Exloring Life Eternal

"Abraham believed God, & He creditted it to him as righteousness." - Genesis 15:6

PRAISE:
Praise the Lord for the successful cancer surgery for the mom of a tentmaker in our country.

PETITION:
Pray for the Arab Muslims from the Arabian Peninsula on holiday in Malaysia. Pray that they would have a divine appointment with one of the Arab evangelism teams in the city’s parks and recreation areas.

Pray for the opportunity a MBB+ has to travel to another Islamic country to minister with Muslim seekers. Pray for his visas to travel into the guest country and a return visa to his current service country.

Pray for the health of a tentmaker that left the field due to an ongoing battle with cancer. Pray that he would be able to endure the pain of his deteriorating condition.

Pray for the tentmakers taking special Arabic courses during the summer months so that they may be more effective in their contact evangelism and discipleship activities in the autumn.

Pray for the MBB that is struggling with her faith. She has been systematically enticed by her Muslim family to go back to Islam and a share of the family wealth. Pray that she would not let go of the only true Savior she will ever know.

TESTIMONY:
Ibrahim is a business executive in his country. He is fairly successful with his government job and does well with his private business that he runs with his family. He is middle aged, with at least one wife and several children in their 20’s and late teens. Over a year ago, he began a friendship with a foreign medical professional. They met for coffee every once in a while, talked about all aspects of life which of course included their faith in God. Ibrahim began to wrestle with his Islamic faith in light of the discussions with his Christian friend. After several months of discussions and mostly watching his Christian friend’s work, social and family life – he expressed his desire to follow Jesus. Together the two men studied the Bible, prayed together, grappled with application issues that affected his new life in Christ. Amazingly, shortly after Ibrahim was firmly rooted in his new faith, his Christian friend left his country. Instead of being alone however, God brought another Christian into his life – who “happened” to know his first Christian friend.

Today, Ibrahim is still growing in his faith, however, he is not meeting with the very few other Christians from his own country. He meets one-on-one with a few expatriate Christian men for discipleship and Bible study. Pray that others from his people group would come to faith and become the core of the first National church in this country.


* AP = Arabian Peninsula
+ MBB = Muslim Backround Believer

<>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Praying Thru the Arabian Peninsula
www.pray-ap.info
USA #: 800-376-5876 (Eastern Time)
Encouraging & equipping believers & churches everywhere to pray with a heart filled with the "Seed-of-Laughter" for those at the heart who know "God-Hears" so that biblical church planting movements will spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula and beyond for the Lord's glory.

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To learn how you can support this & other work in the Middle East, visit: http://www.srginc.org

Or write MertH.: ptap@srginc.org

Or:
PTAP
c/o Strategic Resource Group
P.O. Box 1809
Easton, MD 21601
USA

Becoming a World-Changing Church
By David Mays

This newly released 32-page booklet is the compilation of six articles published in the ACMC quarterly 'Mobilizer' magazine, under the topic "Your Church and Its Mission."

Many books on ”doing church” cite the Great Commission as the church's marching orders, identify the core of the Great Commission as making disciples, and give primary attention to reaching people
like you in your own community. The "all nations" part of the Great Commission is often treated in a page or two near the back of the book under "missions."

This booklet takes a fresh approach to making the Great Commission the central organizing principle of a church. The first part argues that "all nations" or "all the earth" is an integral part of the overriding purpose and mission of the church. The second part helps church leaders look objectively at their priorities and use of resources. The third part outlines what a globally focused church might look like. The fourth part discusses the relationship between purpose and ministries. The fifth part approaches the concept of implementing change. The sixth part examines the roles of church leaders in light of the mission.

Read excerpts (http://www.davidmays.org) from “Becoming a World-Changing Church.”

Available from ACMC’s on-line store (http://www.acmc.org).

NOTE: Like most writers, David is also an avid reader. We enjoy looking over his shoulder and get ideas for our own reading from his Book Notes (http://www.davidmays.org/BN.html). These come out about once a week and deal with mission and culture issues as well as leadership, management, and other interests. To subscribe, write to David Mays <davidmays@acmc.org>.

A simple supra-rational summary of who I serve with:
International "Fools" for Christ.
We are one organism, but cannot organize ourselves.
Instead, the head directs our steps.

International: 2 Chronicles 16:9
Fools: Proverbs 17:24
for Christ: 2 Corinthians 4:12-13

Those who seek the face of God like David. (Psalm 27, 34)

Those who expect life from the barren & resurrection from death like Abraham. (Hebrews 11:11-12, 19)

Those who, like Paul, find a peace beyond psychology. (Philippians 4:5-8)

Those who persevere for the blessing like Jacob (Genesis 32:26).

Those who, like Moses, would see the unseen by faithfully looking to Jesus. (Hebrews 11:27)

Those who find a joy which cannot be adequately expressed in human language & is full of glory. (1 Peter 1:8-9)

Those who daily long to know the the unknowable love which is in Christ Jesus alone. (Ephesians 3:14-21)

We are those who have found the city of God, not geographically bound.
We are those who have found redemption, not with gold or silver.
We are those who have been saved, though not by ourselves.
We are those who have hope, against any human hope.

We have lost our own minds in order to gain the mind of Christ.
We have lost our own strength in order to know the power of God.
We have become as nothing that we might know the supply of the Holy Spirit.
We have become as rubbish in order to find rubies for the King's crown.

LIGHT FORCE
A Stirring Account of the Church Caught in the Middle East Crossfire
Brother Andrew and Al Janssen
Fleming H. Revell, 2004, 319 pp.
ISBN 0-8007-1872-0

"My call was to strengthen the Church in the Middle East. Could I do it without getting caught in the cross fire of deeply held conviction? Was it possible for believers to rise above their differences and experience unity to stand against the evil darkness?" (25)

"The Church is also supposed to be a light in the darkness, but it’s hard to fulfill your mission when you are fighting for your very survival. ... I want to help Christians escapes their victim mentality. I wanted to see them trained, ready to advance and get on with the job of winning people to Jesus." (27)

From a meeting with Ayatollah Fadlallah, the fundamentalist spiritual leader of Hezbollah in Lebanon: "Brother Andrew, you Christians have a problem ... You Christians are not following the life of Jesus Christ anymore." ...
I asked him, "What do you think we should do about that?"
He said, "You must go back to the Book." (196)

- What kind of people does the Quran produce?
- What kind of people does the Bible produce? (197)

"The Hamas are reachable. Anyone could have gone to see those men at Marj al-Zohour. I did what Jesus did in His ministry—I met them at their point of need." (229)

A Palestinian Pastor: “I wish the Church would understand the struggles Palestinians have. We have to deal with Judaism. We have to deal with Islam. And we have to deal with who we are, with our nationalism. Plus we have to deal with Western Christianity.” (referring to organizations that automatically approve of any actions by Israel over any claims made by Palestinians) (312-13)

See full book notes & more at
www.davidmays.org

Unity is generally put under the label: ecumenical* - when describing churches. However, theologically, I would generally be labelled a fundamentalist. As you consider the "house" of God, remember that these three parts must be kept together:

Bedrock & Foundation & Cornerstone (fundamentalists specialize here):
the foundation is Jesus Christ & Him crucified according to Paul the
missionary in 1 Corinthians. Jesus Himself as the Word of God must be
the final resting point of the whole, or else the whole thing collapses
& slowly sinks, like the leaning tower of Pisa.

Walls & Pillars & Curtains ("semi-mainline" & "Ecumenical" groups
specialize here): This is the gathering together of the community.
The supporting pillars are given by in his writings to Timothy:
A. The LORD knows those who are His.
(God's mercy to make us righteous.)
B. Everyone who calls on the LORD must abstain from sin.
(Our mandate to be made righteous.)
The walls are there to hold the household together & to keep them safe
from harm when resting. There is a degree of security in this. The
modesty of the saints complement the confession of Christ. We enter
through baptism & clothe ourselves rightly then with a gentle & quiet
spirit.

Roof & Pinnacle & Capstone (The pentecostals & "victory" preachers top
it off!): Again Jesus is at the top. He didn't jump off the temple &
neither must we go beyond the limits set for us by Jesus. Yet, in Him
we find shelter & we also see beyond into the glory & power &
creativity of God, even as the sky above displays these in His works.
When one considers the heights of His love, one does indeed tend to
become ecstatic. Yet, we must ever humble ourselves before the Lord &
not try to build a tower ... but seek to multiply the household of
faith by adding apartments on to it for new families that come to the
Lord Jesus. There is no room for extremist individualism in the House
of God.

The foundation, the pillars, the capstone. Thus, Christ is all, in all
& we fid more & more glory & honor in Him. Let us then enter _daily_ &
_continually_ into the throneroom of Grace & ask for the help we need.

* Ecumenical is derived from the Greek work for Household.

editted for clarity:
<+><

I was wondering if any research has been done by your group with any link of muslims to masons? I just finished a Cleansing Stream seminar and they have a lot of information on masons that many Christians need to know about, but I also wonder the link that masons may have with muslims.
- BJ in Ohio

<+>< + ><+>

You ask a good question. If you are interested, I could send you some info I have on that eventually, though I have not avidly pursued research on this topic.

Apparently, the masons (Freemasons / Masonic Lodge) emerged from the same area as a sect of Islam in Yemen. The roots of this go back (I believe) to the days of Solomon, when the pagan worship of an immoral female warrior idol spread from Phoenecia to Sheba / Yemen via trade routes. When Islam entered the area, the result was that a brand of
Islam came from it, an attempt at universalism which really ended up corrupting both Islam (in the eyes of some followers of Mohammed) & Christianity (according to Biblical standards).

The masonic emphasis on building civil buildings which are very "templesque" in shape & size is a key feature of this pseudo-religion can be seen in Yemen. Today, there are some archaeologists who are studying the architecture of what appears to be the "throne of the Queen of Sheba / Queen Bilqis." This same love of bricks & mortar infects churches resulting in crippling building programs as groups forget their First Love and seek to establish themselves in society with good works instead of trusting God's grace.

May we never forget that Jesus is first in the church! Also, please pray that the pure gospel of Jesus would get out to all nations!

Peace in Christ,

<+>< + ><+>
Mert Hershberger
ptap@srginc.org -- 1-800-376-5876
North American Coordinator
Praying Through the Arabian Peninsula
www.pray-ap.info
==
Also sent:
I know a fellow who left the Masonic lodge. He emphasized that someone had simply urged
him to examine the roots of the system. Asking good questions for those who are into
these things (and think) is one part of the process. Praying for them, is another. I
agree on the need to ardently pray for the various sorts of lostnesses / compromises that
have taken place in the church. We can't just bash people on the head. Nor can we
conform to the world around. Only Jesus Christ is our refuge. May the church in the USA
again give herself up to Him whole-heartedly!

I would also encourage a simple, friendly sharing of a book such as:

Masonic Rites and Wrongs: An Examination of Freemasonry (Paperback)
by Steven Tsoukalas Paperback: 241 pages Publisher: P & R Publishing (July, 1995)
Language: English ISBN: 0875524575
Product Dimensions: 9.0 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces.
[Info from Amazon.com]

A very solid link from the Christian Research Institute. It states what is wrong with Freemasonry very clearly:
http://www.equip.org/free/DM166.htm

Another even better site describing how one may lead others away from Masonic Lodges to the Messiah as Lord of all. It includes links to Ministry to Masons:
http://www.ephesians5-11.org/

A book you may find of interest, that I am reading (in an older edition):
Reasons of the Heart: Recovering Christian Persuasion
by William Edgar (Paperback - May 2003)
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: P & R Publishing (May, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN: 0875525954
Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.3 x 0.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 6.2 ounces.
Avg. Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

"Love by sharing the truth.
Be honest, but be gentle."

Looking to the day when Christ reigns supreme in & over all!

<+>< + ><+>
Thank you for these resources. Twenty years ago I wouldn't know of any helps like these. I agree we need to lovingly confront these compromises and realize that each has some kind of compromise that needs out of our lives. Just because we know Christ and are not tied to Masons doesn't mean we don't have some kind of compromise in our own lives. I don't believe those who remain a Mason will lose their salvation. As the example of my family members who understand the occult activity of Masons lording over others still tied in the Masons, the truth we have come to understand doesn't reach them for a deeper relationship with Jesus. In fact it can push them further into their belief systems. Also treating them as if they are like leprosy isn't good either.

My sister won't bring her children over to their house and she treats them like they are not Christians and that they will bring curses on her children. There is a point where we need to remember we have been attached (are probably still attached) to many things and are not better than those that have masonic ties. Speaking the truth in love is the door to reaching them. I pray that the Body of Christ will become aware of the Masonic stuff and renounce it, but I also pray that as they become aware of this they don't mistreat others in the Body that have Masonic ties and shun them but instead continue to love them to Christ.

Any information you learn about this topic of Masonic-Islamic ties please pass on to me. Thanks again for the book resources I hope to look them up sometime.

Thanks for praying as well
BJ in Ohio

<+>< + ><+>
Please remember the saints here in the Ann Arbor area. The Masonic lodge has a strong influence historically on the University of Michigan. Islam also has a strong influence on the area. Please pray that the Lord Jesus will set free & keep free the people here. In many ways, the church is compromised. We face a great many temptations from the world & all its' schemes. However, I know that Christ is stronger & will redeem those who are His own. May the Word of God conquer!

Thanks.

<+>< + ><+>
Mert Hershberger
ptap@srginc.org -- 1-800-376-5876
North American Coordinator
Praying Through the Arabian Peninsula
www.pray-ap.info

Iraq, Middle East

Leader: Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari
Dominant Religion: Shia Islam
Christians: 2-3%
Persecution Ranking: 21st

Iraq is diverse in many ways. Geographically, there are deserts, there are fertile lands--well watered by the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, and there are mountainous parts in the north. Ethnically and religiously, about 55% of the population is predominantly Arab Shi'ite, 20% Arab Sunni, 20% Kurdish Sunni, and 5% comprised of other groups, including Turkmen Muslims, and Armenian and Assyrian Christians. Politically, Iraq is in transition. Saddam Hussein's rule ended in April 2003. Prime Minister Jaafari now heads an interim government, working toward the approval of a new constitution and further elections. During this period of much change, the number of evangelical Protestant churches in Baghdad increased from five in January to 2003 to 15 in 2004.

<+><
Prayer points:

= Pray for daily strength for each Christian, especially those living amidst the threat of violence and crime.
= Pray that the diversity of the Church will be a source of creativity and strength not of division and weakness.
= Pray for the establishment of peace, good government, freedom, religious liberty and democracy in Iraq.

<+><
Dear LORD Jesus, Prince of Peace, may Your peace reign in the hearts and minds of those in Iraq who seek You. Uphold Your Church in these days. Grant success to all who are striving for peaceful and godly governance. We pray that the government of Iraq would truly be a government for all Iraqis, and that it would protect minorities including Iraqi Christians. Amen.
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Sources: LifeAgape International, Barnabus Fund, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Forum 18 News Service, Jubilee Campaign, Middle East Concern, Open Doors International, Voice of the Martyrs USA, and 3P Ministries.
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The Apostle Paul stood many times before authorities, questioned about his work and faith. A dear brother has been facing this same challenge in one African land in the past weeks. We need to join together to pray earnestly for him as he stands before authority. It is not an easy situation, and he needs our support. Pray that the Lord will give him the words to say each time he's questioned. Pray that he will remain strong in the Lord throughout this trial. Pray for his family, that they will have peace and the Lord's protection during this time. Pray that this will not hinder the work they seek to do for the Kingdom.