AUSTRALIAN PRAYER NETWORK NEWSLETTER

* IRAN: CHRISTIAN WOMEN ACQUITTED AND FREE

* CHARGES DROPPED AGAINST PREACHER WHO SAID HOMOSEXUALITY IS A SIN

* RAQUEL WELCH SAYS MARRIAGE IS THE CORNERSTONE OF
CIVILIZATION

* STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED IN KYRGYZSTAN

* IRAQI BELIEVERS WARNED TO LEAVE

* JAILED HAITIAN MISSIONARY RELEASED

* PRE-BORN TWINS SAVE MOTHER’S LIFE BY KICKING AWAY
TUMOUR

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IRAN: CHRISTIAN WOMEN ACQUITTED AND FREE

Fourteen months after they were arrested for their Christian faith
and activities, Maryam Rostampour and Marzieh Amirizadeh have been
acquitted of all charges by the Iranian judicial authorities.
However, they were warned that any future Christian activity in Iran
will be seriously dealt with. They have now left Iran and arrived
safely in another country. Sam and Lin Yeghnazar, founders of Elam
Ministries met them at the airport. It was a tearful reunion.  ¢â‚¬Å“It was
very emotional when we first saw them, ¢â‚¬  said Lin Yeghnazar,  ¢â‚¬Å“Now, we
want to see them rest and recover. ¢â‚¬ 
Maryam and Marzieh are eager to thank Christians who have been
praying for them.  ¢â‚¬Å“We are most grateful to everyone who prayed for
us, ¢â‚¬  Marzieh said,  ¢â‚¬Å“I have no doubt that God heard the prayers of His
people. ¢â‚¬  Maryam added,  ¢â‚¬Å“I believe our arrest, imprisonment and
subsequent release were in the timing and plan of God, and it was all
for His glory. But the prayers of people encouraged and sustained us
throughout this ordeal. ¢â‚¬  Both young women have shown exceptional
courage, daring to tell an Islamic judge that they would never deny
their faith in Christ.
When Sam Yeghnazar told them their example had encouraged countless
people around the world, they were quick to respond,  ¢â‚¬Å“We are frail
human beings with many weaknesses. The honour and glory go to God who
has kept and used us, although we don ¢â‚¬â„¢t know why He has chosen us.
All the glory goes to Him. ¢â‚¬  Maryam and Marzieh were arrested in March
2009 because of their Christian faith and were repeatedly placed
under great pressure to recant and deny Jesus Christ.
They faced repeated interrogations, weeks in solitary confinement,
and unhealthy prison conditions. Both became seriously sick during
their imprisonment and did not receive the treatment they needed
which greatly increased their suffering. Senior judges and officials
also intimidated them. Despite this, they remained faithful to Jesus
Christ and did not deny Him. After their conditional release from
prison in November 2009, they have had a very trying six months
waiting for their case to be heard in an Islamic court where they
could have been sentenced to prison again.
 ¢â‚¬Å“We have seen the Lord do miracles over and over again. He gave us
favour in prison, and sustained us during a very difficult period
awaiting our final trial, ¢â‚¬  said Marzieh. The days ahead are not
certain, however we hope to eventually share some of what the Lord
allowed us to go through to highlight the need and the opportunity
for the church in Iran, but right now we will take time to pray and
seek the Lord for His will, ¢â‚¬  said Maryam. Please continue to pray for
Maryam and Marzieh to fully recover and continue in fruitful
ministry.

Source: Pray for Iran

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CHARGES DROPPED AGAINST PREACHER WHO SAID HOMOSEXUALITY IS A SIN

A street evangelist who was locked up by police after saying
homosexuality is a sin has had charges against him dropped.
Forty-two-year-old Dale Mcalpine was arrested in Workington in
Cumbria last month after police claimed his comments to passers by
had caused offence. But the Crown Prosecution Service has decided not
to pursue the charges as there is insufficient evidence. Mr Mcalpine
said it was ridiculous he was arrested in the first place and he is
now taking legal advice.
 ¢â‚¬Å“It is important that this does not happen to anyone else. We are now
looking at our legal options and we will take it from there. ¢â‚¬  Mr
Mcalpine had been handing out leaflets and talking to passers-by
about his Christian beliefs. When talking to one woman, he listed a
number of sins from the Bible, including adultery, drunkenness and
homosexuality. Police Community Support Officer Sam Adams, who said
he was homosexual and a liaison officer with the local homosexual
community, then warned him he could be arrested for making homophobic
remarks.
Mr Mcalpine denied he was homophobic but said that as a Christian he
did believe homosexuality was a sin. After seven hours in a cell, Mr
Mcalpine was charged by a Senior Crown Prosecutor with offences under
the Public Order Act 1986. But Mr Mcalpine ¢â‚¬â„¢s treatment sparked public
outcry and criticism from both the Christian community and homosexual
rights campaigners. Mr Mcalpine said the outcome was  ¢â‚¬Ëœa victory for
freedom of speech ¢â‚¬â„¢ and added that he could not wait to  ¢â‚¬Ëœget out on to
the streets again and preach the word of God ¢â‚¬â„¢.
The Christian Institute has been backing his case and spokesman Simon
Calvert said that the next step is:  ¢â‚¬Å“We are looking to find if there
are legal avenues for holding the police to account. It is important
to emphasise that it is perfectly legal to say in public or in
private that the Bible teaches that homosexuality is sinful. ¢â‚¬  The
Police Commander for West Cumbria said he wished to reassure the
public his force is committed to upholding and respecting the right
to freedom of expression.

Source: Premier News Service

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RAQUEL WELCH SAYS MARRIAGE IS THE CORNERSTONE OF CIVILIZATION

That wisdom – albeit in hindsight after 4 marriages – was revealed in
an opinion piece Ms.Welch penned that candidly addressed the topic of
an oversexed America, and how the country changed after the opening
of the first Planned Parenthood clinic in 1916. Welch shared
her experience of becoming pregnant at 19, and how her husband, Jim
Welch, was “upbeat and positive” about the baby. “During my
pregnancy,” the actress said, “I came to realize that the pregnancy
was not about me but about what was happening inside my womb as
another life was being formed.
It came down to an act of self-sacrifice, especially for me, as a
woman. But both of us were fully involved, not just for that moment,
but for the rest of our lives. And it’s scary. You may think you can
skirt around the issue and dodge the decision, but I’ve never known
anyone who could. Jim and I had two beautiful children who’ve been an
ongoing blessing to both of us.” Raquel goes on to point out how with
the introduction of contraceptives, a new, casual, and ultimately
self-destructive attitude toward sex was born that has now become
rampant.
Says Welch in her column, “These days, nobody seems able to honour a
commitment! Is marriage still a viable option? I’m ashamed to admit
that I myself have been married four times, and yet I still feel that
it is the cornerstone of civilization, an essential institution that
stabilizes society, provides a sanctuary for children and saves us
from anarchy.” “In stark contrast, a lack of sexual inhibitions, or
as some call it, ‘sexual freedom,’ has taken the caution and
discernment out of choosing a sexual partner, which used to be the
equivalent of choosing a life partner.
Without a commitment, the trust and loyalty between couples of
childbearing age is missing, and obviously leads to incidents of
infidelity. No one seems immune.” In conclusion, Raquel adds,
“Seriously, folks, if an aging sex symbol like me starts waving the
red flag of caution over how low moral standards have plummeted, you
know it’s gotta be pretty bad. In fact, it’s precisely because of the
sexy image I’ve had that it’s important for me to speak up and say:
Come on girls! Time to pull up our socks! We’re capable of so much
better.”

Source: CNN.com

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STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED IN KYRGYZSTAN

state of emergency has been declared in Kyrgyzstan after 2 people
were killed and 50 others injured in riots. A curfew has been
imposed in the city of Jalalabad after protesters assaulted an Uzbek
university. Demonstrations in April forced President Kurmanbek
Bakiyev to leave the country. At least 85 people were killed and the
interim government that succeeded him has accused the former
president of ordering police to open fire on protesters, resulting in
the massacre. With Bakiyev hiding in Belarus, violence continues,
especially in the south of the country.
On May 19, a group of several thousand Kyrgyz stormed an Uzbek
university. The mob was reportedly “demanding the arrest of an Uzbek
community leader they accuse of inciting racial tension.” Shots were
fired and later some 1,500 Uzbeks carrying clubs marched into the
centre of Jalalabad. A curfew was imposed and security forces called
in to restore order. A state of emergency has been declared in
southern Kyrgyzstan and interim leader, Roza Otunbayeva has publicly
condemned the events, promising actions will be taken to prevent
further violence.
PRAY FOR:
* the Lord to guide the interim government in restoring order quickly
and keeping the people of Kyrgyzstan safe during this time of
political and ethnic turmoil. Pray that the ethnic groupings of
Kyrgyz and Uzbeks can discuss their differences and strive to live in
harmony with each other.
* Believers to boldly share the Gospel, proclaiming and demonstrating
the love of God and illustrating the blessing of forgiveness and
peace. Pray for the Lord to raise up leaders who will serve the
people of Kyrgyzstan with integrity.
* this time of instability to be used to turn hearts and minds to the
salvation available only in Jesus Christ and for the Kingdom of God
to come to Kyrgyzstan in great power.

Source: Windows International Network

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IRAQI BELIEVERS WARNED TO LEAVE

Muslim extremists are warning Christians in Iraq to leave the country
immediately or risk violent death. An Iraqi bishop has received a
letter from the General Secretariat of the Islam Supporters warning
Christians to  ¢â‚¬Å“leave the country immediately and for good. It
continues:  ¢â‚¬Å“There ¢â‚¬â„¢s no more room for you, infidels, among the Iraqi
Muslims. Our swords shall be placed upon your necks and the necks of
your followers and other Christians residing in Baghdad and Mosul. ¢â‚¬ 
the letter continued.
Jerry Dykstra of Open Doors confirms the hostility towards followers
of Christ.  ¢â‚¬Å“Christians are being further marginalized with reports of
random violence. It comes down to this: Christians are being targeted
because of their faith in Jesus Christ. ¢â‚¬  Sunni Muslim insurgents have
frequently targeted members of Iraq ¢â‚¬â„¢s Christian minority. Iraq ¢â‚¬â„¢s
current government is Shiite-led. As a result, Christians have found
that they are in the crossfire. Many thousands have already fled to
neighbouring countries. Christians make up roughly 3.3 percent of
Iraq ¢â‚¬â„¢s people.
The remnant church is now well below the 500,000 believers who were
in Iraq before the war. Still, Christians in Iraq remain strong in
their faith. Dykstra says  ¢â‚¬Å“the Gospel is going forward, and people
are coming to Christ. People have to meet more in secret, but when
they meet, they ¢â‚¬â„¢re praising the Lord and lifting up their needs. ¢â‚¬ 
Pray for ministry opportunities for churches and Christian relief
organizations working in Iraq. Dykstra says even though the church is
isolated, Open Doors has put programs in place to train and assist

Source: Intercessors Network

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JAILED HAITIAN MISSIONARY RELEASED

Laura Silsby was convicted on May 17 of arranging to transport 33
children out of Haiti in late January, following the January
earthquake that ravaged the Caribbean country. Silsby was leading a
group of 10 Baptist volunteers who were detained by authorities for
allegedly failing to obtain the needed documentation to transport the
children to an orphanage that was being started in the Dominican
Republic. Silsby, who had completed 15 full weeks in prison, was
released for the time she had served, and was free to leave the
country.
Eight others in the group were freed in February and the ninth was
released in early March. “We’re thrilled. We’re thanking the Lord.
We’re humbled, and at the same time very thankful she’s out of there.
We’re very thankful to the Haitian church because they took care of
her as well,” Paul Thompson, pastor of Eastside Baptist Church in
Twin Falls, Idaho, said. Thompson was among those released in
February, and though he hadn’t spoken directly to Silsby since then,
has received regular updates from Haitian Christians who ministered
to her during her days in prison.
Child kidnapping charges were dropped against all 10, but Silsby
remained in jail facing an ill-defined charge of “irregular travel.”
Thompson asked for continued prayer for Silsby upon hearing of her
release. “Pray for her adjustment at home. She still obviously has a
lot of adjustments to come home to, being in jail for such a long
time. Pray for her family, for her children,” he said. Also, Thompson
was reminded of others apart from the Idaho group who face similar
challenges.

Source: Baptist Press

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PRE-BORN TWINS
SAVE MOTHER’S LIFE BY KICKING AWAY TUMOUR
Michelle Stepney and her husband Scott, were expecting twins. At
about 17 weeks into the pregnancy, Michelle was rushed to hospital
with what they suspected was a miscarriage. What it turned out to be
shocked them. Doctors at the Hospital in London told the couple that
Michelle had actually had cervical cancer, but that the twins’
kicking feet had dislodged the tumour! The news came as the Stepneys’
physicians urged Michelle to begin immediate chemotherapy treatment
and undergo a hysterectomy – which would terminate the lives of her
two unborn daughters.
“If I hadn’t been pregnant, the cancer may not have been discovered
until it was too late,” Mrs. Stepney explained. “I knew I could have
an operation straightaway and it would cure me of the cancer, but
that would mean getting rid of my babies and I couldn’t do that.” The
Stepneys refused to end their babies’ lives and waited till they were
born to have the needed surgery. Now the twins are healthy one year
old girls and their mother is cancer-free. Said Michelle, “I owe my
life to my girls, and that’s why I could have never agreed with a
termination.”

Source: Daily Mail

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