Tuesday 24 July 2018

Evangelicalism in France on the rise

It looks like Evangelicalism in France is on the rise, a study by the National Council of Evangelicals in France (CNEF) has found.
The study reported by Evangelical Focus shows around 35 new evangelical churches were opened in France last year or three a month.

France is an overwhelmingly Catholic country, with an estimated 56 per cent of the population having been baptised. Some of the cities may still have very conservative priests and institutions who do not allow people in their churches with bare arms and legs. (Two years ago I was sometimes considered to naked to enter a church but not enough naked to walk on the beach.) In some cities you also can see nuns and priests still clothed in their long dresses and nuns with covered heads. But for the amount of citizens who go to the Catholic church it seems the youngsters are not so much interested in that Catholic faith. The Catholic Church suffers from an aging and over-stretched priesthood and a shortage of vocations, and weekly mass-going is estimated at only around six per cent, which is much more than in Belgium.

The protestant church seems to be more attractive to many youngsters because they offer services with lots of entertainment.
There are around 650,000 evangelical Christians in France, around a third of all Protestants, and according to CNEF study the numb has increased tenfold in the last 60 years.

Saturday 21 July 2018

Prayer Bible verses to help us to get a deeper conversation with God

Many people consider Jesus to be God and as such Jesus praying to himself. Though Jesus did not pray to himself but to his heavenly Father which he considered to be greater than Him. Jesus very well knew he could not do much without his heavenly Father. Consider the two scriptures that follow, as they relate to personal prayer times of the one sent by God to the earth to declare Him.

Luke 6:12: One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.
Matthew 14:23: After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.
All who love God and want to follow Christ Jesus should remember that he asked his followers to pray to his Father and to go out into the world to preach the gospel of the coming Kingdom of God.
Every follower of Christ should consider setting aside a time and place for continuous and uninterrupted prayer. Each of us should make it a discipline that can not, and will not be interrupted.

Some may find that prayer can be exhausting, so it should not be something that will take away from themselves freshness of intimacy with God. Therefore they better can take some time for themselves remembering some prayer verses which were given by the master teacher himself and by his disciples of the first hour.


Prayer Bible Verses
· 1 Chronicles 16:11
Look to the Most High God Jehovah and His strength; seek His face always.
· Psalm 4:1
Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.
· Psalm 145:18
The Elohim Hashem Jehovah is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
· Proverbs 15:29
The Elohim Hashem Jehovah is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
Let us also remember
· Matthew 7:11
If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
and follow the example of the master teacher
· Luke 6:12
One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.
· Luke 18:1
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.
We also may be assured that God is there for those who call unto Him.
· Romans 8:26
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
· Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
When taking time for prayer we should not mind all sorts of way to come into a good conversation with our heavenly Father. We also should not do it once in a while but regularly.
· Colossians 4:2
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

· 1 Thessalonians 5:17
pray continually;
· 1 Timothy 2:8
I want men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands
It must comfort us that we can speak to the Most High Divine Creator. Jesus has prepared the way to Him and restored the relationship with God. We also now have Jesus as the mediator between man and God and can count on him.
· Hebrews 4:14
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
· James 1:7
That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;
· James 4:3
When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
· James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
· 1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.