AUSTRALIAN PRAYER NETWORK NEWSLETTER

* CAN A CULTURE OF HATE BE TURNED AROUND – PRAYING FOR AN ARAB AWAKENING

* STAGGERING NUMBERS OF MUSLIMS COMING TO CHRIST

* RUSSIA CLAMPS DOWN ON CHURCHES AND CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES

* SPANISH CHURCH LEADER EXHORTS FLOCK TO FEARLESSNESS IN FACE OF PERSECUTION

* FRANCE NO LONGER A CATHOLIC COUNTRY

* HINDU PRAYER WILL OPEN THE USA SENATE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY ON JULY 12

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CAN A CULTURE OF HATE BE TURNED AROUND – PRAYING FOR AN ARAB AWAKENING

For decades, “secular” Arab nationalist dictators, such as Yassir Arafat in the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority. have bred a culture of hatred and violence amongst the Arab Muslims of the Palestinian Territories to motivate the Arab masses against Israel. The fundamentalist Islamic indoctrination used has played a direct role in radicalising a generation of Muslims. Ultimately in January 2006 Islamic Hamas was democratically elected with an openly declared policy of jihad to destroy Israel and establish an Islamic state. This spelt a death note to “secular” Arab nationalism. All Middle East Arab dictators are now living in dread of Islamic coups.

Crippling sanctions eventually forced Hamas to join Fatah in a unity government. That union ended as Hamas militants launched a successful military coup against Fatah in the Gaza Strip. During the coup Hamas took over Fatah institutions in Gaza City, as well as storming a Catholic School using rocket propelled grenades. They looted and rampaged through a nearby Church, destroying all crosses and Bibles before burning the whole building. Deep concern is held for the estimated 2,500 Christians living under Hamas. Most of them want to leave the Gaza Strip out of fear for their lives. Furthermore al-Qaeda has infiltrated the Gaza Strip and is specifically targeting Christian properties.

Meanwhile in the West Bank, Fatah staged its own coup expelling Hamas from the unity government. Whether Fatah has enough popular support in the West Bank to retain power is doubtful though, with many observers expecting civil conflict to spread there too. Liberal Egyptian author Kamal Gabriel recently described the violence in Gaza as the ‘natural result of the predominant discourse of hostility and incitement whose aim was sowing hatred, having recourse to violence, and enjoying spilling blood.’ According to Gabriel this culture of hate has taken root and now become uncontrollable. It is found throughout the Greater Middle East, but nowhere is it as severe as in the Palestinian Territories. Noting its ‘catastrophic rate’ of increase, Gabriel concludes: ‘. . . this is the fruit that we are harvesting because we sowed thorns for over half a century.’ Qatari reformist Dr Abd Al-Hamid Al-Ansari recently also stated, ‘. . . terrorism is the outcome of a culture of hatred in the Arab countries, and in order to eliminate it, the culture of hate must be eliminated . . . We need a culture that will restore the importance of life and the value of the individual and will make young people love the arts and the humanities . . But Gabriel asks ‘. . . can this come about when the fires of hatred have already broken out’ We who have witnessed the transforming power of the gospel and the Spirit, with eyes firmly fixed on the God of the Bible and with hearts encouraged by his promises and his faithfulness, answer ‘Yes’. And so we pray.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT:

* God will preserve his Church in the Palestinian Territories, particularly in chaotic, dangerous Gaza; may he send his angels to protect his children and minister to their needs and may the Holy Spirit fill their hearts with faith and inexplicable peace.

* the sovereign and merciful God, who graciously throughout the ages has generously poured out his Holy Spirit bringing awakening and revival that has transformed communities and nations, will bring a great awakening to the Arab nations.

* lies will be exposed and eyes set to judge others will be turned to examine self and see reality; may consciences be stirred; may wisdom rise up and truth be recognised and embraced, for peace and the Kingdom and glory of God.

Source: World Evangelical Alliance

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STAGGERING NUMBERS OF MUSLIMS COMING TO CHRIST

Pastor Paul Ciniraj, Director of Salem Voice Ministries (SVM), based in India, said persecuted Christians soon willingly forget hardships, and forgive torture and beatings they have experienced, when they see the number of lost souls coming to Christ and experiencing Salvation. Ciniraj said “There are about 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide. You may think, is it possible to evangelize them? Yes! It is possible, because our Lord ‘is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.'” (2 Peter 3:9).

Detailing their outreach, Pastor Shaji Ipe, the General Secretary of SVM, said: “We approach Muslims with prayer and the divine love of Jesus Christ. Firstly, we locate and visit depressed families who have members in prison, or have long term sickness. We show them real love with counselling, nurturing, clothing, medications and healing. They assist families by cleaning their homes, cooking the food, bathing the sick, etc. They gather together children and adults to share with them stories and fun. In this way they start Bible classes and worship services.”

“Another dramatic development is that many Muslims – including Shiites in Iran and Iraq – are seeing dreams and visions of Jesus, and thus coming into churches explaining that they have already converted, and now need a Bible and guidance on how to follow Jesus. This is the fulfilment of the Biblical prophecy of Joel, ‘In the last days, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days…And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.'” (Joel 2:28-32).

According to the research of Prof. Ilyas Ba Yunus, six million Muslims are converting to Christianity in Africa every year. “Thousands of Bangladeshi, Pakistani, North African, Kashmiri, Indian, Central and South Asian Muslims turn to Christ. Around 50,000 youngsters have been ex-communicated from Islam in Malaysia, because of their Christian faith. Some 35,000 Turks converted to Christianity last year. A vast number of Mullahs and Imams accepted Christ. Two million ethnic Muslims converted to Christianity in Russia. 200,000 UK Muslims and 10,000 French Muslims also converted to Christianity,” he said.

Ipe concluded his report with a quote from Joel C. Rosenberg: “More Muslims have converted to faith in Jesus Christ over the past decade than at any other time in human history. A spiritual revolution is underway throughout North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia.”

Source: Assist News

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RUSSIA CLAMPS DOWN ON CHURCHES AND CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES

The Russian Orthodox Church has added its voice to the chorus of opposition that has greeted the passage of Russia’s “Law on Non-Governmental Organizations.” The new law requires non-governmental organizations (NGOs) – including churches and Christian ministries – to register with special state agencies, supply details of membership, provide sources of funding and provide a record of all meetings.

Church leaders across Orthodox and Protestant denominations are asking the government for an exemption from this cumbersome reporting. Even the Russian Orthodox Church, which has often enjoyed favoured status with government officials, points out that the new requirements are reminiscent of the Soviet era. “Can you imagine that this law prescribes that churches should count and report on the amount of donations received from individual people?” comments Igor Malin a pastor from the city of Nizhny-Novgorod. “This is basically impossible to do because the banking system is not working and people give cash.”

Evangelical churches are concerned that the law gives the Federal Registration Service too much leeway to shut down a church or ministry simply because they do not like what it’s doing. Sergey Rakhuba, vice-president of ministries for Russian Ministries observed “This is going back to the authoritarian way of ruling we well remember under the Soviet regime”. From his perspective, this new law allows officials to single out mission organizations that receive financial support from abroad; then declare that their activities are based on foreign interests that are not supported by the government.

“On a positive note, our ministry strategy has proven effective as we equip the next generation of church leaders to take up the baton of faithfulness, and continue spreading the Gospel,” says Rakhuba. “Many of our national workers enjoy good relationships with local city officials as they see our ‘School without walls’ and other programs as great sources of help to their communities. Our work with orphans and other needy children, especially through our summer camp ministry, has been well received in cities and villages throughout the former Soviet Union.”

Source: Intercessors Network

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SPANISH CHURCH LEADER EXHORTS FLOCK TO FEARLESSNESS IN FACE OF PERSECUTION

Spain’s Archbishop Garcia-Gasco has issued a warning to Catholics in his country that “when public officials and ideologies limit religious freedom they commit a profound injustice and turn political systems into unacceptable tyrants.”

The Catholic News Agency reported that the archbishop expressed his concern over “the culture fostered by public officials and some in the media, who seek to disregard God” and argues that “reason cannot grasp the Divine.” These ideologies “aspire for a world without God, a world subject only to political power, to economic power, and to media power.”

Continued the archbishop said, “No human power can limit the radical right that all men and women of this world have to know the Gospel, to live it and to spread it at all times during their lives.” He went on “Reason, open to God, is a source of happiness for man, and it invites us to reject fanaticism, to profoundly respect the dignity of the person, of all persons, in all stages of their existence.” Likewise, he said, “reason open to God is a source of peace and understanding between cultures; it rejects violence and promotes the true progress and freedom of peoples.”

Source: Catholic News Agency

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FRANCE NO LONGER A CATHOLIC COUNTRY

Barely half the French population describe themselves as Catholic, according to a recent poll, leading a religious publication to declare France “no longer a Catholic country”. The poll published in Le Monde des Religions showed the number of self-declared French Catholics had dropped from 80 per cent in the early 1990s and 67 per cent in 2000 to 51 per cent today. The number of atheists has risen sharply to 31 per cent from 23 per cent in 1994.

“In its institutions, but also in its mentalities, France is no longer a Catholic country,” wrote Frederic Lenoir, editor-in-chief of Le Monde des Religions. Despite the drop, however, Catholicism remains by far the country’s number one religion. The poll found Muslims accounted for only four per cent of the population (up from two per cent), Protestants three per cent and Jews one per cent.

“Catholicism will remain the most important religion,” said Frederic Lenoir, who pointed out that the number of regular churchgoing Catholics still equalled the total sum of French Muslims, Protestants and Jews.

Source: Intercessors Network

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HINDU PRAYER WILL OPEN THE USA SENATE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY ON JULY 12

For what is believed to be the first time in its history, the U.S. Senate will be opened with a Hindu prayer. The Senate Chaplain’s Office has confirmed that Rajan Zed, a Hindu chaplain from Nevada will open the Senate with a Hindu prayer on July 12.

For more than 200 years, the Senate has opened each workday with a prayer usually delivered by the Senate Chaplain, currently Rev. Barry Black, a Seventh Day Adventist. It is common, however, for senators to recommend religious leaders from their home states to serve as guest chaplains. When asked, the Chaplain’s office said that “it cannot say no.”

Source: Intercessors for America

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