Weekly Prophecy Review

Religious news from around the world...

• Bellavista Prison, a maximum security facility in Medellin, Colombia, used to experience inmate killings on a daily basis. But in 1985 a former inmate, who had since became a pastor, returned to work within the prison walls, sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with the prisoners. Since then, at least 800 inmates have been baptized, and 500 prisoners meet each morning at 6 a.m. in the chapel for discipleship. Moreover, only 4 murders have occurred since 1990.

• Out of the 9,000 Liberian refugees who recently viewed the Jesus film, 6,326 prayed to put their faith in Jesus Christ. Of these, 486 were Muslims, many of whom gathered after the showing to worship Jesus Christ for the first time.

• Burmese evangelists report that the entire populations of two villages in Myanmar recently converted to Christianity. Thirty-six people in one village and 40 in the other were baptized, forming two new churches.

• More than 1,000 became Christians during a five days of evangelistic services in the Fiji Islands. The meetings were held by American evangelist, Sammy Tippit.

• Christians in France are trying to organize 100,000 people to pray regularly for the country. With 19% of the population professing to be atheistic, France is the least religious nation in Europe.

• Meanwhile in England, hundreds of thousands of Christians gathered in cities and towns across the land to pray for their nation. Organizers of A Day to Pray brought believers from 20 denominations together to pray for their government and for their communities. In most cases, they prayed from vantage points overlooking each of their respective towns.

• And in Spain, the Messianic Jewish Kesher Ministry prayer-walked through the country in an act of reconciliation and witness. (Throughout history, Spain has been known for being rather inhospitable to its Jewish inhabitants—witness the Spanish Inquisition.) Wearing Jewish religious skull caps, both Jewish and Spanish (Gentile) believers walked the streets of Spain praying for God's spiritual and earthly blessings on the land.

• Christian radio broadcasts are having an effect in Iran! An Iranian convert broadcasting through short-wave radio has received "thousands and thousands" of letters from Muslims all over Iran. Assessing this great response by the Muslims he said, "They are recognizing that they need more truth in their lives and are finding it in Jesus Christ."

• About 1/3 of the Christian population of Iraq has fled the country since the invasion of Kuwait. They have not fled because of persecution, but because of dire economic conditions which have resulted from the U.N. embargo.

• According to the Boston Globe, the St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church of Arlington, Massachusetts is renting out its cross to the phone company. Several cellular phone antennas are hidden inside the 20 foot cross, which is one of the highest points in the region. AT&T and a local phone company are paying the church a total of $45,000 a year for its use. The Globe reports that 13 New England churches have made similar arrangements to house cell phone transmitters.

Issues having to do with prophecy...

The U.S. continues to press Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to move forward in negotiations for the second and third stages of "redeployment" [read - dividing up the land of Israel]. It has been widely reported that a total of 15% is being suggested as the target for the next two stages, meaning 40% of the "occupied territories" will eventually come under Palestinian control. This is all in preparation for the "final status" talks, which, under the Interim Agreement, are scheduled to begin in May 1999.

At the same time, however, numerous coalition partners of the present Israeli government are organizing to resist further withdrawals. Some are threatening to topple the government if any more land is ceded. Polls show less than 1/3 of Israelis will support further withdrawals until the Palestinians are forced to live up to their previous Oslo commitments.

Why is Palestinian compliance such a sticking point? Because a lot of Jewish lives are at stake. This particular withdrawal will literally turn 18 Jewish communities and 4 IDF bases into Palestinian-surrounded enclaves. Can the Palestinian Authority (PA) be relied upon to protect these enclaves as they have promised? Unfortunately, the PA track record—having broken nearly every element of their previous agreements—offers little comfort in this regard.

Nevertheless, Clinton and Secretary of State, Albright, press on. (Would that they had to live in one of those enclaves!)

Till He returns...