ONE STEP CLOSER TO ARMAGEDDON

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‘One step closer to Armageddon’: Franklin Graham preaches to thousands in London

Thousands filled ExCeL London to capacity on Saturday evening for the return of the God Loves You Tour, led by Rev. Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and Samaritan’s Purse.

With attendance exceeding 17,000, the venue reached its increased maximum capacity of 15,000, prompting security to turn away several thousand people, according to organizers.

Despite the overflow, crowds outside the venue responded by singing and clapping rather than expressing frustration. Inside, worship was led by Grammy-winning artists CeCe Winans and Michael W. Smith, along with Christian band The Afters. 

The event marked Graham’s third appearance at ExCeL London in partnership with over 550 churches across the city. Leading up to the event, more than 2,000 youth participated in Pursuit — BGEA’s series of gatherings aimed at encouraging young Christians in the U.K.

“Since I last preached here in London two years ago, the world seems to be one step closer to Armageddon,” he said. “Many people feel hopeless, and they’re asking, is the world running out of time? You can come to the One who can turn that around, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ — God’s Son.”

He concluded by citing John 3:16 and inviting attendees to put their faith in Jesus Christ. Hundreds responded, including a 16-year-old girl who commented, “Everybody is hungry for God in my generation right now, and He is moving.”

I am 90 next year and I have found the best way ever to evangelise for a person my age. It happened when I was getting my car serviced at Mazda recently. The girl at the Mazda desk had discovered my age from her records and commented that I don’t look my age. Behind me where about six or seven people waiting for the courtesy bus. All would have overheard her comment and one of two men who were together asked me how old I was. I answered I will be 90 next year and he responded “no way”. How do you do it? My response was the Holy Spirit as I have never said this before and it surprised me. I said, “At the age of 47, I discovered God loves me and it changed my life forever“. It was like the place went quiet, no one said anything and yet I knew that the Holy Spirit was doing something. I tried to lighten the moment with another comment of a worldly nature. I said, “You also have to use it or you lose it” and that I have never smoked. When we got on the bus there were two women who wanted to talk to me but the two men were sitting opposite me continued talking about their own fathers who were in nursing homes in their eighties. The simple comment as to why I am so sprightly and enjoying life is because I discovered God loves me had a profound effect. I used it again yesterday in Chemist Warehouse with a man who was with his young son. When I said, At the age of 47, I discovered God loves me and it changed my life forever“, his response was I have been thinking about God for the last two weeks. I said this is not a coincidence that we met and he agreed. I was sorry that I did not have a John’s Gospel with me. I have many in the car. I can fit two comfortably in my jeans pocket so I next time I will have them.

GOD IS AT WORK ON UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES IN THE USA

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This report on an amazing revival at Ohio State University is just one of a number of reports on God at work in American universities that I have posted in February. The first was on 15/02/2025, American Teenagers Open to Jesus and the second on 18/02/2025, Is America on the Brink of Another Jesus Revolution

The organizers said nearly 2,000 Ohio State University students made decisions to commit to following Jesus Christ during a massive campus revival event this week . The event, held at The Schott sports arena, drew a crowd of over 6,500 students.

At Ohio State, the attendees participated despite the chilling temperatures, which dipped into the teens. In an extraordinary display of commitment, students were baptized in the backs of U-Haul trucks parked at the site, CBN News reported. 

On social media, Unite US founder Tonya Prewett expressed awe at the spiritual movement unfolding on college campuses.

“We’ve been in awe of how God has already been moving on this campus over the past year, and He met us here again tonight,” she posted on Instagram. “Over 6,500 students gathered in The Schott to lift the name of Jesus, and almost 2,000 responded to the altar call — experiencing the freedom only He can bring.”

Prewett added, “God is moving in this generation, and we know that He’s just getting started!”

Pastor Matt Brown wrote on X, “At many of these campus events, spontaneous baptisms have broken out from those who’ve responded to the gospel. Last night the temps were cold but that didn’t stop students from getting baptized in the back of U-Haul trucks!”

The Unite US movement’s outreach efforts began in September 2023. Since then, more than 70,000 students across various campuses have participated in the ministry’s events, experiencing the transformative power of the Gospel, according to the ministry.

The revival was the second large-scale event organized by the Unite US movement this year, following a similar gathering last week at the University of Kentucky.

In August 2024, a revival at Ohio State was notably attended by members of the university’s football team. The event saw about 60 attendees baptized, with testimonies from notable players like receiver Emeka Egbuka, running back TreVeyon Henderson, defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau and former wide receiver Kamryn Babb.

The OSU student newspaper, The Lantern, noted that about 800 to 1,000 individuals attended, though some estimates suggest the number might have been as high as 2,000.

“It started spontaneous baptisms, and the football guys were the ones baptizing them,” recounted a faculty member to The Christian Post at the time. “Person after person came. You could just see the Spirit moving in people. It was different, nothing I’ve ever experienced before.”

The upcoming schedule for Unite US includes an outreach event at Purdue University in Indiana, set for March 5, where we expect to see more evidence of God moving amongst the young.

BIBLE APP IS MAKING GOD KNOWN IN OVER 2000 LANGUAGES

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The YouVersion Bible app has now surpassed 800 million downloads worldwide, and it has become so prevalent that it’s reshaping the future of Bible engagement. Before becoming one of the most downloaded apps globally, helping millions access the Bible in over 2,000 languages, YouVersion founder Bobby Gruenewald says it all started as a simple website attempting to solve a big problem.

But the solution he envisioned hadn’t yet been invented. “And so, Steve Jobs, in early 2008 announced it was going to be possible to develop apps for the iPhone and create some brand-new thing called an app store,” he explains. Not knowing what an app was, Gruenewald recruited a 19-year-old on his team to build what the world today calls the Bible app.

The Bible app was a hit, starting out as one of 200 free apps on the Apple store. In the first week, more than 80,000 people downloaded it. Today, the Bible app is opened more than 270 times each second. It supports 70-plus languages, with more than 2,000 Bible translations. “Between 10 and 12 million per month,” Gruenewald says. “These are new devices that are installing the Bible app.” If you’ve ever used YouVersion to follow a reading plan or find a daily verse, you’re part of a community that’s reshaping how we engage with scripture. On Easter Sunday alone, YouVersion saw a record-breaking 17 million users, with 3.5 million new installs. Gruenewald believes this surge in Bible engagement is part of a larger global trend. The narrative that people no longer read the Bible is simply not true. We have evidence and real data, that indicates that there is momentum globally around scripture engagement,” he says. “So we should be encouraged to know that God’s word is very alive and well, and if anything, more relevant to today’s culture than maybe ever before in human history.”

YouVersion offers three products: the Bible app, the Bible app for kids, and Bible app lite, designed for regions where internet access is limited. Now, the team is in beta mode with Bible app loop, geared toward tweens. It’s being tested in India. As the app continues to grow, its future is being shaped by one of the most powerful technologies of our time—artificial intelligence. “We’re being very careful to make sure that there’s good transparency, and that we can make sure that if it’s ever answering questions, or if we ever choose to have a feature that does that, that it does it with accuracy,” Gruenewald says. Beyond impressive numbers, YouVersion’s growth is driven by a deeper mission: to help people connect with God and his Word. The app generates no revenue and operates solely through donations. “Like I mentioned, almost 40,000 donors last year supported it around the tune of about $60 million, which is kind of the scale and scope of what YouVersion is today. That’s grown quite a bit in the last few years,” Gruenewald says.

That surge is in part coordinated between donors and Bible translation groups, working to accelerate the pace at which every single language could have some portion of scripture translated – hopefully by 2033, the 2,000th anniversary of the death and resurrection of Jesus, we could see every language have some portion of scripture translated. “It’s imperative, we think, to be able to have God’s Word in every single heart language, so that every single person has the benefit that we have of even able to hear God’s voice, hear Jesus’s words in their own language,” Gruenewald says. As YouVersion continues to expand, its mission remains the same: to use technology to make the Bible accessible to everyone. Gruenewald says YouVersion is working with nearly 1,000 companies to leverage AI for good – and to promote an ecosystem within the faith community around using tech to its fullest potential. “So until we can be sure of those things, our uses of AI are going to be much more in the realm of machine learning or ways that we use it to help us make recommendations around content or connect or label content in a way that makes it more useful for us when we search and look for things,” Gruenewald says.

GOD AT WORK IN OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

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A huge move of God broke out at The Ohio State University last weekend with hundreds of college students showing deep hunger for God as the new school year kicked off. A team of student reporters from The Lantern newspaper reports the event was led by the school’s football team members who preached the gospel before 800-1,000 people. Some campus ministries and churches helped to organize it. Throughout the evening, football players shared their testimonies as the crowd grew larger and larger. “I was just doing my thing because it was fun, and I’ll tell you this: I was on High Street, and I enjoyed it,” former Buckeyes wide receiver Kamryn Babb said, according to The Lantern. “I had fun. But at the same time, I didn’t recognize my condition. I was spiritually dead. I was spiritually dead. I could go out there, and I could smile and laugh. I can return to the {Woody Hayes Athletic Centre}, smile, and laugh. But on the inside, I was broken. I was broken.” By the night’s end, an estimated 60 students chose to get baptized into the Christian faith in four tubs of water near the stage.

Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka shared his excitement for what God is doing. “We were praying for years and years for an event like this, and we were praying with expectation — we serve a miracle-working God,” he said. “So, we definitely had an expectation when it came out, but God did increasingly and abundantly more than what we thought. So, we’re just so blessed and thankful.”   Ohio State offensive lineman Luke Montgomery also recently used his platform to tell reporters about Jesus. “I never didn’t trust the Lord’s will and His path for me, if that makes any sense,” the sophomore athlete told reporters during a press conference “When I got here, I was blessed with the opportunity to have Scripture-based Bible studies with … guys that are moving on to the next part of their journey.” As he steps into this new season, Montgomery said the responsibility of making faith central to what he and his teammates do has fallen to him and his other Christian peers. “It’s the Lord’s way; it’s not mine,” he said. “Things go His way, and you’ve just got to trust in His plan.”

Source: CBNNews

GOD ON THE MOVE IN NICARAGUA

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A miraculous story is unfolding of Nicaraguans attending mass evangelism campaigns and witnessing a mighty move of God in their country. Missionary Britt Hancock of the organization “Mountain Gateway” followed God’s call to help lead these events, along with Evangelist Nathan Morris and Shake the Nations Ministries.  “Then, He really spoke to me. He told me, ‘Son, I’ve decided to do something in Nicaragua, and if you’ll just say, ‘Yes,’ you’re going to watch me do something,’” shared Britt. And they most definitely have watched God do amazing things. Around 650,000 people have attended the outreaches so far this year, with one more campaign to go. And more than a dozen are planned for next year. “In Jesus’ Name by the end of next year, we will have evangelized an entire country,” Britt said. “The country’s got six million people in it; it’s about the size of the state of Alabama in geographic size.” “We’re just so grateful to Jesus and what He’s doing, and that He’s allowing us to have a part,” he continued. Britt says tens of thousands have accepted Jesus Christ and thousands have been healed.

https://youtu.be/APtHtKvEN-M?si=41FdGykxt321aI1n

GOOD NEWS STORY FROM IRAN

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Exciting Signs of Spiritual Change: Iranians Pursue Truth Beyond Islam

In Iran, an intriguing phenomenon is currently unfolding. It suggests a potential surge in secret Christian conversions throughout the nation. This silent movement is met with both optimism and the possibility that Iranians are exploring alternative paths. But what if they are abandoning faith altogether?

Unprecedented Change in Iran’s Mosques

At a staggering number of 50,000, mosques closures are taking place in Iran, sparking curiosity and encouraging examination into the underlying causes. Is this discreet occurrence a subtle sign of a concealed Christian movement? 

While many mosques receive government funding in addition to private funding, the government is not the primary supporter nor does it have the authority to close mosques.

Mohammad Abolghassem Doulabi, a senior cleric for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, gave a speech to a group of religious students in which he stated that 50,000 of Iran’s 75,000 mosques have closed their doors. Doulabi blamed the devaluation of the Iranian currency and a lack of direct government support for the closures.

Some scholars, however, were not quite as quick to agree. Mohammad Taghi Fazel Meybodi, a cleric and a member of the Assembly of Scholars and Teachers of the Seminary of Qom, believes the type of government support is one source of the problem. “If the government did not support mosques and interfere in the affairs of mosques, our mosques would probably not be emptied today,” Meybodi said.

He also cited the politicization of mosques and preaching as part of the problem.

Iran’s Quest for Spiritual Truth

Iran, a nation steeped in history and rich religious traditions, finds itself in a period of introspection. Iranians, driven by an insatiable curiosity and a yearning for spiritual nourishment, are actively exploring their options. 

While not widely recognized, the potential for secret Christian conversions cannot be dismissed. These conversions may represent a quiet revolution of faith, with numerous Iranians embracing the teachings of Christ in the privacy of their hearts.

A Silent Revolution of Faith

Many Iranians are making transformational decisions behind closed doors, embarking on new paths that provide solace and spiritual fulfillment within the Christian belief system. 

These brave personal journeys lead them away from the familiar embrace of Islam, guiding them toward a different realm of faith.

Questioning Established Religions

It is crucial to consider another plausible explanation for mosque closures – the growing trend of Iranians questioning established religions altogether. Some individuals may be disillusioned with organized faith, prompting them to explore alternative truths or seek spiritual independence. 

While the reasons behind the closures remain enigmatic, this undeniable development in Iran serves as evidence of the shifting religious landscape. It showcases the profound longing within Iranians to establish a deeper connection with the divine. 

Whether this manifests as secret Christian conversions or a broader rejection of organized religion, one thing remains certain – Iranians are on a quest for truth. They seek solace, hope, and enlightenment for their souls, no matter which path it may lead them down.

GOD IS ALWAYS ON THE MOVE WITH THOSE TOTALLY COMMITTED TO HIM: FATHER, SON & HOLY SPIRIT.

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There’s a whole lot of baptism going on these days. Signs of revival have been ongoing around the U.S. since February when a spiritual awakening began at Asbury University. Initially, the awakening seemed to be happening mainly among college students. But the latest evidence is being seen in the form of hundreds of salvations and baptisms of all ages at churches across the country in just the last two weeks alone, not to mention over the past two months. From scores of souls being baptized at churches, to dozens being baptized at one prison, pastors across the U.S. are declaring that God is on the move. Pastor Eric Petree of Citygate Church in Cincinnati, Ohio posted online, “Over the past two weeks at Citygate we have seen 650 people give their life to Jesus, 93 baptized, and yesterday hundreds of people filled the altars seeking the baptism of the Holy Spirit.”

Sam Rainer, lead pastor, at West Bradenton Baptist Church in Florida, tweeted on Sunday, “Today we baptized 21 people at the beach. God is good! What a blessing!” At the Crossroads Church Jersey Shore Campus, 17 people professed their faith in Christ through public baptism. At the University of Houston, several students chose to be baptized in a public fountain after a Bible study. And Regent University in Virginia Beach just baptized nine students last week. A revival event was reported in mid-April in Damascus, Maryland at Difference Makers Church with non-stop worship that lasted for several days, with young people dedicating their lives to Christ. Jeremy Tucker posted the following photo, saying, “Worship has been going for 41 hours straight! Young people from churches all over Maryland/Virginia/DC are gathering to unite the bride of Christ for non-stop worship! We thought we’d never see it, but the Holy Spirit is finally breaking out in Maryland! Come, Lord Jesus!”

The GOSPEL is still the power of God to all who believe!” Many are also declaring their freedom in Christ, even behind prison walls. The God Behind Bars ministry reports, “First Baptisms Inside of this Prison in 7 years”. 35 men in a prison in Reno, Nevada were baptized!! What a powerful moment.” A recent conference at Trinity Baptist Church in Lancaster, South Carolina, reports, “Many were saved over the 2 days, and even more were encouraged to Keep on for Jesus!  …at the close of the Service, God moved on my heart to ask for prayer for those teens battling suicidal thoughts and over 20 raised their hands for prayer.”

And the list goes on and on. For weeks, churches have been reporting multiple baptisms, including people spontaneously choosing to join in. Christ Fellowship in Miami recently reported 14 baptisms. For the last few weeks, Faith Assembly Church in Winterville, North Carolina has reported baptism after baptism, week after week. Hope Missionary Church North Campus in Ossian, Indiana reported 31 baptisms just a few weeks ago. And two weeks ago, 14 more baptisms were reported at Revival Church in Modesto, California. A student-led evangelistic event based in Oklahoma quickly became one of the largest outreaches in the country after more than 80,000 people signed up for tickets within a matter of days.  Fill The Stadium (FTS) was a gospel outreach being held at the University of Oklahoma’s football stadium and happening in late April.

Source: CBNNews Robert Furman

DIVINE APPOINTMENTS

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One of the reasons I believe God is in control of all events that occur in His world is the number of divine appointments He arranges for me when I go on missionary trips. Now, when I go on trips I expect that God has gone before me to make sure the right people are sitting next to me. My trip to Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda in April/May of this year is a good example. I had ten airplane trips and two long bus trips and on every occasion, the person I sat next to was a ministry opportunity. It was mind-blowing. I gave away five of my books and am corresponding still with two of the connections made. As well, in Kenya, I stayed two nights at the Ark Guest House (owned by the Anglican Church) in Nairobi. At breakfast, I was joined by an Anglican minister who was in Nairobi for a conference with about 70 other Anglican ministers. He was taken by the fact that I had come all the way from Australia to put on a training session for leaders of the Kenya House Church Movement in Migori County. He sought me out at dinner the same evening and asked me if I was prepared to pray for him. What was missing from his and I expect many other Anglican church ministries was a belief in the work of the Holy Spirit in believers’ lives. We ended up going back to his room where I prayed for him and his ministry. He is one of the contacts with whom I still communicate.

Matt Augee who works in a ministry to veterans in the USA supplied this remarkable story about a divine appointment. 

“I had a God encounter a week ago at a veteran’s memorial monument when I was meeting a family to plan the celebration of life for the veteran they had recently lost. I felt God prompted me to go early and I arrived 25 minutes early, just in time to be there when a young woman walked in with her head down and face hidden and sat down at one of the memorials etched bricks in the ground and kept touching it and quietly sobbing and speaking without any sound. I watched her for a little bit and I instinctively felt that I needed to talk to her and that she was suicidal.

My service dog went over to her and sat down next to her and leaned on her. That opened up the opportunity for me to talk to her. She had lost all hope and she came to say goodbye to her grandfather who had raised her and died five years earlier. She came to say goodbye to him and then to take her own life right there. If I had not arrived early I would have come across a dead woman right there at the memorial. I asked her some questions and if she was open to talking about spiritual things and she was. I was able to pray for her and to get her help from our staff which gave her hope. She has subsequently, texted us to let us know that she’s doing better but she’s going to need a lot of care and follow-up. I’m just grateful that I was in the right place at the right time and ready to talk with her and give her hope in Jesus.”

The big question for all of us is are we available for Gods use and expectant on all occasions?

The story of the divine appointment given by Matt Augee was taken from the article “May God Open Our Eyes to the Needy People Who Surround Us” by Randy Alcorn on December 16th, 2022 – http://www.patheos.com.

GOD AT WORK IN UKRAINE (PART 2)

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Christians are living out Jesus’ teachings as Ukrainians flee invasion. A movement of love, generosity sweeps Poland as it opens arms to Ukrainians 

 More than 60% of the 110 Poland Baptist churches are responding to the needs of Ukrainian refugees.

CHELM, Poland — With little more than the clothes on their back, hundreds of Ukrainian women and children wait hours in line to cross into Poland as part of the largest movement of people in Europe since World War II. They shuffle their feet quietly, even apprehensively, toward an unknown future in an unfamiliar country.

They’re stunned when they arrive. Volunteers have taped Ukrainian flags in their car windows and signs in Ukrainian reading, “free rides to shelter.” The drivers take the refugees to the Baptist church in Chelm, only a few kilometers up the road where people from around the world — Poland, Latvia, England, the United States, to name a few — are offering a place of safety and security for a few hours, few days or as long as they need it.

Families sit in stunned silence in an impromptu reception area where church volunteers tell the refugees the church has free food, drinks, showers, and places to sleep. The congregation even has a set-up children’s area where they can play with bubbles or watch educational videos projected on a screen.

“What we’re seeing is a movement of love and generosity across this nation. Poles are opening their doors and arms to Ukrainians. They are taking them into their churches. They are taking them into their homes. They are feeding them. They are caring for them,” said Marek Glodek, president of the Baptist Union of Poland.

“This is what Jesus calls His believers to do all the time. Polish Christians are taking the teachings of Jesus seriously and living them out each day during this situation.”

More than 60% of the 110 Poland Baptist churches are responding to the needs of Ukrainian refugees, many of them in dramatic and radical ways.

At a warehouse in Chelm, donations for Ukrainians are coming in as fast as they are going out to Ukraine and to shelters across Poland. The deliveries continue even after Russia intensifies attacks on the western portion of Ukraine.

In north Poland, church members installed new insulation, air conditioning, heating, electrical lines and beds in an old summer camp to revitalize it to house refugees.

Near the Belarus border, a church is providing shelter for about 50 people and sending supplies into Ukraine despite increased Russian aggression. 

“More than 1.5 million Ukrainians have sought safety in Poland,” said Mickey Lenamon, TBM executive director and CEO. “Baptists worldwide have joined together to meet their needs. TBM is honored to be part of that, whether it is through funding, sorting and loading donations in-country, setting up beds, or even doing the little things that are needed like cleaning floors and toilets. We see what believers throughout the region are doing and are seeking to do likewise: follow Christ daily and share His love.”

ENCOURAGING NEWS

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Thousands of Men on Their Knees, Crying Out to God: Promise Keepers Returns With Massive Response

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Nick Vujicic – A man of God

Nearly 30,000 men attended the 2021 Promise Keepers Men’s Conference last weekend in Dallas, Texas with hundreds of churches hosting even more men online.

The two-day event aimed to bring a positive message that would inspire transformation and empower men so they could return home equipped to lead their families, communities, and country.

The conference took place at the AT&T Stadium, home field of the Dallas Cowboys, and featured a special panel of prominent speakers including Nick Vujicic.

David Closson, director of the Center for Biblical Worldview with the Family Research Council, said it was a powerful sight to see men committing their lives to Christ in such an extraordinary place.

“Here is a stadium known for football, but instead of beer and profanity, it was filled with men confessing their sins, praying and praising God,” he said. “It was encouraging to see men kneeling at the 50-yard line on the Dallas Cowboy star, surrounded by thousands of men on their knees, crying out to God. That stadium became a sanctuary.”

Be inspired watch this short recap here.