Repenting for Antisemitism and Praying for the Muslim World
Last week the Canberra Declaration held a special and significant time of repenting for antisemitism in the Church, led by guests Kelvin Crombie and Rev Robin Kinstead. This Friday night we will be praying for the Muslim world – please join us!
Repenting for Antisemitism in the Church
On Monday night we held a very special and historic time of repentance for antisemitism in the Church. Sadly, the past 2000 years of Church history have far too often been times where individuals, movements and denominations have held and promoted antisemitic views.
One dark example is Martin Luther. Luther was at the forefront of recovering the precious truth that sinners are saved by grace through faith alone, based on the authority of God’s word alone. And for this, we give great thanks.
But Luther’s antisemitism was atrocious. He wrote that the Jews were worse than the devil, that synagogues and schools should be burnt down, their houses destroyed, and Jews expelled from European lands. Sadly, his teachings laid a foundation for Hitler’s Holocaust.
Amazingly, over 200 people came online on Monday night to repent of antisemitism on behalf of the Church! If you missed our prayer and repentance night, you can watch the main segment in the video below!
We are very grateful to our special guests Kelvin Crombie from Western Australia and Rev Robin Kinstead from Figtree Anglican Church, Wollongong. Together, they wonderfully helped lead us in our time of repenting for antisemitism!
We are also profoundly grateful to Kym and Nel Farnik for leading us during our time of repentance and prayer.
Celebrating Easter
The Easter season is a time of increased awareness about sin – because it is the time of celebrating the mighty victory over sin and death by Messiah Jesus! It is for Jesus and His glory that we exist (Col 1:16, 18). Our prayer this Easter was that we all come to a greater knowledge, appreciation and love for His sacrificial death for sinners (Rom 5:8).
Easter (along with Christmas) is when we have a Christian cultural holiday in Australia. For this reason, it continues to be a wonderful opportunity for evangelism. People who may not often think about God or Christianity will usually give a little thought to what time of the year it is.
We have only just come out of the formal Easter period. So, there is still plenty of opportunity to speak to people about the true significance of our cultural holiday! To help you do that, Kurt Mahlburg has written a brochure titled “10 Reasons to Believe Easter Really Happened“.
The brochure is based on a longer article written by Kurt Malhburg on the Daily Declaration. Also titled “10 Reasons to Believe Easter Really Happened“, it gives an in-depth account of why Jesus’ death and resurrection is an event of history – not an imaginative fable.
Praying for the Muslim World
We would like to let you know that this Friday 5 April, we will hold a day of prayer for the Muslim world. We are partnering with International Prayer Connect which is one of the organisations mobilising millions of Christians around the world to pray for the around 1.8 billion Muslims in the world today. We will also pray for the people of Gaza. Watch the video below.
We encourage you to pray throughout the day for God to move powerfully amongst Muslims – all of whom need Christ. We also invite you to a Friday Zoom prayer call on 5 April at 8 PM AEDT using our regular Zoom number https://zoom.us/j/776881184.
Once again, we wish you all a very Happy Easter. Our Saviour and Messiah has won the victory over sin and death (1 Cor 15:3–4). He ascended to heaven and sits at the Father’s side (Psalm 110:1). And He will return to earth to establish His kingdom forever and ever (Rev 11:15)!
Hallelujah and Happy Easter! Let’s share this victorious Easter message which gives hope to every person. And don’t forget to download and share “10 Reasons to Believe Easter Really Happened” with your church, family and friends!
Yours for the glory of the risen Christ,
Samuel Hartwich & Warwick Marsh
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Photo by Sylvain Brison on Unsplash.
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Thank you Warwick and the team for revealing the roots of anti Semitism in church history along with Kelvin Crombie (Perth) and Rev Robin Kinstead (Wollongong) and Kym and Nel Farnik.
I doubt many Australian believers know the history of Anti Semitism in Australia, or that we imported in the terrible lies and prejudice of Martin Luther who was one of the first in the church to turn on the Jews with intense hatred, or that Hitler15 centuries later, used this hate to persecute the Jews in WW2.
Most Australian Christians only know Luther discovered we are saved grace, through Jesus death on the cross, and their knowledge of him stops there. Luther’s first contribution was a wonderful uncovering of truth about God’s love and attempts to reach out to us but sadly his second contribution and hatred of Jews was in direct contrast to God’s love of the Jews and eternal promises to save them and bring them to the land He chose for them. (Genesis clearly shows God chose the Jews to be His people and he gave the land to them and Romans chpt 11 shows he will keep this covenant to them and we non Jews are the Gentiles grafted in meanwhile by grace. God promises to lift the veil from Jewish people’s hearts too so they will later understand their Messiah came and only some recognized Him, but God will give a second chance and bring in His people).
Thank you organizing the special time of repentance on zoom which touched our hearts and to Kelvin for making His clear write up and video clip on this subject and sharing in the prayer time with Rev Kinstead.
May God keep giving understanding and shedding His light on this subject and open up the heart of all in the Australian churches and society.