Missions Catalyst

Source: The Christian Post, December 27, 2024

For me, as an Iranian Christian coming from an Islamic background, Christmas and also Hanukkah have special and deep meanings. As over 2 million Muslim background Iranian Christians celebrate their salvation during Christmas, Hanukkah reminds them how the past and future of the two nations, Israel and Iran, are tied together.

Hanukkah vividly commemorates the awe-inspiring victory of the Maccabees, a courageous and determined group of Jewish fighters who triumphed against the formidable Greek-Syrian army in 164 BCE. Upon reclaiming the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, the Maccabees aimed to relight its sacred menorah but discovered only a scant amount of purified oil, sufficient to keep the flame aglow for a single day. However, this oil miraculously illuminated the menorah for an astounding eight days.

In the year 2024, these eight days span from Wednesday, December 25, coinciding with Christmas Day, through to Thursday, January 2.

As we read in the Bible, the visionary Persian King Cyrus commanded and generously financed the construction of the second temple. This monumental undertaking began in 538 BC. Cyrus’s benevolence knew no bounds; he not only funded this grand edifice but also liberated the Jewish captives, urging them to return to their sacred homeland, Jerusalem, to rebuild their temple.

Because of how the Second Temple was built, everything connected to it serves as a powerful beacon of the once-thriving friendship and deep-seated alliance that bound Israel and Iran. As we are celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah, let us remember that according to the Bible, both nations will be saved. Once again, they will be friends, and both will be used in the end times to bring the good news to the world.

Read the full story.

In this edition:

1. Syria: Hope Prevails in the Country’s New Dawn
2. India: Christians Banned from Eight Villages
3. Myanmar: Millions at Risk of Starvation as Government Cracks Down
4. Malawi: Doors to Prison System Swinging Open
5. North Africa: The Untold Story of Christianity in Morocco

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Source: INcontext International, December 12, 2024

Despite the challenges ahead, Christians can be hopeful for the people of Syria. The end of the civil war offers a chance for peace, reconciliation, and restoration. As we pray for Syria, we envision a future where:

• The gospel can spread: Throughout the 13 years of war, Syrian Christians have been a light in the darkness, offering hope and help to their communities. We pray that this season of transition will allow the gospel to flourish and that Christians in Syria will continue to be a beacon of love and truth.
• Return of refugees: We also think of the millions who had to flee [and] are now faced with the decision to return home. In particular [we think of] those refugees who have come to know Christ while living outside Syria. We pray that God will lead many of them back “home” to strengthen the Church in Syria and to contribute to the spreading of the gospel throughout the country.
• Healing and rebuilding begin: The scars of war run deep, but we pray that God will bring healing to the nation—healing for families, communities, and the land itself. We pray for wisdom for leaders tasked with rebuilding the country and that justice will prevail for the many victims of war crimes.
• Peace becomes the foundation: As Syria moves toward elections and a new government, we pray for stability and a commitment to peace that transcends political and religious divides. May God’s hand guide this process, and may His justice and mercy prevail.

Read or watch the full story. It describes Assad’s swift fall and factors behind in and suggests more ways to pray.

For a deeper dive on the situation in Syria (and more), see Justin Long’s 12/12 Weekly Roundup. You might want to subscribe.

Source: The Christian Post, December 2, 2024

In the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, eight village councils have passed a resolution that bans Christians from staying in their villages, requiring them to either renounce their faith or leave. The order impacts about 100 Christians whose property and fields were threatened with confiscation if they did not comply, according to reports.

A local leader from one of the affected villages, Michwar, upheld the decree, reportedly asserting that the authority of the village councils supersedes India’s Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion.

The full story includes more details, pictures and links. Another story reports on fresh violence in Manipur as tensions between Christians and Hindus escalate. We should pray.

From the Indian state of Assam, see Pastor Charged with Converting People Through Prayer (International Christian Concern).

In contrast, on the other side of the world, Toronto, Canada has declared December Christian Heritage Month (Christian Daily International).

Source: International Christian Concern, November 25, 2024

According to U.N. research, roughly 2 million people in Myanmar are at risk of starvation in the coming months. A raging conflict between the military junta ruling the country and ethnoreligious resistance forces continues to wreak havoc across the country.

According to media sources, trade restrictions and international sanctions have exacerbated the disruption created by the conflict, already reducing some to eating rice bran—an agricultural byproduct usually used as animal feed. Some families interviewed by the U.N. have cut their food consumption to one meal a day or less.

The U.N. report comes weeks after Myanmar’s military junta strengthened relations with China, a longtime supporter of the junta along with Russia.

The full story also explains how tensions between ethnic and religious communities has created a a volatile situation for non-Buddhists across the country.

In the midst of the darkness in Myanmar, a video from Asia Harvest reports that more than 700 home fellowships and 300 additional cell groups have begun among marginalized groups in the country. Praise God.

Source: Mission Network News, December 17, 2024

A new partner with World Missionary Press [WMP] is spreading God’s Word in some of the darkest places in Malawi: their prisons.

Malawi prisons are known for overcrowding and violence. Its 23 district prisons and other facilities are meant to hold only 7,000 people yet currently hold more than 16,500.

[WMP’s] Helen Williams explains that a new local partner has forged a positive relationship with prison officials just this year. They visited the Zomba and Domasi facilities, where they shared worship songs, teaching, preaching, and testimonies, plus Scripture booklets with inmates.

“The prison authorities, chaplain, and those in charge of the prisoners took [our partners] aside and told them the best way to interact with the prisoners. It was well organized,” Williams says. “There was a foundation to build on for this. It wasn’t just ‘walk in and hand out something.’”

At the Zomba prison, the team met with 350 inmates, and 210 of these men accepted Christ.

“When they were finished there, the authorities that had let them come in and share said, ‘You’re welcome to any prison in Malawi to reach out and win souls, because your help is urgently needed where the inmates are desperate to get a hold of God’s Word.’”

Read the full story.

Also from Mission Network News, hear about the amazing fruit of an evangelistic event in Vietnam and Christians carrying on with Christmas in Lebanon.

Source: Radical, December 12, 2024

Morocco has been a crossroads between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East for centuries. To say it’s a cultural melting pot wouldn’t cut it. And a closer look at its history will show how Christianity was bonded to its lands. Discover the diverse complexities that make Morocco what it is: one of the strongest Islamic strongholds today. Learn how it’s all blending in today’s church in unforeseen ways.

Watch the video, also below (12 minutes). It’s part of Neighborhoods and Nations, a series of video documentaries that explore the big questions, challenges, and obstacles Christians face as they navigate a complex world.

Also from North Africa, let’s rejoice in the recent release of Suleiman Bouhafs, a Christian imprisoned for three years in Algeria (International Christian Concern).