* HINDU NATIONALIST CONFIDENCE GROWS * MISSION AVIATION FELLOWSHIP FACING CRISIS WITH SOARING FUEL COSTS * THAI-CAMBODIA DISPUTE - PRAY FOR RECONCILIATION * IRAN: TORTURED CHRISTIAN FLEES * SOUTH DAKOTA FIRST USA ABORTION FREE STATE AFTER ABORTIONISTS REFUSE TO WORK * SON OF EVANGELIST GREG LAURIE, KILLED IN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT ----------------------------------------------- HINDU NATIONALIST CONFIDENCE GROWS In February 1998 India’s Hindu nationalist Barantya Janata Party (BJP) rose to power on a platform of hard-line Hindu nationalism. The BJP’s election slogan was ‘One People, One Nation, One Culture’ (i.e. Hindu culture). Systematic, violent persecution of Christians escalated nationwide under BJP rule. Anti-conversion laws were enacted; ‘re-conversion’ ceremonies (to Hinduism) were promoted; Indian history was ‘saffronised’ (rewritten); and in 2002, up to 2000 Muslims were massacred in Gujarat in a BJP-incited pogrom. The BJP governed through India’s economic boom years, so when they lost power in the 2004 elections, it was a huge shock to the world’s political analysts who had not counted on the disaffection of the impoverished, persecuted, left-behind masses. There was a lot of prayer through the election period in which voting was conducted in four stages. With the BJP leading after the second stage, urgent prayer began to ring out. By the time the voting was over, the BJP had lost power. Christians saw the result as an expression of divine mercy in answer to the prayers of many. A year of squabbling, blame shifting and policy revision followed in the BJP. Then the umbrella body dedicated to the advancement of Hindu supremacy – emerged, committed to restoring the BJP to power. By the beginning of 2006 the BJP was back, both with a vengeance and a strategy. For decades Hindu nationalists have been working at converting India’s animist tribal masses to Hinduism. They tell tribal Indians that their ancestors were actually Hindus and that their animist religion is in fact a corrupted form of Hinduism. The Hindu supremacists adopted this strategy and added a motivating element: fear! They tell the tribals that India’s security and sovereignty are under threat from foreign forces and that Christian missionaries are agents of the CIA working to divide India with communal strife ahead of invasion and occupation. They say the only way to save India is for the tribals to vote BJP and join a Hindu militia. The religious conversion of the tribals – who traditionally vote for the Congress Party – is far less important to the Hindu nationalists than their political conversion. In this way Hindu nationalism has been revived amongst the masses and persecution of Christians has escalated all across the nation. The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government of PM Dr Manmohan Singh has so far failed to address either the issue of intolerant Hindutva or its immediate consequence: violent religious persecution. This is extremely short-sighted because the long term consequence of this failure could well be the BJP’s return to power in the next elections due May 2009. PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR – * Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the United Progressive Alliance government: that God will give them great wisdom and strength to effectively counter the rise of intolerant Hindutva. * the Holy Spirit to pierce the consciences of Indians and heighten their discernment so they will reject violence, intolerance and lies. * God to protect his people, comfort the persecuted, empower witness and sanctify the Indian Church which is both very ancient (in India for 2000 years) and yet very young. Source: Intercessors Network ----------------------------------------------- MISSION AVIATION FELLOWSHIP FACING CRISIS WITH SOARING FUEL COSTS Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) is cutting operating costs by 10 percent in the wake of soaring gas prices in order to avoid reducing flight services. MAF is a faith-based, nonprofit ministry that serves missions and isolated people around the world with aviation, communications and learning technologies. High fuel costs are having a negative impact on all relief agencies, which not only are providing food and other necessities, but in many cases are sharing the Gospel as part of their outreach. The MAF fleet of 134 aircraft flies in the most remote regions of the world and works in areas where some people earn only a dollar a day. MAF is unable to pass along the entire fuel cost increase to clients, so the ministry is absorbing more of those costs. A spokesman for MAF said "Aviation, in the minds of many, is the heart and soul of reaching the unreached peoples of the world. Missionary aircraft can take people into areas where no roads exist. They deliver food, medicines and other supplies when roads are impassable. "It is a serious crisis," said David Fyock, MAF vice president of resources. "Today, MAF has no choice but to pay as much as $13 a gallon for aviation gas - or 'avgas' - overseas. That means it costs about $234 an hour in fuel alone to run an airplane." Any fuel other than avgas will damage piston-powered aircraft engines and could result in catastrophic failure, said Fyock. It's the only fuel approved by the FAA for these engines, he explained. Not only are prices climbing to unprecedented levels, but the shortage of avgas overseas adds a second crippling blow to the ministry, Fyock said. "According to the United Nations, between 1995 and 2005, world production of avgas has declined to 175,000 metric tons from 310,000 metric tons -- a whopping 43.5 percent reduction. For all users of avgas, this means fierce competition for a dwindling supply," he said. Fyock said that because the areas in which MAF is working are so remote, the ministry has to stockpile fuel. New technology will help in the long run. "Long-term, there are some different aircraft and engine designs that are coming out. The KODIAK 100 is an example of one of these aircraft that uses jet fuel instead of avgas. And jet fuel worldwide is about one-third the price of avgas," Fyock said. Diesel engines could replace current avgas engines as well, which also would reduce the cost of fuel, Fyock added. Source: ASSIST News Service ----------------------------------------------- THAI-CAMBODIA DISPUTE - PRAY FOR RECONCILIATION Intercession is needed for the peaceful resolution of a worsening border between Cambodia and Thailand. Troops are facing each other with guns and other weapons over an ancient Hindu temple overlooking the sparsely settled northern Cambodian jungle. Villagers on both sides of the border are fleeing their homes in fear of an outbreak of fighting amid allegations by Cambodia that Thai forces are continuing to build around the now closed cultural tourist spot in spite of denials by the Thai military. Many Cambodians are said to have cancelled planned trips to Thailand. ASEAN leaders meeting in Singapore have urged a peaceful settlement but an initial meeting between the country’s representatives appears to have done little to resolve matters. The United Nations Security Council has placed the growing dispute on its agenda. The temple site was recently declared a world heritage site with the official endorsement of the Thai Government. The site was the subject of a World Court hearing many years ago which determined that it belonged to Cambodia and was one of the last strongholds of the Khmer Rouge in the 1980s. Tensions have simmered between Thailand and Cambodia for many years. Only five years ago Cambodian demonstrators angered by the reported comments of a Thai actress who said the historic Angkor temples near Siem Reap in North-western Cambodia belonged to Thailand, attacked and badly damaged the Thai Embassy and several Thai businesses, including a cellphone company owned by the family of the former prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Please pray: 1. For current matters to be resolved quickly and peacefully. 2. For God to intervene and turn the situation to His purposes in a way that would bring healing to long-standing bitterness and rivalry between the nations. 3. For the leaders of both nations to humble themselves before each other and determine to reconcile with one another on behalf of their nations from the mistrust caused by past events. 4. For the Cambodia elections on Sunday to be conducted peacefully and for political stability and continuing development of a truly democratic multi-party society. Source: Intercessors Network ----------------------------------------------- IRAN: TORTURED CHRISTIAN FLEES As Iran continues to face international pressure about its nuclear program, there’s good news and bad news coming out about their religious rights record. Al Janssen with Open Doors USA says, “There’s been some openness to discussions by high level government officials in Iran with Christian leaders. In fact, there was a significant dialogue between evangelical and orthodox leaders and Ayatollahs on the Iranian side.” At the same time, Muslim background Christians like Mohsen Namvar are facing severe persecution. He and his family fled into Turkey after interrogations and severe torture. Janssen says this isn’t unique. Although the secret police demanded $43,000 in bail, officers refused to issue a court receipt for the family’s cash payment. At the time of his release, Namvar was experiencing fever, severe back pain, extremely high blood pressure, uncontrollable shaking of his limbs and recurring short-term memory loss. “I have no doubt they wanted to kill me,” Namvar said. According to Namvar, who converted from Islam to Christianity as a teenager, his severe physical mistreatment stemmed from his refusal to give the police names or information about other converts and house church groups in Iran. “It’s happening all over the Muslim world. We should be praying that the harvest will grow and increase and that more Muslims will get a hold of the Scriptures and will meet Christians who will lead them into the presence of our Lord Jesus.” Pray for other Iranians searching for truth as many are disenfranchised by the current government. Source: Intercessors Network ----------------------------------------------- SOUTH DAKOTA FIRST USA ABORTION FREE STATE AFTER ABORTIONISTS REFUSE TO WORK On July 21, eight women arrived at the Planned Parenthood office in Sioux Falls seeking abortions but were instead met with locked doors and a note indicating the only abortion clinic in South Dakota was closed. The office remains closed for abortions after their abortionists, refused to work under the new law that has come into effect in South Dakota. The law orders abortionists, before the abortion can be done, to inform patients of the humanity of their babies and that the procedure could affect their mental health. Abortionists can be sued if they do not comply. The Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals cleared the way for the law's enactment. It remains unclear if the Planned Parenthood office has permanently ceased the practice of abortion. However, several women who were scheduled for abortions this week went to a pro-life centre instead where some have reportedly changed their minds about having abortions. "The closing of this clinic is historic in that South Dakota is, for the time being, the first abortion-free state" said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "It didn't take the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and it didn't take a new President or a new Supreme Court. It took the courageous determination of pro-life heroes like Mr. Cassidy and the Unruhs who saw an opportunity to save lives and pressed on until their dream became victory." "We applaud their efforts and encourage other states to emulate their campaign," said Newman. Source: Vote yes for life ----------------------------------------------- SON OF EVANGELIST GREG LAURIE, KILLED IN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT Editors Note: This news is only being reported due to the fact that many on our Network would know Greg Laurie who has visited and ministered here in Australia on a number of occasions. Christopher Laurie, the 33-year-old son of evangelist Greg Laurie, was killed on Thursday, July 24, in an automobile accident on the 91 freeway in Southern California. He was the first born son of Greg and Cathe. He is not only survived by his parents but by his wife, Brittany and daughter Stella, and by his younger brother, Jonathan. Please keep this precious family lifted before God's throne, that God's peace and comfort would envelop them and that He guard and embrace their grieving hearts. Source: ASSIST News Service
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