Dear friends and family in Christ, Click the following link to listen to Pr Daniel’s recent radio interview (8 min) with Mike Welsh from 2CC Radio Canberra, regarding Rise Up…
by Teresa Neumann : May 10, 2011 : Susanne Gusten – The New York Times
Pilgrims have already begun pouring in, on the last leg of a tour through the sites of the seven Biblical churches, all of which are in western Turkey. Tourism to the site increased tenfold in the first months of this year, to 1,000 visitors a day.
(Alasehir, Turkey)—Turkey is cultivating its image as “a meeting-point and arbiter of civilization” by discovering and restoring historical Christian sites. Hopefully, officials say, they trust Christians will feel free to make pilgrimages and pray at many of the sites. (Photo: Ibrahim Usta/Associated Press)
As reported in the New York Times, the sites are not only historically fascinating, they are myriad. In addition to Biblically-known locations, such as Laodicea and Ephesus, there are also towns such as Iznik, the site of Nicaea, where two of the seven Ecumenical Councils were held.
by Rachel Sparkman : May 10, 2011 : China Aid
In an historic move, Chinese house church leaders petition legislature to guarantee freedom of religion.
EDITOR’S NOTE: For dozens of years the world has witnessed the miraculous growth of the underground and house church movement throughout China in the face of grave persecution. Now house church leaders have gained an even stronger boldness as they petition their communist government. For Christians; these are our brothers and sisters-in-the-Lord, let’s remember to be supporting them in prayer. Just maybe we’ll see Chinese governmental leaders’ hearts be softened, not by might, nor by power, but by God’s Spirit. –Aimee Herd, BCN.
(Beijing, China)—In a historic move, clergy from dozens of mainland Chinese house churches are petitioning China’s legislature to guarantee freedom of religion and to peacefully resolve the recent church-state conflict involving one of the largest house churches in the capital, ChinaAid learned on Sunday.
This is the first such move in 60 years of Communist rule of China and represents a further emboldening of the house church movement, which for decades was active only in the countryside, meeting in small groups in private homes and careful to maintain a low profile to avoid attracting government attention to the illegal gatherings.
12th May 2011 – Barnabas is helping Christians affected by the unrest
As demonstrations against the Syrian government intensify, Christians are coming under increasing pressure to join the uprising – or leave.
Syrian churches have received threatening letters calling them to join demonstrations
In one Christian village outside the southern city of Deraa a home came under fire by a group of masked men on motorbikes, while Muslim residents in the village of Hala have issued an ultimatum to their Christian neighbours either to join the demonstrations against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime or to leave. Their demands are making life extremely difficult for the Christians, who have closed their shops and are considering what course of action to take. Churches have also received threatening letters.
Barnabas Fund is one of the very few Christian agencies working to assist the Christians in Syria, and has done so for many years. They are in particular need of humanitarian help now, with food prices rocketing as the country’s economy is affected by the unrest.
by Aimee Herd : Apr 15, 2011 : MNN
Luis Palau, his son Andrew and their team were met at the airport by a cheering crowd of about 500 people carrying roses.
Luis Palau, his son Andrew and their ministry team have made history this month. They broke a dry spell of permission of foreign evangelists to preach the Gospel openly in Vietnam.
As the team arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on April 5th, they were welcomed by a crowd of about 500, cheering and carrying roses.
Palau was literally “walking by faith” for the festival they had put together to be held in the city, since officials still had not granted them a permit. Finally, only 3 hours before the event was scheduled to start, a permit was given—but for a different location. (more…)
by Teresa Neumann : Mar 22, 2011 : Henry Samuel - The Telegraph U.K. Italy's appeal to ban Christian symbol in schools reaps reward and guarantees right of religious expression…
Barnabas Fund – 9th May 2011
Egyptian Christians came under attack at the weekend as Islamists set fire to two churches and Christian property, resulting in clashes that left 12 dead and more than 200 injured.
The unrest, which broke out in north-west Cairo on Saturday, has been described as one of the most serious outbreaks of sectarian violence since the revolution.
As several hundred Salafist Muslims descended on a church in Imbaba district, Christians barricaded themselves inside and around the building in a bid to protect it and, as demonstrations turned violent, Islamists stormed a six-storey residential building, claiming Christian snipers were positioned inside. Fire bombs were thrown at the church and at Christian homes and shops; the Muslim mob later attacked a second church, setting it ablaze.
The attackers chanted, “With our blood and soul, we defend you Islam” while Christians complained about the lack of security. One church leader said: They are people who are systematically attacking us and there are no police or military to protect us.
An update on this story. Apparently the official word is that there will be “no further conditions” placed on the importation or local production of Bibles in Sabah and Sarawak, two provinces with major Christian populations. Outside of those two provinces, the language required on the covers of Bibles that said things to the effect of “Only for Christians” has been softened to “Christian Publication,” though the intent is still obvious.
Have we heard the last of this? Almost certainly not, for as long as this story has dragged on. This report does not mention the matter of the use of the word “Allah” for “God,” which has always been a prime sticking point. There will likely be fine print, loopholes with which to revisit the “Allah” issue, and selective implementation. And that doesn’t take into account the potential response of Malaysia’s Islamic supremacists (when they’re not busy blaming their wives for not having sex with them).
It remains to be seen whether the government will keep its word and stand up to pressure from Muslims whose paranoia — in their supposed show of strength — gives the appearance they are afraid their faith cannot sustain itself in the face of free access to the Bible. “Kuala Lumpur authorizes importation and printing of the Bible in any language,” from Asia News, April 9:
By Wesley Ernst | Christian Post Correspondent
The Malaysian government has agreed to release all 35,000 Bibles it seized after Christian leaders demanded the books’ release.
In a statement made Tuesday, the Prime Minister’s department said it was releasing the Bibles as a commitment to resolving “any interfaith issues,” which has deeply divided Malaysia’s religious groups.
Since this past week, the national government was slammed by irate Christians for holding 5,000 Bibles in Port Klang since March 2009, and another 30,000 copies at the Port of Kuching in Sarawak state.
Although Bibles are not illegal in the Muslim-dominant nation, the 35,000 books were seized amidst an ongoing court battle for the use of “Allah” as a translation for the word “God.”
Judge orders Detroit transit to run AFDI/SIOA religious liberty bus ads
Detroit’s SMART transit system refused to run our AFDI/SIOA religious liberty bus ads, offering help for those in danger for leaving Islam; however, in an unusual victory for the freedom of speech, a judge has ordered the ads to run.
In “A Victory for Free Speech and Free People” in the American Thinker today, my colleague Pamela Geller gives the details:
In a notable victory for the freedom of speech, a U.S. District Court judge has ruled that Detroit’s SMART bus system must run my religious liberty bus ads offering help to people wishing to leave Islam safely, without having to live in fear.
Dear family & friends in Christ,
It is once again the time of the year when the shops are full of people buying their Easter Eggs etc, but in the busyness of life and all the shopping and the stories of Easter bunny and so on, sadly the real reason why we celebrate Easter gets buried.
The story below captures the moments heading up to this amazing event which took place some 2000 years ago, where my Jesus gave His life for you and me on the cross of Calvary and then rose victorious on the third day. This is the real meaning of Easter, that our Saviour rose again victorious! Hallelujah!
Sadly, most children and many adults do not know the real meaning of Easter. A few years ago a survey done showed that more than 80% of children in school thought Easter was all about the Easter Bunny and Eggs.
Christian Today – Christian Newspaper
by Brian Hutt Posted: Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Thousands of Islamic extremists have gone on the rampage in Ethiopia burning dozens of churches and the homes of Christians, according to Compass Direct News.
At least one Christian has been killed and more than 4,000 Christians have reportedly been displaced in and around Asendabo, around 186 miles from capital Addis Ababa.
The attacks occurred after a Christian was accused of desecrating a copy of the Koran by tearing it up.
NewsReal ^ | April 1, 2011 | Rob Taylor
Posted on Saturday, April 02, 2011 by TheHawksNest
7 United Nations workers were murdered by a crowd of angry Muslims in Afghanistan during protests organized by religious leaders. The clerics drove through the city of Mazar-i-Sharif with loud speakers, demanding that Muslims “protest†the burning of a Koran by a Florida pastor. Two of the UN workers were beheaded.
The leftist media here is placing the blame squarely on Koran burner Terry Jones while desperately clinging to the myth of the peaceful Muslim protest that “just got out of controlâ€â€“no doubt hijacked by a that tiny minority of extremists the media thinks is responsible for over 1,000 years of Islamic Imperialism. But when the Left here makes excuses for Muslim barbarity they ignore reality and the internal drives of unreformed Islam that make Muslims predisposed to mayhem and violence.
There is no other religious group on Earth that murders and rapes more people whenever they feel attacked and insulted nor is there one that attacks and insults other religions as regularly. While the Muslims in Afghanistan murdered innocent people because one man in Florida burned a Koran, Saudi authorities tortured and arrested two Indian Christians for praying. During the arrest Saudi religious police trampled the victims’ Bibles and tore the holy books. (more…)
by Aidan Clay : Feb 28, 2011 : ASSIST News
“During that year we went to villages where there were no Christians, we prayed for the village, and after a few months we would hear that there were Believers there. People had dreams, visions; some of them discovered Christian radio programs. We didn’t share the Gospel directly with many people, but God in His way, preached the Gospel. It was like an explosion in all the Kabylie area and it’s continuing now.” -Pastor Raba.
(Tizi Ouzou, Algeria)—As reported in Assist News, last year, an angry mob damaged the Tafat Church in Tizi Ouzou. International Christian Concern (ICC), a Washington DC-based human rights organization, visited Algeria, including Tizi Ouzou, just months after the attack on Tafat Church. The purpose for the visit was to encourage Algeria’s Christians and assist their unmet needs, but as happens more often than not when meeting with persecuted brethren, it was ICC who came away more encouraged.
Meeting with house church pastors in remote villages in the beautiful Kabylie Mountains, they shared stories of God’s work amongst their people and reminisced about Algeria’s great—and enduring—20 year revival.
 (more…)
by Aimee Herd : Mar 3, 2011 : Michelle A. Vu – Christian Post
“I am mindful that in the struggle to protect the religious freedom, the rights of minorities…I can be assassinated. I can be killed. But I will continue to follow the principles that I believe. I will continue to raise the voice of the voiceless. And I will not feel fear because of these threats because I follow Jesus Christ who has given His own life for us….” –Shahbaz Bhatti
The Pakistani Minister for Minorities, Shahbaz Bhatti—who worked tirelessly on behalf of Christians and minorities in Pakistan, to give them a voice and try to gain their protection—was gunned down reportedly by the Taliban, on Wednesday, March 2nd. (Photo: Reuters/Faisal Mahmood)
Perhaps he somehow knew something might happen that day since he told his security guards—who usually travel with him—to stay home.
Bhatti had indeed been receiving death threats, according to a Christian Post interview, after speaking out against Pakistan’s blasphemy laws which had been used as the basis for the arrest of Asia Bibi, a Christian mother of five.