Tag: Christians

Please pray for Christians in Pakistan – World Watch List #14

Peanut Gallery: Persecuted Church in Pakistan – World Watch List #14

Discrimination impacts all aspects of daily life. Opening a new church building is virtually impossible and emigration of Christians continues unabated. The Christian community is very vulnerable and sexual assaults on underage Christian girls by Muslim men continue to be reported.

pakistan mapPAKISTAN
Population: 180 million (5.3 million Christians)
Main Religion: Islam
Government: Islamic Republic
Source of Persecution: Islamic extremism/Dictatorial paranoia/Organised corruption

Christians are caught between Islamic militant organisations, an Islamising culture and a weak government with a military complicit in fuelling Islamic militants. The Rimsha Masih case prompted a debate on blasphemy laws, but others still face charges and extremist groups continue to incite hatred for Christians. Many Christians are uneducated manual workers who suffer unfair treatment from employers. Muslim men continue to sexually assault underage Christian girls. Opening a new church building is virtually impossible and emigration of Christians continues.

Asia Bibi
Asia Bibi

PLEASE PRAY:

  • Praise God that the laws of Pakistan give Christians considerable freedom to run established churches
  • Give thanks that the Christian population is growing and a steady but significant trickle of Muslims are joining churches
  • For imprisoned Christian Asia Bibi, sentenced to death on blasphemy charges.

PERSECUTION DYNAMICS

Persecution has been in evidence in Pakistan for many years and the country is set to surpass Indonesia as the world’s largest Muslim population by 2030. Christians account for 2.5 per cent of the population.

Rimsha Masih
Rimsha Masih

In 2012 the case of Rimsha Masih, who was accused of having desecrated the Qu’ran, gained international attention. After three months in detention she was finally released in September and later exonerated of all charges. The case prompted a debate on how blasphemy laws are misused to target innocent people. Extremist groups continue to incite hatred for Christians: at the time Rimsha was released, other Christians were facing blasphemy charges.

Pakistani Christians search for salvageable belongings from the remains of their razed houses in Lahore on Monday (11 March 2013)
Pakistani Christians search for salvageable belongings from the remains of their razed houses in Lahore on Monday (11 March 2013)

Discrimination impacts all aspects of daily life. Opening a new church building is virtually impossible and emigration of Christians continues unabated. The Christian community is very vulnerable and sexual assaults on underage Christian girls by Muslim men continue to be reported. Many Christians are uneducated manual workers who suffer unfair treatment from employers. There is, however, freedom to run established churches and the Christian population is slowly growing. Despite this, society neglects the Christian minority. Extremist views may well gain popularity in the coming elections, to the disadvantage of minorities.

Morning Reading: Luke 18:35-43 NLT – mercy

Reading: Luke 18:35-43 NLT

As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar was sitting beside the road. When he heard the noise of a crowd going past, he asked what was happening. They told him that Jesus the Nazarene was going by. So he began shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

image
“Healing of the Blind Man”
by Brian Jekel

“Be quiet!” the people in front yelled at him.

But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

When Jesus heard him, he stopped and ordered that the man be brought to him. As the man came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”

“Lord,” he said, “I want to see!”

And Jesus said, “All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it praised God, too.

Intercessions: Taizé

O Christ, born of the Father before all ages, you took upon yourself our humanity and you rose for us: we worship you.
— Glory to you, O Lord.

Son of God, Source of life, we invoke your goodness upon us and upon the entire human family.
— Hear us, Lord of glory.

Allow us to live by your life and walk as children of light in the joy of Easter.
—Hear us, Lord of glory.

Increase the faith of your Church; may it faithfully bear witness to your resurrection.
— Hear us, Lord of glory.

Comfort all who are burdened, and engrave in their hearts your words of eternal life.
— Hear us, Lord of glory.

Strengthen those who are weak in faith, and reveal yourself to doubting hearts.
— Hear us, Lord of glory.

Give strength to the sick, support the elderly and reassure the dying by your saving presence.
— Hear us, Lord of glory.

Liturgical Music: “O Lord Hear My Prayer” – Taizé

Prayer: Taizé

Risen Christ, through the Gospel your voice makes itself heard softly. You tell us: “Why worry? Only one thing is necessary, a heart attentive to my words and to the Holy Spirit.”

3rd Sunday of Easter: Revelation 5.11-14 (NLT) – worthy

Reading: Revelation 5.11-14 (NLT)

Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus:

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered —
worthy is the Lambto receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and blessing.”

And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang:

“Blessing and honor and glory and power
belong to the one sitting on the throne
and to the Lamb forever and ever.”

And the four living beings said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb.

Worship: Unto the Lamb – Romanian Pentecostal Convention (Atlanta, 2010)

Morning Reading: Luke 18.31-34 (NLT) – listen up

Reading: Luke 18.31-34 (NLT)

shadow-of-crossTaking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus said, “Listen, we’re going up to Jerusalem, where all the predictions of the prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true. He will be handed over to the Romans, and he will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon. They will flog him with a whip and kill him, but on the third day he will rise again.”

But they didn’t understand any of this. The significance of his words was hidden from them, and they failed to grasp what he was talking about.

Prayer: Lord Jesus – Give me the willingness to follow you… to obey you… even though I don’t understand where we are going, or what will happen when we get there. You alone are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. You alone hold the key to eternal life. Truly Lord, I have no where else to go. Amen.

Hymn: “Beneath the Cross of Jesus” – Elizabeth C. Clephane (1868)

Beneath the cross of Jesus / I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a mighty rock / Within a weary land;
A home within the wilderness, A rest upon the way
From the burning of the noontide heat / And the burden of the day.

Upon that cross of Jesus / Mine eye at times can see
The very dying form of One / Who suffered there for me;
And from my smitten heart, with tears, Two wonders I confess:
The wonders of His glorious love / And my unworthiness.

I take, O Cross, thy shadow / For my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than / The sunshine of His face;
Content to let the world go by, To know no gain or loss,
My sinful self– my only shame, My glory– all the cross.

Hungary Hands Over Public Schools to Religious Institutions – Repost

Hungary Hands Over Public Schools to Religious Institutions

Created on Saturday, 06 April 2013 16:39 / Written by Luis Dufaur

The Hungarian government is transferring public schools to religious institutions, reported the French magazine L’Express.

Pascal Vigil in the Cathedral of Budapest. The Hungarian government is handing public education back to religious institutions.
Pascal Vigil in the Cathedral of Budapest. The Hungarian government is handing public education back to religious institutions.

This policy has infuriated socialist leaders within and outside Hungary and even in European countries where public education has had calamitous results. The angry complaints center on the fact that traditional morals are being restored with the help of Hungarian government policy.Schools have brought back the singing of religious hymns as well as beginning the classes with prayer. And students’ parents get to choose the catechism to be taught to their children.

Churches retain their school subsidies regardless of the number of students. In the small town of Alsoörs, which L’Express presents as a typical case, out of a total of ninty-six families only two voted against transferring the school to the Church, underscoring the strong popular support this measure has. Continue reading “Hungary Hands Over Public Schools to Religious Institutions – Repost” →