Displaying items by tag: Asia

As Kyung-ja drifted in and out of consciousness, her head bloodied by repeated blows from a club, she heard her North Korean guard shouting words she had never heard before - Bible, God, Jesus. She couldn’t understand why the guard kept asking about them and then beating her when she didn’t or couldn’t answer. Two months later she was transferred to a labour camp, where she asked a fellow-prisoner, ‘What is God? What is a Bible?’ The prisoner told her there was a God, but that they couldn’t discuss it because it was too dangerous. Months later, while talking on the phone with her daughter in South Korea, Kyung-ja finally got answers to her questions. Soon afterwards, she placed her faith in Christ, and today she lives and serves Him in South Korea. North Koreans will not be changed by politics or missiles. They will be changed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Israeli planes regularly strike Syrian facilities to disrupt and prevent Iranian missiles being delivered to Hezbollah in Lebanon. However the loss of an Israeli fighter jet marked a serious escalation in hostility as Israel bombarded Syria in their largest air strikes since 1982. The final chapters of this battle should be a shift of opportunity but US, Russian, Turkish, Iranian and Israeli forces are active parties to the conflict. The UN said, ‘The conduct and management of this war has been utterly shameful and the failure to end it marks an epic failure of global diplomacy.’ Many now believe steps toward a new and lasting approach to Syria should begin in Washington and Moscow, because local and regional parties cannot make peace amongst themselves - and may not have an interest in doing so. Pray for the Security Council to be united in bringing peace to the region, and to be a forum for action rather than a podium for speeches and recriminations. See also

Over five billion people across the world are not followers of Jesus, and two billion have never even heard the Gospel. Most will never hear unless somebody tells them. Pyeongchang has welcomed the world for the 2018 Olympic Games. 92 nations are participating. The world's best athletes are competing side by side with people from every corner of the world. They represent every possible worldview, religious background, and political system. Many - maybe most - of these athletes, families, and fans have never heard the Gospel. This is a special window of time for Christian athletes and participants to shine His light to those around them. What if the Olympic Games became an open door for the message of Jesus Christ to be proclaimed to the nations? Pray for an anointing of evangelism for every Christian involved in the Olympic Games.

On 20 January, Turkey launched an air and ground offensive against the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces in Afrin, on the Syrian/Turkish border. The action has revealed a well-defined split in the Syrian public between supporters and opponents of the operation of daily bombing by troops, tanks, artillery and war planes. Some Syrians support this action as it could provide an opportunity for them to return home; others fear Turkey’s intentions are far from noble. Hundreds have died. 400,000 Kurds are sheltering in Afrin, and no one can enter or leave the area. Many believers are sheltering in churches. See also

Amnesty International says that testimony gathered from the scene showed evidence that on 4 February the Syrian government used internationally-banned chemical weapons on the town of Saraqib. It accuses the Assad regime of showing ‘utter contempt’ for international law. The next day the UN Security Council failed to agree on a US-proposed statement condemning the continued use of chemical weapons in Syria. Russia was blamed by some diplomats for this failure. On 6 February, another chemical attack is reported to have targeted Afrin. An eyewitness reported, ‘Russian airplanes have not left the skies of East Ghouta. I watched missiles that look like they were made locally, carrying chemicals targeting civilians specifically in Douma. The fear is difficult to comprehend. Women and children are running in chaos. Injured are everywhere with blood all over. It is a civilian massacre. The airplanes come back to target the rescuers attending the wounded.’

The North Korean missile crisis must be turned into a rallying cry for prayer for persecuted Christians in that country, says Release International, which supports Christians under pressure around the world. North Korea brought forward its annual display of military might to 8 February ahead of the Winter Olympics in South Korea. The muscle-flexing has been described as grandstanding in a crisis that could threaten nuclear war - but many believe the crisis should be turned into a rallying cry for prayer for the persecuted. North Korea is probably the harshest persecutor of Christians on the face of the earth.

A power struggle in the Maldives is taking centre stage in a battle for regional influence between India and China. Maldives President Yameen declared a state of emergency after the supreme court ordered him to free political prisoners and opposition politicians he jailed. Security forces then stormed the court and arrested two judges and a former leader. The remaining judges annulled a previous ruling. It is being called an assault on democracy. The political drama sparked concern in India, which issued a strong statement saying it is imperative for the government to adhere to a free trade agreement it made with the Maldives. India views China as a geopolitical foe in Asia and is pushing to maintain geo-strategic supremacy in the Indian Ocean, with backing from the US and Japan. Meanwhile, it has expanded its influence by building ports in Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Djibouti (now home to its first overseas military base). See also

Intercessors have been praying for God’s Kingdom to grow in Hindu-dominant Nepal. Although proselytising has been banned in the country for decades, the church has exploded! Recent reports state that Nepali Christians are now one of the fastest-growing Christian communities in the world! After the 2015 earthquake, Christian groups gave aid to needy Nepalis, and were some of the first and most sustained groups to help. This growth has not come without a price. To curb it, the government will introduce a new criminal code in August, increasing jail sentences for proselytising from three to five years. Convicted foreigners will be deported after serving their time.

Bombings are so frequent, the media hardly notice. Last week's assault on Kabul’s luxury hotel received attention because some westerners were victims. Days later, a car bomb killed 100+; last month a suicide bomber killed 41 and a truck bomb killed 150. Afghans live this reality daily. But the greatest conflict is not terrorism, poverty, or drugs. It is spiritual. 99.9% of the population are Muslim, and 72 people groups do not have the Gospel. A missionary writes, ‘A dear sister was murdered in the Kabul hotel bombing, then two days later the office of an NGO working here for many years was attacked and many were killed. This increase in armed aggression against foreigners and NGOs needs re-evaluation by Christian missions. Please pray for wisdom as to how we can improve the safety of our workers, and for much-needed peace and security in the country. There are serious differences between the governor in a northern province and the president. Tension is rising, and there are fears of a feud within the government. Pray that this will be stopped.’

Police arrested senior members of the Turkish Medical Association, and President Erdogan branded them ‘terrorist lovers’. The association, which represents 80,000 doctors, publicly voiced opposition to the offensive against Syrian Kurdish militia, warning: ‘Every clash, every war, causes physical, psychological, social and environmental health problems, and human tragedy.’ After publishing their statement they were inundated with threats of violence via telephone, email and social media. The New York-based Physicians for Human Rights group condemned the intimidation campaign. ‘It is a bleak commentary on the state of affairs in Turkey that a group of doctors can’t make a peaceful statement without being targeted with physical threats and condemned by the head of state’, said Dr Homer Venters. ‘Medical professionals must have the freedom to call out threats to public health without fear of retribution.’