The faith factor

Born-again Christian Lauren Davis (pictured here in 2015) gained a shock victory at Wimbledon this year, beating defending champion Angelique Kerber in the second round.

The 25-year-old American has been outspoken about her faith and told US website Unashamed Athletes: … Read More

Beating knives from death to life

Christian author and activist Shane Claiborne (pictured with Rev Dr Sally Mann, spokesperson for Red Letter Christians UK) joined hundreds of East London youngsters and adults to find a better use for knives seized from Newham’s streets. Together with an … Read More

Exposing warriors in Warwickshire

Brave the wilds of the Warwickshire countryside and you’ll find Christians making fires and foraging for food as part of a spiritual warfare course.

Bushcraft expert Mark Kirby, 43, regularly runs survival workshops that teach dauntless delegates about building shelters, … Read More

Government accepts persecution review in full

“Freedom of religion will be at heart of government policy”

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and the Bishop of Truro, Rt Rev Philip Mounstephen

After years of virtual silence over the suffering of Christians around the globe, the government has pledged … Read More

“God’s land army”

This is the prayer group backing Jen Gaskin, centre (hands clasped together) in her initiative to encourage prayer all round Britain’s coastline on 21 September. “Let’s not forget we are all part of God’s spiritual land army,” she says. HEART’s … Read More

Forcing gay marriage and abortion on NI is “cultural imperialism”

Parliament voted in July to impose same-sex marriage and abortion on Northern Ireland, with no say given to the people of the province.

The decision will be implemented unless the Northern Ireland Executive comes to a power-sharing agreement by 21 … Read More

Methodist evangelicals “saddened” by gay marriage decision

Evangelical Methodists have called on their denomination to stay true to the Bible, after the Methodist Conference voted in principle to support same-sex marriage.

The Methodist Church’s Marriage and Relationships Task Group had recommended that the Conference accept gay marriage, … Read More

Watershed win could now help other persecuted professionals

Thrown off bench for expressing his opinion

This June Christian magistrate Richard Page lost his appeal against being struck off the judiciary.

Mr Page was sacked for saying, privately, that a child does best with a mother and a father. … Read More

“Hand over Iran tanker for terror debt”

In a twist on the Iran tanker crisis, human rights lawyers want Britain to sell the tanker seized by Royal Marines on 4 July to pay millions of dollars owed to terror victims.

Yet the British government and media have … Read More

Bolsonaro joins massive March for Jesus

In one of the largest Christian gatherings in the world, three million Brazilians marched for Jesus in São Paulo.

Joining them was President Bolsonaro – his first time at the march as president (he attended in 2018 as a presidential … Read More

Church drops crime rate by 42 per cent

Chicago is notorious as one of the most crime-ridden cities in the USA, but in one area crime has reduced by 42 per cent due to one church.

New Life Covenant Church’s outreach activities have changed the community. The church … Read More

Sweet victory for Christian bakers

The US Supreme Court has overruled a lower court decision against a Christian bakery that refused to make a cake for a lesbian wedding.

For the owners of the Oregon bakery, Aaron and Melissa Klein, it was the end of … Read More

Searching for love

What’s love got to do with our broken society? Everything! But don’t be deceived… Everyone wants to be loved! This was the message I took from looking at the pictures of the vast crowds of young people taking part in … Read More

Prayer points:

On a recent visit to the UK, Jerusalem-based prayer leader Chuck Cohen urged British Christians to pray as follows:

1) That anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism may not be allowed to rise into the leadership of this nation.

2) For Iranian Jews … Read More

$50 billion turned down

The Palestinian Authority is reported to have rejected a $50 billion incentive to make peace with Israel as the economic aspect of President Trump’s ‘Deal of the Century’ was unveiled.

The offer is in exchange for little more than accepting … Read More

Peace in the valley

Jews and Arabs in the Jordan Valley are enjoying excellent relations, according to its regional council head David Elhaiini. The Jewish settlements there are the only source of income for the Arab population, whose quality of life has dramatically improved … Read More

Buck-ing the Trend

A politician not known for being a supporter of Israel has thanked a constituent for drawing her attention to the abuse of children and civilians by terror group Hamas as part of a campaign by the Israel-Britain Alliance.

Referring to … Read More

Cancer survivor: “I don’t fear death”

Michael Bushby nearly hanged himself after a devastating prognosis. But God intervened and today he is cancer free

By Chris Eyte

MICHAEL Bushby sat alone in the darkness of his garage, holding a beer in one hand and a skipping … Read More

“I met Jesus in jail,” says ex-drug addict mum

When married mum Lisa Ortiz woke up from a drugs stupor in a holding cell, she felt terrified that she was going to die an addict.

As she looked round the cell in Warren County Jail on 17 August, 2012, … Read More

Burmese Christians forced to convert

Officials in western Burma (Myanmar) have forced three Christians to become Buddhists, according to Morning Star News.

Firstly, in May, two ethnic Chin Christians, a pastor and member of his house church, were taken from their homes in Padi Kyin … Read More

Hymns replaced with communist anthems

Churches in China are being forced to sing songs praising the state instead of God.

The communist government is banning traditional hymns and ordering registered churches to use a new ‘hymnbook’.

Religious liberty magazine Bitter Winter reports that the Religious … Read More

Children killed by extremists in Nigeria

Three children were among Christians killed recently in two Nigerian states by Muslim Fulani herdsmen.

Morning Star News reports that on 17 June in Kaduna state, over 200 armed herdsmen attacked two Christian villages. They killed an eight-year-old, a nine-year-old … Read More

Swedish council bans prayers

A local council in Sweden has prohibited prayer in local council-run schools, care homes and offices.

Premier reports that the municipality in Bromölla on the north-east coast of Skåne argued that religious freedom includes the “right to avoid public religious … Read More

Hindu mob forces Christians to flee

Christian families have fled their homes in the Jharkhand state of India after threats from angry Hindus.

According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), seven families left Masiya Mahuwatoli village on 12 June after about 200 villagers tried to force them … Read More

Californian liberalism turns nasty

California is well known as one of the most liberal states in the US, but now that tolerance has turned to intolerance.

The California State Assembly has passed a resolution forcing church leaders to endorse LGBT ideology.

Assemblyman Evan Low, … Read More

Saving lives through shock tactics

Centre for Bioethical Reform UK showcase, Emmanuel Centre, London, 23 May Using shocking images to change public opinion is not new.

Slavery gradually became unthinkable when the abolitionists showed what was being done to innocent humans.

Now “Making abortion unthinkable” … Read More

Praise for churches’ activism

Civic prayer breakfast, King’s Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, 10 May

Stoke-on-Trent’s civic prayer breakfast is one of the largest in the UK and has been replicated across the country. Nearly 330 attended the tenth annual breakfast, at which local dignitaries spoke about … Read More

Winning men for Jesus

Christian Vision for Men meeting Salvation Army hall, Berwick, 11 July

Reaching men where they’re at with the Gospel was the theme when Christian Vision for Men (CVM)  delivered a presentation to the Salvation Army.

Michael Bushby of CVM said: … Read More

News from HEART supporters

HEART partner pastor Christy Smith and his wife Linda travelled to Mozambique and Malawi this June to help communities devastated by Cyclone Idai.

Around 1,200 people died and 250,000 were left homeless. In Mozambique, which was the hardest hit, the … Read More

The power of public preaching

Despite UK street preachers frequently getting arrested for daring to state what the Bible says, Christians from ten churches gathered on 29 June to read the Bible publicly for the ninth annual Gloucester Bible Day.

A talk on Gloucester’s Christian … Read More

Redeeming the rainbow

Given how the ‘Pride’ movement is taking over the West, the Church’s silence over this issue speaks volumes.

As Christian laity depend upon their leaders for guidance in matters of wider social and national importance, one wonders what can be … Read More

Notre Dame and the Queen of Heaven

I write to correct Robert Tromans’ point that Notre Dame Cathedral is a monument to the Queen of Heaven (Letters, June/July).

Notre Dame is a place of Christian worship dedicated to a saint, as church buildings have been since the … Read More

Exemplary standards

Please find enclosed our annual subscription and a donation for the ongoing work of this excellent newspaper. The coverage of the various conferences, reports and commentary on the UK-EU relationship, together with content from the national and regional prayer gatherings, … Read More

Network needed

I was thrilled to see the list of churches receiving HEART (June/July). As our nation turns rapidly towards secularism, UK Christians may one day need a trusted network of contacts. Maybe through HEART, we have the makings of one.

Pearl … Read More

Ruth Fazal 

As we were responsible for the advertisement of the screening of Ruth Fazal’s latest musical composition, ‘Ezekiel: Out of Exile’ (June/July), we would like to clarify that Ruth Fazal is a violinist, composer, singer and songwriter but not a film-maker … Read More

Jesus’ titles

When reading the Bible, do you notice when the words ‘Lord’, ‘Jesus’ and ‘Christ’ are used in different combinations? The Bible is a precise book. Next time you read them, consider why a particular combination was used – and what … Read More

Christian rugby star bullied by PC brigade

Now merely agreeing with an orthodox opinion makes you unfit to play for your country

AS THE Rugby World Cup starts in Japan in September, Billy Vunipola will be a dead cert for the England team if he’s fit.

But … Read More

True Sabbath

The Sabbath was first given to the Israelites only as one of the Ten Commandments (Letters, June/July). Now Jewish and Gentile believers are not under the Old Covenant. Nowhere did Paul or the other New Testament writers command the believers … Read More

Is worship necessary?

“Is religious worship necessary?” asked a recent contributor to my local paper, the Worthing Herald. “A being which has absolutely no ego does not require constant worship and glorification.”

On the contrary, having an ego means to be proud of … Read More

Baby victims

Apparently unborn babies who died in the Grenfell Tower disaster two months before birth are victims, according to the BBC’s Lucy Manning (BBC TV news, 14 June).

So are aborted babies included in this definition? Or are they just foetuses … Read More

Unity or ecumenism?

David Hathaway’s article, ‘A call to unity’ (June/July) is referring to a form of ecumenism. He asks why the Church is so divided, yet to talk in such terms is a denial of Jesus’ answered prayer.

The unity among believers … Read More

Pray for May

I was surprised and concerned by the ‘Brexit Bombshell’ article (June/July), which seemed highly unethical and rather dangerous. The author has no actual proof of what he has been told about Theresa May.

By failing to deliver Brexit, Mrs May … Read More

Coastline prayer chain

With all that is going on in our country, I believe the Lord has spoken to me about forming a ‘prayer chain’ around the UK coastline.

I prayed for a date and woke one morning with 21 September on my … Read More

Fresh insights into the biblical feasts

What these high points of the ancient calendar reveal about Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. ‘The Messiah Pattern: The Biblical Feasts and How They Reveal Jesus’

By Peter Sammons

Christian Publications International, 2019 (second edition) ISBN 978-1-78926-509-5

Scotland Yard’s Sir … Read More

The great delusion

Rebellion – not revival – is a key sign of the times

By Charles Gardner

 LONDON, July 5, 2019

 We are living in times foretold long ago. A time marked by rebellion, lawlessness, deception and fake news – all … Read More

China in chains

But its believers have found true freedom

By Charles Gardner

LONDON, June 21, 2019

Bearing in mind the brutality meted out against protestors as Hong Kong slips inexorably towards China’s orbit of control, we are reminded by author Kai … Read More

Anarchy in the home

Ugly domestic row casts political spotlight on the family

By Charles Gardner

LONDON, June 28, 2019

An ugly domestic row has served to throw light on a dark place politicians prefer to keep secret.

Our leaders have long argued … Read More