At 80, Brother Andrew Continues His Lifelong Passion: Serving Persecuted Christians Worldwide

On May 11, 2008, Brother Andrew, the founder of Open Doors International, will celebrate his 80th birthday....

As I celebrate my 80th birthday, I have been looking back over my life and a great many things have changed. To begin with the smallest and most insignificant: I myself have changed!

But just as if it was yesterday, I remember my very first trip to a communist country. I can hardly believe it was over 50 years ago!

Mazel Tov Israel

06/05 Malcolm Hedding for ICEJ | At this very special time in Israel’s history, as she marks 60 years of modern statehood, many Christians still question whether we should be celebrating as well. The answer is a resounding yes, as the re-birth of national enjoys clear biblical credentials and is testimony to God’s unfailing word and faithfulness.

The biblical story of God’s redemptive purpose begins in Genesis 12. The previous chapters well document the fall of humankind and its plunge away from God toward destruction and a lost eternity. But then comes a watershed in history as God documents His move toward humanity in order to recover us from sin. “In you all the families of the world will be blessed,” God vows in Genesis 12:1-3.

Visa Delays Stall Myanmar (Burma) Relief Efforts

06/05 Assist News | The death toll from Myanmar's Cyclone Nargis could climb steeply unless aid agencies get into the country quickly and get clean drinking water and shelter to tens of thousands of traumatized survivors.

Junta Says Myanmar Cyclone Death Toll Reaches 10,000

06/05 Assist News | The death toll from the tropical cyclone that slammed into Myanmar three days ago rose to 10,000, according to the military government, making the storm Southeast Asia's deadliest natural disaster since the 2004 tsunami.

According to a story by Demian McLean and Michael Heath and published by the Bloomberg News Service, about 3,000 people are missing in the Irrawaddy delta region alone

US Christians urged to cancel church services and help the poor

Christians in the US should close their churches and channel their energies into helping the poor.

According to a story posted on www.ekklesia.co.uk, this is the message from the campaign "Faith in Action", a resource developed by Christian humanitarian organization, World Vision, church communication resources provider, Outreach, Inc., and Christian communications company, Zondervan.

"The call comes along with the news that two-thirds of American surveyed in a new poll say their churches are doing enough to help the poor despite the latest United States Census Bureau statistics showing consistent year-to-year increases in the numbers of Americans living in poverty," said the Ekklesia story.

Korean President seen as Man of Faith

“Some say it is a new day in South Korea. After a landslide election in November, Myung-Bak Lee was sworn into office on Feb. 19. In defeating Dong-Young Chung of the liberal United Democratic Party, Lee provided the conservative Grand National Party with its first presidential election win in 10 years.”.

Involuntary Euthanasia is Out of Control in Holland

1999 - from the Archives (The Times, UK) | The Hague -- Euthanasia in The Netherlands is "beyond effective control", according to a report which shows that one in five assisted suicides is without explicit consent. British opponents of assisted suicide say that the figures are a warning of the dangers of decriminalising euthanasia, as Holland did in 1984. By 1995 cases of euthanasia and assisted suicide in Holland had risen to almost 3 per cent of all deaths.

The Dutch survey, reviewed in the Journal of Medical Ethics, looked at the figures for 1995 and found that as well as 3,600 authorized cases there were 900 others in which doctors had acted without explicit consent. A follow-up survey found that the main reason for not consulting patients was that they had dementia or were otherwise not competent. But in 15 percent of cases the doctors avoided any discussion because they thought they were acting in the patient's best interests.

Michael Howitt Wilson, of the Alert campaign against euthanasia, said: "A lot of people in Holland are frightened to go into hospital because of this situation."

Author tells of combat, faith

31/05 One News Now | A former captain in the U.S. Army says many servicemen and women are not only helping the Iraqi people, but also are coming to Christ. Captain Chris Plekenpol graduated from the West Point Military Academy in 1999 and was deployed to Iraq in 2004. While in Iraq, he commanded 100 troops and also served as a chaplain. They were deployed to volatile regions such as Ramadi and Fallujah. While serving in Iraq, Captain Plekenpol would often send emails home to family and friends, describing daily operations and also offering biblical encouragement and inspiration. Those emails have been published in a book titled Faith in the Fog of War.

"I really believe that if we just pull out of Iraq, it's going to create a power vacuum which is going to cause the insurgency to gain momentum and strength, and then they're going to feel emboldened to attack us on our own shore -- and I don't think anybody here would want that," he says. "As Americans, we need to wake up to the fact that the world's not a nice place to play." And the reality of combat, he adds, caused many soldiers to re-evaluate their lives and their standing with the Lord. "I was able to talk very openly about my faith. It did help that I was a commander, but I had a free reign ... there was never one time anyone said, you can't say that or you can't pray ... I never had that experience."

CHIEF TORTURER IN KHMER ROUGE NOW PREACHES THE GOSPEL

Australian Prayer Network Newsletter | The Khmer Rouge was one of the most evil regimes of the past century. It was a Maoist guerrilla group run by a despot named Pol Pot. They overthrew the Cambodian government in 1975 before falling in to the Vietnamese in 1979. During their reign of terror they brutally massacred nearly 2 million people. After their overthrow, the Khmer Rouge returned to the jungles and fought the Vietnamese occupiers until they withdrew in 1989. The Khmer then disbanded and its members moved back into Cambodian society where many of its former leaders still walk free.

The International community has repeatedly encouraged Cambodia deal with its dark history. Finally after nearly 30 years, the government said it will hold trials in 2008 to bring to justice those responsible. One who has already faced justice is Khang Khek Ieu. Ieu was leader of the Khmer Rouge's secret police and oversaw the country's notorious prison camp system used to torture and execute those considered enemies of the state.

Christopher LaPel - a Cambodian pastor, was involved in a leadership seminar where he met a man, named Hang Pin who had been encouraged to attend the meetings by a friend. LaPel described him as withdrawn and gaunt. Hang made a commitment to Christ and was baptized. After his conversion, Hang Pin returned to his village and started a church.

On the other side of Cambodia journalist Nic Dunlop, was reporting on its Khmer Rouge past. In a museum he saw a picture of the camp commander - Ieu.. He obtained a copy of it and kept it in his wallet thinking it might prove useful in identifying Ieu if he ever came across him. In 1999, Dunlop met Hang Pin in a village in Western Cambodia. Based on the photo, Dunlop was convinced he had found Ieu and struck up a conversation with him. He told the journalist of his conversion and his desire to start a school and a church in the community.

He asked him if he ever worked for the Khmer Rouge secret police. Dunlop said Hang Pin deflected the question stating he currently worked with ARC and was translating school text books. He asked the question twice more and finally Hang Pin paused and said, "It is God's will you are here. I have done very bad things in my life," he told them. "Now is the time to bear the consequences of my actions." Dunlop said Ieu confessed fully to his involvement with the secret police.

After Dunlop and Thayer broke the news they had found the infamous commander, Ieu went into hiding for a couple days before finally turning himself in to the police. Dunlop has no doubt that Ieu's commitment to Christ played a big part in his confession and arrest. To date, Ieu is the only major leader of the Khmer Rouge to confess to his crimes. Ieu has been in prison since 1999 in Phom Penh where he is still preaching and sharing God's word with people around him."

Source: OpentheWor.org - Article written by Dean Smith

CAMBODIA BANS CHRISTIAN EVANGELISM

Australian Prayer Network Newsletter | Cambodia has banned Christian groups from door-to-door evangelism and is seeking to limit other religious activities by non-Buddhist organisations, which it says disrupt society. A directive from the Ministry of Cults and Religions says: "Christians are prohibited from visiting people's houses by knocking on the door and waiting to say 'the Lord has arrived'." Distribution of religious literature will also be confined to churches, which now must be approved by the ministry before they can be built, the directive said.
The ruling applies to all non-Buddhist groups, but is aimed at curbing Christian evangelism in largely Buddhist Cambodia. Missionaries are reportedly offering cakes and sweets to children in exchange for abandoning Buddhism. Food, clothing and free English lessons are also offered by churches, which then introduce religion into their activities. "It is prohibited to use money, or any other means to convince followers to convert to a different religion" the ministry directive said. Groups violating the directive face possible prosecution, the ministry said.

Cambodia's non-Buddhist minority, which is mostly Catholic but includes evangelical groups and also Mormons, lives largely at peace in the country, but tensions have flared in the past. Last year, hundreds of villagers shouting "Long live Buddhism, destroy Christians" tore down a house belonging to a Christian teacher outside the capital. Church houses were also attacked in 2003 and 2004. No one was hurt in the incidents.

NO SOLUTION FOR FLOOD OF AFRICAN REFUGEES INTO ISRAEL

Australian Prayer Network Newsletter | Israel has not yet found a solution for stopping the flow of African refugees flooding across its southern border from Egypt. Thousands of refugees are seeking political asylum and jobs in Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East. Over the last two years, about 6,000 refugees have entered Israel, most of them illegally. Most of the Africans are from south Sudan, Darfur and Eritrea.

Israel is in limbo. It has no specific policy for dealing with the refugees. Israel tried to deport some to Egypt but now Egypt is reluctant to take them, Right now, more than 1,000 African refugees, including women and children, are housed in a prison in southern Israel. Hundreds more are living in shelters in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv Deputy Mayor Yael Dayan said that her city is going to erect a tent community with showers, a kitchen and maybe health services for 600-700 refugees who are living in her city.

The Western world has been very good at highlighting the genocide in Africa. There should be some kind of international authority that not only saves them but helps them get their feet on the ground, she said.

FRENCH PRESIDENT AS GOOD AS HIS WORD

GERMAN CHANCELLOR DELIVERS HISTORIC SPEECH TO THE KNESSET

Australian Prayer Network Newsletter | German chancellor Angela Merkel recently delivered an historic speech before the Israeli parliament. "Standing here before you is a great honor," she said in both Hebrew and German as she addressed the Knesset. "Germany is filled with shame at the memory of the Holocaust and I bow before the victims of the Nazi genocide."

"This year sees Israel celebrating its 60th anniversary… 60 years of fighting challenges in search for peace, 60 years of great constructions, 60 years of absorbing immigrants." At the conclusion of her speech, Merkel reportedly received a standing ovation.

In reply Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the Knesset that the close bonds of friendship between Germany and Israel are not regular relations between two nations. "They carry the heavy weight of historical memory to which we are obligated," he said. "But this is exactly why they also contain power, sensitivity and substance that are unparalleled between any two nations in the international arena."