Prayer Alert: Younis Masih's Life Sentence for Blasphemy Heard in Court Tomorrow!

Pakistan Christian Younis Masih is scheduled to have his appeal against a life sentence for blasphemy heard in court tomorrow. The Punjabi father-of-four has been detained since November 2005 – after asking local Muslims to reduce noise levels during their worship. Younis is still recovering from a heart attack last week which caused him to be hospitalised. Continue to pray God's protection over him, his family and Release partners supporting them: some fear that Younis may be at greater risk of attack from extremists while he is in hospital. 

 

(Source: Release partners)

Younis Masih, a Christian father of four, is serving a death sentence in Pakistan for blasphemy & suffered a serious heart attack,  according to Release International's prayer alert on 8 January 2013.

Younis, who is detained in a jail in northern Punjab, was transferred to a civilian hospital. His wife, Meena, and their children live nine hours' drive away from the prison, which has made visiting hard since his transfer there in July. Meena featured in our DVD, Pray for Pakistan.

Younis has been in jail for more than seven years. He was detained in November 2005 after a Muslim cleric accused him of making derogatory remarks about Islam's prophet, Mohammed. Younis's supporters say he was falsely accused after asking those attending an Islamic religious ceremony in his neighbourhood to make less noise.

Release partners are concerned that Younis could be at greater risk of attack from Islamist extremists while he is in hospital – and have gone immediately to try to visit him. They are also handling his appeal against the death sentence. A court hearing has been set for January 17.

(Source: Release partners)

http://www.releaseinternational.org

But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.

Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.

(Micah 7: 7-8)

SRI LANKA: Pastor Injured in Attack on Church

Please click the link below if you are able to join the Be-A-Voice Network & pray for our brothers & sisters, who are being persecuted for worshipping Jesus Christ.

http://www.be-a-voice.net/

Prayer Alert: Farshid Fathi

PRISONER NAME: Farshid Fathi
LOCATION: Iran (Islamic Republic of)
ARRESTED: 26 December 2010
REVISED: January 16, 2013

Farshid Fathi was arrested on Dec. 26, 2010 in a wave of arrests of believers in Tehran and other areas. Of the 22 believers arrested by security forces in Tehran, 10 were released after intense questioning and after they signed agreements to refrain from Christian activities. Eleven others were also later released. By the end of April, 2011, only Farshid remained in prison, though his family had paid an enormous bail sum. He spent nearly a year in solitary confinement.
Farshid, a Christian convert from Islam, was charged with "acting against national security through membership of a Christian organization, collection of funds, propaganda against the Islamic Regime by helping spread Christianity in the country," and sentenced to six
years of imprisonment on March 5, 2012. Though the charge is for his Christian work,
authorities tried to cast his activities as political offenses.

Farshid's appeal against the charges was rejected in June 2012. He is due to serve the rest of his sentence in Evin Prison.

According to Elam Ministries, Farshid is a shining beacon for Christ in Evin, so much so that the son of an Iranian ayatollah commented on Farshid's sweet nature in a YouTube video. The two shared a cell. The man remarked on how beloved Farshid is among the inmates. Elam described Farshid as "a man after God's own heart."

Farshid is married to Leila, and has two children, Rosana and Bardia. Pray that they will be comforted during this time. Pray for steadfast endurance, deep Godly peace and for protection for Farshid in prison. Pray he will remain a shining light in prison and pray for his release.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long;we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.(Romans 8:35-39)

Ice Flowers

I took these photos this morning of our "sunroom" windows. These ice flowers are beautiful testimony to our Glorious God!

Fox News Update on American Pastor Saeed

Please keep our brother Saeed & his family in your prayers.

News: Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani Again Free!

 Let us thank & praise the Lord for this wonderful news!

"Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani was just released in Iran.

A leader in Pastor Youcef’s church has confirmed to the ACLJ that Iranian authorities released Pastor Youcef from prison shortly after 1:30 p.m. near Rasht, Iran.

He had been re-arrested on Christmas Day in Iran, the first Christmas he would have been able to spend with his wife and two young sons after his nearly three-year imprisonment for his Christian faith.

After initially spending 1,062 days behind bars under a death sentence for apostasy (becoming a Christian), he has now been forced to spend an additional 14 days in prison because of his faith even after his apostasy conviction was absolved.

The ACLJ welcomes his release from this unjust and illegal imprisonment.  Iran must not be allowed to persecute individuals because of their faith.

Pastor Youcef has become the face of persecution around the world, and his re-arrest on Christmas Day shows Iran’s intent to make an example of Pastor Youcef to intimidate people of minority faiths.

While Pastor Youcef is now once again free, American Pastor Saeed Abedini remains imprisoned for his faith in one of Iran’s most notoriously brutal and abusive prisons."

 

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani Again Free | Iran, American Center for Law and Justice ACLJ

Prisoners of Faith - Prayers Please

Please continue to pray for our brothers & sisters, who are Prisoners of Faith. Below is Release International's email alert for January 2013.

 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that

I am in chains for Christ.

(Philippians 1:13 NIV)

http://www.releaseinternational.org

News Updates on Pastors Youcef Nadarkhani & Saeed Abedini

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani

You can join a community page that has been set up for Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani on Facebook.

Please keep both our brothers & their families in your prayers!

Letter from Pastor Jachin Charley

Beloved in Jesus Christ,

 Greetings to you in the Precious name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  Thank you so much for praying for my ministry.  We wish you a very Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year 2013.  Now we are praying to God to construct 6 village Churches.  Please pray and support to build a village Church in India.  Thank you so much for praying for this need.  May God continuously bless you and your family more abundantly in all your life.  Amen.

Please click the bellow link to know more about to build a village Church.  Thank you.

http://helptobuildachurch.webs.com

Your servant in Jesus Christ,

Pastor Jachin Charley

"We are reaching the unreached people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the rural villages in India. We are distributing Gospel Tracks door to door and Praying for the sick people. So many hindu people are knowing about Jesus Christ and accepting as their Lord and Saviour. So many people are getting healed from their physical sickness who are suffering with incurable diseases. Please Pray for our Gospel Outreach Program."

Please pray for Pastor Jachin, his ministry & for the building of village churches.

Petition to Free American Pastor Saeed Abedini

Iran is imprisoning and abusing an American pastor because of his faith. Iran, home of one of the world’s most radical Islamic regimes, is holding American Pastor Saeed Abedini because he is a Christian, refusing to release him, and subjecting him to unspeakable abuse.
At the ACLJ, we are launching an international campaign to free Pastor Saeed, and we need Americans to mobilize for religious liberty. Urge the President, the State Department, and every Member of Congress to take a stand for an American Christian.

Please click on this link to go to The American Center for Law & Justice's website in order to
sign the petition to have Pastor Saeed freed.

 Abedini said in a recent letter from prison:

"Prison is a test of faith. I was always worried that the storms of this life would break the ship of faith, but when you stand in the steadfast ship of faith, the storms are like a nice breeze. Nothing can break the ship of faith. These walls have created more fervor for me to love others through sharing the Gospel, but more than that, the walls have deepened my love for my Savior. I feel the prayers of all who are praying for me. I hope to one day meet each one of them face to face and embrace them in my arms."

You can read more of Pastor Saeed's story in the Washington Post.

Please add Pastor Saeed & his family to your prayer list.

Youcef Nadarkhani Arrested On Christmas Day

"Multiple sources are reporting that Brother Youcef Nadarkhani was arrested on Christmas Day.  He is currently serving the remaining 40 days of his three-year prison sentence.  He was released on bail September 8, 2012, which was 45 days early.  The Gilan court has decided that he must serve the remaining time of his prison sentence." Youcef Nadarkhani Arrested On Christmas Day | Present Truth Ministries

 "Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has been informed that Yousef Nadarkhani, the Church of Iran pastor recently acquitted of apostasy, has been returned to jail on an earlier charge.

In September, a court acquitted Pastor Nadarkhani of apostasy, but sentenced him to three years for evangelising Muslims. Since he had already spent close to three years in Lakan Prison in Rasht, the pastor was released after posting bail.

However, CSW sources now report that Pastor Nadarkhani has been returned to jail on the orders of the director of Lakan Prison, who claimed he had been released several days too early due to the insistence of his lawyer, Mohammed Ali Dadkhah. The pastor has now been return to prison to serve the remainder of this time and to complete paperwork that allegedly had not completed during his release in September.

In November, Pastor Nadarkhani was a special guest at CSW's National Conference in London, where he thanked all who had prayed and petitioned for him during his initial incarceration.

Mervyn Thomas, CSW's Chief Executive said: "We are disappointed to hear Pastor Nadarkhani has been returned to prison in such an irregular manner. The timing is insensitive and especially sad for his wife and sons, who must have been looking forward to celebrating Christmas with him for the first time in three years. We hope that Pastor Nadarkhani will be released without delay once this alleged sentence has been fully served. We are also asking for prayers for the pastor's safety, and for his family at this difficult time." (Christian Today Australia)

 

Please pray for Youcef & his family.

Human Shields in Homs - Please Pray

Below is an exert of a letter from Dr Patrick Sookhdeo of Barnabas Fund.

A human shield in Homs

Let me tell you about one incident, which has not been reported internationally. It concerns Homs, and in particular the Christian neighbourhood of Hamadiya in the old city. A large proportion of the 60,000 Christians of Homs used to live there before the crisis, but almost all have fled. Rebel forces now occupy their homes. However, 86 Christians were kept in Hamadiya as a human shield. I have a list of their names. Church leaders told me that the rebels are holding the hostages to deter the government from attacking Hamadiya with full force. Without food supplies, apart from what they had in their homes months ago, without any medical care at all, several of the 86 Christians have already died during their captivity. The church leaders estimated last week that there are around 80 still alive. 
At one point the Red Crescent managed to get a little aid in for the Hamadiya Christians, but had to retreat again hastily. The Syrian government has assured church leaders it is willing to help get the Christians out. The Free Syrian Army has also told church leaders they would allow the Christians to leave Hamadiya. But the Salafi, al-Qaeda and other Islamist extremist elements of the rebel forces refuse. And so the Christians remain, month after month, dying one by one.

Message from Dr Patrick Sookhdeo: The Tragedy of Christians in Syria (Click for full message)

Christians in Syria receiving food packages from Barnabas Fund.

Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Syria.

Recovering the True Gospel

Below is an exert from a Paul Washer sermon (English with Danish subtitles).

Please Pray for the Persecuted Church

This Christmas, please pray for our brothers & sisters in Christ, who are being persecuted for their faith.

Merry Christmas!

Messianic Prophecies

Jesus Died - Paul Washer Sermon

Psalm 24

Of  David. A psalm.

1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,

the world, and all who live in it;

2 for he founded it on the seas

and established it on the waters.

3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?

Who may stand in his holy place?

4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,

who does not trust in an idol

or swear by a false god.

5 They will receive blessing from the Lord

and vindication from God their Savior.

6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,

who seek your face, God of Jacob.

7 Lift up your heads, you gates;

be lifted up, you ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in.

8 Who is this King of glory?

The Lord strong and mighty,

the Lord mighty in battle.

9 Lift up your heads, you gates;

lift them up, you ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in.

10 Who is he, this King of glory?

The Lord Almighty—

he is the King of glory.

Father's Love Letter

With thanks to Fatherheart.

Whom Shall I Fear [God of Angel Armies]

A wonderful song by Chris Tomlin!

Run For Your Life

This is one of the most powerful sermons that I have heard in a long time: Run For Your Life by Carter Conlon, who is now Senior Pastor of Times Square Church in New York.

The scripture readings are: 1 Kings 18, 1 Samuel 18:10-11, Proverbs 7 and Proverbs 5.






Below is an exert from the sermon, for those of you who too busy to hear a full sermon.

Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church: 1 November 2012

Please follow this link to Barnabas Fund's website in order to download a prayer guide.

Jesus Christ: Fulfillment of the Law

God's Law

Prayer Needed: There is a Church in Syria

https://barnabasfund.org/

There have been Christians in Syria since Biblical times, and today the country is home to a flourishing Christian population of 2.3 million. Hundreds of thousands of Christian refugees from Iraq have also escaped there from anti-Christian violence and cruelty in their homeland.

Until last year Syria was the one of the easiest places in the Arab world to be a Christian. The churches could practise their faith without much interference, and they were respected by the Muslim majority and even by the government.

But with the Arab Spring their conditions changed -- very much for the worse...

Please pray for our brothers & sisters in Syria.

Teachings on The Holy Spirit

This Is War

by Paul Washer

Cry Out For Greater Manifestations of

The Life and Power of The Holy Spirit

by Paul Washer

The Power of the Holy Spirit is Essential

by Paul Washer

Empowered by the Holy Spirit

by Paul Washer

 

How do I receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?

by Tim Conway

It Will Cost You Everything

by  Steve Lawson

The Full Armor of God - Ephesians 6:11

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto death." Revelation 12:11

Christian News: Hundreds more Christians reach South Sudan - Barnabas - Christian persecution

Hundreds more Christians reach South Sudan | Barnabas - Christian persecution

Published: Thursday 04 October 2012

Hundreds more Christian women and children airlifted to South Sudan

Project(s): 48-1078

Country: Sudan, Middle East and North Africa, South Sudan

Almost 500 vulnerable Christians have so far been airlifted to South Sudan as part of Barnabas Fund’s major operation to rescue 2,000 women and children trapped in Sudan.

The neediest Christian women and children have been identified

The second and third flights from Khartoum to Juba took place on Sunday (30 September) and Tuesday (2 October) respectively, following the first successful airlift on 19 September. We are prioritising the most needy women, around two-thirds of whom are widows, and children.
The returnees have received a grand welcome. The first arrivals were featured on South Sudan’s TV news, and the minister of humanitarian affairs has been at the airport in Juba to greet them. He congratulated our partners, Africa Inland Church – Sudan, for facilitating the evacuation of the South Sudanese from Khartoum.
The rescue mission is ongoing but will now be on hold for around three weeks because the airlines and aviation authorities in Sudan are occupied with the mass transportation of Muslim pilgrims to Saudia Arabia for the hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca).

Background

On board the plane home to South Sudan

After the South voted to secede, people of Southern origin – most of whom are Christians – remaining in Sudan were stripped of their citizenship and given a deadline to leave. Their place in the country has become increasingly endangered as President Omar al-Bashir has repeatedly declared his intention to make the country’s next constitution 100% Islamic and strengthen sharia law.
While many Southerners have made their own way to South Sudan, hundreds of thousands remain trapped in a country that is increasingly hostile to their presence.
Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, International Director of Barnabas Fund, said: “We have pledged the funds to rescue 2,000 of the neediest Christian women and children from Sudan but we eagerly desire to be able to help more of those stranded in such a dangerous and inhospitable place. So please do give whatever you can towards this endeavour and let’s together get these vulnerable Christians home.”
The cost per person is £175 (€220, US$275, AU$260, NZ$345).

 

Please Pray:

• Give thanks for the successful transportation of almost 500 Christians from Khartoum to Juba so far. Pray that they will receive all the support they need to quickly establish new lives in South Sudan.
• Pray for those waiting to return to Juba, that the Lord will give them patience and grace, and keep them safe from all harm.
• Pray that the Lord will provide the funds so that we can transport many more than the originally planned total of 2,000 Christians to South Sudan.

 For further information & to donate, please visit:
http://www.barnabasfund.org/UK/News/Latest-emergencies/Hundreds-more-Christian-women-and-children-airlifted-to-South-Sudan.html