UZBEKISTAN: Police Arrest Christian Converts and Set up TV Show Trial

Source: Barnabas Fund, November 6, 2018

Police in Uzbekistan arrested 43 converts to Christianity from Islam, including a number of teenagers, and later tried to get them to appear in court in front of TV cameras in an apparent show trial.

Police put considerable pressure on a number of the arrested converts, even attempting to recruit some to work for the police as informers. Several were forced into giving incriminating written statements against the organizers and leaders of the gathering. The converts face[d] charges of “illegal assembly” and potential fines of up to the equivalent of US$2,500 if found guilty.

[At the October 23] hearing many of the Christians facing charges refused to enter the courtroom because there were cameramen and TV journalists present, and they did not wish to be part of a show trial. The judge again postponed the hearing, which was eventually held on October 30.

The presiding judge ordered the TV journalists not to film the trial proceedings, but they were permitted to film the verdicts. All the Christians charged were found guilty, but only received minimum fines, equivalent to between US$75 [and] US$500. Police subsequently promised to reduce the fine for any of the converts who agreed to be interviewed for TV.

» Read full story.

» Read about the Silk Road Transmitter, a project to help support the persecuted church and make Bible programs available to some 60 million people in Central Asia (Trans World Radio, via Mission Network News).

CHINA: Pastor’s Powerful Letter Released after His Arrest

Source: Open Doors, December 17, 2018

Last week, Open Doors reported that one of China’s largest house churches had been raided by police resulting in arrests of more than 100 Christians, including church leader Wang Yi, one of China’s most well-known pastors.

Pastor Wang Yi has been charged with “inciting subversion of state power,” a crime that could result in a sentence of up to five years, but up to 15 years in extreme cases.

Two days after he was arrested and taken away, church members released an open letter he wrote in September [with] instructions that it be publicized if he went missing for more than 48 hours.

» Read the full letter, The Disobedience of Faith.

» See also China Closes Megachurches Before Christmas (Christianity Today).

WORLD: Understanding the Remaining Missions Task

Source: Great Commission Challenge, December 15, 2018

Where are we at in the Great Commission? How much farther do we have to go? What are frontier people groups and why are they important? This succinct summary will answer many questions and help to guide missions prayer, partners, and strategy.

» Learn more or download related resources.

» Finishing the Task recently reported that the last unreached, unengaged people group has been “adopted” by a missions organization committed to seeing that group engaged in two years (Mission Network News).

Jarts and Joy: The Double Edge of Christmas

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The Double Edge of Christmas

By Shane Bennett

I discovered a cultural artifact while cleaning out an old garage this past weekend: a lawn dart, or “jart,” as it was known by ancient practitioners of the sport, like me as a kid. Picture the scene. Youth group on an Indiana summer evening. A youth flung a dart both high and erratic into a maple tree. It disappeared among the leaves maybe 20 feet up, then began to pachinko down through the branches toward Scott Johnson’s head.

I don’t remember the sound of the impact, but I do recall the look of surprise in Scott’s eyes and my first real-life example of the expression, “the color drained from his face.” If your mind (sadly) works like mine, you’re wondering if the dart stuck. It didn’t. But “jarts” were subsequently banned in the United States and replaced with an inferior version featuring a much safer weighted bulb on the end which no one likes.

Ever find yourselves in Scott’s shoes at Christmastime? You’re feeling cheery. You even posted a picture of your tree on Instagram. But the noise in the branches above portends doom. There’s a rustling in the hedge and you are alarmed.

At the first Christmas, Mary the mom set the tone for this double-edged dart. She sings an amazing song delighting that God has chosen her and is the sort of God who helps the helpless. She replies to the life-changing news, “Let it be as you have said.” She hears dear old Simeon prophesy that her baby will be salvation and glory and light! Yet Simeon also looks in her eyes with tears in his and says, “A sword will pierce your very soul.” Ugh, isn’t this life?

So where are you this Christmas? Are you walking in the glow of Jesus revealing God to the nations? If so, I rejoice with you. This really is a good time of year. People try a little harder, give a little more, and work to create situations infused with warmth and laughter.

And let’s face it, this fairly normal birth in a nondescript little town was delivering not just a sweet baby but the very kingdom of God on earth. Ample reason to celebrate Christmas!

Maybe you’re doing your best to be warm and fuzzy and happy this Christmas. You’re lighting up Pinterest. You didn’t correct the young clerk who said, “Happy Holidays.” Although you got that one person the perfect gift, you’re not going to let their reaction shape the whole holiday for you. Even so, you feel the weight of Simeon’s sword. You sympathize with Mary because you’re walking a similar path. You know how important Jesus is, but it’s pretty darn hard to be happy right now.

Can I guess at a couple reasons Missions Catalyst readers might struggle during Christmas?

Where you live, you’re the only ones who celebrate.

Trouble is, you still look at Facebook. Though the conviction that God wants you where you are is strong, your sadness and homesickness are strong as well. Your less-than-amazing success makes you wonder why you even bother. In less-guarded moments, you think, “These people don’t even want what I have. Why are we even here?”

And just when you get those thoughts taken captive, up pops the question, “How can you do this to your kids, to your parents?” The sword didn’t pierce Mary’s soul because she was dumb or doing the wrong thing. It was the nature of the path God had called her to walk. True as that is, it doesn’t always soften the sting of the cut.

You wish your kids were home this Christmas.

When they were in college, you would cry at the Folgers Coffee commercial. Now that they’re in Faroffistan, you can’t even watch it. It feels selfish wanting them around your table instead of off inviting people to come to God’s table. Even so (the refrain of life), it’s hard and, frankly, no one gets it.

Here’s a challenge for the rest of us: Should God open the door this Christmas season for you to talk to one of these moms or dads, bless their socks off. You probably know how to do that better than I do, but at least tell them, “The pain is real. I see it. God sees it. And God sees you.”

I’d love to hear what you’d say as a blessing to parents of far-off kids. If God invites you to go beyond that, go ahead and buy them a ticket to go see their kids!

Your heart’s broken by the broken world.

Maybe the sword piercing your soul has to do with a million Muslim Uyghurs in captivity in China. Or hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees in squalid conditions in Bangladesh. Or overlooked Yemenis marking the turn of another year still in fear of a war that won’t end. So many people in such tough situations, many with no living witness to the child who came to “reveal God to the nations” (Luke 2:32).

It’s a little hard to celebrate with your people when so many others face unimaginable challenges. I feel for you. And part of me wants to tell you, “Learn to compartmentalize! It will help you get through life!”

Remember the Bob Pierce quote, “Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God.” Solid request. I also appreciate the Steve Hawthorne corollary, “Let my heart be delighted by the things that delight the heart of God!” May we somehow experience both.

Want to know my current favorite Christmas song? Phil Wickham’s When My Heart Is Torn. He captures something of the challenge of this season and the shifting status of our hearts, reminding us of solid hope to walk the path God has laid out, to join Mary in both the joy and the pain.

“There is hope
Beyond the suffering
Joy beyond the tears
Peace in every tragedy
Love that conquers fear.
My body might be dying
But I’ll always be alive.”

You know what’s really going to be fun? Celebrating Jesus’s birthday with him in the age to come. In the meantime, may God give us grace, through the sunshine and swords, to sing along with Mary (and John, Paul, George, and Ringo!), “Let it be, let it be.”

The Art of Conversation | Facebooking the Unreached | World News Briefs

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  1. CENTRAL ASIA: Facebooking the Unreached
  2. UNITED KINGDOM: The Art of Conversation
  3. TURKEY: Iranian Church Leaders Find Healing from Traumas
  4. INDIA: Chau—Failure, Martyr, or What?
  5. AFRICA: How Busyness Consumed My Life

OM Picture 2A leader of OM’s art ministry recently helped organize an art exhibition in partnership with a local church in one of the most ethnically diverse parts of the UK. See The Art of Conversation, below (Operation Mobilization).

CENTRAL ASIA: Facebooking the Unreached

Source: Lausanne Global Analysis, November 2018

“Noor” was used to dangerous living after several decades in a highly volatile region he likes to call the “Middle Earth” of Central Asia. Now back in Canada with his wife, he did not want his years of experience and insight to go to waste and fade into retirement. Why not put a new strategy for the kingdom in place using Facebook, something his adopted people group use in great numbers?

Now Noor found himself back on the familiar dusty streets of the bazaar on a short visit, looking to meet up face to face with “Ahmad,” a new friend who had contacted him via the Facebook page saying “I am like you, let us meet!”

Naturally, suspicions were running high on both sides, but the obvious risks were worth it. There was no doubt Ahmad knew that Noor was a follower of Isa al Masih and was using his online presence to share Jesus and his teachings with members of a people group who are particularly hard to engage with the gospel in their home country, as well as countless others displaced abroad.

Via Facebook Messenger voice and text chats, the plan had been set in motion for Noor to meet Ahmad at his shop located in one of the busiest markets in the entire nation. Now the time had come, and Noor was barely noticeable, bearded and dressed in the local way, as he looked across the street at the place Ahmad had arranged.

“Ahmad?” he asked of the gentleman in the local language as he stepped into the small, poorly lit shop. A young man looked up and replied, “No. What can I do for you?” “Just tell Ahmad that the old guy came by to say hi. The guy that does the Facebook.”

With that, Noor took his leave and could not help but notice the assistant’s eyes following his every move. Was he recognized as a foreigner? Did the assistant suspect ill intention against his employer? Was this stranger simply just crazy?

A half hour passed until Ahmad phoned with further instructions. “Let us meet in the tea shop; it is not good to meet in my shop.” A fascinating hour of deep, spiritual discussion ensued, partly from Scripture. Eighteen months later, Ahmad began to testify, “I believe what you say about Jesus.”

What joy it is for Noor and Ahmad to be journeying together, as well as with hundreds of others in various stages of exploring the claims of Jesus. Noor sees himself as a simple servant and messenger of God who risks his life and is willing to forego his sleep schedule and comfort to post, engage, and eventually meet those who appear most interested in the Good News in a time zone that could not be more opposite.

» Full story explores opportunities and obstacles to social media outreach. Interesting stuff.

» See also How to Implement a Media Strategy to Reach Diaspora Peoples (Missio Nexus) and another article about a social media strategy helping Muslims engage with God’s Word (Frontiers).

UNITED KINGDOM: The Art of Conversation

Source: OM Stories, November 27, 2018

“The community were so open and friendly,” says Janice, leader of OM’s art ministry in the UK, who recently helped organize an art exhibition in partnership with a local church in northern Manchester. The event was planned as part of the community-wide Cheetham Hill Cultural Festival in England. The area of Cheetham Hill is one of the most ethnically diverse areas in the UK; a 2011 census highlighted that 48 percent of residents did not speak English as their first language.

The exhibition showcased various pieces of art from both Janice and others in the community. “There was one piece I painted that people visiting the exhibition gravitated to. I originally intended the painting to symbolize Jesus pouring out his life for us, and us having this treasure in jars of clay,” Janice explained.

However, for people with minimal knowledge of the Christian faith, this may have been an unusual concept, so “when people of other faiths showed an interest in the painting, I told them the story of the Samaritan women, and how Jesus is the living water, and how we can know him.”

One man whom Janice spoke to was particularly interested by this story. “I was born a Muslim,” he said. “But just because you are born a Muslim, it doesn’t necessarily mean that is the truth. I have been looking into other religions because I want to know the truth.”

One of the standout pieces of artwork from the weekend was one far more permanent than the rest of the exhibition. “It was amazing to see Chris Steinz, from the Netherlands, who came for just two days and managed to paint a whole wall in the hall with the Lord’s Prayer,” says Janice. “This hall is used in the winter as a night shelter for homeless men; what a testimony to have them lay down to sleep under the glow of the electric wall heaters and read the Lord’s Prayer.”

» Read full story.

» See also Use Arts and Media to Advance the Gospel (Pioneers).

TURKEY: Iranian Church Leaders Find Healing from Trauma of Imprisonment

Source: Open Doors, November 20, 2018

Earlier this year, more than 30 Iranian ex-prisoners jailed for their faith recently participated in a trauma care training in Turkey [and shared] how God has used this training to impact them both personally and in their current ministries.

Wahid now pastors a church of 200 in Turkey. For him, the training allowed him to be transparent with believers who understood firsthand what he has gone through.

“As a former Iranian prisoner, I have often felt alone and thought nobody cared about me. …You showed me I’m not alone. In daily life, I find it difficult to talk about my time in prison; it’s a horrible story. And, as a leader, it’s a big temptation to pretend you are stronger than you actually are. To heal from my experience is a painful process. Some wounds are healed; others not yet. But, with the experiences and teaching at the training event, I have become stronger as a leader.”

Former house church leader Mojtaba is now counseling fellow Persian-speaking believers in Turkey, which initially triggered difficult memories. The trauma care training helped him understand what he needed to do to stay physically and spiritually healthy and able to counsel others.

“I learned how to create a safe space for myself. While I am counseling people, [I sometimes get caught up in] their problems. Now, I have learned to keep a certain distance. In the long run, this will mean I can do more for them. Creating this safe space has helped me stay healthy in the last few months while I have continued counseling, and during which time there was also conflict in my church. Despite the many emotions, I stayed physically and mentally healthy. I don’t get dizzy anymore.

“Sharing about my prison time also reminded me about the lesson God taught me there: ‘Be silent, I will be close to you.’ I try to apply that lesson to my life again. I don’t want to speak up anymore just to receive recognition from other people. I don’t want others to see me as an important person because I spend time in prison for my faith. I am no more than any other Christian: I need God just as all of us do. And I need him now too. So I try to focus on him first.”

» Read full story.

INDIA: Chau—Failure, Martyr, or What?

Source: Justin Long, November 29, 2018

The news of John Chau’s death while attempting to bring the gospel to a very remote, hostile, restricted-access region hit the mainstream news some days ago. Since then, there’s been quite a lot of chatter about it, with lots of people trying to make sense of it.

I am trying to hold myself back. My natural inclination is to write and tweet and talk, but I am reminding myself of this: we don’t know the whole story. And we may never know it.

We, as people, want to “judge”: either in the best or worst sense of the word. Our brains want to categorize, we want to put things in boxes, because that’s how we make sense of it, how we understand it.

We could classify Chau as a martyr—a person who died, almost gloriously, for the sake of the cause. Similarities to Elliot are obvious.

We could classify Chau as a failure—a person who rushed headstrong into the situation without adequate training or preparation or effective strategy.

It would be easy to do either. But we don’t know, and we don’t have enough data to know.

Let’s take a different example. What if someone trained and planned to be a Bible translator in, say, Africa. They prepared for years. They were expecting to spend decades on the field, working on learning language, translating Scriptures, etc. They arrive on the field, excited–and were killed two days later in a freak accident.

Knowing these additional details—the length of preparation, the length of time they planned to stay there, the scope of the work they envisioned, the nature of their death—how does this change our opinion of what happened? Were they martyrs? Were they failures? Or is this just a tragedy—a life cut short?

What if they were killed in a robbery gone wrong? Are they martyrs? What if you knew that in the midst of the robbery they were witnessing as best they could to the robbers? Would they then be martyrs, because they died in a situation of witness?

What if they were assassinated by radicals bent on killing Christian translators in the area? What if they knew the danger and yet went there any way, and were killed? Were they foolish?

There are many details we don’t know, and likely never will this side of heaven.

» Read full story as well as Missionary Martyrdom Isn’t Unusual.

» Justin also suggests: John Chau, Missions, and Fools (Ed Stetzer, Christianity Today) and Slain Missionary Prepared More Than We Thought, But Are Missionaries Still Fools? (Ed Stetzer, this time for the Washington Post), All Nations Clears Up Some False Assumptions about Chau’s Missionary Work (Denny Burk) and an interview with Dr. Scott James on infectuous diseases and isolated peoples (J.D. Payne, Strike the Match).

AFRICA: How Busyness Consumed My Life

Source: World Venture, November 13, 2018

It took coming to Africa to learn how much busyness has consumed my life. I live in a culture where people work hard, but once they finish, they rest. They spend time with friends. It is a social culture. Many people have no problem sitting around doing nothing when it is not their turn to work. I came with no clear schedule, but with this addiction of always doing something. I started with language learning.

So, if I left my house at 8 am and was interacting with people until about 8 pm I felt satisfied as if I am actually doing the work people sent me here to do. If I got home at 6 pm, there wasn’t quite that much satisfaction. This last year, I lived with girls so my “work” wasn’t just in town, but it was at home—a 24/7 job.

I had this mindset that there are churches and people who have sent me over here to do ministry [and] I needed to represent them well. They have given me money, are praying for me, and if I am sitting at home during the day, I am betraying them. So I did crazy things [to] fill up my schedule.

Most days, I would only be living off of five or six hours of sleep. It is really hot here, and the culture and language can be exhausting. I am not saying this to show you how motivated I am or how much work I am doing. I am telling you this because it is a big problem and not a good thing.

This summer God spoke to me, and asked me why I felt this need to be busy. Why do I need to be going all the time? I am not going to save the world. I can’t even save one person. Jesus is the Savior, not me.

» Read full story and pray for anyone you know who could have written an article like this. Could even be someone you see in the mirror.