Category: News Briefs

Source: Jews for Jesus

[A missionary] who connects with Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) as well as formerly Haredi [men], reports, “A man raised in the Haredi community came to our website and told a volunteer on LiveChat that he had prayed to receive Jesus and wanted to be baptized. His name and contact information were passed on to me. I called John and we had a great conversation.

“John grew up in the Haredi community, but no longer believes in Orthodox Judaism. He described himself as ‘off the derekh,’ a term for ultra-Orthodox Jews who have left the community.

“John met a Christian woman who explained the gospel to him and led him in a prayer of repentance. He then searched online for Jewish people and baptism and found our website.

“At first, we spoke on the phone every few days. When we finally met in person, John described his lifelong search for the truth, including his curiosity about Christianity. He loved the idea of becoming a new creation through faith in Jesus. The topic of baptism was particularly important to him, and when I asked if he’d like to meet and discuss the New Testament together, he agreed.

“In the following weeks and months, John limited our contact to short phone conversations. After a while, he confided his fear that faith in Jesus will alienate him from his family. However, he still wants to stay in touch.

“Around the same time that I reached out to John, Zach contacted us through Facebook. He also grew up practicing ultra-Orthodox Judaism.

“Zach struggles to live up to the standards and expectations of his community. He feels compassion for us because we are Jewish but excluded by his community. He says he also feels excluded.

“We meet in person and between meetings, Zach sends me videos about Judaism. He insists that he isn’t interested in believing as we do yet continues wanting to meet.

Please pray for John and Zach, and for God’s grace to overcome the challenges that would prevent them from following Jesus.

» Read full story.

Source: OMF International, July 2019

Recently OMF International has been highlighting stories showing that Buddhists aren’t all the same. They don’t necessarily believe or behave the way you might expect from a textbook!

Jane, a devout Buddhist in Taiwan, shared what Buddhist means to her without ever mentioning the “noble truths” or the “eightfold way.” Instead she talked about loving her family, the importance of listening to others, respect and treating all people equally.

Japanese Buddhism is hard to define, acknowledges an OMF worker in Japan, though it focuses largely on keeping the traditions of one’s ancestors. Confucianism and Shintoism are also part of the Japanese worldview. “Teasing out the differences between the three is nearly impossible.”

“We were surprised to hear the branch of Buddhism they belonged to also teaches salvation by grace,” say other missionaries, also in Japan, with friends who follow Pure Land Buddhism. They grapple with the implications of having similar but different understandings of grace and faith.

» See also OMF’s new infographic about Buddhism. Well done.

Source: International Christian Concern, July 24, 2019

India’s Supreme Court has granted bail to Bijaya Sanaseth, one of seven Christian prisoners who were wrongfully charged and convicted of murdering a Hindu priest in 2008. Sanaseth is the second of the seven Christians to be released on bail.

This false accusation triggered months of anti-Christian riots that swept across the Kandhamal District of Odisha. As a result, over 100 Christians were killed, 8,000 homes were burned or looted, 300 churches were destroyed, and 56,000 people were displaced.

As the riots raged, police arrested seven Christian men and wrongfully charged them with the murder of [the Hindu priest]. On little and often contradicting evidence, these seven Christians were found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2013.

» Read full story and pray for the men still imprisoned.

» See also a story from Delhi about a missionary’s dream, a passage from Ephesians, and an Uber driver who came to faith (God Reports).

How much do you know about Hong Kong? Help your church or group pray for Hong Kong with greater insight using this video (Prayercast).

In this issue:

1. CHINA: Can You Help Us Figure Out Hong Kong?
2. TAIWAN: Ghost Month
3. MALI: Christians Massacred
4. BURKINA FASO: A Fight for Survival
5. SWEDEN: Theological Education for Arabic-speaking Immigrants

Source: Brigada Today, June 23, 2019

Our friend Doug Lucas writes:

You know, to me, one of the hardest geographical challenges in the world is figuring out the mystery that is Hong Kong. How could a piece of China be a British colony—then not so much. And what happens when all these citizens fight so hard to become so Western, then they suddenly are reattached to mainland China, so mainland China pretends to let them remain as a special economic zone, but then, not?

And then, most recently, the CEO of Hong Kong (appointed by mainland China) sets about to pass a new set of laws that would extradite Hong Kong citizens who were activists, advocates, and even foreign nationals into mainland China—so as many as [a fourth] of the entire population took to the streets in protest.

So finally, the CEO drops the proposed law (for now), but people keep demonstrating. And one of the main “unofficial anthems” of the entire protest is the song, “Sing Hallelujah to the Lord.” Learn more about the protest—and the anthem (Japan Times).

How can all this be? Would somebody please explain Hong Kong to us? Do you know of an article or book that makes this easy? If so, please help us out here.

» Read full story and add your comments. Asian Access also offers a good take on how to pray and Voice of the Martyrs shares another perspective (Mission Network News). For a sense of the protest scale, check out Flowing Data’s mashup of aerial photos. Amazing.

» In other China news, an update from Asia Harvest reports the persecution of Christians is now nationwide.

Source: OMF International, July 2, 2019

The seventh month of the lunar calendar is called “Ghost Month” in Taiwan. In Taiwanese folk religion, the spirit world consists of three types of beings. The gods are the highly respected and powerful spiritual beings. Ancestors are family members who have already died [and] require living relatives to offer ongoing resources in the spirit world. Ghosts are the spirits of people who died but are not being sufficiently supplied by the offerings of their living relatives.

During Ghost Month, ghosts are released from the underworld to roam the earth for one month. They can harm people who don’t provide for their needs. So, food and drinks are offered to to satisfy their hunger.

The largest of the food offerings happens during the middle of the month. Homes and businesses place tables with offerings out the front. Even fast food restaurants, tea shops, and grocery stores have tables set out to offer food and drink to the hungry ghosts.

People place burning incense sticks on the offering arrangements. Anything the incense ash falls upon is believed to become spiritual in nature for the ghosts to consume.

After the offerings are given, the people who give the offerings will either consume the food themselves or share it with others.

» Full story includes links to OMF videos about Taiwan. See also Understanding the Buddhist Worldview, a summary from OMF’s subject-matter expert (with great photos).

» Check out the new 15 Days Buddhist World Prayer Guide from WorldChristian.com. I just ordered 10 copies.

Source: Christian Freedom, July 1, 2019

Nearly 100 Christians were massacred by Muslim Fulani herdsmen in a Mali village on June 9, 2019. Witnesses said 50 radicalized herdsmen surrounded the village in trucks, destroyed everything, and killed men, women, and children.

“Anyone who tried to escape was killed,” a witness told AFP [news agency].

Fulani herdsmen who have been radicalized by Islamic militants are slaughtering Christian farmers and hunters in west Africa. The Nigerian House of Representatives declared it a “genocide” in 2018. In 2013, radical Islamists who captured north Mali were fought back by French troops. Jihadists shifted to other regions.

Pray for:

• Survivors to know God’s peace.
• Justice for victims.
• Courage and wisdom for leaders to respond righteously.
• Conversion of jihadists.

» Read full story. A story from Open Doors has more detail and links. Note the roots of religious violence may be more complex than they seem.

» From elsewhere in Africa, read Ethiopia: Pressure on Churches Building; Evangelical Church Told to Vacate after Ten Years (World Watch Monitor). For a more positive report, see Is the World’s Next Mission Movement in Ethiopia? (Christianity Today).

Source: Open Doors, June 20, 2019

In the landlocked country of 19.1 million people, the church and general population have seen escalating and deadly violence from Muslim extremists. Recent attacks have targeted church buildings and Christians, suggesting the involvement of Islamic extremists or what the population is calling jihadists.

The country’s foreign minister says tackling terrorism has become a fight “for the very survival” of the Sahel region, which incorporates the countries of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger. Militants have forced 100,000 in Burkina Faso alone to flee their homes in recent months.

The Muslim-majority nation (Christians make up roughly 35 percent) has long been known for its peaceful coexistence between different religious and ethnic groups. But now, Muslim extremist violence is on the rise, fueling panic and fear over decreasing stability in the greater Sahel region.

One resident in the eastern region testified of increasing Sharia law: “At 6pm, everyone has to go to the mosque, then straight home. In the middle of the night, you must go and listen to sermons. You’re forbidden to criticize them. Women have to cover their heads. There’s no talk of cigarettes, alcohol or music, no celebrations.”

» Read full story.

» Elsewhere, we see Christianity in Iraq has decreased by 80 percent over the last two decades. An article in The Atlantic shares the story through the eyes of one family. An article from The Independent tells the haunting story of a 12-year-old Christian girl who, before dying in a fire set by ISIS, urged her parents to forgive them.

Source: Mission Network News, June 19, 2019

Muna was born in Amman, Jordan and has moved to different areas of the world to work with refugees and immigrants. In 1989, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia and then later to London, working with different ministries, and finally, in 1993, she moved to Sweden.

Following her move to Sweden, she began supporting immigrants as they integrated into the culture of Sweden, which was different from their own. Recently, Muna also began coaching immigrants on how to find jobs to stop living on social benefits.

Muna says when she first moved to Sweden, she began to pray that a [theological education by extension] program would begin in the country. In 2004, her prayers were answered.

[The Program for Theological Education by Extension] courses in Sweden have been teaching believers how to share the gospel effectively for 15 years now, but there are challenges.

“Many of them, they didn’t go to Sunday school when they were children, and many, many of them, they didn’t study after high school.”

Muna has been acting as the sole tutor in the area as she has higher education and [the program] does not have another qualified Arabic-speaking tutor. She has led courses and met with students on a regular basis. However, with the development of online courses, some of the weight has been lifted off her shoulders, and technology is making it easier for students to study and meet via the internet.

» Read full story.

» While refugees may leave the Middle East for places like Europe, many more remain. In the last two decades, refugees have almost doubled the population of Muna’s hometown, Amman. Learn more and pray for Amman (Arab World Media).

In this edition:

1. USA: Journey to a New Land
2. IRAQ: The Girl Who Forgave ISIS Returns Home
3. WORLD: A Roundup of Refugee and Migration Stories
4. PAPUA NEW GUINEA: The Tigak New Testament Is Finished!
5. ERITREA: Arrested While Praying
6. USA: The Impact of a Gospel Rock