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Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke, the alleged Jamaican druglord who is facing extradition to the United States, has been captured, after a manhunt for him triggered deadly unrest across Kingston last month. ‘The security forces wish to confirm reports that Christopher Lloyd Coke, for whom police are holding a warrant of arrest regarding extradition proceedings, was arrested,’ Police Commissioner Owen Ellington said. Local church leader Rev Al Miller earlier said that he had ‘helped in the process to hand over Coke’. The church leader had helped in negotiations to ease tensions after a police operation to capture Coke that left 73 people dead in a Kingston slum. (See Prayer Alert 2210) Jamaican police backed by troops descended on Coke's stronghold in the impoverished Tivoli Gardens slum last month seeking to arrest him. Praise: God for this answer to our prayers for the cleansing of Kingston. (Ps.145:1)
Marking the launch of a three-week evangelistic campaign aimed at the entire Latin world, FestiNapoli with Luis Palau drew thousands of individuals from the coastal city of Naples, this past Friday and Saturday for a free evangelistic festival. Packing the main plaza along the famed Via Francesco Caracciolo, the historic nature of the two-day festival could be felt by all. According to locals, it marked the first time in recent history that the evangelical community has been granted permission from city officials to host a public, outdoor evangelistic event. ‘We are so encouraged by this festival,’ said festival chairman Marcelo Simon Rodriguez. ‘This represents a great step forward for the evangelical Church in Italy.’ Joining with more than 20 local congregations, as well as a handful soccer stars and recording artists from the region, world evangelist Luis Palau shared the Good News both nights of the festival, reaching thousands of individuals in person with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ.
Praise: God for the FestiNapoli and the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing new life. (Rom.6:4)
More: http://www.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=43532&PN=1&TPN=1
Israeli news stations are reporting a miracle that’s impossible to explain. - When Therese Daoud arrived at Tel Aviv's Ichilov Hospital with a malignant tumour the size, of orange doctors said her only chance of survival would be to amputate the leg. However Therese said the surgery was postponed three times due to unforeseen incidents and ‘This was a clear sign to me from Heaven that I should not have the surgery.’ Israeli TV showed images of Therese praying in a church and three months later they reported the killer growth had receded dramatically. ’This just does not happen’ stammered a professor. ‘A growth of this kind cannot recede like this.’ Hospital staff and reporters traveled to Therese's home to look for other explanations. They tasted the food she eats and checked the water she drinks, but there was no physical explanation. They left contemplating one undeniable, unavoidable and very uncomfortable option—that prayer in Yeshua, the Messiah of Israel, still heals today.
Towards the end of 2009, an Iranian doctor from a religious family in a smaller city of Iran was watching Elam’s evangelistic television program ‘Healing for the broken hearted.’ He was deeply moved by testimony of the Christian on the program. When the presenters invited viewers to call in for prayer he did so despite the risks. The Elam counsellor shared with him and he requested follow up contact. So they gave his details to one of the church planters in Iran who courageously went to visit him in early 2010. The Doctor heard the Gospel once more and then repented right there in his office. Believers are meeting with him regularly to disciple him.
Praise: God for this new brother in Christ, and pray for him to grow and be a powerful Christian witness in his city. (Ps.73:23-24)
More: http://www.elam.com/articles/Prayer-News/
An increase in the arrest of Iranians converting from Islam reveals an abundant harvest resulting from evangelism by clandestine house churches in the Islamic state, according to Iranian Christian leaders. ‘Persecution has escalated to an unprecedented level,’ said Abe Ghaffari, executive director of Iranian Christians International. The increase in persecution is believed to be directly proportional to the number of Iranian Muslims converting to Christianity with numbers estimated in the thousands; many of those conversions may have begun after the Islamic state lost credibility in the disputed 2009 national elections. ‘Before the revolution, the clerics were promising that once Iran becomes an Islamic state, it would be utopia, it would be brotherhood, and everything would be fine,’ said Dibaj, but Iranians ‘have seen nothing but war and fighting and international isolation and hatred: now they are thirsting for change.’ Government persecution is making Christianity even more attractive, said Elam's David Yeghnazar. Praise: God that out of persecution come God’s blessings. (Dt.23:5) More: http://www.worthynews.com/10262-iranian-persecution-increases-christianitys-appeal-among-muslims
We are overjoyed to report that Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, the Iranian pastor on death row for apostasy, was acquitted and released from prison on Saturday. (See Prayer Alert 36-2012) He is now at home with his family for the first time in three years, but is being tightly monitored by the authorities. It is no coincidence that he was released on a day when Christians worldwide were praying for him around the clock! Thank you so much for the part you played in CSW’s campaign. Pastor Nadarkhani was due to appear in court to face new charges thought to be linked to crimes against national security. Instead during court proceedings, he was acquitted of apostasy, but found guilty of evangelising Muslims. He was sentenced to three years imprisonment for the latter charge, but released on relatively minimal bail because he had already served all but a month of this time.
Praise: God for this wonderful answer to prayer. (Eph.3:20)
More: http://dynamic.csw.org.uk/article.asp?t=news&id=1328&search=
After watching a Christian evangelistic broadcast recently, an Iranian family prayed to ask Christ into their hearts. But they were worried they might not have prayed ‘correctly’. So they made an audio recording of their prayer and sent it to Voice of the Martyrs ministry broadcast partner, Iran Alive, to make sure they had done it right. Their prayer was sincere and heartfelt, and Iran Alive wrote the family to tell them their prayer was a wonderful way of entering Christ's family. The family in Iran then told their Muslim friends about Christ and played the recorded prayer for them. Within a week, 20 more Muslims had come to know Christ! Click the 'More' button to hear the prayer.
Praise: that in the midst of unprecedented persecution God is revealing Himself to millions through technology. (Ps.103:6)
More: http://deaconjohn1987.blogspot.com/2012/03/iran-one-prayer-twenty-muslim-hearts.html
Two Christian prisoners of faith have been acquitted of all charges 14 months after their arrest - and are now safe in a country outside Iran. Maryam Rustampoor and Marzieh Esmaeilabad left Iran last Saturday - with a warning from the courts that they would be 'dealt with severely' if they were ever involved in Christian activities in Iran again. Maryam said: 'The prayers of people encouraged and sustained us throughout this ordeal.' They were arrested in March 2009 (Prayer Alert 1609) and charged with 'apostasy' and 'propagating Christianity'. They were held at Tehran's Evin prison where they endured repeated interrogations and solitary confinement. They were released on bail in November. (See Prayer Alert 4709) The Iranian authorities have also released on bail a couple from Isfahan, Hamid Shafiee and Reyhaneh Aghajary, following a large bail payment. They have been told to expect a future court summons.
Praise: God for the release of Maryam and Marzieh, bless them with a fruitful ministry and pray all charges against Hamid and Reyhaneh will now be dropped. (Ps.145:3-4)
More: http://www.releaseinternational.org/pages/posts/iran-maryam-and-marzieh-acquitted-free-and-now-safe-707.php
Despite persecution, the Iranian church is growing rapidly with over 300,000 New Testaments printed and leading Iranians to Christ. Church leaders are asking for more Bibles as they believe large-scale Scripture distribution will be instrumental in millions of Iranians coming to know Jesus Christ. One church planter received 1,000 New Testaments last month from Elam Ministries and said the New Testaments are the best way to share the love of Christ with the Iranian people. ‘I have personally given thousands out over the last few years and I’ve only had one person tell me they don’t want it.’ He added, ‘A few weeks ago we witnessed to a lady who was about to commit suicide and we gave her a New Testament. Praise God she did not go through with her plans. Please pray for her to find salvation and for the many others in Iran on the brink of suicide. Pray the Word of God will reach them too.’
Praise: God for Bible translators and fearless Christians in closed countries and ask Him to open more avenues of ministry throughout Iran. (1Ki.8:42)
The church in this city had been wiped out in the early 1900s, and there had been no Christian witness until just a few years ago when a Persian speaking church was planted there. This past Easter Sunday forty-one people were baptized there in a thriving church led by Elam graduates. Thirty-nine of them were from a Muslim background and two were from a nominal Christian one. These two had been led to Christ by an Iranian believer from a Muslim background. During a powerful service, twenty-six Iranians, fourteen Afghans, and one Iraqi shared their testimonies and glorified Christ. Families were baptized together. In one case a grandmother with her daughter and son in law and their two teenage boys were baptized, and in another, an Afghan lady with her five children who are in their twenties. (See also World article above) Praise: God the power of the cross and pray that God would keep these new believers under the shadow of His wing. (Ps.91:1)