|
International
Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
“Remember
the prisoners as if chained with them – those who are
mistreated – since you yourselves are in the body also.”
Hebrews 13:3
From
10 to 17 November 2002, hundreds of thousands of congregations
worldwide will be observing International Days of Prayer
for the persecuted Church. It is estimated that over 200
million Christians suffer persecution from totalitarian
and anti-Christian governments. Over 200 000 Christians
die for their faith every year.
This
year the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted
(IDOP) is seeking to focus particularly on Afghanistan,
Red China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Laos, Nigeria, North
Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Turkmenistan. The
World Evangelical Alliance has launched a website for IDOP.
This includes country profiles, sermon and Bible study aids
and programmes for use in Sunday services or Sunday School
programmes. You can access the IDOP website through the
Frontline Fellowship website: (www.frontline.org.za) which
maintains a live link with IDOP. You can also download recent
reports on Zimbabwe, Sudan, Angola and other areas of persecution
where Frontline Fellowship works, from our website.
Please
do especially remember the persecuted Christians during
this week. Encourage your congregation to focus on praying
for the persecuted. Include prayers for the persecuted in
your family devotions. We would recommend that you pray
the Psalms for the persecuted Church during this time. In
our family we have been using mealtimes to particularly
pray our way through the Psalms for those Christians suffering
in Zimbabwe. (Some of the Psalms you may find particularly
relevant and appropriate for the persecuted Church would
include: Psalm 2, 5, 7, 11, 27, 37, 46, 52, 55, 56, 57,
58, 59, 64, 67, 68, 72, 83, 91, 94, 96, 97).
“O
Righteous God, Who searches minds and hearts, bring an end
to the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure.”
Psalm 7:9
Pray
for Sudan
Despite “peace talks” and promises of a “cease-fire”,
aerial bombardments by the Sudan Air Force have increased.
There have been reports that the Government of Sudan has
obtained advanced MiG-29 fighter-bombers. And we have begun
receiving reports of MiG-29’s bombing hospitals and
churches in Southern Sudan. There have also been increased
threats by the National Islamic Front government to shoot
down unauthorised (non-United Nations) aircraft. There have
been specific threats to shoot down aircraft belonging to
organisations not registered with the United Nations, such
as our mission, and any attempting to enter ‘no-fly
zone’ areas.
Please
pray for the Frontline Fellowship team, which is delivering
and distributing a major shipment of Bibles to desperately
needy and neglected areas.
“Finally,
brethren, pray for us that the Word of the Lord may run
swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, and that
we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for
not all have faith.” 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2
Pray
for Zimbabwe
Marxist president Robert Mugabe has mobilised the state-controlled
media, the army, police, mobs of “war veterans”
and youth militia to invade farms, businesses and game reserves,
slaughtering endangered wildlife, destroying huge forests,
looting farm houses, burning fields of crops, mutilating
livestock and beating up and murdering members of the opposition.
Pastors have been arrested, even for conducting a prayer
meeting. Those few journalists not controlled by the government
have been subjected to extraordinary harassment and terrorism.
The only independent daily newspaper has been repeatedly
bombed; the Editor and journalists beaten and tortured.
An independent radio station has also been bombed. Zimbabwe
is in the grip of state-sponsored terrorism and anarchy.
“Destructive
forces are at work in the city; threats and lies never leave
its streets.” Psalm 55:11
Please
pray for missionaries, pastors, farmers and game rangers
who are attempting to save lives in the midst of the lawlessness
and man-made famine being engineered by the Zimbabwe government.
Pray
for Reformation
On October 31st, Frontline Fellowship hosted the fourth
annual Reformation Conference in Cape Town. After a full
day of great Power Point presentations and discussions,
boxes of Bibles and books were given to the Xhosa pastors
present, for the work of Reformation in Khayelitsha. About
a million Black people – mostly Xhosa-speaking —
live in Khayelitsha, a huge city of mostly informal dwellings
near Cape Town. At a Reformation Sunday church service a
week earlier, Peter, Tim and Victoria launched a new outreach
in Khayelitsha, co-operating with the Ministers’ Fraternal,
in distributing Bibles for the many poor and destitute people
in their congregations. Film evangelism, Leadership Training,
Literature distribution and special services are planned
over the next three months as we seek to serve and empower
these many congregations with the Word of God.
Our
Covenant Bible College in Zambia has just completed its
second successful year. The principal, Rev. David Fraser,
reports a great enthusiasm for evangelism and Reformation
by the students, who conduct evangelism throughout the surrounding
villages and lead church services as far as 80 km’s
away. Their transport being by bicycle or foot. Outreaches
by the mission base team have been conducted even further
afield, including in nearby Moçambique.
“Declare
His glory among the nations, His marvellous deeds among
all peoples.” Psalm 96:3
The
Frontline Fellowship mission base in Zambia has not only
been serving the community by training pastors from several
denominations, but by providing the only medical doctor
at the district hospital. Many lives have been saved by
the medical work, and even more have been led to Christ
through the chaplaincy ministry conducted by the Bible students
in the hospital.
Other
associated evangelists, trained by Frontline Fellowship,
have been conducting regular mission outreaches into Zimbabwe
and the Congo. The Excellence Christian Academy, which we
have been supporting in Zambia, now has over 180 students,
and they recently conducted an outreach in neighbouring
Malawi. Earlier this year I conducted Reformation Seminars
in Lusaka, Kabwe and Petauke, with a total of over 300 pastors,
teachers and other participants.
Please
also pray for my wife, Lenora, and her father, Rev. Bill
Bathman, who are engaged on a five-nation mission trip to
Eastern Europe. Bill Bathman, who has been ministering (mostly
to the persecuted Church in Eastern Europe) for over 50
years, has been taking his daughter, Lenora, behind the
Iron Curtain since she was four years old. By God’s
grace, Bill and Lenora have already completed their ministry
in Romania, Slovenia, Hungary and Austria and are now in
Poland. It is our prayer that these countries, which suffered
so much under communist persecution and have come shining
through, will become missionary-sending nations, particularly
to those countries that are still suffering persecution.
“May
Your ways be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.”
Psalm 67:2
Peter
Hammond
top
|
