Iran: Death sentence possibly overturned
Following a huge prayer campaign for Youcef Nadarkhani, a Christian pastor accused of apostasy by converting from Islam; (See Prayer Alert 4710) the Supreme Court has annulled the death sentence, however they sent the case back to the court in his hometown demanding that Youcef repent. For the past ten years Nadarkhani has been a pastor in a network of house churches. Millions of Christians from around the world have been praying for the death sentence to be overturned, at the moment it is just been negated on some technicalities. A Truth Ministries report (http://www.presenttruthmn.com) states it is not all good for the pastor. There are some mixed messages on the verdict. Typically the Supreme Court either upholds or annuls a sentence. His attorney said, ‘We need to continue the pressure through the power of the prayers of the saints. God is moving in hearts, let's continue to earnestly pray.’
Pray: that Yousef experiences the presence and peace of Jesus daily and for Iranian Christians not to be intimidated by events. (Pr.28:10)
East Africa: Food crisis needs a long-term strategy
As emergency appeals get underway for people in the East and Horn of Africa, development workers plead for a more permanent solution. A ’toxic mix’ of drought, failed harvests and rising food prices have brought severe food shortages to the East and the Horn of Africa and the UN office for the co-ordination of humanitarian affairs predicts that 10 million people in parts of Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda and Djibouti will face chronic shortages and be in need of humanitarian assistance. However short-term emergency relief work has to be backed up with long-term strategies to enable people in these regions to cope when disasters such as drought and failed harvests occur, says Nigel Harris, CEO of the NGO Farm-Africa.
Pray: for God to break this drought crisis with rain, and for NGOs to develop longer-term partnerships and strategies as well as short -term solutions to climate anomalies. (Dt.11:14-15 & Job 5:10)
August 1-30, 2011, will be the dates of the international prayer focus for the Muslim World. With humble beginnings, a small group of Christian leaders met for prayer for the Islamic world during a meeting in the Middle East in April, 1992. Millions of Christians worldwide have since joined the prayer effort. The 52-page prayer guide found at www.30-days.net is produced in 42 languages each Ramadan and sent to more than 32 regional offices not to be comprehensive but to motivate and inspire the reader to prayer. It contains information, statistics, stories, and photos. This August, the prayer event will coincide with the month of Ramadan in part to remind us to pray when we hear about this in the media. As Muslims fast and pray, Christians do the same. Christians are encouraged to befriend their Muslim neighbors. The purposes of the 30 Days of prayer for the Muslim world specifically are:
• For greater breakthrough for the Gospel among Muslims
• An increased commitment to prayer by Christians
• And for more missionaries to be released to work among Muslims
There are many testimonies of Muslims coming to faith with some seeing Jesus in visions. Som Muslims have come to respect the 30 Days of Prayer network’s motto “Loving Muslims Through Prayer” while others have threatened their efforts. Please join in prayer during this time.
A number of events, mandalas and initiations all based on the Kalachakra Tantra (Time God) Intended to alter the age of the world. (out of the Christian age into Aquarius and the rule of the Chakravartin)
Agree with those on site in the USA who are mobilizing prayer and also involved in covering prayer for this event which involves welcoming occult spiritual forces into the American capital. One prayer team will be on site in Washington DC from July 1-9 and another team on two weekends: Jul 8-9, and 15-16. A core team plans to meet for prayer every Monday till the 4th of July.
One of them writes: “I am asking for His covering because the forces that are involved in this event are very powerful. I know the Lord has equipped us, but I need to know that we are safe in Jesus. We aren't trying to take on mighty powers here, we are beseeching the Lord, like Hezekiah did in Isaiah 37:14- 20, to not leave our land unguarded. It is God who is sending us to our capital for His purposes there. We go to seek Him, to listen to Him, to love and glorify Him.”
Thanks for your intercession!
VFA
“In a letter dated May 18, 2011, inviting the 49 other Governors to join him, Governor Rick Perry cited Joel 2 as the answer for the challenges facing America. We are to gather across racial, ethnic, denominational and other differences to represent the full Body of Christ on behalf of our land. A National Solemn Assembly called The Response: A Call to Prayer for a Nation in Crisis, will be held on Saturday, August 6, 2011, in Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. There will be no political agenda, no merchandise sold, no ministries promoted, no literature distributed and no offering taken. Registration is free. This event will not promote any denomination or organization. It will simply be a gathering of those who love God and love America in response to this invitation to join together and ask for His mercy, guidance, wisdom and provision. The website, www.theresponseusa.com, will give you critical information and help you see how this moment is building across the USA and among national church leaders.”
Please pray for the USA at this crucial time in the nation’s history and for the success of this wonderful attempt to bring Christ’s people together with many political leaders to pray for God’s deliverance of the nation.
“Five years after it abolished Hinduism as the state religion, Nepal is working on a new criminal code forbidding a person from one faith to “convert a person or abet him to change his religion.” Article 160 of the proposed code also says no one will be allowed to do anything or behave in any way that could case a person from a caste, community or creed to lose faith in his/her traditional religion or convert to a different religion. Offenders could be imprisoned for a maximum of five years and fined up to 50,000 Nepalese rupees (US$685).
Nepal’s Christian community, which has no representation in the Council of Ministers or in parliament, was caught unaware of the new criminal law in the offing. “We have not heard of this,” and Lokmani Dhakal, general secretary of Nepal Christian Society. “We need to look into this.” Nepal last weekend failed to complete a new constitution providing for religious freedom, thanks to a protracted battle for political power. Once the only Hindu monarchy in the world and now the youngest federal republic, Nepal was to have unveiled the document by midnight on Saturday (May 28).”
From PrayerFocus Hinduism: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The head of the EPA (The Algerian Protestant Church Association) has received the following order from the High Police commissioner in his town: “On May 5th, 2011, a decision has been made according to article number 566/11 to close down throughout the country all the Christian worship places, which are not designated for religious purposes.
Please pray:
1. May the Lord give wisdom to the Church leaders how to deal with this new wave of persecution. The vast majority of the churches are affected by the above order.
2. For the Lord to take away the spirit of fear and give His Spirit of power, love, and self control, to stand firm against the threats of the authorities. (2 Timothy 1:7)
3. For the abolishment of the March 2006 ordinances.
4. The Church will be granted the full license to be able to meet and worship freely. (The number of believers in Algeria today is estimated to be around 100,000 believers.)
5. May our Lord Jesus manifest powerfully His salvation and glorious victory against the evil one in the above situation. Amen!
Reuters News Agency reported that Syrian security forces shot dead at least 34 demonstrators in the Syrian town of Hama on Friday, as once again protesters were mown down as they left Friday’s noon prayers. The revolt against President Bashar al-Assad is in its 11th week and security forces, including snipers, fired into a crowd of thousands in an attempt to bring it to an end. “The firing began from rooftops on the demonstrators. I saw scores of people falling in Assi square and the streets and alleyways branching out. Blood was everywhere,” a witness who gave his name as Omar told Reuters from Hama. “It looked to me as if hundreds of people have been injured, but I was in a panic and wanted to find cover.” Funerals for the martyrs have already started, “he said. History may be repeating itself in Hama, where Bashar’s father, Hafez, slaughtered at least 30,000 of his own citizens in 1982, in order to suppress a revolt…
According to human rights groups, security forces have killed more than 1,000 civilians since March. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who originally called Assad a “reformer” has said that his legitimacy “had nearly run out.” Although the United States has joined NATO operations in Libya aimed at toppling Qaddafi, who has also killed his own citizens, no similar actions have been announced against Assad. The EU, Australia, and the United States have passed sanctions against the regime. Assad has responded to this continuing revolt against his rule with violence accompanied by promises of reforms, which protestors have dismissed as irrelevant. The media blackout instituted by the regime has made a mockery of those promises, and news is dependent on activists who manage to communicate via the web. A 13-year-old boy, Hamza al-Khatib, who is said to have been tortured to death, has become the symbol of the human rights outrages perpetrated by Assad’s forces. His picture is seen at protests.
From: “Anneli Dietz” Subject: Syria Bloody Friday in Hama, Syria as History Repeats Itself by INN Staff
Please pray for a just government to arise that will serve the people and that the current oppression by Assad’s administration will cease.
“A major spike in the harassment and arrest of Iranian Christians in recent months is revealing just how nervous the Islamic republic is about the prodigious success of house churches, say Iranian Christian leaders. At least 202 Christians in 24 cities faced "arbitrary" arrest between June 2010 and January 2011, according to Elam Ministries. Elam, run by Iranian expatriates, counted 80 arrests over 2008 and 2009 combined. "[Iran] has been substantially more public in its oppression of Christianity," said Todd Nettleton, a spokesman for Voice of the Martyrs. "Announcing it on the news, having the mullahs talk about it in their Friday sermons—it's just become a lot more out in the open." "Persecution has escalated to an unprecedented level," said Abe Ghaffari, executive director of Iranian Christians International.
While Iran's historic Armenian and Assyrian congregations usually enjoy freedom of worship, Farsi-speaking house churches hosting converts from Islam work under significant threat. … The government is concerned, observers say, because more and more Iranian Muslims are converting to Christianity. The house church movement is booming, with converts estimated in the hundreds of thousands. Evangelists are distributing large numbers of New Testaments, and satellite television continually beams Christian programs into the country. "The government always used to deny that Iranians become Christians," said Elam's David Yeghnazar, but now the church has become too strong to ignore. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei declared the house church network "enemies of Iran" in an October speech, which analysts labeled a rare public acknowledgement of the movement. …
Resentment against the reigning regime is spreading and deepening—especially since the disputed 2009 national elections. … "The Iranian public basically doesn't trust the government anymore," Ghaffari said, "and they don't trust the Muslim clergy anymore, because they have seen a lot of double standards and hypocrisy." Converts in smaller communities still risk persecution from their own families, but tolerance is growing in urban areas and among the younger generation. "In fact," said Dibaj, "in places like Tehran and more educated communities, if you say, 'I have become a Christian,' they will respect you because of your courage and your independent thinking." If anything, government persecution has made Christianity much more attractive, said Yegh-nazar. "When government officials are on television telling people not to read the Scriptures, that generates more interest in the Scriptures."
Excerpted from Christianity Today, June 6, 2011.
Lord, let your Gospel continue to speed on and triumph throughout Iranian society! Please strengthen and protect your workers who are bearing the brunt of the opposition by political and religious authorities.
Phone hacking: David Cameron bows to calls for public inquiries
Labour MP Chris Bryant successfully pushed for an emergency commons debate into calling for a public inquiry into phone hacking. The Speaker John Bercow granted the rare emergency debate which resulted in David Cameron agreeing to hold a full public enquiry into allegations against journalists hacking phones and subsequent police investigations. Pressed by Ed Miliband to conduct the full public inquiry, the Prime Minister agreed that it was important that the inquiries should be ‘public, independent, and have public confidence’ adding that the inquiries could not be started immediately because of the major police investigation currently under way, though it may be possible to start some of the work earlier. He said the two vital areas were why the original police inquiry failed to ‘get to the bottom of what happened’, and the behaviour, practices and ethics of journalists and media organisations.
Pray: for all that is hidden to be revealed. (Ps.45:4)
More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/06/david-cameron-phone-hacking-inquiry