Thursday, March 29, 2007
North Korea Freedom Week - April 22-29 2007
For information on this years upcoming North Korea Freedom Week campaign, check the recent updates on my "A Light over North Korea" blog...
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Easter Card Campain for Persecuted Prisoners
For those whom God leads to participate in card and letter writing ministry to Christians who are imprisoned due to their faith, Christian Solidarity Worldwide has released in a pdf downloadable address book of prisoner names and addresses. They are putting this out now in the hopes that many will send special Easter cards to encourage and bless these prisoners,
I have read in many communications that former prisoners who received letters from Christians around the world during their time in prison were greatly encouraged and strengthened by this, and sometimes this outpouring can lead to early releases and is a grat way to be an advocate as well.
Connect and Encourage -
CSW's address book for the persecuted Church. http://www.csw.org.uk/LtstCampaigns/article.php?id=17
I have read in many communications that former prisoners who received letters from Christians around the world during their time in prison were greatly encouraged and strengthened by this, and sometimes this outpouring can lead to early releases and is a grat way to be an advocate as well.
Connect and Encourage -
CSW's address book for the persecuted Church. http://www.csw.org.uk/LtstCampaigns/article.php?id=17
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Respected or Neglected? Future of America's Elderly is in our hands
Leviticus 19:32 (New King James Version)
32 ‘You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the LORD.
Psalm 68:4-6 (New King James Version)
4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Extol Him who rides on the clouds,[a] By His name YAH, And rejoice before Him. 5 A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation.
Deuteronomy 5:16-17 (New King James Version)
16 ‘ Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you. 17 ‘You shall not murder.
Interesting that I received this [post to follow] in an e-mail today as I was pondering [last night] the moral and ethical state of this nation and remembering Terri Schiavo and how she was determined to be of so little value that our judicial system showed her no mercy and gave permission to end her life in a most inhumane way.
This was a great blow for those who are disabled and infirm and a turning point for this nation. Can we redeem this? We can not ignore the direction that eldercare is taking right now, please read the article from the Center for a Just Society
"Abused, Neglected and Forgotten: A Call to Conscience"
Some quotes...
"The plight of elderly Americans is a top concern for the Center for a Just Society because this population is at significant risk of abuse and neglect...
"...three factors will soon place aging Americans at even greater risk in long term care facilities. Those factors are demographic, economic, and cultural...
"Translating this into the public sphere, Christians should be at the forefront of ensuring justice for the infirm and the elderly. We should be in the vanguard of making and enforcing laws that protect the dignity of older men and women, especially those who are languishing in long term care facilities. The pro-life movement has done an incredible job establishing pregnancy care centers across the country to help women with crisis pregnancies. In a similar way, Christians should start thinking about how they might create an infrastructure to help protect the elderly in the coming years. It is our duty as Christians—and as citizens—who were nurtured and cared for by those who now need our help..."
32 ‘You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the LORD.
Psalm 68:4-6 (New King James Version)
4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Extol Him who rides on the clouds,[a] By His name YAH, And rejoice before Him. 5 A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation.
Deuteronomy 5:16-17 (New King James Version)
16 ‘ Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you. 17 ‘You shall not murder.
Interesting that I received this [post to follow] in an e-mail today as I was pondering [last night] the moral and ethical state of this nation and remembering Terri Schiavo and how she was determined to be of so little value that our judicial system showed her no mercy and gave permission to end her life in a most inhumane way.
This was a great blow for those who are disabled and infirm and a turning point for this nation. Can we redeem this? We can not ignore the direction that eldercare is taking right now, please read the article from the Center for a Just Society
"Abused, Neglected and Forgotten: A Call to Conscience"
Some quotes...
"The plight of elderly Americans is a top concern for the Center for a Just Society because this population is at significant risk of abuse and neglect...
"...three factors will soon place aging Americans at even greater risk in long term care facilities. Those factors are demographic, economic, and cultural...
"Translating this into the public sphere, Christians should be at the forefront of ensuring justice for the infirm and the elderly. We should be in the vanguard of making and enforcing laws that protect the dignity of older men and women, especially those who are languishing in long term care facilities. The pro-life movement has done an incredible job establishing pregnancy care centers across the country to help women with crisis pregnancies. In a similar way, Christians should start thinking about how they might create an infrastructure to help protect the elderly in the coming years. It is our duty as Christians—and as citizens—who were nurtured and cared for by those who now need our help..."
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
The Religious Liberty Partnership
Report from ASSIST News Service (ANS)
www.assistnews.net
Monday, March 12, 2007
Religious Liberty bodies form new partnership
- cooperating for the benefit of the Church
By Elizabeth Kendal
World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (WEA RLC)
Special to ASSIST News Service
AUSTRALIA (ANS) -- On Thursday 8 March, fifteen organisations working for the persecuted church met in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and formed a network called "The Religious Liberty Partnership".
This network will meet annually, while a working group, consisting of five members, will handle cooperative action during the year. The Chairman is Merwyn Thomas of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, UK.
The aim of the network is to coordinate efforts, inform about the needs of the persecuted church and the work of the organisations, and to pray together. Through this unique network the religious liberty bodies believe that the suffering church can receive more relevant help than ever before.
Among the members are leading organisations such as Open Doors, Voice of the Martyrs, Christian Solidarity International, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, World Evangelical Alliance together with around ten other similar organisations. New members can be included in the future.
According to Johan Candelin, who represents the World Evangelical Alliance in the working group for 2007, this is wonderful news. "This is historic news as it is the first time these organisations have come together to join hands. The real winners are our suffering brothers and sisters. This development also sends a positive signal to the global church about the spirit of unity present in the Amsterdam meeting."
The next annual meeting will be held in March 2008 in Zurich, Switzerland.
www.assistnews.net
Monday, March 12, 2007
Religious Liberty bodies form new partnership
- cooperating for the benefit of the Church
By Elizabeth Kendal
World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (WEA RLC)
Special to ASSIST News Service
AUSTRALIA (ANS) -- On Thursday 8 March, fifteen organisations working for the persecuted church met in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and formed a network called "The Religious Liberty Partnership".
This network will meet annually, while a working group, consisting of five members, will handle cooperative action during the year. The Chairman is Merwyn Thomas of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, UK.
The aim of the network is to coordinate efforts, inform about the needs of the persecuted church and the work of the organisations, and to pray together. Through this unique network the religious liberty bodies believe that the suffering church can receive more relevant help than ever before.
Among the members are leading organisations such as Open Doors, Voice of the Martyrs, Christian Solidarity International, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, World Evangelical Alliance together with around ten other similar organisations. New members can be included in the future.
According to Johan Candelin, who represents the World Evangelical Alliance in the working group for 2007, this is wonderful news. "This is historic news as it is the first time these organisations have come together to join hands. The real winners are our suffering brothers and sisters. This development also sends a positive signal to the global church about the spirit of unity present in the Amsterdam meeting."
The next annual meeting will be held in March 2008 in Zurich, Switzerland.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
500 Hindu extremists attack Gospel for Asia Bible School
In countries like India, radical Hindu groups and anti-conversion laws are the source of increasing persecution. Yesterday, Gospel for Asia underwent their most serious attack to date...
"About 500 anti-Christian radicals attacked a Gospel for Asia Bible college in the eastern Indian state of Orissa on Wednesday evening, February 28. Gospel for Asia leaders in the area report the mob, which was mobilized by a Hindu nationalist group, systematically attacked the approximately 300 students and staff members present on the campus. Five students and the women's dorm director were seriously injured. All have been hospitalized, and one student is in critical condition....
"The magnitude of this attack is unlike anything we've ever seen," said Gospel for Asia President K.P. Yohannan. "This is one of the most severe situations we've dealt with, but our students and leaders are not discouraged."
Yet in the midst of persecution their witness remains faithfull as Gospel for Asia's leaders in that area ask that we pray for their enemies...
"Please pray that this will become an opportunity for us to share the love of Jesus to the people who are persecuting us," one GFA leader from Orissa requests..."
"About 500 anti-Christian radicals attacked a Gospel for Asia Bible college in the eastern Indian state of Orissa on Wednesday evening, February 28. Gospel for Asia leaders in the area report the mob, which was mobilized by a Hindu nationalist group, systematically attacked the approximately 300 students and staff members present on the campus. Five students and the women's dorm director were seriously injured. All have been hospitalized, and one student is in critical condition....
"The magnitude of this attack is unlike anything we've ever seen," said Gospel for Asia President K.P. Yohannan. "This is one of the most severe situations we've dealt with, but our students and leaders are not discouraged."
Yet in the midst of persecution their witness remains faithfull as Gospel for Asia's leaders in that area ask that we pray for their enemies...
"Please pray that this will become an opportunity for us to share the love of Jesus to the people who are persecuting us," one GFA leader from Orissa requests..."
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
The Killing Season - Burma
Matthew 25:40
And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
Christian Freedom International ministers to Burmese refugees in a number of essential ways including field hospitals and backpack medics who take dangerous risks to travel on foot to these people and minister hope and medical assistance to those who would otherwise have no medical care.
Keep the Karenni Christians and people of Burma in your prayers, especially in this season and if so led.. find out more about this opportunity to fill a backpack ($50.00) which will work to serve and bless many people in great need!
Quoted from Christian freedom International...
"Karen Christians, an ethnic minority in Buddhist-dominated Burma, have been the victims of genocidal persecution at the hands of the Burmese military for decades...
And then comes the killing season: the few months out of year when the military takes advantage of the dryer climate to comb the dense jungles in search of hiding refugees. If they are found, these brothers and sisters in Christ face the horrible reality of kidnapping, torture, or death..."
CFI Field Hospitals
http://www.christianfreedom.org/program_detail.aspx?id=10
Backpack Medics
http://www.christianfreedom.org/Medical/backpack%20medics.html
And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
Christian Freedom International ministers to Burmese refugees in a number of essential ways including field hospitals and backpack medics who take dangerous risks to travel on foot to these people and minister hope and medical assistance to those who would otherwise have no medical care.
Keep the Karenni Christians and people of Burma in your prayers, especially in this season and if so led.. find out more about this opportunity to fill a backpack ($50.00) which will work to serve and bless many people in great need!
Quoted from Christian freedom International...
"Karen Christians, an ethnic minority in Buddhist-dominated Burma, have been the victims of genocidal persecution at the hands of the Burmese military for decades...
And then comes the killing season: the few months out of year when the military takes advantage of the dryer climate to comb the dense jungles in search of hiding refugees. If they are found, these brothers and sisters in Christ face the horrible reality of kidnapping, torture, or death..."
CFI Field Hospitals
http://www.christianfreedom.org/program_detail.aspx?id=10
Backpack Medics
http://www.christianfreedom.org/Medical/backpack%20medics.html
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Praying for North Korea [US Prayer team]
A number of months ago I joined the Open Doors prayer campaign for North Korea because I had a burden for this nation beforehand... this was before all the political and military issues surfaced.I believe that this surgence of activity is a result of the stirring up spiritually of this nation and also that this nation is key in the end times prophecy, as is China...
I think this is a good time to remind people about this three year ongoing prayer campaign, and especially with the recent events and the role this nation is playing worldwide, perhaps some of you may be called to also join at this time..
I am not sure if people outside the US are able to join because Open doors is US based and the time slots are based by state, but you can check...
Here is the link
http://www.opendoors.org/3ypnk-us/
If you can not or are not led to join the team, you can still hold up the team 'prayers' in your prayers!
I think this is a good time to remind people about this three year ongoing prayer campaign, and especially with the recent events and the role this nation is playing worldwide, perhaps some of you may be called to also join at this time..
I am not sure if people outside the US are able to join because Open doors is US based and the time slots are based by state, but you can check...
Here is the link
http://www.opendoors.org/3ypnk-us/
If you can not or are not led to join the team, you can still hold up the team 'prayers' in your prayers!
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Global Week of Prayer for North Korea
June 19th - 25th will be a global week of prayer for North Korea sponsored by Christian Solidarity Worldwide.
Friday, May 05, 2006
A Light Over North Korea
I have a new [added blog] for the persecuted church specifically for North Korea.
I will be building upon it as time allows. ...
A Light Over North Korea
http://nkpersecution.blogspot.com/
If there ever were a place that one could call hell on earth today it would be North Korea. Many people think the days of Nazi germany, death camps and similar atrocites are things of the past.. but they are alive and thriving in North Korea. Fortunately, God has never forgotten the North Korean people, whose capital was once called the Jerusaleum of the East. There is still hope and that hope is faith and salvation through Jesus Christ, the true path to freedom for all people.
I will be building upon it as time allows. ...
A Light Over North Korea
http://nkpersecution.blogspot.com/
If there ever were a place that one could call hell on earth today it would be North Korea. Many people think the days of Nazi germany, death camps and similar atrocites are things of the past.. but they are alive and thriving in North Korea. Fortunately, God has never forgotten the North Korean people, whose capital was once called the Jerusaleum of the East. There is still hope and that hope is faith and salvation through Jesus Christ, the true path to freedom for all people.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
North Korea Freedom Week [In progress]
Please go to the "Open Doors" site for additional information and suggestions on how to pray specifically over these areas.
This is North Korea Freedom Week, a week long of focused prayer and other events designed to open peoples eyes to the true condition of the North Korean people. Prayer vigils are scheduled in the cities of Houston, Washington dc and Los Angeles.
This is North Korea Freedom Week, a week long of focused prayer and other events designed to open peoples eyes to the true condition of the North Korean people. Prayer vigils are scheduled in the cities of Houston, Washington dc and Los Angeles.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Does YOUR Church have any idea?
Reported by Open Doors...
"An estimated 200 million Christians worldwide suffer interrogation, arrest and even death for their faith in Christ, with another 200 to 400 million facing discrimination & alienation..."
This "should" be a mind boggling but also commonly known fact to ALL Christians, but the sad thing is that the majority of Christians refuse to pay attention, learn the truth or acknowledge their persecuted brethren... I think only 3% [of all Christians] actually support and keep abreast of what is happening to fellow believers who are enduring genuine persecution?
More effort and pain is required to support our persecuted brethren in many areas where other groups are not willing to tread... yet both the saved and unsaved in these area villages and towns reap the benefits from these missions & agencies.
It's ironic because many Christians avoid opening their eyes and acknowledging the extreme suffering of their brethren, because it is so painful.. yet these same people will constantly refer to "the cross and Christ's sacrifice"... It would seem that Jesus' death on the cross is merely some form of "abstract concept" to them, not something that needs to be related to the here and now.
"An estimated 200 million Christians worldwide suffer interrogation, arrest and even death for their faith in Christ, with another 200 to 400 million facing discrimination & alienation..."
This "should" be a mind boggling but also commonly known fact to ALL Christians, but the sad thing is that the majority of Christians refuse to pay attention, learn the truth or acknowledge their persecuted brethren... I think only 3% [of all Christians] actually support and keep abreast of what is happening to fellow believers who are enduring genuine persecution?
More effort and pain is required to support our persecuted brethren in many areas where other groups are not willing to tread... yet both the saved and unsaved in these area villages and towns reap the benefits from these missions & agencies.
It's ironic because many Christians avoid opening their eyes and acknowledging the extreme suffering of their brethren, because it is so painful.. yet these same people will constantly refer to "the cross and Christ's sacrifice"... It would seem that Jesus' death on the cross is merely some form of "abstract concept" to them, not something that needs to be related to the here and now.
Thursday, March 16, 2006
New Version of UN Human Rights Council will allow Wolves IN !
Changes to the UN Human Rights Council have loosened former restrictions and opened doors that will actually allow the repressive regimes and major human rights violators an opportunity to be voted into the group and part of the future decision making processes and laws.
Quoted from Christian Freedom Intl report...
" The UN General Assembly voted 170 to 4, with 3 abstentions, to create the new body designed to expose human rights abusers and help nations develop rights legislation and policy. The U.S. was joined only by Israel, Palau, and the Marshall Islands in opposing the motion ... "
Although the mandate of the new revised group looks good, it is the criteria that determines the members that is the grave concern here. Less votes will be required to vote a nation in, and those who are well known human rights violators will have rights to be submit for membership. Political pressure will in all liklihood allow new entries [wolves into the fold].
Imagine countries that methodically torture and abuse people making the kind of decisions as to laws on how to "protect people"... This is an absolute travesty of God's justice!
Pray for the Persecuted Church as never before now because the floodgates of evil have been now opened wide through this decision and the innocent will suffer more than ever before. God help and sustain the body of Christ and ALL those who suffer under the evil oppressers.
Quoted from Christian Freedom Intl report...
" The UN General Assembly voted 170 to 4, with 3 abstentions, to create the new body designed to expose human rights abusers and help nations develop rights legislation and policy. The U.S. was joined only by Israel, Palau, and the Marshall Islands in opposing the motion ... "
Although the mandate of the new revised group looks good, it is the criteria that determines the members that is the grave concern here. Less votes will be required to vote a nation in, and those who are well known human rights violators will have rights to be submit for membership. Political pressure will in all liklihood allow new entries [wolves into the fold].
Imagine countries that methodically torture and abuse people making the kind of decisions as to laws on how to "protect people"... This is an absolute travesty of God's justice!
Pray for the Persecuted Church as never before now because the floodgates of evil have been now opened wide through this decision and the innocent will suffer more than ever before. God help and sustain the body of Christ and ALL those who suffer under the evil oppressers.
Open Doors 2006 list of Most Persecuted Nations
Open Doors ministry has released it's 2006 annual report and listing of the top 50 Countries where Christians suffer most for their faith.
North Korea tops the list for the fourth year in a row.
The top ten nations are...
1. North Korea
2. Saudi Arabia
3. Iran
4. Somalia
5. Maldives
6. Bhutan
7. Vietnam
8. Yemen
9. Laos
10.China
Although it is hard for many to think of these people as blessed, it is clear in God's Word that they truly are... perhaps those blessings are not apparent at the moment, but eternally they will be made clear. Many of God's children who are suffering and carrying the cross of persecution and those who already wear the white robes described in Revelations have met most [or even all] of the qualities and criteria that Jesus said qualified a believer to be counted as blessed.
Matthew 5:3-12
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Another vitally important thing that greatly blesses these believers is knowing that they have not been forgotten by their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ... those of us in nations that are not experiencing the same levels of persecution as they.
Revelation 2:9-10 "The Persecuted Church"
I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Remember the plight of the suffering "church of Smyrna", stand in the gap for them through your prayers, advocacy, and the active sowing of seed into those ministries [Voice of the Martyrs, Open Doors, Christian freedom International, etc...) that would help them not only endure these trials but also supply their very essential needs!
Matthew 25:31-40
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Report of 2006 top ten nations
http://www.opendoorsusa.org/Display.asp?Page=WWL_frontpage
North Korea tops the list for the fourth year in a row.
The top ten nations are...
1. North Korea
2. Saudi Arabia
3. Iran
4. Somalia
5. Maldives
6. Bhutan
7. Vietnam
8. Yemen
9. Laos
10.China
Although it is hard for many to think of these people as blessed, it is clear in God's Word that they truly are... perhaps those blessings are not apparent at the moment, but eternally they will be made clear. Many of God's children who are suffering and carrying the cross of persecution and those who already wear the white robes described in Revelations have met most [or even all] of the qualities and criteria that Jesus said qualified a believer to be counted as blessed.
Matthew 5:3-12
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Another vitally important thing that greatly blesses these believers is knowing that they have not been forgotten by their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ... those of us in nations that are not experiencing the same levels of persecution as they.
Revelation 2:9-10 "The Persecuted Church"
I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Remember the plight of the suffering "church of Smyrna", stand in the gap for them through your prayers, advocacy, and the active sowing of seed into those ministries [Voice of the Martyrs, Open Doors, Christian freedom International, etc...) that would help them not only endure these trials but also supply their very essential needs!
Matthew 25:31-40
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Report of 2006 top ten nations
http://www.opendoorsusa.org/Display.asp?Page=WWL_frontpage
Thursday, March 09, 2006
SUNDAY 03/12/2006 - Global day of prayer for BURMA
* This Sunday, March 12, 2006...
The nation of Burma will be lifted up in a day of global prayer.
Pray for God to supply all the needs of the faithful and diligently protect those who are persecuted and suffering within that nation. Please intercede for a change of heart among it's leaders and military forces... petition the Lord for a spirit of peace to blanket the land and settle deep into it... Ask for a deep spiritual seeking amongst all the people, a strong desire to know the one true God and to once again [as it did in the early 1800's) have the Holy Spirit sweep across the nation, awakening hearts and leading multitudes to Jesus Christ.
Psalm 57: 1-2
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; nd in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by. I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me. He shall send from heaven and save me; He reproaches the one who would swallow me up. Selah God shall send forth His mercy and His truth.
The nation of Burma will be lifted up in a day of global prayer.
Pray for God to supply all the needs of the faithful and diligently protect those who are persecuted and suffering within that nation. Please intercede for a change of heart among it's leaders and military forces... petition the Lord for a spirit of peace to blanket the land and settle deep into it... Ask for a deep spiritual seeking amongst all the people, a strong desire to know the one true God and to once again [as it did in the early 1800's) have the Holy Spirit sweep across the nation, awakening hearts and leading multitudes to Jesus Christ.
Psalm 57: 1-2
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; nd in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by. I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me. He shall send from heaven and save me; He reproaches the one who would swallow me up. Selah God shall send forth His mercy and His truth.
Multitudes of Homeless Burmese
* Multitudes of Homeless Burmese
Psalm 57: 1-2
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by. I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me. He shall send from heaven and save me; He reproaches the one who would swallow me up. Selah God shall send forth His mercy and His truth.
The following report [which highlights the day of prayer for Burma] goes into detail about the state of unrest, vast human rights violations and oppression of the Burmese people. There are literally multitudes of displaced people living as vagabonds forever on the move within it's jungles, as well as a huge population of refugees who have fleed from this repression and violence... but there is hope, salvation and peace through Jesus Christ. Inform yourself over the situation in Burma and let God move your heart to intercede for ALL the people within that nation.
----------------------------------------------------------
ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA Wednesday, March 8, 2006
BURMA (MYANMAR): GLOBAL DAY OF PRAYER - 12 MARCH
By Elizabeth Kendal
World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (WEA RLC)Special to ASSIST News Service
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (ANS) -- Sunday 12 March is the Global Day of Prayer for Burma.
BURMA – NATION IN CHAOS
Today, after half a century of continual conflict and chaos, Burmese citizens live under one of the most brutally repressive regimes in the world. Whilst Burma's military junta is defined by a mix of Buddhist and Marxist thought, its real interest is power, not ideology. Meanwhile many of Burma's ethnic minorities have large Christian communities and are pro-democracy. The Karen, Burma's largest ethnic minority - around 20 per cent of the population - are 40 percent Christian. Christianity is dominant amongst the Kachin of the north and the Chin and Naga of the west, and is widespread amongst the Karenni and Karen of the war-wracked east. Burma's military dictatorship brutally and decisively crushes all dissent, but active insurgencies are continuing in the Shan, Karenni and Karen eastern states. Burma's army is infamous for its gross human rights abuses which include forced labour, rape, killings, beheadings, the mutilation of bodies and the use of terror squads. Burma's internal conflicts have created over a million IDPs (internally displaced people) forced to be constantly on the move through dense jungle, as well as more than a million refugees, mostly in camps in neighbouring countries.
PLEASE PRAY FOR:
a miracle of peace to Burma, from our Creator God who brought order to chaos and light to darkness, from our Sovereign God who rules over the nations and holds the hearts of 'kings' in his hands. (Isaiah 40:12-26; Proverbs 22:1) May peace, not power, be the heart desire of all Burmese, especially those in positions of influence and authority. And may peace be accompanied by wisdom, justice, grace and reconciliation.
BURMA – CHURCH UNDER ATTACK
In the mid-1960s nearly all foreign missionaries were expelled and all private schools and hospitals, mostly run by Christian missions, were nationalised. Today, Burma's registered church has a limited religious freedom. The government imposes restrictions on witness, the building and repair of church property and the importation and distribution of Christian literature. The government monitors religious activity to ensure there is no talk of human rights or democracy. Christians are frequently discriminated against and persecuted 'in the public interest' because they mostly belong to the restive ethnic minorities. Buddhism is strongly entrenched and is used by the regime as a weapon against the ethnic minorities. The government is known to fund and arm Buddhist militias to burn the churches and violently persecute the Christians amongst the Karen and Karenni minorities. These attacks form what is really government-sponsored religious offensive within a larger civil war.
PLEASE PRAY FOR:
God to protect and nurture Karenni and Karen believers, forced to live in constant fear and with abject poverty and hardship, as they face brutal offensives from Buddhist militias and the Burma army. (Isaiah 40:11) the Holy Spirit to fix the eyes of all Burma's repressed and suffering Christians firmly on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). 'Consider him [Jesus] who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.' (Hebrews 12:3) May Jesus be their strength, direction and hope.
BURMA – IN GOD'S HEART
When Adoniram Judson, America's first foreign missionary, arrived in Burma in 1813 it was a hostile and totally unreached territory. He was 24 and worked there for 38 years until his death at age 61. Judson laboured for six years without any fruit. When berated for his lack of results he replied, 'The prospects are as bright as the promise of God.' His first convert Maung Nau was baptised on 27 June 1819. Judson persevered, but with little progress and inconceivable, costly suffering. The first Karen Judson led to the Lord was Ko Tha Byu, a slave and hardened criminal. After his converion in 1828, Ko Tha Byu became a mighty evangelist who ultimately led to Christ multitudes of Karen whom God had prepared to receive the gospel. But it was in 1831 that Judson noticed a distinct change come over the land. He observed: 'A spirit of inquiry is spreading everywhere, through the whole length and breadth of the land.' The Holy Spirit moved in power and many thousands of Burmese from right across the nation sought and received salvation. Less than 200 years later, Burma today has around four million Christians - 8.7 per cent of the population. And the prospects for Burma are still as bright as the promises of God.
PLEASE PRAY:
that God will revisit Burma with another special outpouring of his Holy Spirit, that a 'spirit of inquiry' will once again flood the land, so deep it reaches up into the high places of government and military power. that God's Spirit will bring deep conviction of sin to Burma, that the killings and oppression might end with repentance and restoration.
** Printed with permission **
Psalm 57: 1-2
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by. I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me. He shall send from heaven and save me; He reproaches the one who would swallow me up. Selah God shall send forth His mercy and His truth.
The following report [which highlights the day of prayer for Burma] goes into detail about the state of unrest, vast human rights violations and oppression of the Burmese people. There are literally multitudes of displaced people living as vagabonds forever on the move within it's jungles, as well as a huge population of refugees who have fleed from this repression and violence... but there is hope, salvation and peace through Jesus Christ. Inform yourself over the situation in Burma and let God move your heart to intercede for ALL the people within that nation.
----------------------------------------------------------
ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA Wednesday, March 8, 2006
BURMA (MYANMAR): GLOBAL DAY OF PRAYER - 12 MARCH
By Elizabeth Kendal
World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (WEA RLC)Special to ASSIST News Service
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (ANS) -- Sunday 12 March is the Global Day of Prayer for Burma.
BURMA – NATION IN CHAOS
Today, after half a century of continual conflict and chaos, Burmese citizens live under one of the most brutally repressive regimes in the world. Whilst Burma's military junta is defined by a mix of Buddhist and Marxist thought, its real interest is power, not ideology. Meanwhile many of Burma's ethnic minorities have large Christian communities and are pro-democracy. The Karen, Burma's largest ethnic minority - around 20 per cent of the population - are 40 percent Christian. Christianity is dominant amongst the Kachin of the north and the Chin and Naga of the west, and is widespread amongst the Karenni and Karen of the war-wracked east. Burma's military dictatorship brutally and decisively crushes all dissent, but active insurgencies are continuing in the Shan, Karenni and Karen eastern states. Burma's army is infamous for its gross human rights abuses which include forced labour, rape, killings, beheadings, the mutilation of bodies and the use of terror squads. Burma's internal conflicts have created over a million IDPs (internally displaced people) forced to be constantly on the move through dense jungle, as well as more than a million refugees, mostly in camps in neighbouring countries.
PLEASE PRAY FOR:
a miracle of peace to Burma, from our Creator God who brought order to chaos and light to darkness, from our Sovereign God who rules over the nations and holds the hearts of 'kings' in his hands. (Isaiah 40:12-26; Proverbs 22:1) May peace, not power, be the heart desire of all Burmese, especially those in positions of influence and authority. And may peace be accompanied by wisdom, justice, grace and reconciliation.
BURMA – CHURCH UNDER ATTACK
In the mid-1960s nearly all foreign missionaries were expelled and all private schools and hospitals, mostly run by Christian missions, were nationalised. Today, Burma's registered church has a limited religious freedom. The government imposes restrictions on witness, the building and repair of church property and the importation and distribution of Christian literature. The government monitors religious activity to ensure there is no talk of human rights or democracy. Christians are frequently discriminated against and persecuted 'in the public interest' because they mostly belong to the restive ethnic minorities. Buddhism is strongly entrenched and is used by the regime as a weapon against the ethnic minorities. The government is known to fund and arm Buddhist militias to burn the churches and violently persecute the Christians amongst the Karen and Karenni minorities. These attacks form what is really government-sponsored religious offensive within a larger civil war.
PLEASE PRAY FOR:
God to protect and nurture Karenni and Karen believers, forced to live in constant fear and with abject poverty and hardship, as they face brutal offensives from Buddhist militias and the Burma army. (Isaiah 40:11) the Holy Spirit to fix the eyes of all Burma's repressed and suffering Christians firmly on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). 'Consider him [Jesus] who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.' (Hebrews 12:3) May Jesus be their strength, direction and hope.
BURMA – IN GOD'S HEART
When Adoniram Judson, America's first foreign missionary, arrived in Burma in 1813 it was a hostile and totally unreached territory. He was 24 and worked there for 38 years until his death at age 61. Judson laboured for six years without any fruit. When berated for his lack of results he replied, 'The prospects are as bright as the promise of God.' His first convert Maung Nau was baptised on 27 June 1819. Judson persevered, but with little progress and inconceivable, costly suffering. The first Karen Judson led to the Lord was Ko Tha Byu, a slave and hardened criminal. After his converion in 1828, Ko Tha Byu became a mighty evangelist who ultimately led to Christ multitudes of Karen whom God had prepared to receive the gospel. But it was in 1831 that Judson noticed a distinct change come over the land. He observed: 'A spirit of inquiry is spreading everywhere, through the whole length and breadth of the land.' The Holy Spirit moved in power and many thousands of Burmese from right across the nation sought and received salvation. Less than 200 years later, Burma today has around four million Christians - 8.7 per cent of the population. And the prospects for Burma are still as bright as the promises of God.
PLEASE PRAY:
that God will revisit Burma with another special outpouring of his Holy Spirit, that a 'spirit of inquiry' will once again flood the land, so deep it reaches up into the high places of government and military power. that God's Spirit will bring deep conviction of sin to Burma, that the killings and oppression might end with repentance and restoration.
** Printed with permission **
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
(03/01) Day of Prayer for Nigeria - URGENT
Nigeria is currently experiencing a great spiritual upheaveal and unrest . There has been much violence erupting against Christians, and some counter violence against Muslims occurring on several fronts. Churches have been burned, many people killed and there is a great stirring up by political forces against religious minorities. Many factors have combined to create this hostile environment, one of them being the fall out from the danish cartoons that have incited Muslims to recent violence across several nations.
Quoted from CSW
"... Sources in northern Nigeria report that at least 30 churches and 250 shops and houses were destroyed in Borno State, when a peaceful protest in the capital city Maiduguri turned violent and a crowd armed with sticks, machetes and iron bars rampaged through the town destroying Christian properties and targeting members of the clergy..."
http://www.csw.org.uk/latestnews/article.php?id=480
However this is just the tip of the iceberg, and there are other factors that have created this volatile situation, many groups have been working long and hard to turn the nation of Nigeria into an Islamic nation.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide has informed us that the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) have designated 1 March as a day of prayer for Nigeria.
Remember this nation and pray for it's people and the breaking down of those strongholds that have set itself against the Kingdom of the most high God on March 01/2006!
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (New King James Version)
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
Quoted from CSW
"... Sources in northern Nigeria report that at least 30 churches and 250 shops and houses were destroyed in Borno State, when a peaceful protest in the capital city Maiduguri turned violent and a crowd armed with sticks, machetes and iron bars rampaged through the town destroying Christian properties and targeting members of the clergy..."
http://www.csw.org.uk/latestnews/article.php?id=480
However this is just the tip of the iceberg, and there are other factors that have created this volatile situation, many groups have been working long and hard to turn the nation of Nigeria into an Islamic nation.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide has informed us that the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) have designated 1 March as a day of prayer for Nigeria.
Remember this nation and pray for it's people and the breaking down of those strongholds that have set itself against the Kingdom of the most high God on March 01/2006!
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (New King James Version)
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
Seoul Wailing Prayer Vigil - North Korea (02/28-03/01)
Please pray for God's spirit and power to fall upon and ignite all the participants of this prayer vigil being held for the North Korean people and His church...
http://www.kccnk.org/Eng/index.html?PHPSESSID=9da3bc75a3380f4e73
"... On February 28 - March 1, 2006, KCC will be hosting the Seoul Wailing Prayer. This spectacular event will be held at the Youngnak Presbytarian Church in Seoul, Korea, and an attendance of approximately 26,000 attendees is expected. This event is expected to be the largest gatherings of Korean pastors (total 6,000 pastors expected - 5,000 from Korea and 1,000 from outside Korea) from all over the world for North Korea freedom, and will feature many prominent speakers and experts on the North Korean issue. We will be honored by your presence, as well as that of your congregation, or any other interested person will be greatly appreciated. Won’t you please join us, and be part of this historic event?..."
http://www.kccnk.org/Eng/index.html?PHPSESSID=9da3bc75a3380f4e73
"... On February 28 - March 1, 2006, KCC will be hosting the Seoul Wailing Prayer. This spectacular event will be held at the Youngnak Presbytarian Church in Seoul, Korea, and an attendance of approximately 26,000 attendees is expected. This event is expected to be the largest gatherings of Korean pastors (total 6,000 pastors expected - 5,000 from Korea and 1,000 from outside Korea) from all over the world for North Korea freedom, and will feature many prominent speakers and experts on the North Korean issue. We will be honored by your presence, as well as that of your congregation, or any other interested person will be greatly appreciated. Won’t you please join us, and be part of this historic event?..."
Prayer events for North Korea
Monday, February 27, 2006
NEW INTERNATIONAL INTER-AGENCY WEBSITE FOR NORTH KOREA LAUNCHED
By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries
NEW MALDEN, SURREY, UK (ANS) -- Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), a British human rights organization specializing in religious freedom, has announced that a new website dedicated to mobilizing and facilitating prayer for North Korea is being launched on Tuesday, February 28.
The website, http://www.prayfornorthkorea.org/, has been launched as part of the Global Week of Prayer for North Korea which will run from June 19-25, 2006. The week is an inter-agency initiative designed to focus the worldwide Church's attention on the need to pray for the desperate plight of the country's 22 million people.
“North Korea has long been shrouded in secrecy, masking it from the interest and prayers of the outside world,” said CSW's International Advocate, Elizabeth Batha, who has pioneered the Global Week of Prayer, “but in recent years information on the terrible oppression, statewide enforced idolatry and utterly brutal persecution of the Christians has become available to all. The level of brutality and the suppression of the gospel should make this a key prayer focus for the worldwide Church. The Global Week of Prayer for North Korea is a call for all of us to recognize and respond to the seriousness of this situation.
”Numerous resources have been created and made accessible through the website to enable prayer and facilitate the running of meetings. These include a video and self-running PowerPoint presentation, as well as a plethora of written materials to enable even those with no previous knowledge to run a prayer meeting for North Korea.
GLOBAL SCALE
A CSW spokesperson said, “The scale of the Global Week of Prayer for North Korea is reflected in the agencies that are participating, including agencies with millions and tens of millions in their memberships, such as the National Association of Evangelicals (US) and World Assemblies of God. Large Korean church umbrella bodies are also participating. The Human Rights Committee of the Christian Council of Korea, the representative body of the majority of the South Korean Churches, is a participating organization as are the large Korean American Church Coalition and the Korean Church Association in the UK. Other agencies, such as the North Korea Freedom Coalition, Open Doors, and Release International are on board, and media such as God TV and Premier Christian Radio are supporting the Week.
HISTORIC EVENT
“The website is launched to coincide with a historic prayer vigil taking place in Seoul from February 28 to March 1. The organizers, the Korean Church Coalition, are anticipating that the Seoul Wailing Prayer Meeting will be the largest international gathering of Korean and non-Korean pastors worldwide to pray for North Korean freedom. They estimate 5,000 pastors from Korea and 1,000 pastors from elsewhere will be participating with a total attendance of approximately 26,000 believers.” (For more information visit http://www.kccnk.org/).
CSW's Elizabeth Batha will be addressing the event and encouraging all participants to engage in the Global Week of Prayer for North Korea and to take up the prayer, advocacy and aid dimensions of the week.
GETTING INVOLVED
“Churches and agencies are encouraged to adopt the focus in their meetings and publications during that week, to use the resources in Sunday meetings, to encourage prayer meetings and fellowship meetings to follow the focus and even to organize local or regional meetings with others,” said the CSW spokesperson. “Meetings and peaceful protests are already planned in several major cities across the world, including London, Washington and Seoul.
“Believers are also encouraged to adopt the week of prayer as a focus, to encourage services and meetings to include the focus and to get involved in other ways. Alongside prayer, the Global Week of Prayer for North Korea will carry advocacy and aid dimensions, encouraging believers to use their voices to speak out for those suffering under the dire oppression and to donate to help North Koreans, including those who flee the repression and misery only to encounter further suffering at the hands of the Chinese authorities.
”The website http://www.prayfornorthkorea.org/ is designed as a key vehicle to facilitate all these activities.
“We believe North Korea deserves to be high on the worldwide Church's agenda and that, as awareness rises, believers all over the world will feel moved to pray against this idolatry,” said Elizabeth Batha, “Even the word for God is banned and most Christians have been killed or sent to the gulag. Ninety-nine years ago North Korea was a centre for revival and many of the mega churches in South Korea that are looked to as examples of church growth around the world were planted by those fleeing from North Korea. Now is the time to raise up a concert of prayer that will see that blessing flood back into North Korea. We urge all believers to get on board, to participate in the Week and to visit the new website to see how they can get involved.”
For more information, please visit http://www.prayfornorthkorea.org/, e-mail admin@prayfornorthkorea.org / mary@csw.org.uk or call Christian Solidarity Worldwide at 020 8329 0048
Christian Solidarity Worldwide is a human rights organization which specializes in religious freedom, works on behalf of those persecuted for their Christian beliefs and promotes religious liberty for all.
NOTES TO EDITORS SUPPLIED BY CSW:
BREAKING THE SILENCE
Behind the wall of silence in North Korea, the Communist regime has sought to decimate the Church and repression of Christianity has been ruthless and thorough.
The isolation of North Korea has enabled the leaders to brainwash the population and teach them unquestioning obedience to their authority. Kim Il Sung (the “Great Leader”) and his son, Kim Jong Il (the “Dear Leader”) have instituted a personality cult in which they are worshipped. No belief in a higher authority is tolerated and being a Christian is viewed as one of the most serious crimes.
HORRIFIC PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS
Before the Communist regime was installed, the North was a centre of revival and Pyongyang was known as the Jerusalem of the East. Most Christians fled to the South during the Korean War, or were martyred. Kim Il Sung, the “Great Leader”, ordered that three generations of a Christian's family must be eliminated. A few believers have managed to hold on to their faith despite the horrific persecution. Many Christians have been publicly executed and others have been taken away to camps where they are subject to barbaric abuse and treated as sub-human. They will never be allowed out of the camps, alive or dead, and are worked to death in brutal conditions and terrible deprivation. Christians suffer especially cruel treatment in these death camps as they are under ongoing pressure to renounce their faith. They are subject to frequent torture and abuse and are also forced to do the most grueling and dangerous work, both by guards, as punishment, and by fellow prisoners, who despise their faith as insanity. The persecution of Christians i n North Korea may be the worst anywhere in the world.
SPIRITUAL BREAKTHROUGH
As the Church worldwide lifts up North Korea in prayer, it will join with many South Koreans who have been praying earnestly for their brothers and sisters in the North for many years. Pastor Yonggi Cho, the pastor of the largest church in the world, has endorsed the call to prayer, stating: "We have been praying fervently for North Korea for many decades now, specifically praying for the peaceful unification of the two Koreas. We have many young pastors preparing for the ministry who are planning to enter North Korea when this door is open. It would be deeply appreciated if you would join us in prayer for North Korea. God is not willing that any should perish without Him.
"North Koreans are immensely open to the gospel. Those who flee the country often accept Jesus with open hearts. They have been trained to such a level of obedience in North Korea that they can quickly become devoted disciples, even ready to face death for their faith.
CHINA
Although North Korea forbids its citizens to leave the country without permission and punishes those who do, significant numbers have fled over the border into China, which they consider a comparatively free and prosperous country. However, even there, they face grave danger, exploitation, bride-selling and, if caught, repatriation to brutal treatment in North Korea. Those repatriated are cross-examined about whether they have come into contact with Christians or become Christians. Those discovered to have done so are singled out for the harshest punishment, including execution or imprisonment.
Note: Dan Wooding is one of the few Christian journalists ever allowed into North Korea to report from there.
- story reported by -
ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA Visit our web site at: http://www.assistnews.net/ -- E-mail: danjuma1@aol.com
** Posted with permission ***
NEW INTERNATIONAL INTER-AGENCY WEBSITE FOR NORTH KOREA LAUNCHED
By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries
NEW MALDEN, SURREY, UK (ANS) -- Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), a British human rights organization specializing in religious freedom, has announced that a new website dedicated to mobilizing and facilitating prayer for North Korea is being launched on Tuesday, February 28.
The website, http://www.prayfornorthkorea.org/, has been launched as part of the Global Week of Prayer for North Korea which will run from June 19-25, 2006. The week is an inter-agency initiative designed to focus the worldwide Church's attention on the need to pray for the desperate plight of the country's 22 million people.
“North Korea has long been shrouded in secrecy, masking it from the interest and prayers of the outside world,” said CSW's International Advocate, Elizabeth Batha, who has pioneered the Global Week of Prayer, “but in recent years information on the terrible oppression, statewide enforced idolatry and utterly brutal persecution of the Christians has become available to all. The level of brutality and the suppression of the gospel should make this a key prayer focus for the worldwide Church. The Global Week of Prayer for North Korea is a call for all of us to recognize and respond to the seriousness of this situation.
”Numerous resources have been created and made accessible through the website to enable prayer and facilitate the running of meetings. These include a video and self-running PowerPoint presentation, as well as a plethora of written materials to enable even those with no previous knowledge to run a prayer meeting for North Korea.
GLOBAL SCALE
A CSW spokesperson said, “The scale of the Global Week of Prayer for North Korea is reflected in the agencies that are participating, including agencies with millions and tens of millions in their memberships, such as the National Association of Evangelicals (US) and World Assemblies of God. Large Korean church umbrella bodies are also participating. The Human Rights Committee of the Christian Council of Korea, the representative body of the majority of the South Korean Churches, is a participating organization as are the large Korean American Church Coalition and the Korean Church Association in the UK. Other agencies, such as the North Korea Freedom Coalition, Open Doors, and Release International are on board, and media such as God TV and Premier Christian Radio are supporting the Week.
HISTORIC EVENT
“The website is launched to coincide with a historic prayer vigil taking place in Seoul from February 28 to March 1. The organizers, the Korean Church Coalition, are anticipating that the Seoul Wailing Prayer Meeting will be the largest international gathering of Korean and non-Korean pastors worldwide to pray for North Korean freedom. They estimate 5,000 pastors from Korea and 1,000 pastors from elsewhere will be participating with a total attendance of approximately 26,000 believers.” (For more information visit http://www.kccnk.org/).
CSW's Elizabeth Batha will be addressing the event and encouraging all participants to engage in the Global Week of Prayer for North Korea and to take up the prayer, advocacy and aid dimensions of the week.
GETTING INVOLVED
“Churches and agencies are encouraged to adopt the focus in their meetings and publications during that week, to use the resources in Sunday meetings, to encourage prayer meetings and fellowship meetings to follow the focus and even to organize local or regional meetings with others,” said the CSW spokesperson. “Meetings and peaceful protests are already planned in several major cities across the world, including London, Washington and Seoul.
“Believers are also encouraged to adopt the week of prayer as a focus, to encourage services and meetings to include the focus and to get involved in other ways. Alongside prayer, the Global Week of Prayer for North Korea will carry advocacy and aid dimensions, encouraging believers to use their voices to speak out for those suffering under the dire oppression and to donate to help North Koreans, including those who flee the repression and misery only to encounter further suffering at the hands of the Chinese authorities.
”The website http://www.prayfornorthkorea.org/ is designed as a key vehicle to facilitate all these activities.
“We believe North Korea deserves to be high on the worldwide Church's agenda and that, as awareness rises, believers all over the world will feel moved to pray against this idolatry,” said Elizabeth Batha, “Even the word for God is banned and most Christians have been killed or sent to the gulag. Ninety-nine years ago North Korea was a centre for revival and many of the mega churches in South Korea that are looked to as examples of church growth around the world were planted by those fleeing from North Korea. Now is the time to raise up a concert of prayer that will see that blessing flood back into North Korea. We urge all believers to get on board, to participate in the Week and to visit the new website to see how they can get involved.”
For more information, please visit http://www.prayfornorthkorea.org/, e-mail admin@prayfornorthkorea.org / mary@csw.org.uk or call Christian Solidarity Worldwide at 020 8329 0048
Christian Solidarity Worldwide is a human rights organization which specializes in religious freedom, works on behalf of those persecuted for their Christian beliefs and promotes religious liberty for all.
NOTES TO EDITORS SUPPLIED BY CSW:
BREAKING THE SILENCE
Behind the wall of silence in North Korea, the Communist regime has sought to decimate the Church and repression of Christianity has been ruthless and thorough.
The isolation of North Korea has enabled the leaders to brainwash the population and teach them unquestioning obedience to their authority. Kim Il Sung (the “Great Leader”) and his son, Kim Jong Il (the “Dear Leader”) have instituted a personality cult in which they are worshipped. No belief in a higher authority is tolerated and being a Christian is viewed as one of the most serious crimes.
HORRIFIC PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS
Before the Communist regime was installed, the North was a centre of revival and Pyongyang was known as the Jerusalem of the East. Most Christians fled to the South during the Korean War, or were martyred. Kim Il Sung, the “Great Leader”, ordered that three generations of a Christian's family must be eliminated. A few believers have managed to hold on to their faith despite the horrific persecution. Many Christians have been publicly executed and others have been taken away to camps where they are subject to barbaric abuse and treated as sub-human. They will never be allowed out of the camps, alive or dead, and are worked to death in brutal conditions and terrible deprivation. Christians suffer especially cruel treatment in these death camps as they are under ongoing pressure to renounce their faith. They are subject to frequent torture and abuse and are also forced to do the most grueling and dangerous work, both by guards, as punishment, and by fellow prisoners, who despise their faith as insanity. The persecution of Christians i n North Korea may be the worst anywhere in the world.
SPIRITUAL BREAKTHROUGH
As the Church worldwide lifts up North Korea in prayer, it will join with many South Koreans who have been praying earnestly for their brothers and sisters in the North for many years. Pastor Yonggi Cho, the pastor of the largest church in the world, has endorsed the call to prayer, stating: "We have been praying fervently for North Korea for many decades now, specifically praying for the peaceful unification of the two Koreas. We have many young pastors preparing for the ministry who are planning to enter North Korea when this door is open. It would be deeply appreciated if you would join us in prayer for North Korea. God is not willing that any should perish without Him.
"North Koreans are immensely open to the gospel. Those who flee the country often accept Jesus with open hearts. They have been trained to such a level of obedience in North Korea that they can quickly become devoted disciples, even ready to face death for their faith.
CHINA
Although North Korea forbids its citizens to leave the country without permission and punishes those who do, significant numbers have fled over the border into China, which they consider a comparatively free and prosperous country. However, even there, they face grave danger, exploitation, bride-selling and, if caught, repatriation to brutal treatment in North Korea. Those repatriated are cross-examined about whether they have come into contact with Christians or become Christians. Those discovered to have done so are singled out for the harshest punishment, including execution or imprisonment.
Note: Dan Wooding is one of the few Christian journalists ever allowed into North Korea to report from there.
- story reported by -
ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA Visit our web site at: http://www.assistnews.net/ -- E-mail: danjuma1@aol.com
** Posted with permission ***
Pakistan's blasphemy laws - tools for misuse
In many countries blasphemy laws are being misused and are frequently tools for personal vengence, and silencing christians. In Pakistan the law requires the testimony of only one Muslim against the accused. Without the legal need for any witnesses, innocent Christians are increasingly falling victems to vicious slander and being wrongly imprisoned based on the false testimony of disgruntled neighbors, and radical extremists. A call for reform of these laws by the government was abandoned due to fear and intimidation tactics from high profile islamic organizations. This is a growing trend in many islamic countries.
Hindu Festival Threatens Indian Christians
I wanted to update you on the outcome of this festival. God is good AND He does provide spiritual protection and answer the prayers of His saints, even in these times of great spiritual upheaval... Please continue to pray that there will be no residual violence emerging from those who attended the hindu festival.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
HINDU EXTREMISTS SPREAD HATE; CHRISTIANS CELEBRATE FESTIVAL OF JOY
OPEN DOORS USA
Jerry Dykstra, Media Relations Coordinator
Phone: 616-915-4117
E-Mail: JerryD@odusa.org
Web Site: www.opendoorsusa.org
SANTA ANA, CA (ANS) -- Organizers and local sources estimated that 300,000 Hindus converged on the Dangs region of Gujarat state in India during a three-day rally that began on February 11, although the government figure stands at 160,000 people.
The rally was designed by extremists “to trigger the return of thousands of Christian vanvasi [forest-dwelling] converts back to the Hindu fold.” At the same time, many of the area’s Christians attended an annual three-day Christian worship event.
The three-day Shabri Kumbh, or “Hindu Re-Awakening,” was organized by Hindu extremist groups, including the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP or World Hindu Council). The rally started amidst shouting of militant Hindu slogans such as, “Only those people will rule this country who talk about favoring Hindus.”
Participants listened to speakers, including Hindu religious leaders, espousing the “one nation based on one culture” theory as propagated by the extremists groups. Speakers accused Christians in general and Christian missionaries in particular of inducing Adivasis (tribal, sub-caste Indians) to convert and advised them to stay away from Dangs. Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi, among others, spoke openly against Christians and vowed to prevent the conversion of tribals to Christianity. Modi said that he saw nothing wrong in extending state help to prevent conversions of tribals and to facilitate “reconversions” -- even though tribals are historically animists, not Hindus.
As religious ceremonies continued throughout the first day, participants grumbled at the lack of proper sanitation and other basic facilities, noise levels and dust. At the same time, the organizers credited themselves for successfully planning the massive gathering in one of the least developed areas in the country.
Many of the bookstalls at the festival selling literature promoting Hindutva (Hindu nationalist) ideology were also seen selling provocative material targeting Christian missionaries. One bookstall also sold books glorifying the anti-Muslim Gujarat riots which caused the massacre of thousands of Muslims at the hands of frenzied Hindu mobs.
Having attracted attention from the international community, the organizers were unable to carry out assaults on Christian tribals, missionaries, churches and Christian institutions in the Dangs region on the first day. The situation continued to be sensitive, however, as more Hindus gathered on the second and the third days.
Festival of Joy
The threat of reconversions and violence was not enough to dampen the spirit of celebration of many local Christians as they gathered February 10 for a three-day Joy Mahotsav (Festival of Joy).
The Festival of Joy is an annual event in the area bringing in more than 25,000 local Christians participants from the Dangs and the surrounding areas. It is organized by Joy Ministries, headed by the Rev. Vijay Gavit from Khodtalav village, Taluka Vyara, District Surat.
This year, the threat of the Hindu rally loomed large over the preparation of the festival. Still, more than 10,000 local Christians attended the first day.
Political leaders and senior Christian leaders from the area were present on the stage, in addition to the main speaker, the Rev. Suresh Babu, and the worship team. The event also showcased prominent Christian artists from Mumbai especially invited to minister with songs of worship during the event.
As local Christians traveled to the venue for the Festival of Joy, they met thousands of VHP and RSS supporters on their way to the Hindu rally. Still, peace was maintained and no clashes were reported.
Police fortified the rally site at Subir, Dangs, even as Suresh Kulkarni, the joint general secretary of the Shabri Kumbh Samiti (organizing committee), released a press statement assuring the authorities and the media that “there will be no reconversions or any law and order problem and that peace will prevail.”
The police presence at the Festival of Joy, however, was limited to 15 men and a police van to cater to the needs of more than 10,000 Christians. As the evening progressed, many policemen could be seen raising their hands in worship as they prayed along with the local Christians for healing and deliverance.
The local Member of Parliament, Mr. Tusshar Choudhary, openly proclaimed his commitment to the Christian community, saying that if anyone tries to harm even a single Christian Adivasi in the area, they would first have to deal with him. He also said that the Christian Adivasis and the other Adivasis were being manipulated to fight against each other by the Hindutva BJP Party and their allies.
He asked the Christian community for prayer for strength as he worked to eliminate the influential powers trying to destroy the area. He began his speech with a loud cry of “Praise the Lord,” and ended it with “Jai Yeshu!” (Victory belongs to the Lord Jesus). Choudhary is not a professing Christian but a Hindu.
Other political leaders, including the Member of Legislative Assembly, echoed similar sentiments as they pointed out the positive changes brought to the area by the gospel of Jesus Christ. After tribals embrace Christianity, they said, the power of Jesus makes them into ideal citizens and good human beings.
“We need to pray for Christians caught in the volatile situation in India,” says Open Doors USA President Dr. Carl Moeller. “The Hindu extremists want to intimidate Christians, so pray that Christians there will stand strong in their faith.”
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
HINDU EXTREMISTS SPREAD HATE; CHRISTIANS CELEBRATE FESTIVAL OF JOY
OPEN DOORS USA
Jerry Dykstra, Media Relations Coordinator
Phone: 616-915-4117
E-Mail: JerryD@odusa.org
Web Site: www.opendoorsusa.org
SANTA ANA, CA (ANS) -- Organizers and local sources estimated that 300,000 Hindus converged on the Dangs region of Gujarat state in India during a three-day rally that began on February 11, although the government figure stands at 160,000 people.
The rally was designed by extremists “to trigger the return of thousands of Christian vanvasi [forest-dwelling] converts back to the Hindu fold.” At the same time, many of the area’s Christians attended an annual three-day Christian worship event.
The three-day Shabri Kumbh, or “Hindu Re-Awakening,” was organized by Hindu extremist groups, including the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP or World Hindu Council). The rally started amidst shouting of militant Hindu slogans such as, “Only those people will rule this country who talk about favoring Hindus.”
Participants listened to speakers, including Hindu religious leaders, espousing the “one nation based on one culture” theory as propagated by the extremists groups. Speakers accused Christians in general and Christian missionaries in particular of inducing Adivasis (tribal, sub-caste Indians) to convert and advised them to stay away from Dangs. Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi, among others, spoke openly against Christians and vowed to prevent the conversion of tribals to Christianity. Modi said that he saw nothing wrong in extending state help to prevent conversions of tribals and to facilitate “reconversions” -- even though tribals are historically animists, not Hindus.
As religious ceremonies continued throughout the first day, participants grumbled at the lack of proper sanitation and other basic facilities, noise levels and dust. At the same time, the organizers credited themselves for successfully planning the massive gathering in one of the least developed areas in the country.
Many of the bookstalls at the festival selling literature promoting Hindutva (Hindu nationalist) ideology were also seen selling provocative material targeting Christian missionaries. One bookstall also sold books glorifying the anti-Muslim Gujarat riots which caused the massacre of thousands of Muslims at the hands of frenzied Hindu mobs.
Having attracted attention from the international community, the organizers were unable to carry out assaults on Christian tribals, missionaries, churches and Christian institutions in the Dangs region on the first day. The situation continued to be sensitive, however, as more Hindus gathered on the second and the third days.
Festival of Joy
The threat of reconversions and violence was not enough to dampen the spirit of celebration of many local Christians as they gathered February 10 for a three-day Joy Mahotsav (Festival of Joy).
The Festival of Joy is an annual event in the area bringing in more than 25,000 local Christians participants from the Dangs and the surrounding areas. It is organized by Joy Ministries, headed by the Rev. Vijay Gavit from Khodtalav village, Taluka Vyara, District Surat.
This year, the threat of the Hindu rally loomed large over the preparation of the festival. Still, more than 10,000 local Christians attended the first day.
Political leaders and senior Christian leaders from the area were present on the stage, in addition to the main speaker, the Rev. Suresh Babu, and the worship team. The event also showcased prominent Christian artists from Mumbai especially invited to minister with songs of worship during the event.
As local Christians traveled to the venue for the Festival of Joy, they met thousands of VHP and RSS supporters on their way to the Hindu rally. Still, peace was maintained and no clashes were reported.
Police fortified the rally site at Subir, Dangs, even as Suresh Kulkarni, the joint general secretary of the Shabri Kumbh Samiti (organizing committee), released a press statement assuring the authorities and the media that “there will be no reconversions or any law and order problem and that peace will prevail.”
The police presence at the Festival of Joy, however, was limited to 15 men and a police van to cater to the needs of more than 10,000 Christians. As the evening progressed, many policemen could be seen raising their hands in worship as they prayed along with the local Christians for healing and deliverance.
The local Member of Parliament, Mr. Tusshar Choudhary, openly proclaimed his commitment to the Christian community, saying that if anyone tries to harm even a single Christian Adivasi in the area, they would first have to deal with him. He also said that the Christian Adivasis and the other Adivasis were being manipulated to fight against each other by the Hindutva BJP Party and their allies.
He asked the Christian community for prayer for strength as he worked to eliminate the influential powers trying to destroy the area. He began his speech with a loud cry of “Praise the Lord,” and ended it with “Jai Yeshu!” (Victory belongs to the Lord Jesus). Choudhary is not a professing Christian but a Hindu.
Other political leaders, including the Member of Legislative Assembly, echoed similar sentiments as they pointed out the positive changes brought to the area by the gospel of Jesus Christ. After tribals embrace Christianity, they said, the power of Jesus makes them into ideal citizens and good human beings.
“We need to pray for Christians caught in the volatile situation in India,” says Open Doors USA President Dr. Carl Moeller. “The Hindu extremists want to intimidate Christians, so pray that Christians there will stand strong in their faith.”
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