Dear Prayer Partners,
Bethaney Butler is the daughter of PBT missionaries William and Robin. During most of her growing up years she and her parents lived among the Waran people in Likan village of Papua New Guinea (PNG). She is now a young adult, a graduate of Johnson Bible College, and committed to serve Christ as a PBT Short-Term Assistant in PNG for two years. She has been ready to return for months but has not been able to do because she lacks the needed financial partners to enable her to go.
Her parents now live in another location in PNG, but William periodically flies to the bush airstrip near Likan to do additional work on the Waran New Testament he is helping to translate and to minister to the people in various ways. At the people’s request, William spent Easter weekend in the village. On his last day in Likan, as he was preparing to leave for the airstrip, he heard a persistent knocking on the door of his village house. It was Arakun, the wife of the village pastor. When he opened the door she and several other Waran people quickly entered. Arakun was holding a plastic shopping bag, and she was saying how glad she was that she made it before the plane arrived. In telling what happened next, William wrote Bethaney the following:
By then she was starting to pour out the contents of the bag…. Then she said, “I went to every house in the village and asked for a contribution for Bethaney.” At that, she dumped a pile of money out. I was speechless. That is when I lost it. She was going on about how she hadn’t counted it yet and I needed to help her count it. Nobody was really looking at me but at her and what she was doing. When she looked up at me and saw me crying, I heard her whisper, “Ma taapaset (he’s crying),” then everyone looked at me. The whole thing was an event too tender and precious. After a while I calmed down and…I asked her why she did this and she said, “She is our family and this is what families do. They help each other out. She wants to come back to PNG and she is short of money. We want to help her.”
…the initial contribution Arakun brought was 121 kina but others kept bringing bills to add to the bag before the plane came. I was even handed some as I walked to the plane. The final total is 155 kina [about $55 U.S.]…. Maybe this is only the widow’s mite but this is the gift Jesus honored, wasn’t it? You should know this money was given after there had been major offerings during the Easter gathering.
The Waran people have thrown down the gauntlet in faith. We pray that those with greater resources will take up the challenge.
Please pray that the monthly financial commitments that Bethaney still needs to be able to serve in PNG will soon be made. Pray also that the others in PBT who are seeking funds to serve overseas will soon receive the financial commitments they need. Pray that even in these hard economic times Christians will generously give of whatever income God provides for them so that His kingdom will grow both in North America and throughout the world.
Thanks for your prayers,
Gerald Denny
PBT Director of Missionary Care
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Jews for Jesus prayer update
Dear Friends,
Prayer needs:
Pray that we will see more Israelis come to faith in Jesus through our follow-up efforts.
We have filed over a dozen police complaints against those who assaulted us. Pray for justice.
Pray for the 21 Jewish believers and eight gentile believers that came to faith during the past three weeks.
Safety and traveling mercies for all of the volunteers that are returning to their home countries.
Continued growth in the level of cooperation and help from the local believers with the follow-up efforts.
Preparation for our fall BYG campaign; pray for wisdom for Ofer and Dan, who will be leading this effort.
Stories:
Meir:
In the park we spoke with two young adults, Yosi and Daniel, who were closed at first, but then opened up. Yosi did most of the talking, but in the end it was Daniel who was interested in receiving a New Testament. We also spoke with a pediatrician who accepted a Gospel of John from us.
I was phoning yesterday afternoon and no one was willing to speak with me for 52 calls. I phoned the last number, and the man I spoke with already knew quite a bit about Y'shua, and I was able to share the gospel with him.
Karol:
We were doing a music sortie in City Park in Rishon and it was great. One of our campaigners, Yuri, is a professional violinist and as he played Ha Tikvah (the Israel National Anthem) and other Jewish songs many people (mostly Russian) came to hear him. He even took requests! We all were reminded of the verse "and a little child will lead them" as the kids were most interested in coming over to hear and even to dance, and their mothers/grandmothers/caretakers followed. They didn't seem to mind that we were in Jews for Jesus T-shirts, and after a while we were able to speak to several of the adults. We even got a contact or two before two religious women saw what was going on and came over to try to stop us. They were yelling and screaming at us that what we were doing was illegal and that we should go home to America and leave Israel alone. They threatened to call the police, which was fine with us. When the police arrived and saw what we were doing, they told the women to leave us alone! Begrudgingly, they did.
Elizabeth and Yarden:
On our last day of the campaign (Wednesday) we decided to walk through each of the towns that were included in our campaign territory. All of the teams went out in Jews for Jesus T-shirts as walking billboards, but not to pass out tracts. Our purpose was simply to demonstrate that we were still here and that we were not chased away or frightened by them. At our first destination, Rehovot, Sergio's team got out of the car and one of his teammates, Maaian, was immediately approached by an interested woman who gave her contact information to learn more. Soon after, some anti-missionaries showed up one by one until our team was completely surrounded on the main street by eight of them yelling and screaming at us to leave. Sergio recognized one of them as the man who earlier in the campaign had attacked and threatened him saying, "If you ever show your face here again, you'll see what will happen." Sergio took some satisfaction in having the opportunity to look this man in the eye once more and see what would come of his threat . . . nothing did.
Another team was doing their walk through inside the Rehovot mall when several anti-missionaries attacked them right in front of security (who did nothing). Seven of the men hit and pushed Vovo (not a large man) to the ground. One was on top of him hitting him and had him in a neck hold, beginning to choke him. His teammate, Steve (a very large man) saw that if he didn't intervene, Vovo might actually be seriously injured, so he moved quickly to get the religious man off of him. Given his size and strength this didn't take much to do, and the religious man rolled off of Vovo onto the floor of the mall. An Israeli soldier came at that point and scolded the anti-missionaries, saying, "I don't agree with what they believe either, but they have every right to be here in peace." And the men left. It was encouraging to the team that the soldier came, reminding us all that many people see the way the opposition behaves (and the non-violent way we respond) and it's a good testimony.
Shalom to you all! Thank you for all your prayers for our Shefla (coastal plain) campaign, which is now over. This is the third of twelve campaigns in our Behold Your God Israel outreach. We praise God for enabling us to complete it. Here are the final results.
By God's grace we were able to hand out over 33,500 gospel tracts. We spoke to over 3,900 people on the phone and offered them a free copy of the New Testament. We knocked on more than 1,800 doors and talked to 632 people in their homes, offering them a free book about Jesus. We got the contact information of 716 unsaved Jewish people who told us that they want to know more about Jesus. Fourteen Israelis prayed with us to receive the Lord during the campaign and seven prayed with us during follow up visits. Twenty-one Jewish people and eight gentiles came to faith in Jesus during this campaign. Praise the Lord!
Thank you so much for serving on this campaign with us. Your prayers were felt and they made a huge difference. We need more prayer (see prayer requests below) and we know that we can count on you. I praise the Lord for each of you and for your heart to see the Messiahship of Jesus made an unavoidable issue in Israel today.
For His Kingdom,
Dan Sered
Israel branch director
Prayer needs:
Pray that we will see more Israelis come to faith in Jesus through our follow-up efforts.
We have filed over a dozen police complaints against those who assaulted us. Pray for justice.
Pray for the 21 Jewish believers and eight gentile believers that came to faith during the past three weeks.
Safety and traveling mercies for all of the volunteers that are returning to their home countries.
Continued growth in the level of cooperation and help from the local believers with the follow-up efforts.
Preparation for our fall BYG campaign; pray for wisdom for Ofer and Dan, who will be leading this effort.
Stories:
Meir:
In the park we spoke with two young adults, Yosi and Daniel, who were closed at first, but then opened up. Yosi did most of the talking, but in the end it was Daniel who was interested in receiving a New Testament. We also spoke with a pediatrician who accepted a Gospel of John from us.
I was phoning yesterday afternoon and no one was willing to speak with me for 52 calls. I phoned the last number, and the man I spoke with already knew quite a bit about Y'shua, and I was able to share the gospel with him.
Karol:
We were doing a music sortie in City Park in Rishon and it was great. One of our campaigners, Yuri, is a professional violinist and as he played Ha Tikvah (the Israel National Anthem) and other Jewish songs many people (mostly Russian) came to hear him. He even took requests! We all were reminded of the verse "and a little child will lead them" as the kids were most interested in coming over to hear and even to dance, and their mothers/grandmothers/caretakers followed. They didn't seem to mind that we were in Jews for Jesus T-shirts, and after a while we were able to speak to several of the adults. We even got a contact or two before two religious women saw what was going on and came over to try to stop us. They were yelling and screaming at us that what we were doing was illegal and that we should go home to America and leave Israel alone. They threatened to call the police, which was fine with us. When the police arrived and saw what we were doing, they told the women to leave us alone! Begrudgingly, they did.
Elizabeth and Yarden:
On our last day of the campaign (Wednesday) we decided to walk through each of the towns that were included in our campaign territory. All of the teams went out in Jews for Jesus T-shirts as walking billboards, but not to pass out tracts. Our purpose was simply to demonstrate that we were still here and that we were not chased away or frightened by them. At our first destination, Rehovot, Sergio's team got out of the car and one of his teammates, Maaian, was immediately approached by an interested woman who gave her contact information to learn more. Soon after, some anti-missionaries showed up one by one until our team was completely surrounded on the main street by eight of them yelling and screaming at us to leave. Sergio recognized one of them as the man who earlier in the campaign had attacked and threatened him saying, "If you ever show your face here again, you'll see what will happen." Sergio took some satisfaction in having the opportunity to look this man in the eye once more and see what would come of his threat . . . nothing did.
Another team was doing their walk through inside the Rehovot mall when several anti-missionaries attacked them right in front of security (who did nothing). Seven of the men hit and pushed Vovo (not a large man) to the ground. One was on top of him hitting him and had him in a neck hold, beginning to choke him. His teammate, Steve (a very large man) saw that if he didn't intervene, Vovo might actually be seriously injured, so he moved quickly to get the religious man off of him. Given his size and strength this didn't take much to do, and the religious man rolled off of Vovo onto the floor of the mall. An Israeli soldier came at that point and scolded the anti-missionaries, saying, "I don't agree with what they believe either, but they have every right to be here in peace." And the men left. It was encouraging to the team that the soldier came, reminding us all that many people see the way the opposition behaves (and the non-violent way we respond) and it's a good testimony.
Friday, May 29, 2009
GFA (Gospel for Asia) President Calls India Election Results A Vote Against Extremism
"The Indian election has sent a significant message that extremism, especially against minorities, is not going to be accepted in the country," said Gospel for Asia President K.P. Yohannan after poll results were posted in the world's largest democracy.
"The Dalits ('Untouchables'), the 'other backward classes,' Christians and other minorities have spoken with a loud voice that abusing minorities is not the way to go."
The moderate Congress Party and its allies won 260 seats in the 543-seat parliament with two races undecided—only 12 seats short of a majority. Dr. Yohannan said there were a number of smaller parties eager to join the coalition. The vote was a serious blow to those who would lead India down the road of religious intolerance and continued persecution of Christians.
The incumbent prime minister, Manmohan Singh, has vowed to lead a "stable, strong government which is committed to secular values," a refutation of extreme, religious-based nationalism.
The size of the vote against those advocating violence against Christians amazed the political pundits, who had predicted a close election with perhaps years of unstable and weak coalition governments in India's future.
"No one expected this," Dr. Yohannan noted. "The Congress party itself is surprised."
But Dr. Yohannan said there was a clear explanation.
"Many political pundits are talking about the 'X' factor in this election, something unexpected that can turn the results. There was an 'X' factor, and I believe it was God.
"There are 1.2 billion people in India," he explained. "They are very important to God, and He worked.
"So much prayer went up," he added. "Christians have been praying, and God answered their prayers. That's what happened."
As a result, K.P. said, "I believe that the prime minister will lead the country to greater freedom for minorities, their rights will be protected and the country will have greater economic good.
"But we need to continue to pray according to Romans 13—to pray for the government officials, that God will bless them and that Christians in India will have increased freedom to exercise their faith.
"Christians around the world should be concerned and in prayer for India, first of all because it is the key nation in the region," Dr. Yohannan noted. "What happens in India affects all of the surrounding countries—and ultimately the world.
"But beyond that, we need to pray for India because of the Kingdom's work. India and South Asia are in the heart of the 10/40 window—the region of the world with the most people who have never heard the name of Jesus. Christians need to be in prayer that the doors will remain open to share the message of God's love with Asia's lost billions."
Monday, May 25, 2009
Jews for Jesus
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
By the time that you read this our Friday will have been completed. Tomorrow (Saturday) is a full day of campaign since we took Thursday off. Saturday is a good day of evangelism here in Israel since everyone is out and about. Pray that people would be open to talking about Y’shua on their day of rest.
Today (Friday), an article about us came out in the newspaper. It was pretty one-sided toward the opposition, and unfortunately they edited the gospel out of the interview they did with me. We know that God can turn anything around. Therefore, please pray that through this article people will be drawn to Jesus even though it is clear that the paper’s intention was to cast us in a negative light.
We have less than a week of campaign left. Please continue to pray for us, salvation for the people that we meet and for the opposition as well.
God bless you,
Dan Sered
Israel Branch Director
Israel Branch Director
Prayer needs:
- salvation for the people that we meet and speak to
- salvation for those who oppose the gospel
- health for our campaigners and stewards; some aren’t feeling well
- continued strength, wisdom and protection for our team
- continued wisdom from above for those leading this campaign
- for the follow-up team to be able to schedule many one-on-one visits with all of the contacts we have received
- for God to use the bad article that was written about us for His honor and glory
- for people to notice the thousands of stickers we will be putting up and to call or go to our website to receive more information about Y’shua
Stories:
Gary:
We just came back from follow-up with Elizabeth. We walked into a home where there was a grandmother, and someone had given her a tract. She called the number on the back and spoke with Miriam and this grandmother came to faith. As a result, this broadside brought the whole family to faith. They had no idea that there were other congregations in the area; I was speaking to the younger members of the family in Hebrew and Elizabeth to the older ones in Russian. They would have been lost had they not received that broadside.
We just came back from follow-up with Elizabeth. We walked into a home where there was a grandmother, and someone had given her a tract. She called the number on the back and spoke with Miriam and this grandmother came to faith. As a result, this broadside brought the whole family to faith. They had no idea that there were other congregations in the area; I was speaking to the younger members of the family in Hebrew and Elizabeth to the older ones in Russian. They would have been lost had they not received that broadside.
Igor:
I was making calls and was upset that many people I called were Hebrew-speaking and not Russian speakers, and they were saying they were not interested. Finally I phoned a person who was interested in knowing more about Y’shua. He’s lived here for eight years and was from Odessa. Now he’s retired. He wanted to receive a New Testament.
I was making calls and was upset that many people I called were Hebrew-speaking and not Russian speakers, and they were saying they were not interested. Finally I phoned a person who was interested in knowing more about Y’shua. He’s lived here for eight years and was from Odessa. Now he’s retired. He wanted to receive a New Testament.
Elizabeth:
On the telephone someone prayed with me to receive the Lord. She was born on the same day as Lenin. She was 15 when she said she was seeking for God in the Catholic Church, Muslim Mosque or anywhere. She said she loved Jesus. She was a doctor for 50 years and then served as a volunteer. I told her that if you love Jesus you must invite him into your life. The woman said, “What do you mean? I have Him always with me,” and Elizabeth explained that she must open her heart. She said yes and accepted the LORD.
On the telephone someone prayed with me to receive the Lord. She was born on the same day as Lenin. She was 15 when she said she was seeking for God in the Catholic Church, Muslim Mosque or anywhere. She said she loved Jesus. She was a doctor for 50 years and then served as a volunteer. I told her that if you love Jesus you must invite him into your life. The woman said, “What do you mean? I have Him always with me,” and Elizabeth explained that she must open her heart. She said yes and accepted the LORD.
Una:
I asked the LORD for not just a contact but to bring someone I could lead to faith. I heard from God that if I fasted and prayed, then on the third day God would reveal it. So today was my third day of fasting and I was on a sortie and saw some men from Africa and I (being from Africa) asked them if they’d heard of Y’shua. One was a Muslim. I told them they had to follow the plan of the LORD and explained the gospel. They said that I had come to them as a gift from God for they were searching for Him. They had a Coke to drink and they offered to it to me and I knew that God wanted me to break the fast with them. Sitting there with the Coke together they both accepted Jesus and I led them in a prayer.
I asked the LORD for not just a contact but to bring someone I could lead to faith. I heard from God that if I fasted and prayed, then on the third day God would reveal it. So today was my third day of fasting and I was on a sortie and saw some men from Africa and I (being from Africa) asked them if they’d heard of Y’shua. One was a Muslim. I told them they had to follow the plan of the LORD and explained the gospel. They said that I had come to them as a gift from God for they were searching for Him. They had a Coke to drink and they offered to it to me and I knew that God wanted me to break the fast with them. Sitting there with the Coke together they both accepted Jesus and I led them in a prayer.
Casey:
I was at the mall with Aaron and he approached a woman speaking Russian and I was trying to translate. But she spoke Hebrew and so I wandered away and went near the bus stop and saw a lady reading our broadside. So I asked if she was looking for the Messiah and she said she was really looking to be healthy. So I explained how Jesus came to heal her from her sin and she agreed to pray. Afterwards she hugged me and said that her daughter or sister is also a believer and I know that I was there just to catch the fruit… Lena is her name.
I was at the mall with Aaron and he approached a woman speaking Russian and I was trying to translate. But she spoke Hebrew and so I wandered away and went near the bus stop and saw a lady reading our broadside. So I asked if she was looking for the Messiah and she said she was really looking to be healthy. So I explained how Jesus came to heal her from her sin and she agreed to pray. Afterwards she hugged me and said that her daughter or sister is also a believer and I know that I was there just to catch the fruit… Lena is her name.
Yarden:
I was calling and was rejected a lot. Then I dialed the last number of the night and was expecting a no but I offered her a free New Testament anyway and the voice said, “New Testament?…what do you mean?” and I shared the gospel. He said he was religious (Orthodox Jewish) so I started telling him the prophecies from Daniel. He said, “How do you know it’s Y’shua?” And I told him because He fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies. He said he had never read it in the Law of Moses and I began to tell him stories. And he asked how I knew this, and I said that God sent me to tell him all these stories. He was calm and humble as I shared with him. I asked him if he knew who I was talking about and he said, “Yeshu… the one who was crucified.” He was saying we need to do good deeds and such, so I asked him about where our Temple is and how to get forgiveness of sin.! When I needed to go he said, “Please take my number and call me.” I said that my husband would call him again and he was pleased. Amit is his name.
I was calling and was rejected a lot. Then I dialed the last number of the night and was expecting a no but I offered her a free New Testament anyway and the voice said, “New Testament?…what do you mean?” and I shared the gospel. He said he was religious (Orthodox Jewish) so I started telling him the prophecies from Daniel. He said, “How do you know it’s Y’shua?” And I told him because He fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies. He said he had never read it in the Law of Moses and I began to tell him stories. And he asked how I knew this, and I said that God sent me to tell him all these stories. He was calm and humble as I shared with him. I asked him if he knew who I was talking about and he said, “Yeshu… the one who was crucified.” He was saying we need to do good deeds and such, so I asked him about where our Temple is and how to get forgiveness of sin.! When I needed to go he said, “Please take my number and call me.” I said that my husband would call him again and he was pleased. Amit is his name.
Elizabeth:
I was supposed to visit two people at one address today, but one of them had moved to another place. Her neighbor said she would send the book to her new address and invited me in. I was sharing about Jesus in her language, so she gave us the address and I went to visit the other man. He is a believer and goes to church. He said that it’s enough that I pray and read the Bible. The woman took two books and I talked with Avi and then visited Natasha. Rosa, the daughter, was also looking on and will read the book.
I was supposed to visit two people at one address today, but one of them had moved to another place. Her neighbor said she would send the book to her new address and invited me in. I was sharing about Jesus in her language, so she gave us the address and I went to visit the other man. He is a believer and goes to church. He said that it’s enough that I pray and read the Bible. The woman took two books and I talked with Avi and then visited Natasha. Rosa, the daughter, was also looking on and will read the book.
Bimini:
At the old bus station we faced more opposition twice and there were Israeli believers who were praying for us the whole time. God had planted people to pray for us. We were praying as a team for making phone calls and the woman that Tzachi was talking to was open to hear the truth and then Tracy got three calls of interested people and in the end we got four contacts.
At the old bus station we faced more opposition twice and there were Israeli believers who were praying for us the whole time. God had planted people to pray for us. We were praying as a team for making phone calls and the woman that Tzachi was talking to was open to hear the truth and then Tracy got three calls of interested people and in the end we got four contacts.
Meir:
I was calling and praying for contacts. And I spoke to a man who was open and asked many questions. He had post traumatic stress disorder and asked if Jesus could make him better. I told him yes so he asked me three times to send him the book and also the movie about Jesus’ life. He also asked me to call him and tell him about Jesus. His name is Igor.
I was calling and praying for contacts. And I spoke to a man who was open and asked many questions. He had post traumatic stress disorder and asked if Jesus could make him better. I told him yes so he asked me three times to send him the book and also the movie about Jesus’ life. He also asked me to call him and tell him about Jesus. His name is Igor.
Wednesday stories:
Rahel:
Before the placards were torn, there was an Orthodox lady who was close to us and wanted to see the number on the placards. I ran quickly to talk to her. She was in a hurry as the bus was about to leave, but she took the tract and took my name to call us. Even though she ran quickly she still missed the bus. When I got to her, there were five people at the bus stop and one lady began yelling at me to get out of there. It turned out the woman yelling was the sister of the interested woman. I began praying as I knew that she wouldn’t give a number if her sister was there. The sister began blessing all the people in the bus terminal and was praying that the bus would come. I was praying for an opening to talk to Shoshana (the interested sister). I began to think that it wasn’t going to happen. As I decided to leave I prayed for her out loud that her bus would come soon, and it came right away. Hopefully that got their attent! ion.
Stephen:
Oded and I went to the municipal building in Nes Tziona to get our banner after it had been confiscated by the officials the day before. It took a long time to get through the bureaucracy, but we finally got the banner back and in the meantime we got to build a rapport with the official. While we were talking to him, another man came in, who is engaged to marry a religious woman and with a smile the official said, “This is a serious client for you.” He wouldn’t take literature because of his fiancé. Still, it was nice to get to do that while getting back the banner. And I told the original official, “For all your help to us we brought you a gift,” and he took a free Gospel of Matthew.
Sergio:
We were holding placards and it was interesting because we hadn’t done this before. Rahel just left for a break (the sun was hot) and I was talking to Morgan and saying that this was more boring than with the banner because we can’t do much dancing or anything. Fifteen minutes later a guy came around and I thought he looked suspicious and I warned Morgan to set her camera to video. The man came (she taped it all) and quickly grabbed the placards. I began to blow my whistle, and then they all began to shout “Y’shua is the Messiah!” I tried to get in the middle between the man and our women. An army truck came and Morgan thought they were coming to protect us, but they just helped rip the placards up. Morgan began shouting to them as well. As soon as I told Morgan to photograph their license plate number, they left. Then a third man pulled up in his car screaming “I’m going to kill ! you!” and I said, “Kill me now!” but he didn’t do anything. The army men were getting concerned now and the bus came and they went inside the bus. Nothing happened. Then another man came and he began to follow us, so we called Oded and he said to go directly to the police, which we did.
Yarden:
Today at Golden Mall there was a crazy woman there who came to me complaining about the missionaries. She got about 8-10 people around me and tried to get my tracts. She was getting angrier and I told her not to touch me and that I would take a photo of her, which I did, though she was getting very mad. I began to preach. After the incident two young guys followed me and were asking about Jesus and one took a New Testament. I opened it and showed him some prophecies.
Elizabeth:
I visited 5-6 people and they already had received the Y’shua book we sent. I had a second visit with one woman and her 91-year old husband prayed to receive Jesus!!! While looking for the address of the 83-year old man, a soldier came out of the building and I asked if he spoke Russian. He didn’t, but another man come out and said to me, “Are you married? I am looking for a wife.” And today he prayed to receive Jesus.
Before the placards were torn, there was an Orthodox lady who was close to us and wanted to see the number on the placards. I ran quickly to talk to her. She was in a hurry as the bus was about to leave, but she took the tract and took my name to call us. Even though she ran quickly she still missed the bus. When I got to her, there were five people at the bus stop and one lady began yelling at me to get out of there. It turned out the woman yelling was the sister of the interested woman. I began praying as I knew that she wouldn’t give a number if her sister was there. The sister began blessing all the people in the bus terminal and was praying that the bus would come. I was praying for an opening to talk to Shoshana (the interested sister). I began to think that it wasn’t going to happen. As I decided to leave I prayed for her out loud that her bus would come soon, and it came right away. Hopefully that got their attent! ion.
Stephen:
Oded and I went to the municipal building in Nes Tziona to get our banner after it had been confiscated by the officials the day before. It took a long time to get through the bureaucracy, but we finally got the banner back and in the meantime we got to build a rapport with the official. While we were talking to him, another man came in, who is engaged to marry a religious woman and with a smile the official said, “This is a serious client for you.” He wouldn’t take literature because of his fiancé. Still, it was nice to get to do that while getting back the banner. And I told the original official, “For all your help to us we brought you a gift,” and he took a free Gospel of Matthew.
Sergio:
We were holding placards and it was interesting because we hadn’t done this before. Rahel just left for a break (the sun was hot) and I was talking to Morgan and saying that this was more boring than with the banner because we can’t do much dancing or anything. Fifteen minutes later a guy came around and I thought he looked suspicious and I warned Morgan to set her camera to video. The man came (she taped it all) and quickly grabbed the placards. I began to blow my whistle, and then they all began to shout “Y’shua is the Messiah!” I tried to get in the middle between the man and our women. An army truck came and Morgan thought they were coming to protect us, but they just helped rip the placards up. Morgan began shouting to them as well. As soon as I told Morgan to photograph their license plate number, they left. Then a third man pulled up in his car screaming “I’m going to kill ! you!” and I said, “Kill me now!” but he didn’t do anything. The army men were getting concerned now and the bus came and they went inside the bus. Nothing happened. Then another man came and he began to follow us, so we called Oded and he said to go directly to the police, which we did.
Yarden:
Today at Golden Mall there was a crazy woman there who came to me complaining about the missionaries. She got about 8-10 people around me and tried to get my tracts. She was getting angrier and I told her not to touch me and that I would take a photo of her, which I did, though she was getting very mad. I began to preach. After the incident two young guys followed me and were asking about Jesus and one took a New Testament. I opened it and showed him some prophecies.
Elizabeth:
I visited 5-6 people and they already had received the Y’shua book we sent. I had a second visit with one woman and her 91-year old husband prayed to receive Jesus!!! While looking for the address of the 83-year old man, a soldier came out of the building and I asked if he spoke Russian. He didn’t, but another man come out and said to me, “Are you married? I am looking for a wife.” And today he prayed to receive Jesus.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Pioneer Bible Translators
Pioneer Bible Translators Daily Prayer Guide
Sunday, May 24 – Saturday, May 30, 2009
May 24, Sunday: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8) Pray that every PBT missionary will dwell only on thoughts consistent with this Scripture. Pray for the will to banish all other thoughts.
May 25, Monday: Matt and Shelby Honig serve a Bible-less people group in Northern Eurasia. Thank God for relationships they are building as they focus on learning the local language. Pray that God will provide long-term visas. Pray that God will provide a teacher for their children Alec (12), Zhenya (10), Micah (9), Keegan (6), and Korah (5).
May 26, Tuesday: Recruits Caleb and Jackie Sellers desire to serve in West Africa. Thank God for sustaining them through the challenges of a rigorous graduate school schedule coupled with parenting their young children Jo (2) and Gabriel (1). Pray that God will provide all that is needed so they can begin French language school next January.
May 27, Wednesday: Pray that God will lead PBT to two new fields of service by the year 2012. Pray that He will raise up missionaries to serve in these places and that He will open doors for their ministries.
May 28, Thursday: Diane Miller is nearing the end of a short term of service in East Africa. Thank God for her ministry as she has taught the sons of PBT missionaries Brad and Tammie Harvey and Andy and Shonna Ingram this year. Pray that God will grant pleasant farewells as she leaves East Africa next month. Pray that she will quickly receive her residence visa for Papua New Guinea, where she desires to serve long-term.
May 29, Friday: PBT’s summer intern teams begin their pre-field orientation in Dallas, Texas, on Sunday. Thank God for all the ways He has already prepared each of the interns for the experiences they will have this summer. Pray for teachable spirits and for the ability to understand and remember what they most need to learn during their orientation. Pray for internship coordinators Nathan and Lindsay Davenport as they lead the interns through their orientation.
May 30, Saturday: Janette Browning is seconded to PBT in order to serve as a literacy specialist in West Africa. Thank God for her ministry among the same people group served by PBT missionaries Jim and Karen Bettison. Pray that God will grant many opportunities to share Christ’s love with the people. Pray that He will grant success to her efforts to establish an ongoing literacy program for the women in her area.
Daily Prayer Guide (e-version), compiled by Eunice Herchenroeder, is a publication of PIONEER BIBLE TRANSLATORS
7500 West Camp Wisdom Road · Dallas, TX 75236 · Phone: 972-708-7460 · E-mail: pbtprayertools@pbti.orgThursday, May 21, 2009
Italy for Christ
I write this email to update you on Anyssa's physical condition an to inform you of our Summer plans.
Many of you know that on May 3rd as she was fixing brownies with Stephany, our daughter Anyssa suffered 1st and 2nd degree burns on her face as she was hit by boling hot water. What seemed at the beginning a horrible accident that could have possibly left our daughter disfigured on her face turned within 10 days into an incredible miracle of fast healing. The many prayers that were lifted up on our behalf were indeed answered by our mighty God.
Anyssa is now at home and has been since May 9th. Her face is improving daily and she does not have any scarring nor marks left. She just looks as right before the accident. Her face color is just a little bit pinker than before. She did not have any damage to her eyesight, nor will she have any permanent damage to her face. Doctors are saying that within months (maybe a year to 18 months) her face color will be back to normal.
Hope Has Many Names--Part 2 (Gospel for Asia)
Many who are familiar with the ministry of Gospel for Asia
know that first and foremost we are committed to planting
churches and making new disciples. Our concern has always
been evangelism and church planting, never to be replaced by
social work alone.
The salvation of souls and making of disciples have been
our aim and goal in all things, the ruler by which all ministry
opportunities are measured. But this in no way means that we
do not care about the physical suffering of those to whom we
seek to minister.
Our spirits, which are eternal and infinitely more precious
than the whole physical world, are contained in perishable,
physical bodies. And throughout the Scripture, we see that God
used the felt needs of the body to draw people to Himself. Truly,
the needs of suffering men, women and children in this world
are great—especially in the 10/40 Window.
Calcutta alone is home to more than 100,000 street children
who know neither mother nor father, love nor care. They are
not just numbers or statistics—they are real children. Though
nameless and faceless on the streets where they live, each one
was created with love and is known by God.
It is doubtful they’ve ever held a toothbrush or a bar of soap;
they’ve never eaten an ice-cream cone or cradled a doll. The
child laborers of South Asia toil in fireworks, carpet and match
factories; quarries and coal mines; rice fields, tea plantations
and pastures. Because they are exposed to dust, toxic fumes
and pesticides, their health is compromised; their bodies are
crippled from carrying heavy weights. Some are bonded laborers,
enslaved to their tasks by family poverty.
According to the Human Rights Watch, this is life for 60 to
115 million children in South Asia. In the Indian state of Tamil
Nadu, nine-year-old Lakshmi works in a factory as a cigarette
roller. She tells her sister’s story, giving us a glimpse into their
world:
My sister is ten years old. Every morning at seven she goes to the
bonded labor man, and every night at nine she comes home. He
treats her badly; he hits her if he thinks she is working slowly or
if she talks to the other children, he yells at her, he comes looking
for her if she is sick and cannot go to work. I feel this is very
difficult for her.
I don’t care about school or playing. I don’t care about any
of that. All I want is to bring my sister home from the bonded
labor man. For 600 rupees I can bring her home—that is our
only chance to get her back.
We don’t have 600 rupees . . . we will never have 600 rupees
[the equivalent of U.S.$14].1
These whom Christ thought of while dying on the cross must
not be forgotten by His Body today. These for whom Christ suffered
then must not be forsaken by us, His hands and feet, now.
In the midst of advancing world evangelism, we cannot hold
back the healing embrace with which to care and provide for
these who are precious in the sight of God.
I’m particularly talking about the Dalits, also known as the
“Untouchables”— the lowest caste of Hinduism. For 3,000
years, hundreds of millions of India’s Untouchables have suffered
oppression, slavery and countless atrocities. They are
trapped in a caste system that denies them adequate education,
safe drinking water, decent-paying jobs and the right to own
land or a home. Segregated and oppressed, Dalits are frequently
the victims of violent crime.
And just as the need is great, so is the possibility for Christ’s
power and love to be known.
In recent years, the door to these possibilities has been flung
wide open. Among Dalits and other low-caste groups that face
similar repressive treatment, there has been a growing desire
for freedom. Leaders representing approximately 700 million of
these people have come forth demanding justice and freedom
from caste slavery and persecution.
The turning point came on November 4, 2001, when tens of
thousands of Dalits gathered for one of the most historic meetings
of the 21st century, publicly declaring their desire to “quit
Hinduism” and follow a faith of their own choosing.
know that first and foremost we are committed to planting
churches and making new disciples. Our concern has always
been evangelism and church planting, never to be replaced by
social work alone.
The salvation of souls and making of disciples have been
our aim and goal in all things, the ruler by which all ministry
opportunities are measured. But this in no way means that we
do not care about the physical suffering of those to whom we
seek to minister.
Our spirits, which are eternal and infinitely more precious
than the whole physical world, are contained in perishable,
physical bodies. And throughout the Scripture, we see that God
used the felt needs of the body to draw people to Himself. Truly,
the needs of suffering men, women and children in this world
are great—especially in the 10/40 Window.
Calcutta alone is home to more than 100,000 street children
who know neither mother nor father, love nor care. They are
not just numbers or statistics—they are real children. Though
nameless and faceless on the streets where they live, each one
was created with love and is known by God.
It is doubtful they’ve ever held a toothbrush or a bar of soap;
they’ve never eaten an ice-cream cone or cradled a doll. The
child laborers of South Asia toil in fireworks, carpet and match
factories; quarries and coal mines; rice fields, tea plantations
and pastures. Because they are exposed to dust, toxic fumes
and pesticides, their health is compromised; their bodies are
crippled from carrying heavy weights. Some are bonded laborers,
enslaved to their tasks by family poverty.
According to the Human Rights Watch, this is life for 60 to
115 million children in South Asia. In the Indian state of Tamil
Nadu, nine-year-old Lakshmi works in a factory as a cigarette
roller. She tells her sister’s story, giving us a glimpse into their
world:
My sister is ten years old. Every morning at seven she goes to the
bonded labor man, and every night at nine she comes home. He
treats her badly; he hits her if he thinks she is working slowly or
if she talks to the other children, he yells at her, he comes looking
for her if she is sick and cannot go to work. I feel this is very
difficult for her.
I don’t care about school or playing. I don’t care about any
of that. All I want is to bring my sister home from the bonded
labor man. For 600 rupees I can bring her home—that is our
only chance to get her back.
We don’t have 600 rupees . . . we will never have 600 rupees
[the equivalent of U.S.$14].1
These whom Christ thought of while dying on the cross must
not be forgotten by His Body today. These for whom Christ suffered
then must not be forsaken by us, His hands and feet, now.
In the midst of advancing world evangelism, we cannot hold
back the healing embrace with which to care and provide for
these who are precious in the sight of God.
I’m particularly talking about the Dalits, also known as the
“Untouchables”— the lowest caste of Hinduism. For 3,000
years, hundreds of millions of India’s Untouchables have suffered
oppression, slavery and countless atrocities. They are
trapped in a caste system that denies them adequate education,
safe drinking water, decent-paying jobs and the right to own
land or a home. Segregated and oppressed, Dalits are frequently
the victims of violent crime.
And just as the need is great, so is the possibility for Christ’s
power and love to be known.
In recent years, the door to these possibilities has been flung
wide open. Among Dalits and other low-caste groups that face
similar repressive treatment, there has been a growing desire
for freedom. Leaders representing approximately 700 million of
these people have come forth demanding justice and freedom
from caste slavery and persecution.
The turning point came on November 4, 2001, when tens of
thousands of Dalits gathered for one of the most historic meetings
of the 21st century, publicly declaring their desire to “quit
Hinduism” and follow a faith of their own choosing.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Hope Has Many Names - Part 1 (Gospel for Asia)
Hope Has Many Names
The question is, what does the Bible say about social justice
and compassion? What is the Church’s role in these matters?
Clearly, by simply looking at Christ’s example of how He
lived on this earth, we are not to neglect the needs of suffering
humanity.
When Jesus came, He not only fed people’s souls with the
truths of heaven and Him as the Bread of Life, but He filled their
stomachs with fish and bread and wine as well.
He opened not only the eyes of people’s hearts to see the
truth, but also their physical eyes, restoring their sight so they
could see the world around them.
He strengthened the faith of the weak, while strengthening
the legs of the lame.
He who came to breathe eternal life into a valley of dry, dead
souls also breathed life into the widow’s son, raising him up
once more (see Luke 7:11–15).
It was not one or the other—it was both, and both for the
glory of God.
This example of ministry carries all throughout the Bible.
Look back through the Old Testament and you will see a strong
emphasis placed on compassion toward the needy and social
justice for the downtrodden and poor. God demanded the care
and protection of all those who were oppressed (see Leviticus
19:18; Isaiah 1:17, 58:10–11), and some of the most terrible
judgment fell upon the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for the
way that they exploited the poor and needy.
In Matthew 22:38–40, Jesus clearly marked the Christian’s
social responsibility when He said that loving God is the first
and greatest commandment and “the second is like unto it,
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments
hang all the law and the prophets” (emphasis mine).
All the Law and Prophets are summed up in both—loving
God and loving others. It was not one or the other—but again
both, for the glory of God.
We cannot say we love others if we ignore their spiritual
needs. Just the same, we cannot say we love others if we ignore
their physical needs. Jesus came for both.
Indeed, Jesus has shown how the physical suffering of
humanity brought many to call upon Him as the Savior of their
soul.
In John 20:30–31 we are told, “Many other signs truly did
Jesus in the presence of his disciples . . . that ye might believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye
might have life through his name.” The Gospel shows that it
was the sick, the demon possessed, the hungry and the poor
who came to Jesus and whose lives were changed by His healing
touch. Jesus Himself declared that He had come to preach
the Good News to the poor, the prisoners, the blind and the
oppressed (see Luke 4:18).
Through the many who were healed from horrible diseases
and set free from satanic bondage, Jesus showed Himself as the
only One able to save their souls from sin and death. The mercy
ministries Jesus did were not an end in themselves, but were
rather a means. And it is the same today.
Yet as I mentioned in the previous chapter, we must not misunderstand
(or replace) evangelism for social action. The Great
Commission is not a mandate for political liberation.
Many who are familiar with the ministry of Gospel for Asia
know that first and foremost we are committed to planting
churches and making new disciples. Our concern has always
been evangelism and church planting, never to be replaced by
social work alone.
The salvation of souls and making of disciples have been
our aim and goal in all things, the ruler by which all ministry
opportunities are measured. But this in no way means that we
do not care about the physical suffering of those to whom we
seek to minister.
Our spirits, which are eternal and infinitely more precious
than the whole physical world, are contained in perishable,
physical bodies. And throughout the Scripture, we see that God
used the felt needs of the body to draw people to Himself. Truly,
the needs of suffering men, women and children in this world
are great—especially in the 10/40 Window.
The question is, what does the Bible say about social justice
and compassion? What is the Church’s role in these matters?
Clearly, by simply looking at Christ’s example of how He
lived on this earth, we are not to neglect the needs of suffering
humanity.
When Jesus came, He not only fed people’s souls with the
truths of heaven and Him as the Bread of Life, but He filled their
stomachs with fish and bread and wine as well.
He opened not only the eyes of people’s hearts to see the
truth, but also their physical eyes, restoring their sight so they
could see the world around them.
He strengthened the faith of the weak, while strengthening
the legs of the lame.
He who came to breathe eternal life into a valley of dry, dead
souls also breathed life into the widow’s son, raising him up
once more (see Luke 7:11–15).
It was not one or the other—it was both, and both for the
glory of God.
This example of ministry carries all throughout the Bible.
Look back through the Old Testament and you will see a strong
emphasis placed on compassion toward the needy and social
justice for the downtrodden and poor. God demanded the care
and protection of all those who were oppressed (see Leviticus
19:18; Isaiah 1:17, 58:10–11), and some of the most terrible
judgment fell upon the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for the
way that they exploited the poor and needy.
In Matthew 22:38–40, Jesus clearly marked the Christian’s
social responsibility when He said that loving God is the first
and greatest commandment and “the second is like unto it,
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments
hang all the law and the prophets” (emphasis mine).
All the Law and Prophets are summed up in both—loving
God and loving others. It was not one or the other—but again
both, for the glory of God.
We cannot say we love others if we ignore their spiritual
needs. Just the same, we cannot say we love others if we ignore
their physical needs. Jesus came for both.
Indeed, Jesus has shown how the physical suffering of
humanity brought many to call upon Him as the Savior of their
soul.
In John 20:30–31 we are told, “Many other signs truly did
Jesus in the presence of his disciples . . . that ye might believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye
might have life through his name.” The Gospel shows that it
was the sick, the demon possessed, the hungry and the poor
who came to Jesus and whose lives were changed by His healing
touch. Jesus Himself declared that He had come to preach
the Good News to the poor, the prisoners, the blind and the
oppressed (see Luke 4:18).
Through the many who were healed from horrible diseases
and set free from satanic bondage, Jesus showed Himself as the
only One able to save their souls from sin and death. The mercy
ministries Jesus did were not an end in themselves, but were
rather a means. And it is the same today.
Yet as I mentioned in the previous chapter, we must not misunderstand
(or replace) evangelism for social action. The Great
Commission is not a mandate for political liberation.
Many who are familiar with the ministry of Gospel for Asia
know that first and foremost we are committed to planting
churches and making new disciples. Our concern has always
been evangelism and church planting, never to be replaced by
social work alone.
The salvation of souls and making of disciples have been
our aim and goal in all things, the ruler by which all ministry
opportunities are measured. But this in no way means that we
do not care about the physical suffering of those to whom we
seek to minister.
Our spirits, which are eternal and infinitely more precious
than the whole physical world, are contained in perishable,
physical bodies. And throughout the Scripture, we see that God
used the felt needs of the body to draw people to Himself. Truly,
the needs of suffering men, women and children in this world
are great—especially in the 10/40 Window.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Battle Line Bullet-Tin May 2009
You just know by now that I gotta start out this report by thanking you first. It just makes me smile when I come home to an envelope from you all, knowing that you are continuing to pray for this ministry and support it. You must pray, at least I think so or you wouldn't remember us the way you do. I must say that your memory is better than mine because look when you are getting this letter. You are faithful even when I am not. So is God. April was busy with all kinds of stuff. I have been going to my mom and dads during the week to rebuild their porch which turned into a big can of worms, but I think I can see light at the end of the porch. I also have been studying my whatever ff for my Masters degree in Ministry. But Praise God, so far I have gotten A's in my first two courses. Boy I sure love the Word, the more I learn the more I realize that the Word Awesome for God is just not big enough.
Two weeks ago, Laura & I were invited by Bill & Daisy Little to come down to Miami. Their son Eldon was turning 13 and they did an awesome thing for him. Bill wanted a few men who have had an influence on their son to come to a men's breakfast. Just men this time to speak some wisdom to Eldon and be there for him. What do I know, but I was honored to be asked. I have never been that far south in my life and neither was Laura. We got there around midnight Friday night, were put up in a great guest room and then it was time for breakfast with Eldon. It was really neat. I called it a Presbyterian Bar Mitzvah. His son is becoming a man, and Bill wanted to honor that and God. His son really had no idea.
Next thing he knew he was having breakfast with his father, his Pastor and a handful of Godly men and me too. We all spoke in turn of what we felt God wanted Eldon to hear. It was really cool. And Eldon is such a neat young man of God and I just think it is one of the coolest things a father could do for his son. I don't know why the Jews only do it, but we could learn from God's Chosen People that's for sure. Then that Saturday afternoon Bill & Daisy had a house full, a big BBQ lunch, a bunch of kids swimming in the pool and all the mens wives and other people who came for Eldon's birthday and a bunch of good food. We didn't know anyone but the Little family and Joe Kurtright, for those of you who know him, he was there also, so we did know him. And later in the evening he played his guitar and sang and it was just a really neat time to be a part of. It's all Ministry. Sunday we went to church with the Little Family and after that we were taken on a tour of Miami. Laura & I stayed Sunday night. Monday morning Bill, Daisy, Laura & I rode the Harley's to Key Largo & beyond. All I can say is WOW! I could live there. was the tourist in a different country. I have a whole new respect for any re-enactor who lives that far down south. Anywhere those guys go is eight hours of driving. We we got back to the house, loaded up the Harley(what did you think I rode all the way down there?) and headed for home. We got home around midnight again and were pooped out. But the Little family are great hosts and took very good care of their chaplain and his wife. I was just honored that they wanted us to be a part of such a special celebration for their son.
Then this chaplain and his wife were called up to Ft. Clinch to hold Church services for, this is hard for me to write, The Union Garrison. So we went up there and I just let them know that Salvation was not for them and left. Not Really, It was kind of weird though because the weekend before we were way down south and then this time we were way up on the north side. Saturday, Laura stayed at Sue & Bud Bonifay's and sewed. Bud was at a men's meeting so I went to Ft. Clinch to check out the Yankee's. I know quite a few of them and stayed and ministered for about four hours.
It was good to see many of them, there were a lot of tourists because Fernandina was having their annual Shrimp Festival and it draws thousands of people. I got stuck in the traffic. What normally takes 40 minutes from Bud's house to the Fort, took me an hour and a half. But it was all good and now the yanks knew they were going to have church on Sunday. So out of a garrison of about 40 we had 15 for church. Nothing has changed in 150 years, but we had Church. Bud did some great Scripture reading, Laura led in song, which was great, and we even had a fife and dulcimer for music. I preached my sermon about how King Josiah's men had found the Word of God that had been lost for many years. It was in the rubble of the Temple. Imagine the Word of God lost in the House of the Lord. Well it was not hard to imagine. It is lost in many churches today. It is lost to internet, TV, books, entertainment. It has been kicked out of our court houses and school house. Such a powerful Word to be lost in the American house under something as find and light as dust. The Word so close within our reach, and so far from the heart. John 1:1 In the Beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Verse 10 "He was in the world and the world was made by Him, and the world Knew Him Not". I had an alter call of course, but none came forward and so some missed on on Verse 12 "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." I am so blessed to be writing this to you sons and daughters of God.
Be we believe that God's Word does not return void and that the Seed was planted that fine Sunday morning. Bud and Sue were gracious to put us up again this weekend and took very good care of us We did not have Petra with us these past few weekends and she couldn't have been in better hands than at my mom and dad's house. Grandma spoils her rotten. She has a Welsh Corgi to play with that is her boyfriend. And she has a greyhound to aggravate. The only think I think my mom doesn't like about babysitting is having to give her back at the end of the weekend. But we do miss her when we have to leave her.
Memorial Day weekend we will be presenting and preaching in our full Civil War attire at Pastor Todd's church, Sunday the 24th for both services. This will be our fourth time back and it is a great time. Pastor Todd is a great guy and a Yankee cannoneer. Last year he had both full scale cannons in front of the church. Then after services he fires them off in the church parking lot. Setting off many car alarms. All are invited to come, 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM. But he wants ladies in period dresses and men in uniform if you want.
His church is in Ft. Pierce on 600 Atlantic Ave. It is called Common Ground Vineyard Church. He also gets into his uniform and we love to pick on each other. The church loves it. So now you know where I will be next. Please pray for us for traveling mercies. Well I hope you are up to date nw, we love you very much and believe us when we say that we pray for you always.
Thank you again for your belief in what God is doing through this, His Ministry. We could not get out there without you.
God Bless you so very much,
Chaplain Roger & Laura
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Mid India Christian Mission
NEWS LETTER – APRIL – 2009
This is the news of May but since it is one of the immediate prayer needs, I wanted to mention this situation regarding the attack on the House Church at Koni. This place is about 20 minutes from Bilaspur in the state of Chhattisgarh. When I was in Delhi, on Sunday, the 3rd of May, I received a call that about 40-50 people attacked this house-Church at 9:00 a.m. when they were just getting ready to start the worship. They went in and burnt the Bibles and hymn books and tried to put kerosene on evangelist, Lokchand Kurrei. Somehow, he managed to escape. They tried to burn the moped/motorbike. One of the persons from the Church said that the bike did not belong to the evangelist so they spared the bike. Lokchand had to hide all day and then we made arrangements for him to leave the village for sometime.
I was invited to speak at preaching meetings at one of the older Churches (not one of the mission’s) in Jabalpur in the state of Madhya Pradesh from 6th of April through to the Resurrection Day. This is the place where one of our Churches was attacked and people beaten severely in the past years. The services went really well. We started the week with less than 200 people and ended with close to 700 people. There were 80 + decisions and 17 young people were baptized. God’s word worked effectively among people. Services were held under police protection, but went with no interruptions.
Evangelistic Team of Mid-India Christian Services has recorded 10 new songs. These songs bring the message of Resurrection. We made these C.D’s available for people of Jabalpur.
V.B.S. was organized by the Church at Damoh from the 20th through to the 26th of April. A number of children, youth and members of the community participated in the event.
One of the Directors of Good News Production International, Brother Bob, visited the mission this month. He met with the mission’s staff and saw the mission’s studio and expressed his happiness over the work being done through the studio.
The construction of the ground floor and the first floor of campus “Acts” are under construction. Preparations have been made for laying of slab of the roof of 1st floor, but because of water scarcity the work is now delayed.
NEEDS
v We have a few needs for the persecuted families that have still not been met:
Cost of constructing a village place of worship/shelter: $ 7500 (approx.)
v Help to Nine Families ($ 500 per family) : $ 4500
******************************
v A VBS for 200 children would cost $ 1100 (approx.). This includes transportation, meals and other expenses related to V.B.S. We have started this program last year for the newly converted children.
v In view of the present situation, we have started reaching people through meal programs. This provides us an opportunity of reaching a larger gathering of people even in smaller areas. At some places the meal becomes the best that they have had in several months.
v Cost of one such meal program
(This includes meal for 200 people, rent of cooking and serving utensils, rent of tent etc.)
v 10 Bicycles (@ of $ 50 each) : $ 500
Friday, May 15, 2009
Gospel for Asia regarding Persecution and Rebuilding in Orissa
Dear Friends in Christ,
Imagine what it would be like to be attacked by an angry mob brandishing clubs. Then the same mob tears through your house, tossing all your possessions on the floor and throwing in a match. All you had worked for your entire life goes up in flames.
That was the real-life nightmare for thousands of Christians in Orissa last year. Now compassionate friends like you have the chance to reach out to them in Christ's love. Below is a brief PhotoShow that explains it all:
The Christians of Orissa have been tested and found to be true. They survived the excruciating days of hardship by hanging onto their faith in Jesus Christ. One day the Lord will welcome them into heaven saying, "Well done, good and faithful servants."
Yours for the lost,
K.P. Yohannan
Founder & President
Gospel for Asia
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Answers to prayer from Gianni
Anyssa is improving daily... the face is completely without swollen areas and the burn parts are slowly turning from red to pink... There are still two spots (one by her left eye and the other on the right side by the attachment with her hair) that are healing slower because she was hit more there. But Praise the Lord for how He is healing her. Once again thanks for the prayers!
Our Road to Ukraine - Partners in Missions
How did the Tranthams become interested in Missions in Ukraine? Ray and Pam Trantham both grew up in Christian families in Mississippi. Pam first attended Dallas Christian College and later Mid-South Christian College where she graduated with a degree in Christian Education. Ray and Pam met at Mid-South Christian College where Ray graduated with a degree in missions. Upon graduation in 1985, Ray served eleven years as the minister of Guys Christian Church and Itawamba Christian Church in Mississippi. During this time he continued his education with masters’ degrees in Ministry and Church Growth from Cincinnati Bible Seminary and a Doctorate of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary. During this time of maturing and furthering of education, the Tranthams continued to maintain an interest in the mission field. In 1992, Max Goins moved to Moscow to start a Bible department in a secular college. Because of Ray's educational background and interest in missions, he went with Max for the first two months. This was a very fruitful and productive time. After seeing the potential for the spread of the gospel in the former Soviet Union, Ray and Pam visited Ukraine in 1993 and considered choosing Ukraine for full-time mission service. The Tranthams were seeking to work in a teaching ministry that trained national leaders to evangelize their own people. Odessa Bible College and Theological Seminary offered this opportunity. In 1994 Ray visited Odessa Bible College and Seminary located on the Black Sea in Odessa, Ukraine. After examining the current theological beliefs and practices of these Ukrainian church leaders, it was agreed that Ray and his family would move to Odessa and begin teaching in June of 1995.
What kind of organization is PARTNERS IN MISSIONS? One of the first questions that had to be decided was what organizational structure would the Tranthams use to serve as missionaries. Certain legal obligations had to be addressed. Would they join a mission organization and be officially sent out under that organization? Would they form their own organization? Or would they be sent out under an existing church? Each of these three options had advantages and disadvantages. They concluded that the best solution was to officially be sent out under the Itawamba Christian Church where Ray had served as minister for almost eight years. They would officially operate as a ministry of the church and would establish a separate checking account under the legal status of the church. They would ask for contributions from sister churches and all money would flow through this account and all contributions would be received and would be tax deductible just as any contribution to any church. This was approved by the church and PARTNERS IN MISSIONS was officially named as a ministry of the Itawamba Christian Church and Ray Trantham was officially named as the "minister of missions."
What is Odessa Bible College and Theological Seminary? The seminary was founded in 1989 by local Christians from the Soviet Union. As religious pressures began to ease, it became possible to form a seminary for training church leaders. Before this time it had not been permitted. Most ministers and church leaders were self taught and had little or no formal religious education. The first "Protestant" seminary started in Odessa. This was still during the time of the Soviet Union and this seminary was designed to serve all the former Soviet Union. The first students came from Russia, Ukraine, Moldavia, Kazakhstan, and other countries which are now separate republics. After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, many of the individual republics eventually started their own seminary. Because Odessa Theological Seminary was the first seminary, they still have many students from outside Ukraine. The seminary also remains a Ukrainian run institution. All of the leadership remains Ukrainian or Russian and the desire is for more and more of the teaching load to be turned over to nationals.
How did the Tranthams become involved with Odessa Theological Seminary? The Tranthams were first made aware of the college and seminary by Christian Church missionaries. Ray was invited by the Ukrainian leadership to teach classes in Church Growth, Missions, Book of Acts, Evangelism, Church Planting, Cults, and related subjects. The college needs foreign teachers who have academic credentials to teach at the college and seminary level. Classes are similar to American college and seminary classes.
What is the history of New Testament Christianity in Ukraine? The end of the 18th and 19th century prepared the way for the development of the Protestant movement in Russia. Russia gained the northern territory of the Black Sea coast as the result of a victory over Turkey. This land was to be cultivated and Germans were invited to settle in this area during the time of Catherine the Great because of their reputation as good farmers. These Germans were guaranteed freedom of religion, lower taxes, exemption from armed service, and were given large grants of land. This was a time of great change connected with the fall of Napoleon and during the time of Catherine the Great in which there arose a piety movement. Following the War in 1812 against Napoleon, a Russian Biblical Society was formed and Prince Golitsin was selected to lead the society. The aim of this society was to publish and distribute the Bible. In 1816, the full Bible in the Old Solve language was published. In 1861, the peasants received freedom from serfdom allowing them to become more sensitive to higher issues of life. The Russian Orthodox Church recognized that often people were only coming to the church as a formality and sometimes viewed the icons as gods. It was also noted by the Orthodox that their own clergy were very distant from the common people. All of these events led to three separate religious awakenings in Odessa, the Caucuses, and St. Petersburg. Efim Tzimbal was baptized as an adult by immersion in 1869, by a German Mennonite. This was a conscious decision and led to others making a conscious decision as adults to convert to Christianity. The name "baptist" comes from this time and was used to signify an adult who was baptized by immersion. A book describing these events was written by these early believers called, People Who Were Baptized at a Grown Up Age . Initially, these people continued to attend the Russian Orthodox Church and study the Bible but they were persecuted for this behavior and because they regularly studied the Word of God they eventually were forced to leave the Orthodox assemblies. At the same time, but in the Caucuses, others were coming to similar ideas about baptism for adults who consciously choose faith. Nikita Voronin came to an understanding that he needed to be baptized and was baptized in a river at night on August 20, 1867. This date is considered the birth date of this movement in Ukraine. Following this baptism, a community of similar believers grew rapidly in this region. St. Petersburg, Russia was a third region where a similar awakening was taking place. An Englishman named, Lord Radstock, was invited to Russia by a wealthy lady named Madane Shertkova who had heard his preaching in Europe. He preached first in aristocratic circles, then later to ordinary people. One of his converts was W.A. Pashkoff, a high ranking officer in the Czar's army, who upon conversion began to promote the idea of returning to the New Testament church in doctrine, ordinances, and life. Pashkoff was very successful and began to set up many new churches. His leadership ability earned him the title "the Alexander Campbell of Russia" and his preaching ability earned him the title of the "Russian Moody." His followers and the churches he founded became known as "Evangelical Christians" or "Gospel Christians" and were originally unrelated to the “Baptist” movement dating to the same period of time. In 1884, Pashkoff called a meeting in St. Petersburg for the purpose of organizing a united fellowship of New Testament believers. This meeting was soon disbanded by the police and Pashkoff spent the remainder of his life in exile. (Murch, Christians Only: A History of the Restoration Movement, p. 333.) In 1888, Ivan S. Prokhanoff arrived in St. Petersburg to study engineering in the Government Institute of Technology. A fellow student, who was an Evangelical Christian, persuaded him to attend their secret meeting and soon Prokhanoff was a committed member. Following his conversion, Prokhanoff studied in Bristol, London, Berlin, and Paris and upon returning to Russia he encouraged the churches and won many to Christ. Prokhanoff and his associates issued a new periodical, The Christian . Part of the purpose of this periodical was to promote the evangelization of Russia under the slogan "Revival, Regeneration, and Reformation" and to unite the Christians in Russia around the slogan, "In essentials, unity; in secondary things, freedom; in all things, charity." (Murch p. 333.) In 1884, these three "New Testament" groups came together and began to work together while maintaining separate identities. As these movements grew police interfered and arrested those who met together and in 1884, there began a period of persecution. In 1909, the All-Russian Union of Evangelical Christians was formed as a fellowship of autonomous congregations. By 1928, the Union reported some six hundred evangelists working in Russia for the restoration of free New Testament Christianity, and it was estimated that there were two million members of these churches in and around Russia. Then in 1944, the northern "Evangelical Christian" and the southern group, who still used the name "Baptist" were united. They had held joint beliefs and worked with each other for a long time. The name "Baptist" is commonly used today, but the full name for this unified group is "Evangelical Christian / Baptist." "The romance of the Restoration movement in Russia is one of the most thrilling bits of church history ever recorded." (Murch p.332.) Gradually, news of the All-Russian Union of Evangelical Christians reached the very similar Christian Church in America, and in 1912, representatives of the Russian Union met with the General Convention in Louisville. The Russian restorationist appealed for assistance from their American counterparts and a commission headed by Z.T. Sweeney was appointed to look into the matter. Sweeney reported to the American Christian Missionary Society: "The Gospel Christians are as emphatic and insistent upon New Testament Christianity as the Christians of the United States." He also went on to urge that if one hundred thousand dollars were put into Russia over the next ten years, the result would be a half million Gospel Christians. He concluded, "If this is not an opportunity for us, I don't know anything about such opportunities." (Murch p. 332.) The Christian Standard frequently urged the claims of the Russian brothers upon Americans, but little serious action was taken.
What kind of organization is PARTNERS IN MISSIONS? One of the first questions that had to be decided was what organizational structure would the Tranthams use to serve as missionaries. Certain legal obligations had to be addressed. Would they join a mission organization and be officially sent out under that organization? Would they form their own organization? Or would they be sent out under an existing church? Each of these three options had advantages and disadvantages. They concluded that the best solution was to officially be sent out under the Itawamba Christian Church where Ray had served as minister for almost eight years. They would officially operate as a ministry of the church and would establish a separate checking account under the legal status of the church. They would ask for contributions from sister churches and all money would flow through this account and all contributions would be received and would be tax deductible just as any contribution to any church. This was approved by the church and PARTNERS IN MISSIONS was officially named as a ministry of the Itawamba Christian Church and Ray Trantham was officially named as the "minister of missions."
What is Odessa Bible College and Theological Seminary? The seminary was founded in 1989 by local Christians from the Soviet Union. As religious pressures began to ease, it became possible to form a seminary for training church leaders. Before this time it had not been permitted. Most ministers and church leaders were self taught and had little or no formal religious education. The first "Protestant" seminary started in Odessa. This was still during the time of the Soviet Union and this seminary was designed to serve all the former Soviet Union. The first students came from Russia, Ukraine, Moldavia, Kazakhstan, and other countries which are now separate republics. After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, many of the individual republics eventually started their own seminary. Because Odessa Theological Seminary was the first seminary, they still have many students from outside Ukraine. The seminary also remains a Ukrainian run institution. All of the leadership remains Ukrainian or Russian and the desire is for more and more of the teaching load to be turned over to nationals.
How did the Tranthams become involved with Odessa Theological Seminary? The Tranthams were first made aware of the college and seminary by Christian Church missionaries. Ray was invited by the Ukrainian leadership to teach classes in Church Growth, Missions, Book of Acts, Evangelism, Church Planting, Cults, and related subjects. The college needs foreign teachers who have academic credentials to teach at the college and seminary level. Classes are similar to American college and seminary classes.
What is the history of New Testament Christianity in Ukraine? The end of the 18th and 19th century prepared the way for the development of the Protestant movement in Russia. Russia gained the northern territory of the Black Sea coast as the result of a victory over Turkey. This land was to be cultivated and Germans were invited to settle in this area during the time of Catherine the Great because of their reputation as good farmers. These Germans were guaranteed freedom of religion, lower taxes, exemption from armed service, and were given large grants of land. This was a time of great change connected with the fall of Napoleon and during the time of Catherine the Great in which there arose a piety movement. Following the War in 1812 against Napoleon, a Russian Biblical Society was formed and Prince Golitsin was selected to lead the society. The aim of this society was to publish and distribute the Bible. In 1816, the full Bible in the Old Solve language was published. In 1861, the peasants received freedom from serfdom allowing them to become more sensitive to higher issues of life. The Russian Orthodox Church recognized that often people were only coming to the church as a formality and sometimes viewed the icons as gods. It was also noted by the Orthodox that their own clergy were very distant from the common people. All of these events led to three separate religious awakenings in Odessa, the Caucuses, and St. Petersburg. Efim Tzimbal was baptized as an adult by immersion in 1869, by a German Mennonite. This was a conscious decision and led to others making a conscious decision as adults to convert to Christianity. The name "baptist" comes from this time and was used to signify an adult who was baptized by immersion. A book describing these events was written by these early believers called, People Who Were Baptized at a Grown Up Age . Initially, these people continued to attend the Russian Orthodox Church and study the Bible but they were persecuted for this behavior and because they regularly studied the Word of God they eventually were forced to leave the Orthodox assemblies. At the same time, but in the Caucuses, others were coming to similar ideas about baptism for adults who consciously choose faith. Nikita Voronin came to an understanding that he needed to be baptized and was baptized in a river at night on August 20, 1867. This date is considered the birth date of this movement in Ukraine. Following this baptism, a community of similar believers grew rapidly in this region. St. Petersburg, Russia was a third region where a similar awakening was taking place. An Englishman named, Lord Radstock, was invited to Russia by a wealthy lady named Madane Shertkova who had heard his preaching in Europe. He preached first in aristocratic circles, then later to ordinary people. One of his converts was W.A. Pashkoff, a high ranking officer in the Czar's army, who upon conversion began to promote the idea of returning to the New Testament church in doctrine, ordinances, and life. Pashkoff was very successful and began to set up many new churches. His leadership ability earned him the title "the Alexander Campbell of Russia" and his preaching ability earned him the title of the "Russian Moody." His followers and the churches he founded became known as "Evangelical Christians" or "Gospel Christians" and were originally unrelated to the “Baptist” movement dating to the same period of time. In 1884, Pashkoff called a meeting in St. Petersburg for the purpose of organizing a united fellowship of New Testament believers. This meeting was soon disbanded by the police and Pashkoff spent the remainder of his life in exile. (Murch, Christians Only: A History of the Restoration Movement, p. 333.) In 1888, Ivan S. Prokhanoff arrived in St. Petersburg to study engineering in the Government Institute of Technology. A fellow student, who was an Evangelical Christian, persuaded him to attend their secret meeting and soon Prokhanoff was a committed member. Following his conversion, Prokhanoff studied in Bristol, London, Berlin, and Paris and upon returning to Russia he encouraged the churches and won many to Christ. Prokhanoff and his associates issued a new periodical, The Christian . Part of the purpose of this periodical was to promote the evangelization of Russia under the slogan "Revival, Regeneration, and Reformation" and to unite the Christians in Russia around the slogan, "In essentials, unity; in secondary things, freedom; in all things, charity." (Murch p. 333.) In 1884, these three "New Testament" groups came together and began to work together while maintaining separate identities. As these movements grew police interfered and arrested those who met together and in 1884, there began a period of persecution. In 1909, the All-Russian Union of Evangelical Christians was formed as a fellowship of autonomous congregations. By 1928, the Union reported some six hundred evangelists working in Russia for the restoration of free New Testament Christianity, and it was estimated that there were two million members of these churches in and around Russia. Then in 1944, the northern "Evangelical Christian" and the southern group, who still used the name "Baptist" were united. They had held joint beliefs and worked with each other for a long time. The name "Baptist" is commonly used today, but the full name for this unified group is "Evangelical Christian / Baptist." "The romance of the Restoration movement in Russia is one of the most thrilling bits of church history ever recorded." (Murch p.332.) Gradually, news of the All-Russian Union of Evangelical Christians reached the very similar Christian Church in America, and in 1912, representatives of the Russian Union met with the General Convention in Louisville. The Russian restorationist appealed for assistance from their American counterparts and a commission headed by Z.T. Sweeney was appointed to look into the matter. Sweeney reported to the American Christian Missionary Society: "The Gospel Christians are as emphatic and insistent upon New Testament Christianity as the Christians of the United States." He also went on to urge that if one hundred thousand dollars were put into Russia over the next ten years, the result would be a half million Gospel Christians. He concluded, "If this is not an opportunity for us, I don't know anything about such opportunities." (Murch p. 332.) The Christian Standard frequently urged the claims of the Russian brothers upon Americans, but little serious action was taken.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Christian HolyLand Foundation April-May news including Deltona information!
Thank you to all the folks that contributed to this most amazing month.
No, we did not solve all of our financial issues and we haven't brought peace to the middle east, although we are do support the teaching of the Prince of Peace there!
This month was made special by some wonderful new relationships, some even in the midst of very difficult circumstances. And we did receive some generous above-and-beyond financial support; the kind that always causes me to celebrate, give thanks, reflect and be quiet all at the same time.
One of the most sober moments came in a 2am phone call the day that Saleem and I were supposed to start a conference in Orlando. It was Andera telling Saleem that his father had just passed away. We were sharing a rented house with a team of wonderful church planters from North Carolina, one of which -- in one of God's unsigned little miracles -- was a young man that was born in Gaza, had lived in Nazareth and had known Saleem and his father for many years. It was a particular comfort to Saleem that morning to have that circle of family reconnect in such an unusual and unexpected way. We will both always remember those times shared with Dave and Anne, Daniel and Allyson, Joe and Michelle. Thank you.
The weekend before, Saleem and I tried a little team-preaching at the Sarasota Christian Church, and their generosity of spirit and treasures were extremely encouraging to both of us. And we were going to try the same sermon the next week at Cornerstone Community Christian Church in Deltona, but Saleem's emergency trip home (paid for by a quiet friend of the ministry) made that impossible... or so we thought.
While we were sitting at the airport waiting for his plane, Saleem asked me to record his
greetings to the Deltona church on my little video camera. He ended up doing his entire portion of the sermon and was therefore able to be a part of the service (thanks to some quality tech support by the AV guys in Deltona!). That even seemed to add to a special time of sharing and getting to know each other in unexpected ways. Thank you guys for the prayers for Saleem and for helping me solo a duet!
As I am writing this Saleem is preparing to attend the SAYF conference in Southern Israel. This is the group of believing Jewish and Arab leaders that come together to build relationships in hopes of one day having a fellowship in Israel that truly looks like the single body of Christ that they are all a part of. There is a little extra tension this time as it is the first meeting since the bombing of Gaza earlier this year, and there are differences of opinion about the proper way for Belivers to react to such events among them.
I hope you will take note in the 'Coming Events' section that Saleem and Andera will be leading an Emmanuel Institute on June 25 in Johnson City, TN. Click on the graphic there for more information, or just shoot me an email. We'd love to have as many supporters there as possible to encourage them, and to be better prepared to take the message back to their home churches.
After that they'll be headed to Arizona then back to Kentucky for the North American Christian Convention (stop by the booth!).
After that they'll be headed to Arizona then back to Kentucky for the North American Christian Convention (stop by the booth!).
We had a very generous individual contact us this month with an offer to purchase a translation system for the ministry! This will be a big help when training as well as worshiping with the Team.
If all goes well I will be sending the next report from Israel. I'll be there meeting with the Team as well as groups from Phoenix, St. Louis, Northampton, and Tennessee. Please keep us in your prayers for God's name to be glorified in all that we do there.
Time for me to quit writing so you can get to the good parts; highlights of the April Team reports. Remember that these are edited for both length and content; we try to not include information in this version that can cause problems for the Team and the people they are serving in Israel. Members of the American Committee receive the full reports each month, and we are looking for ways to make those available to you all via a secure web site.
Please take a few minutes and read these reports, and thank you for your continuing support of CHLF, and for allowing me to be your linkage to this amazing ministry.
Please take a few minutes and read these reports, and thank you for your continuing support of CHLF, and for allowing me to be your linkage to this amazing ministry.
In Him,
for Them,
John W Samples
American Team Leader
If you want to get the entire news letter mailed to you then you can sign up at the link below:
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Article by David Brickner, Executive Director of Jews for Jesus
The National Council of Churches describes
Christian Zionism as “a danger to true
peace in the Middle East.” Anglican Vicar
Stephen Sizer, in his scorching and widely read
book, Christian Zionism: Roadmap to
Armageddon, attacks Christian Zionism as
“racist” and “unbiblical.”
We can shrug off such attacks on Christian
Zionism, knowing that many of its critics seem
to have little love for the Jewish people, and do
not believe that God has or will fulfill His
promises to them literally.
Yet there is a serious problem with Christian
Zionism that cannot be chalked up to the biases
or lack of balance that some critics demonstrate.
That problem ought not go without scrutiny and
censure, but unfortunately the average Christian
is unaware of it. The problem is, many Christian
Zionists are involved (some proactively, others
unknowingly) in preventing Jews from hearing
the gospel.
So maybe the time has come for us to ask, “How
Christian is today’s Christian Zionism?” Please
note the word “today’s,” because the landscape of
Christian Zionism has dramatically shifted in
recent years.
Once called “restorationism,” Christian Zionism
(which I’ll refer to as biblical Christian Zionism)
began as a two-fold belief rooted in a
commitment to Scripture. At its core was the
conviction that God would one day return the
Jewish people to the land He had given to their
ancestors and that they would finally come to
recognize Jesus as their long-awaited Messiah.
Great nineteenth century preachers such as
Simeon and Spurgeon frequently preached about
both a physical and spiritual restoration of the
Jewish people. Nineteenth century British
political leaders such as Lord Byron and Lord
Shaftesbury promoted the cause of a Jewish
homeland, while also supporting the efforts of
Jewish evangelism and missions.
In the United States, biblical Christian Zionism
was promoted by a wide range of theologians,
though it became more widespread, in part due to
the rise of dispensational theology. William
Blackstone championed the cause and rallied four
hundred American business leaders and
politicians—both Christian and Jewish—to sign a
bold statement calling for the establishment of a
Jewish homeland. That petition is known as the
BlackstoneMemorial. Blackstone was also
committed to Jewish evangelism, and founded a
Jewish mission agency known as “Life inMessiah.”
When Israel finally became a modern state in
1948, it was a glorious, faith-strengthening
confirmation of biblical Christian Zionism. And
when Jerusalem was reclaimed in 1967, many
believed the “times of the Gentiles” had been
fulfilled and the end-times scenario of rapture
and tribulation was about to unfold.
Certainly there did seem to be many Jewish people
coming to believe in Jesus in the late ’60s and early
’70s. Jews for Jesus and the widerMessianic
movement came into existence during that time.
Yet the numbers of Jesus-believing Jews, especially
in Israel, remained few. One might think that
Christian Zionism would see this as a challenge to
be met by greater fervor and commitment to
proclaiming the good news to Jewish people. But
curiously, the opposite occurred.
A new form of Christian Zionism emerged in the
mid 1970s and early 1980s; it was more political
and actually divorced itself from Jewish evangelism,
contending that a Christian’s biblical duty to the
Jews and Israel was best carried out through
providing material comfort, political support and
helping fund Jewish immigration to Israel.
These new Christian Zionist organizations, best
represented by Bridges for Peace and the
International Christian Embassy Jerusalem,
made it very clear to Jewish leaders in Israel and
abroad they had no intention of evangelizing
Jews. Some, not all, of their leaders argued that
evangelism of Jews was a waste of time and
unnecessarily offensive. Jewish evangelism, in any
case, was not a cause that would endear these
leaders to the people with whom they were
beginning to network. The hope seemed to be
that eventually those networks would help open
people’s hearts to the gospel in a way that direct
evangelism would not. If this has proven to be
the case, it is a well-kept secret.
Recently, the two above-mentioned organizations
have been dwarfed in scope and influence by the
rise of two other organizations: the International
Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) and
Christians United For Israel (CUFI). These
financial juggernauts successfully tap into the
deep reservoir of Christian Zionist sentiment
here in America. (IFCJ raised 75 million dollars
last year. CUFI does not disclose its finances but
is on record as giving millions of dollars to
various Jewish groups in Israel each year). Both
organizations are currently run by Jewish people
who do not know Jesus: Yechiel Eckstein of IFCJ
is an Orthodox rabbi, and David Brog of CUFI
an attorney and former chief of staff to Senator
Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.
These newer “Christian” Zionist organizations
have set themselves against Jewish evangelism in
ways that their predecessors did not. In his book
What Christians Should Know About Jews and
Judaism (as well as in other printed material)
Rabbi Eckstein suggests that, “The rejection of
Jesus as Messiah is the key to Jewish survival.”
Accordingly, a good deal of the money Eckstein
raises from Christians goes to organizations
whose agendas include anti-missionary activity.
As for David Brog, in an interview with
Katherine Jean Lopez on Beliefnet, he boasts on
behalf of the Christians he knows that, “I and
others who have worked with Christians in
support of Israel all report that no one has ever
tried to convert us,” and in his book Standing
With Israel he says that “While there is no
evidence that the Christian-Jewish alliance in
support of Israel [aka CUFI] facilitates the
conversion of Jews, there is evidence that the
alliance actually works to impede efforts to
convert Jews” (David Brog, StandingWith Israel,
Lake Mary, Fla.: Frontline Publishers, 2006,
188-189).While this is meant to reassure the
Jewish community concerning Christian Zionists,
it ought to have the opposite effect on Christians
who care about the salvation of Jewish people.
It might seem like the phrases “try to convert”
or “efforts to convert” imply a certain
overbearing attempt at sharing the gospel, but
the fact is, Brog is referring to any attempt to
tell Jewish people the gospel.Washington Jewish
Week interviewed Brog and published an article
explaining, “Brog said the group (CUFI) tells
people, ‘If you cannot put aside your desire to
share the Gospel with Jews, there’s the door’”
(Eric Fingerhut, “Educating on Evangelicals.”
Washington Jewish Week. July 4, 2007).
I am absolutely convinced the vast majority of
Christians supporting CUFI and IFCJ do not
know about these policies and practices. My guess
is that many who support these groups genuinely
believe in Jewish evangelism and expect that their
support will help Jewish people come to Christ.
Sadly, their resources are going to projects run by
people who are committed to preventing Jewish
people from hearing about Jesus.
This is not meant to discourage Christians from
providing material help and support in a truly
Christian way; but it is fair to question how
“Christian” such support can really be in
situations where Christ himself is excluded from
the conversation, and where funds are raised and
channeled by people who do not know Him.
Jewish people in Israel are more open to the
gospel message than any other Jewish community
in the world today! The responses we’ve seen to
our Behold Your God Israel campaigns have
signaled us that now is the time to make an all
out effort to make the Savior known in the Land
of Israel.
It is time for all true Christian Zionists to recall
the biblical vision that not only supports God’s
promises to restore a homeland for the Jewish
people, but also addresses the greatest need of all.
Just like anyone else, Jewish people need to have
a restored relationship with God through Jesus.
Now more than ever is the time for true
Christian Zionists to open their eyes to the
phenomenal opportunity to take part in that
original vision.
It is not enough to raise funds for Israel.
Christian Zionists ought also to raise the
awareness that Jesus, the Messiah, loves Israelis
and Palestinians—and that only He can bring
the peace that those who live in the Land so
urgently need and so earnestly desire.
When those who stand by Israel are willing to
bring the good news of Jesus to the Jew first,
then Christian Zionism will once again be
fully Christian.
In the meantime, please consider this:
When someone makes an appeal for Christians to
show their love for Jewish people, please
remember that our love is incomplete at best and
misleading at worst if it does not point beyond
ourselves and to the One who loved us so much
that He sent His Son to die, so thatWHOEVER
BELIEVES IN HIM will not perish, but have
eternal life.
If you are concerned about where a Christian
Zionist organization you support (or would like
to support) stands when it comes to the gospel,
write and ask them for a written response to
these questions:
• Are participants on your projects permitted
to speak of their faith in Jesus to the Jewish
people they meet through your program?
• Are Jews who believe the teachings of the
New Testament concerning Jesus allowed to
participate in your programs?
• Do any of the organizations to whom you
send funds include a component for
countering Christian missionary work?
God bless you as you look for biblical ways to
bless the people of Israel!
How “Christian”is Christian Zionism?
by David Brickner
60 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94102-5895
e-mail: jfj@jewsforjesus.org
web: jewsforjesus.org415.864.2600
Christian Zionism as “a danger to true
peace in the Middle East.” Anglican Vicar
Stephen Sizer, in his scorching and widely read
book, Christian Zionism: Roadmap to
Armageddon, attacks Christian Zionism as
“racist” and “unbiblical.”
We can shrug off such attacks on Christian
Zionism, knowing that many of its critics seem
to have little love for the Jewish people, and do
not believe that God has or will fulfill His
promises to them literally.
Yet there is a serious problem with Christian
Zionism that cannot be chalked up to the biases
or lack of balance that some critics demonstrate.
That problem ought not go without scrutiny and
censure, but unfortunately the average Christian
is unaware of it. The problem is, many Christian
Zionists are involved (some proactively, others
unknowingly) in preventing Jews from hearing
the gospel.
So maybe the time has come for us to ask, “How
Christian is today’s Christian Zionism?” Please
note the word “today’s,” because the landscape of
Christian Zionism has dramatically shifted in
recent years.
Once called “restorationism,” Christian Zionism
(which I’ll refer to as biblical Christian Zionism)
began as a two-fold belief rooted in a
commitment to Scripture. At its core was the
conviction that God would one day return the
Jewish people to the land He had given to their
ancestors and that they would finally come to
recognize Jesus as their long-awaited Messiah.
Great nineteenth century preachers such as
Simeon and Spurgeon frequently preached about
both a physical and spiritual restoration of the
Jewish people. Nineteenth century British
political leaders such as Lord Byron and Lord
Shaftesbury promoted the cause of a Jewish
homeland, while also supporting the efforts of
Jewish evangelism and missions.
In the United States, biblical Christian Zionism
was promoted by a wide range of theologians,
though it became more widespread, in part due to
the rise of dispensational theology. William
Blackstone championed the cause and rallied four
hundred American business leaders and
politicians—both Christian and Jewish—to sign a
bold statement calling for the establishment of a
Jewish homeland. That petition is known as the
BlackstoneMemorial. Blackstone was also
committed to Jewish evangelism, and founded a
Jewish mission agency known as “Life inMessiah.”
When Israel finally became a modern state in
1948, it was a glorious, faith-strengthening
confirmation of biblical Christian Zionism. And
when Jerusalem was reclaimed in 1967, many
believed the “times of the Gentiles” had been
fulfilled and the end-times scenario of rapture
and tribulation was about to unfold.
Certainly there did seem to be many Jewish people
coming to believe in Jesus in the late ’60s and early
’70s. Jews for Jesus and the widerMessianic
movement came into existence during that time.
Yet the numbers of Jesus-believing Jews, especially
in Israel, remained few. One might think that
Christian Zionism would see this as a challenge to
be met by greater fervor and commitment to
proclaiming the good news to Jewish people. But
curiously, the opposite occurred.
A new form of Christian Zionism emerged in the
mid 1970s and early 1980s; it was more political
and actually divorced itself from Jewish evangelism,
contending that a Christian’s biblical duty to the
Jews and Israel was best carried out through
providing material comfort, political support and
helping fund Jewish immigration to Israel.
These new Christian Zionist organizations, best
represented by Bridges for Peace and the
International Christian Embassy Jerusalem,
made it very clear to Jewish leaders in Israel and
abroad they had no intention of evangelizing
Jews. Some, not all, of their leaders argued that
evangelism of Jews was a waste of time and
unnecessarily offensive. Jewish evangelism, in any
case, was not a cause that would endear these
leaders to the people with whom they were
beginning to network. The hope seemed to be
that eventually those networks would help open
people’s hearts to the gospel in a way that direct
evangelism would not. If this has proven to be
the case, it is a well-kept secret.
Recently, the two above-mentioned organizations
have been dwarfed in scope and influence by the
rise of two other organizations: the International
Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) and
Christians United For Israel (CUFI). These
financial juggernauts successfully tap into the
deep reservoir of Christian Zionist sentiment
here in America. (IFCJ raised 75 million dollars
last year. CUFI does not disclose its finances but
is on record as giving millions of dollars to
various Jewish groups in Israel each year). Both
organizations are currently run by Jewish people
who do not know Jesus: Yechiel Eckstein of IFCJ
is an Orthodox rabbi, and David Brog of CUFI
an attorney and former chief of staff to Senator
Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.
These newer “Christian” Zionist organizations
have set themselves against Jewish evangelism in
ways that their predecessors did not. In his book
What Christians Should Know About Jews and
Judaism (as well as in other printed material)
Rabbi Eckstein suggests that, “The rejection of
Jesus as Messiah is the key to Jewish survival.”
Accordingly, a good deal of the money Eckstein
raises from Christians goes to organizations
whose agendas include anti-missionary activity.
As for David Brog, in an interview with
Katherine Jean Lopez on Beliefnet, he boasts on
behalf of the Christians he knows that, “I and
others who have worked with Christians in
support of Israel all report that no one has ever
tried to convert us,” and in his book Standing
With Israel he says that “While there is no
evidence that the Christian-Jewish alliance in
support of Israel [aka CUFI] facilitates the
conversion of Jews, there is evidence that the
alliance actually works to impede efforts to
convert Jews” (David Brog, StandingWith Israel,
Lake Mary, Fla.: Frontline Publishers, 2006,
188-189).While this is meant to reassure the
Jewish community concerning Christian Zionists,
it ought to have the opposite effect on Christians
who care about the salvation of Jewish people.
It might seem like the phrases “try to convert”
or “efforts to convert” imply a certain
overbearing attempt at sharing the gospel, but
the fact is, Brog is referring to any attempt to
tell Jewish people the gospel.Washington Jewish
Week interviewed Brog and published an article
explaining, “Brog said the group (CUFI) tells
people, ‘If you cannot put aside your desire to
share the Gospel with Jews, there’s the door’”
(Eric Fingerhut, “Educating on Evangelicals.”
Washington Jewish Week. July 4, 2007).
I am absolutely convinced the vast majority of
Christians supporting CUFI and IFCJ do not
know about these policies and practices. My guess
is that many who support these groups genuinely
believe in Jewish evangelism and expect that their
support will help Jewish people come to Christ.
Sadly, their resources are going to projects run by
people who are committed to preventing Jewish
people from hearing about Jesus.
This is not meant to discourage Christians from
providing material help and support in a truly
Christian way; but it is fair to question how
“Christian” such support can really be in
situations where Christ himself is excluded from
the conversation, and where funds are raised and
channeled by people who do not know Him.
Jewish people in Israel are more open to the
gospel message than any other Jewish community
in the world today! The responses we’ve seen to
our Behold Your God Israel campaigns have
signaled us that now is the time to make an all
out effort to make the Savior known in the Land
of Israel.
It is time for all true Christian Zionists to recall
the biblical vision that not only supports God’s
promises to restore a homeland for the Jewish
people, but also addresses the greatest need of all.
Just like anyone else, Jewish people need to have
a restored relationship with God through Jesus.
Now more than ever is the time for true
Christian Zionists to open their eyes to the
phenomenal opportunity to take part in that
original vision.
It is not enough to raise funds for Israel.
Christian Zionists ought also to raise the
awareness that Jesus, the Messiah, loves Israelis
and Palestinians—and that only He can bring
the peace that those who live in the Land so
urgently need and so earnestly desire.
When those who stand by Israel are willing to
bring the good news of Jesus to the Jew first,
then Christian Zionism will once again be
fully Christian.
In the meantime, please consider this:
When someone makes an appeal for Christians to
show their love for Jewish people, please
remember that our love is incomplete at best and
misleading at worst if it does not point beyond
ourselves and to the One who loved us so much
that He sent His Son to die, so thatWHOEVER
BELIEVES IN HIM will not perish, but have
eternal life.
If you are concerned about where a Christian
Zionist organization you support (or would like
to support) stands when it comes to the gospel,
write and ask them for a written response to
these questions:
• Are participants on your projects permitted
to speak of their faith in Jesus to the Jewish
people they meet through your program?
• Are Jews who believe the teachings of the
New Testament concerning Jesus allowed to
participate in your programs?
• Do any of the organizations to whom you
send funds include a component for
countering Christian missionary work?
God bless you as you look for biblical ways to
bless the people of Israel!
How “Christian”is Christian Zionism?
by David Brickner
60 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94102-5895
e-mail: jfj@jewsforjesus.org
web: jewsforjesus.org415.864.2600
Monday, May 11, 2009
History of S.A.L.T. Ministries (Mission Work of Virgilio & Esther de los Santos)
In 1967, LaVerne Morse of South East Asia Evangelizing Mission presented to the Cruzada Church of Christ an urgent need for Asian missionaries to Asian people particularly in Thailand. After much prayers and consultation withthe elders of Cruzada Church and American missionaries, J. Willis Hale and Barton McElroy, Virgilio & Esther de los Santos accepted the challenge to go to a foreign mission field.
This mission endeavor would be a joint venture between the South East Asia Evangelizing Mission and the Cruzada Church of Christ as the sending church. Prior to their departure, they formed the Thailand Mission Churches of Christ with the counter mission of the sending church, the Lupong Misyonero ng Iglesia Ni Kristo sa Cruzada (Missionary Committee of the Cruzada Church of Christ).
On August 20, 1970, Virgilio set foot in Thailand. A few months later, on December 19 of that same year, his wife Esther and their two sons, Tim and James followed him. This made them the first Filipino missionaries officially sent by a Filipino church to Asia. In Thailand, the Lord blessed them with two more children, John Mark and Hannah. In 1991, they changed the mission's name to SALT (Sharing the Amazing Light in Thailand) Ministries. In March 2003, SALT Ministries was incorporated.
This mission endeavor would be a joint venture between the South East Asia Evangelizing Mission and the Cruzada Church of Christ as the sending church. Prior to their departure, they formed the Thailand Mission Churches of Christ with the counter mission of the sending church, the Lupong Misyonero ng Iglesia Ni Kristo sa Cruzada (Missionary Committee of the Cruzada Church of Christ).
On August 20, 1970, Virgilio set foot in Thailand. A few months later, on December 19 of that same year, his wife Esther and their two sons, Tim and James followed him. This made them the first Filipino missionaries officially sent by a Filipino church to Asia. In Thailand, the Lord blessed them with two more children, John Mark and Hannah. In 1991, they changed the mission's name to SALT (Sharing the Amazing Light in Thailand) Ministries. In March 2003, SALT Ministries was incorporated.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Pioneer Bible Translators Daily Prayer Guide
Sunday, May 10 – Saturday, May 16, 2009
May 10, Sunday: "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." (Colossians 2:6-7) Pray that every PBT missionary will remain deeply rooted in Christ. Pray for faith that sustains in every situation and for lives characterized by thankfulness.
May 11, Monday: Wynell LeCroy is in West Africa teaching the children of Yancy and Sherry Fariss for a few months. Thank God for Wynell’s desire to invest her 40 years of experience as a teacher in order to facilitate Bible translation and church growth. Pray for smooth transitions into living in Africa. Pray for good rapport with students Sarah (10), William (8), and Rex (5) as well as with Yancy, Sherry, and Debra (1).
May 12, Tuesday: Julie Rohrer serves as Executive Assistant at PBT’s International Service Center in Dallas, Texas. Thank God for strengthening her and protecting her from discouragement in the face of a never-ending flow of work. Pray that God will raise up additional volunteers with the right skills to take on some of Julie’s tasks. Pray that God will continue granting her joy as she serves.
May 13, Wednesday: Pray that God will expand the scope of PBT’s recruitment efforts so that churches in other countries will be mobilized to send out missionaries to minister to Bible-less people groups. Pray that God will prepare PBT to become a multi-national team.
May 14, Thursday: Bethaney Butler desires to serve in Papua New Guinea. Thank God for the prayer and financial partnerships He has provided her. Pray that the balance she needs will be provided quickly so that she can arrive in Papua New Guinea this summer.
May 15, Friday: PBT missionaries in Northern Eurasia are developing a prayer book with 38 psalms in the language of the people they serve. Thank God for progress in translating and checking these psalms. Pray that God will lead Matt and Tammy Grinn to local artists who can provide illustrations to accompany the psalms in this prayer book. Pray that the book, when published, will deepen the people’s desire for God and create hunger for New Testament scriptures in their language.
May 16, Saturday: Rondal and Janice Smith serve on the training team at PBT’s International Service Center in Dallas, Texas. Thank God for the many ways they bless others as they help future missionaries and their children prepare to live and minister overseas. Pray that God will continue strengthening and enabling them to serve.
Daily Prayer Guide (e-version), compiled by Eunice Herchenroeder, is a publication of PIONEER BIBLE TRANSLATORS
7500 West Camp Wisdom Road · Dallas, TX 75236 · Phone: 972-708-7460 · E-mail: pbtprayertools@pbti.org
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