What Does National Repentance Look Like (Jonah 3:1-10)

For some time I have been personally praying for there to be a Third Great Awakening in America. Today I am going to give you seven principles that lead to a Great Awakening. They are not original with me. The come straight out of Jonah 3. 

Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was [a]an exceedingly great city, a three days’ walk. 4 Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he cried out and said, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”

5 Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. 6 When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the [b]ashes. 7 He issued a proclamation and it said, “In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water. 8 But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let [c]men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in[d]his hands. 9 Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish.”

10 When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would [e]bring upon them. And He did not do it.

Principle # 1  Obedience gives a righteous person’s message power.

Here is the picture: Jonah is laying soaking wet and sick on a beach a long way from Nineveh. God comes to Jonah a second time and says, Jonah go over to Nineveh and tell them what I am going to tell you to say.

So Jonah got up and traveled a long ways to get to Nineveh. The Bible records that it was a 3 day walk across the city. Jonah only walked one day into the city. He stood up in various places as he walked that one day and yelled out message of God. 

Principle # 2  A message proclaimed as God gives it is simple and compelling.

He said that in 40 days that Nineveh would be overthrown. This is a simple message. It is like what you would hear at a sports or political rally. (e.g. Four more years …) The Message says it really well: In 40 days Nineveh will be smashed. (Sounds a little like a football coaches last words to his team before the game.)

Principle # 3  When people hear a true message from God they respond.

Get this picture: Here he was a bedraggled, wild looking, smelly foreign man whom they hated telling them the message that God was about to destroy them in 40 days. But with the multiple times of telling on his one day journey the word got around. They simply believed this simple easy to remember warning. They believed that Jonah was indeed talking for God.

Principle # 4 When the majority of the people in a nation speaks and acts on something, leadership follows.

Look at what happened next. The PEOPLE called a fast and they put on sackcloth. (Sackcloth is like burlap.) EVERYONE from the lowest beggar to the most prosperous merchant started a fast and put on sackcloth.

Leadership did indeed listen. When the king heard about what was happening he understood that this fasting uprising was a real desire for the people. When the king heard the message for himself he got his nobles together and drafted a proclamation. He and his nobles saw this as a real emergency. The king then got up off his throne, took off his royal robe, put on sackcloth and sat in ashes.

He then had a proclamation read as law to all the inhabitants of the city and the nation to do the following things:

     ● You are not to taste a thing.
     ● You are not to eat or drink.
     ● You will make sure that you and any animal in your household does not eat or drink and has sackcloth on. Yes   

        even the animals.

     ● Everyone is to pray earnestly (a highly focused prayer to God over a protracted period of time).
     ● Everyone is to be on your face before God.
     ● Every one of you is to repent of your wicked ways and stop being violent.

Principle # 5 Repentance from wicked ways is paramount for salvation.

The king ends his decree with the idea that if we turn and repent maybe God will withdraw His fiery anger at us. 

Principle # 6  Ceasing all forms of violent acts is a prerequisite for forgiveness. 

The king also talked about their habit of solving everything with violence. He tells them to stop them because it might lead to God not punishing them. At this time in Nineveh the littlest slight would get you beat up. The word for violence has more than just physical violence in mind. It refers to violence in all its forms. Here are a few:

He says that we should stop our physical violence. This is when one person injures or kills another person for a real or imagined thing that they didn’t like. This is usually based on personal preference.

It is also talking about verbal violence. This is when with words a person is injured on purpose for the littlest little thing.

It also refers to emotional violence. This is when a person damages another person by actions or words so that they feel they are less of a person. They are God’s creation so let God judge them.

Another violent act is absentee violence. This happens when someone criticizes a leader or another person when they aren’t there. The purpose is to cause them be diminished in front of others.

One more act of violence is creative violence. This is when people plot together to demoralize, demonize, debilitate or defeat another person with their collusion.

Principle # 7  God changes His mind about when He sees genuine repentance and a changed lifestyle. (righteousness)

When God sees national leaders leading in repentance He pays attention. When the leaders and the people turn form their wicked and violent ways God relents.

Today I would like to suggest that instead of criticizing or critiquing leaders or anyone pray for them instead.

Let God do the judging and you pray with desperation on your face before Him about all that you see that hurts the heart of God.

The only way to overcome national shame is national repentance.

Would you purpose in your heart today to pray deeply for the longest time you have ever prayed for there to be a Great Awakening in America? We need it desperately.

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 204 | Wed 03 Apr 2013

BANGLADESH: DANGEROUS CHAOS LOOMS

by Elizabeth Kendal 

If Bangladesh does not change its present trajectory, it will be sucked into a vortex of bloody civil and sectarian conflict. In 1971 as many as three million were killed when Bangladesh fought for independence from Pakistan. Bangladeshi Islamist groups such as the Jama'at-e-Islami aided and abetted the Pakistan military in war crimes. Though the war ended, the ideological struggle continued. Since independence, political power has oscillated between the pro-Pakistan, pro-Islamist Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the quasi-secular Awami League. After the 11 September 2001 terror attacks, the US invaded Afghanistan via Pakistan. In Bangladesh, Islamic fundamentalist, mostly Taliban-trained clerics denounced the 'war on Islam', whipping up Islamic indignation. Islamic rage was reflected in Bangladesh's October 2001 election results which saw the secular Awami League led by Sheikh Hasina routed and the Islamic BNP led by Khaled Zia - in coalition with some very radical Islamist groups - sweep to power. The hard-line Islamist Jama'at-e-Islami Party, the BNP's principal coalition partner, went from holding one seat to 17 seats.

The elections in December 2008 saw the Awami League restored to power as part of a 14-party Grand Alliance. Its election platform included the promise to set up a court to try those accused of committing war crimes during the 1971 War of Independence. Accordingly the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) was established in 2010. However, justice seems to be less of a concern than the December 2013 elections, especially in these days of Islamic resurgence and Sunni ascendancy. Trials commenced in January 2013, but of the 1600 suspects listed only eleven have been charged and all are leaders in the opposition Jama'at-e-Islami Party. On 5 February pro-secularists started protesting what they claimed was judicial slowness and leniency. Led by young bloggers and student activists, the 'Shahbag' protesters demanded that the accused be convicted and executed; and that Jama'at-e-Islami (JI) be banned. The government interfered in the judicial process to ensure that the next JI suspect was sentenced to death, triggering Islamic riots. (The Islamists are not alone in charging that the government is running unjust, non-transparent show-trials for political gain.)

Now the Islamists are playing the religion card, labelling the 'Shahbag' protesters 'anti-Islamic'. Bloggers, journalists and passers-by have been beaten and hacked to death. An estimated 100 people have been killed in clashes (including with police) since early February as protests evolve into riots that are increasingly out of control. Both sides of politics are promising to punish those whom they accuse of defaming Islam. On Friday 29 March tens of thousands of Islamists filled the streets of Dhaka to pray, call for blasphemy laws and demand the restoration of a caretaker government. [See the blog for pictures.] Members of Islami Andolan Bangladesh are demanding the arrest of 'atheist bloggers who insulted Islam', and the passing of laws to punish those who 'insulted Islam in the parliament'. They have threatened to 'lay siege' to the office of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 25 April if their demands are not met. On Sunday 31 March shots were fired at the political office of BNP leader Khaleda Zia who, however, was not hurt. International war crimes barrister Toby Cadman warns: 'Failure to find a resolution could see the country descend into civil war.'

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) reports (7 March): 'The violence has spread beyond Dhaka, where fundamentalist hoodlums target members of the minority communities and their properties. [Minorities mostly vote for the secular Awami league.] Arson and looting is rampant. Places of worship are burned down or otherwise vandalised. It is gruesomely clear that nobody is in control.' After questioning the true purpose and integrity of the ICT the AHRC notes: 'The ensuing confusion has resulted in opportunities for criminal elements in the country to target their victims, most importantly the minorities.' The Hindu community as the largest minority (10 percent) is being hit hard. An Islamic fuse has been lit. A jihad would attract foreigners, especially Pakistanis. At a vulnerable 0.6 percent, Christians will not escape if violence continues to escalate and spread. Basserkella, a JI-run website, articulates the threat: 'We will kill all the Malauns [infidels] and Bangladesh will be "Banglastan" like Pakistan.'


PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT THE LORD WILL -

* raise up peacemakers and agents of reconciliation, empowering their voices and blessing their efforts, so that the rioting will end and the rage subside, giving wisdom a chance to be heard and reason a space to take root.

* 'send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness' to shield and protect his vulnerable Church and provide all their needs for shelter, sustenance and security.

'Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfils his purpose for me. He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah. God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!' (Psalm 57:1-3 ESV.)


SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE

DANGEROUS CHAOS LOOMS IN BANGLADESH

Protests and counter-protests between pro-secular and pro-Islamist forces erupted in Bangladesh in February. The situation is increasingly out of control as the protests spread beyond Dhaka and have become riots. Some 100 people have already died. War crime trials have helped provoke the protests. Senior opposition figures are being sentenced to death for crimes allegedly committed in the 1971 War of Independence. Many analysts (not just Islamists) fear the trials (which lack due process) are politically motivated. In return, Islamists claim the pro-secularist protesters are 'anti-Islamic'. Islamist websites contain threats to eliminate all 'infidels'. Human rights monitors confirm that minorities (mostly Hindus, who comprise 10 percent) are being specifically targeted. Christians are exceedingly vulnerable at only 0.6 percent of the population. Please pray for the Church in Bangladesh.


To view this RLPB with hyperlinks or to access RLPB and RLM archives, visit the Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin blog at http://rlprayerbulletin.blogspot.com

We suggest that churches and fellowships using the Summary above might also provide a copy of the listed prayer points to be used in their worship by people who are leading in prayer.

This RLPB was written for the Australian Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (AEA RLC) by Elizabeth Kendal, an international religious liberty analyst and advocate, and a member of the AEA RLC team.

Elizabeth Kendal is the author of 'Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah speaks to Christians today' (Deror Books, Dec. 2012) http://turnbackthebattle.com/thebook.html

Elizabeth is Adjunct Research Fellow in the Centre for the Study of Islam and Other Faiths at the Melbourne School of Theology. She is Director of Advocacy for Christian Faith & Freedom based in Canberra, Australia.

If this bulletin was forwarded to you, you may receive future weekly issues direct by sending a blank email to

<join-rlpb@hub.xc.org>.

Beginning in pre-school (Kindergarten), and for many years following, my mother said the same thing to me very morning as I left the house.  “Do the best you can, with what you have, where you are, for Jesus sake today.” Only recently, did I discover that she was paraphrasing a quote from Theodore Roosevelt.  I’m not even sure she knew that’s what she was doing, but it worked.  I’ve lived with that daily motto for many years. In my teen-age years, I added the words of a then popular song, “Hear ye the Master’s call, ‘Give Me thy best!’ For, be it great or small, that is His test. Do then the best you can, not for reward, Not for the praise of men, but for the Lord.” Then came the awareness of a quote by John Wesley, “Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the souls you can, in every place you can, at all the times you can, with all the zeal you can, as long as ever you can.”  Still later in life, I came across Numbers 18:29 that speaks of what we give, and instructs us to give “our best” offerings to God. All of this reminds me to ask myself (and you), what is the best I (you) have to give to God this week? And the follow-up challenge to the answer is, “Well then, give Him your best!”

For more from Dr. Dan, click on http://www.discipleallnations.org/blog and read "Dr. Dan's Monday Morning Manna".  You can also subscribe and receive it free every Monday morning via E-mail.

Each of us has a gap between our Rhetoric and our Reality. In some cases, the distance between the two is enormous. Remember the Jerusalem crowds shouting “Hosanna” one moment and “Crucify Him” just a few days later? There was quite a gap between their enthusiastic Rhetoric on Palm Sunday and the Reality of their hearts when Jesus was on trial.

How can we explain such big gaps between Rhetoric and Reality? Sometimes this is simple hypocrisy, reminiscent of politicians who persuade voters with lofty promises they have no intention of keeping.

At other times, there’s a major problem with self-awareness. We’ve all met people who sincerely believe their glowing press clippings—the Rhetoric—but are oblivious to the Reality of their situation. That’s why we all need a few honest friends in our life, those who will lovingly reveal our blind spots (Ephesians 4:15).

This is not a minor issue. When there’s a large gap between a believer’s profession and their possession, the stinging words of Romans 2:24 come into play: “God’s name is blasphemed among [unbelievers] because of you.” Ouch.

But sometimes the gap is completely well-intentioned, a matter of “confessing the Word” when we aren’t yet walking in what it promises. We tell people we’re healed and then sneeze all over them. Or we proclaim that God has touched our aching back, but we’re still bent over like a Neanderthal. Whatever maladies we still face are just “lying symptoms,” we like to tell people.

In the case of Mephibosheth, there was a wide chasm between his calling as a prince and his deplorable experience living in the squalor of Lo Debar (2 Samuel 9). But this huge gap between the Rhetoric of his calling and the Reality of his experience was suddenly and dramatically bridged by three of the most beautiful words in the Bible: “I WILL RESTORE” (v. 7). This is God’s powerful message to us as well, no matter how wide the gap may be right now.

Often the gaps we face are not the result of any misdeeds or lack of effort on our part. Abram (“exalted father”) was renamed Abraham (“father of a multitude”). All the while, he and Sarah had no children, though they had tried for many years.

What a lesson! Often it is humanly impossible to bridge the gap between our calling and our experience. We need a miracle from God in order to finally get our “Isaac.”

And be clear on this: The first step in transformation is being honest with yourself and recognizing your need.

What gaps are you facing? What Realities in your life are falling short of your Rhetoric? Once you’ve truly faced the gaps, you can believe God for healing and restoration. But transformation will remain elusive if you insist on putting your head in the sand and pretending there aren’t any gaps to bridge.

Your turnaround can start today. Leaving behind any frustrations or failures in your past, you can press on toward God’s best for your life (Philippians 3:12-14). No, this doesn’t mean you will suddenly be perfect. But it does mean your new Reality will become much more in line with your Rhetoric. And that will bring peace, wonderful peace.

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 203 | Tue 26 Mar 2013

EASTER: UNITY ESSENTIAL FOR SURVIVAL AND WITNESS

by Elizabeth Kendal

Spiritual unity is not the same as unification. Believers will always interpret Scripture differently, observe different traditions and prefer different styles. Spiritual unity rises out of the recognition that all who are in Christ are one flock with Christ as Shepherd, one body with Christ as Head, one people filled with one Spirit and one family with God as Father.

Whilst spiritual unity may develop as a fruit of persecution, this is not automatically the case. If there has been a history of competition, conflict or suspicion between fellowships or denominations, then divisions may actually widen during persecution as groups long hostile towards each other compete for favoured status or limited resources in a desperate, fear-based struggle for survival.

Furthermore, an escalation in persecution may even serve to widen the divide between persecuted and free Christians. Paul experienced this during his second imprisonment in Rome when the churches of Asia deserted him (2 Timothy 1:15,16). The scene is repeated today, both locally and globally. Locally, free Christians might not want to risk their own security through association with the persecuted who may be regarded as criminals or targets. Globally, free Christians might not want to be burdened and challenged by the knowledge of Christian suffering. Onesiphorus should be our model, for he was 'not ashamed' of Paul's chains.

On the night he was betrayed, Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane: 'I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.' (From John 17:20-26 ESV.) Yet as we have seen, despite spiritual unity being a spiritual reality (we are one) it is not automatically practised and persecution does not automatically produce it. The default position of human nature is self-interest and self-preservation. Unless we commit to following truly the model of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit, then our innate disposition towards self-interest and self-preservation will always work to short-circuit our best intentions, leaving the Church divided against itself (Mark 3:24).

Today, from the Middle East west across North Africa; north through Syria into Iraq and Iran; and east through to Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Church is facing a trial unlike anything that has been seen in our lifetime. The stage is being set for regional ethnic and sectarian blood-letting. It is shaping up to be a multi-dimensional conflagration from which local Christian minorities will struggle to survive. Meanwhile, a variety of anti-Christian ideological and totalitarian forces are flexing their muscles across Asia and making deep inroads into Africa and the West. We need to understand the times (Luke 12:54-56) and align with the will of the Father, the work of Christ and the movement of the Holy Spirit. We must practise the spiritual unity Christ prayed for in the garden some 2000 years ago, that the Church might fulfil her role as a sign to the world that the Gospel is true.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT -

* the Holy Spirit will move powerfully through the hearts of all persecuted believers this Easter, to awaken those who are anxious and frightened to the spiritual unity they have with their Christian neighbours because of their union in Christ.

* believers will stand firm in faith together, the dross of fear, suspicion and self-interest burnt away, encouraging and assisting each other with selfless courage and generosity across ethnic and denominational lines.

* the Holy Spirit will move powerfully through the hearts of all free and prosperous believers this Easter, that God's love may flow through their hearts, filling them with brotherly love, selfless courage and unreserved generosity so they will seek out and assist the persecuted, across ethnic and denominational lines.

* the sacrificial love of God (as demonstrated through the cross) and the life-giving power of God (as demonstrated through the resurrection) will be displayed in and modelled by the Church as she rises supernaturally above self to give of self sacrificially and generously.


SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE

EASTER: UNITY ESSENTIAL FOR SURVIVAL AND WITNESS

On the night he was betrayed, Jesus prayed for us - the Church. Though the cross was before him, Jesus was moved to pray that we would be one - united in him in a spiritual unity that would vindicate the Gospel (John 17:20-16). As persecution escalates and darkness spreads, it is imperative that Christians forget past hostilities, forego competitiveness, reject self-interest and practise true spiritual unity in love and obedience. This is necessary both for survival and for witness. Just as Jesus Christ demonstrated sacrificial love on the cross and supernatural power in the resurrection, may the Church supernaturally rise above self to give of self sacrificially and generously. This Easter let us pray as Christ prayed: that we who are one in him, actually will practise that unity.


To view this RLPB with hyperlinks or to access RLPB and RLM archives, visit the Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin blog at http://rlprayerbulletin.blogspot.com

We suggest that churches and fellowships using the Summary above might also provide a copy of the listed prayer points to be used in their worship by people who are leading in prayer.

This RLPB was written for the Australian Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (AEA RLC) by Elizabeth Kendal, an international religious liberty analyst and advocate, and a member of the AEA RLC team.

Elizabeth Kendal is the author of
'Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah speaks to Christians today' (Deror Books,
Dec. 2012) http://turnbackthebattle.com/thebook.html

Elizabeth is Adjunct Research Fellow in the Centre for the Study of Islam and Other Faiths at the Melbourne School of Theology. She is Director of Advocacy for Christian Faith & Freedom based in Canberra, Australia.

If this bulletin was forwarded to you, you may receive future weekly issues direct by sending a blank email to

<join-rlpb@hub.xc.org>.

Please go to www.ipcprayer.org and hit "Newsletter" link at the top.

INTERNATIONAL PRAYER CONNECTIONS

March 2013

“Globalizing Prayer, Transforming our World”

IN THIS EDITION

1. Ten Proven Practices for Community and Nation-Transforming Prayer
2. Invitation to Host a Prayer Group for the Transform World Prayer Summit: Vision 2020, March 24-27, 2013
3. Before the High Court – Protecting Marriage in the USA
4. 50-Hour Prayer Vigil for Marriage
5. Pray for Syria: A Letter from a Syrian Christian Leader in the Midst of the Aleppo Siege
6. Syria: Increasing Incidence of Religiously-Motivated Attacks Against Christians
7. Urgent: Nigerian Christians are Asking for Your Prayers
8. World Prayer Assembly Follow-on in East Africa
9. Libya: Urgent Prayer Needed for Brother Ramses Arrested and Tortured in Libya
10. Ghana
11. Persecution Soaring in Sudan
12. Urgent Call to Prayer for Pakistan General Elections 2013
13. A Most Dangerous Man
14. The Crucial Issue of Pirs
15. North Korea Threat Real, South Retaliation Could Set Stage for Hot War
16. Pray for Christians in Prison Camps
17. Egyptian Christians Seek Unity Amid Strife
18. Iran
19. North American Prayer Summit
20. Global Day of Prayer – May 19
21. The Deep Sea Canoe Vision
22. China
23. IPC Events Calendar
24. The IPC Website
25. About International Prayer Connect (IPC)
26. Donating to IPC through PayPal
27. Contacting the IPC Office

Don't miss this worldwide prayer meeting starting at 5 PM, March 24, 2013 here at IHOPKC (International House of Prayer in Kansas City). Join the prayer meeting around the world at http://www.ihopkc.org/prayerroom 

70 hours of prayer

300 main prayer leaders

100,000 prayer gatherings around the world!

See http://www.facebook.com/pages/Transformed-World-2020-Ihopkc-Global-Prayer-Summit-March-24-27-2013/443647259030766

Without a doubt, we live in the most distracted and unfocused generation in history. I was in a meeting recently and got rebuked by someone who caught me checking emails on my phone and sending text messages. “Pay attention!” she told me. “It’s disrespectful to be looking at your phone while people are talking.”

Things only got worse when I tried to explain to her that I was simply “multitasking.” Yes, I’ve gotten good at multitasking, which also may mean I’ve gotten good at being unfocused in my life.

Lately I’ve been thinking about a problem I had with my showerhead many years ago. The bathtub lever that was supposed to divert water to the showerhead became defective. So instead of the normal gush of water through the showerhead, there was only a trickle. The rest of the water went down the bathtub drain.

I had been in showers before that trickled because of poor water pressure, but never had I seen one that had such high water pressure and yet insufficient water actually going to the showerhead. For a while I tried to just live with the situation, but soon the problem got worse and I had no alternative but to get it fixed.

I’ve discovered that God can teach us vital lessons even in the mundane situations we encounter in life, and that was definitely true about the defective shower mechanism. I saw that my life too often has been characterized by plenty of “water pressure,” but with a lot of the water going down the drain instead of toward my main priorities and calling. Although the living waters of the Spirit were present in abundance, they weren’t properly directed toward God’s primary purposes for my life.

I see many people trying to handle their lack of focus same way I initially tried to deal with my shower problem. It has been so long since they’ve had a good “shower,” they consider their situation the “new normal” and simply try to adjust to lower expectations. Or perhaps they’ve given up on taking showers—i.e., given up on their true calling—and have resigned themselves to taking baths instead.

Rather than resign ourselves to low expectations or an unfocused life, maybe it’s time to get the shower mechanism fixed. Instead of adjusting to a diversion of our energy in the wrong directions, maybe it’s time to adjust to this sobering but encouraging fact: God’s purpose for our lives has never changed

 This is exactly what Paul tells us Romans 11:29: “  Isn’t it time that we adjusted everything else to THAT?

But what if your showerhead mechanism has been defective for years? How can you regain your life’s focus once it’s been lost? Look at how The Message translates Romans 11:29: “God’s gifts and God’s call are under full warranty—never canceled, never rescinded.”

Isn’t that good news? Your calling is under “full warranty”—and that warranty can never be cancelled or rescinded!

If your energy, time, and resources are being diverted away from your true purpose in life, don’t tolerate the situation any longer. It is time to divert the full force of living water toward what God has truly called you to do.

You can’t afford to allow the precious water of the Spirit to go down the drain any longer. If you find your showerhead is merely dripping, you need to take urgent steps to re-divert the full force of water toward your true calling.

Dear Praying Friends,

I've just published  4 motivational books on prayer! These books are designed to ignite the fire of prayer in your personal prayer life as well as help you to train others in prayer. See the links to find a description of each one and how to purchase them, and be sure to use this discount code in checkout for each book and you will receive a 20% discount. Send this to your friends. 

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Blessings,

Debbie Przybylski

Intercessors Arise International

IHOP-KC staff

http://intercessorsarise.org

If you’re like me, there’s hardly anything in life more frustrating than when you lose something that’s important to you. The day is off to a bad start if you can’t remember where you put your car keys, your cell phone, or the computer file you’d worked on all day yesterday.

Everything else is put on hold until you find what you lost.

On the other hand, nothing is more exhilarating than to find something you thought might be gone forever. Jesus tells three stories about this kind of experience in Luke 15, where a lost sheep, lost coin, and lost son all were regained with great joy.

Have you ever had this kind of experience?

Recently I uncovered a “lost” secret to having an adventurous, discovered-filled life. I feel like the man in Matthew 13:44 (MSG) who unexpectedly found “a treasure hidden in a field for years.” How could I have missed or neglected this “treasure” for so long?

The secret is amazingly simple, found in a single word. It’s a word that probably sounds wimpy or even defeatist at first—yet it’s anything but that. The word is filled with explosive power and potential, but this is a lot like nuclear energy—hidden away for millennia inside of tiny atoms.

Even though this word is never used in the Bible, the concept is found throughout. However, there’s a good chance you’ve never heard a sermon by this name.

So here it is, the forgotten key to a happy, fruitful, and prosperous life of discovery:

RELINQUISHMENT

Dictionaries define relinquishment as surrendering, releasing, letting go, or yielding. The closest Bible “proof text” I could find was an obscure marginal reference in Psalm 46:10 (nasb):  “LET GO and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The secret to having God exalted in our lives is in simply letting go—relinquishing something we treasure to Him. Or, as Jesus told us, we must lose our life in order to find it (Luke 17:33).

Relinquishment takes a person’s life from ordinary to extraordinary…from bland to blessed…from victim to victor…and from boring to bold. In contrast, nothing is duller or more depressing than trying hold on to what we already have.

Abraham’s son Isaac was just an ordinary young man until Abraham relinquished him to the Lord and put him on the altar of sacrifice (Genesis 22).

Once Moses relinquished his ordinary shepherd’s staff (Exodus 4:1-5), it was transformed into “the rod of God,” able to perform mighty miracles.

There was nothing extraordinary about the five loaves and two fish the disciples had on hand—until they relinquished their supply to Jesus (Matthew 14).

The stone waterpots in John 2 contained only ordinary, colorless, tasteless water, until Jesus took the bland water and did a miracle—turning it into sparkling, tasty, intoxicating wine.

You see, whenever RELINQUISMENT takes place, life gets exciting and God does miracles. So why is it so easy to miss this? The answer is simple: Because of fear and unbelief, we tend to hang on to our meager resources rather than entrust them into the hands of God.

The life of faith is never ordinary, bland, or unexciting. But the “religious” life is a completely different story. Religion always turns the wine back into water and removes the fizz from the adventurous life God planned for us.

Jesus relinquished the rights of His heavenly life in order to embark on the great adventure of redeeming humankind and giving us a right to enter heaven. Still today, He beckons us to a life of relinquishment, where it is “more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

Instead of being a life of boredom or defeat, a life of relinquishment is a life of anticipation, success, and victory. What can God do with that “thing” you are holding in your hand? You’ll never know until you relinquish it to Him. That’s when the fun starts and the fizz returns.

What Does it Mean to Yield When You Pray?

You may be familiar with the P-R-A-Y acronym.

"P" stands for Praise which is the first step in effective prayer.  Praising God for Who He is, how He reveals Himself, and How He loves you are good reasons to praise Him.

"R" stands for Repentance, which is the second step in effective prayer.  It's about confessing and repenting of anything that has come between you and God.  This includes things such as attitudes that are offensive to God of which we may not even consciously be aware.

"A" stands for Ask, which first includes asking God to forgive you for everything that you have thought, said, or done that did not please Him.  You are then in a position to ask Him for the desires of your heart.  But when you ask, make sure your request will glorify Him, that it's consistent with His Word, and that it will bring you true joy.

"Y" stands for Yield.  The question is: How do you practice yielding to God when you pray?  Yielding is when you stop talking, and wait, listen, and seek to hear from God.  Try saying, "God, is there anything You want to say to me?  Do You have any instructions for me?  Is there anything You want me to change?"  Then silently wait for Him to speak to you.  As you assume this posture of being yielded and waiting quietly before Him, you will be surprised at some of the things that He brings to your attention: "You need to give your brother a call and tell him you love him,"  "Offer to help your neighbor with his garage sale and build a bridge over which the gospel can travel," "Apologize to your co-worker for loosing your temper at work last week," and "Spend more time praising Me."

Yielding is a critical component to our prayer life and it's too often overlooked.  As the great hymn 'Have Thine Own Way' puts it, "Thou art the potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me after Thy will. While I am waiting, yielded, and still."

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 202 | Wed 20 Mar 2013

CHINA: NEW LEADERSHIP AND PROMISED REFORM

by Elizabeth Kendal

The first session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC), held in the Great Hall of the People in the heart of Beijing, concluded on Sunday 17 March and, with it, the once-a-decade transfer of power. Named as Communist Party general secretary in November 2012, Xi Jinping has been installed as president of the People's Republic of China and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC). Communist Party deputy leader Li Keqiang has been installed as Premier. In his address to the Congress, President Xi spoke much of the 'Chinese dream'. Promising to deliver national rejuvenation, he called on China's 1.37 billion citizens to 'unite as one, and gather into an invincible force with wisdom and power'. He said the Chinese dream must be realised in the Chinese way through a fostering of the Chinese spirit. What this actually means remains to be seen, although Xi seems to have established that unity or conformity of thought and purpose be the means if not the goal. Steve Tsang, an expert in Chinese politics at Britain's University of Nottingham, believes that Xi's over-riding priority is 'whatever it takes to keep the show on, the party in power and (make) China more powerful and influential'. (AAP 18 March)

On 7 January 2013 Meng Jianzhu, China's most senior law enforcement official, hinted on CCTV's Sina Weibo that China may abolish the controversial system of 're-education through labour' established by Mao in the 1950s. However, the posting was quickly deleted and replaced with one saying that the system would be 'reformed' (as distinct from abolished). 'Re-education through labour' is a system of 'administrative discipline': no charges or trial are necessary. Anybody local police consider a problem - whistle-blowers, protesters, political or religious dissidents - they may sentence to up to three years of 're-education through labour'. Modelled on the Soviet gulag, China's network of labour camps is known as the 'laogai'. Conditions are appalling, with prisoners working long hours in unsafe conditions, subject to cruel, brutal and inhumane treatment. Whilst the government maintains that 190,000 prisoners are detained in some 320 prison labour camps, expert and laogai survivor Harry Wu has documented the existence of nearly 1000 camps housing up to five million prisoners.

Generally the labour camps have both a prison name and an industry name. For example: Huasham Prison is also Huashan Farm; Hegang Prison is also Qingshishan Stone Quarry; Qingyuan Prison is Shanhe Sulphur Iron Mine; Yingde Prison is Yingde Tea Farm; Quanzhou Prison is Quanzhou Shenghua Knit Clothing Factory; and so on. Indeed the laogai gives 'Made in China' a whole new meaning. Considering that laogai slave-labour forms an integral part of the Chinese economy, abolition of the laogai is unlikely while the Communists are in power. Consequently, most analysts believe any reforms will be purely cosmetic and that problematic dissidents may instead 'disappear' into secret prisons. The laogai will be reserved for certified criminals, of which there will be many more. Reforms might mean that house-church Christians, whose meetings and ministries are illegal, will have to be charged, tried in the courts and incarcerated as criminals rather than just thrown into the laogai on administrative sentences for 're-education through labour'. What impact this has on persecution remains to be seen.

Corrupt local officials have long used the system to silence those who dare speak out against corruption, repression, cruelty and injustice. Increasingly, however, corruption, repression, cruelty and injustice are being exposed - and as knowledge spreads, discontent rises. Sensing this, Beijing's new leaders will be keen to pacify the masses by convincing them that their concerns are being addressed, even if they are not! Zhong Weiguang, a researcher based in Germany believes, 'The form and name of re-education through labour might be removed, because it doesn't look good. But their goals, their control, monitoring, intimidation, and persecution of the people under the dictatorial rule of the Party will be the same.'


PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT THE LORD WILL -

* make himself known to China's new leadership team - especially President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang - so that even if they reject him, it will not be because they have not heard the truth or seen the living God in action.

* shine his light on the Chinese legal system, especially the corruption and injustice of the 're-education through labour' system of administrative discipline, and the cruel and inhumane state-run slave-labour in the laogai; may it reach into the darkest corners and deepest shadows behind China's facade of progress and development. 'The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.' (John 1:5 ESV)

* continue to bless and build his Church in China, in numbers as well as in grace, knowledge and fortitude, preparing her for the day when she is free to witness openly across the whole nation and the wider region. 'Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.' (Psalm 17:8 ESV)


SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE

CHINA: NEW LEADERSHIP AND PROMISED REFORM?

Over 16-17 March Communist Party chief Xi Jinping was installed as President of the People's Republic of China, and Communist Party deputy leader Li Keqiang became Premier. For consideration in 2013 is reform of the 're-education through labour' system. Established by Mao in the 1950s, it is designed to silence 'counter-revolutionaries' while exploiting them as slave-labourers. This 'laogi', China's network of labour camps, is modelled on the Soviet gulag. Local authorities have long used this system of detention without trial to silence anybody who dares protest corruption or injustice. House-church Christians are routinely incarcerated there. Whilst genuine reform is unlikely, the attention it will get could expose the reality of injustice and lack of liberty in China. Please pray for China, its leaders and the Church. 


UPDATE: MORE VIOLENCE IN KANO, NORTHERN NIGERIA

In the evening of 23 February Christians were mingling after a funeral in Kaduna when they were attacked by some 10 black-clad gunmen. Speaking a Fulani (Muslim) dialect and firing sophisticated weapons, they terrorised the believers for three hours before police arrived. Five Christians from five different churches were killed. Eleven of the wounded were hospitalised, some with critical injuries. Then on 18 March at least 20 people were killed and more than 50 wounded when terrorists struck a bus station in Kano's Sabongari district. Sabongari is home to a large population of Christians from the south and the targeted bus station primarily services southerners heading south. Suicide bombers reportedly rammed their explosive-laden car into one bus creating a massive explosion and inferno which spread quickly to another four buses, setting off improvised explosive devices previously planted. The death toll is expected to rise. It is the second time this bus station has been attacked. Boko Haram is suspected. Please pray for the Church in Nigeria.


To view this RLPB with hyperlinks or to access RLPB and RLM archives, visit the Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin blog at http://rlprayerbulletin.blogspot.com

We suggest that churches and fellowships using the Summary above might also provide a copy of the listed prayer points to be used in their worship by people who are leading in prayer.

This RLPB was written for the Australian Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (AEA RLC) by Elizabeth Kendal, an international religious liberty analyst and advocate, and a member of the AEA RLC team.

Elizabeth Kendal is the author of
'Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah speaks to Christians today'  (Deror Books, Dec. 2012)

http://turnbackthebattle.com/thebook.html 

Elizabeth is Adjunct Research Fellow in the Centre for the Study of Islam and Other Faiths at the Melbourne School of Theology. She is Director of Advocacy for Christian Faith & Freedom based in Canberra, Australia.

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We live in dangerous, deceptive times, when it has never been more important to be like the sons of Issachar, “who understood the times” and knew what God’s people should do (1 Chronicles 12:32). In recent decades, many Christians have been hoodwinked by smooth-talking, emotion-stirring politicians and philosophies. Too often, we’ve allowed feel-good rhetoric, Santa Claus handouts, or demonization of opponents to twist reality and sway us from biblical values.

I’m old enough to remember the old “To Tell the Truth” TV program, where three mystery guests claimed to be a certain person, and the four celebrity panelists had to guess which one of them was telling the truth about their identity. Each segment of the program culminated with the host saying, “Only one of these is the real ______, and the others are imposters. Will the real _____ please stand up!”

Matthew 27 tells a story remarkably similar to an episode of “To Tell the Truth.” Two men stood before the Roman governor (Pontius Pilate) and a large crowd of people. Both of these men were revolutionaries, but they advocated two very different kinds of revolution. Both were radical in their approach, but in completely different ways.

Pilate made it clear that only one of these men could be chosen: “Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” (v. 17) The people had to carefully evaluate the claims of these two revolutionaries before making their all-important decision.

According to many early manuscripts, the full name of the first man was Jesus Barabbas. Jesus meant “savior,” and Barabbas meant “son of the father” (Bar = Son, Abbas = Father). This man was widely known as an insurrectionist who had participated in a recent uprising against the Roman authorities (Mark 15:7).

The message of Barabbas was clear: “You all could have a great life if it weren’t for the Romans. They’ve victimized and oppressed you, making it impossible to be happy and productive. Let me come to your aid and get rid of the ‘bad guys’ who’ve ripped you off and done you wrong.”

And, no doubt, there was a grain of truth in Barabbas’ case, just as there have always been elements of truth in the manipulative arguments of political demagogues throughout the centuries. However, the cure he promised didn’t address the more fundamental cause of people’s misery.

Standing next to Barabbas that day was a very different kind of revolutionary, though there were some intriguing parallels between the men. This radical young leader from Nazareth was also named Jesus, and his followers considered him the Savior. And just as the name Barabbas meant “son of the father,” this other Jesus was known by many as the son of Father God. Ultimately he was referred to as Jesus the Christ, or Messiah.

Jesus had some fair-weather followers who probably weren’t much different from the followers of Barabbas. They saw his miracles and hoped he would liberate them from Roman oppression and restore the independent Jewish nation. Mostly likely, this was their misguided motivation in shouting “Hosanna” (save now!) when he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey a few days earlier.  

However, the message of this Jesus was much different than Jesus Barabbas. Instead of promising political solutions—salvation from the outside—he told his followers they must repent and receive God’s kingdom on the inside. Rather than allowing his disciples to pity themselves and feel like victims, he challenged them to take the “logs” out of their own eyes and deal with any sin or selfishness that was preventing them from receiving true freedom and abundance.

The unfolding scene in Matthew 27 was almost unbelievable. Which “Jesus”—which savior—would the people choose: Jesus Barabbas or Jesus Christ? Would they opt for a political solution that let them off the hook in dealing with their own sinfulness and disobedience? Or would they embrace Jesus’ promise of a new heart and a transformed life?

You see, two different gospels were presented by these two men. Both claimed to offer “good news” to those who would follow their pathway. Barabbas promised a better life once the Romans were defeated, while Jesus promised new life in a spiritual kingdom that transcended politics and earthly kingdoms.

To Pilate’s shock, the people overwhelmingly voted for Barabbas and were content to send Jesus to crucifixion. How could this be? Were they simply deceived, lured by Barabbas’ promise of sweet revenge against their oppressors? Were they paid off by the jealous religious leaders, who saw Jesus as a threat to their grip on people’s lives? Or was the problem that most of Jesus’ fans and followers simply failed to show up—or speak up—on that fateful day?

Today America faces an eerily similar moment of decision. As in the days of Barabbas and Jesus, we face enormous economic and social challenges, causing many people to feel desperate for relief. If we are seduced by the promises of Barabbas, we will seek political saviors and opt for government solutions to our woes. We will listen to the alluring siren call of those who stoke the flames of victimhood and demonize opponents with a “divide and conquer” strategy.

In contrast, the pathway prescribed by Jesus seems much more costly and difficult. It beckons us to lay down our lives and trust God to meet our needs. Instead of permitting us to play the blame game, it points us to the ancient remedy prescribed in 2 Chronicles 7:14: We must humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from our own wicked ways. Then, and only then, does the Lord promise to forgive our national sins and heal our land.

It’s time to repent of any tendency to cast our nation’s leaders in the role of our savior or source. There’s only ONE true Savior and Source, and those who put their hope in Him will not be disappointed (Romans 10:11). Every human substitute is just an imposter and counterfeit, shifting sand that will ultimately replace our soaring hopes with deep disappointment.

“If we as helpers and fellow laborers with the Lord Jesus, are to share His power of intercession, there will need to be with us as well the travail of soul that there was with Him, the giving up of our lives and their pleasures for the one supreme work of interceding for our fellow men. Intercession must not be a passing interest. It must become an ever-growing object of intense desire for which, above everything, we long and live. It is the life of consecration and self-sacrifice that will indeed give power for intercession.” Andrew Murray 
 
There are few people who understand or fully realize how powerful intercession really is. But the number is growing as individuals realize how nothing works without prayer. God wants to reveal to each one of us just how majestic intercession really is. We need a revelation of the majesty and mystery of intercession. We need God to open the eyes of our heart to this tremendous reality.
 
Here at the International House of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City, we pray Ephesians 1:17-19a every day of the week. We need the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to open our eyes to all that we have in Christ and to this great reality of the power of intercession!
 
“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power to us who believe.” 

Intercession is the primary way that God governs the universe. Think about that! God has chosen intercession as the primary means in which he release His (government) power through Jesus and with His people. And He desires for us to enter into this highest ministry through intimate partnership with Himself. Imagine that for a moment – God wants intimate partnership with you. Not a casual friendship, but intimate and close partnership with the God of the universe, the creator of all.

To be involved in this great ministry of intercession requires our cooperation. God require us to cooperate with Him in the grace of God. God will not do our part and we cannot do His part. If we do not do our part, then God withholds some of the help and blessing He would have given us. He has overflowing blessing and help to give you. He knows the deep longings and needs in your heart and life, and He desires to abundantly bless you, but you must ask and call upon Him. It’s that simple and real.

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3).

There is a mystery to intercession. The primary principle of intercession is simply to tell God what He tells us to tell Him as the means of releasing His power. He tells us what to pray in His Word. We can pray the Bible. It is profoundly simple. Intercession is God’s brilliant strategy for including the saints in ruling with Him in power. Its mystery is in its weakness, simplicity, humility, and accessibility to all.

God promises to restore the Tabernacle of David. The fullness of God’s promise to restore the Tabernacle of David speaks of the full release of Jesus’ government across all nations in context to worship and intercession. It will only be completely restored in Jesus millennial government based on 24/7 worship.

^“I will raise up the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, and repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old; that they may possess the remnant of Edom [Islam] and all the Gentiles [harvest in the nations]... I will plant them in their land [May 1948], and no longer shall they be pulled up from the land” (Amos 9:11-15).

There is a majesty to intercession.  God has chosen intercession as the primary means in which He releases His power now and forever. Jesus operated in the principle of intercession when He created the earth by speaking the Word to the Father (Genesis 1). He releases His power now and will rule the nations forever in partnership with His people through intercession.

• Intercession causes us to internalize God’s Word and changes us.
• Intercession unites our heart to people and places we pray for.
• Intercession renews our hope and faith.
• Intercession imparts life (John 6:63).
• Intercession makes a long-term impact beyond this age (Rev. 5:8, 8:1-6).
• Intercession humbles us.
• Intercession changes the spiritual atmosphere of cities and nations.
• Intercession causes multiple blessings to return to the intercessor (Luke 6:38). 

The enemy will do everything he can to stop and hinder you in prayer. He will lie and tell you that it’s not that important. He will tell you it’s too hard or God does not answer. He will bring obstacles, telephone calls, busyness, anything to keep you from this all-important ministry. He trembles when we pray because he knows the majesty, mystery, and power of prayer. He knows how swiftly it damages and thwarts all his evil plans.

We just had two huge snowstorms here in Kansas City. It was a beautiful winter wonderland, but it put a total stop to everything in the city. Jobs, stores, schools, and everything else closed down for a couple of days, and then a few days later we had another storm with everything shutting down again. I am sitting at home right now with huge banks of snow everywhere outside our house. One of our trees snapped off large branches due to the heavy snow. But snow plows made a way where there was no way down the street and throughout the city. We are now able to drive right through the path to wherever we want to go. 

The enemy puts storms in our path, and tries to shut down and block our way to victory. He hinders our progress in any way possible. But if we are faithful in prayer and intercession, God answers our prayer and makes a path for us right through the storm. Just as that snow plow clears a path through the snow, God is able to bring breakthrough right in the midst of the battle. When we are consistent in intercession, we can even enjoy the storm (as I right now enjoy this beautiful snow), because God answers and brings us the victory. He even uses the enemy's attacks for our benefit.
 
Jesus, Himself, was the greatest intercessor and right now lives to make intercession for us. He is our greatest example. Let us never forget the high priority Jesus put on intercession. He is looking for intercessors who will stand in the gap for others. Will you make a new commitment today to this call to prayer and intercession?
 
Watch this power video called INTERCESSION - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RCVp-qeXLA
 
I just published 4 books on prayer and intercession and am giving a 20% discount on each book. They are designed to motivate and ignite the fire of prayer and intercession in your personal prayer life as well as help you to train others in prayer - See the links to find a description of each one and how to purchase them, and be sure to use this discount code in checkout for each book and send this to your friends – PL6G7Y59

• Breakthrough Prayer: Praying God's Truth, Destroying Enemy Lies - http://www.createspace.com/3420713
• 24/7 Prayer Arise: Building the House of Prayer in Your City - http://www.createspace.com/3420712
• Deeper Still: Secrets to a Deeper Prayer Life - http://www.createspace.com/3420707
• Ascending the Heights in Prayer: Touching Heaven, Changing Earth - http://www.createspace.com/3420711

Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer (IHOP) KC Staff
deb@intercessorsarise.org
www.intercessorsarise.org

"This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 'Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message.' So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him” (Jeremiah 18:2-4). 
 
We are all in a different place in our Christian life, but wherever we are we can be sure of one thing: The almighty, sovereign, and eternal God is shaping us on His refining wheel. Often we resist this refining process because it involves pain. But God is relentless in His goal of producing holiness and Christ-like character in each one of us, especially in those involved in prayer and intercession (James 5:16). He uses our life experiences and struggles in this shaping process. While we are being shaped, we often ask God these kinds of questions:
 
“God, don’t you care about my pain?”
“Why don’t I understand what is happening?”
“Can I trust that you will bring me through?” 
“Why is this taking so long?”
 
Have you ever carefully watched a potter as he shaped the clay? My husband and I spent five years in Asia and were able to visit the delightful country of Papua New Guinea several times. While there I remember visiting a little village where an old woman and man were in the business of making pots into something beautiful. We saw a lot of pots - all shaped by the loving hands of this woman. Some were more beautiful than others. 
 
It was at a potter’s house in Jeremiah’s day, that the prophet received one of his most dramatic messages. God told Jeremiah in 18:1 to go down to the potter’s house and he would give him a message. The potter’s workshop must have been in the lower part of Jerusalem. The original text signals the urgency of the command -  ARISE GO DOWN! The word “potter” means “forming one” or “shaper”. The verb can be used of God’s creative work (Genesis 2:7-8, Psalm 94:9, Isaiah 29:16). God has formed all that exists. He is the one that shapes people. He is shaping each one of us into a masterpiece for His glory. 
 
It is the choice of the one being shaped if he agrees to what his maker is doing. I wonder how many of us - if we were honest - wonder what God is doing in some area of our life and if He actually knows what He is doing? Today you might feel like nobody cares or knows, and you feel as if you are in a hidden storage place. Answer these personal questions:
 
Am I in agreement with what God is doing in the nitty-gritty places in my life?
Am I willing to die to that which will not glorify God? 
Can I accept God’s personal stripping process in my life? 
 
“I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remain (just one grain; it never becomes more but lives) by itself alone.  But if it dies, it produces many others, and yields a rich harvest” (John 12:24, Amplified)
 
Shaping the Messenger
 
“When Jewish potters make new pots, they set aside the very best pots and pottery for special treatment. After they put their name on the underside of these extra good pieces, they put them away in a cold, damp room for storage, away from the public view. It is only when the more selective buyers ask for the ‘very best’ of the potter’s products that the craftsman will retrieve the chosen pots from their hidden storage place.”

Jeremiah obeyed and went down. He saw the potter working on the wheel. The Hebrew word for wheel implies two wheels (dual form). Potters typically used a device with a lower stone wheel fastened on a vertical shaft with a small wooden wheel above. The potter would sit turning the large stone wheel with his feet while shaping the clay on the small wooden wheel. To express verse 4 with the meaning of the Hebrew verbs, “Whenever the pot he was shaping was spoiled, as happens with clay in the hands of the potter, he would remake it into another vessel, shaping it as seemed best to him.” Spoiled, marred, ruined vessels were not tossed aside and discarded in favor of those that emerged perfect. They were remade! God can mend cracked pots! 
 
We often try to thwart the purpose of the potter. The clay often presses against the potter’s hand as it goes around. The potter controls the opposing force with pressure if he wants a useful pot. God kneads, pushes, presses and pulls us into shape, but He never throws us away. He says to Israel in verse 6, “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?” Isn’t this what He says to us as well? Can we not say, “Yes, Lord. Form me into Your image. Do whatever it takes. I want to be like you!”
 
Shaped by the Hand of God
 
“Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand (Isaiah 64:8).    
 
There are things we must practice as we are being shaped by the hand of God. There are ways we can get the greatest benefit out of these times of refinement. This is the time to trust completely in God for He knows exactly what He is doing. He is making you into a masterpiece for His glory. Learn to trust Him day by day. Remember that you are in the potter’s hands - God is working at the wheel of your life in every detail. Let’s look at some of the ways to cooperate with God:

• Look at your hands - They are not just alien objects but are attached to a person who thinks, feels, and chooses. The actions of our hands have a purpose. In the same way God’s hands are not just instruments in the universe, things that just happen, but they are attached to a loving God who cares, weeps, feels, has compassion, is intimately involved, and chooses the best for you. Trust Him and rely on Him during times of testing. God is maturing you for a purpose.   
  
  
• Listen to what you are telling yourself - We tell ourselves messages as we live out our life. What messages are you telling yourself? Believe the truth and speak the truth rather than the enemy’s lies. See Isaiah 45:9 and the following:
  
  Romans 9:20: "But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’”
  Isaiah 29:16: "You turn things upside down as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it,
'You did not make me'? 
Can the pot say to the potter,
'You know nothing'?"

• Ask yourself, “Do I know the hands that are forming me? - Remember, God is your good shepherd. Meditate on Psalm 23.
  
  Psalm 23: "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul..."

• Obey God and walk in repentance - Let Him touch every area of your life.  Repent of weaknesses as He brings them to the surface. 

• Hold onto God and His Word - He will carry you through. Don’t hurry along the process, but learn to cling to Him and His Word. Hold onto the promises in the Bible. Look at how other Bible characters were being shaped by God through their life experiences (Moses, Joseph, David, Elijah).
  
  
• Learn to wait on God and pray persistently - Cry out to Him and wait for Him. He knows exactly what He is doing. 
  
  
• Watch your attitude - Thank Him for the character He is developing in your life. Don’t give up or complain. Recommit yourself to Him and what He is doing in your life. Commit yourself afresh to God’s plans and purposes. Remember, He is making you into a masterpiece for His glory.
  
  
• Love God for who He is - Learn to be a lover of God for Himself and not what He can give you. Worship and praise Him throughout the day. 

Let’s be like Evan Roberts who was instrumental in the Welsh Revival who cried out to God, “Bend us!” Bend your church!” May we be pliable and so easily moldable in God’s hands. Is God not saying to us as He said to Israel, “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?”
 
Be still and listen to this song called: The Potter's Hand.

“Proven vessels have been oven-baked and refired again and again in the kiln of commitment until they’ve proven their ability to withstand the pressures and temperature of the fire. Once you cry out, ‘God, I want to be like you,’ then you will probably be broken up, made over into a brand-new vessel, and whisked out of the bright light into a deserted and dark back storage room until the appointed time. Remember, diamonds were just pieces of coal formed in a dark, pressurized environment.” Lori Wilke

Intercessors Arise News

• Norm just left for a month in Spain and North Africa - Please pray for this strategic trip to help build the House of Prayer in these regions. You can email me if you would like to receive regular updates or sign-up below.
  
  
• 4 books on prayer and intercession with a 20% discount on each book - See the links to find a description, how to purchase them, and use the discount code – PL6G7Y59. I would appreciate it if any of you would advertise these books on your facebook page or website. My heart’s desire is to ignite the fire of prayer worldwide and help people grow in prayer.
  
  Breakthrough Prayer: Praying God's Truth, Destroying Enemy Lies - http://www.createspace.com/3420713
  24/7 Prayer Arise: Building the House of Prayer in Your City - http://www.createspace.com/3420712
  Deeper Still: Secrets to a Deeper Prayer Life - http://www.createspace.com/3420707
  Ascending the Heights in Prayer: Touching Heaven, Changing Earth - http://www.createspace.com/3420711

Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise
International House of Prayer (IHOP) KC Staff
deb@intercessorsarise.org
www.intercessorsarise.org

A Prayer for Pope Francis

Lord, make him an instrument of Your peace.
A shepherd to the lost and least.
A pontiff to the poor and rich,
a pastor to the world.

Where hatred rears its ugly head
may he respond with love instead.
And may he model pardoning
when there is injury.

Where faith’s weak flame is nearly out,
help him discern the source of doubt
and offer hope to those who can’t
because of their despair.

Where darkness reigns both day and night,
help Francis to reflect the Light
who came into our sinful world
that we might see the way.

Where sadness dominates the heart
equip this pope to do his part
and demonstrate the joy of Christ
through actions, words and smiles.

by Greg Asimakoupoulos

This week I would like to share an excellent Easter idea I found on iMOM.com. Children love to hunt for Easter eggs. In this egg-citing game your kids can hunt for eggs over and over again without ever being at risk for a cavity from too much candy. Instead of candy they will actually learn the Easter story.

1. Before you begin make sure you print off both the Easter Story and the Easter Puzzle.
2. Cut out the puzzle pieces by cutting along the dotted lines of the puzzle page.
3. Place each puzzle piece in a plastic colored egg. You will need 15 eggs.
4. Hide the 15 eggs.
5. Let the children hunt for the eggs.
6. When all 15 have been found have the children open their eggs and take out the puzzle pieces.
7. Begin the story by asking who has the donkey. Place the donkey puzzle piece on a table so everyone can see it. Then read the passage that correlates to the donkey puzzle piece.
8. Continue by asking for the next puzzle piece, the palm branch. Add that piece to the donkey and read the correlating passage. Continue through the story adding to the puzzle as you go until the puzzle is complete.

To download puzzle pieces to to http://www.imom.com/downloads/color-pdf/imom_easter_egg_hunt_puzzle_color.pdf

To download Easter story go to Download Color PDF | Download Black & White PDF

Go to http://www.imom.com/tools/ to check out their website for inspiration, more ideas, information, and insight you will find profitable.

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 201 | Wed 13 Mar 2013

PAKISTAN: THE BITTER FRUITS OF A RADICALISED SOCIETY

by Elizabeth Kendal

Sawan Masih (26) is a sanitation worker and Christian resident of Joseph Colony in Badami Bagh, Lahore. For some years now he has wrapped up his day by sharing a drink with his friend and neighbour Shahid Imran, a Muslim. They would sit together outside Shahid's barber shop drinking locally brewed hooch. Though their debates sometimes got heated, they would just sleep it off and start afresh the next day. On the evening of 7 March, the men had one of their drink-fuelled arguments. This time, however, a good night's sleep failed to clear the slate. The next day, Shahid claimed Sawan had blasphemed during their spat. Like a spark casually flicked in an incendiary tinderbox, the rumour exploded and spread like wildfire. As soon as Sawan heard what Shahid had done, he fled for his life. Later that evening, inflamed Muslims marched from a nearby mosque to the Masihs' home. To pacify the mob, the police took Sawan's father Chaman Masih into custody. While local Muslims ransacked the Masihs' home, members of the Sunni Tehreek-i-Taliban presented the police with two alleged witnesses who claimed to have heard Sawan's blasphemy. A blasphemy charge was registered, again primarily for the purpose of pacifying the mob. But registering a blasphemy complaint is hardly enough to douse a fire-storm of Islamic fury these days. With rumours circulating that worse was to come, the police advised the Christian community to flee, which they did.

The next day, Saturday 9 March, thousands of Muslims, mostly from the ethnic Pakhtun community, descended on the Christian colony with weapons and fuel to inflict collective punishment. Sources told Morning Star News that the provincial government led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had ordered police not to hinder the protesters and 'let them vent their grief and anger'. With the colony vacated and the police immobilised, the Muslims went freely from door to door, plundering and ransacking. By 11:30am Joseph Colony was ablaze. By the time the fire brigade turned up at 3pm, at least 160 homes, 18 shops and two churches - Assemblies of God and Roman Catholic - had been looted and burnt. According to the City Superintendent of Police, up to 7000 people took part in the attack. Police are saying they have Sawan in 'protective custody'. Knowing what lies ahead, Sawan's mother is distraught. 'I want my son back,' she wails, 'please bring my son back.'

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan laments, 'The attack is yet another shameful incident against a vulnerable community and further confirmation of the slide toward extremism in society on the one hand and, on the other hand, the apathy and inaction that has become the norm among the police.' On Sunday 10 March Christians rallied in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad and Multan, expressing their fear, grief and anger over their deepening insecurity. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif told a private meeting in his home that the attack was in no way a service to Pakistan or Islam. What he really needs to do is get that message accepted in the thousands of hyper-radical mosques and madrassas spread across Punjab. Pakistan has a population of 185 million with Christians accounting for about 2.45 percent (Operation World 2010). Decades of Saudi-sponsored Islamisation, Sunni radicalisation and impunity are producing bitter fruits: local Muslims prepared to kill and destroy their Christian neighbours. Shi'ite Muslims (30 percent, mostly ethnic Hazara) and Hindus (1.5 percent) are also experiencing escalating systematic persecution. Pakistan is becoming increasingly intolerant and lawless as it lurches towards collapse and disintegration. When local civilians are prepared to eliminate their neighbours on ethnic, caste and/or religious grounds, then the environment is clearly genocidal.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT THE LORD WILL -

* intervene and secure justice for Sawan Masih, as well as security for his extended family and compensation for the Christian community of Joseph Colony.

* draw the wounded and traumatised into his embrace, comforting and healing their broken hearts and providing all their needs. 'The Lord is my shepherd . . . He restores my soul. . . You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies . . .' (Psalm 23:1a,3a,5a ESV). THANK YOU Father that nobody was killed.

* awaken those who have been turned into killers, bringing a profound conviction of sin upon all who would be willing killers of their own neighbours.

* bring a profound sense of shame on Pakistan, so pervasive it demands and enables deep, risky reform at the mosque and madrassa level; may this and a sense of failure and great danger prompt many to seek out a new and better way.


SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE

THE BITTER FRUITS OF PAKISTAN'S RADICALISED SOCIETY

On 7 March Sawan (26), a Christian, and his Muslim friend and neighbour, Shahid, argued as they sat drinking after work, in Joseph Colony, Lahore. The next day Shahid claimed Sawan had blasphemed during their spat. The rumour spread like wildfire. Sawan fled for his life. The police took Sawan's father into custody and registered a blasphemy complaint against Sawan hoping that would appease the agitated crowd. However, sensing otherwise, the police advised the Christians to flee their homes. The next day some 7000 local Muslims descended on the Christian colony, pillaging and burning. At least 160 homes, 18 shops and two churches were looted and burnt while the police watched on. Intolerance, violence and insecurity: the bitter fruits of a radicalised society. Please pray for Pakistan and its Christian minority.


UPDATE RLPBs 198, 199

LIBYA - EGYPTIAN CHRISTIAN DIES IN CUSTODY

Ezzat Hakim Atalla Abdel-Malak, one of five Egyptian Christians arrested in Benghazi last month on charges of proselytising, has died in custody. According to the authorities, Ezzat died of natural causes on Sunday 10 March. Middle East Concern reports that while Ezzat did receive some clearly insufficient treatment for severe chest pains, the extensive bruising all over his body indicates that he had been physically abused. Please pray for Ezzat's widow and two teenage children, and for the remaining prisoners - especially the four Egyptians whose situation is particularly precarious. May God intervene on their behalf.


SEE ALSO Deepening divide leaves Pakistan staring into the abyss
By Elizabeth Kendal, Religious Liberty Monitoring, 7 March 2013.
http://elizabethkendal.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/deepening-divide-leaves-pakistan.html Pakistan's Supreme Court admits a blasphemy petition against Sherry Rehman, Pakistan's Ambassador to the USA.

To view this RLPB with hyperlinks or to access RLPB and RLM archives, visit the Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin blog at http://rlprayerbulletin.blogspot.com

We suggest that churches and fellowships using the Summary above might also provide a copy of the listed prayer points to be used in their worship by people who are leading in prayer.

This RLPB was written for the Australian Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (AEA RLC) by Elizabeth Kendal, an international religious liberty analyst and advocate, and a member of the AEA RLC team.

Elizabeth Kendal is the author of
'Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah speaks to Christians today' (Deror Books, Dec. 2012)

http://turnbackthebattle.com/thebook.html

Elizabeth is Adjunct Research Fellow in the Centre for the Study of Islam and Other Faiths at the Melbourne School of Theology. She is Director of Advocacy for Christian Faith & Freedom based in Canberra, Australia.

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For a couple of years I have been asking the Father to teach me how to be intimate with Him. In the pursuit of it, I read a few books and all the articles I could find that were sane on the internet about it. Yet when I finished, my soul was still fairly dry. I was with God but not in a relationship that I felt was intimate.

I spent hours sometimes trying to get there with partial success.

I tried several techniques some authors suggested with limited success.

I told the Father I wanted to be intimate and He said come on. He even gave me a few clues along the way.

But with all the gyrations and exercises that were done, none led me to the feet of My Father. That is until today. Today I was reading Psalm 63 and the Father spoke to my spirit and said here it is. It is right there in the first verse.

Before I start reading a new Psalm* I research what the background of the Psalm is. Psalm 63 was written on the east side of the Jordan in the wilderness. This land is arid and has very little water. The land was an exact description of how David felt at the moment. (Most of us would say we are dry in spirit much of the time if we are honest.) Here he was with his household, guards and a few loyal court officials fleeing from Jerusalem. Absalom had made himself king by plot and was heading toward Jerusalem take the throne. David decided to leave rather than have an open battle with his son. In this heavy time of defeat in the areas of the physical, spiritual and mental he reached out to God as was his habit. (NOTE: Read that last word again. It is an elementary clue to intimacy.)

Here is a word picture that I want you to get. Picture David getting up before dawn and going off to a place quite some distance from the camp on the rocky plain and into an outcropping of rocks. Here he finds a place behind a pile of stone big enough for him to lay prostrate before the Father. It is here and in this position that he pours out the words of the first verse. Walk with me through this verse and imitate it in your relationship with God.

♥ “O God, You are my God…” The word here for God is the superlative version of it. It means Almighty God and it is recognition of who he is seeking. Before any intimacy can take place there has to be recognition of how awesome and mighty He is. Then we say that He is our only God. A clue: When anyone wants intimacy with God, they abandon themselves to Him because they know how great He is. You are not your own, you were bought with a price, therefore abandon your dreams, goals, desires to the Father for a far better way of life.

♥ “… I shall seek You earnestly…” The word earnestly has a double meaning. It means both earnestly but also early. Early means at or before dawn. So if intimacy is desired then we have to arise early and deliberately seek Him with everything we have. A clue: To find intimacy we cannot hold anything back.

♥ “My soul thirsts for You…” Thirst is one of the basic human needs, it is also a necessity for us spiritually. When a person thirsts for God, they seek greater knowledge of who He is. A clue: Without knowledge of who He is, we can’t be intimate. So get your salvia running and thirst after God. He will not let you be spiritually thirsty for long.
♥ “…my flesh yearns for You…” The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak is a quote we have all heard. It has some truth to it, but in this case we give that weakness to the Lord and say I am all in here. I am waiting here on the ground with my face on it waiting for you to come and be with me. I am being as humble as I possibly can. I am seeking You and want to come to You and enjoy Your presence. A clue: A person this humble will experience God.

♥ “In a dry and weary land where there is no water.” For David at this moment it is both a physical thirst because there was little water where he was but also a spiritual thirst for more of God in his dry and dirty position. We all live in a dry land spiritually. There are few who earnestly seek the Father to be intimate with Him. Many will discourage intimacy because it is too hard or they are lazy. But those who on a regular basis seek him to be intimate with Him will be given the water of the Spirit that once it is ingested will allow you never to be dry spiritually again. A clue: You won’t be dry ever again because once you experience intimacy with God you will hardly ever want to miss a day without being intimate with Him.

A Thought: Intimacy with God is not easy but when sought early and earnestly it is overwhelmingly worth the effort.

A Question: Are you on your way to intimacy?

Over a year ago, my precious wife Mary got her first iPhone. She bought a nice blue case for it, and the phone looks really pretty.

Before getting her fancy new phone, Mary just had a very basic cell phone that she used for making calls and sending text messages. And after having her iPhone for more than a year now, she still uses it for exactly the same purposes—phone calls and texting.

I’ve gently tried to point out to Mary that she is using on a very small percentage of the phone’s potential. There’s so much more that the phone could be doing for her!

Mary’s phone could have been used to wake her up in the morning…show the week’s weather forecast…remind her of the day’s schedule…provide navigation to her appointments…keep track of her contacts and her finances…surf the Internet…check emails…provide restaurant reviews and movie show times…read her the Bible in multiple translations…play audio books…take pictures and immediately post them to Twitter and Facebook—and much more!

Why buy an expensive phone and not use even close to its full potential? It seems like such a waste to me. But despite my repeated attempts to reason with her, Mary still uses the phone for little more than talking and texting.

As I’ve pondered this exasperating situation, God has convicted me that I’ve been doing something far worse than not using the vast potential of my smart phone. “Jim,” He has challenged me, “do you realize the incredible potential I’ve put in you by the power of the Holy Spirit?”

How convicting! When Christ lives in us by the Holy Spirit, why do we still rely so much on our own ability and ingenuity? And how come we utilize such a small portion of the overwhelming power available to us?

Of course, some believers are simply ignorant of what God has made available. They’re surrounded by other people who aren’t tapping into the power of the Spirit either, so their Christian life seems quite “normal” to them. Like a person who has no idea of all the features available on their phone, they simply don’t know what they’re missing.

But I’m convinced the problem often is spiritual laziness rather than ignorance. Many people have heard about the amazing apps available for their phone, yet they refuse to take time to download the apps and learn how to use them. This isn’t really very difficult, but they must see a need for each app and be willing to invest a little time to download it and put it to work.

I wish I could claim ignorance about the power of the Holy Spirit, but I can’t. I’m quite familiar with fantastic Bible promises like these:

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

“He who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father”  (John 14:12).

“God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery…which is Christ in you, the hope of glory”  (Colossians 1:27).

Sadly, I have to conclude that I’ve been no different than Mary with her iPhone. Despite the incredible power at my fingertips, it has gone mostly untapped.

Paul prayed for the believers at Ephesus to see “the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power” (Ephesians 1:18-19). Today, let’s pray this same prayer for each other. God has some amazing new “apps” to show us in the days ahead.