My last several attempts to post updates to the previous discussion (Persecuted Church - WWL 2016) have all failed and I suspect it's because I've hit some sort of limit on the number of posts that you can have in a discussion. So I'm adding this one to finish the year out. Next year I'll try to divide things up a bit differently.
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Dec. 21: Aftermath of the Attack on Christian School Children
Indonesia’s Sabu Island is currently under tight security after an angry mob stormed a police station and beat to death one of the perpetrators responsible for attacking seven Christian children at a school in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province. The other seven perpetrators were moved to a ship in the middle of the sea to avoid the fury of the masses waiting at the harbor. They were later taken safely to the police station in Kupang, the capital of the province. The motive behind the attack has not yet been clarified, but it was revealed that the man beaten to death in the police station was a Muslim immigrant.
Open Doors staff that visited the families of the young victims in the Christian school attack reported that most of the shops owned by immigrants have been closed and left vacant by the owners. “No one knows where they went. The fact that the perpetrator was a Muslim immigrant frightened them; they feared retaliation from the locals,” said local sources. Although Sabu has a majority Christian population, the locals are, nevertheless, known for being hot-tempered. The local government and pastors are encouraging residents to remain calm and extend tolerance toward those of different faiths and ethnicities in Sabu. Pray for the locals to have God’s inner peace and a forgiving spirit, rather than resorting to taking vengeance during this time of tension.
Father, we pray first for the children who are recovering from the attack. Heal their bodies, comfort their souls and quiet their fears. We pray also for the adults that they would trust in Your justice in this situation and not take vengeance that would further escalate the tension. And we pray for the police to get to the heart of the motives behind the attack so that they can prevent further such incidences in the future. In the name of Jesus who is our shield and protector, a very present help in times of trouble. Amen.
WWL #47: United Arab Emirates
Father, please strengthen your church in the United Arab Emirates. Grant faith and courage to believers who are afraid to reveal their faith for fear of persecution. Bless your people in ways both material and spiritual, and use them as a channel of your blessing to others, so that those who are far from you may be drawn to your grace.
Please protect Christian women who have converted from Islam and have lost legal rights in the eyes of the government.
Give wisdom to President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and other leaders in the country. Lead them in a direction that will open doors for the Gospel. Turn their hearts to you, to recognize the truth of your word.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
Aug. 10: Colombia: From Widowhood to Hope
Open Doors’ trauma recovery program for Colombian widows has helped turn around the future for 13 women in the Arauca region, where so many Christian wives and families have faced the tragic martyrdom of their husbands and fathers.
Implemented for the first time in Colombia, three successive workshops provided a healing and practical step forward for these women. Most were left paralyzed with grief, unable to forgive their persecutors or help their children, let alone find a way to support themselves.
After the third session in December, Margarita* declared, “I was really another person before this… I did not want to do anything in the church and was not able to do anything. But now it is different. In the first meeting, it was like I had taken out all the pain inside me. In the second, I was ministered to with restoration through the Word, and in the third, I was helped to identify my gifts.”
At the first workshop, she and the other widows had cut and sewed tapestries, depicting their personal tragedies. Margarita had been very quiet, still frozen in her pain after hearing that the body of her husband had been cut in pieces and thrown into a river.
The second meeting openly confronted the women with the truths of God’s Word about forgiveness, along with how to deal with their children as single parents and allow God to fulfill His plan for their lives.
Ludis,* whose husband (a Christian singer) and brother-in-law had been killed by paramilitary groups, traveled 26 hours by bus to attend each of these workshops.
“Although I spent a long time coming, I feel I need to be here, because I feel hope,” Ludis said. “I have been taught how to deal with my children and practical advice to help me to assume with courage the role of father and mother at the same time.”
The third event focused on helping each one of the participants to identify their spiritual gifts and practical abilities.
Two of the participants have now begun income-generating projects to support themselves and their families. Ludis is pursuing a photography business along with the help and active involvement of her sons. Gloria,* whose pastor husband was killed in the eastern part of the country in September 2009, is taking training to design high-quality pictures for sale to churches as well to a growing local market.
After the third workshop, an Open Doors trainer reported, the women’s faces that had been so shadowed with sadness back in May, had been transformed by expressions of confidence and peace.
“After mourning, joy has begun to return to their hearts, with the hope of a new dawn,” she said. “Although the way is not easy for these women, they now understand the purpose of God for their lives.”
*Names changed for the security of these believers.
WWL #46: Colombia
Father, we praise you that you are a God of order. Please bring law and order to Colombia. Raise your hand against the criminal groups, drug lords, and paramilitary groups who are terrorizing the country, and killing and capturing your people. Bring them to justice and turn their hearts to you. Please give President Juan Manuel Santos and other government leaders wisdom and courage to stand against these groups and bring them to an end.
Comfort believers, especially the children, whose family members have been murdered or kidnapped for their faith. Give them hearts of forgiveness as only you can, so that the evil one may not gain a foothold in their lives.
Bring peace and hope to Christians threatened by these groups. Protect pastors and church leaders especially. Shine the light of your word into this deep darkness.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
46_Colombia.pdf
Dec. 16: Malaysia’s Parliament Once Again Postpones Discussion on C...
We asked you to pray on Oct. 24 for the upcoming meeting of Parliament in Malaysia as they were scheduled to discuss a bill to empower Shariah courts, a bill that had already been temporarily postponed. When it was brought up in parliament on Nov 24, the last day of the parliamentary session, discussions and voting were tabled once again until parliament reconvenes in March of next year.
The president of the Islamist party, PAS, has been gathering support for the proposal that is now before Parliament, which would amend Act 355 to remove the limitations placed on Shariah courts to mete out punishments. Act 355 currently places a limit of 3 years in jail, whipping of not more than 6 strokes, and fines of not more than RM5,000 ($1,192 USD). If this motion gains the needed majority of support in Parliament, the Federal government will then be tasked with crafting a bill to amend Act 355. The proposed bill was passed unanimously at the state level by the legislature of Kelantan state on March 19, 2015. If Act 355 is indeed amended, PAS, who formed the state government in Kelantan, will be able to enforce Hudud law, a set of laws and punishments specified by Allah in the Quran.
This bill is now also receiving the support of the UMNO-led government. The UMNO (United Malays National Organization) is the largest political party in Malaysia. In supporting the bill, however, they have insisted it be amended to imposing limits instead of giving unlimited powers to Shariah courts. As a result, the enforcement of some of the extreme punishments within Hudud, including the Islamic corporal penalties such as stoning and the amputation of limbs, would be in question. Therefore, we seek your prayers that this amended bill will not allow for the sought authority to enforce Hudud.
Pray for all Muslim MPs to make good and wise judgments when they vote on the bill in March. Pray for the government that, as they determine what to do about the bill and propose amendments, it will not, as a non-Muslim MP stated, “create separate legal systems that will cause confusion and an open-ended environment for opportunists to tear the country apart. However, we also seek for God’s will to be done. If He allows this to push through, pray for wisdom for Christians for how to respond biblically. Christians have been assured that non-Muslims will not be affected, yet, the church must not live for itself but also for those who have yet to know Christ. Pray for the Malay Muslims that this will drive them to seek the love and grace of God in Christ Jesus.
Father, we pray today that Your hand of protection will rest upon the Christians and other minorities in Malaysia as this legislation comes before Parliament next year. We pray that in the months until then, the MPs, both Muslim and non-Muslim, will be moved to make wise judgments. We pray that You, who have placed Your good and perfect law on our hearts, will bring about Your holy and righteous will and use it to the praise of Your glory. And we think of the many Malay Muslims who do not know You. Use these circumstances, Father, to draw them to seek You and rest their souls in the merciful grace of Christ. In the name of Jesus our Redeemer and Anchor of Hope, Amen.
December 22-24: Women
Father, please bring healing - both physical and emotional - to Sitora in Tajikistan in the wake of being beaten by her brother for her faith. Give her a heart of forgiveness toward her brother and supernaturally intervene in her life in a way that will change her brother's heart toward you.
Please uphold the cause of Jill in Malaysia in her fight to be allowed to use the Arabic word "Allah" for God. Through these legal proceedings, please make plain to people that you are truly the only God.
Bring healing to the Christian woman in Bangladesh who is recovering from giving birth. May the miracle of this new life bring glory and honor to you, both in the mother's life and in the baby's.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
July 7: The New Frontier of ISIS: The Former Soviet Union
As a ministry, Open Doors began in 1955 when a young Dutchman (Brother Andrew) was burdened to reach out to Christians in Eastern Europe—the Soviet Union.
On his first trip, he saw entire underground churches with just one Bible to share!
Brother Andrew was drawn to this region of the world because, at the time, that was where persecution was the greatest and most extreme. Since then, it has shifted to places like the Middle East, North Korea and Nigeria.
The recent growth of the Islamic extremist group, ISIS, has dramatically heightened persecution in the Middle East and countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union. We find ourselves praying daily for Christians enduring extreme persecution in these nations today.
The suicide bombers that recently executed the attack on Istanbul Ataturk Airport in Turkey show that ISIS is beginning to recruit in areas that have historically been strongholds of Christian persecution; the bombers were citizens of Russia, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, three countries that were once part of the USSR.
In this post-Soviet region (now known as Central Asia), radical Islam is growing alongside the post-communist oppression that has remained since the fall of the USSR. We have even seen recent laws making it risky for Christians to meet or share the gospel in Russia.
Will you join with us to pray for this region, as persecution at the hands of Islamic extremists seems to be increasing rapidly? This region first held a special place in Brother Andrew’s heart all those years ago, and we are thankful for your diligent prayers for the same region today.
WWL #45: Turkey
Father, please continue to spread your Word in Turkey. Protect believers, especially those from Muslim backgrounds, from violence. Strengthen their faith in the midst of persecution and pressure to return to Islam.
Please grant Muslim Background Believers wisdom in sharing the Gospel with their families. Open doors of opportunity for them and give them words of clarity to speak. Call entire households to yourself, that you may be honored in the midst of families worshiping you.
Please lead President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other government leaders in the direction of freedom of religion and human rights. Give them courage to protect religious minorities and to stand strong in the face of increasing Islamic extremism.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
45_Turkey.pdf
Dec. 15: Christians Accused of ‘Challenging Islam’ in Recent Politi...
Thank you for your prayers. The Bersih 5 street demonstrations on Nov 19 proceeded without clashes. Bersih is the Malay word for clean, and the Bersih 5 supporters, wearing yellow shirts, were demanding government reform and the ousting of Prime Minister Najib. The protest was countered by other demonstrators in red shirts who marched in support of Najib.
However, the very next day, a local newspaper carried an article claiming that “Christians have infiltrated Bersih and were using that platform to challenge and weaken the Islamic faith.” The accusation came after volunteers from a Catholic church were seen distributing food and water to Bersih supporters and providing toilet facilities. Evangelical Christians were also actively using social media to encourage other Christians to participate in Bersih, in addition to praying for the rally and nation. Pray that this misunderstanding will not result in distrust and anger, but instead lead to open communication between Muslims and Christians. Pray also that the church will continue to show love, kindness and grace to the needy and that such actions will not be misconstrued as challenging Islam.
Father, thank You for the courage and kindness of Christians as they distributed food and water during the peaceful protest and we pray that You will continue to give them opportunity to reach out in Your compassion. We pray against distrust and accusations of disrespect, but rather that communication would be opened between Christians and Muslims and that they might live in peace. We pray for opportunities for Christians to speak the truth of the gospel and that the hearts of Muslims might be softened toward Christ, turning in repentance and faith. In the name of Jesus, the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us. Amen.
Nov. 11: Kidnapped Missionary Returns to Mali
Beatrice Stockly was taken from her residence before dawn on January 8, 2015 by armed men who arrived in four pickup trucks, according to sources whose names are being kept confidential for their safety.
Militant Islamist groups are active in the region, where two attacks near the turn of the year, one of them at a Christian radio station just before Christmas, left 25 people dead.
A local church leader, who claimed to have previously worked with Stockly, told World Watch Monitor the missionary settled in Timbuktu in 2000, working for a Swiss church, before starting work alone, unaffiliated with any church.
He said Stockly is in her forties and leads an austere life, selling flowers and handing out Christian material. She is described as sociable, particularly among women and children.
Her home is in Abaradjou, a popular district of Timbuktu frequented by armed jihadist groups. She was taken from that same residence in April 2012, when northern Mali was occupied by armed Islamist groups. She was released 10 days later, following mediation led by neighboring Burkina Faso.
During the 2012 occupation, Christians, a minority in Mali, paid a heavy price. For most of the year, armed Islamist groups ruled the region, banning the practice of other religions and desecrating and looting churches and other places of worship.
Thousands, including many Christians, fled and found refuge in the south, or in neighboring countries such as Niger and Burkina Faso. Others fled to Bamako, the capital, and other safer towns in the south.
Unlike other Christians, Stockly remained in the city. At her mother and brother’s urging, she returned to Switzerland after her 2012 kidnap, but soon returned, saying, ‘‘It's Timbuktu or nothing.’’
44_Mali.pdf
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