Over 35,000 Attend Christian Festival in Africa’s Burkina Faso

(Burkina Faso, West Africa)—Evangelist Andrew Palau joins 800 churches for a Christmas outreach, the first major gathering in the nation since the civil uprising last month in Burkina Faso.

Just weeks after a period of widespread political unrest due to the Burkinabe uprising, tens of thousands of people gathered in the heart of Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou for Love Burkina Faso, a collaborative effort between international evangelist Andrew Palau and hundreds of Christian churches to foster hope in the African nation.

Events took place throughout the city December 15-21, and included 28 outreaches for business and government leaders, women, students, and prisoners.

By the time the festival was over, more than 14,522 decisions for Christ were reported. Some 6,838 of those decisions were recorded during the two-day festival, with an additional 7,684 reported through the 28 other outreach events during the week. Each decision maker, as well as thousands more, received a free copy of the Gospel of John, provided by ministry partner Bibles for the World.

“This really is a great victory and one that will remain a special legacy,” Luis Palau Association Director of Festivals Tim Innes said. “For Burkina Faso, the best days are ahead. It’s been an honor for us to serve with the leaders in this season.”

“Thank you for allowing this festival to take place… it was amazing and we hope the Palau team will consider Burkina Faso again in the future,” Pastor Jules Campore, who served as Palau’s interpreter throughout the week, commented.

The campaign also included the participation of dozens of volunteers from around the world who served in various outreach events throughout the week leading up to the festival. They led outreaches in prisons and schools, and helped distribute eyeglasses in clinics throughout Ouagadougou.

The week prior to the festival also included dinners for both women and business leaders, both of which were nearly filled to capacity. A clear Gospel message was presented at every opportunity.

Ref: http://loveworldplusnews.org/over-35000-attend-christian-festival-in-africas-burkina-faso/

How to Win the Spiritual Battle for Our Nation

"There is a spiritual battle in our nation today to define what love and truth are.  The kingdom of darkness is assaulting this generation with deception concerning the truth about Jesus, His message of grace, and what the lifestyle of His kingdom should look like.  God is looking for faithful witnesses who will stand for biblical truth about Jesus and His definitions of love, morality, and truth."  So states Mike Bickle, director of the International House of Prayer Missions Base in Kansas City, endorsing the 2015 Collegiate Day of Prayer.

 

Today more than 1,500 campus ministries, churches, and individuals will pray for some 1,300 campuses across the nation.  The Collegiate Day of Prayer has been organized by leaders from 24 collegiate ministries, including The Navigators, Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ), and InterVarsity.

 

The impetus for today's intercession comes from a movement that began some 200 years ago.  By 1815, the Concert of Prayer for Colleges had become a regular event on the campuses of Yale, Williams, Brown and Middlebury in New England.  By 1823, nearly every major denomination and university in America set aside the last Thursday in February for united prayer on college campuses.

 

The result was widespread revival on campuses across the country.  By the end of the 19th century, repeated student awakenings radically transformed the culture and moral climate of many of America's largest universities.  Believers are praying today for the same movement of God's Spirit.  Do we need a moral and spiritual awakening on college campuses?

 

According to Gallup, college graduates are the most likely group to say abortion should be legal in any circumstance.  Young adults are by far the most likely to endorse same-sex marriage.  When university professors were asked if they harbored negative feelings toward particular religious groups, three percent admitted that they held such animosity toward Jews, nine percent toward mainline Protestants, 22 percent against Muslims, but 53 percent against evangelical Christians.  And they are teaching the next generation of Americans.

 

It is urgent that we join believers across the nation for today's Collegiate Day of Prayer.  (To sign up to pray for a college campus, visit their website.)  And it is urgent that we pray every day for spiritual and moral renewal on our campuses and across our culture. (Tweet this)

 

C. S. Lewis: "Christians increasingly live on a spiritual island; new and rival ways of life surround it in all directions and their tides come further up the beach every time. . . . Some give morality a wholly new meaning which we cannot accept, some deny its possibility.  Perhaps we shall all learn, sharply enough, to value the clean air and 'sweet reasonableness' of the Christians ethics which in a more Christian age we might have taken for granted."

 

May it be so.

Ref : http://www.christianheadlines.com/columnists/denison-forum/how-to-win-the-spiritual-battle-for-our-nation.html

Meet the Church That Helps Anyone Who Needs It

Proverbs 11:10 says, “When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices.” Who are the righteous, and what does it look like for them to prosper? The “righteous” are Christians, the just, the people who follow God’s heart. They “prosper” when they steward everything God has given them to bless the Body, bless God and bless their neighbor. They do this for the common good, for the advancement of shalom.

What does it look like for a city to rejoice, then? Well, I think it looks a lot like the Kentucky community where Southland Christian Church is located. Under the leadership of Pastor Jon Weece, Southland is reaching into their city and changing it in big ways. Here are just a few of the ministries the church has founded or is involved in:

• A “Dollar Club” that collects $12,000 one dollar bills every week, and then gives that money someone in need.
• Free medical clinics throughout the city, providing primary care for 3,500 people who can’t afford a doctor.
• A school lunch program
• A community garden
• Tutoring for local students
• Prison care ministry for inmates
• A garage to provide cheap auto care

I can’t imagine a clearer picture of a city who is rejoicing because the Body of Christ, the “righteous,” is committed to blessing their neighbors. If Southland were to suddenly vanish from central Kentucky, no doubt their absence would be a tremendous blow to the thousands who are supported by them.

Sadly, according to this trending Relevant article, Southland’s focus on service is not without controversy. As the article puts it, “Critics have a name for Weece’s brand of ministry: social gospel… heavily criticized by the likes of Dwight Moody, who believed the Church’s mission on earth was a particularly spiritual one.” In other words, critics of these heavily social-service oriented churches are concerned that they are so focused on meeting physical needs that they lose sight of our important mission to share the good news of the gospel with our neighbors.

Ref: http://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/christian-trends/meet-the-church-that-helps-anyone-who-needs-it.html