“Every once in a while, we’re offered a peek behind an ideological curtain. That’s what happened last week in the New York Times.

If you were a surgeon and someone asked you to perform a surgery that would not heal, would not help, would not make them feel better, and would leave the patient with a permanent wound, would you do it? Is there any area of medicine where such a request would even be considered?

The answer to the first question is, of course, no. No one should perform a surgery that does not help, does not heal, does not make someone feel better, and that would leave a permanent wound. The answer to the second question – does any field of medicine perform such surgeries—is yes. One. Only one.

In the case of gender dysphoria, doctors perform a surgery that, in effect, amputates perfectly healthy body parts. This kind of surgery is not performed in the case of any other type of what’s called “body dissociative disorder,” cases in which patients believe they were born into the wrong body. For example, there are those who believe they should be without an arm or a leg. But their requests to become an amputee are not honored, nor even taken seriously.

However, in the case of gender dysphoria, amputative surgery will, we’re told, “align someone’s physical body with their internal sense of sex and gender.” We are told that without this surgery, they’d be a high risk of suicide and other mental health risks.

At best, this is pseudo-scientific. Dr. Paul McHugh, longtime chair of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Medical School, has argued for years that such procedures ignore and may even aggravate underlying psycho-social troubles. In fact, those who undergo sex-reassignment still have a suicide rate nearly twenty times that of the general population. That’s why McHugh famously called transgender medicine “cooperating with mental illness” and that’s why he put an end to surgeries at Johns Hopkins.

So why should these surgeries proceed? Andrew Long Chu, in a stunning, must-read piece in the New York Times, ventured an answer. Chu is a man who identifies as a woman and is currently raising money for sex-reassignment surgery. In his Times piece, he says that he knows the transition won’t make him happy. “Until the day I die,” he writes, “my body will regard [the result of this surgery] as a wound… (that) will require regular, painful attention to maintain.”

Chu even admits that the transition process and treatments have made him more miserable. “I was not suicidal before hormones,” he writes. “Now I often am.” And yet he insists that he has a right to the surgery—and that no doctor should refuse. Why? Because, it’s what he wants. That’s it.

This deeply troubling opinion piece reads like a cry for help. In fact, more than a few transgender advocates have condemned it. And to be clear, not everyone who pursues gender reassignment surgery reports being as miserable as Chu. But his story is revealing something very important. Already, this is the only type of surgery that amputates fully-functioning and otherwise-healthy body parts for no physically necessary reason. The justification has always been emotional and psychological health. Now we have an individual admitting that it won’t help him emotionally or psychologically either, but that he still wants the surgery anyway. If that’s all it takes, then it’s clear: Transgender ideology isn’t really about health or scientific reality at all. What we’re doing is aiding and abetting serious problems, not helping.

As hard – brutal even – as this piece is to read, please do. It’s a look behind the curtain of a harmful ideology to which our entire culture is currently bowing down. Anyone who disagrees is a bigot. Well, read this piece, and then read Ryan Anderson’s important response to it, and see who’s being hateful and who’s being loving. As Ryan writes, the New York Times just “revealed painful truths about transgender lives.”

John Stonestreet with Shane Morris //d.docs.live.net/Users/johndonaldrobb/Downloads/This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Please pray for the overthrow of this destructive ideology that has possessed the minds of many, not only those wanting to change their gender, but also increasingly those in politics and the media. This is a prime example of how Satan seeks to pervert and destroy the goodness and wholesomeness of God’s creation.
Pray too that those afflicted by this false ideology will be set free to become all that He wants them to become, accepting themselves and their gender identity that was given to them at birth.

Seek God for the City is designed to mobilize many to pray with united, sustained vision for people of your community. The daily prayers are all new and different from last year’s prayer guide. The scriptures and topics help God’s people pray with passionate, full-hearted hope. This timely guide will help God’s people in your congregation to pray beyond themselves with confidence and clarity.

We will Seek God in two simple ways: First we will seek God’s face and then we will seek His kingdom. And as we come to God, seeking His face, then He comes to us bringing His kingdom. These are prayers you don’t want to pray alone. Invite your whole congregation to pray along with you. Even better, think about joining your prayers with a few other churches in your community.

The forty days to Palm Sunday makes an ideal time to venture into a season of sustained, hope-filled prayer. Dated March 6 – April 14, 2019.

We are able to offer a complimentary review copy to leaders in recognized positions of pastoral or prayer leadership for a limited time. Call us now at 800-264-5214 or 512-419-7729.

Also available as an app that makes it possible to help many to keep their prayers rolling in the midst of busy lifestyles and schedules

ORDER ONLINE NOW - https://waymakers.org/product/seek-god/

The animated version of UNDERSTANDING THE REMAINING MISSION TASK is now finally available!  Please post and pass it on to others.

You will be able to see a much clearer picture of where the greatest needs are in terms of those still waiting to hear about Jesus. It will make the urgency and importance of your task much clearer.   [The youtube link to the non-animated 3 minute version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLADjrnCuDs&feature=youtu.be

Here are the drop box links to the 6 minute animated version (in AVC or in MP4 formats) which you can download: 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/z3qh670xm9s886g/Remaining%20Task%20Dec%2011%20AVC.mp4?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tambqr86jvdgphk/Remaining%20Task%20Dec%2011%20MP4.mp4?dl=0

All the maps are available at www.joshuaproject.net/frontier

And here is the link to the Mission Frontiers that will be handed out at URBANA that is focused on Frontier Peoples: Still Waiting to Hear About Jesus: http://www.missionfrontiers.org/issue/current

Thanks for helping in this great endeavor to ensure that all the families of the earth are blessed by Jesus!! And that the next generation pick up the vision!

PS:  FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN THE DATA: Clarifying the Remaining Task which explains the new pie chart in detail and has all of the details of data (the rest of the issue is also good reading): http://www.ijfm.org/PDFs_IJFM/35_4_PDFs/IJFM_35_4-Lewis.pdf

For more information, please contact Rebecca Winter Lewis at  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

God is raising up prayer all around the world - and He is clearly using children in prayer to make an impact on a scale never seen before.

The Operation World team have released a new prayer resource for the world aimed at informing and mobilizing families and children - Window on the World. Although it's full of colourful photos and interesting facts, the purpose of this resource is to nurture in kids a spirit of prayer and a missional vision for God's world.

There are over 100 two-page spreads sharing stories and prayer needs of various countries, people groups, and religions around the world. It rests on Operation World's foundations of solid research, relational networks with Christian leaders all over the world, and a Biblical worldview in step with the Spirit.

This new edition (the previous one being published in 2001) includes a number of new entries in keeping with the needs of our world in 2018 - nations like Syria and South Sudan, peoples like the Rohingya and Somalis, and issues like Third Culture Kids. But beware: using with children might lead to them becoming intercessors, missionaries, or both!

If you have any specific ideas about movements and countries that might be interesting in larger scale purchases, I would expect that we might be able to negotiate special prices, or possibly even local print runs in other countries. One of the design elements was the ability to publish in full colour or in black and white if necessary. We're very keen to see it translated into other languages and printed and distributed where those other languages are spoken, for prices in keeping with those local economies.

Window on the World was Edited by Jason Mandryk and Molly Wall.

Order Window on the World: https://www.ivpress.com/window-on-the-world

Contact Jason Mandryk / Operation World: http://www.operationworld.org/jasonow-team

Awesome new book on prayer and mission by an IPC leader

“Dr. Leslie Keegel’s new book is full of signs and wonders and reads like the book of Acts!”-

John Robb, IPC Chairman

PDF - Digital Download $8.00

Softcover $15.00

A new “must read” book for praying people

Have you ever wondered just why the darkness in the world today seems to be getting darker, and what can be done about it?

This book sheds fresh light on this topic, and on the spiritual nature of this darkness. It shines the light of Scripture on the evil one and on the way in which so many have become bewitched. This is a clarion call to the church and individual Christians to get ready to do battle with the powers of darkness, and to shine Christ's light more powerfully.

Brian Mills writes out of many years of experience in international prayer ministry. He is a senior advisor in the International Prayer Council and is one of the leaders in the International Reconciliation movement. He has ministered in over 75 nations and authored nine books to date. He is also part of a global group that is seeking to understand more about the dark spiritual powers at work in the world.

"The most informative book for our times I’ve read for a long time."

Order ‘Window on the Darkness’ by Brian Mills in print or Kindle formats from
Amazon USAhttp://a.co/7zeqIKd

Amazon UK http://amzn.eu/0BMEL6l

Towards the end of January, in Indonesia, hundreds of younger generation men and women of God will gather from around the world for the “Global UPR” - World Generation Gathering.

See: www.unitedprayerrising.com

Here is a video about that:https://youtu.be/3xrEl4UdsTE

Please pray for:

1. The organizing team that is facing a last-minute change of venue and program details
2. Young people (under 30) to hear God calling and come to Jakarta. For them not get diverted and provision of funds to travel there
3. For a strongly anointed event that equips them to become leaders for the prayer and mission movement.
4. For many of them to be called to reach Unreached People Groups (over 5500 still less than 5 % Christian, about 4700 of which less than 0.1% Christian or one believer in Christ for 1000 people).

In the book of Acts, God used the culture of prayer that was birthed after the ascension and command of Jesus to the disciples to remain in Jerusalem. It says in 1:14 that they “joined constantly together in prayer”. All the great breakthroughs in the book of Acts resulted from the guidance and anointing of the Spirit they received through that practice of corporate prayer. In the history of the Church, breakthroughs and revivals also occurred once this early church practice was reclaimed. The Moravians of the 18^th century are a prime example. They experience deep revival and through a subsequent 24/7 prayer chain that went on for over 100 years, they sent missionaries out to over 5000 locations on earth!

A similar convergence of the prayer and mission movements is happening in our day towards fulfillment of Great Commission of Jesus, thanks be to the Lord. Go 2020 is a prayer-based global cooperative mission effort to mobilize 100 million believers to pray for and reach one billion unreached by May 2020. For more information about this movement and to get involved, please see www.go2020.world

1. Please pray for Go 2020 leadership and participating mission agencies for unity and clarity and protection.

Pray also for the prayer mobilization task force to be effective in networking the Body of Christ to help get 100 million praying for and reaching out to 1 billion. Youth and children especially need to hear His call to get involved.

IPC Leadership Team colleague, Austen Ukachi reports back on the Strategic Prayer Network of the Movement of African National Initiative's recent consultation.  The theme was 'Convergence of Prayer & Missions'. 

The 3-day consultation, which held at the serene Catholic Resurrection Garden, in Karen, Nairobi was a memorable event packed with awareness, networking, prayer and worship. It was designed to stir up the delegates to the need of prayer for the Unreached People Groups, the missionaries, the Persecuted Church and the Bibleless peoples of the earth.  In addition, the consultation was a collaboration and networking of intercessors, missionaries and mission agencies that share a common vision of pursuing world evangelization.

The consultation commenced on Tuesday 6^th November with a welcome address by Bishop Geofrey Njuguna, the East African regional coordinator of MANI, who was ably represented by Pastor Grace. Austen Ukachi, the Co-ordinator of the Strategic Prayer Network of MANI, pointed out to the delegates that the purpose of the consultation was to fill up a gap and area of need in the Church. This need is for prayer, which is the engine that propels World Evangelization. The Church, he says has never lacked mission plans, projections strategies and ideas, but always fell short of building up the prayer momentum that is indispensible for accomplishing the task of World Evangelization. He said that the consultation would not dwell on mere platitudes and presentations only, but engage in actual prayer for the UPGs, the persecuted Church, missionaries and the Bibleless people. 

The morning sessions witnessed corporate devotions that reiterated the hope of revival as one of the aftermaths of the ongoing global church persecution, and a reminder that the Gospel work is time bound, and of the need for renewed dedication and commitment to the urgent task.  Shan Barry of African Inland Missions AIMS, spoke powerfully on the importance of listening to the Holy Spirit and the need for consistence in the work of the ministry. She narrated a revelation the Lord gave to her that despite the numerous problems of Africa, the continent would experience a great revival.

The various presentations were inspiring, refreshing, and challenging. However, Elizabeth Kendal, a religious liberty analyst and advocate, prophetically sounded the voice of the Lord very clearly in her presentations. She presented a global survey of areas where the Church was facing persecution in China, Africa, Middle East and lamented about the appalling indifference of the Church in Europe to the plight of persecuted Christians in different parts of the world. She emphasized that the global church needs to respond to persecution by speaking out, giving assistance to the persecuted, and praying in the Bible way for the persecuted.

Austen Ukachi’s second presentation focused on the impact of the Moravians on missions through their sacrificial 24/7 prayer chain which lasted for over hundred years. The mission movement was born out of this sacrificial prayer by the Moravians. He played a nine minutes video clip produced by the International Prayer Council to buttress the place of the convergence of prayer and missions over the centuries. He said, the rekindling of this convergence between prayer and missions is what the Holy Spirit is calling for now in the Church.

Neil Gamble emphasized on the primacy of Intimacy with God in our daily walk with God. He said, listening to God in prayer is key to maintaining a relationship with God. Reuben Ezemadu, the Continental Co-ordinator of MANI clearly outlined the convergence of prayer and mission as a prerequisite for the end-time harvest.

The environment, all through the time of the gathering was Spirit permeated with high praises and due worship of the Lord. Each session of presentations and devotions was wrapped up with prayers and worship.

The meeting closed with a holy communion fellowship meal administered by Bishop Geofrey Njuguna, and with a commitment by the Nehemiah Prayer team’ the MANI steering Team for the Strategic Prayer Network to sustain the monthly prayer for the Unreached People Groups and the persecuted Church. In all, 31 delegates drawn from 11 countries participated in the consultation. Some other delegates came from the city daily to participate in the consultation.

Austen Ukachi
Co-ordinator, Strategic Prayer network of MANI
More: http://maniafrica.com/

A recent gathering of Chinese believers at IHOP, Kansas City told harrowing tales of persecution. An intercessor writes, ‘One particular Chinese brother greatly impacted us with his story. He had been in prison for many years, multiple times because of his faith, and was forced to watch his wife being tortured in front of his very eyes. He refused to denounce his faith [trust] in Jesus Christ in the midst of these unthinkable circumstances. Our perspective on God’s goodness can be greatly challenged by these types of story. The truth is that Jesus has already told us that if we lived for Him that we would suffer persecution, as He did. He told us, “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven!” (Matthew 5:10-12)’ The event’s theme, ‘Resetting our focus back on the first and second commandments of Jesus’, had a strong sense of Philippians 1:8: ‘God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.’