Your Purpose by Modeling Jesus

Jesus had a purpose when he walked the earth :to heal and teach about the Kingdom of God,the Ccrossmap website reports today (Jan.19, 2026).

When the disciples did not want to be bothered with feeding the crowds, Jesus was determined, because feeding them was just part of His mission . The main gial was to love people and lead them to follow Him.

After finding five loaves of bread and two fish, Jesus prayed over them and asked God to  bless t

Then Jesus took  the five loaves of bread and two fish,  looked up to heaven,and blesseed the food. He broke the loaves apart and kept giving them to the disciples to give to the crowd (Luke 9:16).

Jesus had a plan because He understood His purpose. He instrucrted the disciples tp dhave the people breqak up  into smaller groups.

d

Then  He told His disciples , "Have them sit  in groups of about 50 (Luke:9:14).

Then, He broke the bread and fish and had His disciples distribute them. The result was an abundance of food: everyone was fed.and there were leftovers.

All of them ate as much  aS THEY WANTED. When they picked up the leftover pieces, thye filled 12 baskets (Luke 9:17).

Giving a plan to accomplish a goal, brings clarity, peace, and motivation to get started.

Christian Persecution at All--Time High

 A new report by the Christian charity Open Doors has highlighted which countries have the most extreme levels of Christian persecution worldwide,  the Christian Daily website reports today(Jan. 16, 2026).

The advocacy group said that Christian persecution was at an "all--time high"and that "Nigeria remains the globaL EPICENTER OF DEADLY VIOLENCEAGAINST cHRISTIANS. 

In 2026, more than 388 million Christians worldwide, or more than  one in seven, faced levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith, which the charity said was 8 million more people than last year.

Trump May Order More Strikes in Nigeria

President Donald Trump has said more U.S. strikes may occur in Nigeria due to attacks on Christians, the Christian Today website reports today (Jan. 14,2026). 

Despite being around 50 % Christian,more Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than all other countries combined .Accurate numbers are hard to come by ,but estimates vary from 3,000 and 7,000 killed last year.

Speaking to the New York Times,Trump suggesteed more U.S. strikes may occur in Nigeria.

The local partner for religious freedom group, RELEASE iNTERNATIONAL, RECENTLY WARNEED: "tHE INCREASE IN PERSECUTION STEMS FROM  THE UNCHECKED EXPANSION of jihadist groups, fuelled by ideological opposition to Christianity and Western  influence, alongside government inaction and inadequate security responses. "

The Nigerian government says it is doing what it can to address the issue,  but has been criticized for failing to see the  religious dimension to the killings.

Jesus is with You in Every Moment

Jesus is with you in every moment, the Crossmap website reports today  (Jan. 13,2026).

We celebrate the sweet baby in the manger because He is the suffering Savior on the cross. and the risen Savior who defeated the enemy of our souls out of love for us.

After centuries of waiting, at just the right time, He stepped out of heaven into our broken world, and wrapped Himself into the most vulnerable package. 

He did this to rescue His beloved creation from the clutches of brokenness. 

After 400 years of silence from God, an angel tells Mary that God with us is about to happen.

God is in the midst of us.

Jesus walked through this broken world. 

He took on the sins of the world to obtain freedom for you and me.

He paid the price for every sin we have and will commit. 

Women Now Leaving the Church Faster Than Men

Women have been leaving the Church at rising rates for more than a decade, the Chrisrtian Post website reports today (Jan. 11, 2026).

For years, men were the primary defectors, but foro the first time in history, women ae walking away even faster.

The pandemic accelerated the trend, and the numbers have not recovered. 

As "citizens of Heaven,"the Church is an embassy o our true home -- a place where we get to step inside eternity while still on earth.

The answer to disappointment or dysfunction is not to leave church altogether -- it's to reform it. Sometimes that means tough conversations, new boundaries, or new leadership.

In the chaos of modern life -- noise, information overload, endless choice -- we easily forget that life isn't just about us. God crafted a largeer plan for humanity, and the church is central to that plan.

The church is not just one part of our lives. It is the structure on which everything else is ordered. When that foundation collapses, everything else trembles with it.

The church is worth fighting for. There is no other way forward.

Child Evangelism Says It will Reach 100 Million Children with the Gospel

 A senior leader of Child Evangelism fellowship (CEF) says the global Christian ministry is making steady progress toward the long--term goal of sharing the good news about Jesus with 100 million children worldwide, the Christian daily website reports today (Jan. of 2026).

 Fred Pry, CEF President of Administration, said the organization's expanding global workforce and volunteer base are positioning it to reach five percent of the 2025--2026 world's estimated two billion children. Pry made the comment in a New Year  2025-2026 update reflecting on the ministry's worldwide  outreach,  training efforts, and growth across the U.S.  and most countries around the world.

With 3,600 staff and hundreds of thousands of volunteers worldwide, we are well on the way to our long--term goal of sharing Good News of the Gospel with 100 million children, said Pry.

Founded in 1937 by Jesse Irvin Overtholtzer, it has grown into the world's largest evangelistic outreach to children, reporting that it reaches at least 25 million children annually across nearly every country.

Pry said, God is blessing the ministry of our education teams all around the world and our regional education directors who have been working hard this year to increase the number of teachers around the world and our regional education directors, who have been working hard this year to increase the number of teachers trained.

Coping with the Fear of Success

 We need to pray for our stress, and God will show us what is causing it,and that will work with Him to to eliminate it,  the Good News Line website reports today (Jan.6, 2026).

With a heart to share Christ and love people, we need to grow in our faith, learn to study the Bible, and heal from he wounds of life, and get answers to life's questions and encounter the love of God in a powerful way.

If you are afraid of success, it's time to start believing in yourself. The fear of being judged or feeling lonely is the main reason many people are too scared to succeed.

The fear of success can be difficult to cope with, but taking such steps as practicing relaxation strategies, challenging negative beliefs, and learning to tolerate distress can  help.

U.S. Takes Conrol of Venezuela

 President Donald Trump confirmed that the U.S. carried out a decisive militay opeation in Venezuela early today (Jan. 3, 2026) which involved conrolled explosions and the deployment of aircraft in Caracas, resulting in the arrest of socialist leader Nicolas Maduroa and his wife, Cilia Flores,the Christian Post website reports.

Trump, who is at his Mar --a--Lago residence in Florida, announced the outcome of the incusion: "The United Sates of America has successfully carried out a large--scale strike against Venezuela  and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been , along with his wife, captured and flown out of the  country."

Delcy Rodiguez, the executive vice president of Venezuela, confirmed the information about the incursion and expressed the regime's condemnation of what she called an act of aggression.

Evangelical leaders in Venezuela and abroad reacted o the events with caution and calls for prayer.

More Than a Million Australians Attend Church Weekly

New National Data suggests Australia's churches are continuing a gradual recovey in weekly attendance following the COVID--19 pandemic,the Christian Daily website reports today (Jan. 1, 2026). 

The findings,released through the inaugural local Church Pulse Check Panel, offer one of the most comprehensive snapshots  to date of church participation across the country and are intended to provide a consistent, long--term measure of congregational health as faith communities navigate ongoing cultural and social change.

The findings ae based on a nationwide survey of 1,005 million  local churches conducted throughout October and Novembe 2025, representing about 10 percent of all Australian  congegations across multiple denominations.

The results indicate an estimated 135 million Australians attend church services in an average week.