(Psalm 23:4)
Big Church Festival
It has been a challenging week. CUFI was at the Big Church Festival last weekend when a tragic accident resulted in the death of Pastor Robert Guanco, and injured six others. Pastor Robert was a husband and father – it is reported that he pushed his little girl out of the way, saving her life when the large sign fell. He was pastor of Jesus the Living Water World Wide Church in Eastbourne, who describe him as “a beloved son, cherished brother, loving husband to Isaeli, a great father to Ellie, and a faithful servant of God.” Today we ask that you continue to pray earnestly for his family and friends, and all the congregants at the church. We pray that the Lord will wrap His arms around them, bless them, and give them a peace that surpasses all understanding.
The incident affected many people at the Big Church Festival, but we pray especially for those who witnessed, and for those injured whose condition we are not yet aware of.
Please also pray for the organisers of Big Church Festival, who took the decision to cancel the event following the accident. The staff, volunteers and emergency services did everything they could under very difficult circumstances. Pray for them as they navigate through the associated challenges.
In the hours that followed, after the music stopped and attendees returned to their tents until further notice, we saw strangers come together in spontaneous songs of worship and prayer together. There was a unity and a hope that transcended the confusion and disruption. It is important to remember that through suffering, the God of all comfort is able to bring peace and joy in the hardest of circumstances.
We would like to thank everyone who visited the CUFI stand earlier in the day; and we are sorry to have missed the opportunity to meet with others. Thank you also for praying for us. In the limited time that we had, we were really encouraged by all the engagements with visitors to our stand as we shared God’s love for Israel and the Jewish people.
Nepal floods
We have all seen the devastation at the China-Tibet border following the flash floods. The scale of the tragedy is difficult to comprehend and the loss of life is truly heart-breaking. Pray for the Israeli search and rescue team that has been sent to provide assistance, along with other teams from around the world.
CUFI
The Israel Course begins on 16th and 17th September as part of CUFI Academy. Please pray for the students that have enrolled. We believe in the importance of training future advocates for Israel and are praying that CUFI Academy will be used effectively for this purpose for the next generation. CUFI Academy is now open to over 25s in our CUFI Academy Plus stream. Are you interested in joining?
We have also finalised the next Torch magazine, which will be landing on doormats and inboxes in the coming days. Please pray that this important tool will make an impact in spreading the truth about Israel.
UK government considers sanctions
Pray against plans by the UK government to sanction Israel. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband promised a “comprehensive reset” of UK policy towards Israel in the coming week. This would be a big mistake! Judea and Samaria (the so-called West Bank) is part of the Jewish homeland. “East Jerusalem” is the division of the Jewish capital. A Jewish presence there is not against international law – if anything, the areas could be politically defined as “disputed” – but Jews have every right to live safely and securely in their ancestral homeland, covenanted to them by God. The building of 1,234 Jewish homes in the largely underdeveloped E1 section of the West Bank is being used by the UK government as an excuse to ban goods produced in the “settlements” and targeted sanctions on British institutions and individuals. Israel has said that if the UK acted against Israel, it would implement reciprocal measures. Pray for the UK-Israel relationship to be protected. Pray for these plans to be thwarted.
Thank you for praying for us today.
“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10
