The ICC issued tandem arrest warrants on Monday for both Netanyahu and Sinwar. Arrest warrants were also issued for Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant as well as Hamas leaders Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh.

The move was more symbolic than anything since the ICC has very little enforcement power.

However, the United Kingdom, Italy, and the United States strongly condemned the ICC’s decision. US President Joe Biden called the prosecutor’s arrest warrant for Israeli officials “outrageous.”

Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs USA (VOM) explains, “The issuing of arrest warrants for both of these together suggests an equivalency that doesn’t exist.

“Saying the [prime minister] of the State of Israel who responded to an attack on his people is the same as the terrorists who instigated that attack undermines confidence in the International Criminal Court that they would sort of put those two things together because they’re not the same.”

(Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Despite international bodies stirring tensions in the Holy Land, Arab and Israeli Christian pastors present a different picture: Focus on the Gospel mission.

Nettleton says, “Pastors on both sides of this conflict were asking the same prayer: ‘Lord, we want to represent you well in the midst of conflict, in the midst of now even war and death around us and bloodshed. We want to represent Jesus to the people who are going through this very difficult time. Pray for us to be able to do that.’”

Please pray alongside these pastors that the Gospel will be elevated above the noise in the region, and for unity in the Church.

Pray ultimately for Christ’s justice and peace, that evil would be defeated and God’s name be glorified.

Header photo courtesy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Photo courtesy of IDF Spokesperson’s Unit/Wikimedia Commons: https://tinyurl.com/2s4hb6aw)

In a victory speech, Meloni stated, “From the Italians has arrived a clear indication for the center-right to guide Italy.”

Depending on where you’ve heard of her, Meloni has been painted either as a social savior or a dangerous fascist.

Italy flag (Photo courtesy of Michele Bitetto via Unsplash)

International Media Ministries (IMM) is a Gospel video producer based in Europe. Regarding Meloni’s election, Denise Godwin with IMM says, “There’s a lot of, if you will, negativity about her — if you do see any news at all because there’s so many other things that are dramatic in the news. They’re calling her pretty extremist.”

However, Godwin cautions against simply taking media commentary at face value, no matter who it relates to. “That old journalist in me says, ‘Well, I need to go hear this person’s own words and make sure that we’re hearing truth.’ We all bring a filter to every situation and so it’s easy to accept a filter that’s given to you in different forms of media.”

Most media coverage focuses on Meloni’s speeches on family values, national identity, and society — such as her 2019 speech at the World Congress of Families gathering, or the National Conservatism Conference in 2020. Meloni’s 2019 speech, in particular, has gone viral after it was temporarily removed from YouTube.

Italy is overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, accounting for 80% of the population. However, only around 15% practice their faith. Secularism in Italy has slowly grown in popularity.

“I think it’s very remarkable that you see a European country that clearly if they’ve elected Meloni, they are fed up with anti-religion, anti-life, anti-sexual identity messages that they’re getting out of the media,” says Godwin. “I think that’s remarkable. Whatever you think and your own politics, I just think it’s very indicative of the mentality of people getting fed up with sort of a spoonfed, or perhaps shovel-fed perspective on culture that doesn’t reflect their own heart or their own sense of what is right and wrong, even if they’re not believers.”

(Photo courtesy of International Media Ministries)

IMM produces evangelistic video content and media training to reach people around the world with the Gospel. Godwin says just as believers need to check their media sources, IMM hopes their videos lead people to the original source of faith as well — Scripture.

“I think it’s really important to make sure the Bible is incorporated into our spiritual nourishment, not just simply people’s sermons and podcasts and things. Those aren’t bad, but the source document is really important. When in doubt, you definitely want to go back and look at that, and then put all the world events and the podcasts and everything into perspective through that lens.

“The Bible is our source document. It’s so important to make sure that’s incorporated into who we are as believers, but also the lens that we take to the news and the lens we take to our lives.”

No matter where you land on the political spectrum, as Christians, we can pray for Meloni as she enters the role of Italy’s Prime Minister — for justice, wisdom, and godliness in leadership.

Pray also for Italians to put their ultimate hope, not in politicians or platforms, but in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Header photo courtesy of Caleb Miller via Unsplash.

President Emmanuel Macron of France received criticism for saying Russia “must not be humiliated” in order to preserve a diplomatic way out of the war. Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of Germany, has been accused of not sending enough military equipment to Ukraine.

TWR

Despite the war, Trans World Radio (TWR) staff continue to produce Gospel programming from their Kyiv office. Frank Stephenson says, “I’m sure there are still tons of military checks. It just takes a lot of time to travel, even within Kyiv. However, they still do the work. Our ministry director for the region says she is really thankful and impressed by the production capacity that they’ve had.”

“In May, they did a lot more than we thought they would be able to do.”

One TWR team member, Natalya, continues producing despite moving around the country to avoid the fighting. First, she and her family moved south. Then, Stephenson says, “Things got really heated and dangerous in the south, near Odessa. So they fled further north. Now, they’re in the region of Kyiv. And who knows how long they’ll stay there?”

The TWR office near Kharkiv remains closed, as the region still sees artillery fire and some fighting.

The programming TWR produces includes Roma Camp Moves On, a program designed to share Jesus’ love with the often-despised Roma people of Europe. Roma who fled Ukraine often have trouble finding shelter in nearby countries.

Praise God for the faithfulness of TWR producers in Ukraine. Pray for an end to the Russian invasion.

The header photo shows Natalya producing content. (Photo courtesy of TWR) 

Italy lost 368 people to the virus in one day, by far the most for any country in a single day since the outbreak began.

You may have seen videos of the quarantine in Italy, with people leaning out of their windows and singing together. Many of those people are Christians, and many of the songs are about the Gospel.

Among the Christians in Italy are those who work for Operation Mobilization Italy (OMI).

Map of coronavirus cases in Italy. (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Davide Bogliolo (Da-vide bo-YOLO) says of OMI’s personal situation, “Now we are stuck in the houses. I have to say that the theme here is is quite good. And we are healthy, you know, none of us has been infected or is as any kind of has the problem. So, the staff is okay.”

Living conditions during the coronavirus outbreak

Bogliolo says OMI is responding to the virus much like many others in Italy and around the world: they are staying in their homes, trying to help not spread the virus.

Citizens in Italy can go out and buy groceries, Bogliolo says, and for emergencies. But, “You need to have a statements with you to give to the police if they stop you. It’s not that they are checking on you. But if you are going around, they may stop you. And if you if you state something that is not true, you can be in trouble.”

But, the virus is negatively affecting the ministry. While staying home, Bogliolo says OMI is not able to carry on many of their ministries. “We have anti trafficking ministries that at the moment are suspended because we cannot be on the street on during the day. Youth meetings in the churches; we cannot do that anymore. Mobilizing the church [and] trying to encourage mission or [sharing] the Gospel. We cannot do that at the moment.”

Being the light of Christ in a dark time

Italian COVID-19 task force. (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Bogliolo is trying to encourage people and be a light in the dark situation. He stays in contact through social media, texting, and email. As the crisis drags on, he is thinking about what things will be like when the outbreak is over.

“I really have the feeling that we are going to be a different country, [a] different people after this experience. This is a really massive community experience that we were not [expecting] to pass through.”

Bogliolo asks believers to pray that Italy will be renewed after the outbreak and time of fearfulness. “How can we be a blessing for Italy, after the crisis, to have wisdom and depth [of] vision? To meet people and to encourage and restore them with the Gospel after this emotional crises that we are facing?”

And even as believers in the West deal with their own coronavirus isolation, let us all encourage each other in whatever way we can, whether by communicating over the internet or helping at-risk people get groceries.

And pray that the Holy Spirit would destroy the coronavirus, and that many would come to Christ as a result.

Checking for the coronavirus. (image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

A Long, Powerful Tradition

Most people in Italy, about 71 percent, identify as Christian. Of that, 93 percent are part of the Roman Catholic Church.

René Breuel is a guest of InterVarsity and the Pastor of Hopera Church, a church he helped plant in Rome.  He explains that while Christianity is familiar, many Italians are closed off to hearing about God’s word.

“They feel that the good news is neither good nor news. They feel that they know what Christian faith is. And that it is very powerful and very rich and corrupt. And so many of them don’t want to have anything to do with it.”

This poses a unique challenge. These people have heard about God, but the things they know are not consistent with a message of grace and forgiveness.

Love in Community

Because of their resistance to hearing about faith, many Italians are not drawn in by big events or organized activities.

Breuel explains, “And what we’ve found in our conference really helps, is seeing the Christian love embodied in community. Not so much the intellectual arguments, but just seeing how men and women relate to each other, how relationships can develop, the hope and joy and faith we have, the love. And so they’re really taken by that. Sometimes when they come to our church service they start crying and don’t know why. Sometimes they talk about the energy that is there, but we know that’s God’s presence right?”

(Courtesy of Pom’ on Flickr at https://bit.ly/2EWzulC and Header Photo Courtesy of Carlo Raso on Flickr at https://bit.ly/2u4oAFl)

People are stunned by the expression of true Christian faith. It is a totally different picture than what they have grown up seeing.

As Italians are drawn in and see the Gospel as truly good news, Breuel says it is like they are rediscovering something or seeing something totally anew. For many, this new sight only comes through the persistent and consistent love of the body of Christ.

Time and Food

Breuel says that this principle is likely true of Italians living in any place. Their heritage is one that is all about community.

“I would say that Italians are very relational and it’s a lot about relationships, a lot about food. Unhurriedly. So not thinking about a quick bite or something, but when we try to do things like more programs things at church didn’t work. A lot of its relationships, being in people’s homes, spending time at the table. People really open then.”

Reach Your Italian Neighbor

The Gospel is meant to be shared. Breuel encourages people to invite their Italian neighbors into their home. Share an unhurried meal. Enjoy conversation and bring your relationship back to the only relationship that matters, a relationship with Christ.

Learn more about Italy and how you can pray for unreached Italians here.

Alfie Evans was a 23-month-old boy born healthy to parents Tom Evans and Kate James in the United Kingdom. But Alfie was eventually hospitalized with seizures and spent over a year in Liverpool’s Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

Doctors were unable to definitively diagnose the toddler as his condition worsened to a semi-vegetative state. They guessed he had a degenerative neurological condition.

(Photo courtesy of Alfies Army Official via Facebook)

In December 2017, the hospital and Alfie’s parents disagreed over his further treatment. The hospital applied to the UK High Court to remove parental rights and withdraw Alfie’s life support.

Alfie’s parents appealed to take him to Rome for a second opinion and further treatment. The doctors at the Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital were ready to receive and treat Alfie’s condition. Italy even granted Alfie emergency citizenship and the hospital had an air ambulance on standby.

But the UK High Court refused to release the Alfie to his parents and upheld the hospital’s decision to end life support.

The UK High Court acknowledged there was no evidence Alfie was suffering or in pain. However, the court’s decision included a statement from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, asserting that when “the severity of the child’s condition is such that it is difficult or impossible for them to derive benefit from continued life”, it is better to let them die.

Michele Shoun with Life Matters Worldwide says, “Most people, when they are faced with something like this, they want a second opinion and the family [was] denied that.

“It seems fairly common with some other cases that have come to our attention — Charlie Gard a year or so ago, and there [have] been a few others that I have read about recently. [These cases] seem to show how the National Health Service, their single-payer health service, is overtaking the rights of parents to make decisions.”

Alder Hey took Alfie off life support against his parents’ wishes on April 23rd. He survived an incredible five days. Doctors believed the toddler wouldn’t last even a few minutes without life support machines and didn’t give the toddler oxygen, water, or food for the first six hours. Eventually, they gave Alfie oxygen and hydration, although he was still off life support. Alfie finally passed away on April 28th.

Steven Woolfe, a member of the European Parliament and a political advocate for Alfie’s case, wrote on his Facebook page, “Any patient is entitled to a second opinion and there should be no obstruction to it. If a court seriously doubts Alfie´s parents lack his best interests on the grounds they are not medical specialists that is a tyranny of experts that every parent must now dread. To doubt so without any proof of ill intent is monstrous and sets out a government policy to nationalise our children.

“To decide specifically that a child is not allowed to be treated by another qualified and willing provider is to subject that child to non voluntary euthansia with withdrawal of treatment.”

The quality of life argument essentially made by the UK High Court in Alfie’s case is one the pro-life camp commonly hears. The argument is that “limited or poor” quality of life is enough justification to terminate that life. In Alfie’s case, the government deemed that not only was this justification to terminate his life, but that it would be illegal to further treat and sustain the toddler’s life.

(Photo courtesy of Alfies Army Official via Facebook)

“That’s the problem is when death is seen as a solution to quality of life…. We shouldn’t seek death as the solution for quality of life,” says Shoun.

“In the case of Alfie, they don’t have a real diagnosis and they’re guessing…. It’s not their role to ensure that someone dies. It’s one thing to say, ‘We can’t do anything more for this person. He is probably going to die.’ But to do things that ensure death is crossing a line and becomes euthanasia.”

Shoun says Christians need to remember and promote this truth that all human life is valuable because all life is created in the image of God according to His purpose.

“Every breath we take is from Him, and it’s that acknowledgement along with the sanctity of human life — that we don’t take life and we don’t take our own lives into our own hands and we don’t take the lives of other people into our hands, that we submit to God and give our life to Him — that’s, I think, the message that Life Matters would have for that.”

Please pray for Alfie’s parents as they mourn their son’s passing. Pray for our society to better promote the value of all human life and that more people would know the God who created them.

If you’d like to learn more about Life Matters Worldwide and their pro-life ministry, click here.

(Header photo courtesy of Alfies Army Official via Facebook)

They have seven different trips open right now ranging from one-week long to internships that can go up to a year. Click here to check out all the listings.

(Photo courtesy of Frontiers USA via Facebook)

Teresa Gibson, Director of Short-Term Missions with Frontiers, shares the heartbeat behind these outreaches. “For you to get the heart of Jesus and the view of the lost and the eyes of what God sees out there among the over 1,000 unengaged people groups. That’s why we do it.

“Then there’s the other fact of just encouraging missionaries and encouraging people who are there long-term. So that’s part of it too.”

One opportunity they have is coming up this summer in Sicily. “There are loads of asylum seekers and Muslim refugees in Sicily, and we’re sending three teams over for a week just to make friends and to share stories and to hear the refugee and asylum seekers’ stories and hopefully, with the local workers there, do some discovery Bible studies,” says Gibson.

“Then we have a couple of opportunities in India. One is working at a new language school, and that is a two-week trip. I’ll actually personally be leading that trip.”

There’s also a leadership group experience in India if you’re interested in getting experience to head a trip with your own church or some other group — or if you’d like to learn more about long-term missions for Christ on the field.

(Photo courtesy of Frontiers USA)

“We have in the Middle East an opportunity to go to Arabic language school in the morning, and then in the afternoon you work with refugees in a country in the Middle East [for two months]. So that has kind of both elements to it — it has the language and culture learning and it also has working with where some of the felt needs of the world are right now,” Gibson shares.

“In northwest Africa, we have a medical short-term [trip] that’ll be two-weeks long, but it also can be extended, and that’s working in a hospital. You need some medical background for that, but we’ve had really nice reports of folks who’ve gone on that, interns and med students being able to really practice there.”

There’s a two-fold purpose to these short-term mission trips with Frontiers — to spur life-long missional passion, both on the field long-term or in your own community.

“What we’ve found over the years is there are some people who already know they’re going to do that (go into long-term missions), but want to go on a vision trip, want to go see what the ethos of our organization is, what it’s like to make friends and have relationships with Muslims and to do discovery Bible studies and to just get a vision for what city or what country they’ll go to. So in that aspect, that’s for someone who’s already considering long-term missions.”

Serving Muslims in the name of Jesus Christ is what Frontiers USA is all about, and the focus of these outreaches has a deep spiritual impact, both on those being served and those serving.

Gibson shares, “I have story after story…. Even just as recently as last year, we had a young man go to the Middle East and learn Arabic and serve refugees and he’s all in. He’s already saying, ‘Okay, I’m going to go back for a longer internship this year,’ and then he’s going to go ahead and fill out the long-term process.

“We had another young lady go to the Gulf a few years ago on a two-week trip just to taste and see and meet with the missionaries there. She loved it and she went back for a two-month internship the next year, and now she’s actually on the field in a very closed Muslim country serving with the team there.”

(Photo courtesy of Open Doors USA)

Ultimately, Gibson says it comes down to this: “Hopefully, what we believe is…just having that heart for people who don’t know Jesus will just expand and grow, and it’ll allow people to spend the rest of their lives — whether they’re goers or senders or with another agency — to increase in that.

“For the individual, that’s what we really want is to provide an opportunity for God to work on the vision of serving Muslims.”

Interested in learning more?

Gibson advises, “Go online to findyourfrontier.org and it’s just a form [to fill out] and I will personally get back to you!”

(Image courtesy Wikipedia)

Last week, a 6.2 magnitude, shallow earthquake struck a wide region of Central Italy, collapsing whole towns, killing more than 290, injuring 400, and leaving thousands without shelter.

The towns of Amatrice, Accumoli, Arquata del Tronto and Pescara del Tronto, (about 95-145 km north-east of Rome) were hardest hit.  Some 2,100 people have been sleeping in tent camps, nearly 1,000 more than the first night after Wednesday’s quake.

On Saturday, Italy declared a national day of mourning as well as a state of emergency in the region, as rescuers shift from the first phase of emergency to the next.

Operation Moblization’s Italy Director, Christian Pilz explains, “They are at the phase now with actually cleaning up the dirt, cleaning away the stones, cleaning away everything, and then checking out how the buildings are, what needs to be repaired, where are the buildings people can move back into…”

Faced with the challenge of getting survivors into safe, warm accommodation before the winter, the government plans to offer wooden chalet-styled huts, similar to those built in 2009 after a major temblor.  It’s a better alternative to tents, given the temperature drops in the mountainous areas.

(Quake zone/ aftershock image courtesy Wikipedia)

Already, aid, manpower, and supplies have been pouring in.  At this point, Pilz says they have what they need for quake survivors.

“The emergency teams of the government actually asked ‘do not send more people into the area. Do not send more food or clothes or any kind of physical things there to help, because the response has been so overwhelming, that there is more than enough there.’ They actually don’t know how to handle [it] and there is no more need.”

The OM-Italy team has been watching the disaster response unfold on television, says Pilz.  Sending in an assessment team or more volunteers right now would be counterproductive.  “Volunteers, they say at the moment, in the current situation, if more people are coming in to help, they’re actually getting in the way and it’s more dangerous than with the people they have there already.”

Instead, on Monday night the Evangelical Alliance led a meeting to figure out how to plan their response, which will come in a couple more months.  “In the first two or three months, everything is organized pretty well. The teams are there, the military is there, the fire brigade is there. Even refugees came.”

They’re looking down the line, “…when the TV stations lose interest, when it’s not on the news, not in the newspapers anymore, and the people have to deal with the situation there. This is where we want to come in.”

In the third phase of recovery, the emotional and spiritual trauma shows up.  OM will be also be looking for people who can “help with debriefing, pastoral care for the people who have lost not just relatives or families, but also houses, basically, living in constant fear.”

Some have suggested this is akin to taking advantage of a tragedy to look for converts. Pilz says, “I think we, as Christian organizations, have another message of a risen Christ, a living God, who (yes) can bring healing back to these families.”

Funds can help get the ball rolling for what response measures are to come.  Prayer will be needed for all those who are going to be helping with the clearing away and rebuilding.

It’s an emotionally tough job, says Pilz, because it is more than physical labor. It becomes a labor of love.

“You may think you’re only going there to clean away stones and dirt from the street, but then, under the stones, you discover different things. You’re constantly confronted with the people who live there and come to you and want to share their heart.”

In a country rich with world history, where ancient and modern worlds intersect, the love of Christ transforms completely. Are you up for the challenge?  Click here to check out what OM-Italy is doing and keep on top of their quake response.

(Photo Courtesy Allan Watt via Flickr)
Trevi Fountain.

As of today, there are around 150 million Christians facing persecution across the globe, and it doesn’t look like it’s slowing down. This is a hefty challenge, considering mankind can send people into space, yet still combats religiously-motivated violence.

Last year featured a notable rise in attacks against Christians. Breibart states it may have even been the most violence sustained against Christians in modern history. The numbers from Open Doors USA would agree.

As previously noted, Open Doors USA’s 2016 World Watch List (WWL) — a ranking of the top 50 countries where Christians face the most sever persecution for their faith — shows a steep increase in violence against Christians in 2015, making it the most violent year since Open Doors began in 1955.

Please pray for Christians facing persecution for their faith. Pray for the spread of the Gospel, and for believers’ perseverance. If you want to help support Christians in persecuted areas, consider donating to Open Doors.

Open Doors USA strives to provide resources and training to Churches in difficult areas, equipping individuals to share the Gospel and boldly live out their faith.

Read more of their stories here.

Nefarious: Merchant of Souls is being used by Operation Mobilization to fight human trafficking in Italy.

Italy (OM/MNN) — The abolitionist William Wilberforce once said, “If to be feelingly alive to the sufferings of my fellow creatures is to be a fanatic, I am one of the most incurable fanatics ever permitted to be at large.”

A fanatic is one who exudes a passionate single-mindedness that causes all other things to pale in importance.

Operation Mobilization is inspiring people of Italy to become fanatics about an issue that is much more comfortable to ignore.

The documentary Nefarious: Merchant of Souls calls Christians to become fanatics–for Jesus and for the justice that He would have us uphold–by educating its viewers about the atrocity of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. It calls for not merely “interested bystanders” but sold-out fanatics for the restorative love and healing that Jesus has to offer.

The team at OM Italia’s Tesori Raggianti (Radiant Treasures) have taken up this call to become fanatics: not only for Jesus, but for this cause.

This anti-trafficking ministry was launched in October 2012 to become an advocate for the oppressed in the region and to educate and mobilize the community. It takes its name from Psalm 34:5, which says, “Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces” (NLT).

On Sunday 27 April, Tesori Raggianti held its first public screening of Nefarious in the local theatre of Torre Pellice. The event was advertised widely during the preceding weeks, and the team was excited to see that the group who turned out included pastors from various churches and members of the churches in the area, as well as some non-believing community members.

Tears flowed freely among those in the audience as they witnessed, through the film, the tragic realities of the global commercial sex industry and the lives restored by the love of God on screen.

The screening was followed by a short presentation specifically about what this issue looks like in Italy and how Tesori Raggianti is responding.

“There are approximately 50,000 victims of commercial sexual exploitation in Italy today,” Erika, Tesori coordinator, explained to the audience. “Only 1%-2% of those victims are rescued.”

Erika went on to outline the ministry’s three focus areas: prevent, protect, and pray. The prevention stage involves awareness campaigning and programs, aimed at both the wider community and those at risk. The protection stage includes street outreach and victim contact, as well as training for anti-trafficking workers in the areas of after care and the healing process. And finally, the prayer stage consists of mobilizing a broader base of people in prayer, both locally and internationally, through regular prayer meetings and newsletters.

The event was capped off with a time of food and fellowship, which facilitated conversations about next steps and how the community can continue to be involved. People from a number of denominations expressed interest in participating in a regular prayer ministry. Some members of a men’s ministry will be discussing how they can get involved and educate and encourage other men in the community to make a stand for this issue.

Tesori Raggianti also plans to host more screenings of the film in the coming months. In addition to these awareness and education programs, Tesori Raggianti will host a training conference at the end of May to further equip anti-trafficking workers in the area of care and restoration.

The ministry also aims to commence street outreach in the fall.

Please pray for the victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Pray for the members of this community, that they would continue to be passionate about this cause.

For more about the ministry of Tesori Raggianti or the issue of human trafficking and sexual slavery, click here to visit the Web site.