A Very BIG Thank You for Praying Concerning Sri Lanka

“When the arrow of a saint’s prayer is put into the bow of Christ’s intercession it pierces the throne of grace.”[1]

Today my Pastor Neil Tomba tweeted this wonderful quote on prayer. I would like to thank every one who prayed for the Church of Sri Lanka past week. God has graciously intervene blessed this persecuted church.

As I reported last week, police have asked the Pastor not to hold services on Sunday, following the attack. However, the believers have turned up numbering thousand and they were not allowed into the church, therefore, they pray and worship God beside the road. Monday police went to court and lodged an injunction to close down the church saying that the church is a public nuisance. Tuesday court called the case and allowed the police to provide witness. The Attorneys representing the church counter argued, however, it seems that the church is facing eminent close down. If the court gives it verdict in favor of the police, most probably the extremist would use the same line of tactic to get rid of the other churches. The case is taken up again on Wednesday—the police produced evidences, however, court decided that the application of the close-down is not meet the proper legal grounds and dropped the injection altogether and asked the church to do proper sound proofing to reduced the noise levels. Then surprisingly, the magistrate asked police to produce the accused people who have involved in the attack. At this moment, local police was taken out of guard; they would have thought to put the blame on the church and settled the issue. The police said that they have not taken any one to custody, and the magistrate was displeased. Then court ordered the police to produce all who are involved in the mob attack at the next session and also ordered the television and other mass-medias to surrender their video tapes to identified the perpetrators.

We are glad that God has intervene and caused to drop the chargers lodged by the police, whereby, the extreme elements could not use such in future to close down churches. Moreover, court has also upheld the right of the Christians. Thanks again for your prayers and hope continuously remember Sri Lanka in your prayers.

Who are the attackers:

This is an short old report (past war time error) on the Jathika Helaurumaya Party (JUH), who are behind may of anti-conversion protests and threating churches, evangelists and believers in Sri Lanka. They are using the communal feelings to broaden their political base. They came to main stream political process, promising Sri Lankans that they would implement Anti-conversion bill in 2004. Please do pray for them out of love.

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[1]Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1997), 183.

Urgent Prayer for Christians of Pakistan

I received this email to day from Voice of Martyrs, Please remember in prayer our fellow persecuted brothers and sisters of Pakistan:

Dear VOM Friends,

It was just a rumor. But among the radical Muslims in Pakistan's Gojra village, a rumor was enough of an excuse to kill.
When the rumor was broadcast from the loudspeakers on the minarets of local mosques, it became fact. As part of a wedding ceremony, the loudspeaker shouted, Christians tore pages from a Quran. Then they compounded the disrespect by walking on the shredded pages.

"Defend Islam!" The loudspeaker called. Muslims answered, rampaging through a Christian section of Gojra on Aug. 1. Eight Christians were killed, including women and children. More than 100 Christian homes were burned by a mob. The mob, which was estimated to be more than 20,000 people, also burned a church.

Five Hours Without Help
Emergency personnel did not reach Gojra for more than five hours. Christians were forced to use vegetable carts to move their dead and wounded to the hospital.
Responding to an international outcry, Pakistani government officials have now said no Quran was desecrated. The government promised to help rebuild the burned homes of Christian families.

Even before the government acted, contacts of The Voice of the Martyrs were in Gojra, offering comfort to the wounded and praying with the families of the dead. They continue to aid the village, including helping with some medical expenses, offering encouragement and pressing for a forceful government response.

Pray Blasphemy Laws Are Overturned
Christians in Pakistan hope these attacks can be a turning point. They are praying to God and pressing their government to overturn unjust blasphemy laws that are often a pretext to attack Christians.
They are also asking us to pray with them. Pray for Christians in Pakistan to be bold witnesses for Christ, despite threats. Pray for those wounded and left homeless by the brutal Gojra attacks. Pray for Muslims to come to know Jesus Christ in a personal way.

Scholar’s Prayer

Lord and Savior, true and kind,
Be the Master of my mind;
Bless, and guide, and strengthen still
All my powers of thought and will.

While I ply the scholar’s task,
Jesus Christ, be near, I ask;
Help the memory, clear the brain,
Knowledge still to seek and gain.

Here I train for life’s swift race;
Let me do it in Thy grace;
Here I arm me for life’s fight;
Let me do it in Thy might.

Thou hast made me mind and soul;
I for Thee would use the whole;
Thou hast died that I might live;
All my powers to Thee I give.

Striving, thinking, learning, still,
Let me follow thus Thy will,
Till my whole glad nature be
Trained for duty and for Thee.

Handley Carr Glynn Moule (1841-1920)

Bi­shop of Dur­ham (1901).