Category: News Briefs

Source: International Mission Board, October 5, 2020

“Miss O.” grew up as a devout Buddhist in Southeast Asia and had never heard the gospel. When God brought Christians into her life, Miss O. would nod her head, “yes, yes,” in agreement to the stories they shared but continued as an even more determined Buddhist.

One day Miss O. prayed, “They say you are the Living God. If that’s true, give me a new pair of jeans tomorrow.” The very next day, Miss O.’s father said, “I know what you want—a new pair of jeans. Let’s go shopping.”

It was as if God said, “If you need jeans to know I am the Living God, I will give them, and you will know I am Lord.”

Later, another believer said, “All of our good deeds are like a pot of fermented bamboo shoots before God.” The Lord used this to convict her of sin and her need for a Savior. She wept and put her faith in Jesus.

For several years, Miss O. was the only believer in her village. She is a gifted and eager evangelist, loves the Word, and has a solid faith and doctrine. She prayed God would use her to reach her village. God answered when Miss O. led her neighbor to Christ. The neighbor shared with her husband who also came to faith.

These three now follow the Lord, meet weekly as a church, and live out their faith. The “blue-jean-giving” God [is] now worshiped every week in this village’s first church.

Pray for Miss O. and [the other believers] as they share the gospel with their neighbors.

» Read full story.

» Also from Southeast Asia, read about Christians in Myanmar refocusing their efforts on reaching the unreached, introducing Buddhists to Christ, and planting churches (Center for Mission Mobilization).

Image: International Christian Concern

1. WORLD: Pray for the Persecuted
2. MYANMAR/BURMA: Karen Suffer in Military Activity Under Lockdown
3. UGANDA: Christian Boy Feared Killed in Ritual Sacrifice
4. IRAN: Christians Ruled Unfit to Parent Adopted Child
5. LEBANON: Pastor Speaks Out About Divine Intervention
6. EDITOR’S NOTE: Correction to September 30 edition

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 “The wonderful thing about praying is that you leave a world of not being able to do something and enter God’s realm where everything is possible. He specializes in the impossible. Nothing is too great for His almighty power. Nothing is too small for His love.”  — Corrie Ten Boom

Greetings,

This edition is not as balanced as we normally like them to be. The International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians (note the subtle name change) is November 1, less than four weeks away. So I thought for this edition and maybe the next I would give you what Corrie ten Boom calls an abundance of opportunity to “leave a world of not being able to do something and enter God’s realm where everything is possible.”

A variety of prayer resources are available from the VOM’s IDOP website, including free downloads (in exchange for your contact info).

Each year I also turn to a lesser known Rich Mullins song called I Will Sing (via Global Christian Worship). It never fails to stir my heart for my persecuted family around the world. If you share it with your music ministry, they might have time to learn if before November 1.

Singing for those in chains,
Pat

Source: Voice of the Martyrs, September 22, 2020

Join Christians around the world in a global prayer meeting for our persecuted brothers and sisters who boldly witness for Christ at any cost.

VOM’s 2020 IDOP short film, Janette: Central African Republic, is a dramatic portrayal of how persecuted Christians in the Central African Republic have been displaced from their homes and villages by civil war and Islamist violence.

But these courageous believers have also forgiven their persecutors and held fast to their faith in Christ. You and your church will be inspired to pray for and support Christians like Janette who have lost everything because of their Christian faith.

» Watch film below.

» Note, we see the IDOP referred to in several different ways this year: as an international day of prayer for the persecuted church, for persecuted Christians, or simply “for the persecuted.” Not sure if there’s been a name change or not. Most observe it November 1 or November 8 but VOM adds “and through the month of November.”

Source: Christian Freedom International, September 16, 2020

The Burmese Military, called the Tatmadaw, has taken advantage of the pandemic lockdown to increase its military activities within the mostly Christian Karen communities.

Between January and June, Karen communities were warned that if they gather, they may face arrest and could increase the spread of COVID-19. Yet during that time the Tatmadaw performed large military operations to strengthen their army camps, conduct attacks, and set up more military posts. It also sent more soldiers and rations to camps and resumed constructing military road despite the opposition by the Karen National Union (KNU) and the local Karen populace.

The Tatmadaw presented the road construction activities as a development project that will benefit the local communities. However, the Karen National Union sees this project as part of a Tatmadaw strategy to extend its control over Karen areas, and therefore opposes it.

Locals complain that several parts of this construction go straight through farms, communities, and local hunting areas completely disrupting the Karen way of life.

According to a Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG) researcher, at least 207 skirmishes broke out between the Tatmadaw and the KNLA over the last six months as a result of Tatmadaw soldiers trespassing into Karen controlled territory in order to secure land for military road construction activities.

The Karen villagers are at high risk of collateral damage. There have been several civilian casualties, farmland burned, and village buildings destroyed including monuments and churches. One community reported that the fighting resulted in the displacement of 2,137 villagers, including 417 children under five years of age.

» Read full story.

» In other news from East Asia, a North Korean man who recently came to faith was arrested. A ministry leader working there believes he is in grave danger and asks us to pray for his release (Open Doors).

Source: Morning Star News, September 28, 2020

A Christian boy has been killed after a woman said to be a radical Muslim opposed to his father’s conversion from Islam sold him and his sister to a witchdoctor for ritual sacrifice, sources said.

Sulaiman Pulisi, a former imam (mosque leader) who became a Christian three years ago, said that in July 2018 his daughter, then 13, and his then-11-year-old son, Abdulmajidu, disappeared from their home in eastern Uganda’s Kachiribong village, Kasasira Town in Kibuku District. Police rescued his daughter September 16.

“We are mourning for our son who is alleged to have been sacrificed,” the crestfallen Pulisi told Morning Star News. “We are mourning with my daughter, who has been used as a sex object by the Muslim shaman.”

The identity of the suspected kidnappers remained unclear. Pulisi’s daughter was rescued from the witchdoctor’s home in a village in western Uganda after a Christian shopkeeper there asked her where she had come from.

“A radical Muslim woman called Sania Muhammad [of Kasasira, in eastern Uganda] who had connections with Muslim men used to look for children of converts from Islam and sell them to this particular Muslim witchdoctor,” the shopkeeper, Joseph Sodo, told Morning Star News based on what police have told him about their investigations.

» See full story with picture.

» Also from Africa, see an analysis of how Christians are responding to terrorist violence in Burkina Faso (Christianity Today).

Source: Article18, September 24, 2020

Lydia was just three months old when she was adopted by Iranian Christian converts Sam Khosravi and wife Maryam Falahi.

Now, just one month before her second birthday, a court ruled she must be taken away from them, as Sam and Maryam—who are currently appealing against convictions related to their membership of a house-church—are “not fit” to be her parents.

The ruling, handed down by a court in their home city of Bushehr, southwestern Iran, on July 19 but not reported until now, was upheld by a court of appeal on September 22, despite the judge in his initial verdict acknowledging that Lydia felt an “intense emotional attachment” to her adoptive parents and saying there was “zero chance” another adoptive family would be found for her, given Lydia’s health problems.

But that didn’t prevent [judge Muhammad Hassan Dashti] from ruling against Lydia’s adoptive parents—and for one reason: they are Christian converts, and Lydia, though her parentage is not known, is considered a Muslim, and as such by law ought only to be cared for by Muslim parents.

Sam and Maryam maintain that they were always clear about their conversion to Christianity; however, the judge ruled that Lydia—a nominally “Muslim” child—should never have been placed in their care.

» Full story includes photos and more context. A related article from Middle East Concern adds, “Sam, Maryam, and their friends request prayer that in this deeply distressing time for the family, the Lord will grant them his deep peace and work a miracle to allow Sam and Maryam to keep and care for Lydia as their adoptive child.”

Source: SAT-7, September 21, 2020

When the port explosion ripped through Beirut on August 4, the nearby building of the Church of God should have been full. Instead, it was empty, because hours before, Pastor Saeed Deeb felt convicted to send everybody home. On SAT-7 ARABIC, he shares his story of the divine prompt that protected his congregation.

» See full story with video.

» Pioneers (the ministry that makes Missions Catalyst possible) is coordinating a weekend of prayer for the Middle East October 9-11. Lebanon is the focus for Friday. Download a prayer profile or visit the ASK 2020 webpage.

Our September 30 edition included data on the status of world evangelization which we have since learned is incorrect. The percentage of Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists who have no personal contact (or relatively little) with Christians is now estimated at 87%, rather than 81%. See details.

Most evangelical Christian women in Eritrea have to pray together in secret. Photo: World Watch Monitor. Related story below.

1. INDIA: Challenges and Advances in North India
2. IRAN: Church Believed to Have Nearly 1 Million Members
3. BANGLADESH: A Different View of Rohingya Refugees
4. ERITREA: Evangelical Christians Freed on Bail
5. ZAMBIA: Prepared in Season and out of Season

Source: Beyond, September 23, 2020

About one year ago, some house church leaders in North India had their homes burned to the ground. They are facing difficulties again.

A few months after their homes were burned, all the families moved back and rebuilt their huts. Last week, a local Hindu extremist group joined forces with the police, damaged their rebuilt homes, and arrested 14 people. Two are still in jail. The police are demanding extortion to release them.

However, in the midst of very real persecution, the church continues to advance. Sanjay, a leader in the movement, recently read through old diary entries from the first movement meetings in 2012. He had written, “God, give us North India.”

We praise the Lord for the big vision of these committed disciples. Today, the work has spread to nine states and over 200 caste groups. Thousands and thousands of families have become strong disciples of Jesus, working to make more disciples of Jesus.

Pray for our brothers and sisters to remain attached to the Vine, and for their joy to increase even in the midst of their persecution. Pray our Father will bring forth much fruit that the devil cannot snatch away.

» Read full story.

» See also Christians in Northern India Forced to Stop Worship, Pastor Says (Morning Star News) and this photo essay: Ganges River Flows with History and Prophecy for India (Associated Press).

» Colleagues in mobilization at Pioneers are hosting a virtual prayer time for the Hindu world on September 23. You’re welcome to join in.