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MICROSCOPIC OR TELESCOPIC? PSALM 119 9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. 10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. 11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. 12 Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes. Of all the treasures we have, the word of God is probably the greatest. So how do we read and study it. Christians use different methods, some read thee bible once per year using various schemes, some just read the bible in large chunks, such as five chapters per day. Some read randomly, they don't follow any scheme, they read in John one day and Psalms the next, is that helping them? I used this method for many years and to be honest, did not grow in my faith very much, I had favorite passages that I constantly read, which kept me away from the books I felt were difficult, such as Job, Jeremiah, Joel and Ezekiel ( this last one is still a struggle!) Now I am using a method, that could be of help to you. When I read a book such as Acts, which I will start next month, I will read the whole book, splitting into sections to gain an overview (telescopic) and then read it slowly, taking as long as it takes (microscopic), examining it section by section. The bible is a treasure trove, it is full of rich diamonds, which we often miss, it is a book to dwell on, it is a book to be meditated upon, it needs to be examined closely and carefully. Let me make a suggestion, say you are reading Revelation, read all of it, splitting it into sections, and then take time to read it slowly, reading five chapters of Revelation is difficult enough anyway, We miss so much, for the first time, I have read the psalms one by one, some of these I have never focused on, such as Psalm 10, 83 and 31. Oh yes, we read all the popular ones such as Psalm 23 and 51, but we forget the words of the apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 4: 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Thomas brooks said these wise words: ¾ Bible reading... by Thomas Brooks-- https://www.gracegems.org/2001-1/bible_reading.htm "Remember that it is not hasty reading, but serious meditation on holy and heavenly truths, that makes them prove sweet and profitable to the soul. It is not the mere touching of the flower by the bee that gathers honey, but her abiding for a time on the flower that draws out the sweet. It is not he that reads most, but he that meditates most, that will prove to be the choicest, sweetest, wisest, and strongest Christian." ¾ I say a big amen to that, it is not how many pages you read, it is how much does the bible affect your life. Poem by Keith Search the bible, meditate on it's truth. So, its transforming power has free reign in your life. The power of the word gives light to your path The authority of the word gives meaning to life Fall in love with God's word. Let it become your greatest treasure and deepest pleasure. Let me run to it and never away from it Knowing that it is the book of books Written by the King of Kings To bless and comfort his children May we fly to the word. The final word goes to Don Fortner Bow to the Word by Don Fortner https://www.gracegems.org/2001-1/Bow%20to%20the%20Word.htm I bow to the Word of God. There are many good creeds, confessions, and catechisms written by men, clearly setting forth the gospel of the grace of God; but I do not pin my faith to the writings of any man, or any group of men, no matter how much I may admire them. The Word of God alone is my rule of faith and practice. I bow my will and my reason, my experience and my feelings, to the Word of God. I do not understand all that is written in the Scriptures; but I believe it all. I bow to the authority of Holy Scripture. I do so unreservedly. Let men call it bigotry, ignorance, or whatever they may, I am not even open to the consideration of any thought, id

REPORT UPDATE OCCUPIED UKRAINE: Orthodox Priest Transferred to Russian Labour Camp Source: Forum18 Father Kostiantyn Maksimov Photo: Center for Civil Liberties In May 2023, Orthodox priest Kostiantyn Maksimov was taken captive by Russian occupation forces in the Zaporizhzhia Region of eastern Ukraine. In March 2024, it was announced that he had been accused of reporting the location of Russian air defences and put on trial for espionage. On August 2nd, the church leader was found guilty and sentenced to 14 years in a forced labour camp. For more details on Father Kostiantyn's case, see these reports. Although Father Kostiantyn appealed the ruling, his sentence was upheld in November 2024. At the time, concerns were raised that the priest may be transferred to a prison camp in Russia ¨C an action that would violate the Geneva Conventions. According to these international laws, prisoners from an occupied territory must be detained within that territory. On February 11th, those concerns were realized when Father Kostiantyn was transferred to a labour camp in Russia's Saratov Region, which is located more than 1,000 kilometres from his home. All Protestant and non-Moscow Patriarchate Orthodox churches have been declared illegal in occupied areas of Ukraine, and the occupying Russian forces have implemented many of the religious restrictions currently found in Russia. For previously published reports on the challenges facing Christians in these regions, see our country profile. Ask our Heavenly Father to provide Father Kostiantyn with greatly needed physical and spiritual endurance as he continues to be detained in captivity. In addition to interceding for this Christian leader's immediate release, please also pray for the cessation of Russian aggression so that the people of Ukraine can live in peace. May followers of Jesus in Russia and occupied regions of Ukraine who are suffering under the dictates of repressive policies receive guidance, protection and courage as they share the Lord's love and the hope that He alone provides while residing in these very difficult and dangerous areas.

SPEECH THERAPY EXODUS 4 10 And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. 11 And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say. I was in and out of speech therapy from the ages of six to sixteen and it affected my education, leading me to be placed in the lowest stream at school, and losing two terms of year 4 at secondary school. I also failed my English exam at college due to the oral part being too much for me. So how have I reached the point, where I am able to teach and speak normally. It is all because of God's grace and constant help, I remember for years I was not able to communicate effectively and lost out on many jobs, because at interview I was not able to express myself. I felt different and difficult, a walking disaster zone, no use to anyone. I blamed myself, my parents and everyone around me for the bullying, yes, sometimes I did irritate people and sometimes still do. How do you deal with all the hurt? I came to Christ just before my 16th birthday, completely and totally insecure. But now at 66, I am completely secure, all down to the Lord. He has forgiven my past and has taught me that since I am forgiven much I have to truly forgive people who have hurt me from the heart. My favorite passage in the whole bible is Ephesians 1:3-14, in these verses is all the security you need, you have been redeemed, sealed, adopted and loved in every way possible. Another passage which has been of great help is Psalm 139, to know that God loves me and has done, even when I was in my mothers womb, is of great comfort to me. God has seen everything I have been through and he completely understands our deep hurt, all the tears we have shed, he keeps in a special bottle Psalm 56:8 King James Version 8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? Whether people reject or accept me, I know my Lord says Come unto me, I DO NOT HAVE TO STRIVE FOR HIS ACCEPTANCE. MATTHEW 11 28 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. He calls me his son, that is a privilege beyond words: Romans 8 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Lastly, I am able to pour out my heart to him, you see he totally understands: PSALM 62 8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah. You may of gone through trauma in your childhood, whatever it is, bullying, sexual molestation, rape or a physical ailment like me, there is healing and refuge in the power of the cross, come to Jesus and let him purge your past. There are marks, there are flashbacks, there are memories, but the pain has gone, Jesus has set me free, now I am believe it or not an English teacher, a writer and secure in Christ. I am only these things, because I came to the cross and I continually come to be washed by the precious word of God, that tells me, I am free of my past, and that I am secure not just for today, but for eternity. Praise this name May this help someone God bless you KK Please view the largest number of English and Chinese devotions on the planet allied to

CHINA CRY COMMUNIST PARTY MEMBERS ¹²²úµ³µ³Ô± They number upwards of 100 million and are atheist in their thinking and action. ËûÃǵÄÈËÊý³¬¹ý1ÒÚ£¬²¢ÇÒÔÚ˼ÏëºÍÐж¯ÉÏÊÇÎÞÉñÂÛÕß¡£ Please pray for them, they are trapped in a wrong mindset, many of them, haven't heard the gospel. ÇëΪËûÃÇÆíµ»£¬ËûÃDZ»À§ÔÚ´íÎóµÄÐÄ̬ÖУ¬ÆäÖÐÐí¶àÈË´ÓδÌý¹ý¸£Òô¡£ Please pray for the Youth league members, these young zealots are taught that atheism is all there is from an early age. ÇëΪ¹²²úÖ÷ÒåÇàÄêÍųÉÔ±Æíµ»£¬ÕâЩÄêÇáµÄ¿ñÈÈ·Ö×Ó´ÓС¾Í±»½Ìµ¼ÈÏΪΨÓÐÎÞÉñÂÛ¡£ Please pray that the 500 million of no religious affiliation, would be reached with the gospel. ÇëΪ5ÒÚÎÞ×Ú½ÌÐÅÑöµÄÈËÃÇÆíµ»£¬Èø£Òô´«´ïµ½ËûÃÇÉí±ß¡£ I have a real burden for these people, please join me as I pray for them. ÎÒ¶ÔÕâЩÈËÃñ¸ºÓÐÕæÕýµÄµ£ÓÇ£¬ÇëºÍÎÒÒ»ÆðΪËûÃÇÆíµ»¡£ Liaoning Province ÁÉÄþÊ¡ Southern most of the three provinces of Old Manchuria, bordering on North Korea. ÊǶ«±±ÈýÊ¡ÖÐ×îÄ϶˵ÄÊ¡·Ý£¬Ó볯ÏʽÓÈÀ¡£ Thank God that he has worked mightily in this province, with the church growing much recently. Continue to water these roots with prayer.. ¸ÐлÉϵÛÔÚÕâ¸öÊ¡·ÝÖÐÐÐʹÁË´óÄÜ£¬½Ì»á×î½üÓÐÁ˺ܴóµÄÔö³¤¡£¼ÌÐøÓÃÆíµ»×ÌÈóÕâЩ¸ù»ù¡£ Korean believers make up a large proportion of the church, continue to pray that the work amongst the Korean diaspora. ³¯ÏÊ»ù¶½Í½Ôڽ̻áÖÐÕ¼ºÜ´ó±ÈÀý£¬¼ÌÐøΪÔÚ³¯ÏÊÇÈÃñÖеÄʹ¤Æíµ»¡£ Liaoning is on the frontline for people escaping from North Korea, please pray for all those refugees that they would find safety and most importantly Jesus. ÁÉÄþÊÇ´Ó³¯ÏÊÌÓÀëµÄÈËÃǵÄÇ°Ïߣ¬ÇëΪËùÓÐÄÇЩÄÑÃñÆíµ»£¬Ô¸ËûÃÇÕÒµ½±Ó»¤£¬×îÖØÒªµÄÊǽӴ¥µ½Ò®öÕ¡£ The Manchu number over 13 million, they ruled China for 300 years, they are a proud people, who have lost their identity. Please pray that many would come to faith in Christ. Âú×åÈË¿Ú³¬¹ý1300Íò£¬ËûÃÇͳÖÎÁËÖйú300Ä꣬ÊÇÒ»¸ö½¾°ÁµÄÃñ×壬µ«ÒÑʧȥÁËËûÃǵÄÉí·ÝÈÏͬ¡£ÇëΪÐí¶àÈËÄÜÐÅ·þ»ù¶½µÄÆíµ»¡£ Please view the largest number of English and Chinese devotions on the planet allied to prayer requests about China. There are thousands of English devotions also. https://www.tblfaithnews.com/category/tbl-china https://www.tblfaithnews.com/tbl-china-prayer-requests https://www.tblfaithnews.com/

This month, we are going to focus on the Muslim world, this is a massive mission field, but God is moving mightily, the links below are to focus you to pray effectively for the work amongst these needy people. Special links https://www.110cities.com/global-day-of-prayer-for-the-muslim-world/ https://www.110cities.com/blog/childrens-muslim/ https://www.ffmna.org/ http://hovsepian.com/ https://iranalive.org/ https://transformiran.com/our-work/ https://www.imb.org/2018/01/02/engaging-muslims-with-the-gospel/ KEY CITIES https://www.110cities.com/blog/cities/mogadishu/ https://www.110cities.com/blog/cities/tripoli/ https://www.110cities.com/blog/cities/cairo/ https://www.110cities.com/blog/cities/qom/ https://www.110cities.com/blog/cities/riyadh/ https://www.110cities.com/blog/cities/jakarta/ https://www.110cities.com/blog/cities/baghdad/ KEY PEOPLE GROUPS https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/12140/CH https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/18045/PK https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/12076/AF https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/13592/MR https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/13724/ID https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/14784/SA https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/15284/UZ SERMONS TO HELP YOU REACH MUSLIMS Reaching Out To Muslims David Foster Kabwata Baptist Church https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermons/71715173030 Islam Denis Lyle | The Chaos of the Cults Lurgan Baptist Church https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermons/120091615313 Hindrances to Reaching Muslims with the Gospel Bob Rutledge Bob Jones University https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermons/223101257121 The Core Difference: Jesus and Muhammad Bob Vincent | Christianity and Islam Sermons by Bob and Others https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermons/2815922409 Please view the largest number of English and Chinese devotions on the planet allied to prayer requests about China. There are thousands of English devotions also. https://www.tblfaithnews.com/category/tbl-china https://www.tblfaithnews.com/tbl-china-prayer-requests https://www.tblfaithnews.com/

THE X FACTOR John 7:38 King James Version 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. JOHN 14 16And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; JOHN 16 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. There was a TV talent show many years ago in the UK that was called the X factor, it was a singing show, which unknown singer had that extra piece they called the X factor? Every Christian has an X factor which is the Holy Spirit. Let me say from the outset, that the Holy spirit, is fully God. He was there at creation, he was there at Jesus baptism, he was there at the cross and it was through Him that Jesus was raised from the dead. He was poured out at Pentecost, he can be grieved Ephesians 4, he can be lied to Acts 5:1-11, in this passage, he is clearly identified as God. He is part of that unique mystery called the trinity, we see the trinity in action, working as one, in creation and in redemption. The Holy Spirit lives in each and every true born-again believer, indeed it is him, who lifts the veil from their eyes about sin and about their need of Christ. The job of the Holy spirit is to reveal Christ to us, he is to uplift Jesus, by opening up our eyes to the truths of scripture, I have no ability to understand any of scripture, it is only through him, that I am able to share it. It is the Holy Spirit, who moved people to write the Holy Bible. He lives in us to sanctify us unto God, to make us more like Christ, that is why there is a daily battle going on between the flesh and the spirit Galatians 5:16-17 and Romans 6 and 7. That is why in Romans 12£»1-2£¬we are told to renew our minds, so that we can be transformed, the Holy Spirit uses Gods word to transform us. Daily, we need to filled with the Holy Spirit, he lives within us, but we have to sow to the spirit, we have to starve the flesh and let the Holy Spirit, work in our lives, we need to stop blocking him by our anger, bitterness and evil speaking. Ephesians 5:18 Ephesians 4:17-32. God's Holy spirit can be blocked by our complaining attitude, we are told to give thanks for everything 1Thessalonians 5:18, if we are constantly complaining, then it blocks his work. The Holy Spirit, is not just the X factor in our walk, it is in our witness. When we share the gospel, we can talk and talk to someone, we explain in detail, we share many bible verses, but somehow, they just don't get it. The Holy Spirit is the illuminator, he and he alone, convicts of sin, righteousness and judgement, in other words, he makes the sinner aware that he is guilty before God, that Jesus is the only way to God, that is through the righteousness of Christ that we are saved, and that the terrifying consequences of sin is death and eternal separation from God. When I was saved all these elements came to fruition, as I was made aware that I was a sinner and that Jesus was the only way to salvation. The Holy spirit gives the Christian the X factor in his walk with Christ and in his witness for Christ. ¡£ The fruit of the Holy spirit is outlined in Galatians 5:22-23and in Colossians chapter 3:12-17 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectnes

THE X FACTOR X ÒòËØ John 7:38 King James Version 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. JOHN 14 16And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; JOHN 16 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. There was a TV talent show many years ago in the UK that was called the X factor, it was a singing show, which unknown singer had that extra piece they called the X factor? Every Christian has an X factor which is the Holy Spirit. Let me say from the outset, that the Holy spirit, is fully God. He was there at creation, he was there at Jesus baptism, he was there at the cross and it was through Him that Jesus was raised from the dead. He was poured out at Pentecost, he can be grieved Ephesians 4, he can be lied to Acts 5:1-11, in this passage, he is clearly identified as God. He is part of that unique mystery called the trinity, we see the trinity in action, working as one, in creation and in redemption. The Holy Spirit lives in each and every true born-again believer, indeed it is him, who lifts the veil from their eyes about sin and about their need of Christ. The job of the Holy spirit is to reveal Christ to us, he is to uplift Jesus, by opening up our eyes to the truths of scripture, I have no ability to understand any of scripture, it is only through him, that I am able to share it. It is the Holy Spirit, who moved people to write the Holy Bible. He lives in us to sanctify us unto God, to make us more like Christ, that is why there is a daily battle going on between the flesh and the spirit Galatians 5:16-17 and Romans 6 and 7. That is why in Romans 12£»1-2£¬we are told to renew our minds, so that we can be transformed, the Holy Spirit uses Gods word to transform us. Daily, we need to filled with the Holy Spirit, he lives within us, but we have to sow to the spirit, we have to starve the flesh and let the Holy Spirit, work in our lives, we need to stop blocking him by our anger, bitterness and evil speaking. Ephesians 5:18 Ephesians 4:17-32. God's Holy spirit can be blocked by our complaining attitude, we are told to give thanks for everything 1Thessalonians 5:18, if we are constantly complaining, then it blocks his work. The Holy Spirit, is not just the X factor in our walk, it is in our witness. When we share the gospel, we can talk and talk to someone, we explain in detail, we share many bible verses, but somehow, they just don't get it. The Holy Spirit is the illuminator, he and he alone, convicts of sin, righteousness and judgement, in other words, he makes the sinner aware that he is guilty before God, that Jesus is the only way to God, that is through the righteousness of Christ that we are saved, and that the terrifying consequences of sin is death and eternal separation from God. When I was saved all these elements came to fruition, as I was made aware that I was a sinner and that Jesus was the only way to salvation. The Holy spirit gives the Christian the X factor in his walk with Christ and in his witness for Christ. ¡£ The fruit of the Holy spirit is outlined in Galatians 5:22-23and in Colossians chapter 3:12-17 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfe

pray for china This March, we are praying for the city of Guilin. Even if you have never heard its name, it's very likely you know about Guilin: its beautiful mountains and distinct landscape are famous around the world. When many people think of China's natural beauty, they think of Guilin. The churches in Guilin do ministry in the midst of this beauty. They also do ministry in the midst of a great deal of tourism. West of the city, the Lingui District has developed into an economic center. Outside the city, many ethnic minorities live and practice traditional religions. It is a rich area full of many opportunities, and challenges, and we hope you will join us in praying for the house churches in Guilin this month. This Week's Prayer Guide March 2 - This March, we are praying for the southern city of Guilin. Pray for the gospel to go deeper and wider among the churches and people of Guilin. March 3 - There is a saying that "Guilin's scenery is the best under heaven.¡± People come from all over the world to journey down the Li River and gaze at the beautiful karst mountains. As one pastor shares, ¡°You'll see a picture of Guilin's landscape on the back of the 20 RMB banknote, so it's become a calling card for China, a way to introduce China to the world.¡± Praise God for displaying his beauty in nature, and pray that the people of Guilin may see the beauty of Christ. March 4 - One pastor shares, ¡°Guilin, as a scenic tourist city, can't build high-rises because they would block the mountains and scenery. So, it looks a bit old and run-down.¡± However, to the west of downtown, the Lingui New District ¡°looks more like a major city with more economic activity, industries, and a larger influx of people.¡± Pray for more church planting in this growing district. March 5 - ¡°Since Guilin's economy relies heavily on tourism,¡± says one pastor, ¡°the pandemic significantly impacted the city's economy and daily life. About half of Guilin's population works in tourism-related industries, so they were all greatly affected. People now feel like they want to make up for the three years they lost, so there's this frenzy around making money.¡± Pray for those without jobs, and for those who are too obsessed with making money, that they would find greater hope in Christ. March 6 - Near Guilin are multiple autonomous counties, where most of the population is made up of ethnic minorities. Approximately 10% of the population of Guilin is made up of ethnic minorities, such as the Yao, Miao, Dong, and Zhuang people. Pray for God to draw people to himself from among these autonomous counties. March 7 - Guilin is a major historical center of Buddhism, and was one of the first major cities in China where Buddhism took root. Today, many monasteries and temples can still be seen in the city, where people burn incense sticks and pray. Pray for the hope of Christ to permeate the hearts of those who currently turn to Buddhism for hope. March 8 - Much of Guilin¡¯s church history began in 1862, with the American missionary Robert Edward Chambers. Chambers met a great deal of resistance and was expelled, and yet, one pastor shares: ¡°He believed that the beginning of the Lord's victory in Guangxi had begun, and the future church in Guangxi would flourish immensely. Indeed, over a hundred years later, although this land has been very resistant to God's Word, God's Word has triumphed and flourished here, which continues to encourage us.¡± Praise God for the fact that the gospel took root in Guilin, and pray for continued fruit in this city.

"The Bible clearly says that faithfulness and persecution often go hand in hand." ~ Billy Graham DR CONGO: 70 Christians Found Beheaded Sources: Open Doors, Catholic News World, Newsweek, International Christian Concern Christians in the DR Congo. Photo: Flickr / Stephen Burgess/CMS (cc) As violence continues throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), numerous atrocities perpetrated by militant Islamic rebels belonging to the ADF, a terrorist group affiliated with ISIS, have been reported. A particularly shocking account recently surfaced in which 70 Christians were found beheaded at a church in Kasanga. According to latest reports, a group of rebels attacked the community of Mayba in eastern DR Congo on the night of February 12th. After forcefully entering various homes, they took 20 Christian men and women captive. The next day, as remaining villagers had gathered to discuss plans for the recovery of the seized hostages, the militants suddenly returned. The invaders surrounded the village and captured an additional 50 people. The captives were then taken to a Protestant church in the neighbouring community of Kasanga where all 70 of them were bound and beheaded, leaving their bodies to be discovered in the church the next day. Some families were unable to bury their loved ones until February 18th because of the ongoing insecurity. The continuing threats of violence have also forced many people to flee the area. In addition, all churches, schools and health centres in the region have been closed. "We don't know what to do or how to pray; we've had enough...massacres," lamented one church elder. "May God's will alone be done." Greg Musselman, host of the video podcast, Closer to the Fire, recently interviewed Dr. David Kasali, founder of the Congo Initiative, about the dangers facing Christians in the DR Congo. To watch the interview, go to VOMCanada.com/video/drc-kasali. For further information about this troubled African nation, visit our country report. Please prayerfully uphold all those in this targeted community who are mourning the tragic loss of their loved ones. Pray that God will guide the authorities as they deal with the guilty members of the ADF rebel group ¨C and others affiliated with it ¨C whose intent is to establish an Islamic caliphate in this predominantly Christian nation. In the midst of the upheaval, may the Lord minister needed peace, protection and comfort to all citizens ¨C especially those who have been traumatized by the attacks. SRI LANKA: Church Pressured to Halt Christian Activities Source: NCEASL A congregation in Sri Lanka. Photo: VOMC Members of the Way to the Comfort Ministry Church in Seethwaka, Sri Lanka, are receiving ongoing demands to cease all Christian activities in their village. On January 26th, Buddhist monks approached the church leadership and insisted that the pastor stop holding worship services, claiming that only Buddhist practices are permitted within the village. They further accused the pastor of forcibly converting people to Christianity and receiving foreign aid. The next evening, an unidentified person threw large stones at the church building, damaging the roof and nearly striking the pastor's wife. In response to these threats, the Christians filed police reports, prompting the authorities to investigate the incident. As a result of the investigation, the police ordered three Buddhist monks to meet with the church's pastor, his wife, some congregants, and other local pastors. During the gathering, the authorities asked for a peaceful resolution, to which the monks agreed. Despite this agreement, one of the monks later told the pastor that they intend to pursue legal action. Opposition against Christians in Sri Lanka is frequently instigated by local village leaders, Buddhist monks, and other hostile community members. To learn more about the difficulties Christians in this South Asian country have been experiencing, and/or to review other reports, go to our country profile. Pray for a peaceful and lasting resolution to the issues being encountered by th

THREE V'S FOR VICTORY 1 JOHN 1 John 5:4 King James Version 4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Psalm 24 King James Version 24 The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. 2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. 3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. 5 He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah. TITUS 2 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; How can we live in today's world? We can be conformed to the world or transformed by God's spirit; we have a choice. So how are we to live in today's world: The first wat, we have to live in today's world is: VIRTUOSLY We live in a dark and dangerous world; we are to live holy lives in a world that is sinful and dirty. In psalm 24, we have instructions on how we are to live in respect of our actions and words. In 1 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus, there are many verses that tell us, how to live in today's world, one of the things that is interesting is that the word Sober is mentioned several times especially in Titus 2. We are told not to be drunk with wine in Ephesians 5:18, we are to be sober. We cannot watch if we are drunk. A drunk man wants to sleep, all he is interested in is the next drink. But we have to be constantly watching, denying worldly lusts, the way to live is to follow Titus 2:12, to live soberly, righteously and godly lives in the midst of a perverse and evil generation, cleansing our minds through the continual washing of the word of God in our lives Psalm 119, Romans 12:1-2 and Colossians 3:16 VISIONARY Secondly, we must be visionaries, in several ways. Isaiah had a vision of the glory of God in Isaiah 6, we must have a deep and full relationship with God, time must be spent in God's presence, through intimate fellowship with the Father Matthew 6:6. That will reate a deep and passionate vision for the lost, Isaiah had this vision of God, but it wasn't so he could stay in that situation, the call to him was, I want someone to go, who will go for us. Vision for God's work and vision for God's glory are inseparable, they come together. We need to have a vision to reach out with God's word, We need to have a vision of God in all his glory but that vision and encounter, must drive us to worship and to sharing his glory with a needy world. VICTOROUSLY We have the victory in Jesus, ultimate victory belongs to us. Revelation 12:11 King James Version 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Ultimate victory belongs to us, but also daily victory belongs to us. We are able to overcome the world, these wonderful verses in 1 John are so relevant to us: 1 JOHN 2 13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. 14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. 1 JOHN 5 4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? We are victorious, we follow a victor, Jesus defeated sin and the devil, we will trip up daily, we will fail, but the more we become the image of Jesus by soaking ourselves in his word, we will have the victory. Are you living

This Week's Prayer Guide February 23 - This week, pray for individual churches and pastors in Kunming, as well as their families. Pray for them to be strengthened in the Lord and for the presence of Christ to be with them. February 24 - One Kunming pastor asks, "For our church, pray that we will continue to preach the gospel, and be constantly renewed and changed by the gospel. Because our congregation comes from different churches, some are new, some have just accepted the gospel, so they are at different levels. But no matter what, as long as this church has the gospel, it will definitely continue to increasingly manifest the glory of Christ." February 25 - A pastor in Kunming asks, "Pray for my wife. She doesn't sleep well. Since we came out to plant the church, we've experienced some difficulties, such as losing a child, so my wife is physically weak and suffers from insomnia, so please pray for her. She has always played a significant role in my ministry and in the church, she is a great helper to me, so I'm afraid she'll collapse." February 26 - "Pray for my family," asks a Kunming pastor, "because my children go to school far away from home, I feel that this sometimes prevents me from devoting more energy to the church. So I'm thinking, should I continue like this, or should I make some changes in education? No matter what, no matter how we educate our children, we hope that our family in this city, including our children when they grow up, can carry on the Great Commission of Christ." February 27 - A pastor in Kunming asks for us to pray "that my family can be more united, because my wife and I are both very much in ministry. She serves at a school. My son is also active in the church. So, for our family, that we can have a better relationship with the Lord, and that the ministry in our hands can be more in line with God's will." February 28 - "I think the church faces spiritual warfare," shares one Kunming pastor. "May the Lord's Holy Spirit strengthen us and enable every brother and sister to rest in the Lord's presence, and then fight this spiritual battle by the Holy Spirit. I think in the process of serving the church, I'm actually seeing more and more that we don't rely on our own strength." March 1 - To close our month of praying for Kunming, one pastor asks us to pray "that we can truly enter this broken world with the love of Jesus Christ incarnate, to love our neighbors, to love our non-believing family members, and to be able to sincerely accompany those who don't believe, but whom we still love, in these difficult circumstances, to face the potentially greater challenges ahead together. May each of us become a channel of God's grace, and may the Holy Spirit use us. May the spirit that moved the missionaries of the past doubly move each of our brothers and sisters to continue to love this city and bring the gospel to this city." 2ÔÂ23ÈÕ¡ª¡ª±¾ÖÜ£¬ÇëΪÀ¥Ã÷µÄ¸÷¸ö½Ì»á¡¢ÄÁʦ¼°Æä¼ÒÈ˵»¸æ¡£ÇóÖ÷´ÍËûÃÇÁ¦Á¿£¬ÈÃËûÃǸÐÊܵ½»ù¶½µÄͬÔÚ¡£ 2ÔÂ24ÈÕ¡ª¡ªÒ»Î»À¥Ã÷ÄÁʦÎʵÀ£º"ÇëΪÎÒÃǽ̻ᵻ¸æ£¬Ô¸ÎÒÃǼÌÐø´«Ñ︣Òô£¬²¢²»¶Ï±»¸£Òô¸üк͸ı䡣ÒòΪÎÒÃǵĻáÖÚÀ´×Ô²»Í¬µÄ½Ì»á£¬ÓÐЩÈËÊdzõÐÅÕߣ¬ÓÐЩÈ˸ոսÓÊܸ£Òô£¬ËùÒÔËûÃǵÄÐÅÑö³Ì¶È¸÷²»Ïàͬ¡£µ«ÎÞÂÛÈçºÎ£¬Ö»Òª½Ì»áÓµÓи£Òô£¬¾ÍÒ»¶¨»á¼ÌÐøÕÃÏÔ»ù¶½µÄÈÙÒ«¡£" 2ÔÂ25ÈÕ¡ª¡ªÀ¥Ã÷µÄһλÄÁʦÎʵÀ£º"ÇëΪÎÒµÄÆÞ×Óµ»¸æ¡£Ëý˯Ãß²»ºÃ¡£×Ô´ÓÎÒÃdzöÀ´Ö²ÌÃÒÔÀ´£¬ÎÒÃǾ­ÀúÁËһЩÀ§ÄÑ£¬±ÈÈçʧȥÁËÒ»¸öº¢×Ó£¬ËùÒÔÎÒµÄÆÞ×ÓÉíÌåÐéÈõ£¬»¼ÓÐʧÃßÖ¢£¬ÇëΪËýµ»¸æ¡£ËýÒ»Ö±ÔÚÎÒʹ¤ºÍ½Ì»áÖаçÑÝ×ÅÖØÒªµÄ½ÇÉ«£¬ËýÊÇÎҺܺõİïÊÖ£¬ËùÒÔÎÒµ£ÐÄËý»á±ÀÀ£¡£" 2ÔÂ26ÈÕ¡ª¡ªÒ»Î»À¥Ã÷ÄÁʦÇëÇóµÀ£º"ÇëΪÎҵļÒÈËÆíµ»£¬ÒòΪÎҵĺ¢×ÓÀë¼ÒºÜԶȥÉÏѧ£¬ÕâÓÐʱ»áÈÃÎÒÎÞ·¨½«¸ü¶à¾«Á¦Í¶Èëµ½½Ì»áÖС£ËùÒÔÎÒÔÚÏ룬ÎÒÓ¦¸Ã¼ÌÐøÕâÑùÏÂÈ¥£¬»¹ÊÇÓ¦¸Ã¶Ô½ÌÓý×ö³öһЩ¸Ä±ä£¿ÎÞÂÛÔõÑù£¬ÎÞÂÛÎÒÃÇÈçºÎ½ÌÓýº¢×Ó£¬ÎÒÃǶ¼Ï£ÍûÎÒÃÇÕâ¸ö³ÇÊеļÒÍ¥£¬°üÀ¨³¤´óºóµÄº¢×Ó£¬¶¼ÄܼÌÐøÂÄÐлù¶½µÄΰ´óʹÃü¡£" 2ÔÂ27ÈÕ¡ª¡ªÀ¥Ã÷µÄһλÄÁʦÇëÇóÎÒÃÇÆíµ»£¬"Ï£ÍûÎҵļÒÈËÄܹ»¸ü¼ÓÍŽᣬÒòΪÎÒºÍÆÞ×Ó¶¼Ã¦ÓÚÊ·ËýÔÚÒ»ËùѧУ¹¤×÷¡£ÎҵĶù×ÓÒ²»ý¼«²ÎÓë½Ì»á»î¶¯¡£ËùÒÔ£¬¶ÔÓÚÎÒÃÇÒ»¼ÒÈËÀ´Ëµ£¬Ï£ÍûÎÒÃÇÄܹ»ÓëÖ÷½¨Á¢¸üºÃµÄ¹Øϵ£¬Ï£ÍûÎÒÃÇÊÖÖеÄʹ¤Äܹ»¸ü¼Ó·ûºÏÉϵ۵ÄÖ¼Òâ¡£" 2ÔÂ28ÈÕ¡ª¡ªÒ»Î»À¥Ã÷ÄÁʦ·ÖÏíµÀ£º"ÎÒÈÏΪ½Ì»áÃæÁÙ×ÅÊôÁéµÄÕ½Õù¡£Ô¸Ö÷µÄÊ¥Áé´ÍÎÒÃÇÁ¦Á¿£¬ÈÃÿһλÐֵܽãÃö¼ÄÜÔÚÖ÷µÄÃæÇ°°²Ï¢£¬È»ºó¿¿×ÅÊ¥ÁéÀ´´òÕⳡÊôÁéµÄÕ½Õù¡£ÎÒÈÏΪÔÚ·þÊ̻̽áµÄ¹ý³ÌÖУ¬ÎÒÔ½À´Ô½·¢ÏÖÎÒÃDz»Ó¦¸ÃÒÀ¿¿×Ô¼ºµÄÁ¦Á¿¡£" 3ÔÂ1ÈÕ¡ª¡ªÔÚ½áÊøΪÀ¥Ã÷µÄµ»¸æÔÂʱ£¬Ò»Î»ÄÁʦҪÇóÎÒÃÇÆíÇó "ÈÃÎÒÃÇÄܹ»´ø×ÅÒ®öÕ»ù¶½»¯ÉíµÄ°®ÕæÕý½øÈëÕâ¸öÆÆËéµÄÊÀ½ç£¬È¥°®ÎÒÃǵÄÁÚ¾Ó£¬°®ÎÒÃDz»ÐŵļÒÍ¥³ÉÔ±£¬²¢Õæ³ÏµØÅã°éÄÇЩ²»ÏàÐÅÎÒÃǵÄÈË£¬¾¡¹ÜËûÃÇÉí´¦À§¾³£¬µ«ÎÒÃÇÈÔÈ»°®ËûÃÇ£¬Ò»ÆðÃæ¶ÔδÀ´¿ÉÄÜÃæÁٵĸü´óÌôÕ½¡£Ô¸ÎÒÃÇÿ¸öÈ˶¼ÄܳÉΪÉϵ۶÷µäµÄ´«µÝÕߣ¬Ô¸Ê¥ÁéʹÓÃÎÒÃÇ¡£Ô¸¹ýÈ¥¸Ð¶¯´«½ÌÊ¿µÄÊ¥Áé¼Ó±¶¸Ð¶¯ÎÒÃǵÄÿһλÐֵܽãÃ㬼ÌÐøÈÈ°®Õâ×ù³ÇÊУ¬²¢½«¸£Òô´øµ½Õâ×ù³ÇÊС£"

The Cure for a Hard Heart ¡°He who hardens his neck and refuses instruction after being often reproved (corrected, criticized),Will suddenly be broken beyond repair.¡±Proverbs 29:1, (AMP). The Hebrew word for rebuked in this verse refers to corrective teaching. Without remedy means ¡°without a cure, without any possibility of deliverance.¡± This verse first tells us that the hardness of the heart comes as a result of rejecting repeated warnings and pushing aside all truth. Secondly, it tells us that such hardness becomes impossible to cure over time. So who are the people who most often hear these warnings? They are supposedly Christians, those who sit in God¡¯s house each week listening to sermons of reproof. What exactly is a hard heart? It is a heart determined to resist obeying God¡¯s Word, impossible to stir, and immune to the convictions and warnings of the Holy Spirit. The tragic truth is that despite hearing fiery messages sent from heaven, multitudes of Christians do not practice what they hear. They refuse to allow God¡¯s entry into certain areas of their lives, and hardness begins to set in as they continue to listen without heeding. However, there are many sinners whose hardness of heart has been cured. At first, they cursed Christ and shook an angry fist in God¡¯s face, yet their hearts melted when they heard the gospel and felt the pure, loving reproof of the Holy Spirit. They repented and turned to Jesus. The life of Madalyn Murray O'Hair¡¯s son illustrates this. He had been reared in probably the most atheistic household in America, and he later worked for his mother, crusading against God and religion. When he heard the gospel, he got gloriously saved and became a minister, preaching Christ instead of cursing him. This man¡¯s hardness was curable because when he sat under sermons of reproof, he accepted them. In my experience, the hardest, incurable hearts are often cured within earshot of Holy Spirit-anointed preaching. Such hearts do not melt in cold, dead, formal churches where the gospel has been corrupted for generations. No, it is always found where a pure word is preached from the pulpit and where repentance begins in the pews.

HOLDING FAST AND FORTH THE WORD OF TRUTH JUDE 3-4 3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. PHILIPPIANS 2 Philippians 2:16 King James Version 16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. Truth matters. amen We live in days that are very dangerous, scripture is being undermined at every turn, the authority and sufficiency of scripture is being taken lightly. Jude says that false teachers and I want you to take notice of this word, unnoticed. That is an interesting word, how people creep into your house. You can leave your door a little bit ajar, many churches have left their doors a little bit ajar and now many false teachers are hiding in the church. One compromise has led to another, one small sin has led to another. Look at the five churches in Revelation chs 2-3, they started off well, but they left their doors ajar. The second way, they crept in, was because they were asleep. Jesus says how does the thief rob the house, he binds the strong man of the house, in the following verses we see this: Matthew 12 29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. Mark 3:27 King James Version 27 No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. Many churches are unaware of the danger, they are asleep. The strongman of the house has been bound, and the thief who is Satan, who comes to steal, kill and destroy. Who is the strongman, it's the pastor, the pastor has departed from the truth and is engaging in error and false teachers have crept in and now the church is in uproar. The church needs to do things with the truth: Firstly, it must not hold fast to the truths of scripture, in this contemporary culture, this is seen as outdated, we must hold fast to the truths of God's word, despite the surrounding culture saying otherwise. We must be led astray for the latest church growth fad, we are told how to build an effective church in the book of Acts and how to rebuild the broken down walls in Nehemiah, why do we need to resort to the books of today's so called Church experts and their Purpose driven books, when we need to hod fast to God's word and not Man's. When it comes to God's truth, we should be sy no compromise, even if that sets us at odds with society. We need to be fully awake, some are sleeping, indeed many churches are sleepwalking, the enemy sees them as easy pickings and they are now no use to God at all, they are neither hot nor cold, and we know the Lord does to that church. Revelation 3:14-21 We cannot share the gospel, we cannot tell the world of the gospel, if we don't hold fast to its truth. Over 50% off American evangelicals don't believe the word of God, they don't hod fast to the truth. How can they share something they don't believe? Before we can hold some forth, we have to hold it fast. To hold fast, means that we are not shaken, nothing shakes our belief in the word of God, we know that it is the power of God unto salvation, we know it is quick, powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword Hebrews 4:12-13 Let us hold fast to the truths of God's word, so that we can hold it forth to a needy world. The world wants to see a church that believes what God says, if we don't believe it, how can we expect the world to, maybe this is the reason, so many Christians don't witness. How can you share in something you don't truly believe in? Time to awake out of sleep and time to close the door, it is time to hold firmly and steadfastly to the truth and then and only then, can we share

Are you able to translate English devotions into Chinese? If you are, please email me at keitherichobkirk@... or add my wechat chinese app , my id is totallylovedbygod thanks Keith

Join us on Zoom on February 18 from 8:30am - 9:15am EST for our monthly prayer call as we pray for Kunming together. Click here to add to your google calendar. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83108198827 Meeting ID: 831 0819 8827 This Week's Prayer Guide February 16 - This week, pray for the people of Kunming. Pray for the church to be a Christlike witness to their friends, neighbors, coworkers, and family members. February 17 - A pastor in Kunming shares about how past local government leaders have crippled the economy through corruption and massive debts. As a result, "people now have to drive ride-sharing cars, and there isn't a good work environment. So many young people can't stay, many highly educated, highly skilled people have to go to other regions for better development. The economy is very depressed now." Pray for the people of Kunming in the midst of this economic hardship. February 18 - A pastor in Kunming says, "The struggle in this city now is, if you share the gospel, people think, ¡®I can't even make ends meet, how can I think about faith?¡¯ So we not only need to meet their spiritual needs, to save their souls and care for their souls, but we may also need to care for their physical and emotional needs." Pray for more mercy and justice ministry in Kunming, so that churches may witness Christ by caring for their neighbors. February 19 - A pastor in Kunming speaks about the rising hostility towards the gospel from the people around him. "When I hand out tracts, I can clearly feel people's rejection. This current ideology has led them to be particularly resistant to faith now." Pray that God would soften the hearts of the people in Kunming, that he may draw them to himself. February 20 - A Kunming pastor shares that, because of government restrictions, church work among university students has basically stopped. Pray for university students in Kunming to come to know the Lord, and for more opportunities for Kunming churches to minister to them. February 21 - Pray for Kunming Christians to be witnesses of Christ is their work, their marriages, and in raising children. Pray that the gospel would transform their lives in all three of these aspects. February 22 - A pastor in Kunming is encouraged that, "No matter how corrupt people's hearts are, how fearful and uneasy they are, no one is stopping us from sharing the gospel. So I believe that as long as we faithfully share the gospel, God will certainly have his chosen people in this city, and he will let more people hear the gospel and respond to it." Pray for Christians to be encouraged to fervently share the gospel with their neighbors. 2ÔÂ16ÈÕ¡ª¡ª±¾ÖÜ£¬ÇëΪÀ¥Ã÷ÈËÃñÆíµ»¡£ÇëΪ½Ì»áÆíµ»£¬ÈÃËûÃdzÉΪ»ù¶½µÄ¼ûÖ¤£¬ÏòÅóÓÑ¡¢ÁÚ¾Ó¡¢Í¬ÊºͼÒÈË´«¸£Òô¡£ 2ÔÂ17ÈÕ¡ª¡ªÀ¥Ã÷µÄһλÄÁʦ·ÖÏíÁ˹ýÈ¥µ±µØÕþ¸®Áìµ¼ÈËÈçºÎͨ¹ý¸¯°ÜºÍ¾Þ¶îÕ®Îñʹ¾­¼ÃÏÝÈë̱»¾¡£½á¹û£¬"ÈËÃÇÏÖÔÚ²»µÃ²»¿ªµÄÊ¿£¬¶øÇÒ¹¤×÷»·¾³Ò²²»ºÃ¡£Ðí¶àÄêÇáÈËÎÞ·¨ÁôÏÂÀ´£¬Ðí¶àÊܹý¸ßµÈ½ÌÓý¡¢ÓµÓи߼¼ÄܵÄÈ˲»µÃ²»È¥ÆäËûµØÇøÑ°Çó¸üºÃµÄ·¢Õ¹¡£¾­¼ÃÏÖÔڷdz£ÏôÌõ¡£"ΪÉí´¦¾­¼ÃÀ§¾³ÖеÄÀ¥Ã÷ÈËÃñÆíµ»¡£ 2ÔÂ18ÈÕ¡ª¡ªÀ¥Ã÷µÄһλÄÁʦ˵£º"Õâ¸ö³ÇÊÐÏÖÔÚµÄÀ§¾³ÊÇ£¬Èç¹ûÄã·ÖÏí¸£Òô£¬ÈËÃÇ»áÏ룺¡®ÎÒÁ¬Éú¼Æ¶¼³ÉÎÊÌ⣬Ôõô»¹ÄÜ¿¼ÂÇÐÅÑö£¿Òò´Ë£¬ÎÒÃDz»½öÐèÒªÂú×ãËûÃǵľ«ÉñÐèÇó£¬Õü¾ÈËûÃǵÄÁé»ê£¬¹Ø»³ËûÃǵÄÐÄÁ飬¶øÇÒ¿ÉÄÜ»¹ÐèÒªÕÕ¹ËËûÃǵÄÉíÌåºÍÇé¸ÐÐèÇó¡£" ΪÀ¥Ã÷ÄÜÓиü¶àµÄÁ¯ÃõºÍÕýÒåʹ¤µ»¸æ£¬Èý̻áÄܹ»Í¨¹ý¹Ø»³ÁÚ¾ÓÀ´¼ûÖ¤»ù¶½¡£ 2ÔÂ19ÈÕ¡ª¡ªÀ¥Ã÷µÄһλÄÁʦ̸µ½ÖÜΧÈ˶Ը£ÒôµÄµÐÒâÈÕÒæÔöÇ¿¡£"µ±ÎÒ·Ö·¢´«µ¥Ê±£¬ÎÒÄÜÇå³þµØ¸ÐÊܵ½ÈËÃǵÄÅų⡣ÕâÖÖÒâʶÐÎ̬µ¼ÖÂËûÃÇÏÖÔÚ¶ÔÐÅÑöÌرðµÖ´¥¡£"ÇóÖ÷Èí»¯À¥Ã÷È˵ÄÐÄ£¬ÎüÒýËûÃǹéÏò×Ô¼º¡£ 2ÔÂ20ÈÕ¡ª¡ªÀ¥Ã÷µÄһλÄÁʦ·ÖÏíµÀ£¬ÓÉÓÚÕþ¸®µÄÏÞÖÆ£¬½Ì»á»ù±¾ÉÏÍ£Ö¹ÁËÔÚ´óѧÉúÖеŤ×÷¡£ÇëΪÀ¥Ã÷µÄ´óѧÉúµ»¸æ£¬ÈÃËûÃÇÈÏʶÖ÷£¬Ò²ÎªÀ¥Ã÷½Ì»áµ»¸æ£¬ÈÃËûÃÇÓиü¶à»ú»á·þÊÂËûÃÇ¡£ 2ÔÂ21ÈÕ¡ª¡ªÇëΪÀ¥Ã÷»ù¶½Í½µ»¸æ£¬ÈÃËûÃÇÔÚ¹¤×÷ºÍ»éÒöÖУ¬ÒÔ¼°ÔÚÑøÓýº¢×Óʱ³ÉΪ»ù¶½µÄ¼ûÖ¤ÈË¡£ÇëΪ¸£ÒôÄÜÔÚÒÔÉÏÈý¸ö·½Ãæ¸Ä±äËûÃǵÄÉúÃüµ»¸æ¡£ 2ÔÂ22ÈÕ¡ª¡ªÀ¥Ã÷µÄһλÄÁʦÉîÊܹÄÎ裺"ÎÞÂÛÈËÃǵÄÐÄÓжàô¶éÂ䣬¶àô¿Ö¾åºÍ²»°²£¬¶¼²»»á×èÖ¹ÎÒÃÇ´«¸£Òô¡£ÎÒÏàÐÅ£¬Ö»ÒªÎÒÃÇÖÒʵµØ´«¸£Òô£¬ÉϵÛÒ»¶¨»áÔÚÕâ×ù³ÇÊÐÖÐÓµÓеkµÄÑ¡Ãñ£¬Èøü¶àµÄÈËÌýµ½¸£Òô²¢»ØÓ¦Ëü¡£" ÇëΪ»ù¶½Í½ÃÇÆíµ»£¬¹ÄÀøËûÃÇÈÈÐĵØÏòÁÚ¾Ó´«¸£Òô¡£

Editor¡¯s note: Yunnan Province, where Kunming is located, is well-known for being full of ethnic minorities. These people have their own unique cultures, languages, and ways of dress. Some ethnic minorities are fairly acculturated, and live in ways similar to their Han Chinese peers. But a great many other minority peoples live according to customs very different from that of the Han, who make up the majority of China¡¯s people and whose ways are recognized across the world as ¡°Chinese culture.¡± Likewise, doing ministry with ethnic minorities can look very different from doing ministry among Han Chinese. To help us think through this issue, several Kunming pastors shared with us what minority ministry looks like in their congregations. Blessing Ethnic Believers China Partnership: When people think of Yunnan, we immediately think of all the many different ethnic groups. Do the churches have ministries specifically for these ethnic minorities? Wu Yexin: There are not many in our church, maybe only two or three. We are mostly Han Chinese who are local to Kunming. But our church does have a ministry for minorities. For instance, one of our brothers established a gathering place for these people. Because they are migrant workers, there is a high turnover rate ¨C they might be here today, gone tomorrow. Our church is focusing on this ministry right now. Ou¡¯yang Qiang: I knew an Yi church in my hometown who lacked the nourishment of God¡¯s word. After talking with them, I saw their thirst for good teaching. Our church has worked with them for about a year now. There are also Miao and Lisu churches in that town. A few of us go down one Sunday a month to encourage them not to shrink back because of government persecution. We try to encourage them by God¡¯s word. They are grateful and say they are encouraged to have preachers from the city come to them. I¡¯m trying to encourage them to try to not be afraid and to spread the gospel to the Miao, Yi, and Lisu peoples in their own villages. A few of us go down one Sunday a month to encourage them not to shrink back because of government persecution. We try to encourage them by God¡¯s word. It¡¯s easier for us to visit them than for them to come to Kunming. One month we visit the Yi church, the next month we go to the Miao church, then we visit the Lisu church, and then the three minority groups all come together and we share with them. As for our church, we do have some Yi people. Building the Church Across Yunnan Huang Gudai: When we go among the minority peoples [in the villages], we find they are mostly elderly people and left-behind children at home with their grandparents, while young people have come into Kunming or other big cities to work. Our church has many ethnic minorities, including some of our deacons. Kunming is not a city with strong ethnic boundaries. Of course, some ethnic groups still gather by themselves. But actually, many ethnic groups don¡¯t have such strong boundaries with Han Chinese. Our church hopes to plant biblical churches in Kunming and, in the future, in larger cities throughout Yunnan. Through serving cities, we hope to bring the gospel to ethnic minorities who go there to work. Then, those brothers and sisters can take the gospel back to their hometown. We have also done some sporadic visits to ethnic minority areas, and have done things like children¡¯s camps or visits to ethnic churches like Brother Ou¡¯yang just mentioned. But overall, our goal is to plant biblical churches throughout Yunnan, and in this way, serve all ethnic groups. Wu Yexin, Ou¡¯yang Qiang, and Huang Gudai are pseudonyms for preachers and leaders at house churches in the southwest China city of Kunming. A Special Time for Ethnic Minorities We are also extending the conversation by re-publishing this older conversation with another Kunming pastor on how his church reaches out to ethnic minorities. This is the best time to share the gospel. We don¡¯t need to send missionaries to their regions; we can draw them in while we are in the city. China Partnership: There are many ethnic minorities in

Hello Dear prayer partners Thanks for all your prayers for our little church here in Nanjing. We are so thankful for all your prayers for us, we covet your prayers. You are our coworkers. Praise God, we were able to hold a Christmas celebration and that the gospel is going forth and people are being saved and built up in the most holy faith. Thank God I have some more students and that my foot has fully healed. Pray for our daily and weekly meetings as the gospel is taught and shared. Pray for our Pastor Z, as he leads six churches. Pray for wisdom and strength. Please pray for divine protection over the church as we meet online and in person. Pray for many church members who are sick at this time. Pray for the men in the church, such as MW, Y, W and L, would become leaders in the church. Please pray for the young people in the church, especially L and A. Continue to pray for brother L and others seeking godly life partners. Continue to pray for those struggling to sleep. Please continue to pray God would work mightily in the church and all over our neighborhood and city. Pray for people to their mindset completely challenged, may the word of God, be central to the church. Pray for Professor T, we met him in the park and were invited to his home, we shared the gospel with him, he is very lonely as his wife died fifteen years ago, he has almost no contact with his son. There are many openings to sharing the gospel, with people such as this. Please pray that this would open the door to the intellectual community in Nanjing, all of his friends are professors. Also, Sister X has her dancing group that reaches out to many ladies, also we share and sing in the park on a Monday morning, a group of traditional artists, lets us sing hymns. So, pray for divine openings, there are some, we have to take them. THE BOTTOM LINE See all my devotions in English and Chinese. Please share with all your friends, church members, church websites and social media groups. Especially share with Chinese churches and brothers and sisters. New section, you can now pray for China effectively, fervently and passionately. https://www.tblfaithnews.com/tbl-china-prayer-requests https://www.tblfaithnews.com/category/tbl-china https://www.tblfaithnews.com/ Wonderful worship https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XKjLaaHchs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu2uA6U4Fxg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siTLLiMvp3o PRAYER CENTRE https://www.110cities.com/blog/cities/baghdad/ https://www.110cities.com/blog/cities/kathmandu/ https://www.110cities.com/blog/cities/nouakchott/ SERMONS JOHN KNOX INSTITUTE https://johnknoxinstitute.org/modules/oldtestamentbible SERMON AUDIO What Would You Do? 45:31Logan Almy? 25/2/2 CHRIST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH - Daniel 3 https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermons/23252312231911/a?autoplay=1 Spirit-Filled Ingenuity 40:11Mark Henninger? 24/12/8 REDEEMER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH - Philemon 4-16 https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermons/12824436231941/a?autoplay=1

THE BOTTOM LINE See all my devotions in English and Chinese. Please share with all your friends, church members, church websites and social media groups (ESPECIALLY twitter and facebook). Especially share with Chinese churches and brothers and sisters. New section, you can now pray for China effectively, fervently and passionately. https://www.tblfaithnews.com/tbl-china-prayer-requests https://www.tblfaithnews.com/category/tbl-china https://www.tblfaithnews.com/ JOHN KNOX INSTITUTE https://johnknoxinstitute.org/modules/oldtestamentbible WORSHIP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjWnnLSmGTw