AUSTRALIAN PRAYER NETWORK NEWSLETTER

* 70,000 ANSWER “THE CALL” TO GATHER FOR AMERICA’S SOLEMN ASSEMBY IN NASHVILLE

* BRITISH CONSERVATIVES SAY WRONG WAY – GO BACK – WE ARE HEADING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION

* TWO PASTORS SHOT DEAD IN COLOMBIA

* ACCUSER VISITS CHURCH OF HIS ACCUSED AND IS SURPRISED BY THE WELCOME HE RECEIVES

* AFRICAN SLAVES LIBERATED AND RETURNED TO THEIR HOMELAND

* DRASTIC DECLINE IN MURDER RATE IN WASHINGTON DC AFTER PRAYER VIGIL

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70,000 ANSWER “THE CALL” TO GATHER FOR AMERICA’S SOLEMN ASSEMBY IN NASHVILLE

The sins of a nation drew an estimated 70,000 believers to Nashville on July 7 to convene a “solemn assembly” and pray for spiritual awakening among America’s young people. Public confession and repentance was a hallmark of the day, as a series of individuals testified about the havoc those sins had wreaked in their lives and publicly prayed for forgiveness — both individually and on behalf of the nation. Christians from all 50 states and countries as far away as Nepal and Mongolia gathered in Nashville for 12 hours of worship and prayer which they hoped would spark a renewal movement that would sweep the country. The heat was almost unbearable, but the thirst for a massive move of God was even more unquenchable. As midday temperatures soared near 100 degrees, worshippers lifted their hands in prayer. The stadium floor was sectioned off for those who wanted the freedom to prostrate themselves or kneel in prayer. The nondenominational event marked 40 years since the “Summer of Love” in San Francisco unleashed a wave of sexual promiscuity, drug abuse, abortion on demand and pornography in the country and separated a generation of Americans from God, organizers said. Prayer is the key to spiritual awakening, said Adam Thomas, a staff member of The Call from Louisville, Ky. “”We are calling for young people in this country to wake up and take a stand, to pray about our world instead of just complaining about what’s wrong with it. We are calling them to take action and believe that the Lord can change things. Our desire is to see God come back on the scene like He did in the 1800s, when there was a great awakening that shut down entire towns with the power of God” Thomas said. Many of those in attendance had fasted for up to 40 days in preparation. Prayerwalkers left Nashville’s Centennial Park at 7 a.m. and made their way in silence through downtown to the stadium. The Assembly itself was one of the greatest and most intense calls in the history of theUnited States, for the Church in America to become remarried to Jesus. To symbolize their desire for America to return to a covenant relationship with God, three couples simultaneously exchanged marriage vows late in the afternoon. Organizer Lou Engle, who initiated The Call in Washington, D.C., in 2000, chose the date — 07/07/07 — because seven is the biblical number of covenant. “In the Old Testament, the cult of Baal was identified with violence and death, sexual promiscuity, pornography and promiscuity,” said Dutch Sheets, senior pastor of Springs Harvest Fellowship in Colorado Springs, Colo. “We are here today to confess our nation’s sin and ask God to renew His covenant with us. This stadium is a courtroom today. We have filed for divorce as a nation from the spirit of Baal, and we are petitioning God for custody of our children.” The event was broadcast live over the Internet at thecall.com and Christian television networks like God TV, TBN, DayStar and Inspiration Network also carried part of the proceedings to as many as 200 countries. The evening closed with 300 men — the number of Gideon’s biblical army — blowing the shofar while those in the stands shouted. “That was the highlight for me,” said Julia Richardson, spokeswoman for the event. “You could feel the presence of the Lord. In the sound of the shofar, we pray our destinies are released and that the city of Nashville would see a new wave of the Lord.” Only “future history” not yet written on earth, but “pre-recorded in Heaven” will show what was accomplished in Nashville.

Source: CBS News

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BRITISH CONSERVATIVES SAY WRONG WAY – GO BACK – WE ARE HEADING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION

(Editors comment – is this commonsense making a comeback or what? If indeed it becomes policy and is widely acclaimed within the general community it could be a catalyst for the return of more family oriented values in counties around the world.)

A Tory social justice policy group working on issues that will form the election platform of the Conservative Party at the next elections in Britain, have taken a stand in support of traditional marriage claiming that it is good for society. The group wants the party to send a ‘clear and unambiguous signal’ about marriage. The group called for a “reinstatement and full public use” of the term martial status and associated terms “husband, wife, spouse and marriage” in government forms and statements. This would send a “clear and unambiguous signal” about marriage, said the group Chairman Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative leader. The policy plan outlines how married couples would get a tax and benefits boost potentially worth thousands of pounds a year under a Tory strategy to avert family breakdown by making it easier for one parent to stay at home to look after children or elderly relatives.

The report calls for the “biggest shake-up of the welfare system” since the 1940s. Under the proposals disincentives for couples to stay together would also be removed from the benefits system. The measures are among 190 policy recommendations outlined in a 671-page report on tackling family breakdown, educational under-achievement and crime. The document sets the cost of social breakdown at  £102 billion a year. In a section on family breakdown, the report argues that the tax system fails to recognise the “benefits which marriage brings to society”. It says that the transferable personal tax allowance would provide symbolic recognition for the institution of marriage. “It would indicate that marriage is valued because of its benefits to children and wider society,” it adds. David Cameron, the current Conservative Party Leader, is not bound to accept the recommendations when drawing up his manifesto for the next election, although he has already promised to recognise marriage in the tax system if returned to power. “I believe that this is the single most important step that the Conservative Party could take to start supporting stable family life,” Mr Duncan Smith said. In a further bid to help families, the policy group proposes “front-loading” child benefit to give parents greater financial freedom to look after their children in their first three years. The report claims that, without urgent action, the number of children with two working parents in poverty will increase from 1.4 million to 1.8 million by the end of the decade. Meanwhile, lone parents would be required to work full time once their children reached the age of 11, and part time once the youngest child is five, in a bid to get more people off benefits and into work.”Helping more lone parents into work, through both a deliberate shift in expectations and providing support – including childcare as appropriate – will help them and their children in a very real way,” the report states. Other recommendations set out in the report include raising the gambling age limit from 16 to 18 and requiring the gaming industry to spend more than  £10 million a year on research into anti-addiction programmes; a  £400 million tax on alcohol to double the amount spent on drink and drugs treatment and reclassifying cannabis – which was downgraded to a class C drug – back to class B.

Source: UK Telegraph

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TWO PASTORS SHOT DEAD IN COLOMBIA

Two Pentecostal pastors were assassinated last week in southern Colombia. It appears that the 17th Brigade of the leftist guerrilla group, FARC, is responsible. Pastor Humberto Mendez, age 63, and Pastor Joel Cruz Garcia, age 27, were approached as they preached at an open-air service in the village of El Dorado where leftist guerrilla group FARC has a strong presence. According to church representatives a group of armed men wearing camouflage clothing called them by name and led them away. The bodies of the two men were found the next day 40 metres apart; both had been shot in the head. While authorities and church leaders seem to agree that FARC committed the murders, the motive is unclear. The families of the pastors have said that they never received any warnings or threats from any group. It is thought the assassinations were in response to the participation of local churches in nationwide protests against terrorism and kidnapping. Church representatives in the area, however, also point to the ongoing risks that accompany preaching and teaching Christian principles in a region with a significant guerrilla presence. According to church leaders at the local and national levels, FARC has declared protestant pastors to be legitimate military targets. These two assassinations are representative of a wider problem for communities of faith, particularly those located in rural areas and conflict zones, across the country. Authorities have documented over 100 targeted assassinations of pastors and other church leaders across the country since 2000. Many are a response to a refusal on the part of the pastors to participate in or support the activities of the armed groups, including paying protection money or tolerating the recruitment of young people from their congregations into the armed groups. Tina Lambert, Advocacy Director of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, said, “Our prayers are with the families and the communities of these two men at this very difficult time. It is completely unacceptable for any armed group, to target church leaders. These were two pastors, both civilians, who were simply preaching at a peaceful religious gathering. We call, once again, for the respect of religious freedom in Columbia and the upholding of rights of believers to practise and live out the tenets of their faith.”

Source: Christian Solidarity Worldwide

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ACCUSER VISITS CHURCH OF HIS ACCUSED AND IS SURPRISED BY THE WELCOME HE RECEIVES

Mike Jones, the former male prostitute whose accusations against New Life Church founder Ted Haggard led to Haggard’s dismissal as pastor, recently visited the church along with members of a theatre troupe who are researching a project on evangelical Christians. Jones told Denver’s 9News that he was welcomed by the congregation. “They were all congenial,” he is quoted as saying. “None of them expressed anger, and many expressed gratitude for what they said was ‘exposing the deception.'” Associate Pastor Rob Brendle reportedly approached Jones in the church’s foyer and said, “I don’t want to impose my religious beliefs on you, but I believe God used you to correct us, and I appreciate that. The church’s response to him was overwhelmingly warm,” said Brendle. “One of the wonderful and enduring truths of Christianity is to love people the world sets up to be your enemies.”

Source: Rocky Mountain News

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AFRICAN SLAVES LIBERATED AND RETURNED TO THEIR HOMELAND

More than a hundred Black African slaves, many tortured and abused, have been liberated from Arab masters and returned to their homeland in Southern Sudan in an action supported by Christian Solidarity International (CSI). Most of the 102 liberated slaves – mainly boys and young men – had been captured by Sudanese government-sponsored militias during two decades of civil war in the country. The liberation of the 102 slaves was the result of co-operation between Arab-Dinka Peace Committees, the civil authorities in Aweil State, local churches and CSI. Sudanese Episcopalian priest, Rev Tito Athian – a longstanding local CSI partner – expressed joy at the liberation of the slaves, stating: “Thank you for helping bring back our people from slavery. Now they are free to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ and choose their own religion.”

Source: Inspire Magazine

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DRASTIC DECLINE IN MURDER RATE IN WASHINGTON DC AFTER PRAYER VIGIL

In 2006, the Christian Defence Coalition organized a week long 24 hour prayer vigil under a large tent on the Mall following the announcement of a “crime emergency” by Washington D.C. officials.

Their prayer? That the number of murders in Washington D.C. would “drop dramatically over the next five months.” Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defence Coalition said, “The Christian Defence Coalition promised we would announce the number of murders committed in Washington, D.C.’s over that five month period and are delighted to report, after the season of concentrated and regular prayer, there was a drop in the murder rate of 27%. The group hopes this will motivate American churches to engage in public prayer regarding pressing social issues of the day.

Source: Christian Newswire

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