Sunday, September 15, 2013

#641 (9/15) SUNDAY SPECIAL - "They Are Us - Evangelicals and Middle Eastern Christians;"

NOTE: My GEN-DAY is this Thurs., Sept. 19th. Do you know when is YOUR GEN-DAY ?

REMINDER: Check out this week's broadcast of ''Truth That Transofrms” (http://www.truthinaction.org/index.php/tr/uth-that-transforms  PLEASE take time to check these programs out! 

NEWS FLASH: "Syrian Rebels Execute Christian Villagers," - CBNNews.com, September 12, 2013; http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/September/Syrian-Rebels-Execute-Christian-Villagers/ -  Syrian rebel fighters apparently executed three Christians fleeing the fighting in Maaloula this week, Britain's Sky News reported. 

Hundreds of Christians held a funeral in Damascus for the men, who were cousins. Sky News reports the men were trying to escape the Christian town of Maaloula, which has been under attack by rebel troops. The men reportedly were killed by forces with the al Qaeda linked Jabha al-Nour. Mourners say two of the victims had their throats cut and another was shot. Most of the mourners are also refugees from Maaloula, one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. [PRAY for the Christians throughout Syria who face greater persecution should rebels, particularly Islamists along the line of the Muslim Brotherhood, end up in charge of the country.]

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST: "Syrian Christians Brace for Strike, Ask for Prayer," - by Gary Lane, August 31, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/Syrian-Christians-Brace-for-Strike-Ask-for-Prayer/"As Syrians brace themselves for a possible U.S. military attack, many of the county's Christians are praying for divine intervention. They say military action against the Assad regime will only bring them greater hardship and suffering and they're asking Christians worldwide to pray that God intervenes to bring peace to their nation. They believe the collective prayers of Christians around the world could reverse an escalating conflict..."
[EGYPT - Continue to pray for the tense situation in Egypt and especially for the Christian believers who are being targeted with violence by Muslim Brotherhood members.]      

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST- Update on Kenneth Bae: "US Ready to Bargain with N. Korea for Bae's Release,"-  CBNNews.com,  Aug 14, 2013  http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/S-Ready-to-Bargain-with-N-Korea-for-Baes-Release/  - The United States is willing to engage North Korea to secure the release of imprisoned American Christian Kenneth Bae. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the United States is "willing to consider a number of different options" to bring him home.In a video recently released by a North Korean newspaper, Bae requested the United States send a high-ranking official to North Korea to seek his pardon. It is unclear if he spoke of his own volition in the video. Bae, 45, was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for sharing his faith. He suffers health problems such as diabetes and is currently hospitalized.[PRAY for 1) God's healing of and presence with Pastor Bae, 2) His earliest release by the North Korean government, and 3) God's comfort for his family and friends.] 

UPDATE: Iran Rejects Saeed's Appeal, Family 'Devastated' , CBNNews.com, August 27, 2013   http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/Iran-Rejects-Saeeds-Appeal-Family-Devastated/ "By keeping the 8-year prison sentence in place, Pastor Saeed, now potentially faces additional beatings and abuse inside Evin Prison -- treatment that has significantly weakened him during his first year in prison,"....{
“Abandoned” For Christ" - Graham Calls On White House To Support Abedini - By Dr. Tom Askew, Aug.8,  http://www.presidentialprayerteam.com/opinion

Franklin Graham is the latest to join the chorus of voices calling for U.S. State Department and White House officials to take a more vocal role in protesting the Iranian imprisonment of American pastor Saeed Abedini. September 26 will mark the one year anniversary of Abedini’s imprisonment for allegedly “endangering the national security” of Iran.

Graham pointed out that, in contrast to Iranian accusations, “Pastor Saeed was in Iran trying to help children. With the permission of Iran’s government, he was working to build an orphanage. But his humanitarian mission led to an arrest on bogus charges and nearly a year of inhumane treatment, simply because he loves Jesus Christ.”...

Behind the scenes, more than 600,000 people around the world have signed a petition sponsored by ACLJ in support of pastor Abedini. A concerted movement this past May brought together Christians from many nations to set aside Pentecost to pray for Abedini. On June 13, demonstrations were held at Iranian embassies in at least six countries to protest Abedini’s treatment. And, on July 29, Arizona Republican Representative Trent Franks spoke on the floor of the House to urge other Congressmen to join him in “adopting” Pastor Abedini through the bipartisan Defending Freedoms Project.

Saeed’s response…and yours - Through his family living in Iran, Pastor Abedini has been made aware of these efforts on his behalf, and is grateful. “I heard that the persecution, my arrest and imprisonment has united churches from different denominations, from different cities and countries. That the churches have united together in prayer to put one request (my freedom) on one day (Pentecost) before God,” he wrote in a letter.

The story of Saeed Abedini, the jihad against Syrian Christians, the attacks on Coptic Christians in Egypt, and the ongoing desecration of churches in Nigeria and India should cause every American to reflect on the blessings of freedom still enjoyed in this nation.
PRAY: - For comfort and peace for Saeed’s wife and children here in the U.S.
- For a strong witness and testimony from Pastor Abedini in the prison where God has placed him
- For Christians around the world who are being persecuted for their faith in Christ
- BOLDly (Beside Our Leaders Daily) for leadership from the White House and State Department in defending the freedoms of Abedini and other Americans
Go to SaveSaeed.org to sign a petition over 600,000 others asking for his immediate release.
----------------------------------------------------------------
"They Are Us - Evangelicals and Middle Eastern Christians;" By: Eric Metaxas|Breakpoint.org; September 11, 2013; http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/breakpoint-commentaries-archive/entry/13/23311?spMailingID=6936768&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=87949516&spReportId=ODc5NDk1MTYS1


Seven years ago, Lawrence F. Kaplan, writing in the New Republic asked “who will save Iraq’s Christians?” He wrote that “Sunni, Shia, and Kurd may agree on little else, but all have made sport of brutalizing their Christian neighbors.”

What made matters worse was the indifference of American Christians to their Iraqi brethren’s plight. The head of Open Doors, USA, which works on behalf of persecuted Christians around the world, told Kaplan that “The denominations in Iraq aren’t recognized by Americans . . . The underlying attitude is, ‘They’re not us.’” And the consequences were tragic: an ancient Christian community driven into exile.

The good news is that we seem to have learned from our mistakes. One example is the outpouring of concern over the persecution of Coptic Christians in Egypt. People who, a decade or so ago, may not have been familiar with the word “Copt” and unaware of Christianity’s long history in Egypt were expressing their solidarity with this ancient community. This identification with ancient Christian communities has really taken off in the debate over intervention in Syria. As my good friend Rod Dreher has pointed out, “Somehow, the word is getting out to American Christians that they—we—have a particular stake in Syria, in that our brothers and sisters in the faith are facing mass murder and exile.”

 Dreher notes that Russell Moore of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission has come out against U. S. intervention, specifically over concerns of the impact on Syrian Christians. Even more exciting is the fact that 62 percent of evangelical pastors polled by the National Association of Evangelicals oppose intervention. They fear that our involvement could make matters worse. 
Evangelical voices have joined those of the Pope and Orthodox bishops in calling our attention to the plight of our Syrian brethren. It took a while, but we’ve finally realized that they are us.

That’s especially important because the mainstream media is doing a terrible job of telling Americans about the possible impact of U.S. intervention on Syrian Christians. As Rod pointed out, the day after Pope Francis addressed a crowd of 100,000 people during a day of fasting and prayer for Syria, the New York Times said nothing about the event. Nor have they mentioned the groundswell of American Christian opposition to intervention. Instead, they ran a story about an all-nude gay resort in the Ozarks and another one about “elderly gay male sweethearts who reflect fondly on the days when they cruised public toilets. . . .” I’m not making that up.

A similar pattern, albeit nowhere near as self-parodic, holds true in the rest of the media. We’re told a great deal about the push for congressional approval and the reasons for intervention. We’re even told that Americans oppose said intervention. But we rarely are told why many Americans oppose this intervention or even of the possible effects on Syrian Christians.

 When the Greek Catholic, a.k.a, Melkite, Patriarch of Syria warns that an American attack would “reap more victims,” chances are the warning will go unheeded. When he says that “Salafist fundamentalist armed gangs of thugs” pose an even greater threat than chemical weapons, it will be overlooked in the mainstream media. Thankfully, this time American Christians are listening and speaking out. Thankfully, we understand that these are our people—our brothers and sisters in Christ. (Editor’s note: At the time this BreakPoint commentary was recorded, as Eric noted, the New York Times had not covered the assault on Syrian Christians. This article, however, appeared yesterday, Tuesday, September 10.)

They Are Us: Evangelicals and Middle Eastern Christians - Next Steps
Continue to speak out on behalf of Christians worldwide. Your voice makes a difference. Write a polite letter to the editor of the local (or national) newspaper sharing your concern and support for Christians being persecuted in other countries, especially the Middle East. Also, visit and support the organizations linked below. They're on the front lines in the struggle for religious freedom for persecuted minorities.

ARTICLES:
WEBSITES:
Open Doors  - http://www.opendoorsusa.org/
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)