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Pray for the World 9 November 2005 Update From HCJB World Radio

Today's Headlines:

DOCUMENT REVEALS VIETNAM'S STRATEGY TO 'ERADICATE' CHURCHES

MISSION LEADER FEARS DOORS FOR GOSPEL COULD CLOSE IN BELARUS

BILLY GRAHAM CONFIRMS THAT NEW YORK CRUSADE WAS HIS LAST

CANADIAN CHURCH UNAPOLOGETIC ABOUT USING SHOCK TACTICS ON SEX

SIX-MONTH WALK ACROSS U.S. INTENDED FOR 'SPIRITUAL AWAKENING'

Today's Top Stories:

DOCUMENT REVEALS VIETNAM'S STRATEGY TO 'ERADICATE' CHURCHES

A leaked document obtained by a Christian religious rights organization
shows that government officials in tribal areas of Vietnam are vowing to
"fight religion" and "eradicate" places of Christian worship. The Center
for Religious Freedom, based at Freedom House, has a document describing a
"comprehensive campaign by Communist Party and government officials, in
partnership with the police and military that was scheduled to have been
waged from March 2 through June 30, 2005." Because of the remoteness of
the rural district, Freedom House says it has not yet been confirmed
whether the campaign was implemented. The document reveals an official
policy of forcing Hmong Christians to give up their faith and of
"eradicating" Christian meeting places. "This document indicates that the
situation in Vietnam can be summed up as repression as usual," said Center
for Religious Freedom Director Nina Shea. There are an estimated 100
religious prisoners in jail or under some form of house arrest for
religious activity and hundreds of churches, home worship centers, and
meeting places in Vietnam remain closed. (Assist News Service)

MISSION LEADER FEARS DOORS FOR GOSPEL COULD CLOSE IN BELARUS

Christians in the Eastern European country of Belarus are reporting
increased harassment from authorities, says Tim Burns of Global Aid
Network (GAiN-USA) who is working to assemble a winter project team to go
into the country. However, he is concerned that the doors for future teams
could be closing. "It is beginning to be a little bit harder to go into
certain areas," he said. "Some public schools we were able to go in before
with open arms are not so welcoming anymore. Our staff on the ground there
are really starting to see a difficult time to get into some locations."
Despite the difficulties, Burns doesn't expect the government will stop
GAiN-USA from bringing much-needed aid to the orphans and poor. "We've
been blessed by God to have some open doors that other organizations,
perhaps, cannot, because we've been there for over 15 years. But those
doors are starting to close somewhat, and we don't quite have the freedom
that we used to have to proclaim the gospel." (Mission Network News)

BILLY GRAHAM CONFIRMS THAT NEW YORK CRUSADE WAS HIS LAST

Evangelism Billy Graham, who turns 87 today (Monday, Nov. 7), confirmed
that his final large-venue crusade in New York in June was in fact his
last. Graham, who has been the friend and confidant of kings and
presidents as well as being considered one of America's most admired
public figures, is enjoying time for recuperation and reflection at his
home in Montreat, N.C. An announcement from the Billy Graham Evangelistic
Association (BGEA) stated that while the crusade phase of his evangelistic
ministry is over, Graham keeps busy, such as working on a book. "Ruth and
I have enjoyed our time together these last few months, and we both feel
at peace about the decision to have the New York meetings be our last,"
Graham said. "We know that God can still use us to reach people with the
gospel message in other ways, and we look forward to seeing how He will do
so." Most recently the Grahams offered their old home as a shelter for a
New Orleans family left homeless by Hurricane Katrina. Graham also serves
as chairman of the BGEA board of directors and attends those meetings as
his health allows. (Assist News Service)

CANADIAN CHURCH UNAPOLOGETIC ABOUT USING SHOCK TACTICS ON SEX

New Beginnings, a nondenominational Protestant church on the southern edge
of Winnipeg, Canada, unconventionally advertises on their billboard, "Sex:
Live Chat Room." The church is unapologetic about the shock tactics it's
using to entice people to enter the church. Pastor Ivor Grant, 42, said,
"Our aim is to connect with people who would not darken the doors of a
church. God has an interest in our sexuality. God invented it. Clearly he
had an understanding of what could give us pleasure." Grant believes no
other church in Canada has properly addressed sex and the Bible. He offers
an evening class that he describes as "blunt and explicit," adding that
"we live in a sex-obsessed society. For the church not to talk about it
seems to make us irrelevant." Despite his novel approach, Grant holds to
traditional beliefs that sex before marriage and abortion are outside
God's intent. Grant said his strategy is working -- the Word of God is
getting through to people who wouldn't otherwise be interested. Eight
newcomers, all women, have joined his congregation since the sex talks
began. (Religion Today/Toronto Globe and Mail)

SIX-MONTH WALK ACROSS U.S. INTENDED FOR 'SPIRITUAL AWAKENING'

Rick and Jane McKinney, of Our Heart Ministries, are gearing up for a
six-month walk across the U.S. Beginning Jan. 1 from Los Angeles, the
McKinney's intend to cover about 20 miles per day in an effort to draw
attention to the nation's need for a spiritual awakening. "Walk to Reclaim
America" is slated to begin at the Santa Monica Pier in California and
progress east across Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma. Then they
will follow the I-40 corridor through Arkansas and Tennessee, then head
north through Virginia. The trek will carry them across 2,800 miles to
Washington, D.C., by July 4, 2006. Joining them will be other concerned
Christians who want to share their journey as they set out to reclaim
America one step at a time. The project has many aspects, says Our Heart's
Rick McKinney. "We're going to be interceding for our country and its
people. Secondly, we're going to be encouraging Christians and churches to
stand up and be counted." McKinney served as a pastor for more than 20
years. (AgapePress)
===================

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*Peace of Christ* · Guest

Pray for the World 12 November 2005 Update From HCJB World Radio

Today's Headlines:

UPDATE: 5 PEOPLE DETAINED IN BEHEADING OF INDONESIAN SCHOOLGIRLS

COURT REFUSES TO RULE ON BAN OF CHURCH IN MADAGASCAR

HOUSE CHURCH IN CHINA GROWS TO 5,000 FROM 70 IN 3 YEARS

NEED FOR SPIRITUAL TRAINING INCREASES AS CHURCHES MULTIPLY IN CHINA

HOME-BASED CHURCHES IN SPAIN HAVE POTENTIAL FOR 'HIGH IMPACT'

Today's Top Stories:

UPDATE: 5 PEOPLE DETAINED IN BEHEADING OF INDONESIAN SCHOOLGIRLS

Indonesian officers have detained five people, including a former soldier,
following last month's beheading of three teenage Christian girls in
eastern Indonesia's volatile Poso regency on Sulawesi Island. A spokesman
for Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the attacks were an
attempt to reignite religious violence in the area. The grisly beheadings,
which occurred on Saturday, Oct. 29, a few days before a major Muslim
holiday, triggered an outcry in Poso and across Indonesia. "The role of
these five people is still being investigated by police officers," said
deputy national police spokesman Soenarko Artanto. He refused to clarify
whether the army is holding the five. The military have claimed credit for
capturing four of them. Maj. Gen. Kohirin Suganda said the capture took
place a few days ago. Police said that up to six people dressed in black
outfits and masks killed the teenage schoolgirls with machetes near
downtown Poso. (WorldWide Religious News/Reuters)

COURT REFUSES TO RULE ON BAN OF CHURCH IN MADAGASCAR

A court in Madagascar has refused to rule on the banning of the popular
FPVM protestant charismatic church, saying only the president could
overturn the ban after consulting the council of ministers the church's
appeal was referred to. The police closed the church in October after the
interior ministry declared it a threat to public order. President Marc
Ravalomanana, a "devout Christian," is the deputy head of the island's
more traditional FJKM church who took office in a six-month revolution
three years ago and was re-elected to his church post last year. The FPVM
is accused of illegally occupying churches assigned to Ravalomanana's
church in southeastern Madagascar, but FPVM members said the landlords
offered them the buildings, most of which are wood-and-thatch huts. The
civil court said that it could not reopen the FPVM because it lacked the
authority to overturn a ministerial decision of this nature. Local media
has accused Ravalomanana of violating the country's secular constitution.
Approximately half of Madagascar's population is Christian, belonging to
established Protestant or Catholic churches. (WorldWide Religious
News/BBC)

* HCJB World Radio has helped establish three Christian FM radio stations
in Madagascar together with local partners. The most recent station went
on the air in Ihosy in October 2003, broadcasting to the under-reached
Bara tribe with additional programming in Malagassy, French and English.
Partner stations also have been planted in the cities of Diego Suarez and
Antananarivo.

HOUSE CHURCH IN CHINA GROWS TO 5,000 FROM 70 IN 3 YEARS

Southwestern China's Guangxi province in has been, until recently, a
spiritual "desert." Idol worship was the norm, and the few Christians
could not imagine revival. Recently, however, churches have begun growing
rapidly. For example, three years ago a house church in one region had 70
members; today it has 5,000. The revival is being led by a middle-aged
couple who were expelled from the state-sanctioned church (Three-Self
Patriotic Movement) in 1998. They started a house church where they met
sitting on the floor. (Friday Fax)

NEED FOR SPIRITUAL TRAINING INCREASES AS CHURCHES MULTIPLY IN CHINA

The rise of religion in China is catching the attention of the country's
leaders, says Erik Burklin of China Partner Ministries. However, there is
a lack of trained pastors to lead the fast-growing churches. "Young
emerging Christian leaders and pastors have to be trained to take on the
ministry responsibilities being vacated by older pastors," he said. A
China Partner lecturing team recently finished a week of training at the
newly established Christian Counseling Center in Nanjing, founded in 2002.
"Around 40 people signed up for this training session from 40 different
provinces," Burklin said, adding that similar activities can be expected
as churches continues to expand. In some areas Chinese government
officials are cracking down on believers, but in other areas churches are
being reopened and seminaries are being built. Church leaders are likely
to continue on the path of specialized training to meet new needs as
people discover themselves in Christ, Burklin said. (Mission Network News)

HOME-BASED CHURCHES IN SPAIN HAVE POTENTIAL FOR 'HIGH IMPACT'

Greater Europe Mission (GEM) is determining how to minister to the Catalan
people group in Spain where just one-fourth of 1 percent of the people are
evangelical Christians. GEM's Lauren Wells says the mission is rethinking
how local churches reach out to the community. Wells says home-based
churches have the potential for high impact and don't use a lot of the
"professionalism" that many people are wary of across post-Christian
Europe where Catholicism and religious traditions have left many people
skeptical of the church. "People will tell you face to face that they've
had the gospel in their country for 2,000 years. But if we come as
servants actually demonstrating to them . . . a Christian walk, they find
that very, very attractive," he explained. "GEM is hoping to provide
much-needed support for those Catalan Christians who will step out in
faith to reach Spain in new ways. It's a crucial need, especially as
home-based churches are rethinking the traditional methods of church."
(Mission Network News)

* HCJB World Radio has been operating Radio Vida, an FM station in
southern Spain, since 1998. The station broadcasts the gospel in Spanish,
English and Arabic, reaching listeners as far away as Morocco.
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Pray for the World: Guinea: Future in the balance.

Date: Monday 14 November 2005

Subj: Guinea: Future in the balance.

To: World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty News & Analysis

From: WEA RLC Principal Researcher and Writer, Elizabeth Kendal.

---------------------------------------------------
GUINEA: FUTURE IN THE BALANCE
---------------------------------------------------

Nzerekore is located in the Forest Region of southeastern Guinea, West
Africa, close to where the borders of Liberia, Guinea and Cote d'Ivoire
meet. In the words of Major Algassimou Barry, the Prefect (government
administrator) of Nzerekore and the surrounding district, "We're at the
heart of a region in turmoil." (July 2004, Link 1)

BAPTISM SERVICE ATTACKED IN NZEREKORE

On Wednesday 19 October, a Christian baptism ceremony in the Gonia
neighbourhood of Nzerekore was attacked by Muslims who were complaining
that music from the church was disturbing their prayers in a nearby
mosque. Ten people were injured, two seriously, and several houses were
sacked. The Muslims rioted again on the Friday evening and razed a local
video store. Elite soldiers, known as Rangers, had to be deployed to
restore calm. Several guns were confiscated and a curfew was imposed. Over
the weekend (22-23 October) some 100 people were arrested, with 56 still
detained. (Link 2)

The Christians belong to the Guerze ethnic group which has a long history
in the Forest Region of southeastern Guinea. Most Guerze practise
Christianity or African Traditional Religion (ATR). The Muslims are
Konianke, a sub-group of the Mandingo (also known as Malinki or Mandinki)
people who have been Muslim since the 13th Century. The Konianke, who are
traditionally nomadic traders, migrated south from northern Guinea during
the late nineteenth century when Guinea was under French rule and the
French had established a colonial administration in the Forest Region.

Ethnic-religious violence had previously erupted in Nzerekore on 16 June
2004 when, according to the US Department of State Human Rights Report
2004, "a Guerze youth on a motorcycle collided with a crowd leaving a
mosque". Of the 238 people arrested, 234 were Konianke and 90 percent were
Liberian. Two people died in that clash, but the toll would have been much
higher had the Guinean security forces not moved so quickly to quell the
fighting. (Link 1)

The incidents in Nzerekore arise out of several much larger issues: the
ethnic tensions created by Mandingo southward migration; the religious
tensions created by Muslim migration into regions historically populated
by settled Christian and Animist tribes; the ethnic and religious
superiority complex of many of the Mandingo Muslims, and the proliferation
of weapons, bored ex-combatants and entrepreneurial criminals and soldiers
for whom "war is more lucrative than peace".

Clearly, the Forest Region of southeastern Guinea must be viewed as a
potential flash-point for future, major ethnic-religious conflict.
Attention must be given to this region now, before disaster strikes and
spreads like shock-waves.

ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS TENSIONS

The ethnic and religious tensions in the Forest Region of Guinea are
similar in many ways to the ethnic and religious tensions that have
manifest themselves around the wider region and all along Africa's
ethnic-religious fault-line. Migration by Muslim tribes, into regions long
inhabited and farmed by non-Muslim tribes, has created competition for
land and resources. Increasingly over the past decade, religious tension
has been exacerbated by the revival of Islamic zeal and orthodoxy. This
has caused Muslim intolerance and anger to escalate in proportion to
Muslim feelings of both superiority and victimhood. Once violence erupts
it is virtually impossible to prevent it taking on a religious dimension.
The main threats to peace come from Islamists stirring up feelings of
Muslim supremacy and inciting conflict; and provocation by those who
profit (financially or politically) from conflict. The primary needs are
good governance, justice and disarmament.

Twelve months ago WEA RLC released a News & Analysis posting on
ethnic-religious violence in Monrovia, in neighbouring Liberia, which
touched on many of the same issues. Likewise, many of the WEA RLC posting
concerning neigbouring Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) over the past 3 years,
and on the religious violence in Plateau state, central Nigeria, have
dealt with the same issues. (Link 3)

The main difference in Guinea, when compared to the above mentioned
nations, is that in Guinea, Christians are a very small minority (less
than 5 percent) in a country that is more than 85 percent Muslim, making
the Christians even more vulnerable.

"LIBERIA, THE LURD AND GUINEA'S FOREST REGION" (ICG)

Thrown recently into this pot of simmering ethnic-religious tension is the
most dangerous ingredient of all: a large quantity of armed, bored, exiled
Muslim Liberian ex-rebel fighters. Guinea's support for Liberian rebel
groups has come back to bite it.

In an excellent report entitled "Stopping Guinea's Slide" (June 2005),
International Crisis Group (ICG) looks at the Forest Region as a potential
flash-point where conflict could have dire consequences. ICG warns: "For
some time, both Guineans and Guinea-watchers have been worried that a
conflagration in the Forest Region could spark a generalised meltdown
throughout the country." (ICG report: Link 4)

There is considerable documentary evidence that the government of
President Conte in Guinea trained, armed, funded and gave refuge to
Liberian rebels fighting against the government of Liberian President
Charles Taylor during the Liberian War. ICG maintains "LURD fighters
trained at the Kankan and Macenta military bases and were armed by the
government from 1999 if not 1998." (ICG report, p 21)

ICG notes that 80 percent of Liberian refugees are Mandingos who are
unwilling to return to Liberia where they feel they are not accepted and
are regarded as 'foreigners'. But as ICG also notes, "A similar dynamic
exists in Guinea, primarily in Macenta and N'Zerekore prefectures, where
tensions between Forestier peoples, who consider themselves the original
settlers, and Mandingoes, who are considered strangers, as in Liberia, are
very high." (p 21)

The tension has been stretched to crisis levels in recent years
because, since peace was brokered in Liberia in August 2003, many
hundreds of LURD rebels have moved across the border into the Forest
Region of Guinea where they can blend in amongst the thousands of Liberian
refugees and find protection amidst their fellow Konianke Muslim brothers
and sisters. Tension is further exacerbated by the fact that Taylor was
from the same ethnic group as the non-Muslim peoples of Guinea's Forest
Region.

The UN's Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) reported in July
2004, "Residents in Nzerekore said the town was packed with hundreds of
Liberian gunmen made idle by a peace agreement which
ended 14 years of civil war in their own country in August last
year. 'The town is full of them, everybody knows that,' a local
human rights activist in Nzerekore told IRIN. '...we know that
they're still carrying their weapons and that they help their
brothers the Konianke when the disputes explode between the two
[Konianke and Guerze] communities,' he said." (Link 1)

The ICG adds a further layer to this situation. Under the
sub-heading "LURD and the lost Mande Empire" (p 21), ICG explains
that between 1905 and 1915, African warriors menaced the Manenta and
Nzerekore prefectures and the wider region, preventing the French, English
and American-Liberians from claiming control of the region.

LURD emerged in the Forest Region and is made up primarily of
Mandingoes. The Mandingo fighters have a strong sense of history.
They not only remember the warriors' dominance of the region in the early
20th Century, but they also remember and long for the days of the great
Mali (or Mande) Empire (14th to 17th Centuries), when the Mandingoes, the
founding fathers of Mali, controlled trans-Saharic trade from the Middle
East to West Africa. According to ICG, "These [LURD] fighters sometimes
talk about their longer-term mission being the restitution of a glorious
Mandingo empire."(p 21)

ICG also notes that for many, "war is more lucrative than peace" (p 15).
According to ICG, the military "has entrenched interests in
pillage". ICG claims the military is involved in cross-border trade and in
regional arms flows, including to the rebel "Forces
Nouvelles" in Cote d'Ivoire (p 19). But as ICG notes, what usually starts
out as a simple economic interest, can develop into serious security
problems.

FUTURE IN THE BALANCE

Only months after the Liberian war ended, ICG released a report on the
possible consequences for Guinea. It was entitled, "Guinea:
Uncertainties at the End of an Era". (Africa Report No 74. 19
December 2003). ICG commented, "The large number of weapons and
irregular combatants circulating in this region is one of the
principal elements of concern. These armed groups with their
unpredictable allegiances could serve the interests of
politico-military elites who seek to create disorder and or to take power
by force."

The June 2005 ICG report claims that today many LURD former
combatants in Guinea are angry, believing that Conte has abandoned them.
Also, in Liberia there are both pro- and anti-Guinean forces actively
recruiting ex-combatants. ICG even comments that it is
difficult to understand why no attacks have yet materialised. (p 21,22)

In the midst of this, Guinea is approaching a period of political
uncertainty. President Conte is critically ill, there is no obvious
successor, and the nation is soon to hold its first local elections for 10
years. On Sunday 18 December, Guineans will be able to vote for majors and
rural councils in an election that will be seen as a test of the country's
democratic reform process.

IRIN reports, "Guinea, where more than half the population lives on less
than a dollar a day, has been ruled by Lansana Conte since he came to
power in a 1984 coup. But his ill health and the lack of a clear successor
in either the government or the opposition have led to worries that a
dangerous power vacuum is looming.

"In its [June 2005] report, [International] Crisis Group said that
disaster could only be averted if both the opposition and the
international community engaged fully in the reform process,
starting with these critical municipal elections. They will largely
determine the quality of Guinean democracy. If they fail, the
presidential succession will likely be disastrous." (Link 5)

After decades of Marxist, pro-Islamic persecution of the Church,
there is now religious freedom in Guinea, which is 85.4 percent
Muslim, 9.7 percent African Traditional Religion (ATR), and 4.7
percent Christian. Operation World reports that the Guinean Church has
embraced mission and in the past decade indigenous workers have begun
witnessing cross-culturally to previously unreached people
groups. The Guinean Church is growing. But many analysts fear that Guinea
is "primed for instability" (IRIN), and heading for a crisis. IRIN reports
that diplomats and aid workers have long worried that the Forest Region is
"a powder keg waiting to explode". For Guinea, and especially for the
Church in Guinea, the future is truly in the balance.

Elizabeth Kendal
rl-research@crossnet.org.au

Links

1) GUINEA: Ethnic tensions threaten to explode in southeast.
UN Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) 7 July 2004
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=42067

2) GUINEA: Dozens arrested after ethnic clashes in south-east.
IRIN 24 October 2005
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=49722
ALSO
WEA Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin - No. 351 - Wed 02 Nov 2005
GUINEA: BAPTISM SERVICE VIOLENTLY ATTACKED
http://www.worldevangelicalalliance.com/news/view.htm?id=228

3) World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty News & Analysis
Past postings may be found at http://www.ea.org.au/rlc

4) ICG Stopping Guinea's Slide.
Crisis Group Africa Report No 94, 14 June 2005
http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=3509&l=1

5) GUINEA: Opposition throws hat into ring for local elections
CONAKRY, 31 Oct 2005 (IRIN)
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=49850

============================================
**WEA Religious Liberty News & Analysis**
<Religious-Liberty@xc.org
============================================

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For more information on the World Evangelical Alliance, please see:
<http://www.WorldEvangelicalAlliance.com,
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<http://www.WorldEvangelicalAlliance.com/commissions/rlc.htm.
All WEA RLC material is archived at <http://www.ea.org.au/rlc.

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serves as the legal and judicial advisor to the RLC. Advocates
International links many Christian lawyers and judges around the
world and has been involved in religious liberty issues for many
years.

The Religious Liberty News & Analysis mailing list provides reports on the
state of religious liberty and persecution around the world with those
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Pray for the World 14 November 2005 Update From HCJB World Radio

Today's Headlines:

CHRISTIANS FLEE PAKISTANI VILLAGE AS MUSLIM MOB ATTACKS CHURCHES

FAMINE IN MALAWI THREATENS UP TO 5 MILLION PEOPLE WITH STARVATION

PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS IN ERITREA CONTINUES TO INCREASE

NEW ZEALAND COUPLE REACHES OUT TO PROSTITUTES IN INDIA

Today's Top Stories:

CHRISTIANS FLEE PAKISTANI VILLAGE AS MUSLIM MOB ATTACKS CHURCHES

More than 450 Christian families fled the village of Sangla Hill in
Pakistan's Punjab region after an angry mob of up to 2,000 Muslims
vandalized and set fire to churches and other buildings Saturday, Nov. 12.
There were no reports of injuries.

Hundreds of Christians attended Sunday services in the open air after a
mob of angry Muslims in the village, about 80 miles northeast of Lahore,
went on a rampage following allegations that a Christian had desecrated
the Koran, officials and witnesses said. The Christians wore black
armbands to protest Saturday's attacks and demanded protection for the
minority community in Sangla Hill.

The mob, mob destroyed local Salvation Army, United Presbyterian and
Catholic churches as well as a convent, St. Anthony's School, a girls'
hostel and a Catholic priest's home. They burned Bibles, crosses and other
Christian materials and set fire to Christian homes.

The violence was apparently motivated by an alleged case of "desecrating
the Koran." Yousaf Masih, a local Christian, was accused of burning down a
one-room Islamic school that contained copies of the Koran on Friday, Nov.
11 -- a charge he denies.

Shahbaz Bhatti, head of the APMA, condemned the attacks. "No Christian
burned copies of the Koran," he said. "No Christian even can think of
doing it. We have maximum regard and respect for the Koran and Islam's
prophet, Mohammed."

Christian schools throughout Pakistan will go on strike Thursday, Nov. 17,
to protest the attacks. Hindu, Sikh and Muslim leaders have joined church
leaders in condemning the outbreak of violence, and the All Pakistan
Minorities Alliance (APMA) has declared seven days of mourning. Church
leaders are calling on the Pakistani authorities to bring the main
instigators of the violence to justice.

Khusro Pervez, home secretary of the Punjab government, said police are
investigating and have arrested about 90 people for rioting, violence and
vandalizing Christian property. "The situation is under complete control
now," he said.

Sources: Assist News Service, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, dailytimes.com

* HCJB World Radio recently sent two medical teams from Ecuador to
Pakistan to help SIM International in relief efforts following the Oct. 8
earthquake that left tens of thousands dead and thousands more injured and
homeless.

FAMINE IN MALAWI THREATENS UP TO 5 MILLION PEOPLE WITH STARVATION

Famine in Malawi, one of the poorest countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, is
threatening 5 million people with starvation in the next six months,
reported the World Food Program. As a result, aid groups are working to
raise $76 million in order to feed about 3 million Malawians. Maize prices
in southern Malawi have risen nearly 70 percent in recent weeks, making it
unaffordable to the poorest people. Teen Missions International (TMI)
reported that many have already succumbed to the ravages of hunger. People
have been spotted at the TMI compound, foraging for grass to eat.
Desperate for food, some have even resorted to eating poisonous roots to
fill their stomachs. TMI has stored up enough food to feed most of the 150
children at its four orphanages in Malawi, but supplies are dwindling.
(Mission Network News)

PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS IN ERITREA CONTINUES TO INCREASE

Authorities in the East African country of Eritrea arrested 200 Christians
earlier this month as persecution against evangelical Christians continues
to escalate nationwide. "The president of Eritrea has basically made the
evangelical church enemy No. 1 of the state and is going about on a
ruthless campaign to try to eradicate and shut her down," said Kevin
Turner, president of Strategic World Impact, a ministry assisting
persecuted Christians worldwide.

He said the Eritrean government has not responded to world pressure to
cease the religious oppression in its country. Instead, the situation has
been steadily worsening for Christians. Despite the hardships, it has only
strengthened the faith of Eritrean Christians. "They can be such an
encouragement to us because they continue to do that in spite of severe
penalties, incredible physical degradation that they face because they
feel Jesus is worth it," he said.

In a related story, the number of Eritrean Christians confirmed to be
jailed for their religious beliefs has nearly doubled to 1,778 in the last
six months. More than 26 full-time Protestant pastors and Orthodox clergy
are in jail, their personal bank accounts frozen by government order.
"Their family members are suffering [to] a great degree," reported one
source.

In late September three Protestant leaders imprisoned months ago by
Eritrean authorities were handed jail sentences of two and three years.
Police raids last month in Asmara and the town of Kushete landed at least
51 more Protestants in police detention. (Compass, Assist News Service)

NEW ZEALAND COUPLE REACHES OUT TO PROSTITUTES IN INDIA

Kerry and Annie Hilton and their family left the comforts of Auckland, New
Zealand, in 1999 and moved to the infamous sex district of Sonnagachi in
Calcutta, India, to help the poor, never thinking they would one day work
with prostitutes. They discovered by accident that the crowded district
they had moved to was home to 6,000 women working in the sex industry. The
couple did research on the possibility of setting up a business in the
area which would provide an alternative source of employment for sex
workers and the result was the establishment of Freeset in 2001, a factory
that manufactures jute bags for export. Fifty former prostitutes now work
at Freeset. In addition to learning a trade, they are also taught to read
and write and hear the gospel message. "It is a positive story of hope,"
said John Sinclair who recently produced a television documentary on the
outreach. "It's one day at a time, one person at a time. For every person
helped that is a whole life changed. You can't change the whole world at
once but you can make a difference." Kerry Hilton added, "It's not about
giving them jobs; it's all about giving them freedom." (Assist News
Service)
===================
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*Peace of Christ*
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Jon Volkoff · Guest

"I pray for them: I PRAY NOT FOR THE WORLD, but for them which
thou hast given me; for they are thine." (John 17:9)

Daniel S. Vieira · Guest

Jon Volkoff wrote:

Jon Volkoff · Guest

On Tue, 15 Nov 2005 07:34:57 GMT, "Daniel S. Vieira"
<emai-in-...@nospam.com> wrote:

*Peace of Christ* · Guest

In article <1132046548.590056.93130@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, "Jon
Volkoff" <jvolkoff@gmail.com> wrote:

-On Tue, 15 Nov 2005 07:34:57 GMT, "Daniel S. Vieira"
-<emai-in-...@nospam.com> wrote:
-
-> > "I pray for them: I PRAY NOT FOR THE WORLD, but for them which
-> > thou hast given me; for they are thine." (John 17:9)
->
-> But isn't there a difference between Christ praying directly to his
-> Father for those the Father gave him, and us praying for God's will
-> to be done, and for the salvation of the elect that have yet to be
-> brought to regeneration?
-
-Yes, there is. However, the point is that the originator of these
-interminable "Pray For The World" threads ("Rainbow Christian" Ninure
-S.) has another definition of "world" in mind other than "the world
-of the elect", and wishes us to pray for those who Christ positively
-would not pray for.
-
-JV

Whucg id the following would Christ not ptay for?

CHRISTIANS FLEE PAKISTANI VILLAGE AS MUSLIM MOB ATTACKS CHURCHES

FAMINE IN MALAWI THREATENS UP TO 5 MILLION PEOPLE WITH STARVATION

PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS IN ERITREA CONTINUES TO INCREASE

NEW ZEALAND COUPLE REACHES OUT TO PROSTITUTES IN INDIA

Today's Top Stories:

CHRISTIANS FLEE PAKISTANI VILLAGE AS MUSLIM MOB ATTACKS CHURCHES
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*Peace of Christ*
http://grace.break.at
To send e-mail, remove "youhat" from address

Jon Volkoff · Guest

On Tue, 15 Nov 2005 17:11:48 GMT, His_child2005your...@yahoo.com.au
(*Peace of Christ*) wrote:

Ron B. · Guest

Jon Volkoff wrote:

Jon Volkoff · Guest

On Tue, 15 Nov 2005 21:36:16 -0600, "Ron B." <zyp...@spamcop.net>
wrote:

Ron B. · Guest

Jon Volkoff wrote:

Jon Volkoff · Guest

On Tue, 15 Nov 2005 22:41:40 -0600, "Ron B." <zyp...@spamcop.net>
wrote:

H.E. Eickleberry, Jr. · Guest

"Ron B." <zypher@spamcop.net> wrote in message
news:ffqdnS7UrfkUJefenZ2dnUVZ_smdnZ2d@giganews.com...

*Peace of Christ* · Guest

Pray for the World 15 November 2005 Update From HCJB World Radio

Today's Headlines:

HINDU EXTREMISTS ATTACK CHURCH IN NORTHERN STATE OF INDIA

SAUDI TEACHER SENTENCED TO 750 LASHES FOR 'MOCKING RELIGION'

UPDATE: 5 SUSPECTS LINKED TO BEHEADINGS IN INDONESIA RELEASED

Today's Top Stories:

HINDU EXTREMISTS ATTACK CHURCH IN NORTHERN STATE OF INDIA

Hindu extremists attacked 62-year-old Pastor Feroz Masih in northern
India's Himachal Pradesh state on Friday, Nov. 4, accusing him of
"forcibly converting" Hindus and beating him severely. The attackers then
forced Masih to sign a document saying he was willing to participate in a
ceremony in which all 60 members of his church would be converted back to
Hinduism. If the pastor and other church members refused to take part, the
extremists threatened to burn them to death. The attack and beating
occurred as Masih, a former Hindu, was traveling from the town of Baijnath
to nearby Norha village to comfort a believer who was mourning the death
of a family member. Masih and his son lead a local chapter of the
Believers' Church which meets in their house in Baijnath. About 60
believers gather for weekly services. (Compass)

SAUDI TEACHER SENTENCED TO 750 LASHES FOR 'MOCKING RELIGION'

A court in Saudi Arabia sentenced a teacher to 40 months in jail and 750
lashes for "mocking religion" after he discussed the Bible and praised
Jews, reported the Saudi newspaper, Al-Madina, Sunday, Nov. 13. Secondary
schoolteacher Mohammad al-Harbi will be flogged in public after he was
taken to court by his colleagues and students. He was charged with
promoting a "dubious ideology, mocking religion, saying the Jews were
right, discussing the gospel and preventing students from leaving class to
wash for prayer." A U.S. State Department report criticized Saudi Arabia
last week, saying religious freedoms "are denied to all but those who
adhere to the state-sanctioned version of Sunni Islam." Harbi said he will
appeal the verdict. (WorldWide Religious News/Reuters)

UPDATE: 5 SUSPECTS LINKED TO BEHEADINGS IN INDONESIA RELEASED

Five soldiers who were arrested after the brutal beheadings of three
teenage girls in Sulawesi, Indonesia, Saturday, Oct. 29, have been
released, said Glenn Penner of Voice of the Martyrs Canada. "We were
disappointed to learn that those five individuals were released due to
lack of evidence," he said. "To this point we still have no idea if anyone
is ever going to be held accountable." Penner suspects the murders may not
have been motivated as much by faith as they were by politics. "For
militants, they would like to see [sectarian fighting] reignited, if for
no other reason than it creates instability in Indonesia. These militants
do not like the present government, and this is a way of creating
instability in the country again." Christians have recently become the
targets of militant action. Two more high school girls were attacked
Tuesday, Nov. 8, near a Pentecostal church in Poso. One died, the other is
in critical condition after being shot at point-blank range. Hundreds of
troops have been dispatched to secure this high-tension area, but the
attacks show the danger from militant Islamic groups hasn't lessened.
Penner says even with the persecution, it hasn't stopped evangelistic
activity, nor has it stopped the church from steadily growing. (Mission
Network News)
===================
--
*Peace of Christ*
http://grace.break.at
To send e-mail, remove "youhat" from address


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