A pastor (and Logos user) in East Asia just sent this urgent request,
right now there are over 20 policemen are in our church, and they are going to take me away, pls pray
Please pray for him, his family, his flock, his witness, his safety.
Praying. Let us know if you hear an update (without compromising his safety).
*Praying"
[Y]
[Y][Y]
I just rang my husband and we joined your prayers. I think we often take our freedom for-granted here in Australia. Please pass on any updates without compromising confidentiality.
Praying
Thank you Don for letting us know. We are in our prayers for him and his family and the church.
God's Will be done.
Praying.
A day late but praying.
I stopped and prayed as well.
This reminds me of something I wanted to ask of Logos: Could we have a prayer section on the forum? I mean just for prayer needs like this; not theological debates, etc.
There is a great community here and I certainly appreciate the opportunity to pray for my friends. I might need it myself some day in the future.
Jerry
Thanks prayer warriors. Here is an update:
Dear all,peace! As some of you know that over 20 policemen came to our church this morning,then i was kept busy dealing with them, and didn't send out any update, i am sorry! However you should be joyful, because i am home now! But still you need to pray for my family and our church here. Since this Tuesday evening, the policemen kept coming to us,we just prayed and talked with them, however they could not stop the persecution,and today they came to close our church building, and gave pressure to the landlord to stop the renting contract! also they took away a sister and me to police station for half day, PTL, they let us go home in the evening. Now we are praying for open door then we could continue our Sunday service on this coming sunday, and also we are praying that all our church members are becoming praying warrior during this hard persecution.
I will submit the prayer request to my congregation as well. I'm glad you are home.
Just opened this post. Praying, as the need obviously continues. On Fridays I pray specially for those in countries for whom Friday is the main prayer day.
Nicky
Thanks for the update - I will continue to pray. May you, your friend, and his church experience God's blessing during this difficult time.
Thanks for the update - I will continue to pray.
+1
we are praying for open door
Praying![Y][Y][Y]
Update from pastor:
the big battle is coming this coming sunday morning, pls pray!
Without knowing why, our church has been under interrogation by some government leaders of XXXXX recently. A vice mayor is leading the interrogation himself. On Tuesday night (Sept. 7th), six policemen from XXXXX Security Bureau and Civil Affairs Bureau came to our church, asking me a lot of questions. After much prayer and communication, it seemed this had come to an end.
Yesterday (Sept. 10), however, about 20 people from XXXXX Religious Council, YYYYY Religious Council (the district where our church was located), local police station and subdistrict office came to our church. They wanted to close down our church, claiming our church to be an illegal Christian meeting place. They also took away a sister who was then praying in the church to the police station to make transcripts.
I made transcript in the police station as well. I tried to communicate with those leadings of Religious Council, but they made unreasonable insults on me, and threatened to put me into prison. They also put seals on the church doors.
This afternoon, the prayer team went to church to pray, only 8 or 9 people in all. YYYYY Religious Council came again, making our meeting a mess. Some of them stood in front of the church door to prevent bros and sis from coming in. They also threatened to come again tomorrow (Sunday, Sept 12) to stop our Sunday worship. What they do is serious illegal enforcement of the law and ruthless abuse and trample of our religious freedom.
In the midst of all these, we are still believing that God is in control. We keep enduring without complaining. We ask you to continue to pray for us. Emmanuel.
Following was the announcement made by YYYYY Religious Council:
To all religious people,
It is hereby announced that, according to the regulations of the No. 43 Clause of the Detailed Rules of Religious Affairs, this place is considered to be an illegal place for religious activities and is to be banned. All the religious people should go to regular and standardized places for religious activities.
YYYYY Religious Affairs Council
Sept. 10, 2010
Thank you for the update. Our thoughts and prayers are with this pastor and his congregation.
Update from Pastor:
Dear all,peace!
Thank you all for your prayers and phone calls and emails! thanks for the great encouragemnt in JC!here is the latest updates and some thoughts when i prayed for this event,Keep on praying for us, and that is so important for me and our church right now.Thanks!It was like a farce. Even though I was deeply involved in it, I still found it hard to believe all these things!Last Tuesday (Sept. 7), a police officer from Security Bureau and 5 other policemen from the police station came to our church, cross-examining me until midnight. Then on Friday (Sept. 10), almost 20 officers from Religious Council, subdistrict office and policestation came to close our church, saying this church was illegal. The next day, which was Saturday (Sept. 12), those officers came again and drove all the bros and sis who came to church to pray (only 8,9 in all). Then came Sunday morning (Sept 12), we started our service with nervous and unsettled hearts. Not surprisingly, those officers of Religious Council, together with some policemen came to break up our meeting. But we stood on our ground, not giving in to their threats. As a result, I was taken to the police station to be interrogated. And, with no one preaching, the meeting turned into a prayer meeting.After prayer and negotiation, we found their purpose was very simple, that is, we change our meeting place. Their reasons are simple too, upper level leadership want to close the so called illegal church meeting, but those enforcers know it is mission impossible. They can only close down church building, but cannot stop church meeting. So they made a compromise--we change to another place to meet. The root reason is in XXXXXX, house churches are be legalized.So, it seems our story has come to an end, but I believe it's not. When you continue to pray for us, I want to ask you to pray for all the XXXXXXXX churches to gain their legal position someday. Not only that, I also want you to pray that in the midst of those wave-after-wave God permitted persecutions and trials, every pastor, co-worker and believer may be refined, and all the secularization and materialization may be moved away.Specific prayer requests:1. Pray for us that we may find a suitable place. We do not need a comfortable and fancy church play, we only ask it to be near the flock we are taking care of.2. Pray that God will use this trial to blow away weeds and let wheat stay. Pray that we can reorganize our co-workers' team, that all the co-workers may have greater faith and better testimony, that all of us will be willing to submit to authorities, to suffer and sacrifice.3. Pray that God will use these changes to make known to us even more clearly His vision for our church, i.e. to evangelize in colleges and universities, and train faithful disciples of the Lord. So, new building, new meeting, and renewed vision.4. Pray that through the shake of this trial, our faith will become even stronger. And we will no longer limit our faith to headknowledge only, but will live it out, and kneel down our knees to pray.5. Pray that through this shake, we will become even more fervent in sharing Gospel and intercession, that we will pray and intercede for all people, for kings and all those in authority EVERYDAY.- - - - - - - - THE forwarded newsletter sent last night:Dear bros and sis,Peace.I really have to humble myself before you all. Today, in such danger and trial, you showed a great command of your behavior while I gave vent to my anger. As a young pastor, I know clearly that I'm leading and pastoring a great church, its being great is not a matter of MY experience and capability, but of YOU, you are such a group of christians having Christ's humility and gentleness. Hallelujah!Today, when I say those officers ruthlessly and unreasonably disturbing our regular service, forcing me to stop preaching, I remembered how they had threatened and pressured me, my anger suddenly got out of control. I shouted at them, smacked the table at them while I was with them downstairs. It seemed at that moment, they realized the fact that christians are also human, also got guts. Even though many people say that I did right in being angry and shouting at them, not giving in to them, I know that as a servant of God, Christ's gentleness and humility is more important. So I appreciate more of your gentleness and submissiveness. You just sat there quietly, no one left the church, all praying for the church and your pastor. This was so important, I believe that was the source of my power in overcoming the evil with good.Romans 12:19-21 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.Many brothers and sisters asked my why, why the government wanted to ban our church. Honestly, I don't know. But there are several things that I'm sure, and believe.First, God is in control.Matthew 10: 28-31 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.Second, God has a purpose.1 Peter 5:10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.Third, God wants us to imitate Christ's obedience.Hebrew 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;2 Timothy 4:5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.Fourth, God wants to refine our faith. Many times we want to use God, but real faith is to be a witness for God and used by Him.2 Timothy 1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;2 Timothy 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.Fifth, God wants us to experience for real that He is Emmanuel and that His grace is enough for us.John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.2 Tim. Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.I have still much to say, but I want you to think about the five points and pray. This afternoon, when I came out of the police station and saw my dear co-works standing in front of the gate and waiting for me, I was filled with unspeakable gratitude. How much they love God and their pastor, they are such a group of dear co-workers. But on the lunch table, I was still admonishing them to cleanse themselves before God, to pray more, preach more and serve new believers more. Why?Because our church has come to a crucial point. You will agree of course, "yes, because the government wants to ban us." But that's not the point. Actually, this persecution was good indeed, we might also say it was God's intervention to save our church. Are you surprised? How could that be?Let me ask you, since 2009, how many students in xxxxx University came to Christ? Only 4. The fellowship in yyyyyy University have been evangelizing for half a year, how many came to Christ? None. The adult team, how many came to Christ last year? None.Romans 1: 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. In our church, however, we are not seeing God's power, what we see is weakness, powerlessness, faithlessness and joylessness.I believe this persecution was from God, it was a start for new spiritual revival, because this persecution will take our faith from our head to our heart, from our lips to our knees. I believe from this time on, more and more brothers and sisters will change from empty talking of faith to bending our knees to pray. This is what pleases God and this is what we need!I love you, and I will be with you in experiencing this spiritual revival and growth. No matter how hard that would be, let us not lose heart, but be straightened instead. Please continue to pray for my and the decision we are about to make.
Praying that this trial will continue to strengthen the believers in that part of the world, this congregation and others who hear of their story, and that more would be drawn to the Lord through their courage and perseverence and his evident protective care over them.
