Category: News Briefs

Source: Pat Noble, News Brief Editor

The news is full of persecution stories for the twentieth annual International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church which will be observed on the Sundays before and after the day of the US presidential election.

While the Missions Catalyst approach to content steers us clear of politics, we thought some readers might be interested in Trump or Clinton: How Might Their Policies Affect the Persecuted Church?

The source, INcontext Ministries, does not promote or support either of these candidates, but offers a perspective you may not have considered and reminds us that God’s agendas are bigger than human agendas. I find it refreshing to consider what the winner of this election (or others) might do for the persecuted church rather than what he or she will do for me.

 

» See also Resources and Mindsets for the Upcoming International Day of Prayer (Mission Network News).

Source: Global Opportunities Tentmaking Briefs, October 11, 2016

When I was a tentmaker teacher in Libya there was not a whole lot to do for a single man on my days off. The school was far away from major cities, and I seldom met any other foreigners.

My students encouraged me to join them on weekend excursions far into the Sahara, driving with their four-wheel vehicles over massive dunes. We frequently camped at a desert oasis surrounded by palm trees, swimming in warm tepid water and drinking tea late into the night. These were also times for intense faith discussions far away from prying eyes and ears. The oasis was the perfect spot for baptisms.

One evening as the sun was setting I decided to hike to the top of a nearby sand dune. As I sat at the top waiting for the sun to set, a man with flowing robes and with his face mostly covered walked up to me out of nowhere.

He greeted me and asked where I was from. When he heard I was from Canada, he became intrigued and sat down on the sand beside me. His questions poured out in quick succession: How do you like Libya? Are people treating you well? Are you getting enough food? What do Canadians think of Libyans? Why do you come out from the city to this desert?

My reply to the last question was that I enjoy the silence, solitude, [and] clear skies at night that allow me to see the stars so clearly and that this is a good place to think about important things and hear from God.

The man responded by saying, that is why I come out here as well! We had a bonding moment. He was respectful and intriguing but seemed distressed. He earnestly listened to my story of why I was a follower of Isa.

As he stood up to leave, he asked me one final question. Should I give up my quest for nuclear weapons?

» Read full story.

Source: Arab World Media, October 16, 2016

The BBC recently broadcast a program about starvation in Yemen. In Our World, Starving Yemen, a reporter follows a Yemeni doctor as she visits families with malnourished children. Included is the story of an eighteen-month-old boy who is slowly starving because the only milk his body can digest is no longer available… His mother cries as she tells the doctor, “I’m losing my son and there is nothing I can do about it.”

It’s clear that many children have been dying in Yemen, while for the most part the media has looked away. Most of us know there is an ongoing war, but we know little of its devastating side effects: famine and disease.

While all of this is taking place, another hunger is clearly stirring hearts in Yemen. The Holy Spirit is moving mightily among the people of Yemen. There are no longer any foreign workers, but local believers are active and, of course, the internet is playing a crucial role.

At Arab World Media, we have had a steady stream of Yemenis getting in touch with us this year. In fact, since April there have only been two or three days without contact from at least one Yemeni.

» Read full story .

» See also More than 1,400 Suspected Cholera Cases in Yemen (Al Jazeera). And please be praying for those in two other volatile nations: See Somalia Enters Freefall Following ISIS, al-Shabaab Flurry (Mission Network News) and Ethiopia’s Massive Protests Are Getting Desperate—and Dangerous (VICE News).

Source: Lausanne Movement

“These are tumultuous times. Change in every sphere of life seems to be accelerating. What really is happening in the world? And how does this relate to the staggering scale, complexity, and urgency of the Great Commission?”

In this 32-minute presentation, Jason Mandryk and Molly Wall, editors of Operation World, give insight to key issues in the church, Great Commission, and the world based on their extensive research and encounters around the world.

[It] was given at the third Lausanne Younger Leaders Gathering (YLG2016) held in Jakarta, Indonesia, August 2-10, 2016.

» See full story. You can also download the presentation and the accompanying notes.

Missions Catalyst News Briefs 10.19.16

1. EUROPE: Nine Obstacles to Faith in the Former Communist Countries
2. WORLD: Refugee Hoax Exposed
3. GERMANY: Refugees Foil Terror Plot
4. PAKISTAN: Christian Woman’s Death Sentence Appeal Postponed
5. INDONESIA: Expanding Christ’s Kingdom on “The Island of Gods”

Source: Pioneers in Europe, October 2016

Many [missionaries] serve in nations that are currently communist or have been communist within recent history. Current communist nations include China, Cuba, Laos, Vietnam, and North Korea. Previous communist nations in Europe include Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the Soviet Union.

What happens to a people group that has endured communism? What barriers does communism create for gospel receptivity? The list below was compiled with input from Pioneers [members] located around the globe, serving in nations that are currently or formerly communist.

1. Communism creates a culture of secrecy.
2. Under communism Christians often become desensitized to compromise.
3. Communism [celebrates] the material world, science, and intellect.
4. People who live or have lived under communism find the concept of grace very hard to digest.
5. On the opposite side of the same coin, communism produces people who work to earn favor.
6. In communist cultures leaders are not kind or trustworthy.
7. Under communism the collective good of the people is considered far more worthwhile than the independence of individuals.
8. People under communism are very afraid of the repercussions they will face if they believe.
9. Missionaries often find life in communist or post-communist cultures very difficult and oppressive.

Pray for people groups around the globe who currently suffer under communism or have been raised under communism and have not yet shed its oppression. Pray that the God of grace would move hearts to believe and follow him, that his grace would be found sufficient for them (2 Corinthians 12:9), and that he would be exalted among the nations and in all the earth (Psalm 46:10).

» Read full story and see How Did the Church Survive? (Pioneers USA).

Source: INcontext Ministries, October 4, 2016

In September 2015, reports were published on social media stating that a furniture shipment that was supposed to go to refugee camps in Europe was actually filled with 52 tons of guns and ammunition. This was supposedly discovered by the Greek Border Securities.

Social media users pointed to a global conspiracy, which was supposedly the reason why the media never reported the incident. A question was posed about how long they will “continue with this charade,” and the claim was made that it would be until “they are being killed by these Arab hooligans.”

This email [like a version which resurfaced in September 2016] is false and constitutes an intentional effort to create suspicion and fear about refugees in Europe. Please forward [a link to this story] to anyone who sent you this email.

The accompanying pictures published were actually of Greek authorities seizing a freighter carrying an undeclared shipment of weapons en route from Turkey to Libya.

» Full story includes links to more information and the text of the email being circulated.

» You might also be able to use A Biblical View of the Refugee Crisis, a short video featuring IMB president David Platt.

Source: Missions Network News, October 16, 2016

Last week, three Syrian refugees in Germany helped capture a fellow refugee who was allegedly planning to bomb a Berlin airport. Investigators say the would-be bomber, Jaber al-Bakr, was likely an ISIS allegiant. His captors are being hailed as heroes.

Al-Bakr had been on the run for two days. Security forces raided his apartment and circulated the suspect’s photo on social media. According to USA Today, al-Bakr approached three fellow Syrian refugees at a train station and asked if he could stay at their apartment. One of the refugees, identified by German media as Mohamed A, said they took in al-Bakr because they recognized him and knew they had to turn him in. Mohamed A told German press, “I was so angry at him. I won’t accept such a thing—especially here in Germany, the country that opened its door to us.”

The three friends trussed up al-Bakr on their couch, refused his monetary bribes, and turned him over to the police. German authorities have issued public gratitude to the three men for taking a stand against terrorism. The suspect committed suicide in jail later in the week. Although Syrian refugees in Germany have left the war in Syria behind, the trauma still follows them.

» Read full story.

» Also read Life for Some Christians in German Refugee Shelters “Still Unbearable” (World Watch Monitor) and watch a video report about how a church in Macedonia is responding to the refugees passing through their country (SEND International).

Source: BosNews Life, October 13, 2016

After waiting seven years in jail, Pakistan’s first Christian woman sentenced to death for blasphemy had her final Supreme Court appeal adjourned as angry Muslims packed the court room to demand her execution.

Aasiya Noreen, better known as Asia Bibi, who has been prison since the summer of 2009, was detained for allegedly insulting Islam’s prophet when she offered water to a Muslim co-worker and defended her faith in Jesus Christ.

Trial observers told BosNewsLife that one judge of the Supreme Court in Islamabad, Pakistan’s highest court, refused to be one of the three judges to decide on Bibi’s appeal because he had previously heard all details of a case against Mumtaz Qadri, who murdered the governor of Punjab province, Salman Taseer, in January 2011.

Quadri said he killed the governor for demanding that Asia Bibi would be freed. The governor also called Pakistan’s blasphemy statutes “black laws” and called for reforms and a presidential pardon for Asia Bibi.

» Read full story and a related story from WorldWatch Monitor. On a more positive note, we are glad to hear that Iranian pastor Behnam Irani has been released. He has also been held in prison for seven years.

Source: Christian Aid Mission, October 6, 2016

On Indonesia’s island of Bali, Hindu villagers mix worship of myriad deities with service to Buddhist figures, ancestors and spirits; a potpourri of barriers to the gospel that the director of an indigenous ministry is well suited to overcome.

“I am an original Bali[an] who has a very rare opportunity to be able to serve and reach my brothers,” said the leader, whose name is withheld for security reasons. “This is an advantage for me to more easily reach them.”

Known as the “island of the gods” with its estimated 20,000 temples and shrines, Bali has a population that is more than 80 percent Hindu amid the predominantly Muslim archipelago of Indonesia. Though Islam is growing in Bali Province, Hindu/Buddhist belief mixed with animism, magic, and mythology permeates all aspects of most islanders’ lives.

Within this context, the kingdom of God has been growing in Bali through the indigenous organization’s service to the poor. While cultural knowledge is key to knowing how to relate to and nuance communications with villagers, the love of Christ is directly expressed through meeting felt needs.

» Read full story.

» See also The Power of Prayer: Good News for Hindus (IMB).