Category: News Briefs

Source: The Christian Post, August 26, 2013

The President of Guatemala, Otto Perez Molina, declared Jesus Christ as the Lord of the country last week during their first national prayer breakfast.

Leaders from government, economic, religious, and indigenous backgrounds gathered in Guatemala City to pray for their nation’s peace and to have God as the center of the universe.

“Today we name Christ as Lord of Guatemala and we declare in his name that each of our generations will be generations that will live in a prosperous Guatemala,” said Molina, according to Hispanic news outlet, AcontercerCristiano.net.

During the meeting, leaders were also encouraged to implement principles and values within their businesses, universities, and neighborhoods. In addition, speakers including Manuel Espina, president of Guatemala Prospera – an organization that trains national business leaders on how to foster developmental change within their community – asked leaders to embrace prayer as the sole method by which their country can succeed.

» Read full story.

Source: St. Francis Magazine, August 2013

As Christians, we confess that all human history takes place under God’s sovereign control, including the advance of the gospel and the growth of Christ’s church.

Seemingly unrelated or random events are actually orchestrated within God’s eternal plan. The impact of gospel communication to the Somali people via the Internet is a case in point.

Somali involvement with the Internet extends back to its early days. In 1997, journalist and author Michael Maren estimated that Somalis posted more messages on the Internet than all other African nationalities combined. A conservative global estimate of Somalis with Internet access would be 3,000,000. The vast majority of Somalis in the Diaspora use the Internet daily to stay in contact with their relatives in the Horn of Africa.

Somali was one of only 11 African languages recognized by Google in 2006. At present, there are well over 300 Somali-language websites. A BBC report said, “Facebook has taken off in Somalia since Islamist militants al Shabab fled the city several months ago, loosening social restrictions and making the streets safer. New accounts have grown by 50% in the past six months, and there are now more Facebook users than estimated Internet users in Somalia, thanks to mobile phones and computer sharing.”

» Read full story.

» See also an article recently posted by Joshua Project, Using Facebook to Reach an Unreached People.

Source: Arab World Media, August 15, 2013

About fifty years ago “Rasuul” had a vision in which he saw a dirty and beaten man with ragged clothes standing next to a woman. The woman told him, “Follow this man.” Rasuul was indignant. How could he follow this man? He was unclean and not worthy of following. He didn’t understand. But he recalled the words of the Qur’an – that if you don’t understand something, you should ask the “people of the book.”

So, when he came across an Italian missionary, he asked for a copy of the Tawrat (first five books of the Bible). While he was still averse to reading the gospels, he read the Tawrat and believed it was true.

Rasuul decided to settle in a neighboring country. His outlook on religion had changed. While he simply said he believed in the first five books of the Bible, he gave all of his children the freedom to choose their religion [and] most of his children chose faith in Christ.

One day, when they gathered together as a family, Rasuul’s daughter read Isaiah 53. As she read, Rasuul’s eyes lit up as he exclaimed, “This man is the man in my vision! Who is he?” His daughter told him it was Jesus. From that day, the animosity towards the gospels and Jesus fell away, and Rasuul followed Christ.

Three years ago, Rasuul passed away, but before he died he called his children together and asked them to do something. “Our people must know the truth about Jesus,” he said. “Please go and tell them about the decision I made, and the truth about Jesus.”

Now, we hear that at least one of Rasuul’s children is making plans to return to his homeland and share the good news with this people group. Praise God for this opportunity and pray that many would be amazed as they learn of Rasuul’s faith in Christ.

» Full story.

 

 

Source: Boudha Prayer, August 2013

In the Northwest corner of Kathmandu, Nepal, lies one of the most sacred places in the whole Tibetan Buddhist world: Boudha stupa, or Boudhanath, a place of worship for both Buddhists and Hindus. The surrounding area is home for thousands of Tibetans, exiles as well as tribal people from the Himalayan areas. Every year thousands more come to Boudha on pilgrimage – Buddhist prayer there is unceasing.

Now we are calling Christians all over the world to join in on focused prayer for Boudha and the Tibetans there. In 2013 we are setting aside 100 days of prayer. Between September 1st and December 9th we invite individuals and churches to pray with us for this area. Boudha is an important Tibetan crossroads and we believe that a movement of God in Boudha will affect the whole of the Tibetan Buddhist world.

» Email Boudha100 for more details and information about how you can pray personally, with a group, or on a prayer journey.

» See also this collection of images and an article about the holy site on a Buddhist travel site (Kechara).

In This Issue: Three stories from Africa

• GHANA: Partners Train Christian Broadcasters from across Africa
• WALES: Outbreak of Revival 
• SIERRA LEONE: Planting New Churches
• UNITED KINGDOM: Return to Paganism
• BURUNDI: Prayers Yielding Fruit 

Source: ASSIST News, August 7, 2013

Across the continent of Africa, 215 Christian radio producers are going home to 15 countries with new tools and skills to share the gospel. HCJB Global joined with Moody Radio in a four-day Global Partners Project radio training intensive in Ghana, West Africa, for seminars, hands-on practice, and spiritual enrichment.

Classes were offered in leadership, fundraising, production, interviewing, on-air presentation, web integration, emerging technology, video production, and social media.

“[Participants] shared their ideas with one another and planned real steps of action to take upon returning home. There was a strong spiritual aspect as well. We paused during the teaching for a prayer of thanksgiving that God is in control, despite the obstacles,” said Jon Fugler [of] HCJB Global.

This conference exceeded our expectations in an amazing way,” said Stephen Asare, project coordinator for Moody Radio. “Originally we had room for 150 attendees but were able to accommodate 215. There is a great hunger for training in Africa.”

» Read full story from ASSIST News. See also HCJB’s encouraging report, Cross-cultural Barriers Overcome at Radio Training Conference in Ghana.

» Another Africa story: The Amazing, Surprising Africa-driven Future of the Earth, in Nine Charts (Washington Post).

Source: OM Newsbytes, Aug-Sept 2013

For more than 100 days, crowds have been flocking to Cwmbran, Wales, hungry to experience the manifest presence of God. Well over 900 people have come to Christ at Victory Church and hundreds have reported healings since [the outpouring began] April 10. The church was planted in 2010 and initially attended mostly by ex-offenders and addicts.

» Source. For more about this phenomenon, watch the 30-minute video, Cwmbran Outpouring (United Christian Broadcasters).

 

Source: Christian Aid Mission, July 17, 2013

After hearing that no church existed in the area, native missionaries from Trinity Gospel Ministries met with leaders of Masap, a Sierra Leone farming community, in March. The missionaries explained they were Christians and they wanted to tell the people about Jesus Christ. If the villagers were interested, they would like to start a church for them.

Immediately the people responded with applause. The God of heaven had answered their prayers. “We have suffered so much and all other things have failed us,” said one community elder. “But if you can come with a church here, then we will be happy.”

Two weeks later a team of 14 missionaries came to Masap and conducted evangelism outreach in four villages. It was surprising for them to discover the gospel had been preached in the district for over 120 years, yet Masap had somehow not been reached. They initiated churches in two of the four villages they visited, Masap and Kategiyan.

That first Sunday when the village gathered for worship, 164 people came together in a spirit of celebration and praise. The area chief, village chief, and other Masap leaders all gave their hearts to Christ.

A similar scene was repeated in Kategiyan, where the entire village welcomed the gospel message and established a church. About 75 people attended that first service.

“Seeing the beauty of what is already happening in Masap and Kategiyan, the other villages are asking that we do the same for them,” wrote the leader of Trinity Gospel Ministries in a recent report to Christian Aid Mission.

It’s time [Sierra Leone] had something to celebrate. From 1991 to 2002 the nation was engulfed in a brutal civil war that took the lives of some 50,000 citizens. Perhaps the most visible atrocities of the war are the thousands of amputees whose arms, legs, and ears were cut off by unspeakably cruel rebel soldiers.

» Read full story.

Source: Baptist Press, July 31, 2013

He is difficult to find and even then is barely visible, but he’s there. Green Man, a symbol of ancient pagan religion, stares down from the nave of Norwich Cathedral. In a way, his presence is symbolic of how it has always been, and still is, in this [once] medieval city.

Norwich has the unique distinction of being officially classified as England’s most ungodly city. Its “ungodly” status comes from the 2011 census, [which shows] Norwich leading the way in a national shift away from Christianity, with 42.5 percent in the city saying they have no religion, against a national rate of 25.1 percent.

“Norwich is kind of a microcosm of England,” [Pastor Marvin] Lucas said. “As far as Christian history is concerned, England used to be more pagan. It’s kind of come full circle, I believe; back to paganism.”

» Read full story.

Source: Simon Guillebaud, August 13, 2013

The amazing work continues in Burundi! There are six days to go, and this will be the last update from me until the full results come in a few weeks from now, but it’s just so encouraging to share, and key in terms of prayers yielding fruit. Here’s the latest from Onesphore, who writes:

“Here is one of many stories reaching us. In Kiremba, one of our teams met a family whose seven-year-old girl was blind, crippled, and her tongue hung limply outside her mouth, so she was unable to speak. They washed her and prayed for her, whereupon she immediately got her sight back, began speaking, and was able to walk. The whole village ran to see the miracle. Her family and 25 others in the village gave their lives to Christ.

“At Busoni, where earlier in the week the deaf/dumb man was healed, two of our groups were seriously beaten up by the sons of witchdoctors who saw them as a threat to their business. We are trying to encourage them. Pray for their perseverance. The enemy is obviously not happy with all the fruit.”

» Read full story. See Simon’s blog for additional reports and context.