In northeast England, Rev. Mark Miller has had up to 100 Persian asylum-seekers in his congregation. See related story below. Photo: Jim Wright.
Source: World Watch Monitor, June 8, 2018
Attempts by Western politicians and media to judge whether Iranian migrants and asylum-seekers who ask to be baptized are either genuine or are doing so to boost their chances of being granted asylum are “naïve,” according to an academic who has carried out extensive research among Iranians who profess to have become Christians.
Dr. Sara Afshari, who has been helping the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark to devise a strategy for integrating Farsi-speaking migrants and refugees from Iran, Afghanistan, and Kurdistan into society and the Church, told World Watch Monitor: “I don’t like this naïve understanding of conversion by the politicians or the media saying they become Christian because their case will be strengthened. That might be one of the reasons for some—not for all.”
Her comments come as European governments look for ways to assess whether claims of conversions made by Iranians seeking asylum in their country are genuine. There are thought to be thousands of Iranians who have requested baptism in the UK, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and the Netherlands.
» Full story explores the range of meanings conversion may have in a Middle Eastern context and also looks at of the role of dreams.
» Whether you’re a dream skeptic or a dream enthusiast, you may find food for thought in When Muslims Dream of Jesus (The Gospel Coalition).
Source: Jews for Jesus, June 13, 2018
Gena Gelman reports, “As part of our outreach, we visited elderly Jewish Israelis, including a 94-year-old woman named Jael. ‘May I speak with you for a few minutes?’ I asked her. Jael was as grateful for the company as she was for the food I’d just shared with her. She was wrestling with some physical ailments, so I asked if she could hear and understand me well enough. With some difficulty, she nodded yes. Then she pointed to her left leg, her left hand and her tongue. ‘A stroke?’ I asked. She nodded again. Despite her limitations, we were able to communicate through brief words and simple gestures.
“After a few minutes, I began to tell Jael about God’s love, our sin and the forgiveness and reconciliation that He has made possible through the death and resurrection of the Messiah, Yeshua. Then I asked her a question: ‘Tell me, Jael, would you say you’re guilty of sin?’ Jael made a sign with her hand as if to say, ‘Well, maybe yes, maybe no.’ ‘Let me read you something,’ I offered.
“I opened to the Ten Commandments and started to read as I’d often done with people who either do not think they are sinners or are unsure. As soon as I came to the commandment, ‘Do not kill,’ Jael stiffened. I ventured a guess and gently said, ‘Many women have had abortions.’ Suddenly, tears filled her eyes. Through her gestures, I understood that long ago she’d ended three pregnancies. I did not judge or speak to her of the details. It was clear that she was filled with remorse all on her own.
» Read full story and a related story, Salvation in Jerusalem.
Source: Mission Network News, June 15, 2018
Pastor Oqbamichel Haiminot was wrongfully imprisoned in Eritrea for over a decade. Christians around the world prayed fervently for Pastor Oqbamichel’s release, but it seemed the Eritrean government would not budge.
Today, however, we rejoice to hear that Pastor Oqbamichel has been finally freed from prison, according to The Voice of the Martyrs Australia. He is currently in need of medical care.
Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs USA says, “Many pastors [in Eritrea] have been arrested. Many Christians have been arrested. Typically, however, they’re not held as long as Pastor Oqbamichel was… We don’t know exactly why he was released at this time. Why not a year ago? Why not a year from now? We don’t know what the logic behind that is—or if there is any logic behind it.”
“Eritrea is a country that has gone through a real crackdown against the Church since 2002. The government actually closed all of the Evangelical churches in Eritrea. [They] basically called in the church leaders and said, ‘Your churches can’t meet anymore.’ Every Christian activity after that became illegal.”
» Read full story and from the same source, an encouraging report that Jeff Woodke, a US missionary kidnapped in Niger in 2016, is still alive.
Source: Partners International, June 9, 2018
A member of our community had been very sick for quite some time. Her husband had taken her to many doctors and specialists and had even tried witchcraft and sorcery, but she remained unchanged. Some Christians advised her to go to the local church for prayer. They took the advice and when they were there the elders laid hands on her and prayed for her healing. Not much happened on the spot, but gradually her health improved and she became totally healed and restored. Praise the Lord Jesus for healing her!
Her husband started to attend our church services. After each service, he would ask for copies of the Gospels and New Testaments to take back to his village. Nobody knew what he was doing with them. In January of this year, his whole family came to the church with him and asked to be baptized. There were fourteen of them!
In March of this year, the pastor came to see Youssef, our ministry leader, so that he could share more about what had been happening. Now they estimate that nearly everyone in this man’s small village has come to faith! That church has seen an incredible growth and are now planning now to start four new churches, all because of the actions of this one man. Praise God!
The senior pastor of the largest church in Algeria—nearly 1000 members—told us that in the last two years they had baptized nearly 370 more new believers. Many other churches are experiencing growth in their fellowships. Training, discipleship, and empowering of the church in Algeria has become an urgent need.