In This Issue: The Government Shall Be upon His Shoulders
- WORLD: Prayer Initiatives and Resources for Prayer
- ISRAEL AND PALESTINE: Keys to Understanding
- MADAGASCAR: A King Encounters the King of Kings
- MEXICO: Protestant Christians Forced from Village
- SOUTH SUDAN: Healing for the Sick
- SYRIA: Free Bibles for Shopkeepers
- EVENTS: New on the Missions Catalyst Calendar
Greetings!
Sleuthing for news can be hard work; our approach to content sets the bar high. At times, though, the stories come together easily and a theme may emerge.
This week the common thread is government: governments that run their countries like a giant prison (North Korea) and those trying to stay in power (Syria), those looking for international recognition (Palestinian Authority) and those that just got it (South Sudan); even an island king in Madagascar!
Aren’t you glad that no government can stop the gospel from going forth? Isaiah 9:6 comes to mind. As soon as I send this week’s stories off to Marti for editing, I’m playing Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration and singing, “The government shall be upon HIS shoulders…!”
Until that day, keep praying.
Pat
Quotable
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
Isaiah 9:6-7
WORLD: Prayer Initiatives and Resources for Prayer
Source: Various, compiled by Pat Noble.
On Monday, September 19, Wycliffe began 40 Days of Prayer For Bible Translation. I just read the text for Day 1 and it is wonderful. Sign up for the email updates or check the blog.
Tuesday, September 20, in addition to the UN bid for Palestinian statehood (see prayer points below), The Power of Open went live (YouTube). Google says this day-long program was “to launch the Open Government Partnership, a new international initiative aimed at securing concrete commitments from governments to promote transparency, increase civic participation, fight corruption, and harness new technologies to make government more open, effective, and accountable.” This is not a Christian prayer initiative, but a good resource for us as we pray for governments!
Continuing chronologically, let’s pray for elections coming up in Saudi Arabia (September 22), Bahrain, and the UAE (September 24).
Sunday, October 2, the WIN Network invites us to pray for the 10/40 Window countries. Get some tools for this special Sunday here. Why not show the introductory video?
Ethne to Ethne also reports there will be a Global Day of Worship on November 11 (11/11/11).
The South African prayer organization Jericho Walls took the initiative to mobilize Christians globally to pray for 52 Muslim nations for one full year (September 2011 to September 2012). Contact them if you’re interested in participating.
Let’s not neglect prayer for North Korea, either (6.5-minute video in Korean with English subtitles). Watch Explorer: Inside North Korea, a 46-minute documentary (National Geographic). Jump in at 39 minutes for a heart-wrenching display of devotion to the “Dear Leader” as blind eyes are opened.
ISRAEL AND PALESTINE: Keys to Understanding
Source: Various, compiled by Pat Noble.
As this edition is being prepared, the news is heavy with speculations about the Palestinians’ UN bid for statehood, slated for September 20. Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding suggest that a Palestinian Arab Lutheran Christian has a message worthy of your time. Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, pastor of Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, expounds on the “Keys to Understanding the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict” in seven short talks. The titles sound like great prayer starters, no?
Too Many Peace Processes and Too Little Peace
Too Much Politics and Too Little Care for the People
Too Much Religion and Too Little Spirituality
Too Much Humanitarian Aid and Too Little Empowering Aid
Too Much Passion and Too Little Compassion
Too Obsessed by the Past and Too Little Focus on the Future
Too Much Pessimism-Optimism and Too Little Hope
>> See also: Israel and the Palestinian Territories (Window International Network). Now would be a perfect time to intercede. Use the scripture reference links for more power in your prayers!
MADAGASCAR: A King Encounters the King of Kings
Source: Operation Mobilization, September 13, 2011
Recently, [a] team took a trip to Manakara in western Madagascar to visit a local church. The pastor of the church took the team on a two-hour walk to Maroala, a small village, home to about 200 people.
“In this village there’s no school, no church. The sight of the kids touched me so much,” said Anita, a photographer with the OM team. “They not only were barefoot and wearing clothes with holes in them, but emptiness and hopelessness covered their faces as well. Yet their lives and the basic things they manage to survive with intrigued me.”
During the visit the pastor introduced the team to the chief, or king, of this small tribal community. The team asked for the chief’s permission to plant a church in Maroala. He gladly responded, “You are more than welcome to come here and bring the light of God to my people.” Anita was so pleased to meet the king of Maroala and help introduce him to the King of kings.
>> Full story.
MEXICO: Protestant Christians Forced from Village
Source: The Christian Post, September 18, 2011
About 70 Protestant Christians lived in the village of San Rafael Tlanalapan, Puebla state, until Monday (September 12), when they faced a frightening ultimatum – leave immediately or be “crucified or lynched.”
The traditionalist Catholics, who practice a blend of indigenous and Catholic rituals, reportedly asserted that 20 years ago an assistant village president had vowed that no temple of any non-Catholic faith would ever be permitted in San Rafael Tlanalapan.
Tensions reached a crisis level two weeks ago when local priest Ascension Benitez Gonzalez reportedly said in a September 4 sermon that his parishioners should pressure the Protestants to leave for good.
>> Full story.
SOUTH SUDAN: Healing for the Sick
Source: Iris Ministries, September 7, 2011
God is healing so many people [that] the hospital which was full the last 3-4 weeks is now almost empty. There were very few sick people left to pray for. The nurses have been thanking our teams and asking not only for prayer but for teaching to learn how to pray for their patients!
A little 10-year-old girl [was] stabbed in the back of the brain by a SPLA bayonet. Her whole body was seizing violently, eyes rolled back in her head, screaming in pain, and the team prayed peace. She grew still immediately. John Sebit took the witchcraft charms from her mother and the girl began to scream again. John got face to face with her and told her to repeat a prayer of choosing Jesus. She did! Stabbed in the brain and then suddenly lucid and able to focus and pray out loud. She is resting well.
SYRIA: Free Bibles for Shopkeepers
Source: Open Doors, September 15, 2011
In spite of the blistering summer heat, Dawud walks through the streets of a large Syrian city … dedicated to the task of distributing Bibles among the shopkeepers. Going from shop to shop, street to street, Dawud hands out Bibles for free. And, if asked, he shares about Jesus.
The method is simple. After some polite talk Dawud asks, “Could I offer you the Word of God as a free gift?” The shopkeeper is surprised by this, hesitates shortly, but then says, “Yes, I would like to receive one.” Dawud takes his present and hands it over to the shopkeeper. “I give the Word of God to you with one condition,” he adds. “Don’t put it unread on a shelf; read it.”
Dawud thanks the shopkeeper as they leave the store. “I will try to visit this shop again in some weeks,” he says as he looks for the next shop.
>> Full story.
>> Also read about a modern-day tentmaker (really: he makes tents!) in Damascus (Global Opportunities).
EVENTS: New on the Mission Catalyst Calendar
Our friends at OMF USA are planning “Heart for Asia” events in five cities: Peabody, MA (September 24), Shawnee Mission, KS (September 25), Pleasant Hill, CA (October 1), Houston, TX (October 29), and New York, NY (November 12). Other events recently added to our calendar include:
September 27-28 – Seminar: The Theology of Persecution (Ottawa, ON, Canada). Featuring Sudhakar Mondithoka. Presented by the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and Voice of the Martyrs Canada.
October 4 – Conference: Ignition 2011 (Wheaton, IL, USA). One-day training event for sending churches who want to mobilize. Sponsored by The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM).
>> View the calendar and/or submit events.
Pat Noble has been the “news sleuth” for Missions Catalyst since 2004. In addition to churning out the news, she is working to create a SWARM (Serving World A Regional Mobilizers) in Northern New York using the NorthernChristian.org website. You can connect with her at www.whatsoeverthings.com.
