Exloring Life Eternal

First I would like to share a testimony from the Arabian Peninsula ... the "heartland of Islam" that illustrates the power of the Gospel and the hunger with which many are seeking Christ Jesus.

"From this week's PTAP news:"
Caroling and Dancing: A New Tradition?

Sitting at our usual coffee shop, my Arab Muslim friend, Sarah asked me, 'Where is the Christmas party this year?' I answered her that I didn't know if I was going to have one because I was so busy at my job. She looked me and said, 'You have to have one! Look, we will all cook and come over to your house. All you have to do is decorate.' Of course, I agreed. Walking away, I laughed to myself. Did my Muslim friends just demand that we celebrate the birth of Jesus?

Dressed to the nines with food dishes in hand, my Arab Muslim lady friends were ready to party the night away. And that they did! Not five minutes had passed before the Arabic music was cranked up and women were dancing all around the room. Among the dancing intermissions, we ate, gave gifts, and took pictures of them by the Christmas tree. They even insisted that I play and sing Christmas carols!

Amidst the fun, I found myself wondering, would this party really show Jesus to them? I had explained about the birth of Jesus and I had given them a CD with Bible stories, but was it making an impact?

A few days later, I was sitting with my friends. They started talking about the CD and explaining to me how much they loved the Bible stories. I couldn't believe it! I was so excited how much this had touched their hearts!!!

About nine of my female Arab friends have these CDs. Pray that they would all listen to these stories of scripture and many would ask questions.

* AP = Arabian Peninsula
+ MBB = Muslim Backround Believer
"

Isn't that awesome!! God is at work, no question. A brother in the Lord, asked me a question about the testimony:
"That testimony about the Christmas celebration was one of the most uplifting stories I've read in a long time. How widely can I share it with my friends? Can I send it out in a general e-mail? Can I send it out direct mail? Can I post it on my internet web site (www.oprev.org)?"

My answer: as widely as you wish. People need to know that Jesus is good for Muslims. His words are life and healing. A blessing to Jews and Germans, Africans and Arabs, Foreigners and Local Folks.

This past week, I got to ride most of the way with an Iranian student who is new in town. He gladly received some tracts and we chatted for a little bit about life and the Lord
of life. Pray for "Ahmed." He has a Bible & is eager to learn all he can in school. He is a Muslim at present, but God can change that.

The guys that I've been seeking to reach at a local gas station have a new enterprise they are running: a restaurant. Cheap gas, convenient food, but no crisis of faith and no Christ to direct them. Please pray for the Lord to open their hearts before the tares and weeds of wealth choke out all interest.

For the past week I've been scouring the internet and classifieds for jobs to apply to. My restricted skills and transportation limitations still are reasons to rejoice. Why rejoice? Because the Lord will help us overcome. Sheila uses the car to get to work and my bicycle just broke down in the rear axle area. It has been a very trusty little bike,
but now it doesn't go very far at all. I ride it pretty rough in order to stay out of traffic as much as possible, but it is needing repairs. Today I missed an appointment
due to the mal-function.

Sheila has been chipper about a new course in medical ranscription that she is taking. She also is working too hard at two jobs. Please pray for the Lord to provide sufficient work for me so that Sheila would be able to just work one job 40 hours a week. Thanks.

Presently, the Lord is providing for my mental-medical care through a community health treatment place. It is very humbling to go there as most who have to go through the
Alternative Treatment Order program are severely handicapped or disabled. Someone suggested another government agency to help me get back into the secular job market, but it will take time. Meanwhile, there is a lot of waiting:

Waiting for busses,
Waiting for Sheila to get home from long hours,
Waiting for the weather to warm up,
Waiting to hear a call for an interview,
Waiting for the check to come in the mail,
Waiting to see the doctor.

I've applied to adminstrative jobs, maintenance/janitorial jobs and database entry jobs, and a few retail jobs. Please pray for us during this time of refining through patience. It would be nice to have a job with some benefits other than pay, but right now any job will have to do, just about.

Though I am technically on sabbatical from PTAP to look for work, I have gotten a couple of inquiries about PTAP and sent out a couple packages. One inquiry was from a fellow going to Yemen.

Finally, the Church in the are going on a 24/7 relay marathon fast ... basically, folks are going to pray in shifts as it leads up to Resurrection Sunday and Hosanna. Please hold up the Church here. There is much possibility either for harm or good. The university community is often hostile to the Gospel. It is not politically correct to evangelize national Americans, much less visiting students & scholars, but evangelize we must. But it will not bear fruit unless Christ crowns our efforts and is the foundation beneath our feet. We must follow him. At times I have been a little too preachy, this past year, for that, I ask forgiveness. People need the Lord, (myself included). The basic difference between a saint & a sinner is that a saint bases their life on Jesus as Lord and sinners have yet to comprehend either their lostness or His Lordship. May the Lord daily sanctify and unify us through the blood of the cross.

EXODUS OF ARAB CHRISTIANS FROM PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY
In Bethlehem, Israel, flyers curse Arab Christians and Pope Benedict and accuse a Palestinian Christian of selling mobile phones carrying offensive sketches of the Islamic prophet Mohammed, reported AgapePress. The frightened phone dealer has gone into hiding and is now thinking of moving abroad. It is part of a modern exodus of the tiny Palestinian Christian minority that could lead, some predict, to the faith becoming virtually extinct in its birthplace. Palestinian uprisings and the separation barrier started by Israel in 2002 have accelerated the flight by turning once-bustling pilgrimage sites such as Bethlehem into relative ghost towns. The growing strength of radical Islamic movements has added new concerns. During the protests after the pope’s remarks about Islam in September, some of the worst violence was in Palestinian areas with churches firebombed and hit by gunfire. [RELIGION TODAY/HCJB 13 Nov. 2006]

TAKING THE GOSPEL BY CAMEL
Converted Arab Christians in northern Africa recently undertook a grueling, 3-month camel journey across the Sahara desert to share the gospel with hostile nomads. They were unable to contact their families, were once beaten by metal rods, kidnapped, and one man was stabbed. Nonetheless, they intend to [persevere in the future as well.] Missionaries introduced the Arabs to Christ 6 years ago when there were fewer than 10 Christians in the Muslim group of 1.5 million. There are now 9 worship groups. These believers felt led to share the gospel with a tribe that was notoriously fierce and unfriendly to outsiders. Worship groups contributed 8 camels, horses, tea, grain and cooking oil, plus stacks of gospel cassettes and "JESUS" videos dubbed into the language of the nomadic people. The group found open hearts in at least 10 nomadic camps. [BP, 12 Oct. 2006]

IN FACT:
$46 billion - Amount spent per year globally on bottled water
$1.7 billion - Amount needed per year beyond current spending to provide clean drinking water to everyone on earth
More than one billion - Number of people worldwide who lack reliable access to safe drinking water
80 - Percentage of world illnesses due to water-borne diseases [NY TIMES]

The worst crime of the desert is to withhold water from the thirsty.

Pray that Muslim Arabs would receive the Water of Life, willingly & freely from Oman to Maurtinia, from Syria to the Sudan. Thank the Lord for the many wonderful blessings which He has sent you as well as the way He is sending out the Gospel message to the ends of the earth. May the deserts bloom!

The major international press has not noticed what has been happening in Rio city just lately. According to the media here, an army base was invaded by bandits late last week and some guns were stolen. In retaliation, and reportedly in an attempt to recover the weapons, the army has surrounded and invaded about ten of the major slums in Rio, with 1500 troops, tanks, armoured cars and helicopters, with another 1200 troops on standby. An apparenty innocent sixteen-year old boy was killed yesterday during one of these operations. (To put this operation, which is the largest in Rio in ten years, in perspective, the international peace keeping force in Haiti, which Brazil leads, has a total force of only 1200 troops). Fortunately, this is all happening a couple of hours drive away from us, although we should be visiting Rio city on Friday.
- from a Christian Worker (P.C. in Brazil near Rio de Janero)

PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF CHRIST JESUS TO REIGN

Lebanon - Pray for greater confidence and hope within the Christian community. Pray for renewed hope and restored joy.

Qatar - Pray that expatriate Christians will know the Spirit's guidance in deciding where to live and which schools to use for their children.

Ethiopia - The UK government has announced it is to suspend aid to the Ethiopian government because of concerns over its commitment to human rights. LORD, we ask that aid would still get to those who need it most through aid agencies and local initiatives.

Chad – We pray for an end to conflict between Chad and Sudan. Give the leaders of these nations a heart for peace.

Algeria - Pray for the continuing development of theological education and leadership training within Algeria for new Believers.

Libya – Pray for a greater acceptance and better treatment for Christians in this nation.

Oman - Pray for strength, courage, and hope for Christian Believers who have been excluded from families because of following Jesus Christ.

Tunisia - Pray for a reduction of pressure on new Christian Believers from their extended families. Pray that these Believers will be a witness to their family members.

Turkey - Pray that it will become accepted that one can be a Christian and a good citizen of Turkey.

North Korea – LORD, we commit to you the plans for the International Week of Prayer for North Korea, which is happening from June 19, – 25, 2006. Please grant wisdom to those who are planning the event, and use it powerfully to bring change to this beloved nation.

Somalia - Thank you LORD for the cordial relationship that has recently been established between Somalia's Transitional Federal President, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, and the Speaker of Somalia's Transitional Federal Parliament, Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan.

Jordan – We pray that the government’s anti-terror crackdown will not come at the expense of civil liberties.

SIA: MEDIA AND EVANGELISM VIGNETTES
from: link:www.lausanne.org:Lausanne Council on World Evangelism
- February 2006

By Wing Tai Leung

In Indonesia, Christian artists present shadow plays using cow
skin to make vivid characters to communicate the gospel. They
also paint tapestries to tell biblical stories and themes in
non-linear forms. This type of folk media is very portable and
can be featured in the market, home, or other places. Folk media
is very effective with rural Asians or those who have strong
cultural ties.

Television as a mass medium is quite effective in promoting social
profiles for Christian life stories. A Christian group called
Shower of Blessings documents life stories of people who face
crises and are converted to Christianity. These television docu-
dramas are shown in Asia and North American Chinese communities.

Full story here (http://www.lausanneworldpulse.com/worldreports/222).

NOTE: Dr. Wing Tai Leung is general secretary of Breakthrough
(http://www.breakthrough.org.hk) and youth ministry coordinator
of Chinese Coordination Center for World Evangelization (http://www.cccowe.org) (CCCOWE).
He convened the 2004 Forum for World Evangelization Issue Group 19 on Media and Technology.
This group produced a 65-page paper available as a PDF; click here:
(http://community.gospelcom.net/lcwe/assets/LOP48IG19.pdf).

===
This & the previous entry are from Missions Catalyst published by the Caleb Project.

Visit our web site at www.missionscatalyst.org or our current
web site at www.calebproject.org.

WORLD: NONSTOP BAD NEWS DISTORTS GLOBAL REALITY
from: BP News (http://www.bpnews.net) - January 26, 2006

By Erich Bridges, senior writer with the Southern Baptist International
Mission Board (http://www.imb.org)

Disasters, war, and violence dominated the news last year: the
tsunami and Katrina, Iraq, terrorist attacks worldwide, the Kashmir
earthquake.

These traumatic events led most of the top-story lists for 2005,
and rightly so. Hundreds of thousands died. Millions suffered
- and continue to suffer. Many Christians responded to human
and spiritual needs with sacrificial love and generosity.

But the accumulation of bad news, relentlessly covered by news
media, tends to distort our perceptions of the world.

...

The [full] Human Security Report (http://www.humansecurityreport.info),
released in October by the Human Security Centre at the University
of British Columbia in Canada, shows that mass political violence
- with the exception of terrorism - has declined rapidly since
the end of the Cold War. Ignorance of that reality “is compounded
by the fact that the global media give far more coverage to wars
that start than those that quietly end,” says Andrew Mack, director
of the centre and coordinator of the three-year project.

The study, published by Oxford University Press, includes these
findings:

• The number of armed conflicts has declined by more than 40
percent since 1992, primarily because of the end of colonialism
and proxy wars spawned by the Cold War. Wars also have killed
far fewer people in recent decades.

• Wars between countries now constitute less than five percent
of all armed conflicts.

• The period since World War II is the longest interval without
wars between major powers in hundreds of years.

• Most armed conflicts are occurring in Africa, but declined
even there from 41 to 35 between 2002 and 2003.

• Despite the horrific mass murders in Rwanda, Bosnia, and Sudan
over the past 15 years, the overall number of genocides perpetrated
worldwide fell 80 percent between 1989 and 2001.

• International terrorism is the only form of political violence
that is increasing; more than 650 “significant attacks” occurred
in 2004 alone. The death toll from terrorism, however, accounts
for only a small fraction of annual war-related deaths.

• Most current wars are low-intensity conflicts, often consisting
of skirmishes between government forces and internal rebels.

• Authoritarian regimes are responsible for higher levels of
violent internal repression and human rights abuses. But as democracy
has spread worldwide, the number of such regimes fell from 90
to 30 between the end of the 1970s and 2003.

... the report clearly demonstrates that the world is not descending into chaos, as the evening news sometimes implies. Total global violence has dropped, stability has increased, political freedom is on the rise, and economic growth is lifting millions out of poverty.

That’s good news for everyone. But it challenges the church to get on with the task of global evangelization. We lack the convenient excuse that large segments of the world remain off-limits to us because of war, chaos, and repression. Hundreds of people groups around the world remain unevangelized - not because they live in places too dangerous and violent to reach, but because we haven’t bothered to reach them.

I’ll never forget the shock I felt when I visited a country of more than 60 million people several years ago and discovered why there were so few believers there. It wasn’t because of violence, persecution, or hostility toward Christians, although those factors all existed to some degree.

It was because we, the followers of Christ, have yet to get serious about spreading the truth in that land.

“They haven’t rejected the gospel,” said a worker in the country. “They haven’t yet heard the gospel.”

Source (http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=22528).

Western Sahara - Pray that each national Christian Believer finds fellowship and discipleship. Pray for greater acceptance in society of local Believers.

Egypt – Praise God for President Mubarak's decree on December 8, 2005 that planning applications for building new and/or repairing or extending existing churches must be replied to in writing within 30 days. A senior Egyptian Christian believes this will resolve 80% of their problems concerning buildings, a key area of discrimination against Christians. Pray that this pronouncement will indeed lead to changed practice.

UAE - Pray for good inter-working between Christians of many nationalities, cultures, and languages.

Morocco - Pray for the emergence and training of the next generation of leaders in the Christian Church.

Iraq - Pray for daily strength for each Christian, especially those living amidst the threat of violence and crime. Pray that they will know the peace of the Prince of Peace within them and shine with His light.

Weekly Prayer Points - December 19 - 25, 2005
-----

Bahrain - Pray for greater acceptance of religious choice in society and a reduction in family pressure against those who choose to follow Jesus Christ.

Lebanon - Praise for the esteem in which the Christian schools are collectively held, and pray that they continue to maintain their reputation and use their position for the glory of God.

Qatar - Pray for the provision of gifted expatriate pastors for all fellowships, and that neither they nor key lay leaders will be deported for no good reason. Pray that expatriate Christians would be well treated and paid promptly by their employers.

Ethiopia - Mistrust and unrest between the leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea, after 5 years of UN peacekeeping, may have a backlash on Church life. Pray for a solution to this problem.

Chad – Chad may be approaching a food crisis as thousands of Africans have fled to Chad from neighbouring Central African Republic because of the volatile situation there. In addition, up to 200,000 refugees may be in the border area as a result of the civil war in Darfur, Sudan. Please pray that God would use the Christian Church mightily in these unstable situations.

Algeria - Pray for the discipleship of new Christian Believers and the continuing development of theological education and leadership training within Algeria.

Libya – Pray that the general changes within the country motivated by becoming re-integrated with global trade will lead to greater acceptance and better treatment for Christians.

Oman - Pray that those excluded from families because of following Jesus will find nourishing relationships with like-minded people

---
Copyright © Window International Network.

"The Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful." - 2 Timothy 2:24

PRAISE:
We are so thrilled! This past week 4 National Muslims came to faith! A husband and wife and another set – a mother and her adult daughter. We are thankful for the Holy Spirit’s work in their lives.

PETITION:
Pray for the husband of the family that evacuated their house after it was fire bombed by Muslim extremists in their area. He has just gone back into the region to begin discussions with authorities to re-start their critical health care ministry.

Pray for the health of a key National worker who underwent surgery recently. Pray that he recovers quickly and will make time to allow the healing process.

Pray for the outreach plans of the Filipinos in our medium sized city. Pray for boldness and wisdom as they step out in faith.

Pray that God would bring more workers to Saudi Arabia – the no. 2 country on the most persecuted countries list.

Pray for an MBB in our country. He has struggled with lack of job and visa for the past several months. He has a tentative offer in a different city that would remove him from his current ministry. Pray that he would have wisdom in making this decision.

TESTIMONY:
A worker in our country received another invitation by a local friend to attend another Muslim evangelistic event. The first one several months previous, was quite interesting because several western women had shared their personal conversion experiences—they had told why they became Muslims. These events were designed to draw in expatriate ladies from non-Muslim backgrounds, give them an Islamic indoctrination, and introduce them to a friendly community of Muslim women who would be happy to help them in the conversion process. No doubt many a lonely foreigner would be attracted by such attention and concern.

However, going to this Islamic indoctrination session would mean that she could be turning down a good opportunity to share with one of her neighbors – a common occurance at this time. This time the invitation was to a palace of the royal family. The husband felt that his wife should go, he felt that God would use her even in this Islamic evangelism session.

The friend who invited our worker friend ushered her into the sitting room of the princess. Unbelievably, of the thirty-or-so Muslim ladies present only two had managed to bring guests – this gal and one other westerner who was a fellow missionary that she knew! They silently signaled to each other that they would pray for one another. After being introduced to their hostess, they were served coffee and invited to sit down. In a moment the princess’s cell phone buzzed and she excused herself to answer it. She never came back. For the next two hours a female fundamentalist leader took the floor and lambasted Christianity, interspersing her monologue of accusations with the “testimonies” of former Christians, Hindus, and atheists who had come to share their stories.

The leader was a harsh-looking older woman who appeared to relish her job. There was no comforting “come join our happy group” air about her, and even some of the converts seemed to eye her with fear. Her faced contorted with pleasure as she maligned Christians, slandered the Bible, and blasphemed the Lord Jesus Christ. This certainly wasn’t friendship evangelism!

Our co-worker was getting furious over the blatant lies the Muslim evangelist was making. The lady was twisting scripture way out of context and defaming the name of Jesus. Our friend had a hard time not blowing up at this woman. Immediately a verse came into her mind, “The wrath of man accomplishes not the righteousness of God.” And then another verse, “The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be patient unto all men, apt to teach...”. Apt to teach! Suddenly, every shred of anger melted away and was immediately replaced by the thrill of anticipation. Her prayer the rest of the evening was, “Oh God, don’t let me leave this place without giving them the chance to hear the Gospel. There is an answer to every single thing Fatima has said. Let these people hear Your Truth as it really is-unchanged and uninterrupted—and stop the mouths of the gainsayers!”

Two hours later, all the testimonies had been shared and Fatima was in her closing argument. Her face was red from the effort she was exerting to drive her point home. Pointing that bony finger at our friend, she posed her well-planned question our friend was ready. “That’s a very good question, “ she answered cheerfully, “but before I answer it I’d just like to say ‘Thank you’ to all of you for allowing us to be here tonight. I have learned so much from listening to you share. I’ve also learned alot about what you think we believe, and I have to say there seems to be a basic misconception as to what a Christian actually is, and how you become one. Would you mind if I just sort of cleared that up first?” Silence filled the room. Some of the women in the audience looked at each other. Finally someone said, “Sure, go ahead.” So she did. She explained the Gospel and how to become a Christian to that whole group of Muslims, at their own evangelistic meeting! When she finished, one of the listeners raised her hand to ask a question, “Where in the Bible does it say that Jesus is God?” A Muslim girl handed Rhema the Bible, which they had been holding up for criticism a moment ago, and she read to them from Genesis 1 and John 1. The Word of God made everything, the Word of God is God, the Word of God became flesh and walked among us, Jesus. Hands shot up around the room and women slid to the edge of their seats, leaning forward. It was clear that the women had been thinking about these things for some time and that Fatima’s arguments hadn’t satisfied them. The fundamentalist leader was trying to stand up, finger outstretched, mouth open—but no words were coming out. A lady sitting next to Fatima was swatting her leg, saying, “Shhh! We want to hear the Christian!” Another woman chimed in, “Yes, we’ve been doing this for years and this is the first time we’ve heard what Christians believe from a real Christian!” This scene continued on for forty minutes until dinner was served and the discussion had to be broken up. God had answered Paul’s prayer far beyond what either of them had asked or thought. Truly, nothing is impossible for Him.

<>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Praying Thru the Arabian Peninsula
www.pray-ap.info
USA #: 800-376-5876 (Eastern Time)
Encouraging & equipping believers & churches everywhere to pray through the heart of the Muslim world so that church planting movements will spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula and beyond for the Lord's glory.

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

Or write:
ptap@srginc.org

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

Mission Prayer Focus # 397

PRAY THAT THE PEOPLES OF RUSSIA, CHINA AND IRAN WILL KNOW GOD DESPITE GROWING MILITARY AND INTERNATIONAL CHANGES OCCURRING AMONG THEM

“Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” Habakkuk 1:5

On August 18th, the top military leaders of Russia and China shook hands as they stood on the grounds of China’s Shandong Peninsula. They were beginning a seven-day maneuver involving a joint military exercise in order to show the world that they had settled their conflicts. They are now united in a peaceful bond after decades of a Cold War rivalry. The U.S. was not asked to observe these maneuvers, while representatives from India, Iran, Pakistan and Mongolia were all invited.

There are a number of issues that are significant:

1) Russia is also now China's main source of high-technology weaponry, while the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has become an important source of foreign currency for the crumbling Russian military-industrial complex.

2) Russia and China have billions of dollars at stake with Iran. Both countries have energy supply agreements with Iran. Both countries supply weapons technology to Iran. Both countries are also interested in counterbalancing the political base of power in the Middle-East by aligning with Islamic nations against the United States and Israel. And both countries have a vital interest in keeping Iranian oil and gas flowing north. Russia warned against using force to stop Iran’s nuclear program, saying that any such action would have grave and unpredictable consequences.

3) Iran is working with Russian and Chinese scientists to perfect its missile delivery systems. Additionally, Iran has brought in top tunnel engineers from North Korea to design and help build underground facilities undetectable by the International Atomic Energy Agency and Western spy satellites.

4) Taiwan and Japan have openly expressed deep concern over the military threat of a combined force such as China, Russia and Iran.

PRAY for all believers especially in China, Russia, Iran and North Korea that they will reach the hearts of their own people who do not know God’s eternal glory and love. Pray for the military leaders that their hearts will be changed by God’s commandments and love.

Monday, August 22, 2005

Praise:
Rejoice with us in the continued growth of Samuel, a new believer in our country.

Petition:
Pray for the workers returning from leave in their home countries. Pray for renewed vision and energy for the work here, a sense of what new things they should be involved in, a strengthening for the 'year' ahead.

Pray for “S”. Her husband recently left her but then returned. He knows that she has come to faith in Jesus and treats her terribly. The prayers of PTAP have sustained her for these past several months. Lift her up during this very difficult time.

Pray for the names and details of seekers that will be delivered to tentmakers from Christian satellite programming and Christian internet sites visited by Arabian Peninsula Arabs while on holiday this summer.

Pray for the tent making family isolated in the south of our country. They and their small children have little Christian fellowship in their remote town. While they have many significant relationships with their National Muslim neighbors, they miss the sweet fellowship of other believers. Pray that God would sustain them and give them an extra measure of His grace during these hot and humid months.

Pray for the young Arab Christian university graduate who will be starting an outreach to Arab Muslim students on the many international university campuses in our country this autumn. He is keen to establish relationships with other Arabs – both Nationals and expatriates as a platform to present the Good News of Jesus.

Testimony:
Recently, some tentmakers in one of the Gulf countries of the Arabian Peninsula contacted a name they had received from a Christian Internet ministry to Muslims. It was quickly apparent upon meeting "Samuel" that he was keen on following Jesus. "What is my program?" Samuel asked. The question for him had already been settled. God had met Samuel in a powerful and personal way. His mind was made up before the tentmakers ever met up with him. He was following Jesus. He wanted to know what the program for training him was so that he could grow and be strong so that he can tell others about Jesus. "What took you guys so long to contact me?" he asked incredulously at their first meeting!

The next week, the tentmakers and Samuel met and listened to a dramatized tape about the life of Jesus. One of the men gave Samuel a piece of paper and a pen and was shocked to see Samuel take notes with great intensity – amazing for a man of little schooling. "Stop the tape," Samuel would call out, "That was an important point, I need to write it down." He is very keen to grow in his new faith.

Samuel is a man with some incredible burdens. He works in a manual labor, low-skill, low-paying job, 12 hours a day, six days a week. He is massively in debt due to pressure on him by family to take a loan for his engagement party a few months ago. He has also been sick for the past two weeks. Samuel says he wishes he could run away. The tentmakers could raise the funds to get him out of debt but they didn’t want to teach Samuel dependence upon others but to cast his needs and concerns onto his Savior.

The tentmakers did however give Samuel some help at a private hospital where he was diagnosed with acute bronchitis and given some strong antibiotics.

Please pray for Samuel's health, for a better job, for hope in his heart, for courage to tell his fiancé about Jesus and for growth in his own young faith.

Monday, August 8, 2005

Please pray for F who is a believer struggling to remain in her faith. Pray for the Christian helper who is with her. May God continue to give her dreams and visions of Him.

Please pray for A, an interested local, who now has 2 Christians working for her in her house. Pray for them as they witness and pray that God will bring A to a realisation of who Jesus is.

Pray for all of the Muslim Background Believers in our country - for God's protection, for spiritual growth and increasing fellowship with Christ. Pray for us as we nurture and mentor them - for God's wisdom and enabling in Arabic, for balance between their needs and our other responsibilities, and for great insight from God as to how to work with Him to build the church here.

Pray for the National single mother who is very interested in the Good News of Jesus. She often has tea with a Christian tent making mom with good Arabic. Pray that they would continue to have open, frank discussions and that she would be sensitive to the work of the Holy Spirit.

Pray for the National believing men who were detained by the government earlier in the year. They have not been in contact with any of the believers in their cities. Pray that they would find God’s Word live and vibrant as they must pursue their walk alone at this time.

Pray for the outreach of the medical and development NGO’s in our country. They touch the people where they have their greatest needs. Pray that they would be able to reflect the Love of God to the needy people they care for.

Pray that the outreaches by expatriates from the Arabian Peninsula in Europe, Lebanon and Malaysia would have many opportunities to share the Good News with Arab National Muslims from the Arabian Peninsula. Give thanks for how God has been at work.


<>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Praying Thru the Arabian Peninsula
www.pray-ap.info
USA #: 800-376-5876 (Eastern Time)
Encouraging & equipping believers & churches everywhere to pray through the heart of the Muslim world so that church planting movements will spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula and beyond for the Lord's glory.

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

Or write:
ptap@srginc.org

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

This has been exciting for me to watch for several years, since around 1998. Since that time, there was a significant amount of persecution & many discouraging situations which arose. But the Lord is clearly at work in Indonesia and throughout the Island of Timor.

Peace,
Mert
<><
from: Mission Network News (http://www.mnnonline.org) - July
12, 2005

In the midst of Islam-dominated Indonesia sits West Timor, a
thriving Christian area. The Protestant and Catholic churches
cover much of the area with a level of Christian faith, but over
the years, the minority languages have never had a translation
strategy that would give them the Bible in their own languages.

Roy Peterson of The Seed Company (http://www.theseedcompany.org)
says that's changing: "During these past three or four years
we have watched a Bible translation movement just explode within
the indigenous peoples of Timor.” Translations of 22 languages
are underway, and 20 more are waiting for help.

What's most exciting, says Peterson, is that this effort is nationally
initiated: "These translations are being done by the Indonesian
brothers and sisters themselves, and we come alongside and help
them.”

Peterson quotes a senior church leader in Timor who said, “It's
a revolution that's beginning to happen in the churches here.
People are hungry for the Word of God and these translations
in the heart languages are feeding that hunger.”

Peterson adds, “It's one of the most incredible movements anywhere
in the world, and it's taking place today and people can be praying
for the Timorese brothers and sisters."

Full story with picture here (http://mnn.gospelcom.net/article/7525).