Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin - No. 302 - Wed 15 Dec 2004

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST: for one of China's most senior and prominent house-church patriarchs, Pastor ZHANG RONGLIANG (53), who was arrested in Xuzhai village, Zhenghou city, Henan province, on 1 December. A severe diabetic, his condition and whereabouts are unknown. Zhang's family are in hiding, with the government known to be hunting his wife and sons, as well as other leaders from the 10 million-strong China for Christ house-church network. There is great concern for Pastor Zhang's safety in this extremely tense situation.

* THREAT OF CHRISTMAS TERROR IN INDONESIA & IRAQ

---------------------------------------------------- INDONESIA: CHURCHES ATTACKED; SECURITY BOOST ORDERED ----------------------------------------------------

On Sunday 12 December, two Protestant churches in Central Sulawesi, Eastern Indonesia, were attacked during evening worship. The Anugerah Church in Palu City was attacked by four men on two motorbikes who rode up to the church enabling their gunman to open fire from the road before they sped away. Windows were shattered, and two people in the back row were rushed to Undata Hospital with serious gunshot wounds. Minutes later a bomb exploded only 500m away at the entrance of Immanuel Church. A guard was seriously injured, and several worshippers were hospitalised suffering shock.

Palu's police chief has since been dismissed for alleged negligence in not following a directive to boost police protection at places of worship ahead of the Christmas and New Year period. Provincial police chief Aryanto Sutadi has ordered that all churches be guarded by two uniformed and two plain-clothed policemen. The concern is that provocateurs may try to destabilise the presidency of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono by re-igniting conflict in Central Sulawesi.

To prevent religious violence and acts of terror over Christmas and the New Year, President Yudhoyono has ordered those responsible for security to intensify measures then, especially in major cities such as Jakarta (Java), Medan (north Sumatra), Surabaya (east Java) and Makassar (south Sulawesi), as well as in conflict-prone regions. Surabaya, Indonesia's second largest city, is home to 15 Catholic and 317 Protestant churches. It is also regarded as 'the capital of the Muslim stronghold in East Java' (Jakarta Post, 13 Dec.). In an effort to safeguard Christians this Christmas, Surabaya's police chief, Sr. Comr. Eddy Kusuma Wijaya, will post police guards on all Surabaya's 332 Christian churches. But it is impossible to stop a suicide bomber from walking right up to the front door of a church - and so we pray.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR GOD:

* over this Christmas season, to protect not only his children throughout Indonesia, but also those whose lives are at risk guarding them as they worship.

* to frustrate the way of the wicked (Psalm 145:20 and 146:9) and expose to the light all their arms caches, networks, and evil plots, giving heavenly wisdom, insight and direction to the authorities who are, as unwitting instruments of God, responsible for the security of Christians in Indonesia.

------------------------------------------------- IRAQ: CHURCHES BOMBED AMIDST CRIPPLING INSECURITY -------------------------------------------------

Four churches in Baghdad and one in Mosul were bombed on 1 August (12 dead, 61 injured); five more Baghdad churches were bombed on 16 October, and a further two on 8 November.

On 7 December, bombs exploded inside an Armenian and a Chaldean church in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul (once known as Nineveh). Parts of the Tahira Chaldean church date back to the 7th Century. According to witnesses, several families were there when masked gunmen stormed in, seized the guard's weapon and mobile phone, and ejected everybody. The militants then planted the bomb and fled. No one was injured in the explosion but the church and adjoining Bishop's Palace were significantly damaged by the bomb and subsequent fire. Father Ganni, a Chaldean priest, witnessed the attack. In an interview with AsiaNews (http://asianews.it) he reported that the militants told him, 'We are putting the bombs because the Americans are destroying our mosques.' Father Ganni (whose church was bombed on 1 August, injuring his sister) said that Iraqi Christians would stay in Iraq as 'symbols of peace ... to bear witness of our faith in Christ at the peril of one's life'. Father Ganni's request: 'Pray for us. Iraqi Christians are bearing a heavy cross. Knowing that people are praying for us gives us strength.'

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR:

* God to protect Iraqi Christians over Christmas as terrorism escalates in the run up to the elections scheduled for 30 Jan 2005; may God frustrate the plans of the wicked (Psalm 146:9).

* divine strength and courage through the Holy Spirit to enable Iraqi Christians to be 'unveiled' shining lights and 'symbols of peace' in their ancient homeland. 'And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory...' (2 Cor 3:12-18 v18 NIV)

* the Holy Spirit to turn Muslim hearts towards Christ this Christmas, so the 'veil' can be removed from their eyes and hearts, enabling them to see this light and reflected glory, understand the truth, and desire peace. 'But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.' (2 Cor 3:12-18 v16 NIV)

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SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE: ------------------------------------------------------------

THREATS OF CHRISTMAS TERROR IN INDONESIA & IRAQ

There is a real concern that Christmas will be time of terror for Christians in Indonesia and Iraq, where churches have been attacked recently. The Immanuel and Anugerah churches in Palu, Central Sulawesi (Eastern Indonesia) were attacked during evening worship on Sunday 12 December, leaving several seriously injured with gunshot and shrapnel wounds. Indonesia's President Yudhoyono has ordered increased security through a police presence at all churches in major cities and conflict-prone regions. On 7 December, bombs were detonated inside an Armenian and an ancient Chaldean church in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. Father Ganni, a Chaldean priest, requests prayer. 'Iraqi Christians are bearing a heavy cross. Knowing that people are praying for us gives us strength,' he says. Please pray for God to protect Indonesian and Iraqi Christians over Christmas.

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RL Prayer is moderated by Ron Clough, a commissioner of the WEA RLC and convenor of the Australian EA RLC. Elizabeth Kendal researched and authored this message.

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