In this issue:
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Source: Mission Network News, January 26, 2023
Last year the United States saw a rise in the number of Satan clubs opening in public schools by The Satanic Temple (TST) as an “alternative” to the thousands of Good News Clubs started by Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF).
To the surprise of many, however, CEF upholds the right of Satan clubs to be present in public schools. Spokesperson Lydia Kaiser explains the ministry’s position: “While we abhor everything they stand for, we acknowledge they also have the right to free speech and clubs which are able to follow the school’s rules in order to meet on school property after school… Parents are actually the gatekeepers because all children must have a signed permission slip to attend any club.”
Kaiser explains when parents protest vigorously against the formation of after-school Satan clubs, sometimes schools either close down all religious clubs or refuse to grant permission to the Satan club to meet. This results in TST suing the school district, winning, and using those funds for further mischief.
It also results in promoting the unconstitutional public perception that no one, Christians included, may express religious faith in the public arena.
Read the full story. It includes several suggestions for parents.
In other news from the USA, organizers of the evangelistic campaign He Gets Us plan to spend $1 billion dollars to promote Jesus over the next three years, including funding pro-Jesus Superbowl commercials. An article for Religion News Service asks, “Will anyone care?”
Source: Voice of the Martyrs Radio, January 14, 2023
“Tell me the truth! Dead or alive?”
When Susanne Geske heard the answer to that question—that her husband, Tilmann, had been murdered along with two Turkish Christians, Necati Aydin and Ugur Yüksel—she was overwhelmed with shock. The Geskes had been in Turkey (now called Türkiye) for 10 years. It’s a Muslim country, and they knew there was some risk for Christians. But she never thought their family would be affected.
The five murderers—ages 19 and 20—were arrested at the scene of the crime. Turkish media members rushed to Malatya to report on the “missionary massacre,” and they wanted to interview Susanne. She didn’t know what to say when they came to her door the day after her husband had been martyred.
Praying, she asked, “Lord what should I say?”
The Holy Spirit answered with the words of Christ on the cross: “Forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.” Though Turkish media often paint Christians as an enemy, with the Lord’s help Susanne used this opportunity to share the gospel of forgiveness and the love of Jesus, the reason she could forgive men who killed her husband. Her living example of forgiveness was broadcast all over Turkey.
Read the full story and listen to Susanne on the VOM podcast (24 minutes).
VOM Radio host Todd Nettleton also wrote about meeting Susanne and Semse in Turkey after the murder of their husbands in his book, When Faith Is Forbidden (Moody Publishers). We also see that VOM is now offering free streaming of their two-hour movie, Sabina: Tortured for Christ.
Source: God Reports, January 30, 2023
George Liele, a former black slave, sailed for Jamaica to reach the lost in 1782, 11 years ahead of heralded British missionary William Carey and long before American Adoniram Judson sailed to India (and later Burma) in 1812.
Liele was a slave in Georgia who received Jesus into his heart in 1773 under the coaxing of his master, Henry Sharp, at the local Baptist church. He was ordained on May 20, 1775, becoming the first officially recognized black preacher in the Colonies. Seeing the anointing on Liele’s life, his master freed him from slavery.
Pastor Liele migrated to Jamaica with the help of British colonel Moses Kirkland. Landing at Kingston, Liele and his wife, Hannah, planted a church there by preaching among the slaves of Jamaica.
He served for 10 fruitful years but also faced severe opposition from the slave owners, who cynically viewed his preaching as agitating the slaves, and even was thrown in jail for a time.
Liele didn’t limit his outreach to people of color. As a result of his ministry, people from all sorts of ethnicities became believers in Jamaica. By 1838, Jamaica had 20,000 believing Baptists.
These days it isn’t hard to find information about George Liele and other once-obscure pioneering missionaries. A somewhat longer biography with references points out that like many other slaves, Liele had sided with the British during the American Revolution. That (and not just missionary zeal) led to his decision to become an indentured servant to pay for his family’s passage to Jamaica (Boston University).
Source: Wycliffe Bible Translators, January 18, 2023
Nearly 40 years ago, three missionaries began Bible translation work for the Border Kuna people of Panama. The missionaries were a light in the community, sharing their faith and making significant progress translating the New Testament into the Border Kuna language. But tragically, the missionaries were kidnapped in 1993. The community mourned the loss of their friends, and soon also realized that their translated New Testament was in jeopardy. But God continued to provide for the Border Kuna.
Wycliffe missionaries arrived in Panama in the mid-90s to finish the New Testament translation work. While the Border Kuna people were thrilled to receive their New Testament, they were also disappointed when translation efforts on the Old Testament halted. The Border Kuna people’s hope for a full Bible might have seemed to be on hold—but one community member was persistent.
Dario Pizarro was one of the first Christians and Bible translation advocates in his community. From an early age, Dario had a dream: to have the full Bible in his language. And he did not relent. In 2018, Dario went to a local missionary agency and asked for their help translating the Old Testament into Border Kuna.
Read the full story—an encouraging testament to the power of perseverance and collaboration. See also God on the Move: Accelerated Impact Through Bible Translation Today. Praise God for the exponential growth of Bible translation.
You might also enjoy The Woman Who Gave the World A Thousand Names for God (“how a British linguist and a failed Nigerian coup changed everything about Bible translation”) from Christianity Today.
Source: Mission Network News, January 31, 2023
More than 100 people are dead and 217 wounded after a suicide bomber struck a mosque in Pakistan on Monday. It is one of the deadliest attacks the nation has seen.
The bombing took place in Peshawar, a volatile city in northwestern Pakistan. The mosque is inside a fortified police compound and is mostly attended by law enforcement personnel. Up to 400 people [were] packed into the mosque for prayers when the bomber detonated.
It didn’t take long for terrorists to claim the bombing.
[A spokesman from Forgotten Missionaries International] says, “The Pakistani Taliban had taken responsibility for the attack and they mentioned that they have taken revenge because one of their commanders was killed last year in August. So this is a revenge attack in Pakistan.”
Situated in a “Red Zone,” it’s supposed to be one of the most secure areas of the city. An inquiry is already underway to find out how the bomber got past several layers of security.
“It is one of the most tightly controlled areas of the city housing intelligence and the counter-terrorism bureau, and it is next door to the regional secretariat. More than 1,000 policemen are always there for duty. It is a highly, highly secure place.”
Pakistan is no stranger to attacks like this. They often take the form of terrorism, sectarian violence, and religious persecution.
While Pakistani Christians need to be cautious in ministry, they are the hands and feet of Jesus to heartbroken communities and families in times like this. “Pray for…our partners so they can testify about Jesus Christ, that he is really the Prince of Peace.”
Read the full story and pray for the people of Pakistan. We’re also seeing Pakistan in the news over abuses and the possible expansion of the country’s blasphemy laws (Morning Star News).
