Please read the posts below

The posts below are for July, but since I will, Lordwilling, be away the entire month on a mission trip to Peru and then family vacation, I am posting them early. Please pray for me that my trip will be successful and then check back on my blogs in August to see how it all went!

Living for Christ in Indonesia

I would like you all to pray for a man named Abraham Bentar who came to Christ in 1998. He has endured family persecution - a common phenomena among those who convert from Islam to Christianity. On top of this, he was recently arrested in March and is serving a four and a half year prison sentence for evangelizing Muslims. Please visit www.prisoneralert.com to see how you may take action on his behalf and learn more about this brother in Christ and his sufferings.
Sources:
VOM-USA News and Prayer Update
Prisoner Alert

Reality Strike!

Should Christians support the teaching of Intelligent Design or should we oppose it because it doesn't specifically talk about the God of the Bible?

Murder in India

Please remember the family of Prem Kumar, an Indian Christian preacher killed on June 8th. Hindu extremists may have murdered the man. Please pray for the family and pray for the murderers that they will turn themselves in and come to the saving knowledge of Christ. Pray also for a breaking down of the strong religious barriers in India so the gospel may go forth with power and strength and bring many to Christ.
Sources:
VOM-USA News and Prayer Update

China: Christ in Chains

In previous posts, I have been talking about the Persecuted Church. As believers in the United States with great freedoms of worship, we cannot ignore our brothers and sisters who do not live in such blessed governmental circumstances. I would like to focus on different countries and the persecutions that believers have been enduring for the past few months.

The country for this post is China. Despite the fact that there are evidences of increased freedom in this country, there is still a good amount of persecution going on. A brief overview of some of them will help you to appreciate what your brothers and sisters are undergoing in this country, and give you a feel for what to pray for.

March 23, 2006 Seven foreign church leaders questioned for five hours

April 18, 2006 Gong Shengliang beaten by a fellow prisoner. Prisoner was lauded for beating the pastor, and Shengliang was punished for reporting it.

April 26, 2006 Liu Yuhua arrested under charges of "being involved in illegal business practices" (a.k.a printing and distributing Bibles)

May 10th, 2006 Pastors and house-church leaders arrested and questioned for ten hours.

May 26, 2006 Pastor Wang Zaiqing also arrested for "being involved in illegal business
practices"

May 28th, 2006 Over 20 Christians arrested, many released several hours later.

Please be in prayer for your brothers and sisters in China as they endure these unjust persecutions as well as the many whom I have not mentioned who are suffering long sentences in jails for simple things like writing for a Christian magazine.

Sources:
VOM-USA News and Prayer Update

The Cost

Has your faith cost you something recently? For Benjamin Dhunigana and John Dai (arrested Jan. 8, 2006), it has cost them 6 months in prison without trial, followed by sentences for three and three and a half years in prison. They have some time to try and fight against it, but there is no doubt that these men have suffered for the cause of Christ.

While driving along one day, Ben and John saw a woman walking by the side of the road. When offered a ride, she accepted the invitation and later after eating at her house, they showed the Jesus film for her and her neighbors. Someone reported these men and hence their prison sentence.

Perhaps your faith has cost you something recently as well, maybe the loss of a friend or the brunt of cruel jokes, but whatever the cost it is in the long run very small in light of the glory set before us for those who endure to the end and are faithful.

Please pray today for Ben and John that they will be faithful to the gospel, and if it is the Lord's will that they will be released. Also, please take action and write a letter to the Bhutanese delegation to the United Nations (bhutan@un.int). Make sure that it is polite, but also do not hesitate to express your dismay. Pray that the Lord will bless your letter. Let's flood the office!

Reality Strike

How do you practically live out not working as a man-pleaser for eyeservice, but for God?

New Blog!

I've started a more biographical blog that I hope to update more than Christian, Think! It's more casual reading and basic thoughts than what I've done here. Please check it out. www.lifeofjm.blogspot.com