AUSTRALIAN PRAYER NETWORK NEWSLETTER

* THE LIES OF THE AYATOLLAH

* FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF ETHIOPIA NOW PROFESSES CHRIST

* CHRISTIANS IN PAKISTAN UNDER BRUTAL OPPRESSION

* NORTH KOREAN EXECUTED FOR DISTRIBUTING THE BIBLE

* BREAKTHROUGH IN BELFAST

* SECTARIAN VIOLENCE FLARES AGAIN IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

THE LIES OF THE AYATOLLAH

Now more than ever, Iranians want to know the truth about their government and their religion. Since the June elections and the ensuing demonstrations protesting electoral fraud, people in Iran are learning more and more about the true nature of their political leaders and their supreme spiritual leader, the Ayatollah, who directly influences politics. Over 70 percent of the Iranian population is under the age of 30. Since they were born, they have heard that Islam is the only true religion and that the Ayatollah is the mouth piece of Allah.

"He is portrayed as a man of justice, honesty, purity and holiness,” said Lee DeYoung, Vice President at Words of Hope. “Young people blamed corruption on their politicians and not the Ayatollah,” DeYoung continued. “This generation has realized that the politicians are under the direct influence of the supreme spiritual leader which has caused them great frustration as they realise they have been lied to and manipulated by their government and religion all their life. “They have become so frustrated that they turned to protesting on the streets of the cities."

Many had already been far from practicing that religion with any faithfulness and are turning from Islam,” DeYoung said. Since the Islamic Republic began 30 years ago, there has never been this much unrest and dissatisfaction. A young lady Neda Soltani had become a symbol for the protesters. In June, she was killed by a sniper who has since been identified with a pro-government militia. The Iranian government did not allow Soltani to have a public memorial service and have tried to keep her profile low, though most attempts at this have failed.

Rumours have circulated that Soltani was a Christian. These rumours started when a photo was published of her wearing a cross with no head-covering. The cross suggests she might have been a Christian, and the lack of a head-covering shows she probably did not faithfully practice Islam. As Iranians become more disillusioned with Islam they will be open to the message of Christ. “We pray that the disenchanted masses in Iran may learn that Jesus is the way, truth and life. No one can come to God exempt through Him,” DeYoung said.

He also said many Iranians are leaving the country as the situation continues. He asked for Christians to pray for these people who leave the country and face challenging times in the places they go. Also, he asked for prayer for the people who remain, Christians and non-believers. DeYoung concluded his petition of Christians by saying, “It’s a time for believers in Jesus Christ to pray for Iran and for her people, an increasing number of whom are looking to Jesus Christ as their only source of hope."

Source: Intercessors Network

FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF ETHIOPIA NOW PROFESSES CHRIST

A former prime minister of Ethiopia who spent years as a freedom fighter is on a new mission: to help his nation find freedom through Christ. “I believe that the gospel is the only solution for my country,” said Tamrat Layne, 54, who served as prime minister of Ethiopia’s from 1991-1995. A former atheist who embraced communism at age 18, Layne was part of a coalition that ousted Ethiopia’s military regime in 1991 and was a top leader in the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front coalition.

But in 1996 he was arrested on corruption and abuse of power charges amid accusations of an illegal $16 million deal to export Ethiopian textiles and the export of 1,000 tons of state-owned coffee through a bogus firm, Agence France Presse reported. Although he has consistently denied the charges, Layne was found guilty in 2000 and sentenced to 18 years in prison. He served 12 years before his release last December. It was during his incarceration that Layne encountered Christ for the first time.

In 2002, while in a prison hospital, Layne said a nurse gave him a gospel tract. “It had only about four or five lines, but I started asking, if Jesus Christ was real that He would come to me and give me a new life,’ “I prayed for about three or four days. Then after the third or fourth day, Jesus came into my cell. It was a real experience, right there in the prison.” After receiving a Bible from the same nurse, Layne began reading the book of Psalms, then the book of John. “I read the Bible day and night” Layne said. “I loved it, and whenever I read the Bible it would bring tears.”

Although he had followed communism for 25 years, Layne said studying the Bible forced him to re-examine his political ideology. “I started to compare Marxist-Leninist values with the new values in the Bible,” he said. “I was also measuring my past life against these new values. I found the communist ideologies just nonsense.” Before his release, Layne said a Christian man visited him and prophesied that he would soon be released. Layne said the man told him he would be a controversial figure but would “carry the name of Jesus Christ.”

Layne was released 15 days later, and in media interviews told of his newfound faith in Christ. Many Ethiopians remain sceptical of Layne’s conversion, but others have embraced him. At a service at Ethiopian Full Gospel Believers Church in Addis Ababa, Layne was welcomed with rousing applause as he shared his testimony. Layne says God has given him a message to tell his nation that their only hope is Christ. “I have decided to be a servant of God, and I have decided to serve Jesus in any way I can for the rest of my life,” Layne said. “This is what I live for.”

Source: Charisma Magazine

CHRISTIANS IN PAKISTAN UNDER BRUTAL OPPRESSION

Seven Christians including three women and two children, have been burnt alive when their houses were set on fire during attacks by Muslim demonstrators in Punjab province. Homes were looted and at least 50 houses were burned down, as a Muslim mob threw petrol bombs and fired indiscriminately. Seven people died in the attack whilst 20 were injured and scores made homeless. In the attack churches were also vandalised and Bibles desecrated. The violence was sparked by rumours that a copy of the Qur’an had been burned during a Christian wedding.

According to missionaries on the scene more than 800 Muslims were involved in the raid. Many were masked and used chemical bombs to destroy homes, and openly used gun fire to slay peaceful citizens. Muslims also blocked the road to keep help from reaching the village where the homes were burning. The attack was encouraged by Muslim clerics preaching hatred and revenge. Muslims and Christians have been living harmoniously in the province until a blasphemy law was legislated. Muslim extremists use such laws to settle grudges they have against Christians.

The Pakistani government has instructed the Minorities Affairs Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, himself a Christian, to visit the village where the violence took place to offer condolences and compensation to bereaved families. Police are reported to have charged 816 people with murder, attempted murder and terrorism. Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, International Director of Barnabas Fund, says, “In the midst of the spiralling anti- Christian violence in Pakistan, our appeal is to Christians around the world to stand with our brothers and sisters at their time of need.

Please pray:

* for God’s peace to reign in the midst of this lawless situation. Bind the spirits of murder, hatred, and false accusations in Jesus name. Loose the spirits of peace, love, and the truth of Jesus Christ in this land. Pray for comfort and strength for the believers who have lost family members and homes.

* for the provision of shelter, food, and access to internet and cell phones to allow victims to communicate withother Christians. Pray that God will supernaturally make the way for believers to reach places of refuge in towns and villages.

* for the blasphemy law to be repealed immediately. Pray the international community will publicly bring pressure on the Pakistani government to protect religious minorities, to condemn the actions of the terrorist, prevent any future attacks on Christians, and make sure they are protected.

Source: Barnabas Fund Australia

NORTH KOREAN EXECUTED FOR DISTRIBUTING THE BIBLE

A Christian woman accused of distributing the Bible, was publicly executed last month for the crime, South Korean activists said. The 33-year-old mother of three, was also accused of spying for South Korea and the United States, a rights group said in Seoul, citing documents obtained from the North. The group produced a copy of the women's government-issued photo ID and said her husband, children and parents were sent to a political prison the day after her June 16 execution.

According to its constitution, North Korea guarantees freedom of religion, but in reality, the regime severely restricts religious observance. Those who violate religious restrictions are often accused of crimes such as spying or anti-government activities. The government has authorized four state churches: one Catholic, two Protestant and one Russian Orthodox to cater to foreigners only. North Koreans cannot attend the services. Still, more than 30,000 North Koreans are believed to practice Christianity in hiding at great personal risk.

The North Korean government recently took “new steps” to stop the clandestine spread of Christianity, particularly in areas near the border with China, including infiltrating underground churches and setting up fake prayer meetings as a trap for Christian converts. Defectors from North Korea estimate 6,000 Christians are jailed in the north of the country, with religious prisoners facing worse treatment than other inmates.

Source: Intercessors Network

BREAKTHROUGH IN BELFAST

Jack McKee, pastor of New Life City Church in Belfast, Northern Ireland, has shared an exciting testimony of salvation on the streets of his city. The pastor describes a providential encounter one night when five young men from"across the wall" had an altercation with the police in the street where McKee had been playing Scrabble with some friends. McKee had the opportunity to intervene in the situation and ultimately invited the young men into the home where he and his friends proceeded to witness to them.

"They came in," said McKee, "sat down and with the greatest respect they listened as we prayed and explained who we were and where we were from, and as Boneyard (an ex-prisoner and ex-gangster) shared his story." The following Sunday 15 youth from "across the wall" came to McKee's church. "At the end of the service two of the young men from the Falls, who had come into the home on Friday night, committed their lives to Christ., Several people came to the front and knelt in the presence of God as they worshipped and received prayer."

"I was amazed to see that one of the young men who had just given his life to Christ was the person we had identified on the Friday night as the leader of the group. He had seemed agitated at times as he got up three times and went out before coming back in again. It seemed he was wanting his mates to leave with him, but none did." Concluded McKee, "If God could do it for Nicky Cruz, he could do it for that young man. There he was on his knees with his hands raised in worship and with tears running down his face. You cannot put a price on this, although Jesus did!"

Source: Inspire Magazine

SECTARIAN VIOLENCE FLARES AGAIN IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

Clashes with militants in Nigeria have claimed over 300 lives in recent days. On July 26, Islamists attacked police stations in the north-eastern state of Bauchi. The unrest then spread to neighbouring states. Christians across the 12 sharia-governed states of northern Nigeria are holding their breath. It’s a tinderbox situation. Jacob Kramer with Christian Reformed World Relief Committee says, “It raises the level of tension between tribes, particularly between the two main religions in Nigeria: Muslims and Christians.”

The violence is the deadliest since more than 300 people were killed in clashes between Muslims and Christians last year. Since 2001, more than 1200 people have died in sectarian clashes. The group responsible for the violence has allegedly called the government of Nigeria “unislamic” and seeks to overthrow it. The group apparently also called for the abolishment of all so-called western education and are propagating the establishment of sharia law in all 36 states of Nigeria. Pray that the Spirit will work both in Christians and in the Muslim people to stop the violence.

Source: Intercessors Network

Australian Prayer Network