Lebanon: Car bomb inflames tensions
11 Jul 2013A car bomb injuring 53 people exploded Wednesday in Beirut, at a Lebanese stronghold for the Shia militant group Hezbollah. It’s feared several were killed. No group has claimed responsibility. Lebanon’s neighbouring Syrian rebels threatened to target Hezbollah because they sent troops to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The area of the blast is a commercial and residential site swelling with people. SAT-7 ARABIC is a Christian satellite television ministry to the Middle East and North Africa that attracts 8.5 million teens and adults with a Christian worldview. Their studios in Lebanon posted on their Facebook page, ‘Please join us in praying for those affected by today's car bombing near Beirut. SAT-7 staff members are safe and the studio is secure.’ The car bombing smoke had barely cleared before nearly 100 angry Hezbollah supporters flooded the area shouting, ‘The Shiite blood is boiling.’ Lebanon’s Sunni Muslims mostly support the Syrian rebels while Shia Muslims in Lebanon back Assad.
Pray: against escalating tensions between the Sunni and Shia and for Christian ministries as they seeks to communicate the peace and truth of Jesus Christ amid turmoil. (Ps.20:1)
More: http://www.mnnonline.org/article/18738
Lebanon: At a turning point
27 Oct 2012Christians must continue to pray for Lebanon, Syria and the entire Middle East region, said Naji Daoud, Executive Director of SAT-7 (a Christian radio broadcasting station in Lebanon). He made the appeal after a car bomb killed the head of the Lebanese intelligence agency, and several others in a largely Christian neighbourhood of Beirut. He asked for prayer in these difficult days for Lebanon. As al-Hassan was a known opponent of the Assad regime, there is some speculation that the bombing is connected to the ongoing violence in Syria, which continues to spill into Lebanon. His death triggered violent demonstrations in Beirut and there have been calls for the Lebanese Prime Minister to step down. Naji Daoud called upon Christians in the region to ‘live faithfully’. He said, ‘The Lebanese find themselves at a turning point. We must keep praying for Lebanon, Syria and the whole Middle East.’
Pray: for the peace of Lebanon, that it will not become the victim of a proxy war between the different political and religious rivals in the region - such as the Gulf Arabs, Iran, and the Sunni and Shia worlds. (Ps.4:8)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/lebanon.at.a.turning.point/30881.htm
Seven people have been killed and more than 70 wounded after fighting in northern Lebanon between two Muslim communities divided over Syria. Street battles between Sunnis and Alawites in the city of Tripoli continued for a second night running. Old rivalry between the two groups has been fuelled by conflicting loyalties in the conflict across the border. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, an Alawite, is battling largely Sunni opposition fighters. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, himself a Sunni, appealed to both sides to end the ‘absurd battle’ rocking Tripoli, a city of nearly 200,000 people and the country's second-largest. ‘We have repeatedly warned against being drawn into this blaze that has spread around Lebanon,’ he said, speaking of the violence in Syria. He urged Tripoli residents ‘not to allow anyone to transform you into ammunition for someone else's war’.
Pray: against further spread of this conflict. Seek God’s solution and peace for all people. (Pr.29:22)
Lebanon church reaches all across Arab world
26 Apr 2011
Amid political upheavals, protests, and the radical religiosity, the Gospel is moving forward in the Middle East, thanks in no small part to one devoted church. The Free Evangelical Church of Beirut has been shining brighter and brighter light into the Arab world since pastor Joseph took a job there in 1994. The church's first mission was to establish a home for girls whose parents were either killed or unable to care for them as a result of the 15-year civil war in Lebanon. Pastor Joseph felt that God was calling him to move forward with the Gospel not just in Beirut, Lebanon, but throughout the Middle East. An African man was the first to leave the FECB in order to minister to another nation. He ventured back to his home country with the support of the church. Another church member relocated to a nearby nation to teach theology and evangelize non-believers. Further members followed the trend in becoming Church planters.
Pray: that the influence of FECB would continue and lead to many more church plants. (Ex.15:17)
More: http://www.mnnonline.org/article/15612
Laos: Officials convert church into school
04 Oct 2011Authorities in Laos forcibly confiscated a church building in Savannakhet Province on Sept. 14th ‘because the church didn’t apply for a building permit'. The authorities generally ignore a lack of building permit if religious groups cause no problems. Officials posted soldiers on guard, moved in desks and chairs and converted the 212-member congregation’s building into a government school. Christians are no longer allowed onto the property. The confiscation of Dongpaiwan church came after officials in a neighbouring village evicted ten Christians from shelters they had built on their rice paddies. They could only return if they gave up their faith. Forced renunciations of faith along with detentions, surveillance, harassment and confiscation of property has kept Laos on the ‘watch list’ of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom and clearly identified ethnic minority Protestants in Laos as the primary target of such violations.
Pray: for the Lord to strengthen Laotian Christians, show them the way forward and miraculously provide for their needs. (Is.33:2)
More: http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/laos/article_120877.html
Laos: Military kill four Christian women
18 May 2011
Alarming religious freedom abuses contine in Laos. Believers are routinely expelled, forced to relocate, pressured to renounce their faith and arrested. Several Christians were recently attacked and killed in Xiengkhouang Province. Last month troops caught a group of Christians belonging to the Hmong community, an ethnic minority and confiscated their Bibles, they shot and killed four of the women after repeatedly raping two of them. Their husbands and children were beaten, tied up and forced to witness the gruesome killings. At last report,the whereabouts of the surviving believers is unknown. The absence of free press and lack of information infrastructure in this Communist state prevents news from reaching the outside world - including that of religious freedom. This incident and other recent reports indicate a disturbing increase of repression facing Christians in the country. Pray: protection for Protestant Christians and the Hmong Christians particularly who are as a threat to Comunisim. (Heb.10:35,36)
Laos: Imprisoned Christians
21 Jul 2011
Laos is a communist state and one of East Asia's poorest countries. On January 4th police arrested Wanna and Yohan, pastors of two unregistered churches, and nine other Christians. Police released the nine detainees after they paid fines but Wanna and Yohan are still in prison. They were the principal breadwinners for their families, and their wives and families have no means of financial support. Several of Wanna’s children have since left school to find work. Pastor Wanna’s family say 'he has lost weight, is extremely weak and contracted an infection under the harsh prison conditions.’ Prison authorities have repeatedly told them they will ‘walk free’ when they sign documents renouncing their faith. Although there is less persecution of Christians recently, provincial authorities continue to violate freedom of religion or belief - particularly ethnic minority Protestants. The rights abuses include ‘detentions, surveillance, harassment, property confiscation, forced relocations and forced renunciations of faith'. Pray: for immediate release of the two pastors. (Ps.45:4) More: http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/laos/article_114762.html
Laos: Freedom for the poor
18 May 2010Laos National Growth and Poverty Eradication Strategy states, ‘Poverty is the lack of ability to fulfil basic human needs such as food, adequate clothing, permanent housing, access to health, education and transportation services.’ However, a Christian working in Laos reported, ‘When a compassionate man tried to distribute clothing to the poor living in the bitter cold mountains of Laos the response from the village headman was, ‘Why? The poor are social parasites and useless.’ The Buddhist-Animist worldview in Laos believes people are poor, sick or come upon hard times because of bad 'karma' - they did something bad in this life or a previous life and are now reaping the consequences. Most tribal groups in Laos are animists - believing everything is controlled by good and bad spirits, so sickness or poverty results from offending the spirits and the answer is to make offerings to appease the spirits. Pray for Christians modelling a Biblical worldview as they unconditionally care for the poor.
Pray: for God to look down with compassion on the nation of Laos and give His wisdom to relief and community workers. (Ps.33:12)