Imagine knowing the law protects your right to believe — yet leaving your home for a prayer meeting, only to have the gathering itself ransacked by an armed group. This is the reality many Indonesian Christians live in. Yet there is something that helps them continue loving their neighbors and walking forward in faith.

Pastor Yandi (left) strategizes with another pastor for effective gospel outreach across (photo courtesy of FMI)

Indonesian Christians have built a strong biblical mindset that helps them overcome struggles.

Bruce Allen from FMI says, “The Christians are true patriots. They love Indonesia. They’re very patriotic. Then they want to see their nation be introduced to Jesus as their Savior.”

Harmony holds great cultural significance, but religious differences frequently challenge this sense of unity among people. In some areas, Muslim neighbors oppose the building of churches, in others there is a regulation that requires all religions (including Christianity) to follow animistic traditions in worship services.

Christians understand that forgiveness can only be truly achieved by walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. They find solace in the faith of those who came before them. Allen explains, “The Bible is chock full of examples of people who have been oppressed for following the Lord, and yet how they stood firm, resolute.”

Allen says these examples remind believers that, “This is one of the ways we reflect Christ’s love in our communities — by living at peace with others.” These lessons are passed down through sermons and from parents to children.

This faith enables them to start new churches. So far, FMI and local believers plan to plant nine new congregations.

Allen concludes, “So we encourage the church planters, the disciple-makers that we partner with, to make sure that they are grounding the people in the truth of the Scriptures so that they know how to respond again.”

Pray for the courage of the local leaders to guide their congregations in reverence to God and trust in His will. Pray also for the church planters and their partners, that they may navigate the legal and social challenges needed to build houses of worship.

Indonesian holding a flag (photo courtesy of Dio Hasbi Saniskoro via Pexels)

Mike Ansari with Heart4Iran explains what’s unfolding in the Middle East: “The fall of long-standing regimes like Assad’s in Syria has disrupted traditional alliances and balance of power in the region,” he says. 

“Therefore, we are seeing that power dynamics are shifting. It appears Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Israel are now more involved in redefining their influence in the region.”

(Photo courtesy of Heart4Iran)

In particular, Iran has suffered a “strategic and geopolitical setback” from events in Syria, Ansari says; its military footprint has been reduced. There is also turmoil within the nation.

“Iran made substantial investment to support Assad’s regime, especially in light of Iran’s ongoing economic challenges and public dissent,” Ansari explains. “So most Iranians are upset their national wealth was redirected to Syria, and are demanding the leadership to account for their missteps.”

Meanwhile, Christians persevere under pressure by God’s grace. 

“In Iran, Christians have continued to face significant challenges, including government surveillance, harassment and legal restrictions. And in Syria, the rise of Islamist factions will pose significant risks to Christian evangelism, but Christians in Iran and Syria continue to demonstrate remarkable resilience.” 

Keep asking God to bring peace and stability across the Middle East. (Learn more here about what Heart4Iran does to further the spread of the gospel across the region.)

“We need to understand that [the] Middle East requires empathy. Power struggles often carry human costs,” Ansari says. “The international community will need to continue to prioritize diplomacy, humanitarian aid and sustainable solutions for the region.”

Header photo of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian courtesy of Khamenei.ir, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=150832367.

(Photo courtesy of SAT-7 via Facebook).

The Associated Press said yesterday that in light of the attack on Palm Sunday which killed 48 people, churches in Minya, the southern part of Egypt, will not hold usual festivities, but instead limit their observance of the holiday to prayer. But they and many other Christians around the world will still step into church buildings over the weekend, knowing there is danger.

According to SAT-7, a Christian satellite television ministry to the Middle East and North Africa, ISIS followed Sunday’s attacks in Egypt with more threats. Christians, they say, are an easy target for the terrorist organization as they try to undermine authority in Egypt.

A support system

SAT-7 works alongside the Church in these regions and offers ways you can come alongside the persecuted and underground Church through their ministry. They are an example of how the Church, no matter the distance separating us, can support one another.

(Photo courtesy of SAT-7)

The ministry has been providing special content for the suffering Church this week to offer hope and a chance to celebrate Holy Week in dangerous areas. SAT-7 knows that sometimes, the only fellowship believers have with each other happens through satellite TV.

But their work isn’t just to support and strengthen believers, but also to share the heart and life-changing message of the Gospel. This, they believe, is the only way to fight the violence that seems to be growing.

So today, we are not only reminding you to pray and act, but also to praise God along with your Christian brothers and sisters around the world. Consider working with SAT-7 in the future as they share the message of Hope even where no missionary can go. Click here for more information.

Check out these videos from SAT-7 of Christians worshiping in Armenia (click here) and Egypt (click here).