~~

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 169 | Wed 25 Jul 2012

By Elizabeth Kendal

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

‘Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord! Lift
your hands to him for the lives of your children . . .’ (from
Lamentations 2:19 ESV).

JULY 2012 UPDATE – During July we prayed concerning . . .

* KENYA (RLPB 166), where Islamic militants had attacked two churches in
Garissa, eastern Kenya (80km from the Somali border), killing 17
worshippers and wounding over 60.

UPDATE: Stratfor Global Intelligence reports that the Somali-based terror
group al Shabaab has threatened to carry out attacks in Kenya during
Ramadan. On 20 July, the first day of Ramadan, the Nairobi Provincial
Police chief urged the public to remain vigilant. Security has been
intensified.

* SYRIA (RLPB 167), where the region’s largest and oldest Christian
communities – remnants of indigenous communities that have survived
Arab and Ottoman Islamic imperialism – are now struggling to survive
amidst civil war, regional sectarian conflict and international Islamic
jihad.

UPDATE: Some of Syria’s most senior Christian officials were recently
assassinated by rebel forces. They included Defence Minister Gen.
Dawoud Rajha, killed in the 18 July suicide bombing at security
headquarters, possibly perpetrated by a bodyguard. Brig-Gen. Nabil
Zougheib also was assassinated along with his wife and son at their
home in a Christian neighbourhood of Damascus on 21 July. Jesuit priest
Father Dall’Oglio, who has spent time in Qusayr negotiating with rebel
leaders for the release of Christian hostages, describes the rebels as
Syrian men wearing long beards and Afghan-style traditional dress. He
wrote they are not representative of the majority of Sunnis and are
totally out of control (Wall Street Journal, 22 July).   The terror is
causing massive displacement. Fides reports that jihadists ambushed and
massacred an entire Christian family on 23 July in the Damascus suburb
of Bab Touma.

Syria has become a magnet for international terrorist organisations,
including al-Qaeda in Iraq, the al-Nusrah Front, the Abdullah Azzam
Brigades, the al-Baraa Ibn Malik Martyrdom Brigade, the Omar Farouq
Brigade and others. German intelligence estimates that in the first six
months of 2012 ‘around 90’ terror attacks were committed inside Syria
‘by organisations that are close to al-Qaeda or jihadist groups’. Many
of these are ‘false flag’ operations where the jihadists massacre
unsympathetic civilians and then present them to the media as victims
of government forces. One German MP has slammed this tactic as
‘massacre-marketing’. Whilst the German government acknowledges
receiving these reports, it explains that their content remains
classified ‘by reason of national interest’ (i.e. along with France,
the UK and the USA, the German government is supporting the rebels,
terrorists, and jihadists).

Tragically, the sectarian nature of the conflict has inflamed Islamic
zeal and radicalised many previously tolerant Sunnis. Christian
refugees in Lebanon told Sam Dagher (Wall Street Journal, 22 July) they
fear that Christians will have no place in Syria if Assad leaves power.
‘They say the conflict has uncovered the true feelings their former
neighbours had kept hidden for years. “We ate from the same plate,”
said one of the displaced Christians. “And then they stabbed us in the
back.” ‘

Further to this, thousands of Iraqis who fled al-Qaeda terror and
sectarian war in 2005-06 for sanctuary in Syria are now fleeing back to
Iraq. However, emboldened by advances in Syria, al-Qaeda has launched a
new offensive in Iraq named ‘Breaking Down the Walls’.   On Monday 23
July, at least 28 attacks on 19 Iraqi cities left 111 dead and more
than 230 wounded.

* NIGERIA (RLPB 168), where Fulani Muslims, Boko Haram terrorists and
rogue elements within the military are co-operating in the escalating
terror being inflicted upon Christians in the north.

JULY 2012 ROUND-UP – also this month . . .

* ACEH, INDONESIA: CHURCHES ATTACKED (updating RLPB 159)

On 30 April local officials in Aceh’s Singkil regency yielded to Islamist
pressure and ordered the closure and demolition of at least 20 mostly
Protestant ‘undung-undungs’ (prayer chapels and places of worship).
Seeking redress, most have not complied with the demolition order.
Frustrated by this lack of action and emboldened by the government’s
appeasement policies, Islamists have begun attacking the chapels. On
Sunday 17 June some 300 Islamists invaded a store in Kuta Alam sub-
district where some 60 Christians had gathered for worship. Whilst the
ground floor was thoroughly ransacked, police arrived in time to prevent
the attackers from reaching the besieged Christians on the third floor. No
arrests were made but the Christians were taken in for questioning.
According to the Jakarta Globe, this was yet ‘another’ attack on a
‘storefront church’. Then on 18 July an Islamist mob launched a dawn
attack on the Pakpak Dairi Christian Protestant Church (Gkppd) house of
prayer in Singkil, dowsing the interior with petrol and setting it on
fire. Furniture and musical instruments were destroyed but prompt
intervention by local Christians saved the building from complete
destruction.

* INDIA: HINDU NATIONALISM INCITES VIOLENCE

On 24 June the Indigenous People’s Forum (IPF) in Imphal, Manipur (north-
east India), conducted a one-day workshop entitled ‘Lure and
Proselytization and Constitutional Interpretation of Freedom of Religion’.
The IPF is recommending that the Manipur state government enact the
Manipur Freedom of Religion bill (Anti Conversion Act). There is little
doubt that Hindu nationalist forces are behind the IPF’s call. Hindutva
forces want to ensure that the traditionally non-Hindu indigenous tribals
do not become Christian while they are busy working to convince the
tribals that they are actually Hindus. If the law is enacted it will rob
all Manipur citizens of their religious freedom, cause Hindutva militancy
to escalate and further entrench the racist Hindu caste system to the
benefit of the Hindutva-promoting upper castes. Pray that the bill will be
rejected.

The Evangelical Fellowship of India reports that on 6 July, in
Ramagundahally village in Karnataka (south-west India), Hindu extremists
forcefully entered a house church, accusing the Christians of forceful
conversion. The Hindus tore up Bibles and savagely beat the believers
before calling the police, who came and took Pastor Mounesh away for
questioning. When Pastor Mounesh was released in the early hours of the
following morning, the Hindutva forces were enraged. Returning later that
day they bashed Pastor Mounesh and the believers praying with him. Four
believers beaten unconscious required hospitalisation. Such violence is
commonplace in states where Hindu nationalism holds sway.

* IRAN: TWO MORE IMPRISONED PASTORS NEED PRAYER

Protestant pastor Farshid Fathi Malayeri (33, married with two children)
was one of many Christians arrested during the sweep of 26 December 2010.
Tried in January 2012 for crimes against national security, a
Revolutionary Court in Evin Prison in Tehran sentenced him to six years in
prison on 5 March 2012. On 3 July, an Iranian court upheld both the
verdict and six-year prison sentence. Farshid will serve the remainder of
his sentence in section 350 of Evin Prison. He has already spent some 100
days in solitary confinement. Protestant pastor Benham Irani (41, married
with two children) is imprisoned in Karaj’s notorious Ghezel Hesar Prison.
Arrested in April 2010 for his Christian ministry, Pastor Irani was
convicted in January 2011of crimes against national security and sentenced
to one year in prison. That term was later extended to five years because
of a previous conviction. The verdict denounced him as an apostate, a
label that marks him out as one who may be killed. Due to frequent severe
beatings from guards and inmates, Pastor Irani now has great difficulty
walking and seeing. He has bleeding ulcers and other intestinal problems.
Pastor Irani lost consciousness around 14 July due to declining health, a
consequence of the harsh treatment he has endured. Though he has been
transferred to the prison hospital, advocates fear he may not survive.

‘If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated
you. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name,
because they do not know him who sent me.’ (John 15:18,21 ESV)

To view this RLPB with hyperlinks, go to Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin
blog  http://rlprayerbulletin.blogspot.comReligious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 165 | Wed 27 Jun 2012

By Elizabeth Kendal

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

‘My hand will sustain them; surely my arm will strengthen them.’
Psalm 89:21 (NIV)

JUNE 2012 UPDATE – During June we prayed concerning . . .

SUDAN (RLPB 162); EGYPT (RLPB 163); BURMA & SUDAN (RLPB 164)
and NIGERIA (in all those RLPBs).

UPDATES –

* BURMA: EYEING US-MYANMAR MILITARY TIES   On 2 June US Secretary of Defense
Leon Panetta intimated that political reforms underway in Burma
(Myanmar) could pave the way for ‘US-Myanmar’ military ties. This fits
in perfectly with the new US strategy of developing stronger ties with
Asia Pacific militaries. Timothy Heinemann, a retired US Special Forces
Colonel who works with war-affected ethnic minority communities in
Burma, argues that US-Myanmar military ties would be ‘wrong’, both
‘morally and practically’, particularly while the Burmese Army ‘is
attacking Kachin villagers’. He argues that Kachin civilians would face
increased aggression if the US were to empower the Burmese Army. ‘Siege
of Kachin State: 2012’ (16mins) is an excellent short film by Scott
Johnson (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srg50Uo6p88  ).   Pray for the
Christian Kachin.

[NOTE – What Heinemann describes above is exactly what US-Indonesian
military ties have done to the Papuans: military violence escalates but
is covered up for economic and geo-strategic gain. (See RLPB 119, and
Religious Liberty Monitoring: label Papua.)]

* EGYPT: ISLAMIST MORSI ELECTED PRESIDENT   On Sunday 24 June Egypt’s
electoral council declared Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood the
President of Egypt, elected with 51.7 percent of the vote (in a turnout
of only about 50 percent). Egypt is now profoundly divided. Most
Christians fear that an Islamist president will further Islamise Egypt,
causing persecution to escalate. According to Isobel Coleman of the
Council on Foreign Relations, Morsi ‘represents the older, more
conservative wing of the Brotherhood and openly endorses a strict
Islamic vision’. According to Eric Trager of the Washington Institute
for Near East Policy, Morsi has been ‘an icon of the extremists in the
Muslim Brotherhood’, pushing for an ‘extreme agenda’. Morsi’s power to
implement his Islamist vision will, however, be severely curtailed due
to the military’s ‘soft coup’. (See Religious Liberty Monitoring for
details.) How the Islamists cope with that remains to be seen. Pray for
the Church in Egypt.

* NIGERIA: CHURCH BOMBINGS AVERTED   After three consecutive weeks of Boko
Haram terror, Sunday 24 June passed without a church bombing. Police
uncovered a plot to bomb churches in Jos, the capital of the Middle
Belt state of Plateau.   While police intensified security, most
churches in Plateau urged their members not to attend their worship
services.   In Kaduna State, an alleged attempt to bomb a church in the
Sabon Gari area of Zaria, was foiled. Boko Haram did, however,
successfully attack Yobe prison on Sunday, shooting police and freeing
40 inmates.

* NIGERIA, JOS: CHRISTIAN FAMILY MURDERED   On Saturday 23 June some 30
ethnic Fulani Muslim herdsmen stormed into Tidiu Village in Mangu Local
Government Area of Plateau State around 3.30am, armed with guns and
machetes. They slaughtered six members of the Dakibang family in their
sleep, while two other family members were wounded as they fled and
four villagers were wounded as the killers made their get-away. The
victims, aged between   six months and 70 years, had reportedly been
living peaceably amongst their Fulani neighbours. One local resident
commented that ‘the killing was professionally carried out with
military precision’. Pray for the Church in Nigeria.

* SUDAN: PROTESTS ROCK KHARTOUM   Since South Sudan seceded in July 2011
Sudan has been blighted with soaring food inflation and a weakening
currency.   Now students from the University of Khartoum are hoping to
trigger an ‘Arab Spring’. Protests commenced on 16 June and escalated
after President Bashir’s 18 June announcement of tough austerity
measures. The protests have spread beyond the capital, causing
considerable disruption but not as yet close to overthrowing the
regime. However, as Sudan expert Eric Reeves notes, with a
disillusioned and angry civilian population reeling from price hikes,
and a dispirited military reeling from heavy losses being inflicted by
rebel forces in South Kordofan and Blue Nile, the threat to the regime
is very real.   But this is a brutal regime and the crackdown has begun.
The situation increases the risk for Southerners who will doubtless be
blamed for the economic crisis when, in reality, the responsibility
lies with the corrupt, incompetent, belligerent, racist, Islamist
regime in Khartoum. Aljazeera reports: ‘There have been calls on social
networks for a mass nationwide protest on [Friday] June 29’. Pray for
the Church in Sudan (using Psalm 10).

JUNE 2012 ROUND-UP – also this month . . .

* INDIA: LIVING ‘IN A CLIMATE OF TERROR’

Christians account for only 3 percent of the population of India’s north-
eastern state of Assam; about one third of them are indigenous tribals.
According to the president of the Global Council of Indian Christians
(GCIC), Sajan George, the situation for tribal Christians in Assam is
‘intolerable’, for they are living ‘in a climate of terror’. On Friday 8
June a group of Hindus met Bhageswar Rabha, a Christian from the village
of Deuphaniin, Assam, and forced him to convert to Hinduism. Then around
midnight a mob of about 40 militant Hindu nationalists burst into the home
of another Christian, Manesor Rabha, and dragged him outside with his wife
Mala and two other believers, Michael and Prashanto Rabha. Though they
were threatened, intimidated, beaten and ordered to convert to Hinduism,
the believers stood firm and refused to renounce their Lord. On the Sunday
morning Mala, Michael and Prashanto were taken to Satribari Christian
Hospital to receive treatment for their injuries. Two other Christian
families subsequently fled the village. Such violent persecution is
commonplace across India. It is a very serious situation, inspired by
unchallenged Hindu nationalism and fuelled by impunity. Pray for the
Church in India.

* IRAN: AUTHORITIES CLOSE TEHRAN CHURCH

In line with its policy of eliminating the Farsi-speaking church of ethnic
Persian converts, the regime has closed down another Farsi-speaking
congregation. On 5 June the Intelligence branch of Iran’s Revolutionary
Guard, a military force tasked with defending the Islamic Revolution,
issued orders to close down the 70-strong Assemblies of God (AOG) Church
in Tehran’s north-western district of Janat-Abad. According to Compass
Direct News, only three churches in Tehran continue to offer Farsi-
language services: the AOG Central Church of Tehran, Emmanuel Protestant
Church and St Peter’s Evangelical Church. More than 20 believers are in
prison for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, including death-row
prisoner Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani whose health is reportedly
deteriorating. Please pray.

* LAOS: STILL WORKING AT ELIMINATING CHRISTIANITY

On 6 June Laotian police arrested Asa, a 57-year-old Lao pastor, at his
home in Peeyeur village, Luang Namtha Province, on charges of leading
people to Christ. He was immediately transferred to the provincial prison,
some 50km away from his family. On 16 June Lao officials arrested two Lao
and two Thai Christians in Luang Namtha, charging them similarly with
‘spreading the Christian faith without official approval’. (The communist
regime is unashamedly committed to eliminating Christianity and therefore
never gives approval for Christian witness!) A local resident had called
the police when he saw the two Thai Christians – brothers Jonasa and
Phanthakorn Wiwatdamrong – explaining Bible passages to enquirers in a
private home. The two Lao and two Thai Christians arrested were taken
directly to the Luang Namtha provincial prison. Torture, including the use
of stocks, is routine in Lao prisons which are amongst the worst in the
world. Pray for these prisoners, and for the Church in Laos.

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

  

UPTICK IN CHURCH CLOSURES AND ATTACKS IN INDONESIA

The number of recorded violations of Christians ¢â‚¬â„¢ religious rights in Indonesia reached 40 in the first five months of the year, nearly two-thirds the number in all of last year, according to the Jakarta Christian Communication Forum. Christians in Indonesia faced 64 cases of violations of religious freedom last year, up from 47 in 2010, said Theophilus Bela, president of the group. Bela said he was worried about the growing incidence of violence and church closures, as his group recorded just 10 anti-Christian incidents in 2009. There were 40 such incidents in 2008, he said. At least 22 churches have been forced to close this year, including 18 in the Singkil regency of Aceh Province that were sealed last month as local authorities either sided with or came under pressure from extremist Islamist groups.

The closures in Aceh followed last month ¢â‚¬â„¢s election of a hard-line Islamic governor. Violence against Christians has also increased, with most incidents taking place in areas surrounding Jakarta and Singkil, said Bela, who is also secretary general of the Indonesian Committee on Religion and Peace, a group that promotes inter-religious dialogue. Local Christians complain that the impractical requirements of a 2006 decree, the Revised Joint Ministerial Decree on the Construction of Houses of Worship, provide the pretext for Islamic extremists and officials to close churches, revoke permissions and delay building permits. It mandates religious groups obtain the signatures of at least 90 members and 60 area residents, as well as approval from the local religious affairs office.

Over the wailing of church members, the government of Bekasi sealed 3 churches because they had not fulfilled the requirements of the Joint Ministerial Decree. At a tense meeting with Bekasi officials the Rev. Hotman Sitorus of the GKRI church begged to be given two more days beyond the planned closure date, so the   church could hold a special service for the confirmation of 24 people and the baptism of one.  ¢â‚¬Å“However, the government did not grant it to us, ¢â‚¬  Sitorus said. Sitorus said his 150-member GKRI church has since secured 90 signatures of members and 60 signatures of area residents and submitted paperwork only to have Bekasi officials return the application, saying it needed to be verified by local block captains. The building permit has still not yet been granted.

The problems can be traced to the election of a new block captain, who belongs to a hard-line Islamic group. The general secretary of the Indonesian Fellowship of Churches, Pastor Gomar Gultom, said the church should continue worshipping even though the local government has sealed their building.  ¢â‚¬Å“According to Article 9 of the Indonesian Constitution, the government guarantees the right to persons of all religions and faiths, ¢â‚¬  Gultom said.  ¢â‚¬Å“Because of this, no person can deny another the right to worship. ¢â‚¬    Gultom encouraged congregations to worship each week without fear.  ¢â‚¬Å“It is true that when Christians are restricted, they spread, ¢â‚¬  he said.

Source: Compass Direct News

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CONTINUING PRESSURE ON CHURCHES AND CHRISTIAN LEADERS IN IRAN

Iranian Christians have requested renewed prayer as the Government’s campaign of intimidation against Christians and Churches continues. This campaign is targeted both at the small remaining number of officially recognised Protestant churches, and also against the house church movement. In early May leaders of the Assemblies of God church in Tehran were ordered by the Ministry of Intelligence to submit the names and ID numbers of all members. The church has long been under close surveillance; the latest order makes it even more difficult for those from Muslim backgrounds to attend the church. More than 20 believers remain detained across Iran, because of their Christian faith or activities.

Those arrested in raids since early February 2012 include five who remain detained in Tehran, five in Shiraz, three in Kermanshah and at least two in Isfahan. Five others in Isfahan were confirmed released in early May, including Hekmat Salimi, the lay leader of St Luke’s Anglican Church. Believers who have been held for more than a year include Noorallah and Farshid who were both arrested in December 2010, and Yousef who has been detained since October 2009 and remains under a death sentence. Behnam, serving a sentence in Karaj since May 2011, continues to suffer ill health. Iranian Christians supporting these believers thank us for our prayers. They request our continued intercession asking that:

*     all Christians in Iran will know the protection of the Father, comfort of the Son and the guidance of the Holy Spirit and that Church and fellowship group leaders would know the Spirit’s discernment and wisdom

*     all those still detained for their faith will be released soon and, together with their families, will know the peace, presence and protection of Jesus

*     All officials involved will love mercy, act justly, learn about Jesus and choose to follow Him.

Source: Windows International Network

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EIGHT AFRICAN NATIONS ON THE BRINK OF STARVATION

The United Nations is asking the world to help millions of West Africans who are facing a crisis of epic proportions. The people in eight nations are on the brink of starvation. At least three million of them are children. A tiny village in Niger is the starkest example of the hunger that grips eight African countries bordering the Sahara Desert. Families in this area depend on farming, but severe drought has resulted in crop failure. Huts normally used to store grain are empty, leaving mothers like Mariama struggling to feed their families. “I don’t think any of us can accept that this mother had to go and pick wild food for her children to eat,” Denise Brown, with the World Food Program, said. “If she doesn’t go and do it every day, then they don’t have anything to eat.”

Aid agencies are doing what they can to deliver food to the region, but so far they have not been able to raise even half the money needed to help the millions in need. Even more people could run out of food before the next fall harvest. A little girl named Nafissa is being treated at a health clinic where doctors weigh, measure, and monitor the nutritional survival of the children. She’s a year old, but she weighs just eight pounds – about the size of a newborn baby in the West. Three million children are already on the brink of starvation, and 18 million people are in danger. Brown urged the people of the world to get involved, saying, “These people, these women, these children, they deserve our attention, they deserve our time.”

 

Source: CBNnews.com

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AVOWED ATHEIST RETHINKS HIS BELIEFS AFTER VISITING CHRISTIAN MINISTRY IN AFRICA

In an article written by Michael Perrett, he explains why the reality of Christian mission work in Africa defied his atheist beliefs. After visiting a poor village in Africa where a Christian charity had provided a water pump, Perrett begins: “It inspired me, renewing my flagging faith in development charities… It confounds my ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses to fit my worldview, and has embarrassed my growing belief that there is no God. Now a confirmed atheist, I’ve become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people’s hearts.

It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good. He also confronts the illogical Western practice of cherishing other cultures  ¢â‚¬” despite of, and regardless of, their moral and ethical short-comings ¢â‚¬” to the point of elevating them above our own. Concludes Perrett, “Christianity… with its teaching of a direct, personal, two-way link between the individual and God… offers something to hold on to for those anxious to cast off a crushing tribal group think. That is why and how it liberates. A whole belief system must first be supplanted. And I’m afraid it has to be supplanted by another. Removing Christian evangelism from the African equation may leave the continent at the mercy of a malign fusion of Nike, the witchdoctor, the mobile phone and the machete.”

Source: Intercessors Network

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Have you visited our Web site?  Australian Prayer Network

 

 

AUSTRALIAN   PRAYER   NETWORK   NEWSLETTER

LATE PRAYER REQUEST

We have received an urgent prayer request following news of the massacre of 12 people and the injuring of 59 others in a Denver Colorado movie theatre last Friday. Let us pray for the families of those senselessly slain and healing for the victims who are recovering from gunshot wounds. Please pray also for the state of Colorado, which has undergone much hardship of late, with the enormous wildfires, and now this, and for America in general.

• PLIGHT OF SYRIA’S CHRISTIANS LOST UNDER MOUNTAIN OF PROPAGANDA
• 30 DAYS OF PRAYER FOR MUSLIMS DURING SEASON OF RAMADAN
• BRITISH CHURCHES URGED TO PRAY AND RING IN THE START OF THE OLYMPICS
• THE CHALLENGE OF STARTING A CHURCH IN BURMA
• IRANIAN PASTOR UNDER DEATH SENTENCE PASSES 1000TH DAY IN JAIL
• UK DIVORCE RATE HITS 40 YEAR LOW
• GANG ACTIVITY CAUSING CONCERN IN SOME BRITISH SCHOOLS  

PLIGHT OF SYRIA’S CHRISTIANS LOST UNDER MOUNTAIN OF PROPAGANDA

Editors Note:   Principal source of information for this article is Religious Liberty Monitoring an arm of the World Evangelical Alliance.  

  

Without a doubt, the greatest lie being told about the Syrian conflict is that it is being waged by President Assad against ‘the Syrian people’. This is pure propaganda. In December 2011, just three months into the crisis, the Qatar Foundation conducted a major poll inside Syria to assess the level of support for Assad. (This was before al-Qaeda and other international Salafi jihadists started flooding in, making the crisis worse.) As an advocate of regime change in Syria, Qatar was embarrassed by the results and so buried them. When eventually leaked, the results revealed that 55% of Syrians supported President Assad and 68% of Syrians disapproved of Arab League sanctions.

This makes perfect sense, considering that religious minorities make up 25% of Syria’s population (Christians are 10%) and at least one-third of all Sunni Muslims would be nominal urbanites who do not want to live in an Islamic State. So the main division in Syria is not between Assad and the rest, but between Sunni fundamentalists (including foreign Salafi jihadists) and the rest, i.e. the majority of Syrians. This is a battle between two unequal forces. The jihadists who quickly hijacked the original protest movement are no match for the Syrian military. Consequently this battle would have been over long ago except that forces keen to counter the Iranian-Shi’ite ascendancy by means of regime change in Syria are arming, training and funding the jihadists.

These forces are the US – Saudi Arabia – Gulf Arab axis plus neo-Ottoman Turkey. As noted by Robert D Kaplan and Kamran Bokhari (Stratfor Intelligence), Assad’s removal will doubtless hasten Syria’s (and Lebanon’s) slide into chaos, not slow it. Despite what the US – Saudi – Gulf Arab axis says, this is exactly what it intends with the aim of crippling or at least tying up Iran’s allies — the Syrian Army and Hezbollah — ahead of a military strike on Iran. The US seems to have no long-term perspective and nobody seems to care about the plight of millions of Middle Eastern Christians. Propaganda is critical in this battle. The weaker force (the jihadists) cannot win on their own and need to have a power stronger than the other side intervene on their behalf.

To secure a ‘humanitarian intervention’, the weaker force will inflate and falsify civilian casualty figures, and even create civilian casualties through the use of human shields and ‘false flag’ operations. [‘False flag’ operations are those in which the terrorists are disguised as elements of the other side.] The Houla massacre has since been proved to be a ‘false flag’ operation, committed by Free Syrian Army forces claiming to be pro-government ‘thugs’. The dead families were pro-government, mostly non-Sunni, civilians. US-NATO will not intervene militarily unless they can make an intervention palatable to voters back home. Hence the US administration’s peddling of jihadist propaganda!

But the US must find another way to contain or engage Iran, for their present strategy necessitates the totally unacceptable sacrifice of millions of Middle Eastern Christians. According to church sources inside Syria, Christians are increasingly being targeted and driven out of their homes and districts. Some 138,000 Christians have fled Homs, where Christians have been terrorised and churches have been looted and occupied by rebel forces. At least 9,000 Christians fled the neighbouring western city of Qusayr after the leaders of a rebel faction issued an ultimatum that was repeated from mosque minarets.

In many areas, intolerant, hard-line Sunni’s are making Muslim-Christian coexistence impossible. For the jihadists, neutrality is not an option, and Christians refusing to support the jihad are being tortured, expelled and murdered. Sunni cleric Adnan Arour has warned Syrian loyalists: ‘We will chop you up and feed you to the dogs.’ An Asia Times correspondent writes “A post-Assad Syria dominated by hardcore Sunnis and infiltrated by Wahhabis and Salafi-jihadists, will make Afghanistan after the anti-Soviet jihad look like a Disneyland ride. The West falsely claims that its interest in Syria is purely humanitarian, whilst pouring political fuel onto the flames of civil war in Syria, escalating the conflict and ensuring ever greater losses of human life.”

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT GOD WILL —

* redeem this crisis to build up the Church both in numbers — as people come to faith — and in faithfulness — as believers learn to look to and trust the LORD of hosts.

* stretch out his arm to guide Christians fleeing jihad and terror, leading them where to go, shielding them under his hand, providing all their needs and fending off those who would harm them.

* turn the hearts of US-NATO leaders who are supporting the jihadists; may they turn from this strategy — give up on it, find another way — and put human life before economic and geo-strategic gain; may they become a force for peace, not death.

Source: Compiled by APN from information supplied by various sources

  

30 DAYS OF PRAYER FOR MUSLIMS DURING SEASON OF RAMADAN

  

For Christians living in Muslim countries the month of Ramadan is a very difficult time. Here in the West we often don’t see or understand the needs of Believers during this “holy month” in the East.   Ramadan actually began on 20th July and will continue until 18th August.   Muslims believe that the Quran was given as a revelation during this month.   They believe that the evil spirits are bound in this month.   Thus, nearly everyone, including nominal Muslims, become faithful in the Muslim ritual prayers. They fast from dawn until sunset without eating or drinking anything all day. However, in fact they spend more on food during this month than any other time of year since from sunset until just before dawn they eat almost constantly.

Muslims believe these 30 days are divided into 3 parts :

1. First 10 days:   is the time of forgiveness when God forgives sins.

2. Second 10 days:   is the period of mercy when God shows his mercy to the faithful.

3. Third 10 days:   is the period of escape from hell when God delivers those who do Ramadan well from condemnation in hell.

Thus Muslims try very hard to do the ritual prayers and fasting to obtain these rewards. The life of believers in Christ is greatly impacted during this month.   Many believers live at home with their family who are Muslims. Thus, they cannot eat at home (or in any public place).   Especially the new believers face many tribulations.   For example, one now Christian brother explained that his father told him, “I know that you are no longer a Muslim. I ask you to leave our home during Ramadan so that you will not cause our family problems during this time.”   Although other families may impose this at any time of year, this example is just one of many stories of believers facing greater tribulations during Ramadan than other times of the year.

Please pray for Christians who live in Islamic countries during this time.

. Pray for the protection of the new believers who are facing their first Ramadan as a follower of Christ.

. Pray for the local church meetings to continue in the midst of this difficult period.

. Pray for those who are seeking truth – that the evil will not keep them from continuing their search for the truth.

. Pray for the follow-up of seekers and new believers during the difficult conditions of Ramadan.

. Pray for the protection of the believers and the church and the work of the church during the midst of these difficulties.

It is also a time when we should pray for Muslims worldwide. It is in this season that many thousands of Muslims searching for a deeper understanding of spiritual reality find Christ through dreams and visions. To assist in praying for Muslims during this season, 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World has been instigated with prayer points for each day provided for those who wish to participate.   This prayer guide can be accessed via the internet athttp://www.30-days.net/  Thank you for your prayers during this important season of heightened searching for truth by Muslims worldwide.

Source: Windows International Network

  

BRITISH CHURCHES URGED TO PRAY AND RING IN THE START OF THE OLYMPICS

Christians and churches across the UK are being encouraged to pray and make a noise and join in the nationwide mass bell ringing planned for the first day of the 2012 Games. According to a More Than Gold (the Christian agency assisting Churches to engage with the Olympics) press release to mark the opening of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the London Organising Committee is calling for thousands of bells to be rung across Britain. The mass bell ringing on Friday 27th July will begin at 8.12am and will last for 3 minutes.   The London Organising Committee of the Games (LOCOG) are encouraging the tolling of “any bell, by anyone, anytime”.

More Than Gold is calling on Christians and churches everywhere to join in and use this moment to ‘Stop and pray at 8.12am on Friday 27th July for God’s Kingdom to come and for a turning to come in the nations.’ The opportunity to get involved in All the Bells comes on the final day of More Than Gold’s 70-day Prayer Relay – a cascade of praise and prayer throughout the UK which began on 18th May and has toured the country running alongside the Olympic Torch Relay. Batons containing prayers have been handed over from community to community and as the torch and the prayer relay have travelled through each area, individuals and churches have taken time to pray for the Games and those involved, and for their own communities.

Throughout the London Olympic and Paralympic Games More Than Gold will be helping thousands of churches to provide outreach, hospitality and service for this once in a lifetime opportunity. Church leaders have added their encouragement and are urging everyone to get involved in this unique event:   ‘This is a fantastic opportunity for churches to make some noise to show that we support the Olympics and the hard work that all of the athletes have put in. I would urge bell ringing teams in our churches to join in this peal and for as many of us as possible to get together to pray for the 2012 Olympics,’ said the Bishop of Dorchester, the Rt. Rev Colin Fletcher.

Rev Ian Bunce, head of Mission for the Baptist Union of Great Britain said: ‘This is an opportunity to be part of a prophetic act, a turning point which will shape the future of our nation. Let’s make a noise, talk about God, pray for peace, pray for reconciliation and commit to love God’s world and his people.’ ‘London 2012 has presented the churches and the nation with a wonderful opportunity for positive community engagement. Lieut. Colonel Ivor Taylor representing the Salvation Army of the UK and the Republic of Ireland has also expressed the delight of the Army in joining with this initiative to pray for success and safety for all involved.   For more details go to:  www.morethangold.org.uk/prayercall

Source: Assist News Service

  

THE CHALLENGE OF STARTING A CHURCH IN BURMA

Despite recent euphoria over reforms in Burma, little has changed for the more than four million Christians and other minorities. This is particularly true in villages, where opposition to Christianity is felt the most. When a group of believers want to worship, for example, their hopes hinge on the village chief. “The process should not take too much time if we have good relations with the village chief,” says Chit, a pastor in his mid-50s. “We must secure his letter of recommendation, before we can start a church. The next step is getting clearance from the town officials – sometimes, we have to give certain ‘fees’ to get the application going. After that, they will issue us a ‘temporary permit’. Getting this permit takes at least one year, no less.

“Once we get a permit we can build a small thatched house and we are allowed to pray, sing, and have other religious events, but we are not considered a ‘church’,” Chit continues. “We call the place a ‘prayer house’. To be recognised, we need to apply for a ‘permanent permit’ from officials at both the district and Central Government levels.” But the cost of such a permit is beyond the capacity of most pastors in Burma. Even if they succeed in filing an application, it will take a decade before it is approved laments Pastor Chit. “We are at the mercy of the district officials.   we can’t do anything anymore, except follow up the application occasionally, and pay more ‘expediting fees’.   In most cases, the papers will not be sent to the Central Government.”

Please pray

* for the ministries of Christian Pastors in Burma. Pray for wisdom to be given to them on how best to encourage their congregations, especially those who are caught in the crossfire of persecution.

* for the training programmes for Christian pastors in Burma. Pray that these pastors will become shepherds who lead with ‘integrity of heart and skilful hands’.

* for discipleship and livelihood training programs for believers in Burma. On average, around 15 to 20 believers enrol in each course. The lessons they learn from these classes are indispensable to their spiritual wellbeing.

 

Source: Open Doors

  

IRANIAN PASTOR UNDER DEATH SENTENCE PASSES 1000TH DAY IN JAIL

Iranian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, arrested in 2009 and later handed a death sentence simply for being a Christian, has now been in prison 1,000 days. Nadarkhani marked his 1,000th day in prison on Sunday (July 8). The Jerusalem Post ran a story on him marking the anniversary, and it quoted Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the American Centre for Law & Justice as saying   Nadarkhani’s next court date is scheduled for Sept. 8. The U.S. State Department also released a statement marking Nadarkhani’s 1,000th day. Nadarkhani was initially arrested for protesting his children being taught Islam in school. He was charged with apostasy for supposedly abandoning Islam

“Pastor Nadarkhani still faces the threat of execution for simply following his faith, and we repeat our call for Iranian authorities to release him immediately,” State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said in a statement. “Unfortunately, Pastor Nadarkhani is not alone in his suffering. The Iranian regime continues to deny and abuse the human rights of its citizens, in particular those of its many ethnic and religious minorities. We call upon Iranian authorities to respect and protect the freedoms and dignity of all its citizens, and to uphold its own laws and international obligations which guarantee such rights to all Iranians, regardless of thei religious or political beliefs,” Nuland said.

Source: Baptist Press

  

UK DIVORCE RATE HITS 40 YEAR LOW

UK divorces have fallen to their lowest level for nearly 40 years. There was a 1% fall last year and a larger drop is predicted as divorce petitions fell 3%. Although fewer couples are choosing to marry, it appears those who do are older and more likely to stay together. Divorce became common in the 1970s after the introduction of no-fault divorces, and reached a peak of more than 165,000 in 1993. There were 119,610 divorces in 2011, 1% fewer than the 121,265 in 2010. A   Ministry of Justice analyst said: ‘The decline reflects the smaller married population and a higher average age at marriage. ‘The younger a person marries, the higher the probability of divorce so the trend to delay marriage has contributed to the decline over the last 20 years.’

The average age at which a woman first marries has reached 30 as millions put off raising   families for the sake of education and career building – and as many choose to cohabit. Researcher Harry Benson of the Bristol Community Family Trust said: ‘Those getting married are generally more committed. People who are decisive enough to get married are more likely to stay together.’ He said that divorce early in a marriage is where most of the fall in divorce is taking place. Author on the family Jill Kirby said: ‘Divorce figures may reflect the fact that fewer people are getting married. ‘But the biggest cause of family break-up is the untold numbers of unmarried cohabiting couples, whose families fall apart at five times the rate of married families.’

 

Source: Intercessors Network

  

GANG ACTIVITY CAUSING CONCERN IN SOME BRITISH SCHOOLS

Some British children are wearing stab-proof vests to protect themselves from becoming victims of violence, according to an investigation into gang activity in Britain. The report said teachers at one school where pupils are said to be “seriously involved in gangs” were “aware of young people wearing stab-proof vests in school”. It is estimated that the number of pupils under 16 involved in gangs has doubled in the past five years. It found that children as young as nine at primary school are becoming involved with gangs and used as “runners” to ferry messages between older members. The report suggests several measures to lessen the impact of gang involvement, such as sending children on prison visits to see the effect of loss of liberty.

 

Source: Intercessors Network

  

Have you visited our Web site?  Australian Prayer Network

  

~~

  

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 165 | Wed 27 Jun 2012

By Elizabeth Kendal

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

‘My hand will sustain them; surely my arm will strengthen them.’
Psalm 89:21 (NIV)

JUNE 2012 UPDATE – During June we prayed concerning . . .

SUDAN (RLPB 162); EGYPT (RLPB 163); BURMA & SUDAN (RLPB 164)
and NIGERIA (in all those RLPBs).

UPDATES –

* BURMA: EYEING US-MYANMAR MILITARY TIES   On 2 June US Secretary of Defense
Leon Panetta intimated that political reforms underway in Burma
(Myanmar) could pave the way for ‘US-Myanmar’ military ties. This fits
in perfectly with the new US strategy of developing stronger ties with
Asia Pacific militaries. Timothy Heinemann, a retired US Special Forces
Colonel who works with war-affected ethnic minority communities in
Burma, argues that US-Myanmar military ties would be ‘wrong’, both
‘morally and practically’, particularly while the Burmese Army ‘is
attacking Kachin villagers’. He argues that Kachin civilians would face
increased aggression if the US were to empower the Burmese Army. ‘Siege
of Kachin State: 2012’ (16mins) is an excellent short film by Scott
Johnson (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srg50Uo6p88  ).   Pray for the
Christian Kachin.

[NOTE – What Heinemann describes above is exactly what US-Indonesian
military ties have done to the Papuans: military violence escalates but
is covered up for economic and geo-strategic gain. (See RLPB 119, and
Religious Liberty Monitoring: label Papua.)]

* EGYPT: ISLAMIST MORSI ELECTED PRESIDENT   On Sunday 24 June Egypt’s
electoral council declared Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood the
President of Egypt, elected with 51.7 percent of the vote (in a turnout
of only about 50 percent). Egypt is now profoundly divided. Most
Christians fear that an Islamist president will further Islamise Egypt,
causing persecution to escalate. According to Isobel Coleman of the
Council on Foreign Relations, Morsi ‘represents the older, more
conservative wing of the Brotherhood and openly endorses a strict
Islamic vision’. According to Eric Trager of the Washington Institute
for Near East Policy, Morsi has been ‘an icon of the extremists in the
Muslim Brotherhood’, pushing for an ‘extreme agenda’. Morsi’s power to
implement his Islamist vision will, however, be severely curtailed due
to the military’s ‘soft coup’. (See Religious Liberty Monitoring for
details.) How the Islamists cope with that remains to be seen. Pray for
the Church in Egypt.

* NIGERIA: CHURCH BOMBINGS AVERTED   After three consecutive weeks of Boko
Haram terror, Sunday 24 June passed without a church bombing. Police
uncovered a plot to bomb churches in Jos, the capital of the Middle
Belt state of Plateau.   While police intensified security, most
churches in Plateau urged their members not to attend their worship
services.   In Kaduna State, an alleged attempt to bomb a church in the
Sabon Gari area of Zaria, was foiled. Boko Haram did, however,
successfully attack Yobe prison on Sunday, shooting police and freeing
40 inmates.

* NIGERIA, JOS: CHRISTIAN FAMILY MURDERED   On Saturday 23 June some 30
ethnic Fulani Muslim herdsmen stormed into Tidiu Village in Mangu Local
Government Area of Plateau State around 3.30am, armed with guns and
machetes. They slaughtered six members of the Dakibang family in their
sleep, while two other family members were wounded as they fled and
four villagers were wounded as the killers made their get-away. The
victims, aged between   six months and 70 years, had reportedly been
living peaceably amongst their Fulani neighbours. One local resident
commented that ‘the killing was professionally carried out with
military precision’. Pray for the Church in Nigeria.

* SUDAN: PROTESTS ROCK KHARTOUM   Since South Sudan seceded in July 2011
Sudan has been blighted with soaring food inflation and a weakening
currency.   Now students from the University of Khartoum are hoping to
trigger an ‘Arab Spring’. Protests commenced on 16 June and escalated
after President Bashir’s 18 June announcement of tough austerity
measures. The protests have spread beyond the capital, causing
considerable disruption but not as yet close to overthrowing the
regime. However, as Sudan expert Eric Reeves notes, with a
disillusioned and angry civilian population reeling from price hikes,
and a dispirited military reeling from heavy losses being inflicted by
rebel forces in South Kordofan and Blue Nile, the threat to the regime
is very real.   But this is a brutal regime and the crackdown has begun.
The situation increases the risk for Southerners who will doubtless be
blamed for the economic crisis when, in reality, the responsibility
lies with the corrupt, incompetent, belligerent, racist, Islamist
regime in Khartoum. Aljazeera reports: ‘There have been calls on social
networks for a mass nationwide protest on [Friday] June 29’. Pray for
the Church in Sudan (using Psalm 10).

JUNE 2012 ROUND-UP – also this month . . .

* INDIA: LIVING ‘IN A CLIMATE OF TERROR’

Christians account for only 3 percent of the population of India’s north-
eastern state of Assam; about one third of them are indigenous tribals.
According to the president of the Global Council of Indian Christians
(GCIC), Sajan George, the situation for tribal Christians in Assam is
‘intolerable’, for they are living ‘in a climate of terror’. On Friday 8
June a group of Hindus met Bhageswar Rabha, a Christian from the village
of Deuphaniin, Assam, and forced him to convert to Hinduism. Then around
midnight a mob of about 40 militant Hindu nationalists burst into the home
of another Christian, Manesor Rabha, and dragged him outside with his wife
Mala and two other believers, Michael and Prashanto Rabha. Though they
were threatened, intimidated, beaten and ordered to convert to Hinduism,
the believers stood firm and refused to renounce their Lord. On the Sunday
morning Mala, Michael and Prashanto were taken to Satribari Christian
Hospital to receive treatment for their injuries. Two other Christian
families subsequently fled the village. Such violent persecution is
commonplace across India. It is a very serious situation, inspired by
unchallenged Hindu nationalism and fuelled by impunity. Pray for the
Church in India.

* IRAN: AUTHORITIES CLOSE TEHRAN CHURCH

In line with its policy of eliminating the Farsi-speaking church of ethnic
Persian converts, the regime has closed down another Farsi-speaking
congregation. On 5 June the Intelligence branch of Iran’s Revolutionary
Guard, a military force tasked with defending the Islamic Revolution,
issued orders to close down the 70-strong Assemblies of God (AOG) Church
in Tehran’s north-western district of Janat-Abad. According to Compass
Direct News, only three churches in Tehran continue to offer Farsi-
language services: the AOG Central Church of Tehran, Emmanuel Protestant
Church and St Peter’s Evangelical Church. More than 20 believers are in
prison for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, including death-row
prisoner Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani whose health is reportedly
deteriorating. Please pray.

* LAOS: STILL WORKING AT ELIMINATING CHRISTIANITY

On 6 June Laotian police arrested Asa, a 57-year-old Lao pastor, at his
home in Peeyeur village, Luang Namtha Province, on charges of leading
people to Christ. He was immediately transferred to the provincial prison,
some 50km away from his family. On 16 June Lao officials arrested two Lao
and two Thai Christians in Luang Namtha, charging them similarly with
‘spreading the Christian faith without official approval’. (The communist
regime is unashamedly committed to eliminating Christianity and therefore
never gives approval for Christian witness!) A local resident had called
the police when he saw the two Thai Christians – brothers Jonasa and
Phanthakorn Wiwatdamrong – explaining Bible passages to enquirers in a
private home. The two Lao and two Thai Christians arrested were taken
directly to the Luang Namtha provincial prison. Torture, including the use
of stocks, is routine in Lao prisons which are amongst the worst in the
world. Pray for these prisoners, and for the Church in Laos.

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

  

UPTICK IN CHURCH CLOSURES AND ATTACKS IN INDONESIA

The number of recorded violations of Christians ¢â‚¬â„¢ religious rights in Indonesia reached 40 in the first five months of the year, nearly two-thirds the number in all of last year, according to the Jakarta Christian Communication Forum. Christians in Indonesia faced 64 cases of violations of religious freedom last year, up from 47 in 2010, said Theophilus Bela, president of the group. Bela said he was worried about the growing incidence of violence and church closures, as his group recorded just 10 anti-Christian incidents in 2009. There were 40 such incidents in 2008, he said. At least 22 churches have been forced to close this year, including 18 in the Singkil regency of Aceh Province that were sealed last month as local authorities either sided with or came under pressure from extremist Islamist groups.

The closures in Aceh followed last month ¢â‚¬â„¢s election of a hard-line Islamic governor. Violence against Christians has also increased, with most incidents taking place in areas surrounding Jakarta and Singkil, said Bela, who is also secretary general of the Indonesian Committee on Religion and Peace, a group that promotes inter-religious dialogue. Local Christians complain that the impractical requirements of a 2006 decree, the Revised Joint Ministerial Decree on the Construction of Houses of Worship, provide the pretext for Islamic extremists and officials to close churches, revoke permissions and delay building permits. It mandates religious groups obtain the signatures of at least 90 members and 60 area residents, as well as approval from the local religious affairs office.

Over the wailing of church members, the government of Bekasi sealed 3 churches because they had not fulfilled the requirements of the Joint Ministerial Decree. At a tense meeting with Bekasi officials the Rev. Hotman Sitorus of the GKRI church begged to be given two more days beyond the planned closure date, so the   church could hold a special service for the confirmation of 24 people and the baptism of one.  ¢â‚¬Å“However, the government did not grant it to us, ¢â‚¬  Sitorus said. Sitorus said his 150-member GKRI church has since secured 90 signatures of members and 60 signatures of area residents and submitted paperwork only to have Bekasi officials return the application, saying it needed to be verified by local block captains. The building permit has still not yet been granted.

The problems can be traced to the election of a new block captain, who belongs to a hard-line Islamic group. The general secretary of the Indonesian Fellowship of Churches, Pastor Gomar Gultom, said the church should continue worshipping even though the local government has sealed their building.  ¢â‚¬Å“According to Article 9 of the Indonesian Constitution, the government guarantees the right to persons of all religions and faiths, ¢â‚¬  Gultom said.  ¢â‚¬Å“Because of this, no person can deny another the right to worship. ¢â‚¬    Gultom encouraged congregations to worship each week without fear.  ¢â‚¬Å“It is true that when Christians are restricted, they spread, ¢â‚¬  he said.

Source: Compass Direct News

  

CONTINUING PRESSURE ON CHURCHES AND CHRISTIAN LEADERS IN IRAN

Iranian Christians have requested renewed prayer as the Government’s campaign of intimidation against Christians and Churches continues. This campaign is targeted both at the small remaining number of officially recognised Protestant churches, and also against the house church movement. In early May leaders of the Assemblies of God church in Tehran were ordered by the Ministry of Intelligence to submit the names and ID numbers of all members. The church has long been under close surveillance; the latest order makes it even more difficult for those from Muslim backgrounds to attend the church. More than 20 believers remain detained across Iran, because of their Christian faith or activities.

Those arrested in raids since early February 2012 include five who remain detained in Tehran, five in Shiraz, three in Kermanshah and at least two in Isfahan. Five others in Isfahan were confirmed released in early May, including Hekmat Salimi, the lay leader of St Luke’s Anglican Church. Believers who have been held for more than a year include Noorallah and Farshid who were both arrested in December 2010, and Yousef who has been detained since October 2009 and remains under a death sentence. Behnam, serving a sentence in Karaj since May 2011, continues to suffer ill health. Iranian Christians supporting these believers thank us for our prayers. They request our continued intercession asking that:

*     all Christians in Iran will know the protection of the Father, comfort of the Son and the guidance of the Holy Spirit and that Church and fellowship group leaders would know the Spirit’s discernment and wisdom

*     all those still detained for their faith will be released soon and, together with their families, will know the peace, presence and protection of Jesus

*     All officials involved will love mercy, act justly, learn about Jesus and choose to follow Him.

Source: Windows International Network

  

EIGHT AFRICAN NATIONS ON THE BRINK OF STARVATION

The United Nations is asking the world to help millions of West Africans who are facing a crisis of epic proportions. The people in eight nations are on the brink of starvation. At least three million of them are children. A tiny village in Niger is the starkest example of the hunger that grips eight African countries bordering the Sahara Desert. Families in this area depend on farming, but severe drought has resulted in crop failure. Huts normally used to store grain are empty, leaving mothers like Mariama struggling to feed their families. “I don’t think any of us can accept that this mother had to go and pick wild food for her children to eat,” Denise Brown, with the World Food Program, said. “If she doesn’t go and do it every day, then they don’t have anything to eat.”

Aid agencies are doing what they can to deliver food to the region, but so far they have not been able to raise even half the money needed to help the millions in need. Even more people could run out of food before the next fall harvest. A little girl named Nafissa is being treated at a health clinic where doctors weigh, measure, and monitor the nutritional survival of the children. She’s a year old, but she weighs just eight pounds – about the size of a newborn baby in the West. Three million children are already on the brink of starvation, and 18 million people are in danger. Brown urged the people of the world to get involved, saying, “These people, these women, these children, they deserve our attention, they deserve our time.”

 

Source: CBNnews.com

  

AVOWED ATHEIST RETHINKS HIS BELIEFS AFTER VISITING CHRISTIAN MINISTRY IN AFRICA

In an article written by Michael Perrett, he explains why the reality of Christian mission work in Africa defied his atheist beliefs. After visiting a poor village in Africa where a Christian charity had provided a water pump, Perrett begins: “It inspired me, renewing my flagging faith in development charities… It confounds my ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses to fit my worldview, and has embarrassed my growing belief that there is no God. Now a confirmed atheist, I’ve become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people’s hearts.

It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good. He also confronts the illogical Western practice of cherishing other cultures  ¢â‚¬” despite of, and regardless of, their moral and ethical short-comings ¢â‚¬” to the point of elevating them above our own. Concludes Perrett, “Christianity… with its teaching of a direct, personal, two-way link between the individual and God… offers something to hold on to for those anxious to cast off a crushing tribal group think. That is why and how it liberates. A whole belief system must first be supplanted. And I’m afraid it has to be supplanted by another. Removing Christian evangelism from the African equation may leave the continent at the mercy of a malign fusion of Nike, the witchdoctor, the mobile phone and the machete.”

Source: Intercessors Network

 

Have you visited our Web site?  Australian Prayer Network

 

AUSTRALIAN   PRAYER   NETWORK   NEWSLETTER July 16, 2012

  

  

• WILL EGYPT BECOME THE NEW IRAN?
• PRESBYTERIANS IN U.S.A. REJECT REDEFINITION OF MARRIAGE
• TWO KENYAN CHURCHES ATTACKED – AT LEAST 17 DEAD
• BRITISH CHURCHES GET INVOLVED WITH THE OLYMPICS
• “WINDOW OF LIFE” FOR UNWANTED BABIES SAVES LIVES IN POLAND
• ISLAMISTS DESTROY HERITAGE AND TAKE HUMAN SHIELDS IN MALI

WILL EGYPT BECOME THE NEW IRAN?  

Egypt’s revolution has not turned out as the crowds in Tahrir Square hoped. Far from providing the country with the type of Western-style, secular and democratic system of government the protesters in Tahrir Square demanded, all that has been achieved is the election of an Islamic government that is committed to introducing a judicial system based on Sharia law. It was obvious to anyone with any knowledge of Egypt that, once President Mubarak was removed from power, the contest to choose his replacement would fall between the military and the Islamists, the only groups with the organizational infrastructure to sustain a convincing electoral campaign.  

The fact that the election has resulted in the appointment of Mohammed Mursi, the head of Egypt’s Moslem Brotherhood, as the country’s new leader does not bode well for the country’s future. Many political commentators have suggested we need not worry, because Mr. Mursi represents the acceptable face of political Islam, and wants to form a government that represents all the Egyptian people, rather than just the Muslims. Furthermore, they say, the military still controls the country, so that the ability of the Moslem Brotherhood to dictate policy will be extremely limited. But as happened during the 1979 Iranian revolution, I fear the Mr. Morsi’s election is the thin end of the wedge. While Mr. Morsi himself might be moderate in outlook, many of those who back him are not.  

As we are seeing in neighbouring Libya, where the British ambassador recently survived an assassination attempt by al-Qaeda-related militants, the hard line Islamists in Egypt demand nothing less than the creation of a full-blown Islamist state. And when that happens there will be many in the West who will rue the day, just as we did following the overthrow of the Shah in Tehran, that Britain and America backed the overthrow of Egypt’s pro-Western president, Hosni Mubarak. Con Coughlin, the Telegraph’s executive foreign editor, is a world-renowned expert on the Middle East and Islamic terrorism. He is the author of several critically acclaimed books.

Both Egypt and Iran have signalled a shift in policy since former president Hosni Mubarak was overthrown last year in a popular uprising.   “The foreign ministry of Iran congratulates the victory of the Egyptian nation in these elections and the presidency of Doctor Mohammed Mursi,” it said in a statement on the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA)     A spokesman for Egyptian President Mursi has denied that he told an Iranian news outlet, which has ties to the Revolutionary Guards, that he had plans to “review” the country’s 1979 Camp David peace treaty with Israel and renew his country’s ties with Teheran. He described it as a fabrication.  

Mursi’s alleged comments were perceived to be unsettling to Western powers as they seek to isolate Iran over its disputed nuclear program, which they suspect Tehran is using to build atomic bombs. They cautiously welcomed the democratic process that led to Mursi’s election, but made clear Egypt’s stability was their main priority. Mursi’s victory over former general Ahmed Shafiq in Egypt’s first free presidential election has been hailed by Iran as a “splendid vision of democracy” that marked the final phase of an “Islamic Awakening.” Pray that the U.S. political leadership will have a good understanding of the Islamic plans to reshape Egypt. Pray that western leaders will be wise in their diplomacy towards Egypt. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem in all the changes taking place.  

Source: Intercessors for America  

  

PRESBYTERIANS IN U.S.A. REJECT REDEFINITION OF MARRIAGE

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) narrowly rejected a proposal to revise the traditional definition of marriage, a year after it struck down a barrier to ordaining homosexuals. The Presbyterian General Assembly, meeting in Pittsburgh, voted 338-308 against changing how marriage was defined in the church constitution from a “civil contract between a woman and a man” to a “covenant between two people.” The assembly also rejected measures that would have affirmed a traditional definition of marriage or sought more theological study of the issue.   Other mainline Protestant churches have approved homosexual ordination or have permitted individual congregations to celebrate same-sex unions in recent years.  

The U.S. Episcopal Church, which is holding its national convention in Indianapolis, will consider official prayers for blessing same-sex unions. However, only one major Protestant denomination, the United Church of Christ, has endorsed same-sex marriage outright.   The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), like many Protestant groups, has debated for decades whether the Bible prohibits same-sex relationships. The discussion has focused mainly on whether to ordain homosexuals and lesbians who aren’t celibate. But as homosexual acceptance has grown in the broader culture, marriage has become a larger part of the church discussion of homosexuality.  

Six states and the District of Columbia have legalized same-sex marriage and three more could do so this year, but 30 states have passed constitutional amendments limiting marriage to unions of a man and a woman. Throughout debate on the measure, Presbyterian clergy from states where same-sex marriage is legal said they have been inundated with requests to officiate at same-sex weddings and were upset that they had to risk prosecution in church courts to preside at the ceremonies. The highest Presbyterian court found the Rev. Jane Spahr of San Francisco guilty of misconduct in 2010 for officiating at same-sex weddings when they were legal in California. According to the court’s rulings, clergy are allowed to bless same-sex unions but not to perform weddings.  

Opponents of the new definition of marriage said it would violate the word of God, divide the Presbyterian Church and alienate the denomination from its many partner churches overseas. If the assembly had approved the redefinition, it would have required ratification from a majority of the church’s 173 presbyteries, or regional districts, a process that usually stretches for months. “I must affirm definition of marriage as between one man and one woman,” said Jodi Craiglow, of the Miami Valley Presbytery in Ohio. She directly addressed homosexual Presbyterians. “As much as my heart breaks for your pain and frustration, I must simply hold to the standard of the God I love,” she said.  

Several delegates and observers wept after the vote. “It’s a moment to grieve and it’s also a moment when we pick up and keep doing the work,” one delegate said. “The conversation isn’t over.” In a trend occurring in many denominations, the Presbyterians have been losing members for decades. Last year, the denomination dropped just below 2 million members, and several theologically conservative churches have left to affiliate with like-minded denominations. In an unusual move, one liberal California congregation, the West Hollywood Presbyterian Church, recently split off to join the United Church of Christ, saying Presbyterians have been too slow to support homosexuals and lesbians.    

Source: Associated Press  

TWO KENYAN CHURCHES ATTACKED – AT LEAST 17 DEAD

Attackers with guns and hand-grenades killed at least 17 people and wounded scores more during worship services at two churches in Kenya. Three of those killed were children. Two were police officers standing guard over one of the churches. Both attacks occurred in Garissa, a provincial capital about 120 miles west of the Somalia border. Suspicion for the attacks immediately fell upon al Shabaab, a Somalia-based militant group that western governments say has links to al-Qaida, but authorities have not officially named any suspects. The first of the attacks began at about 10:15 a.m. at the Africa Inland Church, where Christian worshippers were attending Sunday services.  

News reports state between two and four men approached the church, and shot the two police officers. The attackers took the officers ¢â‚¬â„¢ guns, and two grenades were thrown into the church. Gunmen entered the church and began to fire. Several of the victims may have been shot as they fled from the church. Accounts differ, but as many as two gunmen waited outside the church to shoot at people as they ran out of the building. Several of the 17 people killed died at the scene. Others died while receiving treatment in hospitals. Of the 17 killed, eight were said to be women, and three were children. Two were the police officers, who were on guard as a precaution against militant Islamists, who have targeted Christian churches in several African regions.  

The second attack occurred about two miles away, at a Catholic church. Hand-grenades were lobbed at the church from a moving vehicle, causing serious injuries to at least three people. No fatalities were reported in the second attack. The Kenya Red Cross said at least 75 people were injured in the two attacks. The number of victims overwhelmed regional hospitals, and several of the most seriously injured were airlifted to hospitals in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital. Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki said he intends to direct  ¢â‚¬Å“a thorough investigation concerning this futile terror attack on churches. ¢â‚¬  The attacks drew condemnation from local, Kenyan and international authorities.  ¢â‚¬Å“I condemn the attackers in the strongest terms possible, ¢â‚¬  said police commander Philip Ndolo.  

 ¢â‚¬Å“All places of worship must be respected, ¢â‚¬  said Abdulghafur El-Busaidy, chairman of the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims.  ¢â‚¬Å“We want to send our condolences, and we are sad that no arrests have been made yet. ¢â‚¬  Visiting Garissa, Kenya Prime Minister Raila Odinga said militant Islamists are targeting churches as a ploy to bait Christians into anti-Muslim reprisal attacks and create a false context for Christian hatred of Muslims.  ¢â‚¬Å“We are more intelligent than that, ¢â‚¬  Odinga told the Voice of America. “This is not a religious matter, this is a group of terrorists who are resorting to these kind of desperate measures because of the progress being made by our troops in Somalia.” Kenyan forces have been battling al Shabaab in Somalia since October 2011.  

In the United States, the White House press office said the attackers  ¢â‚¬Å“have shown no respect for human life and dignity, and must be brought to justice for these heinous acts. At a time of transition, peace and stability are essential to Kenya’s progress. We support those who recognize Kenya ¢â‚¬â„¢s ethnic and religious diversity as one of the country ¢â‚¬â„¢s greatest strengths. ¢â‚¬  Such assurances are of little practical comfort to Ibrahim Magunyi, pastor of the East Africa Pentecostal Church.  ¢â‚¬Å“The government has stepped up security in Garissa and posted policemen to guard the Church faithful, ¢â‚¬  Magunyi said.  ¢â‚¬Å“But these attackers have now come out into the open to attack the Churches in Garissa. ¢â‚¬   

Source: Compass Direct News

  

BRITISH CHURCHES GET INVOLVED WITH THE OLYMPICS

It is a challenge to capture what is happening at the moment in the UK. The 70 day Torch Relay is attracting unprecedented crowds and the authorities are reviewing their plans for when it arrives in London expecting double the numbers they had anticipated. The level of unity amongst the Churches is not something   seen before in 40 years. Everywhere there is an amazing openness to what we are offering. We believe that when the torch arrives in London (some may remember what it was like in Sydney  ¢â‚¬“ the city erupted!) people will be ready to celebrate and the Church will be at the heart of a great deal of it.   We have over 4000 Churches across the country signed up to be involved in some way in More than Gold  

It feels we are on the edge of a significant moment.   it is why we would value your prayer. It is, however,   a battle. Many in leadership of More than Gold are currently on a 3 day Esther fast to focus and prepare ourselves for what is coming.   It really does feel a little like Elijah  ¢â‚¬“ we make the sacrifice – we wait for the fire to fall!   That is why we want to ask you to pray for us. Here are some specific things firstly for More than Gold and secondly for us here.  

For More than Gold      

 ¢â‚¬ ¢                   Team unity will be strong ¢â‚¬“ that we have good relationships amongst us ¢â‚¬“ that the Evil One would not get in. For our own time with God

 ¢â‚¬ ¢                   Health protection.

 ¢â‚¬ ¢                   As the Torch hits London something will spark and build ¢â‚¬ ¦for the fire to fall

 ¢â‚¬ ¢                   Protection for the city of London  ¢â‚¬“ safety and security ¢â‚¬ ¦and pray for the weather during the Games.

 ¢â‚¬ ¢                   The Church across the UK will be all God wants it to be. That it will step outside of itself and seize the moment

 ¢â‚¬ ¢                   Visas for those still applying and praying for right placements for the mission teams  

  And for us in the Festivals team.

     ¢â‚¬ ¢                   Praise for all that God is doing. The biggest challenge is keeping up with all our new contacts. We still have over 800 calls to make to those who have said they are interested in Festivals.

 ¢â‚¬ ¢                   At this stage it seems we may have up to 90 people coming from around the world for training and running Festivals with us and then doing a Celtic Pilgrimage. Pray for visas and finances to cover them and the right places where we are confirming placements.

Here are several highlights from my report prepared for the More than Gold Executive.

  130 Festivals confirmed with details. Many others indicating   they will be running Festivals and we are collecting final information from them. We are shooting for 1% of the nation at Community Festivals over the Games period.  

Our  ¢â‚¬Å“Go ¢â‚¬  tour working well particularly in places where we have Churches committed to it  ¢â‚¬“ 60 at one, 30 at another. People are appreciating the Clowning workshops and the practical nature of the training.    

Our Paralympic Festival at Stoke Mandeville on Opening Night has Channel 4 covering it. Much favour from the authorities  

  2 more Model/Trial   Festivals to go  ¢â‚¬“ Oxford and Streatham. Bath ¢â‚¬â„¢s Festival was amazing recently – in front of the Royal Crescent with over 2000 people.

  We have had over 2000 hits on our new website  ¢â‚¬“ most popular section ¢â‚¬ ¦our link to other websites! I am writing a blog every 2 days.   For free access    www.2012.fusionyac.org   user name: marty       password:   w00ds (two zeros)  

Source: From Marty Woods of Fusion

  

“WINDOW OF LIFE” FOR UNWANTED BABIES SAVES LIVES IN POLAND

The “Window of Life ¢â‚¬  was established in a convent in Poland under the auspices of the Catholic Church and an associated Catholic charity. The “Window of Life”  ¢â‚¬“ not the first of its kind to be inaugurated –   is a place where mothers who do not want to or cannot provide for their children, can anonymously and safely bring newborns in order for them to be cared for and placed for adoption. A spokesman for the Catholic Church said, “The Window of Life” is a sign of hope for newborn children. It is also a means of using goodness and mercy to fight abortion. In Poland, experts say that abortion has claimed the lives of nearly 20 million children in the past several years. The “Window of Life” is therefore the defence of human life,  

The”Window of Life” is built into the walls of the convent. It is a warm and ventilated room with a window which can be opened from the outside .As soon as the baby is placed inside the Window, a signal alerts the nuns who come to pick up the child and provide immediate medical care. “The ‘Window of Life’ was established to take note of a problem of babies being thrown on the scrapheap. Mothers who hide their pregnancy and do not want to give birth at a hospital can leave the baby in “The Window of Life” without any legal consequences.   Unfortunately giving up an infant without resigning parents’ rights lengthens the adoption procedure. However, it must be remembered that there is a child’s life at stake. It is better for the infant to find a new family than die.  

In a radio interview a Church spokesman told of the long history of entrusting newborns to convents to be taken care of. In medieval times in a convent in Rome the congregation opened their gate for such unloved, unneeded children. It was possible to leave the child there and have hope that the baby would be treated well and later adopted. Leaving a baby in “The Window” is a last resort for unwanted children, and for the desperate women for whom the cloak of anonymity is important. The organizations responsible for establishing the “Windows of Life ¢â‚¬  have made this appeal: “All mothers who cannot bring up your children ¢â‚¬”do not kill them, do not throw them on the scrapheaps, please leave them in ‘The Window of Life.’ Let them be adopted. Give them a chance for life and love.

Source: Intercessors Network  

ISLAMISTS DESTROY HERITAGE AND TAKE HUMAN SHIELDS IN MALI

Having seized control of northern Mali, al Qaeda-linked jihadists are now destroying the cultural heritage of Timbuktu. Reached by telephone in an undisclosed location in northern Mali, an Islamist spokesman Oumar Ould Hamaha said “The only tribunal we recognize is the divine court of Shariah. It’s our Prophet who said that each time that someone builds something on top of a grave, it needs to be pulled back to the ground. We need to do this so that future generations don’t start venerating the saints as if they are God.” Meanwhile in St.Petersburg UNESCO ambassadors joined Malian Culture Minister Toure in appealing to global governments and organisations and ‘all people of goodwill’ to act to prevent the prevent the destruction of the Timbuktu monuments by ‘vandals’.  

Experts are comparing the Timbuktu tomb destructions to similar attacks against Sufi shrines in Egypt and Libya in the past year. The attacks also recall al Qaeda attacks on Shi’ite shrines in Iraq in the past decade and the 2001 dynamiting by the Taliban of two 6th-century statues of Buddha carved into a cliff in central Afghanistan. No-one should be surprised, for as history demonstrates, cultural destruction such as this is to be expected when Islamist take power. According to an Islamist spokesman, al-Qaeda “have mined the area surrounding Gao. Many people are trying to escape but the Islamists are stopping them.” “The population in Gao has been taken hostage,’ Bernard Valero, a French Foreign Ministry spokesman said. This in our eyes is an act of terrorism.”

Source: by Elizabeth Kendal, Religious Liberty Commission  

~~

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 165 | Wed 27 Jun 2012

By Elizabeth Kendal

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

‘My hand will sustain them; surely my arm will strengthen them.’
Psalm 89:21 (NIV)

JUNE 2012 UPDATE – During June we prayed concerning . . .

SUDAN (RLPB 162); EGYPT (RLPB 163); BURMA & SUDAN (RLPB 164)
and NIGERIA (in all those RLPBs).

UPDATES –

* BURMA: EYEING US-MYANMAR MILITARY TIES   On 2 June US Secretary of Defense
Leon Panetta intimated that political reforms underway in Burma
(Myanmar) could pave the way for ‘US-Myanmar’ military ties. This fits
in perfectly with the new US strategy of developing stronger ties with
Asia Pacific militaries. Timothy Heinemann, a retired US Special Forces
Colonel who works with war-affected ethnic minority communities in
Burma, argues that US-Myanmar military ties would be ‘wrong’, both
‘morally and practically’, particularly while the Burmese Army ‘is
attacking Kachin villagers’. He argues that Kachin civilians would face
increased aggression if the US were to empower the Burmese Army. ‘Siege
of Kachin State: 2012’ (16mins) is an excellent short film by Scott
Johnson (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srg50Uo6p88  ).   Pray for the
Christian Kachin.

[NOTE – What Heinemann describes above is exactly what US-Indonesian
military ties have done to the Papuans: military violence escalates but
is covered up for economic and geo-strategic gain. (See RLPB 119, and
Religious Liberty Monitoring: label Papua.)]

* EGYPT: ISLAMIST MORSI ELECTED PRESIDENT   On Sunday 24 June Egypt’s
electoral council declared Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood the
President of Egypt, elected with 51.7 percent of the vote (in a turnout
of only about 50 percent). Egypt is now profoundly divided. Most
Christians fear that an Islamist president will further Islamise Egypt,
causing persecution to escalate. According to Isobel Coleman of the
Council on Foreign Relations, Morsi ‘represents the older, more
conservative wing of the Brotherhood and openly endorses a strict
Islamic vision’. According to Eric Trager of the Washington Institute
for Near East Policy, Morsi has been ‘an icon of the extremists in the
Muslim Brotherhood’, pushing for an ‘extreme agenda’. Morsi’s power to
implement his Islamist vision will, however, be severely curtailed due
to the military’s ‘soft coup’. (See Religious Liberty Monitoring for
details.) How the Islamists cope with that remains to be seen. Pray for
the Church in Egypt.

* NIGERIA: CHURCH BOMBINGS AVERTED   After three consecutive weeks of Boko
Haram terror, Sunday 24 June passed without a church bombing. Police
uncovered a plot to bomb churches in Jos, the capital of the Middle
Belt state of Plateau.   While police intensified security, most
churches in Plateau urged their members not to attend their worship
services.   In Kaduna State, an alleged attempt to bomb a church in the
Sabon Gari area of Zaria, was foiled. Boko Haram did, however,
successfully attack Yobe prison on Sunday, shooting police and freeing
40 inmates.

* NIGERIA, JOS: CHRISTIAN FAMILY MURDERED   On Saturday 23 June some 30
ethnic Fulani Muslim herdsmen stormed into Tidiu Village in Mangu Local
Government Area of Plateau State around 3.30am, armed with guns and
machetes. They slaughtered six members of the Dakibang family in their
sleep, while two other family members were wounded as they fled and
four villagers were wounded as the killers made their get-away. The
victims, aged between   six months and 70 years, had reportedly been
living peaceably amongst their Fulani neighbours. One local resident
commented that ‘the killing was professionally carried out with
military precision’. Pray for the Church in Nigeria.

* SUDAN: PROTESTS ROCK KHARTOUM   Since South Sudan seceded in July 2011
Sudan has been blighted with soaring food inflation and a weakening
currency.   Now students from the University of Khartoum are hoping to
trigger an ‘Arab Spring’. Protests commenced on 16 June and escalated
after President Bashir’s 18 June announcement of tough austerity
measures. The protests have spread beyond the capital, causing
considerable disruption but not as yet close to overthrowing the
regime. However, as Sudan expert Eric Reeves notes, with a
disillusioned and angry civilian population reeling from price hikes,
and a dispirited military reeling from heavy losses being inflicted by
rebel forces in South Kordofan and Blue Nile, the threat to the regime
is very real.   But this is a brutal regime and the crackdown has begun.
The situation increases the risk for Southerners who will doubtless be
blamed for the economic crisis when, in reality, the responsibility
lies with the corrupt, incompetent, belligerent, racist, Islamist
regime in Khartoum. Aljazeera reports: ‘There have been calls on social
networks for a mass nationwide protest on [Friday] June 29’. Pray for
the Church in Sudan (using Psalm 10).

JUNE 2012 ROUND-UP – also this month . . .

* INDIA: LIVING ‘IN A CLIMATE OF TERROR’

Christians account for only 3 percent of the population of India’s north-
eastern state of Assam; about one third of them are indigenous tribals.
According to the president of the Global Council of Indian Christians
(GCIC), Sajan George, the situation for tribal Christians in Assam is
‘intolerable’, for they are living ‘in a climate of terror’. On Friday 8
June a group of Hindus met Bhageswar Rabha, a Christian from the village
of Deuphaniin, Assam, and forced him to convert to Hinduism. Then around
midnight a mob of about 40 militant Hindu nationalists burst into the home
of another Christian, Manesor Rabha, and dragged him outside with his wife
Mala and two other believers, Michael and Prashanto Rabha. Though they
were threatened, intimidated, beaten and ordered to convert to Hinduism,
the believers stood firm and refused to renounce their Lord. On the Sunday
morning Mala, Michael and Prashanto were taken to Satribari Christian
Hospital to receive treatment for their injuries. Two other Christian
families subsequently fled the village. Such violent persecution is
commonplace across India. It is a very serious situation, inspired by
unchallenged Hindu nationalism and fuelled by impunity. Pray for the
Church in India.

* IRAN: AUTHORITIES CLOSE TEHRAN CHURCH

In line with its policy of eliminating the Farsi-speaking church of ethnic
Persian converts, the regime has closed down another Farsi-speaking
congregation. On 5 June the Intelligence branch of Iran’s Revolutionary
Guard, a military force tasked with defending the Islamic Revolution,
issued orders to close down the 70-strong Assemblies of God (AOG) Church
in Tehran’s north-western district of Janat-Abad. According to Compass
Direct News, only three churches in Tehran continue to offer Farsi-
language services: the AOG Central Church of Tehran, Emmanuel Protestant
Church and St Peter’s Evangelical Church. More than 20 believers are in
prison for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, including death-row
prisoner Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani whose health is reportedly
deteriorating. Please pray.

* LAOS: STILL WORKING AT ELIMINATING CHRISTIANITY

On 6 June Laotian police arrested Asa, a 57-year-old Lao pastor, at his
home in Peeyeur village, Luang Namtha Province, on charges of leading
people to Christ. He was immediately transferred to the provincial prison,
some 50km away from his family. On 16 June Lao officials arrested two Lao
and two Thai Christians in Luang Namtha, charging them similarly with
‘spreading the Christian faith without official approval’. (The communist
regime is unashamedly committed to eliminating Christianity and therefore
never gives approval for Christian witness!) A local resident had called
the police when he saw the two Thai Christians – brothers Jonasa and
Phanthakorn Wiwatdamrong – explaining Bible passages to enquirers in a
private home. The two Lao and two Thai Christians arrested were taken
directly to the Luang Namtha provincial prison. Torture, including the use
of stocks, is routine in Lao prisons which are amongst the worst in the
world. Pray for these prisoners, and for the Church in Laos.

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

  

UPTICK IN CHURCH CLOSURES AND ATTACKS IN INDONESIA

The number of recorded violations of Christians ¢â‚¬â„¢ religious rights in Indonesia reached 40 in the first five months of the year, nearly two-thirds the number in all of last year, according to the Jakarta Christian Communication Forum. Christians in Indonesia faced 64 cases of violations of religious freedom last year, up from 47 in 2010, said Theophilus Bela, president of the group. Bela said he was worried about the growing incidence of violence and church closures, as his group recorded just 10 anti-Christian incidents in 2009. There were 40 such incidents in 2008, he said. At least 22 churches have been forced to close this year, including 18 in the Singkil regency of Aceh Province that were sealed last month as local authorities either sided with or came under pressure from extremist Islamist groups.

The closures in Aceh followed last month ¢â‚¬â„¢s election of a hard-line Islamic governor. Violence against Christians has also increased, with most incidents taking place in areas surrounding Jakarta and Singkil, said Bela, who is also secretary general of the Indonesian Committee on Religion and Peace, a group that promotes inter-religious dialogue. Local Christians complain that the impractical requirements of a 2006 decree, the Revised Joint Ministerial Decree on the Construction of Houses of Worship, provide the pretext for Islamic extremists and officials to close churches, revoke permissions and delay building permits. It mandates religious groups obtain the signatures of at least 90 members and 60 area residents, as well as approval from the local religious affairs office.

Over the wailing of church members, the government of Bekasi sealed 3 churches because they had not fulfilled the requirements of the Joint Ministerial Decree. At a tense meeting with Bekasi officials the Rev. Hotman Sitorus of the GKRI church begged to be given two more days beyond the planned closure date, so the   church could hold a special service for the confirmation of 24 people and the baptism of one.  ¢â‚¬Å“However, the government did not grant it to us, ¢â‚¬  Sitorus said. Sitorus said his 150-member GKRI church has since secured 90 signatures of members and 60 signatures of area residents and submitted paperwork only to have Bekasi officials return the application, saying it needed to be verified by local block captains. The building permit has still not yet been granted.

The problems can be traced to the election of a new block captain, who belongs to a hard-line Islamic group. The general secretary of the Indonesian Fellowship of Churches, Pastor Gomar Gultom, said the church should continue worshipping even though the local government has sealed their building.  ¢â‚¬Å“According to Article 9 of the Indonesian Constitution, the government guarantees the right to persons of all religions and faiths, ¢â‚¬  Gultom said.  ¢â‚¬Å“Because of this, no person can deny another the right to worship. ¢â‚¬    Gultom encouraged congregations to worship each week without fear.  ¢â‚¬Å“It is true that when Christians are restricted, they spread, ¢â‚¬  he said.

Source: Compass Direct News

 

CONTINUING PRESSURE ON CHURCHES AND CHRISTIAN LEADERS IN IRAN

Iranian Christians have requested renewed prayer as the Government’s campaign of intimidation against Christians and Churches continues. This campaign is targeted both at the small remaining number of officially recognised Protestant churches, and also against the house church movement. In early May leaders of the Assemblies of God church in Tehran were ordered by the Ministry of Intelligence to submit the names and ID numbers of all members. The church has long been under close surveillance; the latest order makes it even more difficult for those from Muslim backgrounds to attend the church. More than 20 believers remain detained across Iran, because of their Christian faith or activities.

Those arrested in raids since early February 2012 include five who remain detained in Tehran, five in Shiraz, three in Kermanshah and at least two in Isfahan. Five others in Isfahan were confirmed released in early May, including Hekmat Salimi, the lay leader of St Luke’s Anglican Church. Believers who have been held for more than a year include Noorallah and Farshid who were both arrested in December 2010, and Yousef who has been detained since October 2009 and remains under a death sentence. Behnam, serving a sentence in Karaj since May 2011, continues to suffer ill health. Iranian Christians supporting these believers thank us for our prayers. They request our continued intercession asking that:

*     all Christians in Iran will know the protection of the Father, comfort of the Son and the guidance of the Holy Spirit and that Church and fellowship group leaders would know the Spirit’s discernment and wisdom

*     all those still detained for their faith will be released soon and, together with their families, will know the peace, presence and protection of Jesus

*     All officials involved will love mercy, act justly, learn about Jesus and choose to follow Him.

Source: Windows International Network

 

EIGHT AFRICAN NATIONS ON THE BRINK OF STARVATION

The United Nations is asking the world to help millions of West Africans who are facing a crisis of epic proportions. The people in eight nations are on the brink of starvation. At least three million of them are children. A tiny village in Niger is the starkest example of the hunger that grips eight African countries bordering the Sahara Desert. Families in this area depend on farming, but severe drought has resulted in crop failure. Huts normally used to store grain are empty, leaving mothers like Mariama struggling to feed their families. “I don’t think any of us can accept that this mother had to go and pick wild food for her children to eat,” Denise Brown, with the World Food Program, said. “If she doesn’t go and do it every day, then they don’t have anything to eat.”

Aid agencies are doing what they can to deliver food to the region, but so far they have not been able to raise even half the money needed to help the millions in need. Even more people could run out of food before the next fall harvest. A little girl named Nafissa is being treated at a health clinic where doctors weigh, measure, and monitor the nutritional survival of the children. She’s a year old, but she weighs just eight pounds – about the size of a newborn baby in the West. Three million children are already on the brink of starvation, and 18 million people are in danger. Brown urged the people of the world to get involved, saying, “These people, these women, these children, they deserve our attention, they deserve our time.”

 

Source: CBNnews.com

 

AVOWED ATHEIST RETHINKS HIS BELIEFS AFTER VISITING CHRISTIAN MINISTRY IN AFRICA

In an article written by Michael Perrett, he explains why the reality of Christian mission work in Africa defied his atheist beliefs. After visiting a poor village in Africa where a Christian charity had provided a water pump, Perrett begins: “It inspired me, renewing my flagging faith in development charities… It confounds my ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses to fit my worldview, and has embarrassed my growing belief that there is no God. Now a confirmed atheist, I’ve become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people’s hearts.

It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good. He also confronts the illogical Western practice of cherishing other cultures  ¢â‚¬” despite of, and regardless of, their moral and ethical short-comings ¢â‚¬” to the point of elevating them above our own. Concludes Perrett, “Christianity… with its teaching of a direct, personal, two-way link between the individual and God… offers something to hold on to for those anxious to cast off a crushing tribal group think. That is why and how it liberates. A whole belief system must first be supplanted. And I’m afraid it has to be supplanted by another. Removing Christian evangelism from the African equation may leave the continent at the mercy of a malign fusion of Nike, the witchdoctor, the mobile phone and the machete.”

Source: Intercessors Network

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