North Korea: Captured defectors punishment has intensified
The number of Christians in North Korea is unknown. They either hide their faith or face terrible consequences. People have been executed for owning a Bible. Many Christians are sent to concentration camps as ‘political prisoners’ and subjected to torture, abuse, execution or simply worked to death. A reliable source reports that ‘the new young leader Kin Jong Un views the underground Christian church as a source of resistance to his untested leadership, and is repressing Christians even more severely than his father. Another source reports, ‘10% of North Korean Christians who escape to South Korea and return to China to work in Christian ministry are kidnapped from China by underground North Korean State Security and taken to North Korea, tortured for information, and killed.’
Pray: for protection and endurance for the brave underground church living under these extreme conditions, for God to have mercy on Kim Jong Un and change his heart towards defectors in their bid for freedom of speech and beliefs. (Ps.3:8)
More: http://www.releaseinternational.org/media/download_gallery/RELEASE%20MAG%2071%20linked.pdf
NIGERIA: North Korean doctors and evangelists killed
Boko Haram killed three North Korean doctors in the latest attack on health workers. The deaths on Saturday night come after gunmen killed at least nine women administering polio vaccines in Kano. Some believe Boko Haram are picking soft targets in its campaign of shootings and bombings across the country. The North Korean doctors had lived in the state since 2005 as part of a medical programme. They were attacked inside their home (which had no security guards; they also travelled without police escort). When soldiers arrived at the house they found two of the men had their throats slit, the other was decapitated. Also Church of the Brethren Newsline reported 15 people killed and 8 sustaining gunshot wounds in an attack on a church at the beginning of the month. The church building and the pastor’s office were burned down, along with some houses belonging to Christians.
Pray: against Boko Haram - whose name means ‘western education is sacrilege,’ pray for Christians working in Nigeria’s health systems, pray also for the families of the deceased. (Ps.2:1-2,12b)
More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/10/south-korea-doctors-nigeria-killed
Spreading the Gospel across the capital
Church leaders left Methodist Central Hall feeling energised after an evening of praise, worship and inspirational talks on sharing the life-changing message of the Gospel within their communities. Crossing London Mission 2013 (http://www.crossinglondon.co.uk) aims to equip London churches of all denominations with the skills to step out into their local areas to deliver hope to the lonely and the broken. The first meeting of the year, titled ‘Inspire’, was aimed at encouraging leaders and took place in Westminster on Saturday. ‘Crossing London is not simply an event or a series of events, it is about creating a movement,’ said Stephen Gaukroger, Executive Chair of Crossing London. ‘Our vision is to see London change, person by person, street by street, community by community.’ He continued: ‘There are issues around sexuality and morality, poverty and crime in our capital city. What’s the answer? There is no economic or political solution for this, there is only a spiritual solution.’
Praise: God that this initiative will stir the churches into reaching out to the communities. (Ps.57:10)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/spreading.the.gospel.across.the.capital/31557.htm
Spreading the Gospel across the capital
Church leaders left Methodist Central Hall feeling energised after an evening of praise, worship and inspirational talks on sharing the life-changing message of the Gospel within their communities. Crossing London Mission 2013 (http://www.crossinglondon.co.uk) aims to equip London churches of all denominations with the skills to step out into their local areas to deliver hope to the lonely and the broken. The first meeting of the year, titled ‘Inspire’, was aimed at encouraging leaders and took place in Westminster on Saturday. ‘Crossing London is not simply an event or a series of events, it is about creating a movement,’ said Stephen Gaukroger, Executive Chair of Crossing London. ‘Our vision is to see London change, person by person, street by street, community by community.’ He continued: ‘There are issues around sexuality and morality, poverty and crime in our capital city. What’s the answer? There is no economic or political solution for this, there is only a spiritual solution.’
Praise: God that this initiative will stir the churches into reaching out to the communities. (Ps.57:10)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/spreading.the.gospel.across.the.capital/31557.htm
Paralympian raises funds for wheelchairs
British Paralympic Christian wheelchair racer, Anne Wafula Strike, is helping the charity International Nepal Fellowship (INF) to raise funds for wheelchairs for children with cerebral palsy in Nepal. Cerebral palsy is the most common cause of disability for children in Nepal. Disabled children there do not have easy access to equipment and often have to be carried around by their parents. Anne presented the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of INF to raise funds to purchase suitable wheelchairs. She said, ‘I had to wait 29 years to receive my first wheelchair’. A wheelchair can provide independence, equality and involvement in society giving people with disabilities the chance to improve their lives and the lives of others.’
Praise: God for raising funds for and awareness of the needs of people with physical and learning disabilities. May their work reap multiplying rewards. (Ps.45:4)
More: http://www.inspiremagazine.org.uk/Stories/International?storyaction=view&storyid=291
Paralympian raises funds for wheelchairs
British Paralympic Christian wheelchair racer, Anne Wafula Strike, is helping the charity International Nepal Fellowship (INF) to raise funds for wheelchairs for children with cerebral palsy in Nepal. Cerebral palsy is the most common cause of disability for children in Nepal. Disabled children there do not have easy access to equipment and often have to be carried around by their parents. Anne presented the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of INF to raise funds to purchase suitable wheelchairs. She said, ‘I had to wait 29 years to receive my first wheelchair’. A wheelchair can provide independence, equality and involvement in society giving people with disabilities the chance to improve their lives and the lives of others.’
Praise: God for raising funds for and awareness of the needs of people with physical and learning disabilities. May their work reap multiplying rewards. (Ps.45:4)
More: http://www.inspiremagazine.org.uk/Stories/International?storyaction=view&storyid=291
The United Nations estimates some 20 million slaves, mostly women and children, are being trafficked to work in bondage, many in the sex trade—more than half of them in Asia. In a two-part series, The Pearl report went to mainland China and South East Asia to investigate this human trade: ex-perpetrators, policy-makers, victims and those trying to help them.
Reporter: Sylvia Yu
“LinkedIn Updates” (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Pray that governments and the international community as a whole will get very tough with the criminals that traffick with human beings. Pray for these unfortunate women and children to be found and set free.
Lent: Pray differently, praying great things
Praying can be frustrating. Most Christians are convinced that they should pray more than they do. But it’s hard. Some don’t pray because they don’t know what to say. It can seem that the best praying is done by super-spiritual types who have command of some sacred vocabulary. The forty days to Palm Sunday February 13 – March 24, 2013 makes an ideal time to venture into a season of sustained, hope-filled prayer. To pray differently, praying great things. Because of this sense of frustration, instead of calling people to pray more, we need to urge people to pray differently than they may have learned or experienced. How differently? In what ways should our praying be different? Waymakers is a mobilization ministry focused on seeing Christ’s glory enhanced and advanced by sensitive, persistent prayer. Their website offers new ways to pray differently, equip and encourage Christians to pursue a vision of living in a prayed-for community, and of course, a prayed for world.
Pray: that the Holy Spirit will teach us new ways to pray that will change the world. (Lk.11:1)
More: http://waymakers.org/about/
UK sees rise in suicides
2011 saw a significant rise in the number of people in the UK taking their own life, according to new figures. According to the Office for National Statistics, some 6,045 people committed suicide in 2011, up by 437 on the previous year. An average of 11.8 people per 100,000 population ended their lives in 2011, compared to 11.1 people in 2010. Men between the ages of 30 and 44 were most likely to take their own life. Figures from the ONS reveal that the rate of suicides among men in 2011 was the highest since 2002, with 4,552 men committing suicide. The suicide rate among women was far lower, with 1,493 women killing themselves in 2011. The average number of suicides among women fell across all age categories in the last three decades. The 2010 and 2011 figures among men brought an end to more than 10 years of falling suicide rates.
Pray: that the increasing numbers of suicides would cease and the causes be found. (Is.41:10)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/uk.sees.rise.in.suicides/31497.htm
Radical police integrity reforms announced
Theresa May introduced measures to root out police corruption. All officers must declare second jobs they do. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) will expand to investigate all serious complaints. Last year the IPCC investigated only 130 of the 2,100 cases referred to it, the remainder returned to individual police forces to investigate. Nearly a third of these internally-investigated complaints were found to have been mishandled at appeal. The Home Secretary will draw on the resources currently devoted to the internal professional standards departments of individual police forces to provide the increased capacity for the IPCC, and will give the IPCC powers to investigate private sector companies working for the police. Ms May also said she was prepared to consider any further legislative changes requested by the Commission.
Pray: that all investigations into complaints against the police will be just and righteous – may there be a better atmosphere of confidence in our police. (Ps.9:16)
More: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/media-centre/press-releases/1155613