NewLife Faith News April 16th
Compiled and Edited by Stan Hunt
50,000 Mandarin Bibles have finally been distributed to Chinese people in Russia. A large Chinese population live in Moscow and along the border close to northeastern China. Kurt Rovenstine with Bibles for China says in 2022 they were ready with a partner organization to distribute the Bibles. But when the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out plans had to change.
Rather than keep the Bibles in a warehouse indefinitely, they released them to Chinese church in Moscow for use in training and evangelism. Mr Rovenstine told Mission Network News they have just received word that all 50,000 Bibles have been distributed.
Those Bibles are in the hands of people who can read them and discover the truth that they contain, he says. God opens doors and gets His Word to those who want to read it. Prayer is requested for more open doors to reach Mandarin-speaking families in Russia.
Source: Mission Network News
A multisite Evangelical non-denominational megachurch in the U.S. baptized more than 400 people over a weekend this month. New Life Church in Colorado Springs, which averages approximately 9,000 worshippers every weekend, baptized 419 people across multiple services.
New Life Pastor Brady Boyd says the 419 professions of faith represent the most baptisms his church has had at one time in its nearly 40-year history. He told the Christian Post that with the world in a mess people are searching for truth and meaning. Many are responding to the message of Jesus, he says.
Each person attended a baptism class before being baptised and they are being contacted and encouraged to attend discipleship classes to grow in their faith. New Life church has meetings at six locations including a Chinese Church congregation.
They are the latest of multiple churches reporting large numbers of baptisms over a single day or weekend.
Source: The Christian Post
At age 89, Chuck Swindoll isn’t retiring. But his church is calling a new senior pastor — who will preach some of the time. In the 1980s Pastor Swindoll became a household name through his books and radio ministry. He is the author of 70 books.
Having grown a church that drew up to 6,000 people a week in California, in 1994 he became president of Dallas Theological Seminary in Texas. In 1998 he started a church in Frisco, Texas, and the Stonebriar Community Church immediately took off and grew from hundreds to thousands of weekly worshipers.
In 2006, Christianity Today named Chuck Swindoll one of the top 25 most influential preachers of the past 50 years. Next month Pastor Swindoll will take the title founding pastor and Jonathan Murphy will become senior pastor, according to Baptist News Global.
Pastor Swindoll will continue to preach on Sundays. Pastor Murphy will preach as requested.
Source: Baptist News Global
An Egyptian lawyer who was born and raised in a Muslim family has reported challenges that Christian converts face in Egypt. Although Mussa ( his real name withheld for security) was raised Muslim, many of his closest friends growing up were Christians, which made him interested in what they believed.
He says he began reading the Bible, asking God to reveal His truth to him and he became a Christian. It is very easy for anyone to convert from Christianity to Islam in Egypt. But it is impossible to officially convert from Islam to Christianity.
Mussa says that as soon as National Security learns a Muslim has changed religion, they are pursued like a criminal. Although the Egyptian Constitution guarantees freedom of belief, it is not practically applied.
The Christian Post reports that to continue his practice as a lawyer, Mussa’s faith remains a secret. To all external appearances, he is Muslim.
Source: The Christian Post
Zimbabwe this month has declared a state of disaster and issued a hunger alert. Authorities say that very low rainfall will lead to 2.7 million people facing food shortages this year. Barnabas Aid reports food insecurity and hunger levels are climbing rapidly in this growing crisis, and thousands have already died.
One farmer says this year he won’t even harvest 5kgs from his 10 acres. This compares to the several thousand kilos of maize that a farmer can usually harvest from one acre. Children go to school hungry and cannot concentrate because of malnutrition.
Food prices are soaring because harvests have failed, and land used for livestock pasture is deteriorating, leading to further shortages. Barnabas Aid stands ready to help Christian families in Zimbabwe. They have already sent 23.5 tonnes of lentils from Australia. This will provide around 470,000 servings.
Source: Barnabas Aid
The world’s top golfer says his faith -- not his sport -- is what defines him as a person. Crosswalk reports Scottie Scheffler is ranked No.1 in the world in the official rankings, having won twice and finished in the Top 10 seven times this year.
The 27-year-old says golf doesn’t consume him, although he acknowledged it can be a “selfish” sport. He says golf is just something that I do, and I happen to be good at it some weeks. When asked what does define him Scottie Scheffler said I believe in the Creator. I believe in Jesus Christ. What defines me the most is my faith.
I've been given a platform to compete and show my talent. I do my best to glorify God, he says. Scottie Scheffler has won $54 million in prize money.
Source: Crosswalk
A two-state solution to the long-standing Israeli/Palestinian conflict misses the problem, according to a Middle East academic. Professor Donald Losman says hatred is the issue. He told the Christian Post that addressing hatred should be the mandate, not rewarding barbaric behaviour.
He says hatred for Israel is deeply ingrained by Palestinian textbooks, preachers, teachers, and Middle East media. Last October Palestinians celebrated and even walked over the border to kick the bodies of dead Israelis.
A two-state solution? Dr Losman asks. It is madness to reward sick, criminal behaviour. Adjusting for the huge population difference between Israel and the U.S., Israel’s October 7 loss of 1,200 would equate to the U.S losing 44,000 in the 9/11 attacks.
Following such an attack on the U.S. there would be no parades supporting Hamas or recommendations for Palestinian statehood. Dr Losman teaches Political Economy of the Middle East at Rollins College in Florida.
Source: The Christian Post