Sunday

“Cast your bread upon the waters,

For you will find it after many days.”

~Ecclesiastes 10:6, NKJV~

INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS PRAYERLINE
INTERNATIONAL MISSION BOARD
Friday, January 23, 2009

We are “persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:9, NKJV).

Dear Intercessors, this is Eleanor Witcher of the Office of Global Prayer Strategy, praying with you for believers facing persecution.

The deaf Japanese women were on the edge of their seats as they studied the trials and persecutions Paul faced in scripture. When asked if Christians were persecuted in Japan W answered, “No, we aren’t beaten or stoned or put in prison because we believe on Jesus.” “So if a person tells his Buddhist or Shinto family he has believed on Jesus and wants to be baptized, that family will be happy?” W was thoughtful. “Oh, I had not thought about that being persecution. I can see that Christians are persecuted here by being ridiculed and pressured.”

A brother in the Last Frontier, Mr. H, preaches in two churches in one of the most persecuted areas in his country. The members of his group have been jailed numerous times, and Mr. H himself has been jailed more than 50 times in the last 10 years. Mr. H boldly said, ‘They beat me and kept me in jail for days. How can I compare that with what Jesus did for me? I am not afraid. No, I am not.’ One of Mr. H’s churches meets in his home, and the other church is 40 kilometers away in a different city.

Pastors in Iran are undertaking huge daily risks. Recently a pastor told workers that every morning when he and his wife wake up, they say, “Thank you, God, that we were not taken by the authorities during the night. Help us to make the most of these precious 24 hours and plant your church TODAY!” Police usually come at 4 a.m., so each morning that pastors wake up safely, they know they have 24 more hours to labor.

* Please pray for believers to be strong in the face of persecution.

* Give thanks for the growth of the church despite persecution from families and governments.

* Thank the Lord that He will never leave nor forsake His children.



KneEmail
“At the name of Jesus every knee should bow…” (Philippians 2:10).
Mike Benson, Editor
A WELL-KNOWN preacher once gave the following advice to a group of churches concerning their approach to evangelism:
“Don’t tell people about the cross, it doesn’t work. Too many evangelistic efforts fail because they focus too much on the cross. Just tell them God loves them and has a plan for them.” He continued, “The message of a crucified Jew is ridiculous to the modern mind. So move onto something better. A crucified Messiah is stupid, but promise them prosperity, give them emotional experiences, provide them with self-esteem and then you’ll fill the pews.”
THOUGHTS: Avoiding the cross and catering to people’s external needs might “fill the pews,” but they will be pews filled with people still dying in their sins. Without the cross, the Bible is just another neat story book. Without the cross, Christianity is no more than a self-help seminar. It was the cross that God displayed His wisdom and power. (Mitchell Skelton)
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor. 1:18).
May this Lord’s Day be a blessing to you!
Anna Lee

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