I N S P I R E YO U R FA I T H | I M PA C T T H E W O R L D
The Truth What If It Was About Easter Real?
Jesus – The Author and Finisher of Our Faith
Trusting In Him
Teaching from Gordon Robertson
CBNEUROPE.COM
Too Good To Be True?
ISSUE 59
CONTENT
FROM THE DIRECTOR | 3
From the Director
03. Welcome to Issue 59 From the Director
Dear Friends,
04. Jesus – Author and finisher of our faith Teaching
Welcome to the April 2022 edition of REACH magazine!
06. Europe Updates CBN Ministry Highlights
We truly hope that this edition serves to inform, inspire and encourage you as we navigate these days together.
09. He is Risen CBN Israel 10. The Truth About Easter Featured 13. Superbook 5K! Fundraising 14. Discover CBN’s Impact Global Impact 16. What If It Was Real? Featured 18. Easter Devotional YouVersion 20. CBN Ireland Special Feature 23. Partner with Superbook! Superbook 24. Pray with us! Prayer Needs
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26. God Answers Prayer Testimonies 29. Put Your Hope into Action Your Ways to Give
R E A C H is a free magazine produced and distributed by CBN Europe to inspire, inform and strengthen your relationship with God. We partner with individuals, churches and organisations in order to share the message of hope in Jesus Christ, provide humanitarian relief and reduce poverty. It is our vision to share the Gospel in a relevant way to all generations and see people walk in their true potential with God. Would you like to support our ministry? Contact us on the numbers provided or visit cbneurope.com/donate.
No doubt, you will be aware of the war happening between Russia and Ukraine. As I write this letter, we are receiving many donations from kind individuals and organisations giving their resources and whatever they have available. We have not only received monetary donations, but we have also had blankets, sleeping bags, hygiene goods and baby essentials in aid of Ukrainian refugees dispersed in neighbouring countries that are providing a place of safety. My team and I ask that you would pray and, where possible, give. Your continued support enables us to be on the ground to support those who have had to flee their homes due to war. For regular updates, please visit cbneurope.com/Ukraine. God is not surprised by the unfolding of events in our world today. He is outside of time and sees the end from the beginning. This does not mean, however, that His heart is not affected by what we are witnessing in these perilous days. None of us knows for sure but, I think it is a fair assumption that God’s heart breaks at the sight of innocent victims of war across Ukraine running for safety in cellars, basements and bomb shelters.
Again, I ask that you pray for those affected by the daily reality of this war and that you support us in our efforts to help the people of Ukraine. As we approach Easter, I wish you, your family, friends and loved ones a restful and peaceful time. May the constant truth that God is love, the God of peace and giver of freedom permeate your Easter holiday. May your future be filled with hope, may the things (desires) you have in your heart come to pass. I pray that we will remember that we serve a living God, because Jesus didn’t remain on the cross of calvary, but He rose again to give us life, and life abundantly. I leave you with this blessing, until next time: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. Mark Dijkens Regional Director
4 | TEACHING
Jesus – the Author and Finisher of our Faith
L
ast year on Good Friday, I was awakened with the thought that I should look up Hebrews 9:6. So I opened my Bible and read, ‘Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services.’
Yes, our world is changing, yet God still calls us to preach the Gospel and reach out to the suffering. The key is to depend on Him, and He will give us the insights, ideas and ability to meet new challenges.
I wondered what it meant—and then I saw the relationship to Good Friday. On the very day that the Son of God was offering Himself as the sacrifice for all people for all time, the priests were still performing their service in the Temple. They didn’t realize that there was a complete change of temple service and the abolition of sacrifice. It’s almost like they didn’t get the memo. And for about 37 more years, those priests continued to perform their rituals. This was after all the tremendous miracles that happened on Good Friday. The veil in the Temple was torn in two from the top to bottom. There was a great earthquake, graves opened, and people were raised from the dead. Then on the third day, Jesus Himself arose from the grave and appeared to people numerous times. Even so, the priests kept up their routines, not realising everything had changed – until Titus surrounded Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple in A.D. 70, and the daily sacrifices ceased. Today, as we see the immense changes in our nation and the world, we need to understand the seriousness of the times. Let’s not be like the Temple priests, performing our routines without recognizing what is truly happening.
TEACHING | 5 was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ So let Jesus be your faith. Don’t try to drum it up or pray it down. Just look to Him – because if you have Jesus, you have all the faith that you need. He is the author and the finisher. God’s Word assures us in 2 Timothy 2:13 that even when we are faithless, He remains faithful, because He cannot deny Himself. In the middle of any turbulence, we have Jesus. That means we have all we need, and we have the wonderful promise in Philippians 4:13, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’
It’s interesting to consider that the whole temple service was to eliminate the sins that were done unwittingly. Yet what justifies people before God is that the righteous live by faith, and this is declared under both the old and new covenants (Habakkuk 2:4 and Romans 1:17). And righteousness by faith is what gets us through. As Hebrews 11:1 tells us, ‘Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.’ How do we get this faith? Hebrews 12:2 states it simply: ‘Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that
Don’t let your circumstances distract you. When you look at the wind and waves, you start to sink. But when you start looking at Jesus, you start to arise and you can walk on water. Remember, we have this wonderful new covenant made with the blood of Jesus Christ. When we hold onto Him, we can go through every difficulty knowing that He is with us and His righteous right hand will uphold us. God bless you. Excerpted from a CBN staff chapel. Scripture is quoted from the NKJV.
By Gordon Robertson Chief Executive Officer
6 | FROM THE OFFICE
Crisis in Ukraine Turns to Full Scale War Last week, the lives of Ukrainians like elderly Vira from the Donetsk region changed in the worst way imaginable. The regular artillery fire they had grown accustomed to enduring exploded into intensive shelling and missile strikes. They now face a horrifying new reality.
FROM THE OFFICE | 7 parents who cannot be re-located, some are weary of wandering and have chosen to settle in basements and underground shelters. And many simply do not have the funds necessary to leave the war-affected zone.
Suddenly they found themselves caught in the throes of war and on the frontlines of a full-scale Russian invasion. Sadly, many have lost their homes and livelihoods. Others were severely wounded, and some
Conflict in Ukraine – A Horrifying Reality
U
KRAINE – On February 24, at approximately 5:00am Kyiv time, President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation to “demilitarize and denationalize Ukraine.” A few minutes later, missile strikes began in major cities throughout the country, including near the capital of Kyiv. Can you imagine the struggle and heartbreak victims of the conflict in Ukraine must be facing right now? Since the beginning of the conflict with Russia eight years ago, CBN Ukraine along with partners on the ground, continued serving in the line of fire. Whilst dreaming of a long-awaited
lost cherished loved ones killed by bombing and shrapnel. peace, friends like you have been sending critical aid and supported lifechanging surgeries in the besieged areas of Ukraine.
Over a million have already fled the conflict yet, some residents cannot escape the turmoil. There are ill
Thanks to the ongoing donations of faithful supporters like you, we were able to immediately begin reaching out to embattled Ukrainians like Vira. Through our team on the ground in Ukraine and our partner organisations
8 | FROM THE OFFICE in the warzone, we are so grateful that compassionate donors are already making a huge difference.
9 lovingly, responsibly and above all – prayerfully.
He is Risen
Help for Ukraine During Russian Invasion Our supporters are making it possible for us to supply food, hot meals, water, generators solar chargers/light and fuel. In addition to the other lifesaving supplies, the generators and chargers provide an invaluable lifeline for families who would otherwise have no power to charge their phones to remain in contact with loved ones.
Together with our partners, we are supporting many evacuees. As the situation persists and unfolds, they face untold challenges, travelling to and surviving in a new location. We commit to continue standing with victims of the conflict in Ukraine. We are ready to help survivors and refugees sensitively,
T
ake a moment to read Luke 24:1–8. The Romans crucified thousands of Jews in the first century; Jesus was one of them. His death on a cross was not unique. It proved to be a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles (1 Corinthians 1:23). The difference: the resurrection. Jesus walked out of the tomb.
With your support we can continue this life-saving aid and do much more! No one knows when the war and its terrors will end, but you can provide a glimmer of hope in these dark times.
To support the disaster relief in Ukraine, please visit www.cbneurope.com/Ukraine.
The resurrection became the corner stone of the New Testament message that Jesus was God’s Messiah. He “was born of the seed of David according to the flesh and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:3–4 NKJV). When Paul stood in Athens addressing the pagan Athenians, he sought common ground to proclaim his message to them – an altar to an unknown god, quoting their poets, not quoting the Jewish Scripture – yet the one thing he could not equivocate on was the resurrection, even though Greeks found it to be foolishness (Acts 17:16–34). The resurrection of Jesus served as God’s promise to those who are faithful that they too will participate in the resurrection at the end of the Age (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; 1 Corinthians 15). It also provided a powerful reversal. The crucifixion and death of Jesus left the hopes of many shattered (Luke 24:21). While Jesus died fully trusting His good and loving Father, His followers did not share the faith of their master. But God specializes in turning the dark into light, making the impossible possible, and bringing life from death.
In the resurrection of Jesus, God triumphed over the grave. He brought life from death; He turned darkness into light. He gave hope. This is why in the midst of our deepest darkness and despair, we do not lose faith. No matter how dark the night, how devastating the diagnosis, how impossible the situation, God will triumph. He will transform death into life and darkness into light; and so, we have hope. Why? Because Jesus walked out of the tomb. The Apostle Peter firmly declares the hope we have because of the resurrection: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away” (1 Peter 1:3–4 NASB). Even when we come to the end our lives and face our own death, we have nothing to fear. We have extraordinary hope, for ourselves and our loved ones. Why? Because Jesus walked out of the tomb.
PRAYER Father, You are our hope. Even in our darkest moments, You bring us light and life, and therefore we trust You. Thank you for the hope we have in the resurrection. Amen. If you would like to know more about the work of CBN Israel visit cbnisrael.org
10 | FEATURED
FEATURED | 11
The Truth About Easter I
“ t is finished,” echoed across Golgotha’s hill. The skies became dark as Jesus uttered the three most powerful words ever spoken from His lips as He drew his last breath upon the cross. Besides him were two criminals, both guilty for crimes they had committed and in the middle was Jesus the Saviour of the world, innocent but treated as a criminal. He carried the weight of sin upon his shoulders, his body was beaten and scourged beyond all recognition, but miraculously not one of His bones was broken. Blood and water poured out from His pierced side. A crown of thorns pushed forcibly into His brow, penetrating the depths of his skull, the torment, the agony, the pain, the shame. Those who witnessed this horrific death, and theologians, believe it to be John who said, “His testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe.” John 19:35 (ESV) The words “It is finished” were a declaration of truth and a reminder
that you and I may also believe. Death no longer had dominion; the curse of sin, sickness and disease conquered. These truths would live as a testimony that would echo throughout the ages for generations to come. No longer would it be necessary for a lamb to be sacrificed for the atonement of sin because the perfect lamb of God had paid the highest price. One sacrifice was sufficient to redeem and restore you and me into a rightful relationship with God. The man of sorrows, who was acquainted with grief took upon himself our guilt and shame so that we might know peace with God. The peace that transcends all understanding would continually guard hearts and minds for those who put their trust in him.
Jesus performed this kind of love by laying down His life for us, so that we may live in relationship with the Father. He served us in the most sacrificial way, not just during His life on earth, but in the way that He died.
why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.” John 3:16-18 (MSG)
“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And
God did not only say that He loved the world, but He also demonstrated His love through action. The truth is that anyone who believes in Him would not perish or be condemned but would have everlasting life. For those who know Jesus as their Saviour, the cross still speaks of hope in an uncertain world. For the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. As we celebrate Easter, may we never lose the wonder of experiencing the joy and freedom that Jesus brings because “it is finished” is still relevant for us today. Each of us can know that our sins are forgiven and forgotten, and His peace is freely available for those who ask. By Allen Carter Head of Development
12 | FUNDRAISING
Our team has grown to a strong six as we now have the addition of Vanja Bule CBN Director Balkans. This will be her first time running a half marathon! Please continue to remember all CBN runners in your prayers. Key prayer points are for continued good health, for good weather during the race (and over their training runs) and protection from injury. As we run through London, we are declaring Psalm 23:6 over the city of London. Wherever we go, His goodness and mercy will follow and be infused. We would love for you to sponsor our Strong and Spectacular Six at our debut participation in the London Landmarks Half Marathon! Gizmo won a place and will also be participating, doing the 100m sprint against other mascots!
SUPERBOOK | 13
SUPERBOOK
Vanja
Eniko
Mark
Kim
5K
The Superbook 5K is back!
Fundraise for Superbook! Which of your friends will you invite to join you on this virtual 5K? Encourage the children in your life to get to know Jesus.
Andreas
Dina
Help other children to have a life-changing relationship with Jesus. Mark your calendars! 23rd to 30th June 2022
To support our debut participation in the London Landmarks Half Marathon 2022 ‘Run For Ukraine’ JustGiving fund Please visit: cbneurope.com/run
Registration fee: £7/child £12/adult £35/family (2 adults and 2 children) All participants will receive an event pack – including a little surprise...!
Registration opens on
Saturday 30th April 2022
14 | GLOBAL IMPACT
GLOBAL IMPACT | 15
Building Hope in Romania
A Warmer Winter for the Orphans of Rzeszow
In a small village near Cluj, Romania, a promise was broken. The kind that has extreme consequences. For Livu, his wife, and their five young children, it meant their lives were at risk.
Rzeszow is the largest city in south-eastern Poland. During winter, temperatures can drop as low as -3 to -5 degrees Celsius. Many of the children in the orphanages across the city are without warm clothes.
Having worked for a cattle rancher, Livu was promised a house for his family. One they never received. The only place they could find? A run-down, single room shack with no amenities for cooking or sanitation. Suffering from poor health and cold conditions, Livu desperately searched for jobs to help his family survive.
In partnership with YWAM Poland, CBN’s Orphan’s Promise has been able to step in to provide warm winter clothing for two orphanages in Rzeszow. Hats, gloves, scarves and thick coats were packed into individual gift bags and delivered to the children.
That’s when our partners stepped in. They stood in the gap. They enabled CBN’s Orphan’s Promise to build a new home. Somewhere safe, dry, and warm. Brick by brick and piece by piece, hope was restored to this precious family.
We are so thankful to all our partners across the world. They faithfully give so that we can help those who are unable to help themselves.
Yet, that’s not where this story ends. CBN partners enabled so much more. As part of CBN’s Orphan’s Promise SEED projects, a storehouse for seed and a shelter for animals was constructed. SEED projects seek to provide sustainable sources of food and livestock for those who need it most. Not only does this give food for the family, but it allows avenues of income to be established for future seasons.
From Confusion To Salvation
Together with local tradespeople, Livu and his family were able to build something that will not just bring income and security for the next few years but instead build something that brings hope to future generations. A brighter future for his family and community, a warm place to call home, and a safe, secure environment to raise his family.
Abel was confused because her parents had different religions. “When I was about 6 years old,” she explained, “I knew that my mum and dad were different in their faith.”
Livu shared with us, “Thank you so much for the support you provided. For the house and the stable and for my family.”
One day, she went to church with her mother. During Sunday school, she watched a cartoon that made her want to know more. “I couldn’t wait to learn about the next Bible story from Superbook,” she said. “That’s what kept me coming back!”
Want To Read More Stories? Visit cbneurope.com/impact to read more inspiring stories about how God has used CBN across the globe.
After watching the story of Jesus and Lazarus, Abel asked Christ into her heart. She happily shared what she learned with her father. Today, the whole family believes in God and attends church together!
16 | FEATURE
It carries all the weight
What
if
it was real?
Imagine there was something so sig nificant to your life and the lives of everyone that was almost too good to be true. The kind that would cause millions to give up their way of life to follow it or lose their life so others could hear it. Something of eternal importance. Surely a thing like this would cause you to stop and inquire at the very least? To ask the question, what is it?
Jesus Christ died for humanity and was resurrected. He did this to restore our relationship with our Creator. In Jesus, there is forgiveness and eternal life.
This is a bold statement to make. One that millions have held as
their foundation in life. It’s either true or false. Not only this, but all the things Jesus said and did get their validity from His resurrection. Ultimately, if you can disprove this, the whole thing comes crumbling down. If you find it true, then who or what you’re living your life for may need some adjustment. It carries all the weight. The world is searching for things that Christianity claims an answer to. Who am I? What does genuine love look like? Why am I here? If you could live each day knowing the answer to these questions, wouldn’t that statement be worth exploring?
Is there still a truth that stands? When you look around at society, it’s not difficult to see that trust has been fractured. I believe a big part of this comes from losing the balance between truth and love. There used to be a big emphasis on truth, yet it was delivered without love. A hurting society quickly swung the pendulum to the other side, and love became the focus at the expense of truth. It became possible for two people to have their own contradicting truths because love doesn’t tell someone what they believe is wrong. We’ve quickly arrived at a place where no one really knows who to trust anymore. You can believe whatever you want as long as it
FEATURE | 17 doesn’t hurt me. If it does, you’ll get ‘cancelled’ from my life. That’s right, ‘cancel culture’ really is a thing. Society has forgotten what truth and love are. We need someone to lead us out of this chaos. Hope is not lost. I believe there is still truth. One that leads us to know who we are, what genuine love looks like, and why we are here. Whilst I can’t give all the evidence for that statement in this article, I can offer you the direction to look. If all this hinges on the death and resurrection of Jesus, then that is where you should start. Truth is based on evidence. Many have tried to disprove the resurrection, to find themselves convinced it happened. The evidence is overwhelming. But this is too important to take my word for it. Find out for yourself. A book I would highly recommend is ‘The Case for Christ’ by Lee Strobel. If you’re still unsure whether this is worth some of your time, I’ll leave you with this quote. C.S. Lewis, the author of ‘Chronicles of Narnia’, said, “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance, the only thing it cannot be is moderately important.”
Joel Singleton Marketing Assistant & Co-host of CBNE Live Prayer
7 DAY PLAN BRING IT ON | 19
PAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS Join Pat Robertson, CBN founder, as he answers the tough questions in life with Biblical truth’s.
This Easter, why not set aside 7 days to follow our Exploring Easter Bible plan? Available on YouVersion, Exploring Easter does exactly what it says on the tin. Journey with us from before Jesus’ death right through to His resurrection and beyond. What better way to mark this special easter season than with a focussed time of reflection and celebration.
Happy Easter!
Q.
The Bible says in Matthew 6:15 that if you do not forgive others, then God will not forgive your transgressions. So, does that mean if a believer dies with an unforgiving spirit towards others, God will not forgive his sins – and he cannot enter heaven?
A.
‘I don’t think that’s what the verse means. However, if you want access to the power of God and if you want access to the anointing of His Holy Spirit, you must be in a constant state of being born again. And in order to be born again, you have to have your sins forgiven. Remember, Jesus said if you’re asking the heavenly Father to forgive you, you must have the same attitude in your heart towards others. This is an important thing. Otherwise, you will cut off the flow of God in your own life. I’m not in a position to speak on eternal judgment regarding whether you’ll go to hell or not. But I will say this: if you want to enjoy the privileges of His anointed children, you must forgive each and every person who wronged you. There’s no other way around it.
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR PAT? Log on to CBN.com/BringItOnline and follow the instructions.
20 | CBN IRELAND
CBN IRELAND | 21
exciting news We have some exciting news to share with you.
F
or many years, faithful partners in Ireland have joined us in the mission to make Jesus known. As we have prayed, we believe it is now time for CBN Europe to take a step of faith and to appoint Vincent Leason as CBN representative in Ireland. Vincent and his wife Caroline are CBN partners and are passionate about Jesus and seeing the ministry of CBN Europe expand in Ireland. Vincent and Caroline have been married for 14 years, have three children and live in Dublin. Here is an opportunity for Vincent and Caroline to introduce themselves and tell us a little about themselves. Vincent: I was born in Canada and raised as a Jehovah Witness. From an early age, I only really cared about myself. From the age of 16, I went on a journey of “wilderness wandering”. I was in a biker gang and addicted to drugs, alcohol, porn. Whilst under the influence of drugs, I was introduced to a man who told me about Jesus the One True God. Within moments I felt that Jesus had knelt beside me and removed my hardened heart, refreshed my tongue, and I felt His hands remove the scales from my eyes!!! When I asked Jesus into my life, all the heaviness that had covered me like a huge blanket was gone!! I felt so free and quickened by the Holy Spirit into His Living word all at once that I was overwhelmed. I knew right then and there that I was never going back, and those addictions were gone and completely broken off. Caroline: I was raised in a Catholic home, but I was never aware that I could have a personal relationship with Jesus. I didn’t have a specific defining moment with Jesus; instead, it was a progressive build up, as every step with Him becoming my Lord and Saviour was marked with meaningful moments. Before I met Vincent, I was in a violent relationship with severe opposition to faith, which took away
my peace at every turn. In the midst of this, both of my children were sick with Acute leukaemia and retinoblastoma (eye cancer). I only started to understand my worth in Christ through an Alpha course that I went to, and shortly after, I asked Jesus into my heart. I then decided to get baptised. V & C: As CBN representatives, we are most excited to see God’s kingdom advance within Ireland with both the young and old. Specifically, we desire to help raise awareness of CBN’s family of ministries, build relationships, and give encouragement. We love to pray for people and see them set free and healed in Jesus’ name. We believe the Word! That word for Ireland right now is Jeremiah 1:9–10. Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “ I have put my words in your mouth. See today; I have appointed you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” The Holy Spirit is moving, changing, vindicating and demolishing strongholds. It is the time for “UNITY IN THE SPIRIT” here in Ireland. Across all denominations and different mindsets, this is vital. If you live in Ireland, Vincent may call and introduce himself. Vincent and Caroline are also looking for ministry opportunities where they will be available to speak in churches, raise awareness of CBN Europe, and tell of the beautiful things we are achieving together. If this is something that you believe would benefit your church, please email: ireland@cbneurope.com or contact us by calling/text/WhatsApp on: +353 85 176 7137. If you want prayer, please continue to call our Hope Line on: 01 513 3738, or if you wish to submit a WhatsApp prayer, please message +353 851767137.
22 | KIDZ DEVOTIONAL
| 23
T he True Meaning of Hey kids! Happy Easter! We hope that you have lots of wonderful things planned for the Easter weekend and are ready to celebrate.
Easter
Did you know that Easter is all about Jesus? We celebrate with eggs and hot cross buns, but all these things are symbols of the new life we have through Jesus’ sacrifice. As believers in Jesus, we accept that He died for us to take away everything that we have ever done wrong. Jesus’ sacrifice means that we are not punished for the things that we have done that are not good. How does this make you feel? Are you excited to know Jesus? Hot cross buns and chocolate eggs are delicious, but they are only a small part of the reason we celebrate Easter. There are a couple of verses in The Message translation of the Bible that say this: “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son,
his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.” (John 3:16–17) (If you find these verses hard to understand, why not ask your parents or carers to help you?) God did not send Jesus into the world to be mean to us and tell us all of the things we’ve done wrong, He did it so that we can be reconnected with Him, once and for all. Our prayer for you this Easter is that, whilst you are enjoying Easter egg hunts and lovely treats, you will remember the heroic sacrifice of our Saviour Jesus and even share this Good News with a friend. Happy Easter! From Chris, Joy and Gizmo
Become a Superbook partner today! For £15 a month you can help us introduce Jesus to children across the UK and Europe. The money you donate helps us create resources and programmes that teach children about the love of Jesus and gives them opportunity
to accept Jesus as their saviour. With this money, you will also be given access to the whole library of Children’s shows that CBN have created throughout the years. To sign up to be a Superbook Partner today visit cbneurope.com/ donate/superbook
24 | PRAYER NEEDS
Prayer Needs
PRAYER | 25 coming year so please pray for God to lead, direct and use this work and speak through it. Pray for lives to be transformed, changed and for people to be brought closer to Him. Pray that we would see more people come to know Jesus this year as we share the love, hope, and peace of the Gospel in a fresh new way.
Hope Line We receive hundreds of calls each month through our Hope Line from all across the UK, Europe, and Australasia. Please pray that we would see more salvations, recommitments, and testimonies of God’s faithfulness and provision.
Humanitarian Please continue to pray for our Humanitarian work through Operation Blessing and Orphan’s Promise. Pray for the many projects, that we would see more people helped with practical aid and that we would see more people come to know who Jesus is through this great work.
Superbook
Please stand with us in prayer for our many initiatives. Creative Media Please pray for the extension of our TV broadcasting and social media outreach. We want to see a rise in engagement with this great content of hope as God’s love goes out to the nations each week. We have exciting new content being brought out in the
Superbook, CBN’s animated Bible series, continues to increase its reach in so many countries across the globe. Please pray that more children and families would be introduced to Jesus through this ministry. We are partnering with churches to share this great resource further and wider than ever before, please pray for increased engagement from churches. We have some upcoming events that we are very excited about, please pray for the practicalities to come together so that we can bring Jesus to many children and families.
CAN WE PRAY FOR YOU? We at CBN Europe, have a heart for prayer. We believe that Jesus has called us to pray for one another and encourage each other in our walk with Him. If you need prayer, please call our Hope Line and there will be someone ready to stand in prayer with you. Call the CBN Hope Line 0300 561 0700 (UK) | 01513 3738 (ROI) 02 7908 0700 (AUS) | 04 488 0700 (NZ) | +44 207 101 7045 (Int) Or message us on WhatsApp! 07833 993 924
26 | TESTIMONIES
DIGITAL MEDIA UPDATE | 27 Embracing new ways of reaching people with the Gospel is something that CBN has been pioneering for over 60 years! This year will see us connecting with many more through the power of digital platforms.
TESTIMONIES ‘And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony...’
We are believing for a digital revival, reaching a new and wider audience, building a new online community for believers. We have a vision and, on a mission, to be discipling and evangelising to 1 million followers through our social media platforms by the end of 2025.
(Revelation 12:11 NLT)
When we learn what God has done for others, it gives us faith to believe for the things that we are petitioning Heaven for. As you read these testimonies received in April/May, we pray that you will be inspired to go again – to pray again – and believe that nothing is impossible for our God.
HEALING Harry called in and wanted to share a praise report about how he was healed by the Lord. Two days ago, he was suffering with hip inflammation. Whilst he was watching The 700 Club they prayed, and he received healing from the Lord! He is all well today. Praise be to our God! RECOMMITTMENT Lorraine was feeling suicidal when she called in. She has just recommitted her heart and life to Jesus. Praise God! PRAISE Last November, Jude discharged a parcel for her family, but unfortunately the parcel got lost. She continuously prayed and trusted God. God gave her the wisdom to call the head office of the company who made the delivery. Little did she know that the parcel was just sitting there in their office. The man that she talked to took the necessary steps to deliver the parcel that day. The parcel was
properly delivered to her family. God is truly amazing and cares about the detail of our lives! PROVISION Louise called in earlier asking for God’s favour for her to be able to have her skin condition diagnosed. She has been trying to have a doctor’s appointment for weeks but could not speak to any doctor. She called for prayers, we prayed and after a few minutes, a doctor contacted her and was able to diagnose her skin condition. She said that it was a miracle. Praise God! HEALING Alana called in as a year ago she was diagnosed with Diabetic Retinopathy, an abnormal bleeding behind the eyes. There is no cure for this. However, yesterday she went to the hospital for her eye screening and her eyes were healed! The bleeding stopped and her eyes are healthy again. Glory to God!
Our prayer is that, through our creative content, we will through the power of the Holy Spirit help non-Christians find salvation in Jesus, inspire and train Christians on how to share the Gospel so that we can TOGETHER make Jesus known in the UK, Europe and beyond. You can help us on the road to 1 million followers by connecting with us on all our social media channels and sharing our new and exciting content, such as: A weekly live show hosted on the CBN Europe YouTube channel. We invite people to pause and pray. We take live prayer requests, share testimonies of answered prayer and get into the Word of the Week. We demonstrate that you can pray anytime, anyplace, anywhere. The new Director Download, a quarterly video where we will be looking into the world of our Regional Director, Mark. We will listen to incredible highlights from your CBNE family and the life changing impact our partners are enabling. Sometimes all you need is a short word of encouragement straight from the Bible. Well, that is exactly what Word of the Week is for. In the Word, you will find faith, strength and hope as Rev. Joel Singleton shares a short thought on powerful scriptures that can change our lives.
Share/Like/Subscribe Follow us @CBNEUROPE Let’s put social media to good use and make Jesus known to everyone in the UK, Europe and beyond.
28 | REACH ONLINE
YOUR WAYS TO GIVE | 29
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IF YOU OPENLY DECLARE THAT
JESUS IS LORD AND BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD,
YOU WILL BE SAVED. FOR IT IS BY BELIEVING IN YOUR HEART THAT YOU ARE MADE RIGHT WITH GOD, AND IT IS BY OPENLY DECLARING YOUR FAITH THAT YOU ARE SAVED. Romans 10:9–10 NLT