Kamis, 28 April 2016

It Just Happened Again—Another Pastor Fell From Grace. But Should We Really Be Shocked?

It Just Happened Again—Another Pastor Fell From Grace. But Should We Really Be Shocked?

MAKES
One of the immediate reactions to a public fall of a respected pastor is a sense of betrayal.
This week another high-profile pastor was removed from ministry for immorality, this time a friend of mine. This is not the first time this has happened. I’ve seen it since I was a child, from preachers whose names virtually no one reading this would know to preachers most would recognize. Maybe you’ve experienced this, and like me you find yourself reeling in sadness, regret and even anger. So what should we do?
One of the immediate reactions to a public fall of a respected pastor is a sense of betrayal. Those who have benefited from the pastor’s ministry feel as though they have been personally deceived. That’s even more true when it’s your own pastor—the one who baptized you or did your premarital counseling or was there with you in the hospital when your parent died. When we hear of these things, we feel as though we were personally lied to—and sometimes we were.
Our sense of shock is, in one sense, understandable. God has called leaders within the church to be above reproach (1 Tim. 3:2), aware of the stricter judgment he will undergo (Jas. 3:1). We should not be shocked, though, that our leaders are capable of falling to temptation. We are taught this explicitly in Scripture, with a warning not to be prideful lest we fall (1 Cor. 10:12-13). Why do we think the Bible so repeatedly warns against the whole litany of sins? This is because we are vulnerable, all of us.
We are sometimes shocked because we think a particular leader “ought to know better.” We assume that the strategy for fighting temptation is cerebral, as though a knowledgeable teacher would be exempt from falling because he knows the content of Scripture or because he has taught others so effectively. We are wrong.
Sometimes I find myself fuming after a leader has fallen at the stupidity of it. Why would he risk his family for this? Why would he jeopardize the witness of Christ? The reason I am so frustrated is because of my inadequate doctrine of sin. It doesn’t matter what I confess in creedal documents or teach from pulpits; when I am surprised by the irrationality of a particular sin, I am demonstrating that I’m a latent Pelagian of the heart. All sin is irrational and self-destructive. If we don’t get that, we don’t know what sin is. My reaction is a reminder to myself of how much I need the sanctifying presence of the Spirit.
The sins of others are always more shocking to us than our own sins. We are always able to “contextualize” our sins, to find justifications for them, to weigh them against alternative sins we aren’t committing. That’s part of the power of deception. This sort of public scandal can expose how much we are unaware of what it takes to fight against sin.
The Bible doesn’t have the gauzy view of human nature that we do. Leaders—even prophets and matriarchs and apostles—are presented with glaring flaws. Moses saw the glory of Israel’s God in the flaming bush, saw the fire of Sinai, and fell anyway. Simon Peter heard the Sermon on the Mount first-hand, washed his beard out in the streams of Judea alongside Jesus Christ himself—and still denied he ever knew him by the charcoal fire. The fact that we are shocked when our leaders fall is a demonstration that we are not nearly as realistic about human nature—and about spiritual warfare—as the Bible is.
This also shows up in the way that we often want to use a leader’s fall for our inter-tribal skirmishes. I’ve seen leaders more liberal than I am fall and have heard many say, “This is what happens when you try to accommodate to the culture.” I’ve seen leaders much more “legalistic” than I am fall, and have heard some say, “See, this is what happens when you try to pile up man-made rules.” In recent years, we’ve seen high-profile falls from Calvinist complementarians to peace-church Mennonites, from high-church sacramentalists to low-church entrepreneurs. Are there sometimes ecclesiology issues that cause an evasion of accountability? Of course. But the common issue in pastoral falls is human sin. No set of policies, and no set of creedal affirmations, will eliminate that.
One of the issues most difficult after a pastoral fall is a temptation to a loss of faith. That’s especially true if the fallen leader was your minister. There’s a spectrum of these kind of falls. Some of them are temporary stumbles. Like Peter, they are restored after discipline and care. Some of them are, by the nature of the sin, disqualifying permanently for ministry. Like Moses, they enter God’s kingdom but don’t carry on their vocation. Others reveal predatory false teachers, like those Paul warns about in 2 Timothy 3. The church must be wise and brave to know the difference between these scenarios and respond accordingly.
In all of those cases, though, the faith delivered to the saints can withstand the falls delivered by sinners. The church is not dependent on you or me or any pastor or leader but on the promises of Jesus, which he will keep with or without us.

20 One-Sentence Prayers That Will Consistently Change Your Day

20 One-Sentence Prayers That Will Consistently Change Your Day

3.20.CC.SentencePrayers
These prayers will help you lean on God during your busiest days.
One of my favorite stories of Jesus is His interaction with the Canaanite woman whose daughter was possessed by a demon. She tells Jesus her problem, but the disciples try to push her away from Him. Jesus waits in silence. The Canaanite woman then utters a prayer that moves Jesus into action.
The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” She said. [Matthew 15:25]
How would our day change if we utter those same words with the problems we have?
Sometimes I convince myself that I’m too busy to pray. The reality is, though, we can pray a simple prayer that may be only one sentence long yet God will answer it, because He answers our prayers not by how eloquently we pray but by how much faith we pray with.
God doesn’t need a 30-minute prayer session to be moved into action. He just needs faith and a sentence to call Him to do something. Here are 20 one-sentence prayers that you can pray any time and any where that could change your day and that of those around you.
1. Lord help me be a better spouse and better parent today than I was yesterday and the day before that. This prayer I should be silently praying anytime I go to the fridge. What a prayer to quickly pray when you are with your family that God will be happy to answer if only we would.
2. Lord help me to show this person your love and attention in a way that they haven’t seen before. Next time you meet with someone, let this prayer roll of your tongue silently before a word you speak to him or her. Every encounter we have is an encounter to change how someone views God.
3. Lord help me believe that you are with me even when I’m unsure if you are. God is with us! We know this theologically but sometimes in the face of chaos or trials we forget to live this out practically. Next time you feel anxious or uncertain, ask God give you a little nudge to remind you He is with you.
4. Lord help me turn from my sin when my sin turns toward me. David said, “My sin is always before me.” Yikes. Sometimes instead of knocking, sin rings the doorbell. When temptation comes, let this prayer help you not answer its call.
5. Lord help me do the things I know I should be doing but currently I am not. God is great at giving us a push in the back. There are things you know God is asking you to do but currently you aren’t. What better way to start doing them than asking God to help you.
6. Lord help me to believe that I can make a difference in someone’s life today by just saying something nice to them. The words you say to people are little parachute bombs filled with either rocks or flowers. Words hurt or help people, and sometimes we forget this.
7. Lord help me believe your Word can be like a flashlight and guide me down this darkened path. I know not many of us are trudging the Oregon trail at night, but metaphorically we are on the path of life. Sometimes it gets dark, and when it does remember God has provided the ultimate light source, His Word.
8. Lord help me give the love you have given me away freely and without charge to the people around me whom I struggle to love even a little bit. There are people in your life whom you find it difficult to love. If you were charging for love, you would put a 200 percent tax increase on it. Instead of withholding giving away love, give it away without holding onto being right.
9. Lord help me trust that you have a plan for my life even when it may feel like it is a bad one. Do you ever feel like the plan that God has for you feels more like a wild goose chase that is zig zagging around the world? Well, sometimes it does, but God’s plans are perfect and straight if we trust Him as the master mapmaker for our life.
10. Lord help me have patience because I’m pretty sure I’m out. Patience is essential in ministry. People will test your patience including your own family. When your patience seems like it has evaporated into the atmosphere, ask God to replenish it.
11. Lord help me not find my significance from social media today. Twitter, Facebook, Google+: All are great until we look to them as our significance meter.
12. Lord help me run to your Word for guidance instead of looking for an answer inside Google. Google has provided every answer we need to almost every question we have. Need some advice? Type it into the search bar, hit enter and in .2 seconds you will have 100,000 responses. Google is great, but God is greater.
13. Lord help me to not care what people may think about me and only be concerned with what you think about me. Church leaders and pastors are typically people-pleasers. We want people to like us and accept us. Be careful, though, the desire to be liked by others doesn’t squash your desire to know what God says about you.
14. Lord help me forgive people quickly and swiftly because if not the bitterness will have its way with me. Forgiveness is not easy to do, but the alternative of not forgiving is much harder to live with. Ask God to help you forgive, after all He does it whenever we need it from Him.
15. Lord help me not treat ministry like a job but only as a calling from you. Whenever ministry becomes a job, you’ll quickly find burnout won’t be close behind. God calls us not to a 9-5 job but to a lifetime of living a call that is the greatest call we’ll ever answer.
16. Lord help me have faith, the kind of faith that I could lift a mountain and toss it into the sea. When you have the mentality that nothing can stand in your way of doing God’s work, including a mountain, then you will achieve the greatness that will come with having a faith that can move even mountains.
17. Lord help me to lead well those you have asked me to lead. Whether you realize it or not, you are leading people. More importantly you are leading people God has entrusted into your care. Ask the Lord for help, because left to our own we will choose to let people lead themselves.
18. Lord help me see things and hear things that others aren’t because they are too busy. In 2 Corinthians 4:18, Paul encourages the Corinthians to focus not on the things they can see but on the things they can’t. We look around and see many problems. Instead of seeing the problems, see the God who is orchestrating your solutions.
19. Lord help me work hard on the right things and leave the results up to you. We want results. When you aren’t getting the results you want, ask God to help you keep working hard on the right things and leave the results up to Him.
20. Lord help me. Sometimes we may not know how we even need God to help us. When you are at a lose of words, let God fill in the blanks.

Punjabi in Canada

Punjabi in Canada
The Punjabi people are from the Punjabi region, straddling the border between India and Pakistan. This region has been host to some of the oldest civilizations in the world, including the Indus Valley civilization. There are a number of Punjabi emigrant communities scattered around the world. They are traditionally Hindu, Muslim, or Sikh.
Ministry Obstacles
The Punjabi religious background presents an obstacle to the Gospel, but can also become a springboard for the Gospel.
Outreach Ideas
This people group is very accessible to the Gospel message, being located in Canada. Canadian believers can carry the message of salvation in Christ to these people.
Pray for the followers of Christ
There are Christian believers among the Punjabi of Canada. Pray they will live lives that honor the Lord, being united in love around truth.
Pray for the entire people group
Pray the Punjabi will increasingly hunger for forgiveness of their sins, found only through the finished work of Christ.
Scripture Focus
"The people who walk in darkness, will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them." Isaiah 9:2
 

People Name: Punjabi
Country: Canada
10/40 Window: No
Population: 872,000
World Population: 2,290,000
Language: Punjabi, Eastern
Primary Religion: Other / Small
Bible: Complete
Online Audio NT: No
Jesus Film: Yes
Audio Recordings: Yes
Christ Followers: Few, less than 2%
Status: Unreached
Progress Level:
1.2

Free eBook: “Essentials of Prayer” by E.M. Bounds

Free eBook: “Essentials of Prayer” by E.M. Bounds

eBook - Prayer
Bounds on the proper mindset believers must attain in order to have the best prayer life.

Free eBook

Download this classic work from E.M. Bounds, Essentials of Prayer, in PDF format.
From CCEL, “Edward Bounds, an American lawyer and pastor, wrote nine books in his lifetime, seven of which were about prayer. Known as a veritable powerhouse of spiritual maturity, Bounds has affected the prayer lives of thousands of people. This volume, Essentials of Prayer, focuses on the proper mindset believers must attain in order to have the best prayer life. He reminds readers that one must have a humble heart and undivided allegiance to God in order to pray effectively. He also believes strongly that prayer is available to all people — even those who only come in times of trouble. His advice is intended for both personal and corporate prayer, and is a great help for serious meditation.”


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Resource provided by Christian Classics Ethereal Library

You Can Provide First-Aid Supplies to Persecuted Christians

What If You Didn't Even Have a Bandage?

What If You Didn’t Even Have a Bandage?

Mohammad and his family now live in a tent. They were forced to flee their home in Mosul, Iraq, after the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS) invaded in 2014. Because he was a Christian convert from Islam, Mohammad would have been executed.

The family had lost everything because of their faith; they didn't even have basic first-aid items, such as bandages and gauze. Mohammad and his family were the first recipients of a Family Med Pack earlier this year. Now, your family can help Christian families like Mohammad’s by filling a Family Med Pack with basic medical supplies or sponsoring a pack that VOM will fill for you.

Provide First-Aid Supplies

Family Med Packs provide an added measure of comfort to Christian families who lack everyday first-aid items. The bags are filled with items like bandages, gauze, medical tape, washcloths, toothbrushes and soap. You can order bags to pack yourself or choose to sponsor any number of bags and have VOM fill them for you.

Help encourage persecuted families who have lost everything because of their faith in Christ.

Fill a Family Med Pack
Sponsor a Family Med Pack

A Day In the Life of the Joy Junction Chief of Security

A Day In the Life of the Joy Junction Chief of Security

By Jeremy Reynalds, Senior Correspondent, ASSIST News Service (jeremyreynalds@gmail.com )
Conrad head of JJ security
 
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (ANS - April 27, 2016) -- It’s a word more relevant than ever in our increasingly violent culture-security.
Conrad Chavira is an invaluable part of our staff at Joy Junction. He is our chief of security.
He recently told me about a typical day. His shift is from 3 p.m. till 11 p.m., the busiest time of the day for Joy Junction and most shelters.
Once he arrives, Chavira ensures the volunteers assigned to security and the guard shack are in place, and performing their duties as they have been trained.
He is responsible for approximately 20 volunteers who are assigned to the security of our campus. A major duty for Chavira is to train these individuals in a job skill, so they have a better chance of obtaining employment when they complete our program.
Another important task is to assist the on duty resident services supervisor.
He helps with inspection of our life recovery program participants’ living areas. “With over 30 program living areas on our campus, it can be time consuming. As the shift supervisor inspects for cleanliness and fire hazards, I search for contraband.”
Once the living quarters are inspected, it falls to Chavira to check the outer perimeter of our 52 acre property, where there are many places to hide from the untrained eye.
“I make sure we don't have any squatters camping without our knowledge,” Chavira said.
He added, “We have several buildings on property being used for storage and some that are vacant. I conduct security checks to make sure no one has broken in. I make sure no trespassers are sneaking on to our property ... ”
Chavira said he is a “ hands on” supervisor, and believe in leading by example. He said his many years of working as a corrections officer at the Penitentiary of New Mexico in Santa Fe paid off for certain aspects of this job.
Always a kind soul, Chavira said dinner time at Joy Junction is an enjoyable part of his day.
Chavira added, “It is wonderful to see so many families enjoy the wonderful food served at Joy Junction. My job is to maintain order while food and drinks are being served. I want to make sure the children are fed and we have enough drinks to go around. The residents know there is no fighting, arguing or running when Conrad's on duty.”
When guests arriving on property legally, they are searched for alcohol and illegal drugs. Weapons are often confiscated as well.
Chavira said, “I train the security volunteers on different techniques in searching for contraband.”
Chavira also runs a background check on new guests. “When new guests arrive on property, I search their records for any criminal activity that precludes them from staying at Joy Junction. In certain cases, it is my job to advise an unwelcome guest that they must leave and not return. It is very important that I ensure the safety of all our guests and our staff members.”
Another part of Chavira’s duties as chief of security is to administer urine analysis drug tests to programmers and residents. He also gives blood alcohol tests as well.
“The sobriety of all our guests is very important to the success of our programs.”
The day continues.
Throughout the evening, Chavira stays busy walking around the grounds making sure none of the shelter guests are loitering in restricted areas.
He added, “It is my job to make sure male and female guests are not fraternizing with one another. I make sure the children are close to their parents and no harm comes to them.”
Chavira also monitors surveillance cameras. (In addition, I periodically monitor the cameras via an Internet feed to my office at home).
He said, “These cameras are a very important tool in a facility such as ours. I monitor and on occasions review activity on the cameras. When purses are stolen or property is misplaced, I am able to review the video feed and conduct investigations.”
Chavira’s many years of working as a police officer and a private investigator have come in handy.
He has on occasion conducted training for staff members as well, and put together a policy on how to deal with an “Active shooter” situation.
He said, “Unfortunately in this day and age we must be prepared for anyone who tries to harm our guests and staff.”
I have occasionally asked Chavira to conduct investigations where staff may be involved.
On one occasion after viewing the security cameras at my home, I asked him to return to property because of what looked like some funny business taking place in our kitchen.
Joy Junction cannot afford to lose any food donations. All of our donated food must be accounted for and prepared for our guests to eat. If food is stolen or misdirected in any way, it is (quite literally) taking food out of the mouths of our families and their children.
Chavira’s actions and professionalism that night helped us solve what we learned had been an ongoing issue.
Chavira also periodically helps our resident service staff.
He said, “On several occasions I have been asked to cover for a supervisor on sick leave or on vacation. The supervisor has a very stressful job, and I am always willing to help.”
Chavira said he enjoys working at Joy Junction, and is proud to be part of the almost three decade old ministry.
He concluded, “It has changed my life in so many ways and has made me a better person. It is a great feeling at the end of the day to know that I may have helped someone one way or another.”
Thanks, Conrad. We appreciate your commitment.
Photo captions: 1) Conrad Chavira. 2) Jeremy and Elma Reynalds on their wedding day.
Jeremy and Elma wedding dayAbout the writer: Jeremy Reynalds is Senior Correspondent for the ASSIST News Service, a freelance writer and also the founder and CEO of Joy Junction, New Mexico's largest emergency homeless shelter, www.joyjunction.org. He has a master's degree in communication from the University of New Mexico, and a Ph.D. in intercultural education from Biola University in Los Angeles. His newest book is "From Destitute to Ph.D." Additional details on "From Destitute to Ph.D." are available at www.myhomelessjourney.com. Reynalds lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with his wife, Elma. For more information contact: Jeremy Reynalds at jeremyreynalds@gmail.com
Note: If you would like to help support the ASSIST News Service, please go to www.assistnews.net and click on the DONATE button to make you tax-deductible gift (in the US), which will help us continue to bring you these important stories. If you prefer a check, just make it out to ASSIST and mail it to: PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609, USA.
** You may republish this and any of our ANS stories with attribution to the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net).

Pakistan makes history by issuing a postage stamp in recognition a Christian’s service for the mainly Islamic country

Pakistan makes history by issuing a postage stamp in recognition a Christian’s service for the mainly Islamic country

By Dan Wooding, Founder of ASSIST News Service
PAKISTAN (ANS – April 27, 2016) – The mainly Islamic nation of Pakistan has made history by issuing a commemorative postage stamp of the Rs.10 denomination, in "recognition of the services for Pakistan of Dewan Bahadur S.P. Singha,” a Christian.
smaller Singh postage stamp in Pakistan“This is a great news and honor for the Pakistani Christians and also Singha family,” said Nasir Saeed director of CLAAS-UK. “It is the first time in Pakistani history that any Pakistani Christian’s image has been published on a postage stamp.”
Saeed, Director of CLAAS-UK went on to say, “Although the recognition is a bit late, as Mr Singha died in 1948, just a month after the death of Quaid e Azam [the country's founder], it is never too late for him to be given the respect and honor he deserves.”
He added: “This decision of the Pakistani government is commendable. I am sure it will not just raise Pakistani Christians' morale, and make them proud, but it will go some way to restoring their trust in the government. It also encourages and inspires them to continue working hard to play a role in Pakistan’s security and prosperity, as their ancestors did.”
According to Nasir Saeed, Dewan Bahadur S.P. Singha was “an important personality in Pakistan’s history.” He told ANS that Mr. Singha, the then speaker of United Punjab, “played a vital role in the Pakistan’s movement.” Being a speaker, he added, Mr. Singha used his decisive “casting vote” in the Assembly of United Punjab in favour of Pakistan and supported the Quaid-e-Azam's vision of a separate independent country, Pakistan.
Saeed concluded by daying that Mr. Singha was “one of the Christian founders of the Pakistan” and had done “great services” on behalf of the country which, for many years, was “hardly recognised,” but now, by issuing a postage stamp of Rs. 10, “the government has done a great job of recognizing his services for Pakistan.”
About CLAAS:
The Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) is an interdenominational organisation working for Christians who are being persecuted because of their faith in Pakistan. CLAAS works for religious freedom, to stop persecution of Christians in Pakistan because of blasphemy and other discriminatory laws, raise awareness, disseminate information and highlight the plight of Christians on an international level. CLAAS provides free legal aid to victims of religious intolerance in Pakistan, as well as shelter and financial support for the victims and their families. Its UK website is: www.claas.org.uk.
For more information on this story, please contact Nasir Saeed at: info@claas.org.uk .
Photo captions: 1) One of the postage stamps. 2) Dan and Norma Wooding with their youngest son, Peter, at their home in Southern California. 
Dan Norma and Peter after the big surprise smallerAbout the writer: Dan Wooding, 75, is an award-winning winning author, broadcaster and journalist who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, and is now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for nearly 53 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. Dan is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS), and is the author of some 45 books. He also has a radio show and two TV shows, all based in Southern California.
** You may republish this or any of our ANS stories with attribution to the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net).

More Muslim Fulani Herdsmen Attacks On Christians in Nigeria, They kill at Least 27 Believers

More Muslim Fulani Herdsmen Attacks On Christians in Nigeria, They kill at Least 27 Believers

Church leader says the aggression could cast Nigeria into ‘civil war’
By Dan Wooding, Founder of ASSIST News Service, who was born in Nigeria
small Another Fulani attackENUGU, NIGERIA (ANS - April 27, 2016) – Muslim Fulani herdsmen attacks on Christians have advanced beyond Nigeria’s central zone into a southern state, with a church leader saying the aggression could cast Nigeria into civil war as a massacre this week took at least 27 lives.
Morning Star News says that following the February massacre in Agatu, in the central-eastern state of Benue, and the attack on Monday (April 25) on three predominantly Christian villages in the south-eastern state of Enugu, church and rights figures began to describe Muslim Fulani aggression as posing a threat of civil war. Enugu shares a border with Benue.
The news service goes on to say that while a secessionist group called for Enugu natives to defend against further Fulani attacks, the archbishop of Enugu Ecclesiastical Province, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, said Muslim Fulani killings, kidnappings, destruction of farmland and rape have become a regular occurrence in central and southern parts of Nigeria.
“What happened in Agatu is again being spread to other areas, and this is breeding serious civil war that is very much in breach of peace in this country,” the Rt. Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Olisa Chukwuma said in a press statement. “We don’t want war, but the way things are happening, if care is not taken, there is going to be another war which nobody can avert. It is either Nigeria must be one, or we disintegrate and go our ways.”
The archbishop said he had received numerous calls from throughout the world about unprovoked killing of Christians in Enugu state this week.
“It has therefore become necessary for me to call on the federal government of Nigeria to declare an emergency against the menace of the Fulani herdsmen and put an end to the senseless killing of innocent Nigerians,” he said. “We cannot continue this way, because this is Boko Haram acting in collaboration with Muslim Fulani herdsmen, and we cannot accept this.”
Fulani herdsmen on the attackMuslim Fulani herdsmen launched attacks in Enugu state last year, and an assault in February reportedly killed two people and left 19 missing. The attacks come after years of similar killing sprees in north-central states such as Kaduna and Plateau and, more recently, assaults in central- eastern states such as Taraba and Benue, amid suspicions that Islamic extremist groups are arming the herdsmen and in some cases accompanying them.
“After Monday’s pre-dawn attacks in Enugu state on three Christian villages in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area – Odozi-Obodo, Onu-Eke and Nimbo – the Imo state-based secessionist Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) issued a statement calling on area tribal ‘youths to wake up and let us unite and face our enemies.’ With the aim of reviving the defunct state of Biafra, MASSOB declares itself non-violent, while the government accuses it of violence and has included it on a list of armed rebel groups,” said Morning Star News.
MASSOB spokesman Comrd. Edeson Samuel said in a press statement, “We wish to remind Ndigbo and Biafrans that this killing and destruction of property of our people by Fulani herdsmen is getting out of hand. The fact that MASSOB believes in non-violence does not mean that we cannot defend ourselves. There is a limit to human endurance.”
Samuel and others faulted security forces for failing to stop the attack even after reports had surfaced that it was imminent. Archbishop Chukwuma said Christians were wondering what the government was doing to address the “Fulani herdsmen menace” throughout the country.
“The killing of these Christians of Nimbo in Uzo-Uwani is a big shock in the sense that the security operatives were not alert to avert it even when some of them were aware,” he said. “The herdsmen came around 4 a.m. and started firing and killing the villagers, and over 27 people were killed … The federal government must speak and do something, or else this is calling and breeding civil war against the Fulanis.”
Reports from area church leaders indicated that buildings belonging to Catholic and Christ Holy Church congregations, along with 11 houses, were burned after more than 100 armed Muslim Fulani herdsmen invaded the communities. Unconfirmed reports prior to the attack suggested up to 500 assailants were being recruited to launch the assault.
Morning Star News goes on to say that Ebere Amaraizu, Enugu state police spokesman, confirmed the attack on the Christian villages. He told Morning Star News by phone interview that 21 bodies had been recovered and taken to a morgue at Nigerian BishopBishop Shanahan Hospital in Nsukka town. He said the death toll would rise as the search for missing people continued.
“Our officers, together with a detachment of military personnel, are in the area to restore law and order,” he said. “Efforts are also being made to recover corpses of those killed, while the injured have been taken to some close-by hospitals.”
Rapes, murders and destruction of farmlands of Christian villagers by herdsmen have been reported in the recent past in the same communities, church leaders told Morning Star News, but security agencies have made no serious effort to halt the destructive activities.
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) also stated that attacks by Fulani herdsmen could cause civil war if not checked. The pro-democracy group said in a press statement that Nigeria may be near civil war due to “the seeming conspiratorial silence and clear case of orchestrated ineptitude and inaction” of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
Enugu Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi declared two days of fasting and prayers in all churches in the state in memory of those killed and called for God’s intervention to stop the carnage by the herdsmen.
“On Sunday, we were in the church for Nigeria Prays, with Gen. Yakubu Gowon,” Ugwuanyi told reporters. “I got a call from the council chairman, and immediately I summoned a security council meeting. Prior to that we had met with the Fulani leaders, and it was indeed yesterday [Monday, April 25] that we would have inaugurated a joint committee of the Fulani and the Enugu government.”
He said the state government would provide 5 million naira (US$25,000) in aid to community leaders.
“May I therefore call on the entire people of Enugu state to please fast for two days and put this into the hands of God,” he said. “Enugu is in the hands of God.”
While receiving the governor, John Ako, a Christian community leader in the area, reportedly said the attacks were unprovoked.
“We had a black Monday yesterday; no week passes by without our women being raped and our men killed by the herdsmen,” he said. “We appeal for military and police presence. They [herdsmen] come to the farm, point guns at the farmer, ask him to go away, and say the cattle will feed on the farm; we don’t go to farm again.”
For more information, please visit http://morningstarnews.org.
Photo captions: 1) Another attack by Fulani herdsmen on this Christian village in Nigeria. 2) Fulani herdsmen on the attack. 2) The Rt. Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Olisa Chukwuma, Anglican archbishop of Enugu. 3) Dan Wooding pictured with another prisoner in a cell in Lagos, Nigeria. (He smuggled the picture out of the country after being kicked out of the land of his birth, and told never to return).
small Dan Wooding in Lagos cellAbout the writer: Born in 1940 in Nigeria of British missionary parents, Alfred and Anne Wooding, Dan Wooding, now 75, is an award-winning winning author, broadcaster and journalist. Because of his father’s illness, the family moved to the UK in 1942, where he was raised in both Liverpool and Birmingham. He has only been back to Nigeria on one occasion. It was not a happy return for him, as Dan was arrested for his journalistic activities, jailed, and then kicked out of the land of his birth. He now lives in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for nearly 53 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. Dan is the founder of the ASSIST News Service (ANS), the author of some 45 books, besides running ANS, he has a radio show and two TV shows, all based in Southern California.
** You may republish this or any of our ANS stories with attribution to the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net).

Starving North Korean teenager escaped, found Jesus in China

Starving North Korean teenager escaped, found Jesus in China

By Michael Ashcraft, Special to ASSIST News Service
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (ANS -April 27, 2016) -- After his father died, his mother abandoned him to go to China in search of food. So Joseph Kim, at 12 years old, became homeless, left to fend for himself in the throes of the great famine of North Korea, which started four years after the USSR collapsed and withdrew its financial support for the communist state.
North Korean escapeeWith no one to turn to, Kim joined other streets urchins begging in the marketplace: “May I have your last spoonful of soup?” he asked with a plaintive cry.
But his stomach was never filled from the handouts of a few gracious diners in his native town.
“They called us kkotjebi, ‘wandering sparrows,’ because of the way we would bend over and look for grains of rice or kernels of corn on the ground,” he said.
Next he resorted to stealing. He quit pilfer manhole covers because if he got caught he would face execution (since the manhole covers belong to the state and any crime against the state was severely punished). He fell in with a band of thieves who believed they were re-distributing wealth. His comrades eventually were arrested, but mercifully, he was absent when the police raided.
“The famine had thinned out the village, as many of our friends lost grandmothers, aunts, sons and cousins,” Kim wrote in his 2015 book Under the Same Sky: From Starvation in North Korea to Salvation in America. “The graves climbed up the mountainside as if it were infected with a virus.”
The young Kim tried the exhausting and dangerous work of coal mining. With no safety equipment and hand-powered ventilation, Kim eked out an existence for three months. But mining only lasted until you died, and with no safety standards, death was usually inevitable.
His relatives entertained him for a time, but some of them were desperately struggling themselves, and another mouth to feed at the table was the last thing they wanted. A few relatives were simply greedy and lazy.
Without an immediate family, “either you lived with rich relatives or you stole – or you died,” Kim observes grimly. “Really, those were your only options.”
When he was guarding his uncle’s vegetable crops (from thieves like himself), he met an ex-convict who imparted a wonderful secret: If he managed to elude authorities and defect to China, the Christian churches there would give him money.
What was a Christian church? Kim wondered. Raised in the closed and atheistic totalitarian regime, he had been taught to revere the country’s leader and distrust outsiders – especially Americans and Japanese, who had no greater pleasure than to drive bayonets through North Koreans.
“Why do Christians give money to strangers?” Kim asked the ex-convict.
"It’s just what Christians do,” he replied. “They give things away. They’re not like normal people.”
One day, almost on a whim, with no previous planning or preparation, he decided to cross the frozen Tumen River bordering China on foot in plain daylight. His audacity contributed to his success. No one ever dared defect during the day. At night, those who got caught were either shot or tortured in prison.
When North Korean soldiers finally caught sight of him on the far side of the river, their shouts were more of astonishment than outrage. Not a shot was fired. He was only 14 years old.
Once in China, Kim decided he would try to find his long-lost sister, Bong Sook, who had been sold off by their mother – either to be wedded or to sex exploitation, he didn’t know which. But before he could find her, he had to avoid capture by Chinese soldiers who would send him back to North Korea, where he would be imprisoned.
When he knocked on doors in the countryside asking for food, some Chinese were gruff and told him to go away. He had heard about the limitless riches of China and couldn’t understand why they wouldn’t share. A few gave him food. He slept in an abandoned house or under the stars.
Eventually, Kim made his way to the city of Yanji, where he looked for churches. He asked for money, and some of them gave. One kindly pastor’s wife took him in, even though, he learned later, she didn’t have money to fix her husband’s teeth at the dentist.
After a few weeks, someone in the church hired Kim for household help. He called the elderly Christian lady “Grandma,” with whom he lived now, and she taught him many things about the Bible.
Except for the longing to find his sister and see his mother (who was in prison in North Korea for defecting to China), he was happy. He was eating his fill, dressing his version of cool and reading the Bible, which he slowly began to understand.
Once when he sang a hymn with Grandma, he was deeply moved by the lyrics: “Father, I stretch my hands to Thee, No other help I know; If Thou withdraw Thyself from me, Ah! Whither shall I go?”
The Holy Spirit touched his heart and imparted saving faith. “I felt something pierce my heart,” Kim recalls. “I understood this. This was my life. That night alone in my room, I began to cry.
He attempted to talk to God for the first time. “I don’t know who you are,” he said. “I don’t understand the Scripture. But I’m surrendering myself to you.”
At that pivotal moment of submission to Jesus as his Lord and Savior, Kim was born again.
Not long afterward, a missionary visited Kim and explained to him the option to go to the U.S. as a political refugee. At first he didn’t like the idea because he remembered the North Korean indoctrination that Americans are evil.
But after praying, he agreed to go to a shelter partially funded by Liberty in North Korea, an activist group dedicated to resettling North Koreans in America. That’s where he met “Adrian,” who agreed to take him to freedom.
So as to not arouse suspicion of patrolling Chinese immigration officials, Adrian taught Kim and two other North Korean refugees to act like rowdy Korean-American tourists. Once in the market, Kim grabbed his fellow North Korean in a headlock that drew stares and mutterings from the local Chinese about the poor behavior of Americans.
Adrian bought them American clothes, and Kim was transformed into a “skater type – baseball cap turned to the side, bright graphic T-shirt and narrow pants.” Decked out as new personas, they rode the train to Shenyang.
There, they were taken to the U.S. consulate. But when the guard subjected Kim to a black wand metal detector search, Kim panicked. He thought he was being arrested.
Seeing the terror in his face, Adrian realized he should have explained the drill beforehand. “You’re safe now!” he shouted to Kim.
After months of paperwork, Kim was flown to the U.S. and moved in with host families. He attended high school and became a speaker on behalf of human rights organizations. He currently attends Bard College on full-ride scholarship in New York.
He is serving Jesus, happy and free. His only remorse is for his mother and his sister, Bong Sook, whom he still longs to see. Once while giving a speech in Scotland, he opted to sleep in the airport under a glass roof that allowed him see the stars. He meditated that somewhere in China was his cherished sister, maybe seeing the same stars.
“I wonder what you are doing tonight,” he whispered. “Are you warm and safe like me? I will not forget you. Right now, we only share the stars. I can look up at night and see that you are under the same sky.”
That is how he came up with the title of his autobiography, Under the Same Sky. While he doesn’t know what’s happened to his mother, Kim believes one day he will be reunited with his beloved, long-sought sister.
Photo captions: 1) Joseph Kim. 2) Michael Ashcraft.
Michael AshcraftAbout the writer: Before Michael Ashcraft pastored in Guatemala, he was a journalist for seven years, working for the likes of the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. The church and school he started from scratch continue to thrive in Guatemala City. Mike now teaches English, Spanish and journalism at the Lighthouse Christian Academy in Santa Monica and is starting up a church in Van Nuys. He can be contacted by phone: (310) 403-6471 or by e-mail at theashcraftsgt@yahoo.com .
** You may republish this story with attribution to the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net).

Rabu, 27 April 2016

DOA MISI DUNIA

DOA MISI DUNIA
  1. Rabari di India
    Miskin
    Suku Rabari merupakan salah satu suku di India yang kental dalam budaya dan kepercayaan H. Pernikahan anak menjadi hal yang biasa bagi mereka. Mari berdoa agar orang-orang suku Rabari mendapat kesempatan untuk mendengar Injil dan beroleh keselamatan. Berdoalah pula supaya pernikahan anak bisa diakhiri dan masalah sosial lainnya dalam suku ini bisa diselesaikan sehingga anak-anak beroleh hidup yang lebih baik dan pendidikan yang layak.
  2. Sudan Selatan
    Miskin
    Saat ini, negara Sudan Selatan menghadapi dua krisis, yaitu krisis fiskal dan pangan. Buta huruf juga merupakan masalah di Sudan Selatan, hanya sekitar 20 persen dari seluruh negeri yang tidak buta huruf. Wanita dipaksa menikah pada usia 14 tahun. Berdoalah untuk tim misionaris interdisipliner internasional yang ada di Sudan Selatan untuk melakukan penginjilan kesehatan masyarakat dan juga membuka kembali dua sekolah. Berdoalah juga untuk berakhirnya konflik Sudan Selatan dan untuk kestabilan ekonomi.
  3. Somalia
    Miskin
    ISIS sedang mencoba untuk merekrut anggota dari kelompok teror al-Shabaab Somalia. Pemimpin I mempertahankan publik bahwa tidak ada ruang untuk kekristenan di Somalia. Kelompok-kelompok radikal lainnya pun telah mengintensifkan penganiayaan terhadap orang Kristen.
    Mari kita berdoa, kiranya Tuhan Yesus memberi dorongan dan kekuatan bagi orang-orang Kristen yang tersisa di Somalia serta perlindungan orang percaya di Somalia. Berdoalah pula bagi para pejuang kelompok radikal agar mendapat lawatan Tuhan Yesus sehingga mereka bertobat dan menerima Tuhan sebagai Juru Selamat pribadi.

Jama Mapun, Bajau Kagayan in Philippines

Jama Mapun, Bajau Kagayan in Philippines
The Bajau Kagayan are seafaring people (known as "sea gypsies") and fish in the Sulu Sea by the Philippines and Sulawesi, Indonesia. They are non-aggressive people who usually retreat from trouble. They live on their boats or on the coast in houses that are built over the sea on stilts. Their livelihood comes from the sea through fishing. The Bajau Kagayan are Sunni Muslims.
Ministry Obstacles
Establishing trust with the Muslim Bajau Kagayan people may be difficult.
Outreach Ideas
Christians can carry the good news of Jesus to the Bajau Kagayan by telling them stories from Scripture, and by using Gospel films and recordings.
Pray for the followers of Christ
Pray for the few followers of Jesus among the "sea gypsy" people of the Philippines, that good teachers will be sent to help them grow. Pray they will be firmly established on the truths of Scripture, and will be zealous to study and learn, and be faithful disciples of Christ.
Pray for the entire people group
Pray the Bajau Kagayan people will be able to provide adequately for their families, and be kept safe as they fish for their livelihood.
Scripture Focus
"Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; and let them say among the nations, 'The Lord reigns.'" 1 Chronicles 16:31
 

People Name: Jama Mapun, Bajau Kagayan
Country: Philippines
10/40 Window: No
Population: 47,000
World Population: 63,000
Language: Mapun
Primary Religion: Islam
Bible: Portions
Online Audio NT: No
Jesus Film: Yes
Audio Recordings: Yes
Christ Followers: Few, less than 2%
Status: Unreached
Progress Level:
1.1

How to Pray for Your Child’s Future Spouse

How to Pray for Your Child’s Future Spouse

7 Blessings That Every Parent Wants


Consistently praying for your son or daughter’s future spouse is a privilege and it carries with it some pretty awesome blessings.

 

Tina and I have prayed for our son and two daughters’ potential spouses since they were little, little kids. Now our two oldest, Caesar and Christin, are happily married to amazing people. In both cases we felt God’s favor on that person and their budding relationships right away. 
Is He The One?
I remember the first time we met our son-in-law Daniel. Tina and I asked each other, “Is he the one? I think he’s the guy we’ve been praying for all these years!” Turns out we were right. He’s a strong, yet gentle and Godly man, and a perfect partner for Christin.
It was pretty much the same way with our son and his beautiful wife Mari. It took a little longer for them to tie the knot, but our family loved her immediately and kept praying over the years of their dating and courtship. Pretty cool.
Today we continue to pray for our youngest daughter Justine and her future spouse with great expectancy. God’s timing…
Here are seven blessings and reasons to pray for your child’s potential spouse.
I want to give credit and thanks to author and old friend Jay Payleitner whose awesome book, 52 Things to Pray for Your Kids, helped me get my thoughts together on all of this.
  1. It begins to create a spot in your own heart for that future spouse. Praying for someone you’ve never met may seem strange, but this person is going to be a new son or daughter in your family for a lifetime. Start loving them now. Our relationships with our two new family members are close and warm and we love them deeply–and it feels like we’ve known them a lifetime.
  2. Knowing your own child’s personality and needs, you can pray specifically asking God to both prepare their heart and their future spouse’s in unique ways. This isn’t just praying that they’ll find a spouse, this is praying the gospel over them and believing God has gone ahead of you in uniquely shaping their future together.
  3. Someday you’ll have the pleasure of telling your son or daughter’s spouse that you have been praying specifically for them and their family for years. It is genuinely humbling to know this and it provides a deep and immediate bond between you.
  4. Praying these prayers together as parents, with your child, helps to instill a sense of God’s sovereignty in them concerning their future and his plans for them. God cares about their yesterdays, todays and all of their tomorrows. Pray for your child's future spouse. God cares about their yesterdays, todays and all of their tomorrows.Click To Tweet
  5. Pray with your child for specific Godly qualities to grow and mature in their hoped for spouse. This teaches them what to look for as they begin to date more seriously and consider a marriage partner for life. Discuss and pray with them about love, sex, friendship and marriage. These are important things in life that often go un-discussed with our children.
  6. Pray not only for the future spouse, but pray also for their family. Remember, their family shapes them in profound ways and will also become part of your extended family. You’ll be blessed when all the juggling of life, holidays and hopefully grandkids is made easier by your love for them too.
  7. When you pray for your child to submit to and wait on God’s timing for marriage, you take the pressure off of them in their dating relationships. We often told our children, “If this is ‘the one’ then there’s no need to rush into things. If this is God’s choice for you then you cannot mess this up. If it is not his perfect choice, then you certainly don’t want this relationship!”
Life Preparation = Discipleship
All of this helps you see your child as a person that you’re preparing for an abundant adult life. You’re not just praying that they’ll find a good husband or wife, but preparing them for meaningful adult relationships. That sounds like discipleship to me :-)
I’m sure there are a lot more ways to pray here and benefits to be realized, but hopefully this is enough to encourage you to move forward in this area of parenting privilege.
If you have children and have not yet made it a regular rhythm to pray for their future spouses, the next best time to get started is now. No matter their age, God loves to hear your prayers for his little–or not so little– image bearers.
Question: If you’ve been praying for your children’s future spouses, what blessings have you experienced?