Christian News Bulletin

JERUSALEM 2020 BreakingIsraelNews.com reports that up to 10,000 Christians from every continent are expected to gather in Israel in June 2020 to celebrate the Pentecost. The Pentecost commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and other followers of Jesus while they were in Jerusalem. Pentecost is celebrated on the seventh Sunday (49 days) after Easter. The event, Jerusalem 2020 Empowered21 Global Congress, is expected to take place from June 1 to 3, 2020 at the Pais Arena in Jerusalem. The celebration will be focused on the role that authentic worship plays in Christians' relationship with God. THE CHURCH IN IRAN According to New Life, the Church in Iran may be the fastest growing church in the world. But the shape of the Church is actually an underground movement in the form of numerous, individual house churches – and the Iranian government wants to shut them down. The Iranian government created this underground movement when it made it illegal for Farsi speakers to attend physical churches. When that happened, everyone became an evangelist and house churches began to appear across the country. MAF PROVIDES HELP IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA Mission Aviation Fellowship has been providing assistance following the 7.5 earthquake that struck Papua New Guinea in February. The quake caused many landslides, damaging roads, buildings, power lines and communication systems. At least 16 people were killed and 300 injured. There have been several powerful aftershocks. MAF has been providing medical evacuation flights and doing fly‐overs to check on remote communities.

CHRISTIANS ATTACKED IN INDIA At least six Christians in India's Odisha state were badly injured and had to be taken to a local hospital when Hindu extremists recently attacked and burned down a Christian home over the fact that a deceased Christian child was buried inside the village. World Watch Monitor reports that tensions arose late last month in the town of Tangaguada where three resident Christian families are outnumbered by  35 Hindu families. The Hindus in the town were reportedly up in arms when one of the Christian families tried to bury their 2-year-old daughter on the land that they own inside the village. BILLY GRAHAM The Christian Post reports that more than 62,000 people have signed an online petition calling for an American national holiday to honour the recently deceased evangelist Billy Graham, who preached the Gospel in person to nearly 215 million people in more than 185 countries and territories, and hundreds of millions of more people through television, video, film and webcasts. ARCHBISHOP’S NEW BOOK In his new book, Reimagining Britain: Foundations for hope, the Archbishop of Canterbury claims that “the cracks in society have begun to show, expressed in crime, in the growth of intolerance, and above all of an inward-turning.” Archbishop Welby emphasises that his vision was based on Christian values of cohesion, courage, and sustainability.

GLOBAL HYMN SING According to Christian Today, more than 700,000 people from 3,300 churches in 68 countries joined in the 2018 Global Hymn Sing on 25 February. Churches from different traditions and languages sang Isaac Watts’ classic hymn ‘Jesus Shall Reign’ as an expression of their commitment to the mission of Jesus Christ. TIME FOR A CHANGE Olivetree Media reports that two hundred churches across Australia have begun a ‘Jesus The Game Changer’ campaign. Churches from every state and territory representing many denominations are involved. ‘Jesus The Game Changer’ is a documentary series looking at how the life and teaching of Jesus changed the world and why it matters. SWEET MESSAGE FOR EASTER Hundreds of thousands of chocolate eggs with a Bible story inside are combating a decline in knowledge about Easter, according to Church of England bishop Julian Henderson. The bishop is backing a campaign by the Meaningful Chocolate Company to distribute more than a quarter of a million eggs containing the Easter message. The company hopes to reach more than a million people with the Easter message.

SPOTLIGHT ON THE COLOSSEUM Crux reports that the Colosseum in Rome was illuminated by red lights on Saturday 24 February to draw attention to the persecution of Christians around the world, especially in Syria and Iraq. The Colosseum was spotlighted in red, to represent the blood of Christians who have been wounded or who lost their life due to religious persecution. “RE-EDUCATION” IN CHINA? According to World Watch Monitor, more than one hundred Christians have been sent to ‘re‐education’ camps in China’s north‐west in the past few months. In these camps, also known as ‘study centres’ or ‘mind‐transfor‐ mation centres’, they are taught how to be loyal to communist ideology. LIFE OF PAUL ON FILM The film Paul, Apostle Of Christ, opens in Australian cinemas on Thursday 29th March. Jim Caviezel plays Luke who risks his life to visit Paul, played by James Faulkner, in a Roman prison under Nero’s rule. Together, the two men struggle against a determined emperor and the frailties of the human spirit in order to live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ and spread their message to the world.

Bible Translation in the Pacific RegionSunday School in the UkraineWinter Olympics star

WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS COUNTRIES Eternity Magazine reports that Afghanistan is rivalling North Korea as the most dangerous country for Christians in 2018, according to the recently released World Watch List. The ten most dangerous places to be a Christian in 2018 are: North Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, Pakistan, Eritrea, Libya, Iraq, Yemen and Iran. ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI A widely referenced quote often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi was likely never spoken by the famous Medieval saint, according to Catholic scholars quoted in The Christian Post. Known for his love of animals and profound spiritual statements, Francis is often quoted as having said something often rendered "Preach the Gospel and when necessary, use words." However, according to Fr. Michael Cusato, a historian whose work centres on Francis and the early years of his monastic order, the quote is not legitimate even though it does reflect the essence of Francis’ ministry. POPE HIGHLIGHTS NUCLEAR DANGER Pope Francis said recently that he was really afraid about the danger of nuclear war and that the world now stood at “the very limit” according to Reuters News Service. His comment, made as he flew off for a visit to Chile and Peru, came after Hawaii issued a false missile alert that provoked panic in the U.S. state and highlighted the risk of possible unintended nuclear war with North Korea.

MESSAGE FOR THE CHURCH A movie review in Relevant Magazine contains a message for the Church of today. The reviewer states that ‘The Greatest Showman isn’t just a film about circus performers; it is a reflection of a contemporary society divided by pain and injustice, being pulled apart at the seams by those in power. It is an allegory about what the church should be, and what we stand to lose if we give up Christ’s commandment to love others in favour of our own political and personal gain.’ PROTEST IN ATHENS According to Greek Reporter, over 100 Christian residents, led by their priest in Athens, marched to the site of a controversial sculpture that many think depicts Lucifer and demanded its removal. The protestors held Greek flags, icons and sang hymns at the spot where the sculpture, Phylax, is located. THE BIBLE IN THE POP CHARTS Eternity Magazine reports on a two-week series of daily Bible readings prepared by Greg Clarke.  The Bible in the Charts series gives profound insights into the many ways the Bible has influenced rock music down through the decades – by focusing on two songs from each decade from the 1950s to the 2010s. The audio journey begins with Elvis whose song Hard-headed Woman is linked to the disobedience of Adam and Eve in Genesis 1:26-28. Artists whose songs are examined include Regina Spektor, Kasey Chambers and rock band U2.

QUEEN’S CHRISTMAS MESSAGE In her Christmas Day message, Queen Elizabeth II referred to the birth of Jesus. Speaking openly about her Christian faith, she said, “We remember the birth of Jesus Christ whose only sanctuary was a stable in Bethlehem. He knew rejection, hardship and persecution and yet it is Jesus Christ’s generous love and example which has inspired me through good times and bad.” OUTREACH AT EASTER The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is planning a huge Easter outreach campaign. Jorge Rodrigues, Executive Director of BGEA Australia, says they hope to partner with 1000 Aussie churches for the My Hope campaign, based around a 30-minute film called The Cross, which features Billy Graham. A CRICKETER FOR CHRIST Marnus Labuschagne, who is playing for the Brisbane Heat in the Twenty20 tournament, told Eternity Magazine: “Sport is a fickle game and injuries play a big part. In the big scheme of things, what you’re worth, what you put your value in, isn’t out there on the pitch; it’s internal and in Christ. That’s a massive thing for me because cricket is always going to be up and down and if you have a constant in your life, it makes life a lot easier.”

RELIGION AND POLITICS A majority of British people believe that religion should play a less prominent role in parliament, with bishops losing their automatic seats in the House of Lords, a YouGov survey for The Times has found. The proportion of non-believers fell back to 36 per cent over the past year, while the number of people who believe in God increased by one percentage point, from 28 to 29 per cent, and the number of people who do not believe in God but do believe in “some sort of spiritual greater power” increased from 20 to 23 per cent. CHRISTIANS IN IRAQ Christians in Iraq have attended a Christmas service in Mosul for the first time since Islamic State militants took over the city in 2014, hoping they will soon be able to return to their homes. Armoured vehicles guarded Saint Paul's, the only functioning church in Mosul. Its bombed-out window frames were covered with white sheets during the Christmas service, the BBC reports. THE BIBLE IN SIGN LANGUAGE CBN News reports that Wycliffe Bible translators have been working to ensure that the Bible is translated into every language. Recently Wycliffe translators began work on reaching the deaf community with a sign language Bible translation.