Displaying items by tag: Gospel

Local missionaries are finding ways to expand God’s kingdom on Mindanao island by holding Bible studies and church services in areas so remote it requires three hours through rough terrain to reach by motorcycle, and five hours during the rainy season. Although the island is untouched by coronavirus it is a nest for communist rebels, the New People’s Army, and the Islamic extremist Abu Sayyaf Group. Terrorism is rampant. The armed wing of the Communist Party has waged a protracted guerrilla war against the government since 1969. The government, USA, and EU have designated it as a terrorist organisation. Where the pandemic has reached and lockdowns are in effect, missionaries are using Zoom, Facebook messaging and other internet means for regular fellowship, prayer meetings and Bible studies. Filipinos sharing the Good News of Jesus need our prayers as they face Islam and Communism.

Jesus’ command to ‘make disciples of all nations’ means bringing individuals to him and putting Christ at the heart of society. If Jesus Christ is Lord of Lords and King of Kings, then this must have implications for all areas of society - from the way our nations are governed to what laws are made; from what cultural traditions we follow to what we speak of in the media. When the gospel is upheld in these areas, we truly can make disciples of a nation, because society is better able to observe all that he taught us, which has the power to transform lives. This means being unashamed to speak of Jesus in public life, putting Christ back into law, media and politics, and placing the gospel at the centre of the big issues of the day. Click the ‘More’ button for details of two forthcoming seminars on these issues.

Global Outreach Day is a Global Missions Network that calls the Church worldwide to focus on praying and sharing the Gospel with the un-churched in the month of May each year.

This coming year, May 2020 the vision is to mobilise 100 million people in united prayer. 

We are calling this initiative Go2020!

Already, Christians in 250,000 churches across 140 nations are part of this global outreach strategy to pray and witness towards the fulfilment of God's great commission.

Can you imagine with me - God calling 100 million Christians to united prayer for the global harvest?! 

We know that Jesus said that the harvest is ready, but the workers are few. Pray then to the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into the harvest fields of the nations. (Luke 10:2 ESV Paraphrased)

Would you join us in praying for Go2020?!

Together, we can reach 1 billion people with the Gospel!

For more info and to sign up, visitwww.go2020.world/prayer

Dr Jason Hubbard - IPC Executive Coordinator

The indigenous Malaysian Church has tremendous potential for outreach to the Malays, but is fearful of authorities clamping down on them. Historically there is deep-seated resentment between the Chinese and Malays because of the favoured status of the Malays. However, many Chinese believers are now being trained in ministry to Muslims. Also, the kidnapping of Chinese pastor Raymond Koh two years ago has changed things. His whereabouts are unknown, but his ordeal has inspired the Church to intercede for him. While they pray for him, they also pray for the Gospel to grow in Malaysia. Now workers say that more Muslim Malays are receiving prayer for healing, and there is a cautious readiness to hear Christians talking about ‘Isa.’

Behind the facade of a ‘tropical paradise’ are tragic realities: the highest divorce rate in the world, rising crime, widespread child abuse, pervasive drug use and over 200 young people joining IS.  All citizens are required to be Muslim. There are no churches, and there is no official access to God’s Word.  The Gospel of Luke and Acts are currently available in Dhivehi, but are not permitted to enter the country. No mission work or Christian literature has ever been legally allowed within the islands. Widespread traditional beliefs in spirits combined with Islam leave many almost entirely untouched by the Gospel, trapped in fear and without access to Jesus. Pray for miraculous opportunities for Maldivians to hear the Gospel, and that the government's attempts to silence it may instead raise up a Maldivian church.

The Japanese are considered the largest unreached people group in the world, with over 120 million still waiting to hear the Gospel. Enormous hurdles stand in the way of the Japanese putting their faith in Jesus. Five of these hurdles are: - spiritual forces of evil, idolatry, and ancestor worship - the Bible and Christianity are viewed as Western and anti-Japanese - busy-ness and materialism - hopelessness, with more than 30,000 suicides per year - the Church's low influence in society. However, a low birthrate, an ageing society, natural disasters, economic decline and feelings of social isolation have provoked a recent resurgence in spiritual searching. The Japanese are now increasingly open to the Gospel, and many believe Japan is ready for an unprecedented awakening to the Good News of Jesus. Only a move of God will bring the freedom, joy, peace and hope that the Japanese desperately crave.

Operation World reports that as Europe becomes less religious and more secular, a non-religious worldview or a mixed spirituality dominates many people's belief systems. Christians decline in number, and the rate of decline increases each year. Many who are considered Christian do not practise their faith, and less than 10% of Europeans regularly attend church.’ The French are no exception; they say, ‘I can only depend on myself’ and, ‘I can’t trust others to watch out for me.’ Système D is a very well-known concept in France: it comes from the verb ‘se débrouiller’ which, though it doesn’t have a good English equivalent, means to figure out your way through (or around) an obstacle or a complicated situation. If you are using Système D, you are using your own resources, your own wits, your own strength to get through life. See Also, read more:

Efforts to free an American pastor held in a Turkish prison for his Christian faith have failed. Andrew Brunson was arrested on 8 December and charged with ‘membership in an armed terrorist organisation’. On 29 December a Turkish court denied his appeal for release. Brunson has preached the gospel in Turkey for twenty years and hoped for permanent resident status. But according to the American Centre for Law Justice (ACLJ), Brunson was arrested for unspecified reasons. In a statement, the ACLJ says ‘the charging documents do not present any evidence against him’ nor did the court specify which ‘terror’ organisation Brunson had supposedly joined. Experts say Brunson's case is part of a growing climate of intolerance against Christians and other minority faiths in Turkey.

Colossians 4:2-3: ‘ Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.’ We discovered in the Talking Jesus research (www.talkingjesus.org) that one in five of the people we talk to about Jesus wants to know more. So join us as we each pray for five of our friends or family members who don’t know Jesus. You could set an alarm on your phone to remind you each day to pray for your five. Pray that you are given opportunities to share about Jesus with them and that they come to follow Jesus for themselves.

(Written by Dr Rachel Jordan-Wolf, Church of England)

The Church is the largest social force in China not controlled by the Communist Party. As a result, there are increasing efforts to restrict the way Christians operate. A considerable number of Christians are still imprisoned. Violence is at a very high level and is increasing: also, churches have been closed, and landlords pressurised to stop renting premises to Christians. The story for Christians in China varies hugely depending on the region. There has been a significant change for the better for Han Chinese, but Christians from minority ethnic groups face a great amount of persecution. ‘There was a woman in my church who was kidnapped by her family when they found out she converted. They took her back to her home village, broke her legs so she could not escape, and then tried to force her to be a Muslim again.’ These are the words of a Christian leader from the Hui people group. Originally from a Muslim family, as most Hui are, she came to Christ 14 years ago. In spite of the enormous risk, many Hui are becoming Christians. ‘It is amazing how the gospel message touches the hearts of the Hui; many are giving up everything to follow Christ.’