AP

CHRISTIANITY IN AUSTRALIA
A recent study showed that Australia’s rate of church planting had plunged over the five years to 2021. Only one percent of Australian churches were planting new churches. Seven out of ten churches were in decline, and of the remaining 30% only a few vigorous churches were growing in membership. Although about 5% of churches close each year, about 60% of the population said they believed in God or a ‘higher power.’ About 20% described themselves as atheists. Australia needs an increase in the number of healthy churches that will take the Good News and the love of Jesus to people who don’t know him. [Source: New Life]

FLOODING KILLS 300; AFGHAN CHRISTIANS MOBILIZE WITH AID
Afghanistan (MNN) — What started as gentle rainfall in northern Afghanistan suddenly turned to flash floods that killed at least 300 people. Muddy rapids swept away entire houses were in 18 districts. Most of the victims were women and children. Even surviving families lost their land and livestock, which meant their livelihood. Now, many villages in the mountainous region desperately need aid. Didi* with Global Catalytic Ministries (GCM) says, “The challenge is with the Taliban regime; they’re not bringing resources and rescue. Actually, it’s a really challenging area for reaching, period.”
Ministry in Afghanistan today often looks like living out the Gospel and meeting the needs of Muslim neighbors, especially in light of natural disasters. The flash floods over the weekend are just the latest in a series of disasters to hit Afghanistan’s impoverished remote villages.  Didi says, “A huge part is just literally being the hands and feet of Jesus and creating relational equity through bringing care and assistance to this.” PRAY for grieving Afghan families to ultimately know the comfort of Jesus Christ.

BENNY HINN APOLOGISES FOR FALSE PROPHECY
Israeli televangelist Benny Hinn has issued an apology for delivering prophecies that, in his own admission, “were not from the Lord”. Speaking to The Strang Report, the 71-year-old shared his two biggest ministry regrets: endorsing the prosperity gospel and spreading untrue prophecies. This is not the first time the pastor has criticised the prosperity gospel. In 2019, he declared he was “done with it” and was “correcting his own theology” after witnessing the harm caused by such teachings. At the time, he shared on a Facebook video: “I think it’s an offence to the Lord; it’s an offence to say give $1,000. I think it’s an offense to the Holy Spirit to place a price on the Gospel. I’m done with it. I will never again ask you to give $1,000 or whatever amount, because I think the Holy Ghost is just fed up with it.”
In his recent interview with The Strang Report, Hinn reiterated his stance and sought forgiveness from his audience. Reflecting on past errors, he shared different examples where he believed he received divine revelation but later realised was inaccurate. “And then there were times when I thought God had showed me something that he wasn’t showing me. And I spoke it out,” Hinn said. “So I came to the conclusion in 2019 that I don’t want to be part of the gimmickry of it, and I still stand by that. But sadly, I let pressure get to me, and because of that pressure, I said things and did things that I should not have done,” 

[We praise God for Benny Hinn’s desire to be Biblical. Let us pray for all the people who were led astray through his false teaching, may also come to know the true message of the Gospel, and rest in the Lord’s peace and joy.- Ed. Source; Premier Christian News]

ARMED CONFLICT IN GAZA CONTINUES
Armed conflict in the Holy Land continues. As you pray about the situation, remember all who are
suffering so terribly there, including the Christians of Gaza, who number fewer than a thousand. By mid-December, 20 of them had been killed and most of the rest were sheltering in two church buildings in the Old City area of Gaza. At that time, they still had some food stocks but needed medicines. Pray that they will know the Lord’s presence with them and hear His words in their hearts: “Do not
be afraid, little flock” (Luke 12:32).

THE ‘DOULOS HOPE’ BRINGING HOPE TO MANY
The Doulos Hope missionary ship is celebrating its first year of service. Purchased in 2022, the vessel underwent a year of renovations before opening to the public in Singapore. Since then, the Operation Mobilisation ship and her crew have visited ten ports in five countries throughout Asia, sharing knowledge, help and hope. Nathan Schmutz managing director of Doulos Hope says the ship has seen the hand of God establishing the ministry and the crew. Doulos Hope means ‘servant of hope’ and strives to be just that, he says. On board, Doulos Hope has more than 2,000 book titles covering a wide range of subjects. The ship has also impacted thousands of people on shore through crew member visits to nearby communities. Highlights on land include helping distribute water filtration and a school visit in the Philippines, a construction project in Cambodia and ministering to the aged Singapore. [Source: Operation Mobilisation]

GOD HAS BLESSED A PRO-LIFE MOVIE!
A pro-life faith-based movie has ascended into Netflix’s global Top 10 list and has soared to No. 1 in multiple countries. For the week ending April 28, Lifemark (PG-13) tallied 3.5 million views world-view. The movie was produced by legendary faith-based filmmakers Alex and Stephen Kendrick.
It follows the story of a teenage boy whose birth mother reaches out to him on his 18th birthday. Eventually, he travels to meet her while accompanied by his adoptive parents. [Source: Crosswalk]

– compiled by Guido Kettniss