VOM News and Prayer Update: March 20, 2007
"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever- the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you."(John 14:16-17)
INDIA
Pastors Brutally Beaten - VOM Sources
- RAJASTHAN - On March 7, 2007, Pastor Reginald Howell of Good Shepherd Community Church was brutally beaten by a Hindu extremist group in Hanumangarh, Rajasthan. According to The Voice of the Martyrs sources, Pastor Howell went to Hanumangarh to pray for the sick and visit Christians in the area. The pastor was beaten with an iron rod and suffered severe injuries on his back. The police refused to register his complaint and as a result, doctors denied him treatment. Rajasthan State has a so-called "Freedom of Religion Bill," that is used as a tool to harass Christians. VOM sources report cases of anti-Christian attacks in the area keep increasing, and the State Administration turns a blind eye to the persecution.
- ANDRA PRADESH - On March 11, 2007, Pastor Anand visited a village to attend services. He was attacked by more than 10 men from a Hindu radical group. Local police who arrived at the location of the attack did not protect him, resulting in further beatings. Pastor Anand was beaten on his face and legs with wooden logs until the early hours of the next morning.
Pray for healing for these pastors and that the Gospel of Christ will not be hindered, but it will spread in the midst of this persecution. Romans 12: 14, 21
INDONESIA
Indonesian Christians Attacked; Church Closed - VOM Sources
On February 11, 2007, a Moslem mob stormed Indonesia Bethel Church, in Majalaya, disrupting the service and beating church members. More than 50 Islamic extremists raided the church building and ordered the congregation to leave. Church members were threatened, beaten, and asked to show their identity cards. During the raid, a cell phone belonging to a church member, offerings, an important building permit and pictures of Jesus Christ were stolen. The militants insulted believers and said Indonesia was a Muslim nation. Hours after the attack at Indonesia Bethel Church, the same Islamic extremists marched to Baranangsiang and closed a church there. Pray believers in Indonesia will rest in the knowledge that God walks with them through this difficult time. Ask Him to heal all who were injured. Psalm 23
CHINA
Thirty-Six Christians Arrested in Henan, China - VOM Sources/China Aid Association
On March 6, 2007, the police raided a house-church Bible study in Wancheng District, Nanyang City, Henan province. The leaders were taken to the police station and interrogated for a day. After international pressure, however, the local police have released 33 arrested house-church leaders and three leaders from South Korea. One leader, Pastor Dong Quanyu, was sentenced to 10 days administrative detention for "illegal" gathering. Pray Christians in China demonstrate the love of God through constant love and prayer for those who persecuted them. Pray for strength for Pastor Quanyu, as he serves the remainder of his sentence. Matthew 5: 43-48
We sat down for a movie night last night (5 Burnetts on a couch is a tight fit, Alec was working the coffee bar at MorningStar). We saw Facing the Giants at the recommendation of several friends. I must say, it was better than I had anticipated. I had heard it was an effort mostly produced by Christians at a church in Georgia. Its not quite George Lucas in terms of production values, but the result was effective nonetheless. They have a 'behind the scenes' kind of character who only shows up at strategic moments: a teacher at the school who is praying for an awakening and who prays for students when he walks by their lockers in a scene or two. Mind you, this guy is not a main character in regards to face time on screen. But it articulates something real: there are many, many (mostly unseen) people preparing the way of the Lord that He will honor as champions in the age to come due to their simple faith and persistence.
My friend Sean Stevens is blogging again here:seanstevens.wordpress.com
I've just started Phil Anderson's new book The Lord of the Ring... a biography on Count Zinzendorf. I did not know until reading this that Zinzendorf's mother's name was: Charlotte.
On the first day of spring, may the snow melt...
Apologies for the lapse in entries here... I've been on the go since Friday's post.
The conference was wonderful. It was well-coordinated and, best of all, God was present. I met several people who visit this blog regularly which was a pleasant surprise to meet them.
Our expectations were exceeded.. the Lord truly did beyond what we were asking. He had told me beforehand He was about to "put ZHOP on the map" and I am sure He did. Allan Hood's midnight preaching Friday night struck people deeply, calling them into the love of Christ. The whole ZHOP family served and was a catalyst for night and day prayer in many places, particularly the east coast.. We had at least 11 other embryonic houses of prayer represented. What a joy, such a privilege.
After teaching in our EZ37 internship last night (one week until graduation: wooo-hoooo!), my friends Neal and Susan came up to me in the prayer room and we reflected together for a moment. We were all there at our first little harp and bowl meeting almost 4 1/2 years ago. We gawked at the ZHOP prayer room: it is spacious, clean and pleasing to the eye. Worship and intercession teams are regularly scheduled and increasing in numbers regularly. There were about 7 people in prayer and/or mediation and/or worship around the room at that time. Who would have imagined that the small group that gathered with me in the chapel that night in October of 2002 was heading towards the ground we stood upon? But the greater reality remains this: the Son of God who has all power is looking for a people (whether 5 or 500) upon whom His Spirit can rest and who will enter in to His intercession and partner with Him to see His kingdom manifest on the earth as it is in heaven.
God is not anxious, yet the human condition is dire and the need is great and real. And so, in the Godhead itself, He is troubled in a deeper way than we can comprehend. And He truly is poised to move in greater ways than ever before. Let us pray. The Day of the Lord is on the horizon, and it will be both great and terrible (Joel 2:11).
