Pray for Peace of Jerusalem

Millions to Pray for Peace of Jerusalem

The following excerpt is from Charisma News Online:

By Adrienne S. Gaines - Featured News

Roughly 100 million people worldwide are expected to pray Sunday for the peace of Jerusalem.

Organizers say 300,000 churches in 175 nations—including underground congregations in China and the Middle East—will participate in the Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem, which is considered the world's largest Israel-focused prayer event.

Eagles' Wings founder Robert Stearns, who is hosting the prayer day with Foursquare Church leader Jack Hayford, will lead a prayer event from the Tayelet Haas Promenade in Jerusalem. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, Christian Broadcasting Network President Michael Little and Rabbi Shlomo Riskin of Efrat are scheduled to participate in the gathering, which will be broadcast on God TV.

"We are living in challenging days, when Jerusalem is under tremendous pressure on all sides," Stearns said. "The prayers of faithful people on her behalf will make a difference, especially as Christians and Jews from the nations, along with Arab Christians and Jews from Israel, stand together in Jerusalem on Oct. 3."

The eight-year-old effort is rooted in Psalm 122:6, which calls on believers to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. But Stearns said Jerusalem is growing increasing central in world events, which should further motivate Christians to intercede.

"The centrality of Jerusalem to global affairs has never been more obvious and more at the forefront," he said. "... The city of Jerusalem is [having] and will have in the future massive global geopolitical ramifications. So Christians must become educated on the complex issues surrounding the city of Jerusalem."

Stearns said Christians will intercede for all Israel's inhabitants, both Arabs and Jews, and the prayer day won't center on politics.

"We do not pray from nor towards a specific political agenda," he added. "But we pray from a scriptural basis, which we believe transcends momentary political understanding and ultimately works toward God's intended blessing for all people."

Read More: Pray for Peace

Israeli Christians: Oil-streaked icon 'miracle'

(AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner)

The following excerpt is from the Associated Press, written by Joseph Marks:

A Greek Orthodox nun looks at a painting of St. George, at a church in Ramle, central Israel, Tuesday, June 9, 2009.

Christians have been flocking to this heavily Muslim suburb of Tel Aviv for two days to see what local Christians are calling a miracle, streaks of what looks like oil mysteriously dripping down an icon of St. George, at a Greek Orthodox church named for the 3rd century saint.

El-Edam, 47, said she was convinced the streaks were a miracle in part because of a strange smell emanating from the icon. She said it reminded her of her visit as a teenager to the site of a miracle in Ermysh, Lebanon. There, she said, the odor came from a recently deceased woman whose Christian faith was legendary.

"It's a special, holy smell," she said. "It's not ordinary, like olive oil. It's something strange that comes from God."

The Greek Orthodox patriarch inspected the painting Sunday, el-Edam said, and the church has sent a sample of the oil to a laboratory.

Father Nifon said the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate had asked him not to speak publicly or to answer questions about the streaks, so that believers could draw their own conclusions.

"People these days, they've forgot God and this is a sign to tell them, 'I'm still here,' said Edith Fanous, 31, who works for a local trucking company and said she has been attending St. George's since she was a little girl.

Fanous said she was singing in the church choir when the oil streaks appeared Sunday. She guessed as many as 1,000 visitors had been to the church since then. She dismissed the idea that the streaks could just be paint running on a hot day.

"This icon is 114 years old," she said. "It passed through so much weather, hot and cold. And now that we have air conditioning in the church it's started to melt? I don't think so."

Kosty Tannous, 33, an Israeli customs worker, said he thought the streaks may have appeared now because God sees trouble in Israeli society.

"There's war and discrimination," he said. "I see a lot of discrimination against Arabs here in Israel, and maybe this is a good lesson for everybody to love each other and live with each other with equal rights."

For additional information and photos, please visit the following link: Icon Miracle