Voice of the Martyrs prayer update

VOM-USA Prayer Update for March 5, 2010
On Wed. Mar 03 2010 at 06:54 AM Moderator wrote:
MOROCCO — Officials Raid Christian Meeting — VOM Contacts

On Feb. 4, Moroccan military authorities raided a Christian meeting and arrested 18 people. The authorities also confiscated Bibles and personal belongings, according to The Voice of the Martyrs contacts. “We were surprised by more than 60 Moroccan Gendarmes attacking the house where we had just started our Bible study,” a VOM contact said. “Eleven believers (including an American), two non-believers and five children … were by the Moroccan government for 14 hours.” After 14 hours in detention, the American was deported and the others were released. “It’s the first time in our current Moroccan church history that the Moroccan government used this size of a legion to attack a small Christian meeting,” VOM contacts added. “All the time they kept repeating that this was ordered personally by the new Moroccan Justice Minister [Mohamed Naciri] and by the highest level General of the Gendarmerie [Housni Benslimane].” Pray for believers in Morocco. Pray that God will protect these believers and grant them peace as they face these new challenges. Also pray that the authorities will return their confiscated belongings. Ask God to draw the persecutors into fellowship with him.

Psalm 23: 1–6

CHINA — Christians Arrested, Church Leader Imprisoned — ChinaAid

On Oct. 19, Neixiang police officials arrested 60 Christians attending a worship service, according to ChinaAid Association. After charging them with “disturbing social orders under the name of religious activities,” police fined the believers and put five brothers in 10 days administrative detention. On Oct. 30, police decided to increase the sentence of the church’s leader, Guo Quanyou, to one year re-education through labor in addition to an exorbitant fine. “When the police came to brother Guo’s home to arrest him, they brutally pushed Guo’s wife, Chen Hailan, to the floor,” ChinaAid reported. “The impact caused a concussion and broke her 12th vertebra. Chen Hailan continues to suffer from severe migraines and can barely move her back from the pain.” Pray that Guo Quanyou will be released and that the exorbitant fines will be dropped. Ask God to heal Hailan, and pray that the faithfulness of these believers will draw non-believers to Christ.

Romans 8:34–36

EGYPT — Update: Christian Youths Tortured — VOM Canada, Assyrian International News agency

Christian youths who were arrested in Nag Hammadi, Egypt, on Christmas Eve have been severely tortured, according to VOM Canada and Assyrian International News Agency. The youths were among dozens of Christians arrested on Christmas Eve after an attack on believers leaving a midnight mass, and 15 remain in detention. They have been charged with “rioting and resisting the authorities.” Several youths who were released said they were severely tortured and were ordered to falsely testify that Bishop Kyrollos, the Coptic Bishop of Nag Hammadi, had encouraged them to make demonstrations. “We had to take our clothes off, and we were with electrodes … for eight hours. Electric shocks only stopped when we could take it no longer,” one of the believers said. Pray that God will heal these young men physically and emotionally and that all these believers will remain steadfast in their faith. Pray that God will protect the 15 who remain in detention. Finally, pray for justice in this case, and pray that those who tortured the youths will repent and come to know Christ.

1 Peter 5:8–10

Til the sum of all my days is to love You

Interesting days, these are proving to be.  Bad grammar, forgive me for going 'Yoda' on you, dear reader.  Good things, God's pursuit of people completely.  Me and Him.  You and Him.  His people with Him.

I've been reflecting on the 3 kisses between God and humanity which Bernard of Clairvaux articulated. 

First, there is the kiss of Christ's feet.  This is the repentance and right response to our sin... and to Him.  To acknowledge our absolute need for His forgiveness and our utter dependency on Him.

The second is the kiss of His hand.  To begin to gain real fellowship with Him and receive more than the merits of His forgiveness... but to have His very image growing in us.

The third is the kiss of His mouth.  Not a physical engagement, certainly, but the reality of the deep pleasure of fellowship with the Divine.  Its the desire of the Shulamite maiden in Song of Solomon 1:2.  Moving beyond servanthood into loyalty and spiritual betrothal.  Its the "face time" of the inner man with the God of all creation, who calls us to His side and into partnership with Him forever.

Oh, to be a million miles closer to Him!  As the poet has said:  Where the broken man is mended - and never despised.