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CHRISTIAN WORLD
NEWS REPORT
July 4, 2009
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CHRISTIAN NEWS
HEADLINES
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INTERNATIONAL
MISSIONS BOARD
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How Good It Is to Thank the Lord: Why Scripture Commands Us to Sing
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CHRISTIAN NEWS
HEADLINES
For God so loved
the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish, but have everlasting life.
-John 3:16
A
professor of criminology at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington says
the outrage over a homosexual statutory rape case at Duke University is a deafening sound of silence. Caution: This story contains descriptions that some may find
offensive.
The head
of a group that promotes constitutionalist judicial nominees says he's
concerned by the admission of President Obama's
Supreme Court nominee that the work she performed for the Puerto Rican Legal
Defense Fund will influence her judging.
The
leader of a Messianic Jewish ministry is questioning the decision of
mega-church pastor Rick Warren to address a Muslim group, which has terrorist
connections, during its annual convention over the Fourth of July weekend.
Live
Action has released a video of another Planned Parenthood abortion clinic --
the pro-life organization's seventh such undercover probe nationwide.
Attorneys
are preparing for trial in another ACLU challenge against praying before school
board meetings. The case was filed against a Louisiana school district.
Congressman
Steve King -- the ranking member of the House Subcommittee on
Immigration -- thinks his staunch opposition to amnesty is the reason
President Barack Obama
didn't invite him to a recent White House summit on immigration.
Operation
Rescue is conducting a research project on Nebraska abortionist Leroy Carhart.
Barack Obama says that while he's dedicated to expanding
homosexual rights, many Americans still cling to what he calls "worn
arguments and old attitudes."
Conservatives
are warning that the cap-and-trade bill heading to the Senate for consideration
will raise energy costs, increase unemployment, and weaken the economy, if
enacted.
The
Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal from Christian students whose
proposed Bible club was denied official recognition and funding at their high
school.
Conservative
teachers within the NEA will call for the union to drop its support of
abortion.
A
Catholic hospital chain in Massachusetts
has bowed to public pressure -- benefitting
numerous unborn children in the process.
Most
political and media discussions of medical care have an air of unreality
reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland.
Parents,
be on the alert for a little propaganda film that's making the rounds on the
web and infiltrating school classrooms.
When we
accept the increased role of government to prevent our failure, we necessarily
grant it the power to prevent our success and prosperity.
best-selling
author Joel Rosenberg believes the U.S. and Israel are headed for a diplomatic train wreck over the alleged
"peace process" with the Palestinians.
Chicago elementary school children recently led a "gay
pride" parade.
Life
Dynamics has produced a documentary called Maafa
21 that exposes black genocide through abortion in the 21st century.
Senator
Chuck Grassley says President Obama has yet to
provide Congress with a satisfactory explanation for why he fired Gerald Walpin from his position as Inspector General at the
Corporation for National and Community Service.
Pro-lifers,
along with human-rights and feminist groups, are lamenting the decision of Peru's government to end its probe of forced sterilizations
without filing charges.
An
immigration reform organization says a bill introduced in the U.S. House would
go a long way in reducing the problem of chain migration.
The
Supreme Court has ruled that white firefighters in New Haven, Conn., were unfairly denied promotions because of their race,
reversing a decision that high court nominee Sonia Sotomayor
endorsed as an appeals court judge.
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INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS BOARD
I
exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions,
and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in
authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and
honesty. For this is good and acceptable
in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all
men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.-I Timothy 2:1-4
WORLD LEADERS. Please pray today for Governor Andrew
Gurr of Saint Helena (South
Atlantic Ocean, midway between South America
and Africa).
LEON, GUANAJUATO, MEXICO
(lay-OWN, wahn-ah-WHAH-toe). “Be strong, and let us
show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our
God; and may the Lord do what is good in His sight” (2 Samuel 10:12). “Though our struggle today is
different than in times past, plead with Team Leon
that God will go before us into the cities. At times we, too, feel pressed on
all sides, yet we call upon the Lord for church planters to be filled with
courage as they publicly proclaim the Lord in Leon.
Entreat the Lord to give us direction, boldness and wisdom each day as we serve
Him in Leon.” http://www.macregion.org
MANDARIN CHINESE IN CANADA.
Give thanks to God for providing leaders to maximize opportunities for making
disciples among Chinese teenagers. At different times and in different ways,
God has led three mothers of teenagers to join the leadership team of the
English youth ministry at Calgary Truth
Baptist Church.
Thank God for Mrs. L, Mrs. Y and Mrs. C. All three have a heart to see young
Chinese immigrants follow Jesus and are willing to give of their time and
energy to be used by the Lord. http://www.macregion.org
SANTA CATARINA, BRAZIL
(sahn-tah cah-tah-REE-nah).
Missionaries Ron and Alana Greenwich request prayer for the new congregation in
Praia da Pinheira near Florianopolis.
Pray that God will encourage the pastor with a renewed vision and passion for
reaching the lost in that area. Pray especially for the young couples who are
attending, asking that they will be used of God to reach other young couples
for Christ. Pray that there will be abundant seed sowing by the Christians in
that community!
HUNGARIANS OF WESTERN HUNGARY.
Please pray along with Baptist representatives Larry and Melinda Ewing in Gyor, Hungary,
for AK and her preteen daughter, AC. They have heard the gospel four times now
and are strongly considering being obedient to the gospel. May the Holy Spirit
open their hearts to the truth so that salvation may come to their house very
soon. http://www.hope4hungary.com
AMHARA OF ETHIOPIA (ahm-HAR-ah).
Around the Easter holiday and up until now, close to 700 or more people have
seen the “JESUS” film, either on television in homes or on a large screen. In
the countryside, most people had never seen a film, let alone one in their own
language. Please pray that God will bring to mind what they heard and saw on
the film. Ask Him to open their hearts and minds to the truth of the gospel,
and pray that many will believe and receive Christ as their Savior and turn
their lives over to Him. http://www.experiencename.com
ONESTORY: WEST AFRICA. Kacy of the OneStory Kita Malinke Team writes: “One of our friends who is helping us
test the translation of the stories, N, recently heard the story for the first
time of how Jesus was born. He had, in the previous few weeks, heard about
promises God made to Abraham’s descendents to send a Savior and a King who
would come to speak peace. Now, upon hearing how Jesus came to be--not in the
normal way like the rest of us--he was struck by the story. Even a week later,
when I was ready to listen to the next story with him, he still gushed over
what he had heard and insisted that we play the story for a friend who was
visiting. The man was a Muslim teacher. He also was intrigued by the
implications of the story. Pray for N as we continue to talk about the stories
of Jesus and what He did to save those who follow Him. Pray for N’s heart to be
open and for him to recognize how Jesus is able to save him too.”
TUAREG OF WEST AFRICA (TWAR-eg).
God’s Word is truth and never returns void. Pray for young Tuareg
men who have begun listening to and reading God’s Word for the first time in
their lives. Pray that His Word will penetrate the hearts of these young men,
and that the cares of this world will not pull them away from the desire to
learn the truth about God.
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH
AFRICA (joh-HAHN-is-burg).
The Western Gauteng Evangelism Team is grateful for
your prayers for their newest team member, journeyman Zach Townsend. Join them
in giving thanks as they write: “Zach is adjusting very well. He is attending
the ‘40 Days and 40 Nights’ (40/40) new missionary orientation and is enjoying
the experience and learning a lot about Africa.” http://thewget.blogspot.com
ZAMBIA.
The city of Lusaka, Zambia,
is a city of more than 2 million people. Some say that the population has
reached 2.5 million, and they are probably right, judging from the number of
cars, buses and people seen all over town. Approximately 20 percent of the
population of Zambia
lives in and around the city. Many high- and low-density housing developments
are springing up, and people are moving to the city in larger and larger
numbers. New commercial buildings are being started almost every week. Pray for
the churches of the Lusaka Baptist Fellowship Churches Association as they seek
to plant new churches among the increasing population. Pray that people will
have an opportunity to respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
CHINA.
Ask God to strengthen the marriages of Chinese Christians. Pray that spouses
who are still living in darkness will soon receive the Son and walk in the
light. Pray that those who are equally yoked will grow in love for each other
and for Him. Pray that Christian couples will seek His will in decisions large
and small and will commit their marriages, families and homes completely to
Him.
SUZHOU, CHINA
(soo-JOH). “In February, you prayed for one specific
subgroup of people in our city. Praise God for how He works so wonderfully in
answer to your prayers. Over the course of the past three months, we have seen
several of these accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and follow in obedience
with baptism. We have seen believers in this group start to take on more
responsibility for sharing the gospel with others and discipling
the new believers. There are now two young churches among this population
group. Thank you for your continued prayers on their behalf.” http://www.praysuzhou.com
TAG PEOPLE OF THE PACIFIC RIM. A Tag believer
working in her home began to sing a song of praise to her Savior in her heart
language. Her neighbor, a defender of the majority religion of the Tags,
overheard her. Under threats, this family has now fled their home. Please pray
that their lights will burn even brighter. It seems that a result of the unrest
in Tagland has been persecution of believers. Pray
for these brothers and sisters, asking that these trials will produce godly
character. “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various
trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let
endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking
in nothing” (James 1:2-4, NASB).
HINDKO SPEAKERS OF PAKISTAN (HEND-koh). “We rejoice to learn that A, a villager in the Hindko area, has professed faith in Jesus through the
faithful efforts of a national partner. Please pray for A and ask the Holy
Spirit to show him the meaning and importance of baptism. Ask the Father to
give him the courage to obey God’s commands even though his family does not
understand or accept his decision to become a follower of Jesus. Pray that
through his obedience, A’s family will also come to believe in Jesus!” http://www.go2southasia.org
INDIA.
In 1631, Shah Jahan’s beloved wife died giving birth
to their fourteenth child. His grief was great, as had been their love. The Taj Mahal was constructed over
the next 22 years as a mausoleum and monument dedicated to Mumtaz
Mahal and to their love. The architecture is amazing
in design, precision and beauty, and it reflects the passion and care that the Mughal emperor dedicated to the project. His intention: to
preserve Mumtaz, her memory, and their love for
eternity. Shah Jahan planned for his own death as
well. His idea was to build an exact replica of the Taj
Mahal in black marble on the opposite side of the
river. Yet, Shah Jahan’s black Taj
lies desolate and abandoned. His own son placed him under house arrest, where
he ultimately died. No one could question the emperor’s devotion. His plans
were well made. The problem is that he thought he could do that of which only
God is capable. The same misconception is at work today. Whether you are in South
Asia or south Georgia, you can see people around you who are
trying to make something of themselves. The difficulty is that so many of them
do not comprehend that their created purpose is to glorify God. Please pray
that Indians seeking an eternal love will turn to the only source: Jesus. Pray
that their lives will be a monument to the grace of God. http://www.go2southasia.org
LAST FRONTIER. Your prayers for the community leader
are being answered! Mr. G, a fellowship leader of one people group, was able to
share a Bible and the Good News with Mr. P, a community leader of another
people group. Other family members who heard the Good News for the first time
were Mr. P’s wife, parents, children and two younger brothers, one of whom is a
shaman in his community. Holding the Bible in his hands, Mr. P said with
respect, “This is the Word of God.” Pray that Mr. P and his family will read
God’s Word and be drawn to faith in the Most High God.
MUSLIMS: PRAYING BEYOND THE WALL. The Sangil people of the Philippines
are an impoverished Muslim people group who live along the seashores of the Philippines’
southern islands. Fishing and hillside farming are their major occupations.
Infant mortality and malnutrition are high. Most Sangil
have never had the opportunity to go to school. Give thanks that God is calling
the Sangil to Himself. After their salvation, some Sangil believers have been very effective evangelists,
enthusiastically sharing the hope they found in Christ with others, regardless
of the consequences. Pray for open doors and open hearts among the Sangil. Pray for believers in the Philippines
to reach out to their Muslim neighbors in love. Ask God to meet both their
physical and their spiritual needs and to raise up the Sangil
as His witnesses to other, more closed and isolated Muslim tribes. http://btw.imb.org
www.imb.org
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How Good It
Is to Thank the Lord:
Why Scripture
Commands
Us to Sing
At BreakPoint’s blog, The Point, we had a lively debate over church
music—especially the now-common practice of bands performing during Sunday
worship.
Much of the debate focused contemporary music versus
traditional hymns. But one of our bloggers invited
readers to consider another question: Does God intend us to merely listen to
music—or to sing ourselves?
Theologian T.M. Moore answers this question in an
article he wrote for BreakPoint Online called
“Whatever Happened to Singing?” It’s curious, Moore
writes, that “Scripture gives us no specific guidance in how to listen to
music. Music, according to the Bible, is not the spectator sport we have made
it to be.” Instead, we find many commands to sing.
Earlier generations of Christians sang on all sorts
of occasions, Moore writes. When
they were locked up in jail, Paul and Silas sang psalms. So did early
Christians as they went about their chores. As Moore
notes: “Celtic Christians considered singing an important spiritual discipline
for making progress in the life of faith. Their spiritual descendents of the
16th to the 19th centuries wrote songs for everything from lighting the fire to
milking the cows to heading out to sea. They set those songs in the form of
prayers to God for blessing, guidance, and help.”
We see this point illustrated in the 1985 film
Witness. After the barn-raising, Amish men sang together as they began
walking home.
Why do so many modern Christians neglect the
practice of singing spiritual songs?
First, it’s much more enjoyable to listen to
professional singers than to the sound of our own voices—especially if you have
a voice like mine.
Second, Moore
writes, “singing is hard work.” It “takes a commitment of the mind (in
remembering the lyrics, melody, and beat). It takes a commitment of the heart
(in summoning up the proper affections.)” It also calls on our strength “(in
exercising the voice and lungs).” It’s much easier to pop a CD in the player.
Third, most of us don’t know many spiritual songs
all the way through.
But singing is good for us—which is why we ought to
recover the spiritual discipline of singing to the Lord. And when learning the
songs all the way through, we ought to look for opportunities to sing “the
Lord’s own words back to Him.”
Moms could lead their kids in song on the drive to
school in the morning. (It might even help wake them up.) Instead of turning on
the TV after dinner, parents might lead their kids in some joyous singing to
the Lord. This is a practice in Scotland.
Just for fun, we might even dig up those songs Christians used to sing when
they lit the fire and milked the cows.
Singing hymns about God’s love and protection can
also provide comfort in a dangerous situation—like when a loved one is
undergoing surgery, or when you’re driving during a blizzard.
As Moore
puts it, “Singing psalms deepens us theologically, [and] puts us in the company
of that great unseen host who have gone before us and surround us as faithful
witnesses to the Lord.”
So no matter what kind of voice you have, or what
day of the week it is, lift up your voice and sing praise to God Most High.
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For
Further Reading and Information
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Anne Morse, “Stuff
Christians Hate (Or Should),” The Point, 23 June 2009.
T.M. Moore, “Whatever
Happened to Singing?,” BreakPoint Online, 5 December 2003.
Read Psalm
92.
www.breakpoint.org
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