Maldives: Convert has disappeared
Reports of Brother Simon’s conversion are little more than hearsay yet recent news from Open Doors co-workers is disturbing - Simon has disappeared. Like many students from the Maldives Simon travelled to Sri Lanka to study. Simon had not lived in a country where religions other than Islam were practiced. Under the strict rule of Islamic Sharia law the Maldives’ Government demands all the nation’s citizens to be Muslims. Conversion is illegal. Churches and Bibles are banned. While studying in Sri Lanka Simon heard the Good News of the Gospel, was converted and began to follow Jesus. When Simon’s family back in the Maldives learned of his newfound faith in Christ they took him away and he has not been heard of since. Simon’s disappearance is not uncommon in the Maldives where indigenous Christians have to live in isolation as secret believers. Pray: that Simon and the handful of Maldivian believers in Christ would stay faithful to the Lord in the face of such oppression and threat. (Gen.28:15)
INSIGHT ARTICLE: Freemasonry's profile is raised
Worldwide, there are probably five million Freemason members. The Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ireland says’ We have nothing to hide whatsoever. The only secretive aspects of Freemasonry are the forms of recognition-passwords and handshakes - and that dates from the earliest days.’ http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/inside-the-strange-and-secret-world-of-the-freemasons-2361887.html Freemasonry's profile in Ireland will be raised with the sponsorship of the country's premier classical music competitions, Young Musician of the Year 2010. The semi-finals and final were held in the Freemason's Hall, Dublin on October 14 and 16. This weeks INSIGHT article highlights the incompatibility of Freemasonry and Christianity. Pray: for God to remove spiritual blindness over His people and call them out of Freemasonry (2Jn.8-9 & Jer.51:45) Info: http://www.prayer-alert.net/info/freemasoninsight.pdf1
World Mission Sunday
World Mission Sunday will be celebrated on 24 October 2010. It is the special day each year when, through Mission, Catholics across the world reach out in global solidarity to its younger and struggling members. It is the day when Catholics across England and Wales help the Churches of Africa and Asia in their responsibility of building faith communities, as well as supporting their 16,152 health care facilities, 4,346 orphanages, 2,848 homes for the elderly and disabled, 19,020,871 Primary Schools plus 9,875,709 Secondary and High School pupils. Pope Benedict XVI, in his message for World Mission Sunday 2010, wrote: ‘The month of October, with the celebration of World Mission Sunday, offers to the entire People of God an opportunity to renew the commitment to proclaim the Gospel and to give pastoral activities greater missionary perspective.’ Pray: for all those who give and work to support mission around the world. (Jos.22:3)
Young black generation should not blame Britain
Dr John Sentamu said colonial powers were not solely to blame for ‘Africa's ills’, and warned the current generation there were too many black people in jail and urged them to turn their backs on violence. He also said the ‘worship’ of celebrity culture was not a path to success. In interviews which coincided with Black History Month, he said: ‘Work hard at your education, stay focused and don't sit around waiting for success to be delivered to you on a plate, because it won't be. Don't blame someone else; for you have the energy, potential and creativity so use it for the good of humankind. Don't waste it. Your future success does not lie in guns, gangs and knives or in the worship of celebrities, but in the pursuit of study and hard work and in valuing who you are under God - wonderfully and fearfully created in his image.’ Pray: for God to reach out to those youngsters for whom gang culture is the only way of life they know. (Eze.34:16)
