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Severokorejský uprchlík, který řekl, že utekl ze své země, protože „umíral hlady“, naléhavě žádá o modlitby všechny křesťany po celém světě. „Prosím, modlete se za obrodu v mé zemi,“ řekl muž, který chce být znám jen jako pan Lee. Pokračoval, „Chci, aby každý severní Korejec přijal Ježíše Krista jako svého osobního spasitele a to je možné jen s Boží pomocí. Když jsem žil v Severní Koreji, nikdy jsem neslyšel o Ježíši. A tak vím, že to bude vyžadovat zázrak, aby mohlo být spaseno mnoho lidí mého národa.“ Lee řekl, že byl v Severní Koreji učitelem umění. Příjem celé jeho rodiny odpovídal výši 1 amerického dolaru měsíčně. Pan Lee uprchl ze Severní Koreje v roce 1996 a setkal se s jihokorejskými misionáři, kteří ho přivedli k Pánu. Nyní žije a pracuje v Jižní Koreji a doufá, že z něj bude jednoho dne pastor. (Assist News Service/International Christian Concern) |
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FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY AIDS SUDANESE REFUGEES
More fighting has erupted between Sudanese government forces and rebels in
western Sudan despite a cease-fire signed last month to halt the conflict.
More than two million have been killed or forced to flee their homes in the
20-year civil war. Andre Natsois, a U.S. Agency for International
Development Administrator, describes it as “the worst humanitarian disaster
in the world right now.” Hundreds of thousands of people are either
internally displaced or are refugees in nearby countries such as Chad where
Food for the Hungry is focusing its efforts. Tamera Dutch, spokesperson for
the group said, “They have counted up to 110,000 refugees. That’s not even
counting the million people within Sudan who have been displaced.” She
continued, “We are going to provide relief items including food, and we will
be administering care and also some hygiene items. They need basic
necessities.” The goal is to help physically, so Christ can work
spiritually. “We work with churches, leaders and families. As we work with
those groups of people we find that as we give the physical items, their
hearts are open to hearing about Christ. They’re so hopeless.” (Mission
Network News)
CHRISTIANS CONCERNED AS NEW SHARIA LAWS INTRODUCED IN NIGERIA
Christians in Zamfara State in northern Nigeria face increasing concerns as
new sharia laws have been introduced there and will be implemented soon.
According to BBC report, the laws would mandate that all businesses must
shut down during the five daily Muslim prayers and that all “unauthorized”
places of worship would be shut down. This would specifically cause many
small churches to close. The state governor, Ahmed Sani, declared that all
non-Islamic places of worship would soon be destroyed. This comes despite
freedom of religion guarantees in Nigeria’s constitution. (Persecution &
Prayer Alert)
* HCJB World Radio, together with partners In Touch Ministries, SIM and the
Evangelical Church of West Africa, began airing weekly half-hour programs to
Nigeria in the Igbo language in 2000. In 2003 weekly broadcasts were added
in two additional languages, Yoruba and Hausa.
ANTI-PROTESTANT CRACKDOWN SPREADS IN NORTHWESTERN UZBEKISTAN
A Protestant in a state-operated farm in the Karakalpakstan region of
northwestern Uzbekistan has been publicly pressured to renounce his faith,
and his sister is being officially ostracized in school, according to
reports. In mid-April, a residents’ meeting was called at the Ornek state
farm in a village 20 miles north of Nukus, at which the farm administration,
claiming to act on behalf of the residents, ordered Protestant Murat Abatov
to renounce his faith. When he refused to do this, the director of the state
farm threatened to seize the land that Abatov had rented from the state. The
elders of the village called on their fellow residents not to have anything
to do with Abatov or even to greet him. At the village school in Ornek,
teachers have reportedly started bullying Abatov’s sister Zulfiya and
telling other pupils not to associate with her. In Nukus, Protestants
believe the authorities have adopted new tactics to suppress unregistered
Protestant communities. Believers are being called in one by one to offices
of the secret police, the police and the public prosecutor’s office and are
being told to sign statements admitting that they are members of a
“religious sect.” (Forum 18 News Service)
* HCJB World Radio airs weekly Uzbek broadcasts to Uzbekistan via shortwave.
An estimated 15 million Uzbek-speaking people are within range of the
broadcasts. Uzbek is also one of four languages that HCJB World Radio airs
to Afghanistan from an AM station outside the country.
NORTH KOREAN URGES PRAYER FOR COUNTRYMEN TO FIND CHRIST
A North Korean escapee, who said he fled his country because he was
“starving to death,” has issued an urgent prayer request to Christians
around the world. “Please pray for a great revival in my country,” said the
man, who asked only to be known as “Mr. Lee.” He went on, “I want every
North Korean to accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior and only by God
’s power is that possible. When I lived in North Korea, I never once heard
about Jesus, and so I know it will take a miracle for so many in my nation
to be saved. Lee said he was an art teacher in North Korea where his whole
family’s income was only US$1 per month. Mr. Lee escaped from North Korea in
1996 and met South Korean missionaries who led him the Lord. He now lives
and works in South Korea and hopes to one day be a pastor. (Assist News
Service/International Christian Concern)
CHRISTIAN BROADCASTERS PLAN GLOBAL TELEVISION ALLIANCE
Christian broadcasters from countries around the world met in Seoul, South
Korea, May 3-6 to discuss how they could work more closely together. Nestor
Colombo, former chairman of the Hispanic National Religious Broadcasters who
attended the summit, said, “The world is becoming a smaller place. The stage
is now set for ministries to come together to cooperate in the area of mass
communications, specifically television.” The meeting included broadcasters
from the U.S., U.K., Russia, Peru, Guatemala, Honduras and Spain, who
discussed the possibilities for uniting forces to formulate an effective
mass media strategy for world evangelization. After several days of meetings
and fellowship, the participants signed a covenant to work purposefully
towards uniting their strengths and resources toward the forming of a global
Christian television network. Pastor David Lozano, who heads up La Luz Radio
and Television Network and newspaper in Lima, Peru, commented, “I believe
that today, we have laid the foundation that will launch a vision that has
been in God’s heart to unite the Christian communicators from around the
world. It is an extraordinary vision to reach all ethnicities, major
languages and races around the world with the gospel. I believe that this
has been on God’s heart for a long time.” (Assist News Service)
AMERICAN COUPLE’S MINISTRY HELPS HOMELESS MEN IN ISRAEL
Homeless men in Israel are finding hope and shelter in the home of an
American couple who felt called by God to relocate to the Holy Land. Gerald
and Tracy Liebmann moved their family to Jerusalem in 1999 and opened their
home as a hospital to men who had been living on the streets. “All I can
offer them is what saved me,” Gerald Liebmann said. “This is our home. We’re
the doctors; they’re the patients. The medicine is love and accountability.”
The Liebmanns and their two children, Gina, 17, and Michael, 14, have
welcomed more than 100 homeless men, who receive food and a place to sleep,
and quickly become part of the family. “It’s a 24/7 atmosphere,” Tracy
Liebmann said. “It’s a home, not a shelter. Our kids have never been
harmed.” Gerald spent years of his life living on the streets. He met Tracy
in Hawaii in 1984 when she bought drugs from him. The two married in 1986
after they entered rehab. “I met the Lord one week later,” he said. “As I
was praying, God said: ‘I want you to go to my people.’ It was like a light
bulb. From then on, Israel was deep inside me.” (Charisma News Service) |
Zprávy HCJB 7.5.2004
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