AUSTRALIAN PRAYER NETWORK NEWSLETTER

* HAS OBAMA AWAKENED THE EVANGELICAL VOTE?
* PRAYER ALERT FOR PAKISTAN
* ALGERIA CLOSES TWO CHURCHES FOR “MISSIONISING”
* EVANGELICALS BACK POPE’S STAND ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
* EXTORTION DEMANDS ON CHRISTIAN CLERGY IN NEPAL
* HUNDREDS OF MUSLIM RADICALS ESCAPE FROM PRISON IN
NIGERIA
* EXPLOSIVE GROWTH OF CHRISTIANITY IS CHANGING
CHINA

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HAS OBAMA AWAKENED
THE EVANGELICAL VOTE?

Grassroots Christian activists from across the country are being
trained as to how they can help change the course of the U.S. in
November. The conference is being hosted by the relatively new Faith
and Freedom Coalition. However, the group is already experiencing
growing pains. The Faith and Freedom Coalition’s first national
conference will be filled with hundreds of grassroots leaders from
across the country. Ralph Reed, the organization’s founder, said that
President Barack Obama’s policies are making it easy to mobilize
people of faith this year.

“Barack Obama has awakened the slumbering giant of the evangelical
vote,” Reed said. It’s Reed’s goal to turn out so many evangelical
Christians that they will make up more than 30 percent of people
casting votes on November 2. “If you can do that what looks like a
wave is going to turn into a tsunami,” he said. “Now, we do have some
challenges. We have churches who believe that they’re not supposed to
be political and we would certainly agree with that in the sense of
being partisan.”

“We don’t think that a pastor or a church should necessarily advocate
the election or defeat of a particular candidate though we think
that’s their right under the First Amendment,” Reed explained. “We’re
not advocating that.What we’re advocating is that the churches of
America make sure three things happen,” he said. “Number one — that
every single member of every congregation is registered to vote.
That’s simply not true today,” he said. “You’ve got between one out
of every four and one out of every two evangelicals either isn’t
registered to vote or isn’t voting frequently.”

“Secondly, we want them to be educated and informed and equipped on
where candidates stand on the issues,” he said. “And thirdly, we want
them to vote and we want them to encourage their friends to vote,” he
continued. “That’s really not controversial. They should be doing
that as effective citizens anyway at all the churches in America,
whether their liberal or conservative, should be teaching their
members the importance of effective citizenship.” The speakers and
breakout sessions are designed to inspire and give activists the
tools they need to turn out to vote in November.

Source:
CBNnews.com

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PRAYER ALERT FOR
PAKISTAN

After recent violent attacks against Shiite Muslims that resulted in
102 deaths, Muslim extremists in Pakistan have turned their attention
to Christians. In what some believe could be an escalating campaign
of terror, an attack was staged at a church building in Mardan, a
city in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa region (the Northwest Frontier) on
September 12. Sometime between 8 and 9 in the evening, a bomb
exploded at the church, wounding two Christian Believers.

“There is alarm in the Christian community,” one news source
reported. “It is an act of intimidation towards Christians and their
activities. Panic has spread in the community.” Experts consider
the attack to be the work of the Pakistani Taliban. “This is just
another act of terrorism violence,” a human rights worker said, by
“groups who wish to dictate and assert their power….” With the
nation still struggling to recover from devastating floods, the
bombing has caused many to fear a fresh wave of deadly persecution
may be on the way.

Please pray for:

* the Lord to be the rock, fortress and deliverer for Pakistani
Christian Believers. Pray for Him to place a hedge of protection
around them, give His mighty angels charge over them and fight on
their behalf. Pray that the Christian Believers would stand firm in
the Lord and be courageous as they face persecution. Petition the
Lord to strengthen them and help them to endure hardship.
*. the plans and schemes of the Taliban and other terrorist groups
operating in Pakistan to be thrown into confusion and overturned.
Pray for the Lord to set ambushes against those who persecute
Christians. Pray for the Lord to fight against the demonic forces
behind this terrorism and to speak directly to the hearts of
terrorists and transform them from “Sauls” to “Pauls.”
* Muslims in Pakistan to have the opportunity to hear and respond to
the Gospel. Pray for this time of spiritual and physical turmoil to
be used by the Holy Spirit to draw men, women, and children into
relationship with Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. Pray for God’s
Kingdom to come in great power to Pakistan with the
Christians standing firm in God’s power and experiencing the perfect
love of God that casts out fear.

Source: Windows International
Network

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ALGERIA CLOSES TWO
CHURCHES FOR “MISSIONISING”

The Algerian authorities have ordered the closure of two Protestant
churches in the northern district of Tizi Wazou, in order to
investigate alleged  ¢â‚¬Å“illegal activities, ¢â‚¬  the Algerian daily Akhbar
Al-Yawm reports. ¢â‚¬Å“They are trying to establish a minority, which might
give foreign powers a pretext to intervene in Algeria ¢â‚¬â„¢s domestic
affairs, ¢â‚¬  Minister of Religious Affairs Bu ¢â‚¬ËœAbdallah Ghoulamullah told
reporters. The authorities in Tizi Wazou have also summoned
Protestant clergymen for investigation.

The decision was taken in full cooperation with the security
authorities, in order to find out if these churches have broken the
law, Ghoulamullah said. Recently, the Algerian media began
investigating the alleged growth of Christianity in the country. A
recent report by the local daily Al-Khabar indicated that Christians
in Algeria were engaged in missionising Muslims. According to its
report, more than 3,000 Algerians have recently been converted.
Ghoulamullah also stated that Evangelists were offering  ¢â€š ¬5,000
(about $7,700) to any Muslim who converted.

An anti-conversion law was passed in 2006. Violators face a five-year
jail term and a one million-dinar fine (about $15,000) for anyone who
tries to convert Muslims to other religions. An International
Religious Freedom Report issued by the US State Department
indicates there are 3,000 members of Evangelical churches and 300
Catholics living in Algeria. The report also states that a
significant proportion of the country ¢â‚¬â„¢s Christian foreign residents
are students and illegal immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa seeking
to reach Europe.

Source: Intercessors
Network

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EVANGELICALS BACK
POPE’S STAND ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

Christians of all denominations welcomed the Pope’s statement on his
recent visit to Britain calling for Christians to be allowed to
freely practise their faith in the wake of growing hostility from a
small number of influential people promoting a secular agenda.  ¢â‚¬Å“There
have been a number of high-profile cases involving gagging orders on
Christians sharing their faith at work, praying for people and
practising their faith in obedience to biblical teachings in the work
place, ¢â‚¬  says Steve Clifford, General Director of the Evangelical
Alliance.

 ¢â‚¬Å“Religion is not something we do in church on Sunday. It ¢â‚¬â„¢s a living
reality that affects every area of our lives. As such, we applaud
companies and organisations that sensibly allow Christians to
reasonably follow their beliefs without hindrance or hostility ¢â‚¬  Mr
Clifford said. Mr Clifford ¢â‚¬â„¢s comments come at a time when new
findings based on a Religious Trends survey by Christian Research
show that church attendance is increasing, pointing to the fact that
Britain is not the secular society that some might perceive it to
be.

Findings showed that Catholic Church attendance has been steady for
five years, Church of England attendance has evened out for almost a
decade, and congregations at Baptist churches have grown
considerably. The Evangelical Alliance hopes that the Pontiff ¢â‚¬â„¢s
recent visit will act as a catalyst for society as a whole to protect
freedom of all religious beliefs in Britain and other parts of the
world.  ¢â‚¬Å“While not all Christians share the Pope ¢â‚¬â„¢s or the Catholic
Church ¢â‚¬â„¢s stance on certain issues, we do welcome his stand for
religious liberty, ¢â‚¬  adds Mr Clifford.

Source: Evangelical
Alliance

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EXTORTION DEMANDS
ON CHRISTIAN CLERGY IN NEPAL

An underground group in Nepal that speaks with bombs and has coerced
hundreds of government officials into quitting their jobs, is
threatening Christian clergy with violence if they do not give in to
extortion demands. The Nepal Christian Society (NCS), an umbrella
group of denominations, churches and organizations, met in the
Kathmandu Valley (Sept. 15) to discuss the dangers amid reports of
pastors receiving phone calls and letters from the Unified National
Liberation Front (Samyukta Jatiya Mukti Morcha), an armed group
demanding money and making threats.

The group has threatened Christian leaders in eastern and western
Nepal, as well as in the Kathmandu Valley.  ¢â‚¬Å“The pastors who received
the extortion calls do not want to go public for fear of
retaliation, ¢â‚¬  said Lok Mani Dhakal, general secretary of the NCS.
Nearly 1,500 government officials from 27 districts have resigned
after receiving threats from the Front. Besides facing threats from a
new group, Christians have also been subject to persecution due to
longstanding animosity that began when Nepal was a Hindu state.

Ishwor Pudasaini, pastor of the Assembly of God Church, said that his
neighbours revile him and make threatening gestures. His family is
not allowed to enter any public place, and he is afraid to spend
nights in his old home for fear of being attacked. A relative, Bharat
Pudasaini, lost his job and was forced to migrate to a different
district.  ¢â‚¬Å“Bharat was a worker at a local Primary School, ¢â‚¬  said
Pudasaini.  ¢â‚¬Å“The school sacked him for embracing Christianity, and the
villagers forced his family to leave the village.”

Source: Compass
News

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HUNDREDS OF MUSLIM
RADICALS ESCAPE FROM PRISON IN NIGERIA

International Christian Concern (ICC) says that it has learned that
more than 700 members of an Islamic extremist group, Boko Haram,
escaped after suspected fellow members of the group raided a prison
where they were being held in northern Nigeria. “A group of armed men
attacked the prison and fought with the prison guards for two hours.
At least four people were reportedly killed during the shootout,”
said an ICC spokesperson. “Boko Haram opposes western education and
fights to impose Sharia law throughout Nigeria, including areas that
are majority Christian.

The group has repeatedly targeted the police and Christian
communities. ICC stated that Christian leaders are alarmed by the
massive escape of Boko Haram members. In July 2009, members of Boko
Haram carried out attacks against Nigerian police officials leading
to the death of more than 700 people. Members of Boko Haram have also
killed at least a dozen Christians. More people could be killed if
they are not checked,” said Rev. John Hayab, General Secretary of the
Christian Association of Nigerian’s Kaduna State chapter.

Jonathan Racho, ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa, said, “We are
extremely concerned by the escape of Boko Haram members from prison.
This is yet another indication of the failure by Nigerian authorities
to protect their citizens from the violence by Islamic extremist
groups. We urge Nigerian officials to immediately re-arrest the
escapees and protect the citizens of the country from future
attacks.”

Source: Assist
Ministries

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EXPLOSIVE GROWTH
OF CHRISTIANITY IS CHANGING CHINA

Communist rulers in China have radically altered their views about
religion and as a result, Christianity is growing in China as never
before. The caveat is that the closely limited new freedoms are only
granted to those Christians willing to worship in
government-sanctioned churches. The director general of the State
Administration for Religious Affairs, Wang Zuo An, was quoted as
saying there are now at least 20 million Christians in China
worshipping in the state-sanctioned church.

“Such growth is unprecedented in the history of Christianity in
China. Christianity is enjoying its best period of growth in China,”
he said, adding that, “On the question of whether there is God, the
Chinese Communist Party believes there is no God in the world.” Rev.
John Zhang, a Catholic priest, said: “Some officials say, ‘You have
done for Chinese society what we cannot do. Without any political
involvement, the Church is doing a good job, and we from government
appreciate it.'”

The report noted that house  ¢â‚¬“ or underground  ¢â‚¬“ churches remain a
“significant part of the Chinese Christian landscape,” but “both the
Catholic and Protestant churches sanctioned by the state are now also
seeing levels of growth that few predicted in the 1980s.” Said one
young Chinese Christian student, “I think this nation will change,
and I think God is doing great things in China.”

Source: BBC

Home

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Prayer Focus 10/10
Country: INDIA, PAKISTAN, KENYA, INDONESIA, VIETNAM, CHINA, NEPAL, TURKMENISTAN

INDIA / PAKISTAN  ¢â‚¬“ CHURCHES ATTACKED AFTER REPORTS OF DESECRATION OF QUR ¢â‚¬â„¢ANS

KENYA  ¢â‚¬“ CHRISTIANS TRAUMATISED AFTER THREE DAYS OF TORTURE

INDONESIA  ¢â‚¬“ FURTHER HARASSMENT FOR ONE CHURCH IN BEKASI

VIETNAM  ¢â‚¬“ 32 VILLAGES SURROUNDED AND ATTACKED BY SECURITY FORCES

CHINA  ¢â‚¬“ PRAYER CENTRE DEMOLISHED BY POLICE

INDIA  ¢â‚¬“ MISSIONARY ¢â‚¬â„¢S BODY FOUND DUMPED IN A WELL

NEPAL  ¢â‚¬“ VIEWS ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN DRAFT CONSTITUTION NOT PROGRESSIVE

TURKMENISTAN  ¢â‚¬“ CHURCH LEADER ARRESTED

INDIA / PAKISTAN  ¢â‚¬“ CHURCHES ATTACKED AFTER REPORTS OF DESECRATION OF QUR ¢â‚¬â„¢ANS

Tensions were raised in many Muslim-majority parts of the world in September when a Florida pastor threatened to burn copies of the Qur ¢â‚¬â„¢an on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Although he cancelled his plans at the last minute, Christian minorities around the world were very fearful of retaliation by outraged Muslims. In some places specific threats were voiced against local Christians, and rumours that a Qur ¢â‚¬â„¢an had been desecrated elsewhere in the United States provoked a violent Muslim response in two Indian towns.

On Sunday 12 September the one Christian church in Malerkotla, which is the only Muslim-majority town in the Indian state of Punjab, was attacked by a Muslim mob. They dragged the church furniture out of the building and set it on fire, and tried to demolish parts of the church. On 13 September, a Christian school made of wood in Tangmarg town, Kashmir, India, was burnt to ashes by an angry mob. A government office and a police vehicle were also set on fire, and large crowds gathered in the city of Srinagar, Kashmir, to chant pro-Islam and anti-American slogans. According to reports, local people in both places were incensed by news that a copy of the Quran had been burnt in Michigan, USA.

The same weekend a bomb exploded outside a church in Mardan, Pakistan, injuring two people.

Thank God that none of the students was injured in the attack in Tangmarg town, India.
Pray that Christians in the safety and freedom of the West may realise the effects that their actions can have on vulnerable Christian minorities in other parts of the world.
Top

KENYA  ¢â‚¬“ CHRISTIANS TRAUMATISED AFTER THREE DAYS OF TORTURE

Six Kenyan Christian missionaries, three men and three women, were abducted by a group of Muslims on 15 September in Nairobi, Kenya. Three days later they were found alive, dumped beside a main road. They all had their eyes and mouths tightly sealed with tape, and their legs and arms were bound.

The three women had been repeatedly raped and were deeply traumatised; still suffering from shock, they were not even able to talk. At the hospital they were given drugs to reduce the risk of their contracting AIDS. They will remain in hospital for two weeks of comprehensive care to help them recover from the physical, psychological and emotional distress.

The three men had been tortured and were covered in bruises; yet the wife of one man reported later,  ¢â‚¬Å“No matter the agony, they praised the Lord. ¢â‚¬  Early in the ordeal the Muslim men asked one of the women,  ¢â‚¬Å“Who ¢â‚¬â„¢s the saviour of this world? ¢â‚¬  When she boldly answered,  ¢â‚¬Å“Jesus Christ is the Saviour, ¢â‚¬  they slapped and spat at her and shouted,  ¢â‚¬Å“You ¢â‚¬â„¢re wrong, you prostitute, it ¢â‚¬â„¢s Osama who ¢â‚¬â„¢s the saviour. ¢â‚¬  When they were released, their captors warned them,  ¢â‚¬Å“Stop leading Muslims astray with your corrupt Bible. ¢â‚¬ 

Barnabas Fund is covering the hospital fees of the missionaries.

Thank the Lord that the missionaries have been returned to their families. Please pray for healing and peace for them following this terrible trauma.
Pray that the kidnappers will come to know the truth of the Bible that will set them free.
Top

INDONESIA  ¢â‚¬“ FURTHER HARASSMENT FOR ONE CHURCH IN BEKASI

Two church leaders from Batak Christian Protestant Church (HKBP), Indonesia, were assaulted while on their way to conduct morning prayers on 12 September. Asia Sihombing was stabbed as he walked towards an outdoor area to hold a worship service. Luspida Simandjuntak went to his aid, but she was beaten with a stick by the attackers. Sihombing was taken to a local hospital, where he underwent surgery for his injuries.

Local police claimed that this attack was not religiously motivated. However, Luspida said she recognised the attackers as men who frequently demonstrated during their services.

This is now the sixth reported attack on this congregation, which has been forced to meet in an open field following a dispute with local authorities. On 8 August, a mob of 300 Muslims surrounded worshippers during their service (Prayer Focus Update September 2010). They threw shoes and water bottles, then chased down and punched several members of the group, injuring at least a dozen Christians, including the church leader.

Pray for continued courage, and that the persistence of this group of believers will change the hearts of their persecutors.
Pray that that the Indonesian authorities will act to protect Christians from violence and to ensure that they are allowed to have the church buildings that they need in which to meet.
Top

VIETNAM  ¢â‚¬“ 32 VILLAGES SURROUNDED AND ATTACKED BY SECURITY FORCES

On 22 August, hundreds of soldiers, riot police, security forces and local police began a large-scale operation against more than 32 Degar Christian villages in central Vietnam.

The villages were surrounded, and Christians were told that they must renounce their faith, stop worshipping the American God and officially join the state-approved Church, with pastors trained by the government. They sprayed a blinding chemical in the Christians ¢â‚¬â„¢ eyes, beat some of them unconscious and arrested many.

Degar Christians responded with a statement that they wanted to have their own churches and their own pastors and worship in their own languages. They said,  ¢â‚¬Å“We will follow the principles of non-violence as our Lord Jesus Christ taught and  ¢â‚¬ ¦ we will continue to exercise our human rights as described in international law and in the Vietnamese constitution. ¢â‚¬ 

Pray that the brave and peaceful response of the Degar Christians will change the minds of their persecutors. Ask the Lord to grant protection over His people in Vietnam.
Pray for all Christians in Vietnam as they face persecution and even torture, and pray that the Government will start putting into practice the guarantee of freedom of religion given in its constitution.
Top

CHINA  ¢â‚¬“ PRAYER CENTRE DEMOLISHED BY POLICE

On 30 August a group of 20 Christians, some elderly, watched helplessly as their prayer room, school room and training centre were demolished by police. ChinaAid reported that police entered the prayer centre owned by a house church in Zhejiang province early that morning and forcibly ejected the Christians from the building as they were carrying out their morning prayers.

China ¢â‚¬â„¢s  ¢â‚¬Å“house churches ¢â‚¬  (unregistered churches) suffer much harassment at the hands of the authorities. Earlier in August three churches belonging to one of the major unregistered networks, which has an estimated 5-7 million members, were also targeted. The network ¢â‚¬â„¢s leaders had been invited to the Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization in South Africa in October, but the Public Security Bureau learned of this and put pressure on them not to attend. When the leaders refused, the three churches were closed down.

Pray for those Christians who have now lost the use of their prayer centre. Pray that they may continue to meet together and rejoice in the Lord despite such trials.
Pray for all our brothers and sisters in China, who suffer much harassment for their faith, that they will stand firm in the Lord.
Top

INDIA  ¢â‚¬“ MISSIONARY ¢â‚¬â„¢S BODY FOUND DUMPED IN A WELL

The body of Shravan Kumar, an Indian missionary in Jharkhand, was discovered in a well near a Muslim shrine on 13 September, after he went missing from his home three days earlier. The police are investigating the cause of his death. The discovery came a day after Hindu extremists beat up a Christian worker in neighbouring Raigarh district.

Pray for those who knew and loved Kumar, that they will know the peace of the Lord in their time of sadness.
Pray for religious harmony in India and that the Church will continue to serve the nation without fear.
Top

NEPAL  ¢â‚¬“ VIEWS ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN DRAFT CONSTITUTION NOT PROGRESSIVE

The Constituent Assembly of Nepal is drafting a new constitution, but it is unlikely that this will improve religious liberty. While many progressive changes in particular areas of governance have been proposed by the Assembly ¢â‚¬â„¢s committees, the Committee on Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles (CFRDP) wants the country to retain the existing ban on activities aimed at religious conversion. The Preliminary Draft presented by the CFRDP seeks to make punishable any attempt to convert people.

None of the 43 members of the CFRDP is Christian. Ms Binda Pandey, who heads the Committee said,  ¢â‚¬Å“We received a few suggestions from some missionaries who wanted the freedom to convert, but that was not what the majority wanted. ¢â‚¬  This suggests that religious freedom is seen as an issue of interest only to Christian missionaries, and not as a fundamental human right.

The 2007 interim constitution that is currently in force restricts religious freedom, banning any activity aimed at conversion and stating that a person may practise religion only as passed down to them from ancient times.

Official figures suggest there are now more than half a million Christians in Nepal, and some church leaders put the figure much higher, though it remains a very small proportion (2-3%) of the total population. Hinduism makes up more than 75% of the total population, followed by Buddhism (16%) and Islam (5%).

Praise the Lord for the remarkable growth of the Nepalese churches. Pray especially for those who seek to share their faith, that they may not be reported and punished for their faithfulness to the Lord and that He may continue to add to their number.
Top

TURKMENISTAN  ¢â‚¬“ CHURCH LEADER ARRESTED

Pastor N, the leader of the Light to the World Church in one city in Turkmenistan, was arrested on 27 August charged with fraud. But his church members say that the witnesses who wrote statements accusing him did so under pressure from the police. At the time of writing his wife had not been allowed to visit him, but she believed he was being held with 46 other prisoners in a cell designed for 12.

Please pray that Pastor N ¢â‚¬â„¢s innocence may be proved, and pray for his health in prison as he is diabetic.

http://www.barnabasfund.org/Prayer-Focus-1010.html