News headlines for December 10th 2002

(North Korea)–We begin today in North Korea where a famine of physical and spiritual proportions is growing. Of the 25 million people in the country, there are only an estimated 400-thousand Christians, many of whom face severe oppression. Open Doors'[1] Terry Madison. “If they find Christians, they’re sent off to segregated work camps where Christians are given less food and more work to do. That’s the best side of a bad situation; otherwise, they’re killed, more or less, on the spot.” Madison urges prayer for North Korean believers, adding that the persecution has not gone unnoticed. “Open Doors, every six months, puts out a ‘World Watch List’, where we document the most offensive countries in the world. And, for the first time in our history, Saudi Arabia has been replaced by North Korea as the most fearsome persecutor of believers.”

(Malawi)–Elsewhere, despite war, drought and famine, Malawi still has hope. So says the International Bible Society’s[2] Paul Tolleson. He points to the recent release of the contemporary Chichewa (chih-CHAY-wah) New Testament as the foundation that will shore up the church’s future. “The primary way is reaching out to the young people. This has really been a problem throughout Africa, especially where they don’t have a contemporary translation of the Bible. They look at the bible as being this old book that they have a hard time reading, and it’s not relevant to them today.” Tolleson says they discovered another need while visiting the churches in Malawi. “We also need to train our lay leaders in how to use the Bible in their ministry; how to study the Bible themselves. Most of the Bibles have no study helps to them, so, one of the things that we’ll be doing here at International Bible Society, is providing study Bibles.”

(International)–There’s good news and bad news on the global front for those involved with evangelism. While turmoil creates difficulty for mission outreach, at the same time, the reaction to the Gospel is, at times, overwhelming. Global Advance’s[3] Dr. David Shibley. “We’re seeing tremendous response to the Gospel all around the world as a result of courageous men and women like these who are carrying the Gospel, really, at record speed. That’s why we’ve committed ourselves at Global Advance next year, to shifting into a new gear and providing 46 Frontline Shepherd’s Conferences.” Shibley says a healthy church doesn’t come without its labor. “We need to pray that the Lord will strengthen and encourage national pastors and church leaders on the frontlines. They’re the ones that are taking the heat as hostility to the Gospel rows more intense in many areas of the world. And yet, there is greater response than ever in many areas of the world, as well.”

(Middle East)–Next, after months of planning, SAT-7[4] , a Christian Arabic satellite television network has launched an Arabic website at http://www.sat7.org.[5] The site encourages interaction, giving viewers the opportunity to ask questions about the programs and Christianity. Although only about one-percent of people in the Middle East have access to the Internet, the site is expected to boost communication with Arabic-speaking viewers. In the future, SAT-7 plans to stream programs on the site, which, in turn, will impact lives all over the globe.

(Benin)–And, a medical missions team recently returned from Benin, Africa where the EvangeCube[6] was a major tool in their ministry. The medical team held healthcare clinics while the evangelism team focused on dramas, puppet shows, and evangelical preaching. Following one clinic, a doctor used the EvangeCube to explain the plan of salvation and 23 people accepted Christ. The following day, another 30 became believers after a local pastor borrowed the EvangeCube. The team will be taking the cubes to five other countries this year.

[1] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=ODM [2] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=IBS [3] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=GAM [4] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=SAT7 [5] http://www.sat7.org [6] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=ECI ———————————————————————

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