AUSTRALIAN   PRAYER   NETWORK   NEWSLETTER

* CIVIL WAR LOOMS IN SUDAN AFTER REFERENDUM
* MALAY CHRISTIANS FACE FAITH PURIFICATION CENTRES
* UNHCR EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT REFUGEES HELD HOSTAGE IN
SINAI DESERT
* CHRISTIANS BUILD REVERSE CONFESSIONAL ON CAMPUS
* U.S. COMBAT TROOPS CONCERNED ABOUT HOMOSEXUALS IN THE
MILITARY
* U.K. YOUTH TELL EDUCATORS THEY WANT TO LEARN FAMILY
VALUES

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CIVIL WAR LOOMS
IN SUDAN AFTER REFERENDUM
Southern Sudan ¢â‚¬â„¢s  Self-Determination Referendum (SSDR) will be held on
9 January 2011. In this referendum the mostly Christian Southerners
will vote either to remain part of a united Sudan or to secede and
become an independent state. The SSDR is mandated in the
Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed by North and South in
2005. It is likely that a vote for secession will trigger an outbreak
of ethnic-religious cleansing in the North and a massive humanitarian
and refugee crisis.
It was the vision of Dr John Garang  ¢â‚¬“ leader of the Sudan People ¢â‚¬â„¢s
Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A)  that free and fair elections (also
mandated in the CPA) would oust the repressive and abusive
Arab-Islamist regime in Khartoum and give Sudan ¢â‚¬â„¢s long-suffering
marginalised peoples a voice in a truly representative democracy.
This, however, was always going to be difficult after Dr Garang ¢â‚¬â„¢s
untimely death.
More than 90% of Southerners are expected to vote for secession, even
though this could trigger a return to war. It is virtually certain
the North will reject the results and refuse to recognise an
independent South Sudan. Eighty percent of Sudan ¢â‚¬â„¢s oil reserves are
in the South and the oil pipelines run through the North to  the Red
Sea. All efforts to establish wealth-sharing arrangements have failed
and no Western state can offer the North anything that
would  compensate for loss of oil revenue.
The US is offering to reward Sudan if it co-operates by removing it
from its list of State Sponsors of Terrorism.  Sudan ¢â‚¬â„¢s allies,
particularly Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran, are all opposed to
secession and are warning that the referendum may trigger war. Iran
is ratcheting up its anti-Western, anti- ¢â‚¬Ëœinterference ¢â‚¬â„¢ rhetoric,
saying that while Western nations would not tolerate secessionist
referenda in their own countries, they have no qualms about
destabilising and dividing states such as Sudan.
Southerners living in the North are imminently imperilled. The NCP
has stated that if South Sudan votes to secede, Southerners in the
North may lose their citizenship rights, jobs, benefits, access to
markets, hospitals and the like. The National Assembly speaker said
that Southerners in the North will become  ¢â‚¬Ëœsecond class citizens ¢â‚¬â„¢.
Some Islamic Councils have issued fatwa’s against Southerners living
in the North. The Church in Sudan desperately needs our
prayers.
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR GOD TO:
* be known and experienced in the midst of his Church and that the
faithful may have security in the midst of the storm.
* draw his people close, delivering and preserving them, empowering
their faith and witness, and giving them his profound peace that
passes understanding.
* intervene for justice and righteousness, watching over the helpless
and bringing the way of the wicked to ruin. Pray that God
would  interpose himself and his forces into this situation for the
sake of the Church in Sudan, and for the sake of Sudan, a nation in
desparate need of the Gospel.
Source: by Elizabeth Kendal – World Evangelical
Alliance
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MALAY CHRISTIANS
FACE FAITH PURIFICATION CENTRES
Malaysia, is a country that presents itself as a model for Islamic
moderation, yet has many former Muslims who say they are persecuted
after finding Christ. Just two-hours from the capital Kuala Lumpur
is  an isolated encampment where some Christian converts say they’ve
been taken to be forced back to Islam. The Malaysian government calls
the facilities “retreat centres.” One Christian who has experienced
them however refers to them as  “faith purification” facilities.

The man continued “They were angry and wanted to kill me, but they
did not harm me physically. They forced me to recite Islamic prayers
and the Koran, to do all the things  as a Muslim. They’re trying to
force us to believe what we can’t believe.” “Nathan,” another former
Muslim, said he lost his property, job, and family after officials
learned he’d become a Christian.  “I’ve lost it all but  I have counted
the cost and I don’t mind paying for it… even if it means losing my
life.” Nathan explained
Traditionally, Malays are Muslim. Five years ago, there were less
than 200 Malay Christians. Today, there are an estimated 1,000 or
more. That growth is causing concern to the government and its
religious department.  Officials recently halted the construction of a
church building in Kelantan state. “The religious department head
said, ‘This place is a Muslim place, and the people here are all
Muslims. So you have no right to come in and evangelize the people
here,'” Pastor Luzone recalled.
Luzone said  those who have become Christian  want to have their own
place for worship,” he said. “But I believe no matter what the cost
we have to pay as Christians, our people will be followers of Jesus.”
And that belief has inspired many Malay Christians to share their
faith with others. “This village will stand for the Lord,” one Malay
girl said. “The joy in Christ transcends even persecution. The joy of
loving Christ is more than anything else.”
One evangelist  said that angry Muslims beat him up and smashed his
car. Yet, he presses on because many of his countrymen are receptive
to the gospel message. “When I began to pray for the sick, we saw
instant results,” he said. “People were just amazed at the miracles
and they wanted to hear about the power behind the healing. And they
receive Jesus so easily.” Christians from the Temiar tribe said
Muslims try to lure recently converted villagers away from Christ and
back to Islam by offering gifts.
Source:
CBNnews.
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UNHCR EXPRESSES
CONCERN ABOUT REFUGEES HELD HOSTAGE IN SINAI DESERT
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has welcomed efforts by the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to liaise with
the Egyptian government regarding the plight of refugees from
Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan who are being held hostage in
the Sinai Desert by people traffickers.  The UNHCR reports that
Egypt ¢â‚¬â„¢s Ministry of Interior has assured them that  ¢â‚¬Å“around the clock
efforts are underway to locate the hostages and release
them. ¢â‚¬ 
Several human rights groups  have issued a joint appeal for urgent
international intervention in the plight of hundreds of refugees who
have been held for months in the Sinai Desert in purpose-built
containers. Bedouin people traffickers are demanding payment of up to
US$8,000 per person for their release. The refugees are currently
being held in degrading and inhumane conditions, bound by chains
around their ankles and denied adequate food and water.
The appeal details extreme methods of torture suffered by the
refugees, including electric shocks, to force friends and families
abroad to make the payments. The women in the group, who have been
separated from the rest, are particularly vulnerable to severe abuse.
The UNHCR has  been advocating with  Egyptian authorities for access to
people  detained in the course of making similar journeys  from Egypt
into Israel, with a view to  determining who are refugees and in need
of international protection.
The UNHCR notes that  ¢â‚¬Å“while many are migrants, some originate from
refugee-producing countries, including Eritrea. CSW ¢â‚¬â„¢s Advocacy
Director Andrew Johnston said,  ¢â‚¬Å“CSW welcomes the belated efforts by
the Egyptian government to locate and negotiate freedom for the
hostages, whose situation becomes more desperate with every passing
day. We urge the Egyptian government to work positively with the
UNHCR to bring the treatment of refugees within its borders in line
with international norms. ¢â‚¬ 
Source: Christian Solidarity
Worldwide
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CHRISTIANS BUILD
REVERSE CONFESSIONAL ON CAMPUS
A loosely constructed booth, made of PVC pipe and covered by maroon
cloth, sat on the University of Florida at Gainesville’s Plaza of the
Americas recently. According to a story by Katie Sanders, published
in the University of Florida’s Independent Alligator newspaper, a
small one-word sign labelled “confessions,” resulted in puzzled looks
and passers-by slowing down. But there was no priest inside the box.
Instead, a group of Christian students were there to invite
listeners.
They wanted to apologize for what they called their own shortcomings
in not living how Jesus intended.They’re sorry for the bad image
Christians might have on campus. Russell McMullen, a UF sophomore
involved with Campus Crusade for Christ, organized the reverse
confessional. “We used this to try and let people take a fair look at
Christianity and not just prejudge and write it off as a hateful and
intolerant religion,” McMullen told the Alligator.
Some students who saw the booth were confused and thought they were
being invited to confess their own sins, whereas McMullen and his
colleagues were the ones giving the face-to-face confessions. Graham
Wigle who manned the booth while McMullen went to class said that
students walking across campus often get inaccurate representations
of Christianity. The confessional was meant to encourage Christians
to be more humble, he said.”We’re imperfect.  We want to point people
to the real Jesus.”
Source: Assist
News
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U.S. COMBAT TROOPS
CONCERNED ABOUT HOMOSEXUALS IN THE MILITARY
A new  Pentagon study has  revealed a majority of US combat troops are
concerned that homosexuals   would harm their units’ cohesion and
effectiveness. Among combat troops, 47.5 % of US Army soldiers and
57.5 % of Marines said allowing  homosexuals to serve alongside them
would have a  ¢â‚¬Å“negative effect ¢â‚¬  on their unit. Also, 48.9% of Army
combat troops and 59.7% of Marine combat troops said having a
homosexual or lesbian member of their unit would damage their mutual
trust.
The report, however, took a more sanguine look at these concerns in
the long term.  ¢â‚¬Å“We are convinced that the US military can adjust and
accommodate this change, just as it has others in its history, ¢â‚¬  it
said.  However, the Washington Times reported that Secretary of
Defence Robert Gates admitted that the chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air
Force and Marines believe the data in the report indicated that
homosexuals would create upheaval in the military.
Source:
LifeSiteNews.com
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U.K. YOUTH TELL
EDUCATORS THEY WANT TO LEARN FAMILY VALUES
A  UK survey reveals that teenagers would rather be taught about
family values than about sex, and see the responsibilities of being a
parent as the number one ‘fact of life’, ahead of intercourse,
contraception and sexually-transmitted infections.   Experts from Hull
University said they were surprised that  a majority of
teenagers  surveyed support ‘moral’ ideas about having  sex. The
findings  suggest the current emphasis in schools on the mechanics of
sexual intercourse does not match teenagers priorities.
Dr. Julie Jomeen said the findings were important because a national
strategy to cut teenage pregnancy had failed, while
sexually-transmitted infections among young people are rising.
Norman Wells, director of the Family Education Trust, said: “Young
people are clearly tiring of the negative messages they are receiving
about pregnancy and parenthood from sex educators obsessed with
contraception. For too long, government policy has all too often been
encouraging and facilitating casual sex.”
Source: The Daily
Mail
http://www.ausprayernet.org.au/