its vote on the embryonic stem cell bill, has chosen to discard existing protections on human life. This bill puts scientific research and ethical principle into conflict, rather than supporting a balanced approach that advances scientific and medical frontiers without violating moral principles. My Administration has sought to understand the dilemmas of stem cell research not as a choice between science and ethics, but as a challenge to advance medicine while meeting our solemn obligation to defend human life. That is why in 2001 I authorized the first federal funding for research on embryonic stem cells, under careful safeguards. This policy encouraged ethical research, while requiring taxpayer funds not be used to support the creation, destruction, or harming of living human embryos. Recent scientific developments have reinforced my conviction that stem cell science can progress in ethical ways. Researchers have been investigating innovative techniques that could allow doctors and scientists to produce stem cells just as versatile as those derived from human embryos, but without harming life, and the House vote on this bill took place just after significant advances in stem cell research were reported in leading scientific journals. These reports give us added hope that we may one day enjoy the potential benefits of embryonic stem cells without destroying human life. I am disappointed the leadership of Congress recycled an old bill that would simply overturn our country’s carefully balanced policy on embryonic stem cell research. If this bill were to become law, American taxpayers would for the first time in our history be compelled to support the deliberate destruction of human embryos. Crossing that line would be a grave mistake. For that reason, I will veto the bill passed.”

Source: Christian Newswire

———————————————– MUSLIM HARDLINERS STORM INDONESIAN CHURCH

Muslim hardliners stormed a church in Indonesia during services, smashing images of Jesus Christ and demanding that it be closed down, the pastor said. Dozens of churches have had to be closed in the Muslim-majority country in recent years, and this attack was the second on the small Protestant church in the West Java town of Soreang since 2005. Reverend Robby Elisa, who heads the church, said around 100 hardliners attacked while Sunday school was in session. He said his wife was beaten and that at least four stained glass depictions of Jesus were smashed. “They came and forced their way into the church,” he said. “The attackers claimed to be from the Anti-Apostate Movement Alliance. The same group had already attacked the church in 2005.” West Java, where Islam is strong, has seen a series of attacks on churches to force their closure. More than 30 churches have had to close their door in West Java since 2004 because of attacks by Muslim hardliners. Dozens of churches have also been forced to close in other provinces. Elisa said that his church was small and only had a congregation of some 20 adults and 40 children and teenagers. “Where else can we go? We are too far from the city and our congregation needs a place to worship,” Elisa said. Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation with over 90 percent of its 220 million people adherents of Islam. Although the constitution gives all religions equal footing, laws make it difficult for religions other than Islam to establish houses of worship. Churches must obtain the approval of at least 60 percent of local residents and have at least 90 percent followers to be able to operate.

Source: Jakarta Post

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CHILDREN RISE FROM THE ASHES OF PERSECUTION TO PREACH, HEAL AND SAVE THOUSANDS

In the Poso District of Indonesia, where three Christian school-girls were brutally beheaded 18 months ago, three children are reportedly being used in a special way to bring the Gospel to many people. An 8 year old girl is exercising a healing ministry with up to 30,000 Muslim, Hindu and Christian people attending her meetings with many getting saved and healed. Now an 8 year old boy has been touched by the Lord and is preaching the Gospel powerfully and conducting revival meetings with up to 40,000 people attending his meetings. Another 11 year old girl, has begun preaching a message of national repentance, and repentance in the Churches. It seems that the multitude of prayers for this area from around the world are beginning to bear fruit. Tens of thousands are being saved.

Source: Missionary Sources in Indonesia

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IMPRISONED INDONESIAN SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS RELEASED

Rebekka Zakaria, Eti Pangesti and Ratna Bangun were released from the Indramayu district prison last week after serving two years of their three-year sentence. The three women Sunday School teachers were arrested in May 2005 and convicted under Indonesia’s Child Protection Act for allegedly using “deceitful conduct, a series of lies and enticements to seduce children to change their religion against their wills”. During their 2005 trial, Muslim extremists had made murderous threats within and outside the courtroom. The women said “they had no fears for the future and were convinced that God would protect and guide them forward”.

Source: Compass Direct

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STOP – PRESS RUTH GRAHAM DIES

Ruth Graham—wife of renowned evangelist, Billy Graham—died on Thursday, June 14th at 5:05PM, at her home at Little Piney Cove, North Carolina. She was surrounded by her family and husband, who had earlier in the day been “huddled at her bedside.” Mrs. Graham had been treated for pneumonia two weeks ago, and had improved temporarily, but Wednesday morning entered into a coma. She had also celebrated her 87th birthday the weekend before she passed away.Billy Graham said of his long-time companion, “Ruth is my soul mate and best friend, and I cannot imagine living a single day without her by my side. I am more in love with her today than when we first met over 65 years ago as students at Wheaton College,” he added.Mrs Graham’s funeral was held on Saturday. She was buried “at the foot of a cross-shaped walkway in the ministry’s newly opened library prayer garden—a symbolic decision to demonstrate both their reverence to God and their ‘ongoing witness of their faith in Christ.'”

Source: Fox News

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