Breakthrough – Christian poetry reaching out in Arabic culture

Breakthrough – Christian poetry reaching out in Arabic culture

Poetry is significant in Arabic culture, and Christians in the Arabian Gulf are using it to communicate with Arabs about Jesus. Through a series of short films, local believers from a Muslim background are writing and filming poems to communicate the life-changing power of Jesus in their lives, using a medium that their audience respects and understands. ‘Historically, when Arabs lived among other lands, they didn’t know if someone was a true Arab,’ says Basma, a local believer and poet who is one of the producers of the series. ‘When in doubt, they would often test someone by asking him to recite poetry. If his poetry was good, they knew he was a true Arab’ Many Arab Muslims perceive Christians representing a ‘Western’ culture. By speaking about their newfound faith through poetry, Christian converts are removing the stereotype and showing it is possible to be a Christian without abandoning their cultural heritage. (Source: Inspire Magazine). Praise God for these Christian Believers...
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Spiritual Awakening- North Korea

Spiritual Awakening- North Korea

With the current threatening missile attack on Guam, a US military base, North Korea has been placed under the magnifying glass. Trans World Radio (TWR) has ministry operations in Guam and has already been launching something else into North Korea. Something they cannot shoot down. Something that has extreme impact. Something that combats the stalwart grip of tyranny and fear and hatred — radio broadcasts of the Gospel. TWR receive responses from people in North Korea. It is reported that people who have a radio keep it in a plastic bag and will bury it during the daytime and then dig it up at night and listen to the broadcast. A lot of times, people listen in very small groups in homes. It is evident that there are groups of believers in North Korea and the Church is alive and well and probably growing under persecution. (Source: Mission Network News). Declare over the Church in North Korea: Christ will build His...
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CHILDREN’S WORSHIP INTERRUPTED BY A MAN WITH AX

CHILDREN’S WORSHIP INTERRUPTED BY A MAN WITH AX

Happy Saturday, a children’s worship service in Pulo Gebang flats, East Jakarta, turned frightening when it was interrupted by a man wielding an ax.  The police investigation revealed that the culprit, Nasoem Sulaiman, commonly called Joker, said he had been irritated by the noise from the worship service and wanted to rest after some work he had done around the building. This was his third attempt since 2015 to interrupt the worship. “What he did has caused fear among our children,” said their teacher and the parents of these children (see the video in the YouTube Freddy Soenyoto, General Secretary of the Fellowship of Evangelical church and Institutions of Indonesia (PGLII), urged Christians to respond peacefully but also called on the police to uphold the law. The police, Agustino Darmawan (head of People’s Housing and Settlement of Jakarta), and the perpetrator have come to an agreement that if he attempts this or a similar act again, he will be prosecuted. Thank You, Father, for...
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ASSEMBLIES OF GOD CHURCH ATTACKED BY MOB OF NEARLY 2,000

ASSEMBLIES OF GOD CHURCH ATTACKED BY MOB OF NEARLY 2,000

Pray for the Christians in Devinuwara, a town in the Matara District of southern Sri Lanka, that they will continue to be vigilant and to cling to God following attacks this past spring. On April 23 at about 9 in the morning, 30 Buddhist monks, together with villagers, surrounded the Assemblies of God (AOG) church premises. The mob hurled death threats, grabbed Bibles from the female congregants and threatened to destroy the church if the services are not stopped. The pastor was not present at the time this attack took place, but subsequently, he received credible information that another attack on the church was being planned. On May 18, a mob of nearly 2,000, led by 30-40 Buddhist monks, conducted a large demonstration. Shops were closed, black flags were hung in the town, and once again, they threatened that the church would be destroyed. The protest was well-organized and accomplished with the knowledge of the local police. The perpetrators filmed the incident...
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Our Ever Living Intercessor

Our Ever Living Intercessor

Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. (Hebrews 7:25 NIV) Christ in His high priestly prayer specifically states, "I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me" (John 17:9). That is what He said; it only remains to learn by reverent comparison with other Scripture just what the words mean. To insist that by these words Christ meant that He never prayed for sinners would be to read into the words more than is there. We must remember that these words were spoken in a particular context; the great High Priest was appearing before the throne of mercy as Advocate and Intercessor and could at that time include in His prayers only those who were His own. When a high priest of the Old Testament appeared before the mercy seat to offer blood for the sins of Israel, his intercessions extended to Israel...
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The Elders, the People, and the Prayer of Faith (Sermon)

The Elders, the People, and the Prayer of Faith (Sermon)

Resource by  John Piper: Scripture: James 5:13–18    Topic: Kingdom of God Is any one among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects. Elijah was a man of like nature with ourselves and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought fort its fruit. Last week I tried...
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We Should Pray for Healing

We Should Pray for Healing

One Sunday afternoon my wife was in bed with a high fever, groaning and unable to sleep. I was lying next to her praying. I actually wasn’t mainly praying for her. I was in a season of significant spiritual wrestling, which was absorbing most of my prayers. But I remember being filled with hope over some precious promises of God and expressing thanks to him. Suddenly, my joy in God grew unusually intense. It was both inexpressible and irrepressible. God seemed almost tangibly near. I was almost overcome and I couldn’t help overflowing in awe-filled worship. Almost immediately I knew, without doubt, that if I prayed for Pam, she would be healed. I laid my hand on her back, prayed very simply in Jesus’s name and immediately my hand sensed her body temperature drop and she was instantly asleep. She got up later completely healed. One weekday a group of us at church had gathered to pray for a brother who...
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Faith Is Meant to Turn God’s Promises into Our Realities

Faith Is Meant to Turn God’s Promises into Our Realities

What is the purpose of faith? Faith is God’s chosen vehicle to get His salvation and His blessings to you in a controlled and legal way. Now, there is more to that statement than we can cover in one article, but here is one thought – We have the promises so that we might be partakers of God’s salvation, character, and blessings. The purpose of Salvation and the purpose of faith is to turn promises into reality. Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. Through these, He has given us His precious and magnificent promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, now that you have escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason,...
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Prayer of Hope?

Prayer of Hope?

There is no such thing in the Bible as a prayer of hope. Hope is a step before faith. Hope considers the answer a possibility, faith knows that the answer is a reality. Hope expects it someday, faith has it now. Hope is in the future, faith is in the now. Faith possesses the reality of the answer in the spirit, and knows that it will come to pass. Hope is a belief in the general promises of God, faith is a belief in the specific will and promise of God. Hope considers the answer a possibility, faith knows that the answer is a reality. Prayer is based on faith and not hope. We are told to believe when we pray, not hope. Jesus replied to them, “Have faith in God. I assure you: If anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it...
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THE SUPREME IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER

THE SUPREME IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER

(Scripture Portion: Luke 11: 1-13; 18: 1-8) To the born again soul, prayer is as essential as breathing, and to neglect it must result in weakness and defeat. It is not only important that Christians should pray, but it is of supreme importance. This fact makes our present study one to which we should give special heed. Christians need instruction about prayer –- its meaning, its promises, its method and its value –- look up Luke 11:1. How wonderful to be taught to pray by John; how much more wonderful to be taught by the Lord Jesus! –- and look up Romans 8:26-27. What is prayer? C. H. Spurgeon said that, “The heart of prayer is the prayer of the heart.” It does not consist simply of words, gestures, forms or eloquence. “Prayer is the address of a poor creature on earth to a great Creator and loving Father in Heaven.” Think about this simple definition; it reveals the supreme wonder of...
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