I Salute You.

President Obama honors fallen troops

Allen Hunt
10/29/2009


As his decision on Afghanistan war strategy nears, President Obama made a surprise trip to Dover Air Force Base Wednesday night into Thursday morning to attend the dignified transfer movement of 18 U.S. personnel who were killed in Afghanistan on Monday. The dignified transfer is a solemn movement that is conducted for every US military member that dies while in service in a theater of war. The 18 killed included service members and Drug Enforcement Agency agents.

The traveling press corps that accompanied the President to Dover was permitted to witness one of the transfers, per the wishes of the families. The President stood at attention with the six –person carry team near the ramp of the C-17 which carried the flag draped transfer case which held the body of Sgt. Dale R. Griffin of Terre Haute, Indiana. As the carry team brought the case down the ramp, the President and the official party saluted. Sgt. Griffin’s family members were also present.

The President was accompanied by Attorney General Eric Holder, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, DEA Acting Administrator Michele Leonhart, U.S. Army Assistant Judge Advocate Maj Gen Daniel Wright, U.S. Army Special Forces Commander Brig. Gen. Michael Repass, and Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center Col. Robert Edmondson, who will served as the Dignified Transfer Host Officer.

Fifty-five Americans have died in Afghanistan this month, making it the deadliest month of the war since it began eight years ago. Two hundred and seventy-seven Ameriacns have died this year, forty-three percent more than last year.

http://www.590klbj.com/MorningShow/Story.aspx?ID=1159473

MUSLIMS: PRAYING BEYOND THE WALL 27Sep - 3Oct 2009

MUSLIMS: PRAYING BEYOND THE WALL
27 Sep - 3 Oct 2009

“I solemnly charge you: proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching.” 2Timothy 4:1-2

SUNDAY, 27Sep:
Approximately 350,000 Muslims currently live in Argentina, where Buenos Aires is home to the largest mosque in South America. These immigrant Muslims include Sunnis, Sufis, Shiites and Turkish mystics, each practicing their particular version of Islam.

In recent years they have established cultural centers, mosques and Islamic schools. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers to sow the seeds of the gospel among Argentine Muslims. Ask the Holy Spirit to prepare their hearts to receive the gospel seed with joy. Pray that their lives would be transformed as God’s Word becomes firmly rooted in their hearts, bearing abundant eternal fruit. Pray that they will become vibrant witnesses sharing with others the change God has wrought in their lives.


MONDAY, 28Sep:

The Eastern Pashtun of Afghanistan number more than 15 million and stretch from central Afghanistan to the Indus River in Pakistan. Their conservative society is more than 99 percent Muslim and was the breeding ground of the fundamentalist Taliban.
There are less than 500 Pashtun believers in Christ and no visible Pashtun church. The vast majority of Pashtun have had no opportunity to hear or read the Good News.

Pray for the Gospel to be available to these people. Ask God to call out workers to
serve among them. Pray for Pashtun believers to become brightly shining lights leading their countrymen to Jesus, the Light of the world.

TUESDAY, 29Sep:
A group of West African musicians from the Susu people group had the opportunity to hear the gospel from workers who were in their city for a conference. Five men believed and were baptized. Others in the group were interested and open. This group of new believers and seekers are experiencing persecution, including being forced to leave the rooms they had been renting. This is the off-season, so they do not have much opportunity to earn money. Pray for their faith to remain firm as they look to God to meet all their needs. Ask Him to provide for them in ways that will encourage and strengthen their faith--ways that demonstrate that they are in His loving, all-powerful hands. Pray that they will continue to share the hope that they have found with others.

WEDNESDAY, 30 Sep:
The Afar triangle of eastern Ethiopia, southern Eritrea and Djibouti boasts some of
the earth’s hottest, lowest and driest places. It is home to 1.5 million Afar Muslims. They are herders moving with the seasons in search of water and grass for their herds. In recent years, a nightly radio program in their heart language broadcasts God’s story of creation through redemption. Pray for every Afar to be able to hear these stories. Ask the Holy Spirit to enable them to understand God and His ways. Pray for the Afar to turn from half truths to Jesus Christ, the way, the truth and the life. Pray for God’s kingdom to flourish in desert lands of the Afar triangle.

THURSDAY, 1 Oct:
130 million Bengali Muslims, living primarily in Bangladesh but with 20 million in the Indian state of West Bengal, typically live in mud brick homes in villages of 100 to 1000 people.

Praise the Lord, in recent years a growing number of Bengali Muslims in Bangladesh have heard and responded to the gospel! Ask God to send these Bangladeshi Muslim-background believers to the villages, towns and cities of West Bengal to share the gospel with their Indian brothers and sisters who have had little opportunity to hear. Pray that rapidly reproducing New Testament churches will be planted among Bengali Muslims wherever they live.


FRIDAY, 2 Oct:
Pray for these Central Asians to respond in faith to the gospel message:




+ a Kyrgyz woman who translates for volunteer teams and has heard the truth many times. She admits that Jesus was sinless and perfect, but still claims Islam.




+ a Turkish hotel owner in Cappadocia who has received a copy of Scripture, but doesn’t really understand the gospel.



+ a hardworking Uighur woman in her forties who is suffering physically, but whose greatest need is spiritual. Pray for physical and spiritual healing.

SATURDAY, 3Oct:
Praise the Lord for the many national partners who are “catching the vision” and beginning to share more consistently with the people of Pepper Port, Indonesia. Ask the Father to empower their words and to lead them to people who are open to hearing the Good News and ready to follow.

---
International Mission Board
3806
Monument Avenue
Richmond, VA 23230

Dear Teenager, You are NOT Immortal

Dear Teenager,

You are NOT immortal.

I am tempted to submit a long entry, begging you to live life in such a way that you may not lose it, pleading with you to stop living recklessly, imploring you to seek first the kingdom of God because TODAY is the day of salvation because for you, my friend, there may be no tomorrow...

Isrie Strobel. 21 years old. Died 27Se09. www.caringbridge.org/visit/isriestrobel

Do you know where you'll spend eternity?

MUSLIMS: PRAYING BEYOND THE WALL

*20-26 September 2009*

". . . we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified." Galatians 2:16b

SUNDAY, 20Sep:
Muslims believe that their entry into paradise is based on the number of good deeds they perform in this life. Those who have properly fasted during Ramadan believe they have earned a lot of credit.

Pray for these men and women to hear the gospel. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak through His Word to convict them--opening their spiritual eyes to see the reality of their sin, that their righteousness can come only through Jesus Christ's forgiveness of their sin, and that unless they claim Him as Lord they will be judged and found guilty. Pray for them to understand these truths and courageously turn from their self-righteousness to faith in Jesus, the Messiah.

MONDAY, 21Sep:
Today Muslims will celebrate the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting.

Unusually large numbers will gather at the mosque for morning prayers, spilling over into the streets and public squares of many towns and cities. After prayers, Muslim families will don their best clothes and visit the homes of their elders--children visiting parents and grandparents, nephews and nieces visiting uncles and aunts. The purpose of the visit is to ask forgiveness for wrongs committed in the past year and
to renew family and community ties. After visiting family, neighbors and friends will visit each other, again asking for forgiveness.

Today, pray for Muslim families to realize that true forgiveness can only be found in Christ and that only through His love and power in their lives can they truly forgive others.

TUESDAY, 22Sep:
The Bhatiara of Uttar Pradesh, India, are a Muslim people numbering approximately 260,000. The Bhatiara were traditionally innkeepers who provided shelter and safety for travelers, since the roads were not safe at night. Although some still work in this capacity, Bhatiara elders estimate that today 20-30 percent of able-bodied Bhatiaras are without permanent jobs, and are looking for meaning in life.

Ask God to send witnesses to share God's redemptive story with the Bhatiara. Pray for their eyes to be opened to see God's glory in the face of Jesus Christ, the Savior who alone can give them true meaning and purpose in life.

http://www.go2southasia.org/

WEDNESDAY, 23Sep:
Two years ago, a Persian woman in Iran wanted to study the Bible to know more about Jesus. She felt that there was more to Him than what she had learned from Islam. On the internet she found a Farsi Bible in PDF format and began to print and read Scripture one page at a time. Eventually she printed it all using three packs of paper and ending up with a Bible that was nearly a foot tall! In God's providence, an Iranian church-planting couple met her about that time and witnessed to her. She believed, joined a house church and was thrilled to receive a normal-sized Bible. Now she can carry her whole Bible to church! Give thanks for this woman and others like her who have searched for the Truth and found it in Christ as they have read His Word.

Pray for God's Word to be available to every Iranian seeker. Pray for God's Word to accomplish His purposes in Iran!

http://centralasia.imb.org/

THURSDAY, 24Sep:
Give thanks for churches in France who are becoming burdened for the salvation of North African immigrants living in their midst! Team Paris is providing training for
French churches in Greater Paris, through which they are teaching French believers how to share their faith with their Muslim neighbors.

Pray that many French Christians will participate in these training sessions and use what they have learned to lovingly, respectfully and boldly share the Gospel with Muslims living in their communities. Pray for French Christians to become a mighty host of winsome witnesses sharing the gospel with a sense of urgency throughout Paris.

FRIDAY, 25Sep:
Last month Senufo Supyire team members were warned by their neighbors not to go outside inthe middle of the night because a spirit was said to be roaming about. Then team members noticed that white marks were being painted on the outside walls of people's houses and compounds. When they asked about it, they were told that word was spreading that if these marks are not on your walls and a certain animal comes into your house, someone will die. Later the team saw that many people had begun to wear cowry shell bracelets. When they asked why, they were told that it was rumored that if you aren't wearing these bracelets when a big storm comes on a certain day, then you would be injured.

The Senufo Supyire people live in fear of a world theydo not understand and cannot control. Much of their time and energy is spent trying to control the uncontrollable. Please pray for the Senufo Supyire people to know the perfect love of Christ that casts out all fear (1 John 4:18). Pray that they will understand that Christ's sacrifice was sufficient for the forgiveness of sins and that His blood can be their protection. Pray for Senufo Supyire Christians to demonstrate lives of confidence and hope, and that their freedom from fear will lead many to ask them about the source of their hope. Pray that they will effectively
share their faith with their Muslim neighbors.

SATURDAY, 26Sep:
Pray for a former Islamic teacher in the Deccan of India. Until God intervened in his life in December 2008, this young man led his community in prayers and taught them how to practice their faith. Struggling to find the answers to questions raised by his study of the Quran, he began to read the Bible, and after a time he became a follower of Jesus Christ. When his wife found out about his faith, she told her parents. Her father stated that he should simply kill his son-in-law in order to preserve the family name in the community, since he had brought them much disrespect. The father-in-law pressured him to divorce his daughter and pay monthly support to her. The new believer was unwilling and promised to care for his wife and their child by himself, if she would simply stay with him. The family finally agreed. However, his wife refuses to be emotionally or physically intimate with him until he returns to Islam. This young believer is suffering. The estrangement from his wife and family is very painful, but he is unwilling to deny Christ.

Ask the Father to encourage, strengthen and comfort this young husband and father, giving him wisdom and grace. Pray for the wife and her family to be saved. Ask that God's love prevail--restoring this broken family and making them a brightly shining light in the midst of their community.

http://www.go2southasia.org/
---
International Mission Board
3806 Monument Avenue
Richmond, VA 23230

MUSLIMS: PRAYING BEYOND THE WALL 6-12 September 2009

MUSLIMS: PRAYING BEYOND THE WALL

“They have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.”
Romans 10:2-3

SUNDAY, 6Sep:
A special outreach is being conducted by Muslim-background believers in the city of Mumbai, India, during the 30 days of Ramazan (Ramadan). Please pray for these faithful believers as they reach out to their countrymen with the truth that they, themselves, have learned from other Muslim-background believers--who learned it in much the same way from the hearts of other former Muslims. Praise God for His grace and tender wooing in past years, and plead with Him that many more Muslims will believe and begin to glorify the name of Isa (Jesus) this year.

This outreach does not involve a quick sharing of God’s truth, but rather a patient investment in the lives of seekers that will continue for several months after Ramazan is over.

http://www.go2southasia.org/

MONDAY, 7Sep:
In order to have a good harvest, Bambara farmers in West Africa prepare their fields by softening the soil, digging holes, adding fertilizer and finally, after much preliminary work, planting seeds. This fall several teams from partnering Southern Baptist churches will be joining the Bambara Team. Together they will share Bible stories and plant gospel seeds in at least 5 villages.

Please help prepare the spiritual soil in F, K, B, S and T villages through fervent intercession. Ask the Father to soften and prepare hardened hearts to listen. Ask God to dig holes in established belief systems and to fertilize the soil with events and circumstances that will create a fertile ground for these seeds. Pray that the mountains of spiritual blindness and complacency will be removed and that the Bambara men and women in these villages will hear and understand the Gospel. Pray for an abundant harvest of transformed lives gathered into New Testament churches.

http://www.gobambara.org/

TUESDAY, 8Sep:
The month of Ramadan can be very difficult for new Muslim-background believers. Their families will pressure them to renounce their Christian beliefs. If they refuse they may be banned from the special family celebrations that take place in the evenings when the day’s fast is broken. They may also be ostracized and/or mistreated. The life of these believers can be very lonely and stressful.

Ask the Holy Spirit to encourage and strengthen them, enabling them to focus on Christ, read His Word and stand firm in their faith. Pray that Muslim-background believers will discover other believers who will
encourage and bless them in these days.

WEDNESDAY, 9Sep:
Two Moko workers are continuing to work diligently on crafting Bible stories into the heart language of the Moko people of Southeast Asia. Some elderly and young Moko women are helping these workers with this lengthy and exacting process.

Pray that as they hear and work through these Bible stories for the first time these Moko women will understand God’s character, His love and His plan for their lives. Pray that they will meditate on God’s Word day and night and come to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Son of God. May their excitement for God’s story penetrate the darkness in their village and encourage all to put their faith in Jesus.

THURSDAY, 10Sep:
Please pray for a Bible training event in which Iranian believers will study the writings of Isaiah focusing on Jesus, the Messiah and God’s Son. Ask that the understanding that Jesus is the true Messiah will lodge deeply in the hearts of these church leaders and that they will effectively share this teaching with other believers inside Iran.

Pray that the teaching will strengthen their faith, since many who come from an Islamic background struggle to understand Jesus as God’s Son. Also pray that the participants will travel safely to and from the conference.

http://centralasia.imb.org/

FRIDAY, 11Sep:
The team working with upper-class Arabs in the Arabian Gulf is excited to report that in answer to the prayers of Southern Baptists, some believers will be helping Arab students settle into their studies at universities in the United States. Please ask that those who welcome these students will share in culturally appropriate ways and that the students will be open to the Good News. Also pray that details for a fall training event to better equip people to engage with Gulf students will come together and the training will enable many believers to effectively relate to these Arab students.

SATURDAY, 12Sep:
This month a team will be visiting some poverty-stricken communities in Karachi, Pakistan, to enable the residents to have good, clean drinking water and to learn about the Living Water. Pray that the project will bless and meet the needs of these communities. Pray for those who will be sharing the Good News asking for boldness and wisdom, and many “divine appointments.” Also pray for the Pakistanis who will be receiving the help to have hearts that are open to the Truth.

http://www.go2southasia.org/

---
International Mission Board
3806 Monument Avenue
Richmond, VA 23230

Father! Lead Them Home...

MUSLIMS: PRAYING BEYOND THE WALL_30 August - 5 September 2009

MUSLIMS: PRAYING BEYOND THE WALL 30 August - 5 September 2009

"But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon
him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5 (ESV)

SUNDAY:
As the summer draws to an end, many university students are getting ready for a new school year. Saudi students are among that group. Many will arrive in Europe, the United States and Asia a bit anxious, but excited to study abroad.

Pray that these students will find genuine friendships with believing students who
are willing to share their faith and their lives. The first year, a Saudi usually studies English before he can start his regular classes for his major. Pray for believing families to "adopt" these students, bring them into their families, practice English with them, and share their Savior with them. Maybe you are the answer to this prayer request!

http://www.lovesaudis.com/

MONDAY:
Many Muslim people groups place great significance on their dreams and are keen on interpreting them. Many former Muslims report that dreams and visions from God were instrumental in their decisions to follow Jesus. Dreams during Ramadan are considered
especially meaningful. Ask the Lord to send dreams and visions to sincere seekers, preparing them to embrace the Good News that Jesus is their Savior.

TUESDAY:
The city of Palembang in south Sumatra is a source of pride for the 25 million Malay Muslims in Southeast Asia. In 2001 the city hosted a worldwide gathering of Malays to discuss their history and sense of destiny. The Malays of Southeast Asia are unashamedly committed to their faith and closed to the Gospel. Praise God for the believers who live among the Malays of Southeast Asia!

Pray that they will manifest the presence of God in their lives and faithfully share His truth at every opportunity. Pray for God to move across the city and the entire region resulting in the salvation of hundreds of thousands of Malays and the planting of a church in every neighborhood/village. May Jesus Christ be glorified among the Malay Muslims of Southeast Asia as they realize that their destiny lies in His hands and that His plans for them are for a hope and an eternal future filled with love and joy!

WEDNESDAY:
The Karakalpaks are an unreached people group numbering roughly 500,000 who live in northwestern Uzbekistan, where life is both physically and economically difficult. As the good news has been proclaimed to the Karakalpaks many have believed and churches have been planted.

Pray for these churches to multiply, and for more and more Karakalpak to believe. Pray for the Bible to be translated into the Karakalpak language and to be read, understood and obeyed. Ask the Holy Spirit to call the Karakalpak people to faith.

THURSDAY:
Please pray for believers among the North Sumatra Malay as they make a concentrated "push" to share the Creation to Christ story with those to whom the Holy Spirit directs them. By sharing the gospel from Creation to Christ, they hope to identify "people of peace" (Luke 10:6) who desire to hear more and accept Jesus as Savior.

Pray Colossians 4:3-6, asking that God will give believers many opportunities to speak about His plan concerning Christ. Pray that they will proclaim this message clearly. Ask that believers will live wisely among non-believers and make the most of every opportunity. Pray that believers' conversations will be gracious and seasoned with salt so that they will have the right response for everyone.

FRIDAY:
In answer to your prayers, a Christian organization in the Deccan has refocused its
attention on training churches to work among the Deccani Muslims of India. Several hundred believers have been trained this year in both theory and practical tools for evangelism. Please pray that those who have been trained will boldly open their mouths in love and humility to the 21.5 million Deccani Muslims surrounding them.

Pray that God will lead His church in the Deccan to Muslim "people of peace" (Luke 10:6). Pray that this year will be the year of harvest among them.

http://www.go2southasia.org/

SATURDAY:
Praise the Lord for two new Jola-Fonyi believers. After their baptism, they recorded a message for the partnering church in Idaho, thanking them for what they had done in
sending people to Diouloulou to tell them about Jesus. One of the young men closed by saying that he desired for the people of Diouloulou and the surrounding villages to hear and understand the message of Jesus Christ. He finished with hands raised, declaring, "All Senegal for Christ!" For these two young followers of Jesus, the phrase "All Senegal for Christ!" is more than just words spoken in the excitement of the moment. They have begun Bible studies in the villages of Djibali, Badionkoto and
Missira--all of this in addition to the weekly Bible study that they have in Diouloulou. How exciting it is to see God do an amazing work in the lives and hearts of these two followers of Jesus.

Please pray that God will continue to give these young men great boldness in declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ so that one day "All Senegal for Christ!" will be a reality!

http://www.jola-fonyi.org

---
International Mission Board
3806
Monument Avenue
Richmond, VA 23230

MUSLIMS: PRAYING BEYOND THE WALL 23-29 August 2009

"How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?" (Rom 10:14, NKJV).

SUNDAY:
The many prayers which Muslims offer up during this month of Ramadan must be recited in Arabic, since it is the only language that Muslims believe to be acceptable to Allah. However, the vast majority of Muslims across the world do not speak Arabic, and even if they can, it is not their heart language.

Praise the Lord and give thanks that He speaks, understands and values every language. Pray that His true Word, the Bible, will be available in the heart language of every Muslim people group. Pray that He will speak directly to each Muslim who seeks His face this month. Ask Him to speak in their heart language and clearly point them to Jesus.


MONDAY:

As you enjoy the blessings of fresh summer produce, please pray for the development of an exciting agricultural project that will help provide much-needed food for Wassulu families in West Africa. The project focuses on developing a gardening cooperative for Wassulu women. Workers on the field, the agricultural ministry of Mali, and potentially agricultural interests in the states of Georgia and Texas will partner together to establish this cooperative and to train and encourage the Wassulu women. Just as the Lord opened the door for this project, ask Him to open the hearts of everyone who will be involved in the gardening initiative.


Pray that each of the components will fall into place in a timely manner, and that the ultimate goal of lanting seeds of Truth in hearts will result in an abundant eternal harvest.
wassuluprayeradvocates@gmail.com

TUESDAY:
Turks began going to Germany in the 1960s as guest workers. Today more than 2.6 million Turks live in what they hoped would be their "Promised Land." In reality, they are often blamed for crime, noise and educational deficiencies and are resented as "cheap labor." This negative reaction has caused many to close their doors and their hearts. They cling to Islam for cultural security and community. Turkish women who often cannot speak German are even more isolated from their German neighbors, and Turkish children who are born in Germany are often not accepted fully there nor in Turkey.

Pray for believers in Germany to experience a revival that will cause them to reach out in love to their German neighbors proclaiming the gospel. Pray for the Turks living in Germany to hear, understand and respond to the Gospel in faith. Pray for them to find their true home in Christ!

WEDNESDAY:
Praise God for new believers among the Sayang, Aroma and Bunga peoples in July! Pray for these Southeast Asian Muslims to continue to hear and respond to the Good News that God loves them. Pray also for the new believers to be discipled early and well.

As in every culture, people can acknowledge something verbally without taking the actions that would verify and follow through on their verbal commitment. These new believers were all part of at least a month-long process of hearing stories from the Bible and learning about Christ before they believed. Pray for them to now remain faithful to meet together to worship, study God's Word and invite Him to
change their lives as He teaches them more about His ways and His will. Pray that they will boldly and eagerly share the Truth they have learned with their family and friends.

THURSDAY:
The Nubian people of Egypt and Sudan are descendants of the Cushites of the Old Testament. Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, was a Cushite. For approximately 4,000 years, the Nubians have lived along the Nile River between the modern-day cities of Aswan and Khartoum. Much of the homeland of the Nubian people was flooded due to the construction of Egypt's Aswan High Dam. They are currently facing the possibility of losing more of their homeland to the planned Kajbar Dam in northern Sudan. They have a long history of prosperity as well as of oppression and destruction. For centuries, they were among the great civilizations of the world. Nubian Pharaohs ruled both Cush and Egypt for approximately 100 years. Sometime after the first century, Nubians converted to Christianity. They remained a Christian kingdom until the 13th century. Although they resisted the Muslim conquest that swept across northern Africa, they eventually were converted to Islam through inter-marriage. Almost 100 percent of modern Nubians are Muslim. There are only a handful of known believers among the Nubian people. While the Bible has been translated into Arabic, there are no complete translations in the Nubian language, which is falling into disuse since Arabic is the official language of both Egypt and Sudan.

Please pray for the evangelization of the Nubians.
prayfornubia@gmail.com

FRIDAY:

Each day a Pakistani vendor sits alongside the road to the bazaar, selling bags of roasted corn. If you speak to him, he'll answer you with a written note. He no longer speaks. For four years he has been silent. It is his attempt to gain favor with Allah by speaking no evil. He has no assurance of finding favor with his god, Allah, only a vain hope that his piety and good works will be enough to keep him from hell.

Pray for Pakistani Muslims living in fear and doubt to have an opportunity during this month of Ramadan to hear the Good News that their sins have already been forgiven through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah. Pray for them to understand and believe!
http://www.go2southasia.org/

SATURDAY:
The Riau Melayu are Malay fishermen who live along the east coast of central Sumatra and on the Riau islands in the Straits of Melacca. For many of the Riau Melayu, life is hard and sometimes providing adequate food and clothing seems impossible. Despite this they are a cheerful and hospitable people who are very proud to be Muslims. They have been closed to the witness of both Indonesian and international believers. At times the task of bringing the gospel to the Riau Melayu seems impossible.

Pray for believers to be encouraged and guided in their witness. Pray for them to persevere and to make the most of every opportunity the Lord provides for witness. Ask God to push back the darkness that blinds these people to the truth and keeps them from recognizing and responding to Jesus Christ, the Light of the world!!

---
International Mission Board
3806 Monument Avenue
Richmond,
VA 23230

All,

I'm going to start posting a variety of questions & statements. I invite you to contribute and respectfully respond to others' thoughts, views and experiences. If things get heated- Remember!- in any debate, one is to attack the statement not the individual who made it.

Enjoy! And thanks for your participation.


Question 1: How is it that a God of love permits the triumph of evil?

Obama fires watchdog who barked at his crony

Obama fires watchdog who barked at his crony

Shared via AddThis

Article: Barack Obama and American "Arrogance"

Barack Obama and American "Arrogance"
President Barack Obama delivered a speech in Strasbourg, France, in which he accused the United States (of which, by the way, Obama is the President of) of showing arrogance. It was a display of craven obsequiousness to Europeans.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1624819/barack_obama_and_american_arrogance.html

Astonishing Folly

Listen to or read Chuck Colson's BreakPoint Commentary from this past Monday called "Astonishing Folly."

http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=11603



It's rather astonishing...sort of. We've seen for awhile this anti-God shift in western countries. This action went a bit overboard, though! At what point in history did a historically Christian nation become anti-Christian? At which instance did the government and ruling authorities decide it was okay to deny a free human being the right to practice whichever religion s/he wanted to? If I was wanting to openly practice or convert to Buddhism would that be a problem in Britain? No. If I wanted to convert to Hinduism would they raise a fuss? Nope. How about Islam? Of course not. Then why Christianity? It's because "the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing" (ICor1:18.) It's also exclusive. In this fight to become an all-inclusive, lovie-dovie world, (only in some arenas) a strong force of people claiming that they are the only one's who believe in the only truth presents a hiccup on the road to 'peace.' What does one do to rid himself of the hiccups? One can drink water to make them stop or another option would be to scare the person(s) with the hiccups to make this weight disappear. Christian, are you holding your breath for the world as it tries to drown you?


If you don't want to listen to Colson's BreakPoint message, you may read it below:

As you may know, in Islamic countries such as Afghanistan, converting from Islam to Christianity is a crime punishable by death. While they don’t go that far, certain Indian states and Nepal erect formidable hurdles for would-be converts to Christianity.

And then there’s the United Kingdom.

In 2007, a 16-year-old girl was placed into foster care after being assaulted by a family member. Her foster mother had taken care of 80 foster kids over 10 years. She rented a farmhouse and was, by all accounts, completely committed to the well-being of the children placed under her care.

She is also a practicing Anglican Christian. This hadn’t been a problem. No one had ever accused her of taking advantage of her relationship to the girls for proselytizing.

The same is true of the 16-year-old in question. Still, the girl became interested in Christianity on her own; said that she wanted to attend church; and expressed a desire to be baptized. For the girl, baptism was a “washing away of the horrible things she had been through and a symbol of a new start.”

Well, that’s when the fur flew. You see, the girl was born a Muslim, and her baptism is regarded by Muslims as apostasy. If you’re thinking “so what? It’s not Afghanistan,” think again. But this is Britain, where a Christian nurse was recently suspended for offering to pray for her patients.

Thus, when the girl’s case manager learned about her baptism, she “flew into a rage.” Even though the foster mother hadn’t encouraged the girl’s interest in Christianity, she was removed from the list of foster care providers. A child who was in her custody was removed and she “lost the farmhouse she rented to look after vulnerable teenagers, due to the loss of income.”

Even more outrageously, government officials told the girl to stay way from church for six months!

To their credit, neither the foster mother nor the girl passively accepted the rulings. The foster mother has, with the assistance of Britain’s Christian Institute, challenged her removal, and the girl is supporting her efforts.

A spokesman for the Institute called the right to “to change or modify [one’s] religious beliefs” a “core human right in any free society.” He added that he couldn’t imagine an atheist foster parent being removed if “a Christian child in her care stopped believing in God.”

Beyond the double standard, there’s a tragic irony at work here. As journalist Peter Glover wrote in First Things, Britain's “growing crime rate and out-of-control teenage pregnancies” has created “national anxiety” among Brits.

At the same time, as these cases illustrate, government and media elites have instituted a “determined program to abolish the influence of Christianity.” Brits shouldn’t be “astonished that a culture that set out to devalue its values should find itself awash in crime, sex, and social discord.”

And a country where government officials forbid a girl from going to church has clearly forgotten what makes social accord possible in the first place.

For further reading:

Woman struck off list of foster carers after Muslim girl converts
Christian foster mother struck off after Muslim girl converts

What is Your Geography?

Thursday evening's program at Rez Week was amazing! Pastor Tim Hawks, senior pastor of Hill Country Bible Church Northwest, spoke on Acts 1. His vision is that everyone at the University of Texas, by the time they leave, would have had the opportunity to hear the gospel.

God revealed to Pastor Tim years ago that he should be working to strategically reach the lost in Austin. He shared his testimony of how a few men who were on fire for God wanted advice from him as to how to reach their city with the gospel. Their “neighborhood” in Mexico City consisted of 125,000 people! These men were determined to reach each with the Truth of Christ. Pastor Tim went to Mexico City with them to help formulate their battle plan. Upon his return from Mexico City, God convicted Pastor Tim - “Why aren't you doing this same thing in Austin?”

Pastor Tim, thru Acts 1, reminded us that we are to be witnesses for Christ! He asked the audience, “What is your geography (as a follower of Christ)?” Your geography is wherever God's placed you at this particular time. So, my geography as a student at UT would be the Air Force ROTC and the Middle Eastern Studies Department (specifically, my classmates and professors). As a Christian, I am responsible for spreading the gospel throughout my geography. Pastor Tim challenged us, “Has everyone in your geography, because of your strategic witness and purposeful testimony, had an opportunity to hear the gospel?” Oh, Lord! That everyone I encounter [in my geography] see You in me thru my words and actions and that I would be bold and faithful in proclaiming You as Savior of all. God, that everyone I encounter [in my geography] have an opportunity to hear the gospel because of my strategic witness and purposeful testimony. What is your geography?

Speaker Bio: Tim Hawks- Leader of church planting efforts in Austin

Tim Hawks is the senior pastor of Hill Country Bible Church in northwest Austin. Under his leadership Hill Country Bible Church has develop a church planting school, and has planted fourteen other churches in and around Austin over the last five years with five more churches preparing to launch in 2009. Tim works in partnership with many pastors in Austin and is giving leadership to a new initiative that is uniting churches to plant missional communities throughout the city of Austin.

• Tim’s teachings and more information about their church planting school can be found at http://www.hcbc.com