Asia: the persecuted Church
15 Sep 2017
Many Christians leaving Islam in Saudi Arabia are handed over to their relatives and vanish, never to be heard from again. To leave Islam is seen as a great source of shame to families and communities in Islamic nations. Christians in closed Islamic countries often feel they have no choice but to flee the oppressive regimes. And yet there are Muslims in Saudi Arabia, Iran, and other Islamic states who are risking their lives to follow Jesus. Pray for protection for these secret believers; may they grow in their faith. Globally, persecuted Christians face stark dilemmas every day. ‘Can we practise the Christian faith without telling anyone?’ ‘How can we worship and evangelise without incurring the wrath of the mob?’ ‘Can we live out our faith in society when the eyes of the government are everywhere?’ ‘Can we get to a place where our house or church will not be bombed tomorrow?’
Patrick Mitchell began transgendering to become a girl when he was twelve, then changed his mind two years later and will now be undergoing surgery to remove breast tissue that grew as a result of taking oestrogen. He gave a TV interview to explain how being called a girl actually made him realise he was comfortable as a boy. Walt Heyer, founder of SexChangeRegret.com, said ‘Patrick’s story is more proof that the trans-activist doctors go forward recklessly with transgender treatments, but have no way of verifying who is transgender and who is not. What we do know is that through persistent affirmation by parents, doctors and schools, we can cause children to think they are transgender.’ Transgenders undergo hormone injections and irreversible surgeries to feel better, yet surveys reveal that they attempt and commit suicide at an alarming rate, even after treatment. One UK survey showed almost half of transgender children have attempted to kill themselves. See
Iran: God’s love for the Middle East
15 Sep 2017
In countries where shame is used as a tool to change people’s behaviour, the love of Christ has a powerful effect. That’s what is behind Mohabat TV, a Christian satellite television ministry to Farsi-speaking people. Dr Mike Ansari says, ‘Mohabat is a Farsi word, meaning Agape love. Our audience is the Farsi speakers of Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. When people talk about love, it really resonates through that culture. It’s a culture of honour, it’s a culture of shame. It’s a culture where love really speaks volumes, so what better name for our ministry than the love of the Father for His children?’ Mohabat TV strives to present the Gospel in a ‘non-threatening, non-political’ way; it partners with eighty ministries who supply programming, distribute Bibles, and help believers connect with each other.
Port Elizabeth, South Africa, will have its first Walk For Freedom on 14 October. The walkers will join people in hundreds of other cities across fifty nations, who will be participating in this global anti-human trafficking fundraising and awareness campaign. Between 8am and 12pm people will be dressed in black, walking silently, in single file, in popular locations such as the Eiffel Tower and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They all have one thing in common: a desire to abolish slavery in a world where millions are enslaved as a result of the $150-billion human trafficking industry.
Venezuela: food shortages and poverty
15 Sep 2017
Despite being an oil-rich country, Venezuela has record levels of child malnutrition as it experiences severe shortages of food and an inflation rate of over 700%. The crippling economic crisis means that eating meat is a luxury for many, but the government believes it has the answer with a plan to breed and consume rabbits - ‘because rabbits breed like rabbits’, as President Maduro joked on state television when introducing the idea. A recent survey showed that nearly 75% of the population lost an average 19 pounds in weight from lack of proper nutrition because of poverty. Maduro said people needed to understand that the rabbit is not just a pet, it is 2.5 kilos of meat with high protein and no cholesterol. The IMF said voracious inflation will climb to 720% this year. Poor Venezuelans spend 10% of their income to buy a kilo of meat. See also
Iraq: Christians returning to Mosul
08 Sep 2017
In July many feared that Christians would not be able to return to Mosul (see ). However, they are cautiously coming back; and as they do so, so does the Mass. Father Luis Montes celebrated Mass at St George’s Monastery. The priest travelled to Mosul to record part of a documentary that seeks to show the reality of life for Christians in Iraq and Syria. ‘The experience of celebrating the Eucharist amidst so much devastation was awe-inspiring’, he said. ‘In this place, which has been attacked for being Christian, the contemplation of the mystery of the cross, which is renewed in Holy Mass, had so much power. Some priests later told the young people who accompanied me that they believed that this was the first Mass celebrated in the last three years within Mosul, which was among the areas hardest hit by IS. It’s really a gift from God.’
Middle East: fearlessly spreading God's Word
08 Sep 2017
Nizar Shaheen, of Light for the Nations (a Christian programme aired in Muslim-dense areas), says, ‘I've seen many, many Arabic-speaking people turning to Christ, accepting Him as Lord and Saviour. It's happening all over the Arab world; in North Africa and the Gulf countries; in Europe, Canada and the United States. Everywhere, people are accepting Jesus.’ Also in the Middle East, Coptic priest Father Zakaria Botros is confronting Islam with an in-your-face style of television and internet evangelism. He reports Muslims turning to Jesus: ‘young and old, educated and not educated, males and females, even those who are fanatical.’ It is not uncommon these days to hear of Muslims encountering God as they slept. Around the world, many who have converted to Christianity say they have done so after dreaming of a person who they believe is Jesus Christ.
Friday Focus: visionary leadership
08 Sep 2017
In 2015 forty Christian leaders gathered in the Lake District for 24 hours of prayer and reflection. Next week leaders gather once again at the invitation of HOPE, the Evangelical Alliance, and the Church of England, to seek God for His strategy to make Jesus known.
(Roy Crowne, HOPE)