Christian News Bulletin

CHRISTIAN RALLY IN VIETNAM The Love Hanoi Festival with Franklin Graham was the first of its kind in communist Vietnam. Four hundred buses brought thousands of people to the evangelistic rally in Northern Vietnam. Graham preached to 10,000 people who filled a sports complex and watched outside on giant screens. He says that though there is evidence of persecution, Christians in Vietnam are gaining more religious freedom while people in the West are gradually losing theirs. He told The Christian Post he hopes the Vietnamese government will see that Christians are not enemies, but are some of the best citizens in the country. BOY KILLED BY GRENADE A seven-year-old Christian boy was killed in a grenade attack on the gates of a Christian community in Pakistan at the beginning of December. Two other people were injured in the explosion, which shattered the windows of nearby homes. SURGERY ON BOARD SHIP Mercy Ships reports that a doctor has performed the 30,000th surgery, ten years after he operated in the very first surgery on board the hospital ship Africa Mercy. Dr Glenn Strauss has also trained 47 ophthalmic surgeons who will provide tens of thousands of cataract surgeries in Africa and around the world.

RED WEDNESDAY New Life reports that Britain’s Houses of Parliament were among many landmarks in the UK, Ireland, Iraq and the Philippines to be floodlit in red on a Wednesday last month to highlight the persecution of faith groups for their ‘peacefully held beliefs’. The Red Wednesday initiative is in its second year and has been pioneered by Aid to the Church in Need. This year it was also organised by Christian Solidarity Worldwide. Both charities advocate chiefly for persecuted Christians. SIGNS FOR SCHOOLIES The Daily Telegraph has reported on the signs displayed by Christian youths during Schoolies’ activities in Australia. Signs included ‘Ain’t no high than the most High’ and ‘Jesus Loves You’. Youth for Christ’s National Missions Director, David Ridley, said that the signs were evangelical, but they were not bashing people with a Bible. NEW MOVIE ON THE LIFE OF PAUL According to CBN Christian World News, the trailer for a new major film about the life of the Apostle Paul has been released online. The movie, titled Paul, Apostle Of Christ, brings to life the New Testament story of the man who went from persecutor of the church to its most powerful proponent.

THE STORY OF ARTHUR STACE Eternity Magazine reports that the story of “Mr Eternity”, Arthur Stace, whose one-word sermon “Eternity” scrawled in chalk 500,000 times for over 35 years pointed Sydneysiders and Melburnians to Christ, has been told in a book co-authored by Elizabeth Meyer and Roy Williams. The book’s title is, of course, ‘Mr Eternity’. ARCHBISHOP’S WARNING The Archbishop of Canterbury has warned that churches must learn to live with a world in which families are no longer led by only married couples. Even Church of England schools are now filled with children from “myriad combinations” of men, women and children, the Most Reverend Justin Welby said. Even though his views are controversial amongst evangelicals and conservatives, the Archbishop did say that “the family, however it is experienced, is the place where we can be at our strongest and most secure”.

AUSTRALIAN CHURCH SURVEY Compared to all Australians, people who go to church are more likely to be a first or second generation migrant, female and tertiary educated. More than a third of Australian church attenders (36%) were born overseas, according to the latest National Church Life Survey results. Of those born overseas, 27% of churchgoers were born in a non-English speaking country. CHRISTIAN OUTREACH TO MUSLIMS Mission Network News reports that a coalition of Christian missions has announced a goal to reach millions of Muslims for Christ. The goal was set during a consultation in Thailand where 900 Christian leaders met to begin the outreach. The network of 180 mission organisations plans to reach the more than 1,000 Muslim people groups who have not heard the Gospel. 75 YEARS OF BIBLE TRANSLATION Wycliffe Bible Translators USA is celebrating 75 years of Bible translation. Before Wycliffe came onto the scene, translating the Bible into every language seemed impossible to many, but now, that goal is closer than ever. Wycliffe has been instrumental in translating the complete Bible into over 600 languages around the world.

BILLY GRAHAM CELEBRATES 99th BIRTHDAY Evangelist Billy Graham celebrated his 99th birthday on 7th November this year. Graham has conducted well-attended crusades around the world since 1949. According to Eternity Magazine, in 1959, an estimated 3.6 million people flocked to see him at 114 meetings in 106 days in Melbourne, Hobart, Launceston, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney. NEW PRAYER FOR NEW ZEALAND PARLIAMENT The new version of a prayer said before parliamentary meetings in New Zealand removes Jesus’ name, as well as the reference to the Queen of England. The text of the new prayer reads: “Almighty God, we give thanks for the blessings which have been bestowed on New Zealand. Laying aside all personal interests, we pray for guidance in our deliberations, that we may conduct the affairs of this House with wisdom and humility, for the public welfare and peace of New Zealand." OPRAH SINGS A HYMN Oprah Winfrey isn't known for her singing voice, but that didn't stop her from singing about surrendering all to Jesus and speaking about prayer on musician Harry Connick Jr.'s daytime talk show. The Christian Post reports that Winfrey appeared on Harry recently where she sang the famous hymn ‘I Surrender All’. Backed by a choir and band that included Connick on piano, Winfrey introduced the song with a story about the importance of surrendering issues in life to God when she was stressed out about doing a movie with director Steven Spielberg.

HOW MANY COMMANDMENTS? Eternity Magazine reports that only six of the Ten Commandments are still important today, according to the British. Online market research company YouGov surveyed 1680 Britons about which of the Ten Commandments from the Bible they still believed were important principles to live by – regardless of whether they were Christian or not. More than half of the respondents said they could live without the commandments to keep the Sabbath holy, worship only one God (the Lord), not use the Lord’s name in vain and refrain from idol worship. The command to keep the Sabbath (Sundays) holy was considered the least important, with 73 per cent of respondents listing it as not important. Even among the Christian respondents, the Sabbath was not a priority: less than a third of Christians (31 per cent) said it was still an important principle to live by. DEATHS IN TEXAS A gunman opened fire in a South Texas Baptist church last Sunday killing at least 26 people before being shot dead by police. Sheriff Joe Tackitt confirmed that there were "multiple casualties and fatalities" at First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, a community located about 40 miles east of San Antonio. WATERPROOF NEW TESTAMENT A new waterproof New Testament has been created by Bible Society Australia for the Australian Defence Force. The Air Force version, the first of three versions, was launched recently in Canberra.

Hillsong annual reportFrench town removes statueOldest solar eclipse is in Bible

BIBLES FOR NORTH KOREA The Christian Post reports that Christian humanitarian aid organization World Help has launched a donation drive aiming to secretly provide 100,000 new Bibles to underground North Korean Christians by the end of the year. World Help President Vernon Brewer says there are never enough Bibles to keep up with demand, no matter how many they print and smuggle into the country. GOOD NEWS AT CHRISTMAS According to Eternity Magazine, as part of its 200th anniversary celebrations, the Bible Society is giving away over 70,000 children’s books telling the ‘really good news of Christmas’. Bible Society Australia’s CEO, Greg Clarke, commented, “Christmas is gift-giving time, and Bible Society is delighted to offer a ‘really good’ gift to all Australians – the true story of Jesus.” CHRISTIANS AND HALLOWEEN Crosswalk.com contributor, Mike Nappa, writes that “Christian leaders originally set aside the holy days of October 31 through November 2 as reminders for churches to pray.” “Prayers began when churches and communities gathered for the night-time vigil on All Hallows Eve (October 31). Prayer continued as saints and martyrs were remembered on All Hallows Day/All Saints’ Day (November 1). Then on All Souls’ Day (November 2), church bells rang to signal a day of prayer for deceased loved ones.”

WORLD’S OLDEST FAMILY BIBLE Eternity Magazine reports that a Bible passed down in the same family since 1572 has been placed in the care of the Bible Society Australia. At a ceremony in St John’s Cathedral, Brisbane, the present owner, Duncan Sanderson, handed an historic Bishops’ Bible to Rev. Dr John Harris, who looks after the Bible Society’s collection of rare Bibles. The Sanderson Bible dates from about the time a family could first legally own such a Bible. SOLOMON’S POOLS Solomon’s Pools, three ancient reservoirs located in the West Bank near Bethlehem, which provided water to Jerusalem during Jesus’ earthly lifetime, are to be restored. According to ChristianToday.com, the restoration project is being funded by the United States and will cost $750,000. PORTRAIT OF JESUS Reuters News Agency reports that the last privately owned Leonardo da Vinci painting will be auctioned at Christie’s next month. “Salvator Mundi”, an ethereal portrait of Jesus Christ that dates to about 1500, is expected to sell for about $100 million, making it among the most highly-valued works ever to be sold at auction.

SPECIAL MISSION FLOATED IN LONDON Christian Today reports that the Church of England has launched a pioneering new initiative to bring its message to a sometimes forgotten people – those who live not on land, but on the water. The Diocese of London has commissioned the construction of a church‐boat that will sail through East London's canal network. NEW RADIO STATION News from Operation Mobilisation states that mission organisations have cooperated to launch a radio station specifically designed for the Yao people of Mozambique and Malawi. Radio Lilanguka is the first and only station to broadcast in the Yao language. The station will have a broadcast range of 100 kilometres. FILM TO EXPLORE LIFE OF LOUIS ZAMPERINI According to The Christian Post, Will Graham will play the part of his grandfather, evangelist Billy Graham, in the film Unbroken: Path To Redemption. The movie will focus on the faith of Olympian and POW Louis Zamperini and is based on Laura Hillenbrand’s book. “Zamperini’s life is rich in lessons for all of us,” Hillenbrand said. “Lessons in resilience and ingenuity, grace and humanity, forgiveness and the redemptive power of faith.”