Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 161 | Wed 30 May 2012

By Elizabeth Kendal

WELCOME to the intercessors who have joined the list this month.

MAY 2012 UPDATE – During May we prayed concerning . . .

* AFRICA (RLPB 157), where Christians are at risk from Islamic terrorism
from one side of the continent to the other.

UPDATE: Al-Qaeda-linked rebel forces that are controlling northern Mali
have seized a key underground weapons and ammunition depot of the
Malian Army in Gao. A regional security source confirmed the seizure,
saying the vast cache of weapons will greatly boost al-Qaeda in the
Islamic Maghreb’s (AQIM’s) striking power, adding that the group ‘is
today more armed than the combined armies of Mali and Burkina Faso’.
See RLPB 157 for critical prayer points, particularly that supply-lines
will be cut off.
* INDIA (RLPB 158), where militant Hindu nationalism, which is advancing
unchallenged and with impunity, is bringing great suffering to the body
of Christ.

* ACEH, INDONESIA (RLPB 159), where a new Islamist governor is
acquiescing to Islamic hard-line fundamentalists and escalating
repression against the church.

* SYRIA & LEBANON (RLPB 160), where sectarian violence is escalating and
spreading, leaving large Christian minorities in great need of divine
refuge and deliverance.

‘The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in
whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my
stronghold. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am
saved from my enemies.’ (Psalm 18:2,3 ESV)
MAY 2012 ROUND-UP – also this month . . .

* EGYPT: ISLAMISTS BLAME CHRISTIANS

Over 23-24 May, Egyptians voted to elect a president from amongst 13
candidates. There was a low turnout of only 46 percent. The two front-
runners will go head-to-head in a run-off over 16-17 June. They are the
Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohammed Morsi who polled 25.3 percent, and Ahmed
Shafiq who polled 24.9 percent. Shafiq, a former air force commander, was
former president Hosni Mubarak’s last prime minister. For many, the run-
off presents an unthinkable dilemma: to risk the feared Islamists or to
return to the reviled regime? This choice leaves many Egyptians very angry
and deeply conflicted. The Islamists are blaming the unexpected rise of
Ahmed Shafiq on the ‘unfortunate’ and ‘sectarian’ vote of Christians who,
they falsely claim, were following directions from Coptic Church leaders.
In reality, the Copts were totally free to vote according to conscience
and Shafiq – who campaigned on a platform of stability and security – won
most of his votes in the Delta provinces where Copts number only about 5
percent. As Egyptian media fuel the rumours, the Copts are finding
themselves under fire from both the Islamists and the young
‘revolutionaries’. On Monday 28 May rioting Egyptian youths ransacked and
set fire to Shafiq’s campaign headquarters in Cairo. Similar protests
erupted in other cities. The fear now is that the run-off will accelerate
the fracturing of Egyptian society and that the Christians will be
slandered as spoilers of the revolution so that all anger might be
deflected on to them. Pray for Egypt’s threatened Christians.
* INDONESIA: THE MYTH OF RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE

On Thursday 17 May, some 100 members of the Philadelphia Batak Christian
Protestant Church in Bekasi, a suburb of Jakarta, in West Java, met for
prayer and worship, surrounded – as they are every week – by a large angry
Muslim mob. In direct violation of a Supreme Court ruling, local
authorities refuse to let the church construct a building. Consequently
the believers are forced to meet in the open air where they are vulnerable
to weekly abuse and violence from members of the Islamic Defenders Front
(FPI). As soon as Pastor Palti Panjaitan began speaking, the 600-strong
Islamist mob began pelting the believers with stones, frogs and plastic
bags filled with urine, forcing the believers to disperse. The police on
guard did nothing to intervene and nobody has been arrested. Three days
later (Sunday 20 May) the Islamists repeated the abuse, throwing mud,
rotten eggs and cups of drainage water at the believers, forcing them to
disperse after only five minutes. Pray for the Church in Indonesia.
* KUWAIT: CHURCHES EVICTED AS ISLAMISTS CONSOLIDATE

On 2 February Kuwaitis went to the polls to elect a new parliament. All
four female MPs lost their seats and hard-line Islamists (including
Salafis and members of the Muslim Brotherhood and conservative Popular
Action Bloc) secured 34 of the 50 seats. As reported in RLPB 151 (March
2012) the new parliament is drafting a law that will ban the construction
of new churches. On Thursday 3 May, the parliament ruled to amend the
penal code to impose the death penalty on any Muslim who insults God,
Mohammad and his relatives or the Qur’an. (Such blasphemy is essentially
akin to apostasy). If the accused repents, the sentence is reduced to five
years in prison plus a fine. Non-Muslims found guilty of insulting Islam
will be sentenced to 10 years in prison. Two house-churches affiliated
with the National Evangelical Church in Kuwait recently found they were
unable to renew their leases. Whilst both have found temporary
accommodation, they fear it will be impossible to find permanent meeting
places as pressure is applied to landlords not to lease to church groups.
Expatriate Christians are beginning to fear for their safety. Kuwaiti
converts will doubtless find their already tenuous security diminishing
too. Pray for Christians in Kuwait.
* UK: CHRISTIANS TO CHOOSE – CONSCIENCE OR JOB

After hearing Christian counsellor Lesley Pilkington (61) speak at a
Christian conference on sexuality, Patrick Strudwick approached her for
counselling. He claimed to be ‘a believer’ who was unhappy about his
homosexuality and interested in the ‘reparative therapy’ involving
counselling and prayer that she had spoken about. After two sessions Mrs
Pilkington discovered that Strudwick was actually a fake client: a
homosexual activist-journalist working undercover in a ‘sting’. After
Strudwick’s ‘story’ hit the mass media, Mrs Pilkington was charged with
professional malpractice. The British Association for Counselling &
Psychotherapy (BACP) has now informed Mrs Pilkington she will lose her
senior accredited status as a counsellor. Mrs Pilkington told the
Telegraph, ‘There is a wider agenda that diversity and equality, which is
supposed to be what our society upholds, is upheld for everyone except for
those who have traditional Judeo-Christian values. I think that is very
disturbing.’ As noted by the CEO of the Christian Legal Centre, Andrea
Minichiello Williams: ‘Lesley has been penalised because she was targeted
as a Christian and because she believes that people are free to choose to
change their behaviour if they wish.’

In the UK, as in the USA, Christians unable to affirm homosexual
lifestyles increasingly are being forced to choose between their
conscience and their jobs. If this situation does not change, then
submission to a totalitarian state ideology will ultimately be a
requirement that will force many Christians out of many roles and
professions. Pray for an awakening, and that Western Christians will stand
firm in faith, trusting the Lord in all things. ‘If you are not firm in
faith, you will not be firm at all.’ (Isaiah 7:9b ESV)
* ZANZIBAR, TANZANIA: CHURCHES TORCHED AS MUSLIM SEPARATISTS RIOT

Jumuiya ya Uamsho na Mihadhara ya Kiislamu (Swahili for the Association
for Islamic Mobilisation and Propagation) is a radical separatist group.
Muslims belonging to Uamsho rioted in Zanzibar across the weekend of 26-27
May as they called for the release of Mussa Juma, an Uamsho leader.
Clashes with police erupted in the historic commercial and tourism centre
of Stone Town and two churches were torched. Rev Ambrose Mkenda of St
Michael’s Roman Catholic Church said rioters invaded the church, poured
petrol on the structures and set the place alight, stoking the fire with
burning tyres. The church was razed. Bishop Dickson Maganga of the
Tanzania Assemblies of God church in Kariakoo said that rioters broke into
the church and burnt plastic chairs before setting fire to his car which
was ‘reduced to a shell’. The police and fire brigade put out the fire
before it spread. Senior members of Uamsho were arrested, as were scores
of rioters. Tanzania’s government has pledged to have a new constitution
in place by 2014. Uamsho is demanding a referendum on Zanzibar’s secession
from Tanzania and this is expected to be a major issue in the
constitutional debate. Tensions are high.

—————–

To view this RLPB with hyperlinks, go to Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin
blog http://rlprayerbulletin.blogspot.com

~~

AUSTRALIAN PRAYER NETWORK NEWSLETTER

WORLD PRAYER ASSEMBLY USHERS IN A NEW ERA OF ADVANCE FOR CHRISTIANITY
BELIEF IN GOD STRONGEST IN U.S. AND CATHOLIC COUNTRIES
THE CHURCH IN FRANCE FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS
PREPARING THE WAY FOR THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM
CHRISTIANS INVITED TO STAND UP FOR IRAQ ON SUNDAY 3rd JUNE
GOD MIRACULOUSLY HEALS BOY OF MALARIA
WORLD PRAYER ASSEMBLY USHERS IN A NEW ERA OF ADVANCE FOR CHRISTIANITY

When 9,000 delegates register to attend a prayer gathering held in a Muslim country where persecution of Christians has made world headlines in recent years one can expect that God would turn up. And He did as the nations of the earth gathered in Jakarta, from 14th to 18th May for the second World Prayer Assembly. The event was made possible only because of the unity of the whole Christian community in Indonesia with unprecedented co-operation across all denominations which was clearly evident in the “open heaven” that was over the entire gathering. Government members from a Muslim background attended and welcomed delegates to Indonesia and with some one third of the delegates under the age of 35 there was a vibrancy not often seen in western prayer gatherings.
The logistics of housing, transporting and feeding 9,000 people for a week was in itself an outstanding achievement but was pushed into the background by the knowledge that we were witnessing the emergence of a whole new force within Christendom, the emergence of the Asian nations as the powerhouse for the future of Christianity for years to come. If the 20th century was the century of the western custodianship of Christianity then surely the 21st Century will in a similar way belong to Asia which will change the face of the Christian faith and make it accessible to millions of others who will receive it within their own language and cultural norms rather than as an “imported” religion from the west.

There was also a strong emergence of a generational handing of the baton to the upcoming generations who were so strongly represented at the Assembly, mostly again from the Asian nations. There was a major focus on praying for the world trouble spots including Egypt which is seen as a crucial nation in God’s ongoing purposes for the Middle East. The current election process in Egypt will have a significant bearing on the immediate future of both that and surrounding nations. The major social issues facing the world, including the issue of human trafficking also received concentrated attention in prayer and as an issue that the Church must address with clear strategies.

The highlight of the Assembly was the prayer gathering held in the packed 100,000 seat National Stadium on the Thursday evening 17th May 2012. This was Ascension Day, amazingly a Public Holiday in Muslim dominated Indonesia, to remember the ascension of Christ. The Christian minority came out to pray and they came by the bus loads, and they also thronged to attend the 370 satellite centres that hosted simultaneous broadcasts of the four hour event held in Jakarta. Reports from these satellite centres indicated that 2.5million people in Indonesia participated in this Prayer Gathering. In addition, it is reported that many people around the world also tuned in via the Internet to join those gathered in Indonesia to pray.

The following morning, Rev Dr Nus Remias, one of the key people behind the organisation of the World Prayer Assembly, recalled (trying to hold back the tears) how the Lord two years ago called many Indonesian pastors to put aside their differences and join together as the one body of Christ to stage this prayer event. He mentioned about the pastor of one of the largest local churches who one day went to some other pastors in the city to ask for forgiveness for his pride in the past. The fruit of humility was evident during this Assembly, when 70 leaders of different denominations came to pray together in front of millions of Christians throughout the land.

The president of the Catholic Conference of Bishops shared the stage with the leaders of the Protestant mainline and Pentecostal churches, as they exalted the risen Lord in prayer before the people. Who would have thought that a worldwide prayer movement would find a new centre in Muslim majority Indonesia? Church leaders and Christian business people from over 80 countries gathered to attend the week long Assembly. Originally targeting 6,000, the organizers had to adjust their plans to accommodate the 9,000 that came to encourage each other to pray for global and local issues. Religious persecution, unreached peoples, regional communities, Christians in the marketplace, governments and unity in the Body of Christ were all prayed for.

Dr Yonggi Cho who had led a prayer revival in South Korea three decades ago came to encourage everyone in prayer. But it was not these giants in the faith that were the heroes of the day. It was the person sitting in the stadium, in the satellite centres, or at home watching on TV or the Internet and committing with everyone else to the call to pray called “MY HOME” to adopt a street or a local community or an office to focus their prayers. That is the real change that the organizers are seeking to implement. There is no doubt that Jesus Christ was exalted at this Assembly, and it is equally undeniable that the unity of the Body of Christ was evident in the actions and words of all the denominational leaders who stood side by side and prayed together.

Source: Compiled by APN who attended the Assembly

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BELIEF IN GOD STRONGEST IN U.S. AND CATHOLIC COUNTRIES

International surveys about the depth of people’s belief in God reveal vast differences among nations, ranging from 94% of people in the Philippines who said they always believed in God, compared to only 13% of people in the former East Germany. Yet the surveys found one constant – belief in God is higher among older people, regardless of where they live. A new report on the international surveys, was issued by the social science research organization NORC at the University of Chicago. It is based on a comprehensive, international study of belief in God and includes information from the International Social Survey Program, a consortium of the world’s leading opinion survey organizations. Tom W. Smith, director of the General Social Survey, wrote the report.

The data came from 30 countries in which surveys about belief in God have been taken at least twice, in some cases, since 1991. Researchers asked questions to determine people’s range of beliefs, from atheism to strong belief in God; their changing beliefs over their lifetime; and their attitude toward the notion that God is concerned with individuals. Countries with the strongest belief in God tended to be Catholic societies, especially in the developing world, such as the Philippines. The people of the United States stood out for their high belief in God among developed countries with large Protestant populations. Competition among denominations may account for that interest in religion, Smith said.

The U.S., as well as Israel and Orthodox Cyprus, were ranked along with Catholic societies as countries with “low atheism” and “high strong belief” population rates. Interestingly, in Japan, only nine percent of the population said they don’t believe in God, yet only four percent said they know God exists.The Japanese are “actually spiritual people,” said Richard Chuman, executive director of the Japanese Evangelical Missionary Society. “They’re not religious people, but they’re spiritual people,” and Japanese people who travel to the U.S. or Australia are more likely to become Christians while abroad.
The surveys found:

. Atheism is strongest in northwest European countries such as Scandinavia and the former Soviet states (except for Poland). The former East Germany had the highest rate of people who said they never believed in God (59percent); in comparison, 4 percent of Americans had that response.

. The country with the strongest belief is the Philippines, where 94 percent of those surveyed said they always had believed in God. In the United States, that response came from 81 percent of people surveyed.

. Although by most measures, belief in God is gradually declining worldwide, it is increasing in Russia, Slovenia and Israel. In Russia, comparing the difference between those who believe in God but hadn’t previously, and those who don’t believe in God but used to, researchers found a 16 percent change in favour of belief.

. Support for the concept that God is concerned with people in a personal way ranged from 8 percent in the former East Germany to 82 percent in the Philippines. In the United States, 68 percent of people surveyed held that view. “Belief in God has decreased in most countries, but the declines are quite modest especially when calculated on a per annum basis,” Smith said. Belief is highest among older adults. On average, 43 percent of those aged 68 and older are certain that God exists, compared with 23 percent of those 27 and younger, according to the report. “Looking at differences among age groups, the largest increases in belief in God most often occur among those 58 years of age and older.

This suggests that belief in God is especially likely to increase among the oldest groups, perhaps in response to the increasing anticipation of mortality,” Smith said. He noted that the higher level of belief was not simply a cohort effect, in which people carry forward attitudes shaped in younger years. In the United States, for instance, 54 percent of people younger than 28 said they were certain of God’s existence, compared with 66 percent of the people 68 and older. In countries with low overall belief in God, the difference in belief between age groups is also strong. In France, for example, 8 percent of younger people said they were certain that God exists, compared with 26 percent of the people 68 and over.

Source: University of Chicago

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THE CHURCH IN FRANCE FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS

David Broussard, president of Impact France, writes that despite dire predictions of the death of the evangelical Church in France several years ago, today evangelicals “are flirting with being 0.8 percent of the population. Protestants account for about 3 percent of the population (a huge feat for a group that was stuck at 2 percent or less since after WWII). The National Council of Evangelicals in France was officially incorporated in 2011 and has united hundreds of thousands of Believers in the vision to have one church for every 10,000 inhabitants. The Alpha Course, brought to France by Catholics, is experiencing unprecedented growth and is a model used by Alpha International for other Catholic-background countries.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has even based its entire internet evangelism strategy on the pioneering work of the French website ConnaitreDieu.com and is using their tools to get the job done. Luis Palau held a wildly successful series of evangelistic meetings on a public beach in Marseille last year and youth ministries such as Youth for Christ are experiencing enthusiasm, growth, and are seeing a real harvest.” “What is certain,” says Broussard, “is that the evangelical church is firing on all cylinders. And, it’s no exaggeration to say that, compared with the activity just 10 years ago, France is becoming a hotbed of ecclesiastic activity.

While 34 percent of the country is still atheist, we see in France today a real shift in the spiritual “tectonic plates” of the country. As a French pastor returning from Jordan said, ‘This is not the France I left five years ago.'” Adds Broussard, “France is undergoing real soul-searching in its relationship to all things faith-based. As a secular society, France not only separates church and state but relegates faith to the private sphere.That means any public expression of faith is either frowned upon or outright illegal, but since the tragic shooting at the Jewish school in Marseille recently, more discussion about religion, spirituality, and how that affects the daily life of the French people is opening doors to dialogue and relationship. It shows us that the enemy is flustered and retreating.”

Source: Crosswalk

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PREPARING THE WAY FOR THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM

Although traditional missionary work is strictly prohibited in many Islamic nations, the Lord is making a way where there seems to be no way. He is revealing Himself to Muslims through miraculous dreams and visions. “Though dreams may play an insignificant role in the conversion of most Westerners,”writes Mission Frontiers magazine, “over one-fourth of Muslim background believers surveyed state quite emphatically that dreams and visions were key in drawing them to Christ.” “Just as God used a vision to convert Paul, in like manner He reveals Himself to Muslims through dreams and visions. Just as God prepared Cornelius to hear the Gospel through a vision, so God is preparing a multitude of Muslims to respond to His good news.” said Rick Love, International Director of Frontiers.
However, few Saudis have experienced these unique revelations. While it is true that Muslims are experiencing dreams and visions, one Christ follower notes, “we have not yet seen it in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” More than 2,500 years ago, the prophet Joel prophesied that the Holy Spirit would move in this way: “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.” (The Bible, Joel 2:28,29) “A common denominator appears to be that the dreams come to those who are seeking to know and please God,” explains “More Than Dreams” (http://www.morethandreams.org/).
PLEASE PRAY FOR:

* Saudis who are truly seeking God to know the truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God and Saviour of the world. Ask the Lord to draw entire families, tribes, and clans into relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ, and to reveal His deity to Saudis in dreams and visions.

* the Lord to send anointed Christians who will function like Peter and Ananias, giving them prophetic words and bringing Saudis the truth and revelation knowledge of God. Pray for Bibles and other Christian resources to be distributed to the people of Saudi Arabia. Pray for Saudi and expatriate Believers to be bold in sharing the Word of God with those who are perishing.
* Christians in Saudi Arabia to live in radical obedience to JesusChrist and His teachings. Pray for discipleship opportunities for new Saudi Christian Believers. Pray for them to grow in their knowledge and love of the Lord. Pray for the Gospel to sweep through tribal families in a way that brings people together in their homes as the Church of Christ. Pray for the Lord to plant vibrant life-giving house churches in Saudi Arabia.

Source: Windows International Network

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CHRISTIANS INVITED TO STAND UP FOR IRAQ ON SUNDAY 3rd JUNE

Iraq is a nation with an incredible history and one of the forerunners of early civilisation. It is the home of ancient kingdoms such as Babylon and Nineveh, and the setting for many important Biblical events. Iraq has a long Christian heritage dating back to the first century AD, making it one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. But today, Christianity in Iraq is under serious threat. The overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003 was a victory for coalition forces, but ongoing political instability has been a disaster for Iraqi Christians. Constant threats, terrorist attacks, families forced to leave their homes and communities with no protection, and a recent spate of kidnappings have all been aimed at demoralising the already dwindling Christian population. Life has become unbearable.
In less than a decade, the number of Christians in Iraq has shrunk from more than one million believers in 2003, to under 350,000 in 2012. This situation is an absolute tragedy and one of the saddest parts is that most western Christians have no idea this issue exists. On 3 June 2012, Open Doors is inviting leaders and church communities to stand up and say enough is enough. Churches across Australia are encouraged to join with us for Stand Up Sunday praying that God will strengthen believers in Iraq and that He will provide for Christians who have had to flee their community because of threats to their lives and families. Those unable to participate on 3 June can use any Sunday during June 2012 to mark the event.

Source: Open Doors

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GOD MIRACULOUSLY HEALS BOY OF MALARIA

Grandma Yagu took her grandson to her home so that the boy’s mother, Elis, could get some rest. He was burning up with fever. “He was half-sleeping and I laid him near me as I put my sago on the fire before we slept,” Yagu said. “I lay down to sleep, but Niko just turned and turned. His fever got hotter and his eyes began to rollback like he was fainting. He was slipping in and out of consciousness. I took him and laid him across my knees.” I began to talk to God out loud. ‘O Great Creator Being, please, in the name of our Redeemer Jesus, I put this little boy at Your feet. I lay this little boy across the knees of Jesus, and please God, only You can heal him. You are the true medicine. You and You only can make him well and strong again.'”Yagu reportedly prayed over and over through the night.”

In the early morning Niko woke up. “He opened his eyes, and cried out, ‘Jesus!’ Then he rolled over and slept some more. A little while later his fever went. He rolled over and then he just sat upright and said, ‘Grandma, I am hungry now. Please get me a sago patty.’ Jesus took away my sick and now I am well. Yagu’s faith has made a huge change in her life. Formally, she was a very strong woman, known for her loud mouth and the way she would yell in anger at anyone who had done her wrong. She came to understand and believe the Gospel and is now known for the gentle way she comes alongside people and starts a conversation. Her gift is discipleship and she is often seen sitting beside a younger woman, listening to her story, and then telling her the stories of the Redeemer.”

Source: Intercessors Network

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Have you visited our Web site? Australian Prayer Network

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KUWAITI PARLIAMENT APPROVES DEATH PENALTY FOR BLASPHEMY

Country: Kuwait, Middle East and North Africa
Kuwait ¢â‚¬â„¢s Islamist-dominated parliament has passed a bill that would make insulting key Islamic figures and the Quran punishable by death.

The National Assembly of Kuwait,
the Majlis Al-Umma
Leshonai / CC BY-SA 2.5
The amendment, intended to strengthen the country ¢â‚¬â„¢s existing blasphemy legislation, gained overwhelming support in the second  ¢â‚¬“ and final  ¢â‚¬“ vote on 3 May. It will now go to Kuwait ¢â‚¬â„¢s ruler, Sheik Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, for approval before becoming law.
Under the draft, cursing the god of Islam, Muhammad, his wives, other key Islamic figures, and the Quran become capital offences for Muslims. Non-Muslims who commit the same offence face a jail term of at least ten years.
Defendants who repent in court will have their sentence reduced to five years in prison and/or a fine of $36,000.
MP Ali al-Deqbasi said:
We do not want to execute people with opinions or thoughts because Islam respects these people ¢â‚¬ ¦ But we need this legislation because incidents of cursing God have increased. We need to deter them.
Kuwaiti MPs proposed the death penalty for blasphemy following the arrest of Hamad al-Naqi in March for allegedly cursing Muhammad, his wife and some of his Companions on Twitter.
 ¢â‚¬Å“MASSIVE STEP BACKWARDS ¢â‚¬ 

The bill has been condemned by Amnesty International and other human rights groups. Amnesty said it  ¢â‚¬Å“would be a massive step backwards ¢â‚¬  and  ¢â‚¬Å“a flagrant breach of the country ¢â‚¬â„¢s international human rights obligations ¢â‚¬ .
Under international law, Amnesty added,  ¢â‚¬Å“religious ¢â‚¬  offences do not fall under the category of  ¢â‚¬Å“most serious crimes ¢â‚¬ , the minimum threshold prescribed for crimes carrying the death penalty.
Defamation of religion is already prohibited in Kuwait and currently carries a penalty of up to one year in prison and a fine.
Such a dramatic increase in the severity of the punishment for the offence is the latest hard-line measure to be put forward by the Islamist-led parliament. Since gaining a majority in snap parliamentary elections in February, a coalition of Islamists, al-Adala (Justice) Bloc, has made a number of moves to strengthen Islam.
A law to prevent the construction of new churches and other non-Islamic places of worship has been proposed, as have constitutional changes to impose sharia. These concerning developments take the country in a similar direction to that of neighbouring Saudi Arabia, where there is no freedom of religion and the government does not allow the public practice of any un-Islamic religion.
Kuwait is over 80 per cent Muslim but has a sizeable Christian community, most of whom are expatriates, comprising nearly 14 per cent of the population. The Kuwaiti Church already faces numerous restrictions, and its freedom looks set to be further curtailed by the al-Adala (Justice) Bloc.
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AUSTRALIAN PRAYER NETWORK NEWSLETTER May 21, 2012

PRESIDENT OBAMA ENDORSES SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT MAKES TEARFUL APPEAL TO JESUS FOR HEALING
GOD GIVES ILLITERATE MAN ABILITY TO READ SCRIPTURE
FACEBOOK EVANGELISM REACHING THOUSANDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
LAO OFFICIALS CONFISCATE CHURCH BUILDINGS
ALASKA VOTERS DEFEAT SPECIAL RIGHTS FOR HOMOSEXUAL AND LESBIANS
THE NEXT CONVENIENCE OF THE MODERN WORLD – DRIVE THRU PRAYER
PRESIDENT OBAMA ENDORSES SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

President Barack Obama has endorsed same-sex “marriage” saying his decision was motivated in part by his Christian faith and his belief in the Golden Rule. “I’ve just concluded that for me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married,” Obama told ABC News reporter Robin Roberts in an interview. He added that his wife, Michelle, agreed with him. “We’ve talked about it over the years and she, you know, she feels the same way,” he said. “We are both practicing Christians and obviously this position may be considered to put us at odds with the views of others,” Obama stated, “but the thing that we think about is, not only Christ sacrificing Himself on our behalf, but it’s also the Golden Rule.”

He explained his foot-dragging reticence to support full same-sex “marriage” by saying he “was sensitive to the fact that, for a lot of people, the word marriage was something that evokes very powerful traditions – religious beliefs and so forth.” However, Obama had previously implied the Bible supports homosexual unions. “I believe in civil unions that allow a same-sex couple to visit each other in a hospital or transfer property to each other,” he said in 2008. “If people find that controversial, then I would just refer them to the Sermon on the Mount, which I think is, in my mind, for my faith, more central than an obscure passage in Romans.”

The president told the media his newly articulated position represents his private views, and that he believes each state should make its own decisions about marriage. However, he has publicly opposed state initiatives to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman in North Carolina and Minnesota. In the ABC interview, Obama highlighted his service to the homosexual political agenda, including “rolling back Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” “no longer defending the Defence Against Marriage Act,” and supporting civil unions. However, he said his personal relationships with homosexuals convinced him he had to go further. “My daughters have friends whose parents are same-sex couples,” he added. His most recent announcement followed closely on the heels of Vice President Joe Biden and Education Secretary Arne Duncan endorsing same-sex “marriage.”

Fox News Channel reported that according to numerous Democratic sources, the timing of Obama’s interview was not planned but came as a result of the vice president’s “gaffe.” Obama’s likely 2012 rival Mitt Romney clarified his position in return, saying, “My view is that marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman. I don’t intend to make any adjustments at this point – or ever, by the way.”

Meanwhile the movement to protect marriage as a union of one man and one woman took another step forward as an emphatic majority of North Carolina voters approved a constitutional amendment forbidding activist judges from redefining the family. Amendment One, the Defence of Marriage Act, passed by 61 per cent to 39 per cent in what some commentators referred to as a “landslide”. In Britain the Cameron government’s proposed “gay marriage” plans were not included in the Queen’s Speech in Parliament causing observers to speculate that the results of the recent nation-wide local elections, have prompted a frantic rewriting of the government’s policies on this issue. While “gay marriage” was not mentioned in the Speech, Same-Sex Marriage reform is still officially on the table.

Source: LifeSiteNews.com
VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT MAKES TEARFUL APPEAL TO JESUS FOR HEALING

The status of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s cancer is officially a state secret, but that didn’t stop him from making a tear-filled appeal for healing from Jesus at a Catholic Mass in his home state. Chavez shocked the world last June, when he disclosed that Cuban doctors had removed a cancerous tumour from his abdominal area. A report at the time indicated that his colon cancer perforated the intestinal wall and caused an infection.” But a few days later, the Venezuelan government denied he had colon cancer, stated that the tumour was completely removed, and that Ch ƒ ¡vez was headed for “complete recovery”. Despite the conflicting reports, the controversial socialist leader began traveling to Cuba at regular intervals for radiation treatments after the initial denials.

In February, he revealed that new lesions were present raising the spectre the cancer had spread. Indeed, Dr. Jose Rafael Marquina, a Venezuelan doctor who resides in Florida, told a Spanish newspaper that Chavez’s cancer had metastasized into the liver, adrenal glands, and bladder, which left radiation as his last hope – apart from a miracle from God. Other reports have suggested Cuban doctors botched his treatments, which left him with intestinal burns, and in a state of desperation for just such a healing miracle. While he once sang and danced before crowds after returning from his radiation treatments, a tone of sobriety and reflection has now emerged.

Chavez considers himself a Roman Catholic who follows in the “revolutionary” traditions of Jesus. At Mass recently, Ch ƒ ¡vez sat in the pews with his parents on either side. He held hands with them while a priest led a prayer for his health. At one point, tears rolled down his cheeks. Immediately following the Mass, Ch ƒ ¡vez placed a red rosary around his neck and became visibly moved as he spoke to a small group that attended with him. Brazilian media have reported that Chavez will make an emergency trip to Brazil after his failed treatments in Cuba. However, he previously refused treatment in Brazil because the hospital was not able to provide the level of security and privacy he requested.

In a public appearance on his 57th birthday, Chavez said his health trouble had led him to radically reorient his life towards a “more diverse, more reflective and multi-faceted” outlook, while he called on the middle classes and the private sector to get more involved in his revolution. Ch ƒ ¡vez wanted to become a priest as a young man. He believes his socialism has roots in the teachings of Jesus Christ, and has used the slogan of “Christ is with the Revolution,” even as his policies have led to disputes with Catholic and Protestant clergy. In an interview in 2005, he said, “Jesus accompanied me in difficult times, in crucial moments. Jesus Christ was a revolutionary. He confronted the religious hierarchies and confronted the economic power at the time.”

Source: God Reports
GOD GIVES ILLITERATE MAN ABILITY TO READ SCRIPTURE

A mysterious disease left Yilma Gudini unable to walk or speak for years. Then God brought a missionary into his life who prayed for healing, and the man received even more than he could have hoped. “Our goal is to raise up a prayer movement,” says Dr. Howard Folz, the president of AIMS. “We also want to see missionaries go to unreached peoples,” he says. “One of these missionaries in Ethiopia reached this man named Yilma.” Yilma Gudini lived in a rural area without access to education. Most of his childhood was spent herding cattle for his family and he never learned to read. While he enjoyed good health, a mysterious neurological ailment struck him in young adulthood that left him unable to walk or speak.
Gudini attributes the strange disease to the demonic realm. “Evil spirits bound my legs and closed my mouth,” he says. One day a missionary visited his village and began to pray for his healing. There was no sign of any improvement after he prayed, but the missionary wanted to return the next day to pray again. Several days passed and there was no sign of any change in Gudini’s condition. But the young missionary persisted in prayer, as he continued to come back, and by faith to call on God to move with power. On the eighth day, God answered. “The demons left me, and I could walk and speak again,” Gudini says. “It was a miracle.”Without any prodding, the joy-filled young man surrendered to Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour. Shortly after that, he experienced another miracle.
“God told me to fast and pray for 15 days,” Gudini says. On the tenth day, God approached him in the middle of the night while he slept. He had one of the most vivid dreams he could recall. “I saw the Word of God written on the wall,” he says. But as Gudini stared at the strange symbols on the wall, something unusual happened. He could actually read the words – they made perfect sense. In his dream, he read Scripture for many hours. When Gudini awakened, something even more unusual happened. He ran to get a Bible and when he opened the pages, he could read! Gudini praised and glorified God after this second great miracle in his life.
He ran excitedly to tell a friend – to confirm that what he thought was happening was real. The friend verified his newfound reading ability, supernaturally derived. With renewed confidence, Gudini decided to attend school for the first time. “But when I went to school I could not read anymore,” he says. “I lost the ability God had given me. I was very confused. But when I stopped going to school, I could read again. Since God did this for me, I have read from Genesis to Revelation. And now I teach the Bible in my church.” Gudini is convinced he knows why God showed him this kindness. “I know God did this for me because he loves me.”

Source: God Reports
FACEBOOK EVANGELISM REACHING THOUSANDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Thousands of young people in the Middle East are becoming ‘friends’ on Facebook because of a youth TV program established by Open Doors. The interactive program, Connect with Me, follows a group of young people and addresses subjects that teenagers and young adults across the Middle East can identify with such as fear, forgiveness and unemployment. Comments posted on Facebook vary widely. A 15-year-old boy responded to a show about fear, saying “I loved this episode because I have an issue with fear. Please help me.” One girl wrote, “I want to be closer to God and read the Bible more.” Another said, “I learned a lot from the forgiveness episode although it is very hard, but I will try, thanks.”

There are also added benefits to watching the program. An Open Doors worker explains, “Viewers are challenged to send in videos on Facebook. The maker of the film that receives the most ‘likes’ each week is invited to attend a sports camp, where the gospel is explained and they are challenged to commit their lives to Jesus. This creates connection with the viewers and gets them involved.” After a recent camp, more than 40 young people gave their lives to Christ. Many youth meet through social media networks like Facebook. albeit virtually, and believers have found it to be a great tool in generating responses to Christian TV programs.
Open Doors works in partnership with the Miracle Channel, a Christian broadcaster whose programs are regularly watched by more than 20,000 young people from all over the Middle East. As a spokesman for the Miracle Channel says, “God is moving in tremendous ways among Arab youth, despite political unrest and increased persecution.”

Please pray:
* thanking God that thousands of Middles Eastern youth are hearing the gospel through social media

* that God would inspire and protect the program makers and those involved in responding to young people’s questions

* for the ongoing safety of this ‘Facebook generation’ in the Middle East and that God would continue to work in their lives.

Source: Open Doors
LAO OFFICIALS CONFISCATE CHURCH BUILDINGS

Lao officials have confiscated and sealed a church building in Savannakhet Province in southern Laos after holding a two-day seminar warning against religious belief, according to advocacy group Human Rights Watch for Lao Religious Freedom (HRWLRF). Besides sealing the church building they also warned that other unrecognized churches would soon be shut down. Communist Party officials along with the deputy chief of police, and head of religious affairs, ordered all villages to attend the seminar entitled “Tricks of the Enemy.” According to villagers present at the seminar, the officials declared that Westerners, particularly those from the United States, were using the Christian faith to destabilize the government.

They then declared that the 745 Christians in the village could only meet in private homes, claiming that they did not have permission to construct the church building – even though it was erected in 1963, prior to the 1975 Communist takeover of Laos. “How do these officials know that proper procedures were not followed back in 1968?” HRWLRF asked in a press release. “And if a permit is required for the building, why wait 49 years to tell them?” The officials also declared that only one church in the district, located in Dongpoong village, was officially recognized and that all others would soon be shut down, HRWLRF reported. There are a total of 30 church buildings scattered throughout Savannakhet Province – but only seven are approved by the government.

Church members were instructed to submit a formal written request to village, district and provincial level officials if they wished to use the building again, according to a local church member who preferred to remain unnamed. The villagers argued that while permission was necessary, the local government routinely denied new applications for the construction of churches, thereby creating an impossible situation and denying them the right to worship freely as guaranteed in the constitution.

Source: Compass Direct News
ALASKA VOTERS DEFEAT SPECIAL RIGHTS FOR HOMOSEXUAL AND LESBIANS

In a victory for traditional marriage, Alaska citizens overwhelmingly voted in favour of the natural family by rejecting Proposition 5 which would have given special rights to lesbian, homosexual, bisexual and transsexual behaviour (LGBT). The measure was put on the ballot and supported by a consortium of LGBT groups, called “One Anchorage” in hopes of adding “sexual orientation” and even “gender identity,” whether real or perceived, to the city’s code. The measure was defeated by a margin of 58% – 42%. “One Anchorage” outspent those opposed to Proposition 5 by a margin of four to one, but the funding was no match for the grassroots efforts of pro-family, religious, and conservative voters. ”

Anchorage citizens have taken a stand for the natural family. Proposition 5 would have given special rights to sexual behaviour and would have been used as a club to silence dissent of the faith community,” says Mathew Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel. “Alaska voters sent a loud and clear statement to the rest of the country that forcing people to provide special privileges based on sexual behaviour is unwise. Anchorage has proven that Americans will stand strong to protect the natural family.”

Source: Charisma News
THE NEXT CONVENIENCE OF THE MODERN WORLD – DRIVE THRU PRAYER

We all know that you can purchase everything from breakfast, lunch and dinner from the convenience of the front seat of your car. Now a church in Ft. Lauderdale USA is offering “drive-thru prayer.” The Christian Life Centre congregation has been offering their drive-thru prayer services each Friday for the last month. While some may scoff at the idea, outreach Pastor Sol Levy notes that many who take advantage of the convenient prayerful assistance are often desperate and have never darkened the inside of a church. The church’s volunteers will reportedly pray with those who drive up about any issue that is weighing on their heart. The church’s leaders stated that the outreach is becoming more widely known and they’ve already served about 150 people at the drive-thru prayer window.

Source: CBS4News
Have you visited our Web site? Australian Prayer Network
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Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 160 | Wed 23 May 2012

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SYRIA CONFLICT SPILLS INTO LEBANON
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by Elizabeth Kendal

The conflict in Syria is political, sectarian and increasingly jihadist;
local, regional and increasingly international. The US – Saudi – Gulf Arab
axis is determined to deal Iran a heavy blow and counter its ascendancy by
removing Syria from the strategic ‘Shi’ite Crescent’ through which Iran is
connected to Hezballah on Israel’s northern border. Further to this, al-
Qaeda elements are infiltrating Syria, keen to establish bases for
jihadists’ operations that will replace those bases lost in Iraq. Despite
Lebanon’s official policy of disassociation, geography made it almost
inevitable that the conflict would eventually spill over the border.

On 7 May Syria’s envoy to the United Nations, Bashar Jaafari, sent a
letter to the UN Security Council listing a dozen incidents since mid-
March of the smuggling or attempted smuggling of weapons from Lebanon to
Syria. The letter also accused al-Qaeda, Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood and
Lebanon’s Sunni Future Movement of supporting opposition and terrorist
fighters. A 21 May report from Stratfor Global Intelligence essentially
supports these claims, noting that a struggle is under way in northern
Lebanon, a Sunni stronghold. The US – Saudi – Gulf Arab axis is funnelling
money and weaponry through Lebanon to the Syrian rebellion – through
Tripoli via Akkar to Homs – while Syrian forces, together with their
allies in the Lebanese military and security agencies, are determined to
disrupt those supply-lines.

On 12 May plain-clothed officers from the General Security Directorate
arrested a popular Sunni Islamist and anti-Assad activist, Shadi Mawlawi
(27), in Lebanon’s northern port city of Tripoli. He was charged with
supporting regional al-Qaeda forces. Riots ensued, attracting an influx of
Salafis [Sunni hardliners]. According to Lebanon’s Daily Star, ‘Salafists
hurried to open the Bab Tabbaneh-Jabal Mohsen [Sunni vs Alawite] front.’
Armed groups from the two neighbourhoods exchanged rocket-propelled
grenade, mortar and sniper fire until a tenuous truce was brokered.
Stratfor reports that five Salaftist groups have now moved into Tripoli
and are calling for Sunnis in the Lebanese army to defect. Then on 20 May
Sunni cleric Ahmed Abdul-Wahid and his companion Sheikh Mohammad Hussein
al-Mereb were killed at an army checkpoint in Akkar district while en
route to a rally organised by the Sunni Future Movement. Lebanese soldiers
fired on them, reportedly for failing to stop. Local Sunni clerics have
denounced the ‘assassination’ and called for the creation of a ‘Free
Lebanese Army’. Gun battles erupted at the funeral on Monday 21 May,
spreading even into Beirut. Subsequently, reports that 11 Lebanese
Shi’ites on pilgrimage in Aleppo, Syria, had been kidnapped by the Free
Syrian Army (FSA) triggered Shi’ite rioting in southern Beirut.

According to Lebanese Druze leader, Walid Jumblatt, the minorities are
essentially being ‘ground between two stones’: Sunni and Shi’ite. His
solution: ally with the winner, which he believes will be the Sunnis in
Syria and Shi’ites in Lebanon. The Middle East’s Christians, like other
minorities, have long sought security through alliances with hegemonic
powers. In the end though these powers either prove to be insufficient or
fail to be true allies. Not only are they limited and mortal, they are
generally self-interested pragmatists – often liars. They will protect
Christians as long as it is convenient – often exploiting them in the
process – but will betray and sacrifice them as soon as it is not. In
reality the Christians of the Middle East have only one protector. His
name is Yahweh Sabaoth: the Lord of hosts (literally, the Commander of
heaven’s angelic armies). In truth, a better ally could not be found! But
for Christians to receive his grace, they must seek it in faith. In the
face of massive violence and destabilisation, such faith is more radical
than natural. So we must pray.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT GOD WILL –

* draw Christians in Syria and Lebanon to him, so they will look to him,
finding comfort and refuge as well as strength for endurance as the
security situation deteriorates. ‘ . . . in the shadow of your wings I
will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.’ (Psalm 57:1b
ESV.)

* for the sake of his Church, guide Christian religious and civic leaders
in Syria and Lebanon with wisdom, discernment, moral conviction and
courage, that they might not be influenced by misplaced fear and will
do what is right regardless of circumstances.

* redeem these dark days by exposing and bringing down all that is false
so that Christ alone will be exalted; that ‘the earth might be filled
with the knowledge and glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea’
(Habakkuk 2:14 ESV).
To see this RLPB with hyperlinks go to
http://rlprayerbulletin.blogspot.com.au

~~~~

SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
———————————————————–

SYRIA CONFLICT SPILLS INTO LEBANON

In the Sunni Muslim stronghold of northern Lebanon a struggle is raging.
The US – Saudi – Gulf Arab axis is funnelling money and weaponry through
Lebanon to the Syrian rebellion, while Syrian forces, together with their
allies in the Lebanese military and security agencies, are determined to
disrupt those supply-lines. Incidents have escalated in recent weeks and
include killings, arrests, riots and gun battles, mostly in northern
Lebanon but also in Beirut which on Monday 21 May experienced its worst
violence since May 2008. Security is deteriorating, tensions are high and
risk is extreme. The region’s minorities are described as being ‘ground
between two stones’: the Sunnis and the Shi’ites. These besieged
Christians need our prayers that they will endure and that God will be
their refuge and strength.

——————–

We suggest that churches and fellowships using the above Summary might also provide a copy of the listed prayer points to be used in their worship by people who are leading in prayer.
For more information, updates and helpful links see Elizabeth Kendal’s blog ‘Religious Liberty Monitoring’ <http://elizabethkendal.blogspot.com>.

Previous RLPBs may be viewed at <http://rlprayerbulletin.blogspot.com/>.

This RLPB was written for the Australian Evangelical Alliance Religious
Liberty Commission (AEA RLC) by Elizabeth Kendal, an international religious liberty analyst and advocate, and a member of the AEA RLC team.

If this bulletin was forwarded to you, you may receive future weekly
issues direct by sending a blank email to <[email protected]>.
~~
Indonesia

A bomb exploded last week in Ambon, Indonesia  ¢â‚¬“ the latest in a string of incidents in the area in recent months. The explosion injured 55 people, many of them Christians.
Muslim and Christian believers have had a difficult history in the area  ¢â‚¬“ religious conflict from 1999 to 2002 has seen the two communities greatly polarized ever since. Efforts toward understanding and reconciliation have helped, but the relationship between Muslims and Christians in Ambon is still believed to be volatile.
The incident happened during ‘Pattimura Day’, when people from across the country carry torches from Saparua Island to Ambon City in memory of their national hero, Kapitan Pattimura.
Elsewhere in Indonesia, fears are growing among the Christian community of a government crackdown following the election in April of a hard-line Islamic governor in Aceh Province. Seventeen churches have been shut down since the beginning of the month, including 11 Protestant and three Catholic churches.
Emboldened by the election of Zaini Abdullah (a representative from the militant Islamist Aceh Party), hundreds of Islamists recently held a demonstration in Aceh demanding that church buildings be sealed and demolished. According to Jeirry Simampow, Diakonia Secretary of the Indonesian Fellowship of Churches, the demonstrators were upset because the number of churches for the 12,000 Christians in the region has grown significantly.
The order to close buildings has left many church leaders considering their options.
“This position was supported by the police chief, who said that the time for dialogue was past, ¢â‚¬  says one pastor. “All he wanted was a schedule of the church demolitions. It’s not that Christians do not want to apply for permits, but it is extremely difficult to secure permission even though we have put forth our maximal efforts. ¢â‚¬ 
Source: Compass Direct News

PLEASE PRAY:

For comfort and healing for the victims of the bombing in Ambon. Pray that the police will be impartial in their investigations and that justice will prevail
For God’s wisdom and discernment for church leaders and Christians in Aceh and other areas affected by church closures
That the church in Indonesia would continue to grow in numbers and more Muslims would be convicted of their need for God