Colonial American Founders as Christians

A collection of quotes from the American Founding Fathers, I. By Wallbuilders.com

Colonial Williamsburg Thomas Jefferson Reenactment (en.wikipedia.org)

(Note: this is a representative list only, there are many other quotes that could be listed)

Samuel Adams
Father of the American Revolution, Signer of the Declaration of Independence

I . . . recommend my Soul to that Almighty Being who gave it, and my body I commit to the dust, relying upon the merits of Jesus Christ for a pardon of all my sins.

Will of Samuel Adams

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Charles Carroll
Signer of the Declaration of Independence

On the mercy of my Redeemer I rely for salvation and on His merits; not on the works I have done in obedience to His precepts.

From an autographed letter in our possession written by Charles Carroll to Charles W. Wharton, Esq., on September 27, 1825, from Doughoragen, Maryland.

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William Cushing
First Associate Justice Appointed by George Washington to the Supreme Court

Sensible of my mortality, but being of sound mind, after recommending my soul to Almighty God through the merits of my Redeemer and my body to the earth . . .

Will of William Cushing

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John Dickinson
Signer of the Constitution

Rendering thanks to my Creator for my existence and station among His works, for my birth in a country enlightened by the Gospel and enjoying freedom, and for all His other kindnesses, to Him I resign myself, humbly confiding in His goodness and in His mercy through Jesus Christ for the events of eternity.

Will of John Dickinson

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John Hancock
Signer of the Declaration of Independence

I John Hancock, . . . being advanced in years and being of perfect mind and memory-thanks be given to God-therefore calling to mind the mortality of my body and knowing it is appointed for all men once to die [Hebrews 9:27], do make and ordain this my last will and testament…Principally and first of all, I give and recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it: and my body I recommend to the earth . . . nothing doubting but at the general resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mercy and power of God. . .

Will of John Hancock

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Patrick Henry
Governor of Virginia, Patriot

This is all the inheritance I can give to my dear family. The religion of Christ can give them one which will make them rich indeed.

Will of Patrick Henry

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John Jay
First Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court

Unto Him who is the author and giver of all good, I render sincere and humble thanks for His manifold and unmerited blessings, and especially for our redemption and salvation by His beloved son. He has been pleased to bless me with excellent parents, with a virtuous wife, and with worthy children. His protection has companied me through many eventful years, faithfully employed in the service of my country; His providence has not only conducted me to this tranquil situation but also given me abundant reason to be contented and thankful. Blessed be His holy name!

Will of John Jay


by Wallbuilders.com


Blessed New Year 2014 to You!
Bill Hunt

Night Owls and Night Watchmen

Long ago, a group of Bethlehem shepherds watched over their flocks at night.

Surprised Sheperds

(ChristiansUnite.com)

by Pam Ford Davis  

Are you a night owl? When I was in my teens, staying up all night was a neat experience. I listened to the radio, talked to girlfriends on the phone and most importantly, talked to my future husband. He was spinning platters as an all night disc jockey at my favorite radio station. Night watchmen have a different incentive than I had for being awake until dawn; it was required.

Long ago, a group of Bethlehem shepherds was watching over their flocks at night. Even now, I consider them highly respected night watchmen who heralded a message. They could have merely listened to the angels' special delivery message and kept it to themselves. Instead, they verified it personally and became the first to share the story of Jesus' birth.

"When the angels went away from them back into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us.' So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and saw the baby lying in the manger (Luke 2:15-16 TEV)." They were compelled to carry the gospel.

"When the shepherds saw him, they told them what the angel had said about the child. All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said (Luke 2: 17-18 TEV)." Imagine the shepherds' emotional faith response. Shepherds who were serving faithfully as night watchmen became God's spokesmen!

With God all things are possible! Published articles in Mature Living Magazine, Secret Place, Daily Devotionals for the Deaf, Light from the Word Daily Devotional. Available now in book store: FORGET-ME-NOT DAILY DEVOTIONAL http:/ebooks.faithwriters.com/ebook-details.php?id=520

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

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If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be! Click here and TRUST JESUS NOW

Know who Jesus is.

Blessed Christmas,

Bill Hunt

Walk with Jesus

Wise men still seek him.

 

Jesus preached to the people.

(LaVistaChurchofGod.org)

Excerpts from Mark-1 Gospel (NIV):

John, the Baptizer, preached in the desert regions by the Jordan River. He said Jesus would baptize not with water, but with the Holy Spirit.

“You are my Son whom I love. With you I am well pleased.” A voice was heard from the heavens at Jesus' baptism.

“The time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the Good News.” Jesus preached in Galilee.

“Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” He said to Simon and his brother, Andrew. Then, he invited James and his brother, John, sons of the fisherman, Zebedee.

In the synagogue in Capernaum, he preached and cast out demons sternly. “Be quiet! Come out of him!” And the people were amazed.

In the home of Simon and Andrew, he took the hand of Simon's mother-in-law and raised her from bed, healing her fever. After sunset, he healed and cast out devils from many townsmen who gathered at the door.

Very early in the morning, Jesus left the house and went out to a solitary place to pray. When the disciples found him, he spoke. “Let us go somewhere else, so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”

Jesus met a leper who begged him on his knees. “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus touched the man. “I am willing. Be clean.” The man talked freely, spreading the news. The people came to Jesus from everywhere. 

 

--You, too, can walk with Jesus.

Wise men still seek him. Merry Christmas.

Bill

Are You a Christian Martyr for the Lord?

From the time the church was birthed on the day of Pentecost,
the followers of the Lord have willingly sacrificed themselves. 

 

China House Churches Mean World's Largest Christian Body, over 90 Million.

From the time the church was birthed on the day of Pentecost,
the followers of the Lord have willingly sacrificed themselves.
Tens of thousand have died that the gospel might prosper,
As such they have obtained the crown of life. 
(chorus) 
To be a martyr for the Lord, to be a martyr for the Lord,
I am willing to die gloriously for the Lord. 

Those apostles who loved the Lord to the end
Willingly followed the Lord down the path of suffering.
John was exiled to the lonely isle of Patmos.
Stephen was stoned to death by an angry crowd.

Mathew was stabbed to death in Persia by a mob.
Mark died as horses pulled his two legs apart.
Doctor Luke was cruelly hanged.
Peter, Philip, and Simon were crucified on a cross.

To be a martyr for the Lord, to be a martyr for the Lord,
I am willing to die gloriously for the Lord. 

Bartholomew was skinned alive by the heathen.
Thomas died in India as five horses pulled his body apart.
The apostle James was beheaded by King Herod.
James the Less was cut in half by a sharp saw.

James the brother of the Lord was stoned to death.
Judas was tied to a pillar and shot by arrows.
Matthias had his head cut off in Jerusalem.
Paul was a martyr under Emperor Nero.

To be a martyr for the Lord, to be a martyr for the Lord,
I am willing to die gloriously for the Lord. 

I am willing to take up the cross and go forward
to follow the apostles down the road of sacrifice
That tens of thousands of precious souls can saved.
I am willing to leave all and be a martyr for the Lord.

To be a martyr for the Lord, to be a martyr for the Lord,
I am willing to die gloriously for the Lord. 

--Mainline China Christian song.
Request a free copy of the book “The Heavenly Man”
about the true persecutions of Brother Yun from
Asia Harvest, 353 Jonestown Road # 320,
Winston Salem, NC  27104 USA
<office@asiaharvest.org>
This book will give new life to your Christianity.
There are now well over 90 million disciples in China
through house church growth.       
Blessings, Merry Christmas!
Bill 
    

God Provides for You

One of the weakest areas that comes across in Christians is not knowing God provides. Many Christians are, as such, beggars and not believers.

 

Asking Jesus

(ChristiansUnite.com)

 

If Faith is the key to dealing with God, very few put the key in the lock and turn it. One of the great gifts we can give a person is not the substance he is begging for but the knowledge of where to find his Provider. That, he can use over and over again, and it will give power to his spiritual walk.

Heb 11:1 NKJV, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

And we are called to believe his provision and his intervention. Indeed, those who look to man instead of to God are showing disparaging faith indeed. Do not ask man at all, ask God.

Heb 11:6 NKJV, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

One key to faith is the use of giving. Give to receive. It defies all logic and proves the hand of God.

Lu 6:38 NKJV, "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

In walking with God through spiritual things, always stop and consult the Holy Spirit, he may instruct you to do this and not that. God's ways are not the ways of man. Always consult and obey him explicitly to see the miracles of a gracious God.

Ac 5:32 NKJV, "And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him."

--Blessings,

  Bill Hunt  

Muslim & Christian Women Violence

Gender-based violence ‘wielded mercilessly’ in Muslim countries. Christian women vulnerable due to profound lack of equality, claims new report.

 

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (WWM)

By Hélène Fisher

(WORLD WATCH MONITOR, June 13, 2013) The conclusion of a new report by the US Hudson Institute researcher Lela Gilbert is clear and unequivocal: gender-based violence plays a key strategic role in the plans of those who wish to eradicate Christians and Christian belief from Muslim lands.

Gender-Based Violence as an expression of Christian Persecution in Muslim Lands, written for the World Watch List, describes how a profound lack of equality between men and women in Muslim countries means that all women in these societies are structurally vulnerable to systematic violence and discrimination in their daily lives. A parallel review of statistics on Christian persecution in these lands is made in order to infer a picture of the plight of Christian women in Muslim lands.

The resulting image is striking: the combined status of being both Christian and female significantly increases the likelihood of experiencing aggression and repression in society and at home. Gilbert focuses on Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt in her disclosure of the appalling legal and social situation for women living in Sharia law-based societies. 

 

Anecdotal evidence is supported by extracts from US State Department Reports on the four countries in question. They focus on rape and domestic violence, societal exclusion, oppressive dress codes, lack of legal protection for women, female genital mutilation, child abuse, and child marriage. 

 

The premise of Gilbert’s research is that violence experienced by Christian women living in these countries can only be properly understood within a general context of deep-seated prejudice and aggression against women. This prejudice stems from Islamic beliefs regarding the supposedly dangerous nature of female sexuality, and the roots of these beliefs are briefly detailed along with their implications. 

 

Of note is the continued assumption in these societies that females are responsible for any sexual attack they experience. The result is that shame clings to the victim following an assault and some victims are even stoned. Gilbert argues that in the context of societies where women are defined as being of little worth and are shockingly vulnerable, it is not surprising that Christian women are the targets of even greater endemic violence as a means of driving out or neutralizing Christian communities. 

 

Nine common forms of abuse perpetrated against Christian women in this strategic intent are elaborated. A number of specific cases from Pakistan and Egypt follow, which illustrate gender-based violence as a deliberate means of destroying Christian families. 

 

This report also expresses a frustration at the lack of data available in order to fully study the scope of the problem and explains why it is so difficult to obtain reliable statistics. Perhaps because of this dearth of complete information, Gilbert takes great pains to address arguments which attempt to discount reports of Christian persecution in Muslim lands.

Much is made of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s public and unpopular acknowledgement in November 2012 that Christianity is “the most persecuted religion in the world”.... 

 

It has been said that persecution is always personal and the tone of Gilbert’s report reflects this view. Her well-documented report is both passionate and categorical in its conclusion: gender-based violence is an oft-used weapon wielded mercilessly against the most vulnerable in Muslim lands with the express goal of breaking Christians’ resolve.

Click here for the full report.

©2013 World Watch Monitor

For subscription information, contact: info@worldwatchmonitor.org

Abba God, Daddy God

Oh, Abba, man does not know you. He contrives himself many blind gods and guides with hearts of stone.

 

Gethsemane by Carl Block 1805

Abba God, Daddy God, I come to you early in the night to pray. I bow myself low in spirit to you, although my body will no longer bend for me.

I cannot pray for myself and all my aging cares and pains and body trembles. That's not your way to pray, I trust myself to you.

I have so many joys for which I do praise. A godly wife who is my friend and queen. She cares for me day by day, amazingly. A comfortable, clean old house in which to rest and watch your birds and your works of nature all around, the trees, the bushes, the grass, the wild flowers, waving in the breeze.

No, I pray with you for the loneliness of man and send up sweet incense where I may. I am your servant to obey.

I know your power to dispel great storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, raging forest fires, with a word. But I must pray for the earth's great storm, man. I see men, women, and children in scorn, the treasures of your eye. These need your Light in different ways.

We are fearfully and wonderfully made, way beyond the ideas of the mind. The mind fails, but the heart is life. So as my prayers are answered with you, I must pray through hearts and souls to open the doors of Truth.

You, Abba, are the Way, the Truth, the Life. From birth, man's way is to seek and take. God's way is to love and give. Man must learn this by death before the gasping comes. He is not alone. He is never alone. Oh, Abba, man does not know you. He contrives himself many blind gods and guides with hearts of stone. He needs your Light to shine the Way to your Truth to your Life. May the knowledge of your Glory cover the nations of the Earth.

Abba, bless these prayers today with other brothers and sisters and now make miracles for man.

– Blessings,

   Bill

NIGERIA: To Kill a Good Man, To kill a Nation

Nigeria – Borno Governor says “Boko Haram on verge of seizing control of state.”
  

Rev. Faye Pama Musa killed by Boko Haram
(World Watch Monitor)

President’s State of Emergency decree fails to stop murder of Borno State CAN Secretary.
By Lekan Otufodunrin

(World Watch Monitor.org, May, 17, 2013) Borno State in Northern Nigeria has been teetering on the brink of a takeover by Islamist militant group Boko Haram, warned its Governor, Kassim Shettima, a few days before the declaration by President Goodluck Jonathan of a “state of emergency” in Borno and two neighbouring provinces.

The President’s declaration on Tuesday (May 14), which also applies to Yobe and Adamawa States in the country’s troubled North East region, was followed shortly after by the murder of the Secretary in Borno of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev Faye Pama Musa.

Musa, head of REME Assembly in Maiduguri (the Borno State capital) and Chairman of the state’s Pentecostal Fellowship, was reportedly shot at close range by two suspected Boko Haram members in his house, in the presence of his daughter, who pleaded with them to spare her father’s life.
A few days before, Borno's Governor Kassim Shettima had briefed visiting Senators and military advisers in a confidential security meeting on May 7, and warned them Boko Haram was close to seizing power in the state.

Shettima also said: “Underneath the mayhem of Boko Haram, beneath the madness lies the underlying cause, which is extreme poverty and destitution which have permeated all spectrums of our society.

“Only and until we address some of these issues, believe me, the future is very bleak for all of us as the current crisis is just an appetizer of things to come. Very soon the youths of this country will be chasing us away.”
Reuters quoted Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi as saying: "What the governor said was frightening. He informed us there is a possibility that this state will be taken over by Boko Haram ... that they have the ability to do whatever they wanted here. I had thought Boko Haram had been subdued to some extent."

On May 14, CAN Chairman in the state, Reverend Titus Pona, who confirmed Musa’s death, said the Christian community in the state capital last week received a death threat from an unknown group to kill or kidnap a pastor, but it was dismissed.

“We never thought that the rumour could turn out to be true, and we’d told the Governor that our area was safe,” Pona told reporters in Maiduguri.

“Of course, there were no killings around this area before and where I am living has also been seen as safe, until they started killing people again. It is very unfortunate that they came to attack an innocent man.
“Our prayer and hope is that the amnesty declared by the President would help to fish out [those responsible] and bring them to justice for the innocent lives they have taken.”

The Governor promised in a condolence message to CAN that the perpetrators would be brought to justice and that Musa’s family would be provided for.

The National President of CAN, Ayo Oritsejafor, and Rev Felix Omobude of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, condemned Musa’s murder and called for improved security following Shettima’s admission that Boko Haram were on the verge of seizing control of the state.

Oritsejafor called for the dissolution of the committee created by the federal government to negotiate with Boko Haram and other violent groups in the country, saying “no reasonable agreements can be reached with terrorists”.

President Jonathan announced controversially last month that an amnesty was being considered with Boko Haram. Christian organizations and leaders responded almost universally negatively to this idea.

"Why should they be given amnesty?” said Rev. Joshua Ray Mains, Bauchi State Secretary. “Are we congratulating them for the people they have sent to their early graves, or are we encouraging them to continue with their acts so that other groups can take advantage of the amnesty and continue to disrupt the peace of the country?"
However, Bishop Matthew Kukah, head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, supported the amnesty, saying in his Easter message it would bring the country closer to a new dawn.

“To reject amnesty is to place oneself at the same level as these miscreants,” he said. “An offer of amnesty is not the same as a declaration of amnesty. An offer of amnesty brings the penitent to the table as a first step. Amnesty is a process, not a destination. The offer of amnesty will not solve all our problems, but it will bring us closer to a new dawn.”

The declaration of emergency across the three states, and the resulting mass deployment of military has been welcomed by many groups in the country.

However, the Progressive Governors’ Forum had earlier “implored Mr. President to be consistent with the combination of dialogue and mediation which he has already set in motion, and [hold back from] action on the planned declaration of State of Emergency in the affected states, which we believe would be counter-productive”.

end

Question: Should a nation fight to defend itself?
How many times in Biblical or modern history did
God help Israel fight her enemies? Nigeria. 

-- Blessings, Bill

IRAQ Islamist Extremists Want To Drive Out All Christians

Many believers have fled to Jordan and Lebanon or to the northern Kurdish region of Iraq.

Iraqi Kurds (Wikipedia.org)

SANTA ANA, Calif. (April 23, 2013) – Islamist extremists want Iraq to be a “Muslim only” country. As a result, Christians in Iraq remain continuous targets of violent attacks.

Each month Open Doors field workers receive sad phone calls and emails of Christian acquaintances who report attacks against the Christians near them. While most of them are part of the general violence, such as bomb attacks and mortar fire which intensified during provincial elections last Saturday, a part of the violence can be labeled as specifically targeted against Christians.

“If these attacks take place in a Christian neighborhood or a Christian village, you can assume they are targeted, especially against the Christian population of the neighborhoods and villages,” said an Open Doors field worker. “Since the fall of Saddam Hussein 10 years ago, an estimated 1,000 Christians have been killed, a relatively high number compared with percentages killed from other groups in Iraqi society.”

A Christian in Mosul was the target of two attacks in one week last March. After the first bomb exploded in his house on a Wednesday, a second one was thrown over his fence on Sunday. The Christian saw two young men running away. The second bomb, wrapped in a black bag and a women’s t-shirt, was deactivated by a military engineering team.

In early April, Adbuljabar Khidher Toza, another Christian from Mosul, wasn’t so fortunate. Armed men shot him to death in front of his house.

All these targeted attacks serve only one purpose, shares the field worker:

“We received documents and threats stating that the aim of the Islamist Insurgents is to make Iraq a ‘Muslim only’ country; they want the Christians out.”

Louis Raphael Sako, the newly-elected Chaldean Catholic patriarch of Iraq and Syria, says he is afraid of what Islamist rule would mean for Christians. “People are afraid of a kind of Islamic state as it was in the seventh century where Christians would be considered second-class citizens,” he said.

According to Open Doors’ 2013 World Watch List materials, there are only an estimated 330,000 to 350,000 Christians left in Iraq. There were more than 1.2 million Christians in the early 1990’s. Many of the believers have fled to Jordan and Lebanon or to the northern Kurdish region of Iraq. Iraq is ranked No. 4 on the list of the worst persecutors around the globe.

Sako urges Christians to stay: “We must stay. This is our history. This is our cultural heritage. When we leave, everything will leave with us.”

Jerry Dykstra, a spokesman for Open Doors USA, adds that “since the start of war in Iraq 10 years ago, the situation for Christians has deteriorated each year. Christians have faced church attacks, kidnappings, threats and death for their faith. They have no faith in the government providing security for them. Please keep Iraqi Christians in your prayers. Many feel they are alone and forgotten.”

The Open Doors ministry in Iraq includes trauma counseling, biblical training for church leaders and Muslim Background Believers, distribution of Bibles and Christian literature, community development projects and working with Internally Displaced Peoples (IDPs) in Kurdistan.

For almost 60 years Open Doors has worked in the world's most oppressive and restrictive countries, strengthening Christians to stand strong in the face of persecution and equipping them to shine Christ's light in these places. Open Doors empowers persecuted Christians by supplying Bibles and Christian literature, training Christian leaders, facilitating social/economic projects and uniting believers in the West in prayer for Christians, who are the most persecuted religious group in the world and are oppressed in at least 60 countries. To partner with Open Doors USA, call toll free at 888-5-BIBLE-5 (888-524-2535) or go to our website at www.OpenDoorsUSA.org.

Christians Evangelizing Muslims

-->

Evangelizing Muslims is a Calling God will Honor.

 

“Behold, a sower went forth to sow.”

(ChristiansUnite.com)

 

The Cross and the Crescent (excerpt): For all kinds of reasons, evangelizing the Islamic world presents a tough challenge. But it is no more impossible than evangelizing the Roman world was for the first disciples. The apostle Peter tells us that evangelism is the main reason for the establishment of the Church (1 Peter 2:9-10). A glance at the book of Acts will show that the early believers evangelized fearlessly (Acts 2:8, 4:20,29; 8:4, 13:1-4). Every Christian sharing in the Lord's Supper is reminded that “as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes” (1 Cor 11:26).

God never orders the impossible. When he commands the Church to evangelize to the ends the earth, He equips believers with what it takes to obey. This is why He must be obeyed without reservation. You cannot call Him “Lord,” and say “no” to Him. The Lord does not take a “no” from His followers; to call God “Lord” and then say “no” to Him is a contradiction in terms.

When the Lord orders, He empowers His people to obey.

“Who ever goes to War at his own expense?” asked Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:7. What is more, when we obey Him, He guarantees the results. He is always on the throne. Before Jesus delegated his disciples to witness for Him, He told them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). To those who obey and go, He says, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

Also, remember that you are not the one doing the conversion work. You are sowing the seed of the word of God. In the parable Jesus told in Matthew 13:1-9, nobody asked the sower to check if the ground was good or thorny or stony. His job was to scatter grain. In the same way, the conversion of the heart is something only the Holy Spirit can accomplish.

Paul had no delusions about this. He asked the Corinthians, “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you come to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building” (1 Corinthians 3:5-9).

-- Abdul Hadi

International Bible scholar,

apologist and evangelist

Special Visit (OneWithThem.com). You will meet true Christians in the Persecuted Church from around the World. Glimpse their lives each day on the "Devotional." Walk as early Christians walked with Jesus in the New Testament. Know the real church is not a building, but God's love power among people. To read, sign free for the“Devotional.”

Blessings,

Bill

North Korean Church Leaders Ask for Prayer Amid War Preparations

Underground Christians Report Ratcheting Up of Combat

Readiness.

SANTA ANA, Calif. (April 4, 2013) – North Korean church leaders are asking Christians worldwide to pray for their country amid increased war threats and combat preparation by North Korean military officials.

Prayer for beleaguered believers in North Korea is more important than ever, says Open Doors, an organization that supports persecuted Christians in 60 countries.

According to underground Christians, there is a war-like atmosphere in the country:

“We are to meet the decisive battle with a gun in one hand and a hammer in the other,” summarized a Christian leader about the message the North Korean people recently received from the “high command.”

“The military army, navy, air force troops, strategic rocket troops, the red guards and the red youth guards are already in combat mode. Urgent meetings are being held everywhere, regardless if it is day or night. At those meetings, officials make decisions on what needs to happen in case war breaks out and everyone, including women, needs to be combat ready.”

According to Open Doors sources, many cars on the roads are covered with camouflage nets. Also, soldiers are wearing hats with camouflage dried branches and carry guns. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un released a statement to his people, saying that “If war breaks out because of the actions of the U.S. and puppet South Korea’s unpardonable behavior, they will end up with a disgraceful downfall, and our people will greet a brilliant new day of reunification. The day has come to show off the power of ‘Military First’ and our great nation to the whole world.”

However, Christians and other citizens fear war and its consequences.

“Many people are in a hurry to purchase emergency food supplies and daily goods just in case. The prices of goods, including food, are skyrocketing,” tells one believer in North Korea.

North Korean Christians are grateful for their fellow believers in the West and request their urgent prayers.

“I would like to thank the many brothers and sisters around the world for their continuous love and support,” says the Christian believer. “We know that our journey will not be an easy one, but we are sure that our faith, desperate hope and passionate desire will some day bear many fruit. No matter how difficult life is for us, we never blame or complain about our circumstances. God has promised us in the Bible that if we seek His Kingdom first, all other things will be given to us as well. Please pray for us.”

Jerry Dykstra, a spokesman for Open Doors USA, adds:

“Beneath the surface of the all the rhetoric of war and the possible launch of nuclear missiles are the suffering and persecution of the estimated 200,000 to 400,000 Christians in North Korea. Also, an estimated 60,000 to 80,000 Christians are in harsh political prison camps. The government has been the No. 1 persecutor of Christians for 11 years in a row, according to the Open Doors 2013 World Watch List (www.worldwatchlist.us).

“We must respond now to the Christian leaders’ request to pray for them. Pray for Kim Jong-Un; that God will work in his heart and he will pursue peace and not war. Pray for wisdom for leaders in the United States, South Korea and China. Pray for Christians who are put in even more danger due to war preparations. Pray families will find food to feed their families. Finally, pray that no matter what happens Christians will remain strong in their faith.”

For almost 60 years Open Doors has worked in the world's most oppressive and restrictive countries, strengthening Christians to stand strong in the face of persecution and equipping them to shine Christ's light in these places. Open Doors empowers persecuted Christians by supplying Bibles and Christian literature, training Christian leaders, facilitating social/economic projects and uniting believers in the West in prayer for Christians, who are the most persecuted religious group in the world and are oppressed in at least 60 countries. To partner with Open Doors USA, call toll free at 888-5-BIBLE-5 (888-524-2535) or go to our website at www.OpenDoorsUSA.org.

Christian, live up to your name

Christian, live up to your name. After long years of war and persecution, Christians seldom see Muslims as people whom God loves and for whom Christ died.

God loves Muslims (photo by Bill Hunt).

  

The Cross and the Crescent (excerpt continued):

Lack of love for Muslims

After long years of war and persecution, Christians seldom see Muslims as people whom God loves and for whom Christ died. It is clear the Christians need a new filling of the Holy Spirit to love those who disagree with them. The greatest expression of love is to share with them the most precious thing a Christian has, which is the good news of the salvation of Jesus Christ.

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Mathew 5:43-45 NKJV).

Lack of doctrinal knowledge

Most Christians do not know how to explain their faith to non-believers. They have received the salvation of Christ, but they cannot defend their basic creeds. According to the apostle Peter, we should always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks us a reason for the hope that is in us.

Yet, most Christians could neither answer a Muslim's questions, nor refute a Muslim's attacks against basic Christian doctrines. They haven't even got to grips with Muslim vocabulary. How many Christians, for example, know that Muslims refer to the Holy Spirit as the angel Jibril (Gabriel)?

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (1Peter 3:15 NKJV).

Lack of faith in God

Most Christians simply do not believe that God will save Muslims. Many Christian ministers in Muslim countries have not seen a single Muslim come to Christ. At the same time, they have probably seen hundreds of Christians converting to Islam. Jesus Christ has full authority in heaven and on earth-and the Christian evangelist should never lose sight of that fact.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (Matt 28:18 NKJV).

Lack of security in a Muslim state

Christians refuse to witness to Muslims because they fear persecution. Some of the Muslims who ask Christians to explain Christianity to them are spies for the police or for fundamentalist Muslim groups. The reluctance of Christians to welcome new converts makes those converts more likely to backslide to Islam under pressure from family and friends, after which the backsliders may report Christian activities to the authorities.

– Abdul Hadi

International Bible scholar,

apologist and evangelist

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Pakistan Lahore Christians Attacked

Over 170 homes are reported now burned and families are asking you for prayer.

Mob burning household (photo per Bishop Anjum).

Dearest in Christ,

Very sad to tell you about this incident that happened in Pakistan. Today, (March 9, 2013) around 158 houses belonging to the Christian community were vandalized and burnt by a mob in Badami Bagh area of Lahore. This is over an alleged blasphemy committed by a Christian man.

SSP Operations Suhail Sukhera and the SHO of Badami Bagh were also reportedly injured when the mob pelted a police party with stones.

On Friday, a mob of almost 3,000 people forced the Christian community to flee for their lives, leaving behind their houses and possessions unprotected.

The charged group gathered around Joseph Colony on Noor Road, led by Shafiq Ahmed, in search of the accused Savan, alias Bubby. The mob attacked Savan’s house, setting it on fire and pelting it with stones. Other houses in the locality – homes to about 150 Christian families – they also attacked. Many residents, including women and children, hastily fled to save themselves.

Savan has been arrested and taken to an undisclosed location.

We request all of you to please pray for them and share with your Friends.

Remember Savan Masih, his family, and all the Christian community of Joseph Colony, Badami Baghe, Lahore, in your prayers.  

They lost their homes, households, and everything they have. They have nothing to wear, to eat, or a place to sleep. They totally depend on help and prayers.

Please pray for them.

In Him,

Bishop Anjum

Pakistan

Christians Should Be Creative

Christians should be a creative—the salt of the earth, the light of the world, and the leaven that leavens the whole lump.

Pastor teaches country church (Photo by S.A.).

(The Cross and the Crescent) Muslims can understand as little about Christianity as many Christians understand about Islam. Yet both are evangelistic religions. Christianity practices evangelism, and proclaims the Good News of Jesus Christ. Islam practices Da'wa (a Call) inviting all to accept its faith. Against such a background, the message... can be summed up in a single statement:

That if God calls us to evangelize the Muslim world, He will give us everything we need to do it successfully. For God never orders us to do the impossible.

To start with, though, we need to ask what difficulties underlie the task of evangelizing Muslims, and why it is that many Christians have effectively “given up” the challenge. I suggest there are two factors at work. These have to do, first, with the weakness of the Church, and second, with the resistance of Islam.

1. Lack of obedience to the Great Commission

The greatest impediment to the evangelizing of Muslims lies in the Christian Church. A weak and lukewarm Church neglects its first duty, which is missions. Divided believers have much time to fight—and no time to witness. Many congregations are self-satisfied. They prefer the cozy atmosphere of their closed fellowships to the challenge of going out to reach the lost. The result is that believers “lose touch” with the surrounding world. They actually drive sinners away because nobody wants to be like them.

By contrast, the Spirit-filled and Spirit-obeying believer witnesses to God's saving power, and thus leads others to know Christ as personal Savior.

2. Lack of confidence in the Christian faith

In almost all countries where Christians are a minority, they exhibit a lack of confidence, both in themselves and in what they believe. The act like the ten spies who returned to Moses from Canaan and declared that the proposed invasion should be called off (Num 13:28-33).

In Muslim states, this behavior is reinforced by social attitudes dating back to the seventh century Covenant of Umar. A major purpose of the Covenant was to protect the life and property of non-Muslims—particularly Christians and Jews—who were resident in Muslim countries. But it did so on strict conditions. First, that Christians put no obstacles in the way of a fellow Christian who desired to become a Muslim. And second, that Christians make no attempt to convert Muslims to Christianity.

Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab used the Covenant to consolidate his conquests. He would present it to Christians in subject territories and demand they sign....

Centuries later, the terms of the Covenant remain deeply embedded in the way Christian and Muslim communities relate in Islamic nations.

Against this background, it is important for Christian minorities in Muslim countries to know what is expected of them. They should be a creative minority—the salt of the earth, the light of the world, and the leaven that leavens the whole lump (Matt 5:13,14; 13:33).

(Continued later.)

--Abdul Hadi

The Cross and the Crescent (excerpt)

Abdul Hadi is an international Bible scholar who has lectured and taught in several countries around the world; a Christian apologist, evangelist, and international authority on Islam.

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Pakistan Rules Justice Against Slander

Pakistani judge throws out slanderous blasphemy charge against Christian.

Justice is a grindstone to the Law
(Photo by Bill Hunt).

LAHORE, Pakistan, Feb. 19 (World Watch Monitor) — A Pakistan court last month surprised all involved when it dismissed charges of blasphemy against a Christian man accused of insulting Islam. 

The Jan. 28 ruling by a trial court in Punjab province surprised defendant Barkat Masih, his attorney and religious-rights advocates. It came two months after a different judge threw out similar charges against a teen-aged girl that drew worldwide criticism of Pakistan’s anti-blasphemy laws. 

Masih was arrested in October 2011 on the basis of a complaint filed by two men who accused him of insulting the prophet Muhammad. After one judge balked at taking up the case, a second stepped in an ordered a police investigation of the charge. Police found evidence that the accusers were attempting to wrest property away from Masih, and prosecutors could provide no evidence to support the blasphemy charge. 

The judge then threw out the case and set Masih free. 

“This is a remarkable case in which a trial court judge has released a person charged with blasphemy,” said Masih’s lawyer, Allah Rakha. “In my several years of legal practice I have never seen a trial judge showing guts in such a sensitive matter.” 

Some government officials drew a link from the case of Barkat Masih to the much more widely covered case of Rimsha Masih, an Islamabad girl arrested in August on charges that she burned some pages of an Islamic text. The courts threw out the case when police provided evidence the burned pages were planted on the girl by a local Imam.

“Rimsha Masih’s case is a clear example of how the blasphemy laws are misused by people,” Peter Jacob, of the National Commission for Justice and Peace, told World Watch Monitor. 

“Even in Barkat Masih’s case, it’s quite clear that the complainants wanted to grab his property therefore they charged him with an allegation quite a few people in Pakistan dare to question. The government and judiciary should review all blasphemy cases because most of those accused are victims of jealousy and prejudice.”

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Copyright 2013 World Watch Monitor

World Watch Monitor is distributed to raise awareness of Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith. Articles may be reprinted by active subscribers only. For subscription information, contact: info@worldwatchmonitor.org

Crisis in Mali turns to Joy and Reconstruction

Crisis in Mali turns to joy at French intervention, says church leader, but relief and anxiety for needed reconstruction.

Sahara Desert, Timbuktu, Mali by Senani P(Wikipedia.org)

 


Feb. 11 (World Watch Monitor) —The liberation of the main cities of Northern Mali has created a great sense of relief and joy in the country, but the task of reconstruction and reconciliation is huge.

A month after the French offensive, the Malian and African troops have regained control of the main cities in the North, previously occupied by Islamist armed groups. The French-led operation began on Jan. 11, following an attempt by Islamist militants to progress further south.

“The whole of Mali was in turmoil when we learned with dismay the progress of Islamists to the South,” Mohamed-Ibrahim Yattara, a church leader in Bamako, told World Watch Monitor.

A year ago, he and his family fled Timbuktu in the northeast and headed to the capital, in the southwest of the country. Like him, thousands of Malians have sought refuge in the South and others in neighboring Niger, Burkina Faso and Mauritania.

“For us who fled our homes and our cities in recent months, the victory of the Islamists over the armed forces and security has aroused painful and excruciating memories. Our minds were full of intrusive memories of looting and destruction of our homes and institutions,” he said.

For nearly a year the Islamist armed groups imposed a strict Islamic law in the regions under their control. Intimidation, threats and mutilation became common practice. The practice of other religions was banned. Places of worship and churches were desecrated and looted.

“All these memories suddenly vanished and turned into a dream when we learned with great joy about the French army intervention. What was commonly called ‘the crisis in Mali’ has come to an early settlement,” said Yattara, who also is the head of a Bible training institute in Timbuktu.

Despite regaining freedom, Malian people face new challenges created by the Islamic takeover. Nine months of occupation have left Northern Mali in great need of reconstruction. A number of public buildings were destroyed, including schools, health clinics, ancient monuments, hotels and restaurants.

Human-rights groups have accused the army of attacking civilians. Malian government forces targeted light-skinned Arab and Tuareg ethnic groups associated with the rebels, Human Rights Watch said in a report published Feb. 1. The Malian government has denied the accusations and has publicly warned against revenge attacks.

Mali is No. 7 on the 2013 World Watch List, a ranking of the 50 countries where persecution of Christians is most severe. The list is published annually by Open Doors International, a ministry to persecuted Christians worldwide.


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World Watch Monitor is distributed to raise awareness of Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith. Articles may be reprinted, with attribution, by active subscribers only. For subscription information, contact: info@worldwatchmonitor.org