Updates on the Persecution Church

I came across Persecution Blog today, updated by Voice of the Martyers. It is sort of like an online version of their monthly print magazine, which focuses on making the Church aware of persecuted brethren through regular updates and action reports.

Their monthly print magazine is available free upon request. This is another one of my favorite mission magazines. It is a fabulous, full color action pack that inspires me to live my faith boldly for Jesus Christ. It is full of stories of modern day heroes of faith (aka, "a great cloud of witnesses" from Hebrews 12:1) that endure true persecution for the Gospel.

If your not subscribed to it, it's takes just 2 minutes to get started by following this link. Do it today!

Pray for our brothers and sisters in the persecuted church today. Want to be specific? Petition for all those having birthday's today, that God would remind them of His tender mercies and His lovingkindnesses towards them, even in the midst of suffering. Sitting in a jail cell, or locked in a "re-education" camp somewhere in this world, or hiding in a jungle from fanatical persecutors, are brothers and sisters with a birthday today. A birthday is not too small a thing to talk to God about. Pray that he would lift hearts of those discouraged and forgotten and strengthen them with His grace. Sometimes it is God meeting us in the smallest of ways that makes such a big difference.

Why Maps for Missions? Reason #1

1) Maps help "peg" world news into useful pieces of information that further equips me to mobilize, respond, and pray specifically.

They assist us in remembering the context of the Mission at hand, with all the economic, political, geo-physical, and relational implications. Riots in France have have spiritual implications. So does the assasination of a government leader. And a flooding in a Chinese mine. And a malaria pandemic in Africa. Christians impacted need prayers for wisdom. Non-believes need prayers that their hearts will be softened and their lives spared until they hear the good news of Jesus Christ. The church needs prayer to respond to specific challenges with boldness, determination, and love.

God is at work all over the world. Why limit our sight? Why miss out on enjoying and participating in God's master plan by focusing our attention on local news only?

You've probably experience the influence of maps yourself because of the war in Iraq. News reports with maps have transformed the way I think of missions in Iraq. I've always known that Iraq was a difficult country to share the Gospel in and that persecution was severe, but taking the time to look up events as they occur in war in Iraq has brought the people there closer to my heart. The war is so much more than physical, it is spiritual, and I am reminded of that as I trace my finger across my world map.

Weather, political concerns, famine, industry, education, etc... All these things affect propagationgation of the Gospel and the health and interests of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Taking time to map it, and trace your finger across the paper, takes information from the knowledge level, and brings it down to memorable level to act and pray on.

But why does it matter what is going on in India and Brazil and Venezuela? It seems to me that most fundamentally it is because we are commanded to care, to “weep with those who weep” and “rejoice with those who rejoice,” to “remember those in bonds,” and “bear ye one another’s burdens.”I have so far to grow in this area.

The important thing is that we are growing, and not just staying stagnant in our faith and actions living out the Great Commission.

Maps help us be specific in our praying. The more specific we are in praying, the more fervent and persistent we tend to be because we have opportunity to see very specific answers to prayer. The goal is not just to pray "for"missions, but pray in participation "with" the missionary movement. And if mapping helps me enter into this more freely, then by all means, let's map.

Maps and Missions

It’s my dad’s fault world maps are one my favorite mission resources. To this day, we rarely eat dinner without a least one reference to the large world map we have framed and hanging on our dining room wall. I wouldn’t be surprised if I’ve learned more about physical and political geography around the dinner table than I ever did in a book.

When we hear about famine, war, a presidential tour, or spiritual revival taking place, dad always encourage to look it up on the map. When we get letters from missionaries, we look up their location. When we hear about unreached people groups still waiting for a missionary, we pinpoint where they are.

I’m sure there are many more than 7 reasons to put up a world map on your wall, but that’s at least a start to the tentative list I have planned to share. It may fluctuate. Each post this week I’m going to put up 1-2 of these reasons with a little explanation. There is such incredible potential for growing a missionary heart in world maps that I want to give it plenty of space on the blog this week and next.

On each of these “Maps and Missions” posts, I’ll also put up some exercises that will give you opportunity practice your map skills and learn more about what God is doing around the world.

Far and Away from Home

In case you're wondering what has happened to all my posts this week, I'm out of town and away from my computer. I'm slipping this post in sitting at my friend's computer up in beautiful New Hampshire.

When I get back, I'm looking forward to sharing several topics on my heart. And I'm sure that spending time up here with my friend, Katey, will give me new ideas and inspiration too. I'm always blessed to spend time with mission-hearted friends, and Katey is one such friend.

It is so important to take the time to build relationships with others that challenge our walk and compel us to grow further. We all need a few friends like this in our life. It takes conscious effort to grow and nourish such friendships, but they are always worth the time.

Life is about relationships, after all. And relationships, not programs or crusades, are the essence of missions. People reaching people.

Wherever you are, I hope you have a mission-hearted friend. Give him or her a call today, and fan the flame in each other to see God's glory spread.

Interesting Fact

India and China together have over 2.4 Billion people, or over a third of the world's population.

And every single one of them has a name and face...and a soul! Each one is just as precious in God's sight, and He looks on them with the same yearning for fellowship, as you and I.

I was thinking about that yesterday, as I was sitting in the airport watching hundreds of men and women scurry around with baggage between terminals. So many people. So many people still in darkness. We must continually pray that God keep our heart tender to think of people as precious souls.

Prayer for India

God is at work around the world and what a blessing it is for us to hear of what He is doing! With today's rapid communication system it's not hard to keep up to date with what is going on and be able to respond and pray instantly. Mission Network News is a great resource for daily news of what God is doing around the world, both through joy and victory, as well as the hardship and struggle.

It's easy to check and see if your local Christian radio station carries MNN reports during their news hour. I always am blessed and provoked by the excellent journalism and detailed reports that MNN produces.

India is one country that has a close place to my heart and I'd thought I'd post this news update from MNN, just up today, about increasing persecution in that country.

Faithful believers continue sharing Christ's love despite increased persecution. Posted on March 15th, 2006India (MNN) --

The number of Christians facing harassment and persecution is growing every day. In fact the amount of persecution has increased especially in the last 30 days.Gospel for Asia's President KP Yohannan is confused by the number of problems their workers are facing, because many thought the change of government would give Christians more freedoms. "When the BJP government was in power, honestly, we didn't have this much persecution. It is since the new government, the Congress government, is now in power, that we have seen such an incredible increase in persecution everywhere. And I don't know why. Maybe the when BJP government was in power they were more sensitive to toward portraying minorities in the light of the international community. But it looks like with the Congress government, we seem to be experiencing an incredible escalation in persecution."

Yohannan believes the extremists fear losing power over the poor. And as many people find freedom in Christ, accusations of forced conversions abound. Yohannan says, much of the persecution is because, and they see that happening as many are being liberated by Christ. Yohannan says they're not telling them, "Hey, we'll give you food and clothes and shelter if you become Christians." No! It is a matter of truly demonstrating Christ's love.

As Christians faithfully share the love of Christ and suffer because of it, Yohannan urges believers everywhere to pray. And, "don't take these things as information and something to talk about. Rather, something that should break your heart for the brothers and sisters who are suffering."While many think of this as religious persecution, Yohannan doesn't believe it. "The problem is these are extremists who (are) like the Taliban, that are taking such hatred upon themselves toward Christians. And this is a nation that is free and democratic to share their faith, and I'm quite confused in the light of the "impartial" community, why this is now happening in this measure.

According to Yohannan, many of the upper caste Hindus don't want to see these poor people liberated and come to the place of freedom and liberty. "I personally do not believe these attacks have anything to do with religion, rather it has to do with power and hunger for control, just like we had in the United States in the days of slavery," says Yohannan.

While the radicals claim forced conversions are the reason so many of the poor are coming to Christ, Yohannan says it's love that's making a difference. "The truth of the matter is what Christians are doing, and missionaries are doing, or churches are doing, is telling people about Christ who came into the world because of love to save sinners and give hope and heal the brokenhearted."

Yohannan is asking believers to pray because he expects the violence to increase.

Mission Network News is a member of the Gospel Communications Network.Report problems to: mnn@gospelcom.net©2006 Mission Network News. All Rights Reserved.

Momentum Magazine

I just came across a mention of a new mission magazine today that really caught my attention, so I checked it out online. Wow! I got excited. I haven't had a chance to sit down and read throughout the magazine yet, but just perusing it, as well as the mission and six fold goals it holds to, was remarkably similar to my heartbeat for this little blog. The magazine is available both in print and online at www.momentum-mag.org. Take a look!
~~~~~~
Momentum Magazine
Our Mission To help believers passionately, quickly, and effectively obey the Great Commission and reach the Unreached Peoples of our world.

We build six things in our readers:
Drive: passion to go to the least-reached
Energy: capacity to cross distances
Effort: to evangelize, disciple, transform;
Inspiration: motivating the unmotivated;
Power: discipline, accountability, focus;
Strength: to not sway from frontier mission.
~~~~~

Mission "Work"

"I have seen many men work without praying, though I have never seen any good come out of it; but I have never seen a man pray without working." - James Hudson Taylor

This quote is a great reminder for me today--the "work" of missions begins on my knees. It has to be restated a thousand times to my thick head because by nature I find it so much easier to talk about praying, rather than be still and pray. Daily prayer for the Harvest has to be a conscious choice.

Isn't it essentially true that talking about the prayer needs of millions waiting, about the suffering of persecuted Christians, about the needs of many faithful missionaries, etc..., equates to sounding brass and clanging cymbals unless we actually offer up the sacrifice of our own lips in real, live, fervent prayer.

But effectual prayer, lived out with action, that is just like Jesus.

When my heart is cold and I don't feel like praying for my brothers and sisters in Christ, or for those who haven't even had a chance of knowing the Jesus that has redeemed me from death, I find it best to be forthright and admit it to God plainly.

"My heart is cold. I don't have the passion I should right now to plead for the lost. I'm selfish and wanting my own way. But Lord Jesus, open my mouth to speak your words, not my own, for they are empty. Replace my cold heart with yours even now."

And as often as I pray it, isn't it amazing...He hears and answers.

Not that it immediately becomes easy, or that my flesh doesn't struggle in prayer. But He renews my purpose for prayer, the pursuit of His greater glory among all mankind. He has delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from falling, I will call upon the Lord...

Prayer for the advancement of His Glory, the Great Commission of the Church, is discipline. Let us exhort one another daily to be faithful.

Global Vision

"We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global God."
-- John Stott

What does it take to have global vision? Practically, how do we become global Christians? This idea should be more than just a phrase tossed around in Christian circles. It is worthless unless it becomes imbued in the fabric of our lives.

I desperately want to have global vision for God's glory. I know I'm completely powerless to do it on my own-it comes from the Holy Spirit indwelling and directing me further into the heart of God. The closer I am to His heart, the greater my fervancy to shake off my limited vision and pursue His glory. I can't conjur up a missionary heart in my own strength. Without global vision being Spirit driven, it is hollow and becomes like those clanging cymbols talked about in I Cor 13.

That's the drive behind this blog...finding ways, little and big, to set our sails to recieve that Holy Spirit world vision and live as global Christians.

What way can I become a global Christian today?

Blessed to be a Blessing

Psalm 67 is a Missionary Psalm, my favoirte missionary Psalm. God's heart for all people runs through every verse. Read it from that perspective and see if it doesn't stand stand out to you in a whole new light. This passage reveals the pure motivation that should be in our hearts when we ask God to bless us: that is, that God may be know and praises among more and more people.


God be merciful to us;
and bless us;
and cause His face to shine upon us; Selah

That Thy way may be known upon earth, Thy saving health among all nations."
Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.

O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah.

Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.
Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even out own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall few Him.

VOM Mission Conference in OK

I just came across this mission conference announcement on the Voice of the Maryters website. What a great opportunity to get informed, pray, get involved, catch a vision, and meet up with others. I've read amazing things about this conference in the past.

Check it out: 2006 "Wear the Crown" Mission Conference

When: June 23-25, 2006
Where: Bartlesville, Oklahoma, on the beautiful campus of Oklahoma Wesleyan University.

A Cure

"If you found a cure for cancer, wouldn't it be inconceivable to hide it from the rest of mankind? How much more inconceivable to keep silent the cure from the eternal wages of death."
-- Dave Davidson

Biographies for the Missionary Heart

Just on a side note, two of my very favorite faith building missionary stories are:

• Evidence Not Seen, A Woman's Miraculous Faith in the Jungles of World War II by Darleen Deibler Rose
• God’s Smuggler, by John and Elizabeth Sherrill.

What I love about these biographies is that they make you feel you are right there with the missionary, learning of God and watching Him do amazing things to show Himself strong. I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning finishing Evidence Not Seen. I laughed and cried all through the book. My heart was touched through the special testimony of this book. God was glorified in my eyes through it.

On the Shoulder's of Giants- Part 3

3. Heroes invite our participation in the Kingdom cause – Reading the journals, letters, and stories of persevering missionaries reveal practical ways we can be involved in God’s Kingdom work wherever we are. There is an unfinished task left to our generation. How will we cooperate with God in His ongoing mission?

A crucial part of the ministry we are all called to is intercession on behalf of our missionaries. As we study the life and faith of these missionary heroes, the more fervently we are able to co-labor in prayer with and for those on the field today.

Remember, we each have a unique race marked out just for us. God’s specific assignment for my life will not be the same as that of my heroes, nor will yours, yet the possibilities of our ministry are no less incredible than those who have gone before. These giants of the missionary movement remind us that God still desires to perform miracles for His Name sake through ordinary men and women ready to expect and attempt great things for God.