Written by Dr. Pat
I was recently in the home of a poor family in the Middle East. I sat with the mother and father of 3 children, and listened to the story of the abduction of their two year old son Anthony, just a short time ago.
Anthony is an energetic little boy who lives with his Christian family in a complex of apartments that house thousands in a predominately Muslim neighborhood. The parents buy all their goods and food in a teaming open-air market. Anthony accompanied his mom on one of these shopping expeditions, quite eager to explore the sights, sounds, and smells of the area. His mother was haggling over some produce when she lost sight of him. She immediately searched the area, but could not find him anywhere. As she called out his name, others in the vicinity began to look as well. Anthony was gone.
Please pray for Christian families, for the protection of their children and for their faith in God to grow stronger each day.
To Read the Rest of the Story Click Here.
To Read more Meet the Persecuted stories click here.
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Islamist mob inflicts massive damages on Christian compound in Khartoum.
Summary:
(Compass Direct News) – Christians faced increased hostilities in Sudan over the past few weeks, culminating in an attack on a Christian compound in Khartoum by a throng of Muslim extremists armed with clubs, iron rods, a bulldozer and fire. The assailants on Saturday (April 21) set fire to the Gerief West Bible School and the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church (SPEC) building; they also damaged three other places of worship and other buildings in the same compound, sources told Compass by telephone. Also damaged were a clinic, a home for the elderly, classrooms and living quarters. Christian support organization Open Doors reported that authorities held the mob back about a kilometer from the compound, but the assailants dispersed and found their way back early in the afternoon. All the Bible school’s office equipment, library books and students’ personal belongings were destroyed by fire, according to Open Doors. Some students, staff and members of some of the churches were beaten, according to Philip Akway, a pastor and former general secretary of the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church; SPEC clergyman John Tau’s right hand was wounded, while Deacon John Bouth sustained a chest injury. In addition, last week three churches in Khartoum were warned that their buildings would be demolished if they continued services, according to Open Doors. Previously hostilities against Christians had flared on April 6, when police rushed into a Sudanese Church of Christ compound in Omdurman, outside Khartoum, and forced the congregation to stop worshipping, Christian sources said. Police said that it was Friday and therefore only Muslims could pray, and that the mosque service must not be interrupted by the “songs and praises of the infidels,” a source said.
To Read the Rest of the Story Click Here.
Pray for Christians in Sudan to be strengthen and greatly encouraged to be able to withstand the mounting persecution. Pray the Muslims to find salvation in Christ.
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Government aims to shut down groups failing to register with official church within 10 years.
(Compass Direct News) China’s government is engaged in a three-phase campaign to eradicate Protestant house churches, according to a statement released (April 20) by the China Aid Association (CAA).
The government’s strategy was clearly outlined in a document released last September during a training class for “Patriots in the Christian Community” run by the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA), according to an unnamed CAA source.
From January through June of this year, the document called for local authorities to conduct a thorough investigation of house churches nationwide and create dossiers on each of them. In phase two, for the following two to three years, authorities would strongly encourage unregistered churches to affiliate with the government-approved Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM); and in phase three, to be completed within 10 years, churches refusing to comply would be shut down, according to the CAA.
Officials would also ban the words “house church” and all reports on house churches from websites and other media and replace the term with “house gatherings” – a term that would refer to groups meeting in sites affiliated with the TSPM.
In a recent random survey conducted by the CAA’s source in several provinces, over 95 percent of house church leaders said they had already felt the impact of these investigations, while 85 percent said local religious affairs departments had already created a dossier for their group.
“Since the beginning of 2012, we have noticed an increase in the frequency of persecution,” the CAA said in a press statement. “In addition to the continuing persecution of Shouwang Church in Beijing, the number of similar cases has risen 20 percent over last year and has spread into other areas, including Christian education, publication and bookstores.”
‘Operation Deterrence’
The campaign first emerged in December 2010 through a secret document entitled “Operation Deterrence,” issued by the Communist Party’s Central Committee. This directive urged officials at all levels to “guide” house church Christians to attend only churches belonging to the government-approved TSPM and to break up large house churches into smaller groups.
Shouwang Church, numbering some 1,000 members, felt the effects of this directive almost immediately. Having blocked Shouwang’s attempts to register legally or to find a suitable worship venue, officials in April 2011 began to arrest and interrogate church members who sought to meet outdoors in a public plaza. (See “Authorities Again Deny Facility to Shouwang Church,” Jan. 3.)
Police detained 12 church members who again gathered for outdoor worship last Sunday (April 22), a little over a year after the first outdoor service in April 2011, Shouwang announced yesterday on its Facebook page. Three members were quickly released, but the others were sent to local police stations and held for several hours of interrogation. Another church member was detained in a hotel on Friday afternoon (April 20) and was not released until Sunday morning.
“In the past year … our experience of the Lord differs every week. It is His grace and peace that have protected us and sustained us until now,” a church staff member wrote. “May the power and glory of the Lord become our strength while waiting for God in this difficult circumstance.”
“Operation Deterrence” also empowered SARA to certify and create files on all Protestant clergy as a means to further implement China’s Regulations on Religious Affairs – a process that should be completed by the end of 2012, according to a statement in January by SARA Deputy Director Jiang Jianyong. Churches led by clergy who are not certified under this system will then be at greater risk of being shut down.
Simultaneously, the China Christian Council and the TSPM are rolling out joint “Training Sessions for Ministerial Certification” across China. These sessions include instruction on China’s Regulations on Religious Affairs and the need for patriotism, according to the CAA.
According to the document circulated last September, the government plans to use “humane law enforcement measures” to achieve the total eradication of house churches.
“Humane law enforcement, long-term implementation and ‘united front’ style registration – how will this … impact house churches that are seeking a path to religious freedom?” CAA asks in its statement.
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Pray for the protection of Christians and their house churches in China. Pray for all of China to come to know Christ and believe in Him and be saved.
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A 30-year-old Muslim man living in the Middle East came into a Bible bookshop several weeks ago and was asking for some relief help. As he entered the bookshop, he read a Bible verse that was placed in the shop’s window. He asked about it and was told, it is from the Injeel (the Gospel). He expressed how much he liked the verse, asked for a New Testament, and was given one.
A few days later, he came back and wanted to talk about the Word of God. This man was very touched by the stories from the life of Jesus and enthusiastically talked about it to our team. For a while, he forgot about his physical needs and enjoyed this new kind of water! He said to our team, “I love reading the Injeel; it has a unique power of attraction.” The team later was able to visit him at home and helped him with his physical needs.
If God is prompting you to make a difference please consider helping provide the precious Word of God to those who seek it. By clicking the “Donate”, button at the top of this web page it will lead you to the information you need.
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