Armed Forces Baptist Missions is on a worldwide quest for the souls of men and women in uniform and their families.

What The Bible Says Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

What The Bible Says Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

Pastor Ed Rice

Sweden will move ahead with plans to send troops to Latvia as part of NATO's deployment in the Baltic countries, which share land borders with Russia and its ally Belarus, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Thursday."This morning, the government took the formal decision to assign the armed forces the task of preparing the Swedish contribution to the reduced battalion," Kristersson told a news conference with his Latvian counterpart Evika Silina."The goal is to have this force operational from the beginning of next year."The contribution will include armored vehicles and Leopard tanks, Kristersson added.Sweden had already said it aimed to contribute a reduced mechanized battalion to NATO's deployment in Latvia as early as next year, troops intended to deter and defend against any attack, but the final decision awaited NATO membership.Sweden's armed forces have previously said the country's deployment to Latvia could include about 600 army troops.

China must stop supporting Russia's war in Ukraine if it wants to enjoy good relations with the West, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday, warning Beijing in unusually harsh words it cannot have it both ways.During a visit to Berlin, the chief of the Western military alliance said Beijing's help was vital to Moscow's war effort as it was propping up Russia's war economy by sharing high-end technology like semiconductors."Last year, Russia imported 90% of its microelectronics from China, used to produce missiles, tanks and aircraft. China is also working to provide Russia with improved satellite capabilities and imaging," Stoltenberg said."China says it wants good relations with the West. At the same time, Beijing continues to fuel the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War Two. They cannot have it both ways," he warned.Stoltenberg cautioned Western allies against becoming as dependent on China as they had been on Russia."In the past, we made the mistake of becoming dependent on Russian oil and gas," he said."We must not repeat that mistake with China. Depending on its money, its raw materials, its technologies - dependencies make us vulnerable."China has strengthened trade and military ties with Russia in recent years as the United States and its allies imposed sanctions on both, but particularly Moscow for the invasion of Ukraine.China-Russian trade hit a record of $240.1 billion in 2023, up 26.3% from a year earlier, Chinese customs data shows. Chinese shipments to Russia jumped 46.9% in 2023 while imports from Russia rose 13%.Last month, Reuters reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to China in May for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, in what could be the first overseas trip of his new presidential term.

Democrats are moving legislation that would remove Secret Service protection from President Trump. They are modern-day John Wilkes Booths. Give […]

President William Ruto commissioned church leaders to meet with Haitian law enforcement, military representatives, and a gang leader to discuss Kenya's security mission.Kenya’s leaders aren’t saying much publicly about the security force they plan to send to gang-embattled Haiti. But they’re talking a whole lot with God.Last month, as armed groups escalated their insurgency in Port-au-Prince and plunged Haiti deeper into a historic humanitarian crisis, pastors advising Kenya’s government met for three days at a hotel in Nairobi to pray.In a sky-blue conference room at the Weston Hotel, three Kenyan pastors joined Haitian and American ministry leaders and Kenya’s first lady, Rachel Ruto, to plead for divine assistance for the beleaguered Caribbean country. They prayed for the 2,500-person multinational police force Kenya has volunteered to lead to help Haitian law enforcement. At one point, meeting participants told CT, group members wept.After two days of prayer, the first lady dropped in on an album release party in another part of the Weston, which President William Ruto owns, and announced her office had formed a prayer committee for Haiti. “We cannot allow our police to go to Haiti without prayer,” Rachel Ruto told fans of the Kenyan gospel group 1005 Songs & More.Kenya agreed last October to spearhead a UN-authorized international security mission to Haiti, but the deployment has faced various delays, including legal challenges and questions about funding.The prayer marathon was part of a broader effort by the Ruto administration to strategize “a spiritual solution for our police and people of Haiti,” according to the first lady. The initiative, coordinated by the administration’s “faith diplomacy” office, has so far included a national prayer gathering, a 40-day prayer guide for Haiti, and an official fact-finding ...Continue reading...

Since the war in Sudan began last April, over 150 churches have been damaged or destroyed, according to a report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has claimed thousands of lives and devastated religious communities, with U.S. watchdogs warning that religious sites are being targeted, leaving a trail of destruction.