Please watch the attached prayer video to understand the torment that Africa's most populous nation is undergoing due to the national battles against widespread corruption and the radical Islamic group, Boko Haram, which has killed or kidnapped thousands of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray for the important national election on February 14 that good, strong, honest leadership will be put in place to guide the nation into a better future.
Hundreds of girls abducted. Children used as suicide bombers. Whole villages wiped off the map. Nigeria faces a burgeoning genocide by the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram. This humanitarian crisis has already taken roughly 16,000 lives and affected three million people since 2011. A recent attack may have been the deadliest yet, with some reporting as many as 2,000 casualties. As the February 14 election draws near, the violence has intensified.
Ranked number ten on the World Watch List for persecution, this devastated nation saw the largest number of Christians martyred for their faith in 2014. Though over half of Nigerians claim Christianity, Islamic sharia law has been implemented in one third of the states.
But with persecution has come an increase in unity and prayer in the very large and growing Nigerian church. We join with a Nigerian believer in praying, "May the Holy Spirit embolden us to follow Christ with renewed devotion and dedication, because no force shall destroy the church of God in northern Nigeria."
Together let's watch and pray,
The Prayercast Team
prayercast.com
a ministry of OneWay
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I am a Muslim. Both my parents are Muslims. All four of my grandparents were Muslims. So were their parents and their grandparents. I have always been proud to be Muslim for Islam is a religion of peace, a religion of justice, a religion of love. But lately I am confused.
I grew up knowing that Islam is a way of life. Islam means submission and obedience to God's law. God's law, not the laws of humans who interpret the words of God. Not the laws set by people who call themselves religious scholars or leaders of an Islamic nation but tell us to go against the core teachings of Islam.
These are the people who told us to hate all the Jews of the world when Israel killed thousands of Palestinians, but do not condemn the killing of Muslims by Muslims such as the ISIS militants.
These are the people who were very vocal when Muslim Rohingyas went through ethnic cleansing in Myanmar but have done nothing to help the Rohingyas who have come to Malaysia for protection.
These are the people who would act against anyone making fun of Islam in their writings but they themselves disrespect others through their sermons and speeches.
These are the people who claim 9/11 and the Charlie Hebdo massacre were needed as a warning to the infidels to stop ridiculing Islam but ridicule other faiths all the time.
These are the people who safeguard the sanctity of the holy book of Muslims but couldn't care less about the holy books of other religions, even threatening to burn them.
These are the people who would encourage the entire Muslim population in the country to boycott the products of Israel, the US, Denmark and Holland over some incident taking place thousands of miles away but have never made a stand over the injustice taking place in the Middle East.
These are the people who condemn kafir countries when Muslim students are not allowed to wear hijab to school but look away when a Muslim woman is beheaded or stoned to death in an Islamic country.
These are the people who chant about freedom but imprisons anyone who speaks against their rulings.
These are the people who speak of human rights but snatches away a child from his non-Muslim mother and gives him to his newly converted father.
These are the people who talk of respecting one another, but would break into someone's bedroom in the wee hours of the morning.
These are the people who claim to be the leaders of an Islamic nation but use Islam only to oppress others in order to achieve their own personal agendas.
I am sorry, but I am really confused.
Isn't Islam a religion of peace? Isn't Islam a religion of justice? Isn't Islam a religion of love? Where is the peace, justice and love?
Today when I tell people I am a Muslim, the first question is usually: "What type of Muslim are you? Conservative or liberal? Umno Islam or PAS Islam?"
How do I answer that? How Muslim can a Muslim be?
Surely being born to Muslim parents doesn't make you Muslim.
Praying five times a day doesn't make you Muslim.
Reading the Holy Quran doesn't make you Muslim.
Covering yourself head to toe doesn't make you Muslim.
Consuming only halal products doesn't make you Muslim.
Performing the Haj doesn't make you Muslim.
Having an Arabic name doesn't make you Muslim.
Going on a killing spree in the name of jihad doesn't make you Muslim.
Being offended every time people ridicule Allah or the prophets doesn't make you Muslim.
Sticking "I am Muslim" on your windscreen doesn't make you MusIim.
Protesting against the building of temples in your neighbourhood doesn't make you Muslim.
Not celebrating Christmas or Valentine's Day doesn't make you Muslim.
Decorating your home with verses from the Quran doesn't make you Muslim.
Saying "In the name of God" before eating or drinking doesn't make you Muslim.
Feeling offended over Charlie Hebdo's cartoons doesn't make you Muslim.
Supporting hudud doesn't make you Muslim.
Having "Islam" stated as your religion on a piece of card doesn't make you Muslim.
So what makes you Muslim?
"It is not the eyes that are blind, but the hearts." - Quran, 22:46
Pray for Muslim people suffering such confusion that they will come to His light and be set free from delusion and lostness they are experiencing. Pray that visions and dreams of Christ will multiply among them and that Christians will be empowered with wisdom and boldness to share the Lord and the Gospel with them.
‘Europe’s interests come first’, says new Greek government
There were smiles all round in Paris, France on Sunday (1 February) as Greece’s new Finance minister Yanis Varoufakis discussed a fresh debt deal with his French counterpart. Varoufakis is on a diplomatic offensive to persuade sceptical eurozone members to agree - by the end of May - on a plan that does not include Greece accepting further bailout money. Hosting the meeting, French Finance Minister Michel Sapin, said France was prepared to help Greece straighten out its finances and added: ‘We cannot rebuild a country without a fair tax system. We must fight against tax fraud and tax optimisation. We are waging a battle both in Europe and at an international level within the G20. But it is obviously something absolutely necessary for Greece, as well.’
We don't take rights of Christians seriously enough, says Council of Europe
Following multiple stories of religious discrimination, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has voted overwhelmingly in favour of a report into injustice against Christians. Moldovan Christian MP Valeriu Ghiletchi, of the Equality and Non-Discrimination Committee, submitted the report, entitled 'Tackling intolerance and discrimination in Europe with a special focus on Christianity'. The report uses case studies from across Europe, including the UK, to highlight the need to improve ‘the principle of reasonable accommodation’ and ensure that Christians in particular are not penalised for their beliefs. ‘Freedom of religion is a fundamental right and one of the foundations of a democratic and pluralist society,’ the report states. ‘Intolerance and discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief affect minority religious groups in Europe as well as people belonging to majority religious groups. However, acts of hostility, violence and vandalism targeting Christians and their places of worship are insufficiently taken into consideration and condemned.
‘Europe’s interests come first’, says new Greek government
There were smiles all round in Paris, France on Sunday (1 February) as Greece’s new Finance minister Yanis Varoufakis discussed a fresh debt deal with his French counterpart. Varoufakis is on a diplomatic offensive to persuade sceptical eurozone members to agree - by the end of May - on a plan that does not include Greece accepting further bailout money. Hosting the meeting, French Finance Minister Michel Sapin, said France was prepared to help Greece straighten out its finances and added: ‘We cannot rebuild a country without a fair tax system. We must fight against tax fraud and tax optimisation. We are waging a battle both in Europe and at an international level within the G20. But it is obviously something absolutely necessary for Greece, as well.’
‘Europe’s interests come first’, says new Greek government
There were smiles all round in Paris, France on Sunday (1 February) as Greece’s new Finance minister Yanis Varoufakis discussed a fresh debt deal with his French counterpart. Varoufakis is on a diplomatic offensive to persuade sceptical eurozone members to agree - by the end of May - on a plan that does not include Greece accepting further bailout money. Hosting the meeting, French Finance Minister Michel Sapin, said France was prepared to help Greece straighten out its finances and added: ‘We cannot rebuild a country without a fair tax system. We must fight against tax fraud and tax optimisation. We are waging a battle both in Europe and at an international level within the G20. But it is obviously something absolutely necessary for Greece, as well.’
We don't take rights of Christians seriously enough, says Council of Europe
Following multiple stories of religious discrimination, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has voted overwhelmingly in favour of a report into injustice against Christians. Moldovan Christian MP Valeriu Ghiletchi, of the Equality and Non-Discrimination Committee, submitted the report, entitled 'Tackling intolerance and discrimination in Europe with a special focus on Christianity'. The report uses case studies from across Europe, including the UK, to highlight the need to improve ‘the principle of reasonable accommodation’ and ensure that Christians in particular are not penalised for their beliefs. ‘Freedom of religion is a fundamental right and one of the foundations of a democratic and pluralist society,’ the report states. ‘Intolerance and discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief affect minority religious groups in Europe as well as people belonging to majority religious groups. However, acts of hostility, violence and vandalism targeting Christians and their places of worship are insufficiently taken into consideration and condemned.
British Citizen Award for CMS mission partner Ann-Marie Wilson
In recognition of her work researching and campaigning against female genital mutilation (FGM), 28 Too Many founder and executive director Dr Ann-Marie Wilson has been awarded a British Citizen Award. Ann-Marie, who is a CMS mission partner, is one of 28 people chosen from hundreds of nominations to receive the new awards, celebrating the selfless and often vital work they do for others. Each of them was presented with a medal at a ceremony in Westminster , 29 January. Ann-Marie first came across FGM whilst working in a refugee camp in Sudan in 2005 where she met survivors of this harmful practice. After hearing their heart-rending stories and learning more about FGM, Ann-Marie was shocked that so many people did not know about this widespread practice affecting over 140 million girls and women worldwide and which has devastating consequences.
Mongolia: Jesus and the final frontiers
Amid the rugged beauty and fascinating culture of Mongolia, there is a spiritual awakening taking place. People there are coming to Christ because people have prayed, worked and given to make Him known in a place where Communism once forbade the practice of religion. ‘Today,’ writes Wayne Pederson, President of Reach Beyond ‘there are about 40,000 believers worshipping in some 600 churches across the country. That’s the good news. The challenge is that the 40,000 believers represent only about 1.2 percent of the nation’s population.’ The project’s future goal is to work with local believers to put a Christian radio station in each of Mongolia’s 21 provinces, blanketing the nation with gospel broadcasts
British Citizen Award for CMS mission partner Ann-Marie Wilson
In recognition of her work researching and campaigning against female genital mutilation (FGM), 28 Too Many founder and executive director Dr Ann-Marie Wilson has been awarded a British Citizen Award. Ann-Marie, who is a CMS mission partner, is one of 28 people chosen from hundreds of nominations to receive the new awards, celebrating the selfless and often vital work they do for others. Each of them was presented with a medal at a ceremony in Westminster , 29 January. Ann-Marie first came across FGM whilst working in a refugee camp in Sudan in 2005 where she met survivors of this harmful practice. After hearing their heart-rending stories and learning more about FGM, Ann-Marie was shocked that so many people did not know about this widespread practice affecting over 140 million girls and women worldwide and which has devastating consequences.