We begin today in Kosovo where Christian relief and development is in
desperate need of your prayers. World Concern’s Kelly Miller says while there is
an abundance of supplies, the distribution system is a huge problem. Miller says while
starvation isn’t a problem yet, hunger is. “There are pockets areas still within Kosovo
that are receiving little or no aid. That doesn’t necessarily mean there is starvation.
There’s very, very difficult conditions. And, for those that are living in the villages many
of those places still today it’s difficult getting to them to provide that food security.”
Miller says proclaiming the Gospel is their motivation. “Our mandate is to share the
love of Christ with families world-wide. And, in this situation it doesn’t get much more
tangible than the food and the hygiene items. When you’re providing food and your
providing aid on a regular basis, that question is why are you here. That’s the question
that comes up and that’s the open door to share about your faith.”
News Archives
61-hundred delegates of the Baptist World Congress recently gathered in
Melbourne, Australia. Newly elected Baptist World Alliance President – Billy Kim –
addressed the crowd, emphasizing the importance of prayer. Kim is the pastor of a
large South Korean church and is also involved in other Christian organizations. He
urged Christians to be committed to daily prayer because the lack thereof leads to lack
of spiritual power.
Meanwhile, Christians from Latin America will be the people who have the
most success in reaching the Muslim world for Christ. That’s the word from
CAM International’s Doctor Ron Blue. “Some of our Spanish-speaking people are
the most adept from reaching Muslim people. So, we have a lot of Spanish speaking
missionaries who have learned Arabic and are working in places like Morocco and
Saudi Arabia. There is a definite affinity, of course people even look alike and they
relate well. They’re not a threat. We from North America are a threat to Muslim
people.” According to Blue, more missionaries will be coming from Latin America than
in any other area of the world. “This is God’s work. He’s going to penetrate that 10/40
window that a lot of people are fixated on, but they’ve missed the open door. Latin
America, the open door to reach that closed window. And, in our area, especially
Central America, Guatemala have become a great leader in missions.”
An increased number of protests have been directed toward the Federal
Communications Commission after recently limiting the amount of preaching
that a public television station can air. Several U-S congressmen filed a letter of
protest to the FCC Chairman saying that the policy that was implemented amounts to
an unconstitutional restriction of religious speech in the United States. Officials with the
National Religious Broadcasters say if the FCC decision is upheld as many as 90
stations would have to comply.
Next, Trans World Radio is celebrating a major broadcast milestone. TWR’s
Richard Greene says they are now broadcasting over 14-hundred hours of Christian
programming each week in 155 languages. “This is a major milestone for us because
every new language which we add to our broadcast schedule that means somewhere,
someone in the world is able to listen to the good news of Christ in their own language,
one that they can understand. And so we are very excited.” Bible teaching programs
are aired from 13 primary transmitting sites worldwide, by satellite networks, over
local stations and via the Internet. Greene says they expect their growth to continue.
“Each region has a goal to add new languages so that more people can be brought into
a personal relationship with Christ. And so those languages are especially in areas of
the 1040 window.”
We begin today’s newscast in Saudi Arabia where 15 Christians were arrested
for worshiping Christ in the privacy of their own homes. Terry Madison of Open
Doors Ministries says the arrests took place January 7th. Madison says this isn’t a
surprise for that Muslim nation. “They have, for a number of years, topped our biannual
world watch list where they list the most repressive countries in the world toward
Christian belief and toward believers. And, this event is an indication that they have not
changed that policy.” Five of those in custody are under 12. Madison says we need to
pray that God will use the remnant of Christians who are there. “It’s difficult to
suppress the Holy Spirit. And when people are in fellowship as the Christians in Saudi
are, you have to believe that the Lord is using them by the manner of life, the fruits of
the spirit and the other evidences of a transformed life that somehow the message gets
out.”
Next, while the number of children around the world is growing at an incredible
rate, Evangelism Explosion is taking steps to reach them for Christ. Sam
Lamerson is the Director of Kids E-E. Lamerson says because we live in a
post-modern culture, it’s important to reach people when they’re young. ” We realize
that many people, by the time they’re 20-25 years old their presuppositions are already
settled. And, it’s much more difficult to share the Gospel with them. And, so we feel
that we want to get to them before those presuppositions against absolute truth and
against the Bible set in.” According to Lamerson Kids E-E clinics teaches two groups
of people how to share the Gospel. “Kids E-E has as its primary focus teaching adults
to share the Gospel with kids and teaching children to clarify the Gospel in their own
minds so that they can go out and share it with others.” All of the Kids E-E clinics are
held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
A special North American ministry is providing inexpensive needed supplies for
missionaries. International Aid of Spring Lake, Michigan is operating the Mission
Resource Center, a place where missionaries can obtain hundreds of products for a
minimal service fee. Available items include clothing, food, medications, Bibles, books
and personal and home care products. During the past fiscal year nearly five-thousand
missionaries took advantage of the center.
Next, Ethiopians are taking a hands on approach to seeing their countrymen
come to Christ. Through the Kale Heywet (KAH-lah HAY-wah) church more than
four-thousand Bible colleges and five seminaries have been established. SIM
Missionary Tim Brannagan doing some of the training. “Between 1974 through the
early 90’s it was under a communist regime in which the church pretty much had to go
underground, and so there’s a real dearth of leadership, but now we’re training up a
new generation of leadership for the church there in Ethiopia.” Brannagan says these
Christians are committed to seeing that every Ethiopian hears the Gospel. He says it’s
not just classroom instruction. “We’re just as concerned with training toward the heart
or Godly character. And so, much of our teaching takes place out of the classroom
and having training take place on weekends and unreached people groups and on
different assignments that we give them to travel throughout the country.
We begin today’s newscast in Moldova where Christian relief agencies are
essential to meeting the needs of the poor. Poor economic conditions in that
former Soviet Block Country means the government can’t help orphans and homeless
children. Mission without Boarder’s Moldova Director Christy Mocan explains. “The
government has a very low income because there’s no production going on. So, the
government is facing a serious cash flow problem. So, because of that, they are facing
a difficult time in meeting the needs of the orphanages for food.” Mocan says Mission
without Borders is providing food to help meet the need. He says that’s when they’re
able to share the Gospel. “For them, when they see our way of life, they say, wow! we
want to be like you. and, that’s when they become Christians. And, they in turn go
back to the orphanages and they become our missionaries.”
