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.

---

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

Mob Stormed a Church in Koswatta (Sri Lanka)

Last Thursday (06/09/2009) a mob, including Buddhist monks posing to have a peaceful demonstration, raided a Church in Koswatta (Colombo) and destroy the much of the church. This started as a demonstration over death of two women, who were participating at that gospel rally at the Viharamahadevi Park and later revealed that these two have died on natural causes. Many have attended for these gospel rallies, where some people were known to be healed. The recent reports indicate this church has been a catalyst in many Buddhist conversions. Several national newspapers are carrying a reports that aggravate the extreme factions for attacts on churches and urging the Sri Lankan Government to enact the Anti Conversion Bill immediately.

Today (07/09/2009) a parliamentarian and a former Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police, Hon H.M.G.B. Kotakadeniya publically threatened the church leadership with death, arson and closing the church down. Please pray that the members of that church may have strength to stand and witness for Christ. Many Christian leaders are shaken by this incident—Ask God to bless the ministry of Christian workers spreading the Gospel in Sri Lanka amid opposition. See the attack on the church:

Ask God to bless the ministry of Christian workers spreading the Gospel in Sri Lanka amid opposition.

The Church website:Jesus Never Fails Good News Centre

New Developments:

---

Reported by my friend Rev. Yohan Heenatigala on November 08, 2009.

He sated:

I spoke with Pastor Joseph's wife today. Following is for the information of those interested in the matter.

1. The 2 persons who died did not die at the meeting as reported by some media.

2. The Church in Koswatte was attacked by a mob led by Buddhist priests - petrol bottles (liquid Gasoline Bombs) thrown in to the church did not ignite.

3. The police requested Pastor Joseph not to hold the church service on Sunday (today), he complied.

4. Thousands of believers turned up, knelt by the side of the road and prayed.

5. Pastor Joseph will be meeting with a Christian lawyer to do things within the law.

Please continue to pray as the Spirit leads. Your prayers are very important in this crucial time of confusion and unpredictability.

---

Updated on November 9, 2009

Today I received news that several other churches are also stoned, threaten and destructed by organized Buddhist mobs, while the Sunday worship-services. They shout and disturbed the services and vowed to close them down. The congregations were courageous and continued to worship the Lord in-midst of the disturbance. However, some Pastors are expecting organized mob violence throughout the week and especially on upcoming Sunday.

The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JUH), extreme Buddhist nationalistic political party, who were behind the Koswatta attack are trying to make disturbance and push the president to pass the Anti-Conversion Bill. This Bill has been lodge and lobby by this political party and they came to power by promising to implement it. The bill has been just stuck in the parliament because of the fundamental right violations by some clauses. Next year, the ruling party is preparing for a presidential election. It seems, these fanatics are pushing the president to act on legislation before his nominations for the upcoming election.

Your prayers are appreciated!!!

Picture shows part of the leadership of JUH: Ellawela Medhananda Thero, Athuraliye Ratana Thero and few others who participated in the Koswatta Church attack. They claim that they are having a peaceful demonstration, and were law abiding, peaceful citizens, who are using non-violence (ahimsa) methods to gain the right of the Buddhists. Ironic isn't it?

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.

Two Security Oficeres were Saked for Sharing the Gospel

The national news paper "Divayina" reported today (July 3, 2009) two security officers were sacked (fired) by the University of Jayawardanapura campus police, stating that they have been unethically converting people (making people irreligious) on the campus. They further said these two were mother and son of the same family and they were secretively sharing their religious ideologies for months. This complaint was lodge by University Monk association (Jayawardanapura University Bikku Association). The president of the Association Bikku Mahamithawa Pannarathna said that there were complaints against these lady and they were paying close attention on her, so that they could collect sufficent evidences.

University of Jayawadanapura is famous for its rightwing communism and senseless ragging of its students.

News Report:

[This article is written in Sinhalese unicode typescript]

ජ"පුර සරසවියේ ආගම් ප්‍රචාරයක යෙදුණු ආරක්‌ෂකයන්

දෙදෙනකු සේවයෙන් නෙරපයි

සිරිමන්ත රත්නසේකර

ශ්‍රී ජයවර්ධනපුර විශ්වවිද්‍යාලය තුළ සදාචාර වීරෝධී ලෙස අන්‍යාගමීකරණ කටයුතුවල නියෑළී සිටියේ යෑයි පැවසෙන එහි ආරක්‌ෂක කටයුතුවල නියෑළී සිටින පෞද්ගලික ආරක්‌ෂක අංශයක සේවය කළ සේවිකාවක හා සේවකයකු සේවයෙන් නෙරපා හැරීමට ශ්‍රී ජයවර්ධනපුර විශ්වවිද්‍යාලයීය අභ්‍යන්තර, ආරක්‌ෂක අංශය පියවර ගෙන ඇත.

මෙසේ විශ්වවිද්‍යාල සේවයෙන් පහ කර ඇත්තේ එහි පෞද්ගලික ආරක්‌ෂක අංශයේ සේවය කළ මවු පුතු දෙපළක්‌ බවත් ඔවුන් මාස ගණනාවක්‌ තිස්‌සේ විශ්වවිද්‍යාලයේ ඉතා රහසිගතව මෙම ක්‍රියාවෙහි නිරතවී ඇති බවට සාක්‍ෂි සහිත තොරතුරු ලැබී ඇති බවත් විශ්වවිද්‍යාලයීය ආරක්‌ෂක අංශ නිලධාරියෙක්‌ "දිවයින" ට පැවැසීය.

මෙම සිද්ධිය පිළිබඳව සාක්‌ෂි සහිත තොරතුරු ශ්‍රී ජයවර්ධනපුර විශ්වවිද්‍යාලයීය භික්‌ෂු සංගමය විසින් ආරක්‌ෂක අංශය වෙත ලබාදී ඇති බවත්, එම පැමිණිල්ල අනුව ඉදිරියේදී පරීක්‍ෂණයක්‌ පැවැත්වීමට කටයුතු යොදා ඇති බවත් එම ආරක්‌ෂක නිලධාරියා "දිවයින" ට පැවැසීය.

මේ පිළිබඳව ශ්‍රී ජයවර්ධනපුර විශ්වවිද්‍යාලයේ භික්‌ෂු සංගමයේ සභාපති මහමිතව පඤ්ඤාරතන ස්‌වාමීන් වහන්සේගෙන් "දිවයින" කළ විමසුමකදී උන්වහන්සේ පැවසුවේ මෙම තැනැත්තියගේ ක්‍රියාකාරිත්වය පිළිබඳ තොරතුරු මීට පෙර ලැබී තිබූ බවත් ඒ අනුව ඇය පිළිබඳව සෝදිසියෙන් සිට මෙම ඇගේ ක්‍රියාකාරිත්වයේ සියලු තොරතුරු සාක්‍ෂි සහිතව සපයා ගැනීමට හැකිවූ බවත්ය.

දිවයින, ජුලි 3, 2009.

Talian Execute Christians in Karachi, Pakistan

One of my friend doing ministry in Pakistan send me this email. I hope you would keep Christians in Pakistan in your prayers:

On the night of April 21, 2009, more than 100 masked terrorists invaded "Taseer Town" in Karachi, Pakistan, armed with automatic rifles. They attacked the residents of the Christian neighborhood who had protested the pro-talibanization messages, including "Embrace Islam or Die" and "Talibanization is our Goal", chalked on the wall of two churches. The Taliban militants went door to door looting, pillaging, and assaulting (physically and sexually) all the while shouting statements that translate into "you infidels have to convert to Islam or die" and "how dare you protest against the Taliban".

When confronted by resistance from two Christians the terrorists killed them execution style in front of the families of the victims.Radical Islamist thought is no longer confined to a few remote geographic locations in Pakistan. It has spread into its major cities. This most recent incident serves as proof that the disease that is "Islamic terror" has infected the nerve center and financial capital of the country, Karachi.

Heb 2:9

A Sad Sunday: Beloved Pastor has gun-down at the Church

A unidentified Gunman walked down the aisle of the Illinois  First Baptist Church of Maryville, during the Sunday service and shot the pastor and then stabbed himself. The church web site issued a communiqué:

“On Sunday, March 8, 2009, a little after our 8:15 service began, a man entered First Baptist Church and fired several gunshots at our Senior Pastor, Dr. Fred Winters. Pastor Winters was taken to the hospital but died of his wounds.”

Dr. Winters had been their Senior Pastor since 1987, the same year that he was married to his wife Cindy Lee. He received a BA from Southwest Baptist University (1986), an MA in Systematic Theology and Church History from Wheaton (1986), an MDiv from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (1991), and a PhD from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He was the former president of the Illinois Baptist State Association and an adjunct professor at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

 One News Now reported that “First Baptist had an average attendance of 32 people when Winters became senior pastor in 1987; it now has about 1,200 members, according to the church's Web site. Winters also was former president of the Illinois Baptist State Association and an adjunct professor for Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, according to the site.”

He is survived by his wife, Cindy Lee and two children, Alysia Grace and Cassidy Hope.

International Heralded tribune notes the rising violence against the Christian ministers: “Last month, a man shot and killed himself in front of a cross inside televangelist Robert H. Schuller's Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. In November, a gunman killed his estranged wife in a New Jersey church vestibule as Sunday services let out.

In July, two people were killed and six wounded in a shooting rampage at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. An out-of-work truck driver who police say targeted the church for its liberal leanings pleaded guilty to the shootings and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.”

The First Baptist Church further stated,

“Please pray for Dr. Winter’s family, our two brave members who were injured when they stopped the assailant, for the assailant himself and his family, and for our church members as they deal with this tragic loss.

In this day, where uncertainty seems to abound creating an environment in which people are vulnerable in doing things they might not do otherwise, one thing is certain, we, as human beings need a foundation upon which we can live our lives. We at First Baptist Maryville, along with other Christian believers, share this conviction: that foundation is God’s Word. In the pages of the Book we call the Bible, we find the pathway for peace, hope, and a quality of living life despite what circumstances we find ourselves in.

To those who believe in the power of prayer, we covet your prayers right now”

A Fund has Established to Support Gunesh's Family

Colombo Theological Seminary has decided to established a fund to support Sebamalai Gunesh's family. If you are interested in helping them (even if it is in a small way [because of the exchange rate difference, your contribution multiplied by 100 times when they exchange back to Rupees]), following is the email I received from Combo Theological Seminary:

"Thank you to all those who responded with messages of comfort, reassurance and prayer to the news of the tragic death of Gunesh.

As there were several inquiries regarding the possibility of making a financial contribution towards assisting Gunesh’s family (through CTS), we will have a designated fund for this purpose and will accept contributions up to 30 November 2008. Any funds received by this date will be handed over to the family or invested in their name (depending on the amount received).

a) If you do make any direct remittances to the account below, please let me know via email, so that the remit can be tracked.

b) Please note that cheques should be drawn in favour of ‘Colombo Theological Seminary’ and directed to

The Principal

Colombo Theological Seminary

189 Dutugemunu Street

Kohuwela

Sri Lanka

*please include a note indicating that the contribution is for Gunesh’s family."

In midst of all this financial difficulties, I've started to save some money to remit for this fund. Hope that you will also do the same!

Hebrews 13:1-3

Horried Death of a dear friend and fellow worker!

Today I received horrid and shocking news of cruel death of my friend and alumna of Colombo Theological Seminary (CTS). It is the death of Pastor Sebamalai Gunesh, father of 2. Gunesh was ministering at the Elohim Gospel Church. He had humble beginnings; coming from a relatively poor family he gave his life to work and ministry. He had the opportunity of studying God’s word in-depth at Colombo Seminary, if I’m not mistaken in 2004-2006. He completed his diploma and commenced reading for B.Th.

I have known him as a student and fellow worker in Christ’s harvest field. Gunesh was meek and gentle in spirit and greatly loved the word of God, to which he dedicated his whole life. He gladly worked hard and always willing to go the second mile. He happily embraced poverty and hardship for the sake of the gospel. I remember him, always greeting and conversing with friendly smile.

He was reported missing on Monday 6th October and his body was found on Wednesday 8thOctober 2008.

Gunesh was 33 years old at his death.

I with the CTS community jointly ask for your prayers for Gunesh’s family.

Revelation 14:13

Church Set on Fire in Puttam district of Sri Lanka

The Voice of Martyrs says:

More than 60 people set fire to a church building used for Sunday school in Puttlam district, the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka reported. Members of the church who live in the vicinity arrived at the scene and attempted to stop the arson attack and were assaulted by the mob. The attackers threatened children who had also gathered, but their parents took them away to safety. The p astor informed the police about the attack, however, they were not able to bring the large mob under control for some time, but eventually succeeded in dispersing them. Meanwhile on Aug. 17, another church in Puttlam district was set on fire and completely destroyed during the night. A group of people who visited the pastor’s house earlier that evening and threatened him are suspected of having carried out the arson attack. A police complaint has been made and three people have been arrested. Pray for the members of these two churches. Ask God to protect them and provide resources to rebuild the church building. Pray their testimonies will glorify God and draw their persecutors into fellowship with Him.

Note by Ravin: Puttlum distric is predominately Muslim (Islamic) in religious affiliation and culture with pocket-villages of Sinhala Buddhists and Catholics. Very few churches have survied upto now. Many church palnts are colsed or forced to close down. If I am not mistaken, there are less than 12-15 fuctioning churches for the whole of Puttlum district (2796 sq Km). Few of us have tried extrimely hard to reach this district. Please pray for starting of new church-plants and for the on going persicution.

1 Peter 3:14-17

Church Set on Fire in Puttam district of Sri Lanka

The Voice of Martyrs says:

More than 60 people set fire to a church building used for Sunday school in Puttlam district, the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka reported. Members of the church who live in the vicinity arrived at the scene and attempted to stop the arson attack and were assaulted by the mob. The attackers threatened children who had also gathered, but their parents took them away to safety. The p astor informed the police about the attack, however, they were not able to bring the large mob under control for some time, but eventually succeeded in dispersing them. Meanwhile on Aug. 17, another church in Puttlam district was set on fire and completely destroyed during the night. A group of people who visited the pastor’s house earlier that evening and threatened him are suspected of having carried out the arson attack. A police complaint has been made and three people have been arrested. Pray for the members of these two churches. Ask God to protect them and provide resources to rebuild the church building. Pray their testimonies will glorify God and draw their persecutors into fellowship with Him.

Note by Ravin: Puttlum distric is predominately Muslim (Islamic) in religious affiliation and culture with pocket-villages of Sinhala Buddhists and Catholics. Very few churches have survied upto now. Many church palnts are colsed or forced to close down. If I am not mistaken, there are less than 12-15 fuctioning churches for the whole of Puttlum district (2796 sq Km). Few of us have tried extrimely hard to reach this district. Please pray for starting of new church-plants and for the on going persicution.

1 Peter 3:14-17

The Fall of a Literary Giant

Aleksander Solzhenitsyn (1918-2008) was considered to be a man who never been afraid for critical truth under pressing might of the Communist super power. In his speech at the Noble prize for literature he quoted a Russian proverb and said, "One word of truth shall outweigh the whole world." He was marked as a man who fearlessly pursue truth and critiqued the political regimes of Soviet Union. He outlived the Soviet Union for more than 17 years, which imprisoned, ostracized and exiled him for many years. His death on August 3, 2008 marks the last of Soviet Union great literary giants.

His first publication called “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” (1962) brought the life of a prison camp inmate and it made his mark with the literary giants like Tolstoy, Dostoyevski and Chekov. He wrote critical novels of the totalitarian duress in “The First Circle” (1968) to which he got the Nobel Prize and “The Cancer Ward”(1968). He wrote historical novels like “The Gulag Archipelago” (1973-1978) describing the first hand experiences of horror and life of Soviet labor camp.

His literary tradition was considered as “Prophetic Russian literary tradition,” who saw his role to be an Old Testament prophet to expose and denounce the Kremlin and the West . The key feature in Solzhenitsyn’s literature is the Orthodox Christian frame of reference and traditional Christian values and beliefs.

He defined the role of the author or artist as that of truth-teller against lies in the prevailing culture. Note his words in the Noble lecture:

"One artist sees himself as the creator of an independent spiritual world; he hoists onto his shoulders the task of creating this world, of peopling it and of bearing the all-embracing responsibility for it; but he crumples beneath it, for a mortal genius is not capable of bearing such a burden. Just as man in general, having declared himself the centre of existence, has not succeeded in creating a balanced spiritual system. And if misfortune overtakes him, he casts the blame upon the age-long disharmony of the world, upon the complexity of today's ruptured soul, or upon the stupidity of the public.

Another artist, recognizing a higher power above, gladly works as a humble apprentice beneath God's heaven; then, however, his responsbility for everything that is written or drawn, for the souls which perceive his work, is more exacting than ever. But, in return, it is not he who has created this world, not he who directs it, there is no doubt as to its foundations; the artist has merely to be more keenly aware than others of the harmony of the world, of the beauty and ugliness of the human contribution to it, and to communicate this acutely to his fellow-men. And in misfortune, and even at the depths of existence - in destitution, in prison, in sickness - his sense of stable harmony never deserts him."[1]

He was a firm believer of authors or artists should not partake in falsehood and not to support and propagate false conduct:

". . . the simple step of a simple courageous man is not to partake in falsehood, not to support false actions! Let THAT enter the world, let it even reign in the world - but not with my help. But writers and artists can achieve more: they can CONQUER FALSEHOOD! In the struggle with falsehood art always did win and it always does win! " [2]

That was the his important contribution to the 20th century literature.

After 1964, his works were band and soon after the publishing of “Gulag” 1974, he was expelled from Soviet Union. Later he was allowed to return back to Russia. However soon after his return he did wham criticisms on the Mikhail Gorbachyov to Vladimir Putin regimes. Some argue that west has used Solzhenitsyn in the cold war times to embrace the Soviets by giving a Noble prize, just after his 7 years of literary success. Yet his contribution and effort towards the 20th century literary world is unfathomable.

The New York Times states his extreme measures to published “Gulag”:

“Publishers in Paris and New York had secretly received the manuscript on microfilm. But wanting the book to appear first in the Soviet Union, Mr. Solzhenitsyn asked them to put off publishing it. Then, in September 1973, he changed his mind. He had learned that the Soviet spy agency, the KBG, had unearthed a buried copy of the book after interrogating his typist, Elizaveta Voronyanskaya, and that she had hung herself soon afterward.

He went on the offensive. With his approval, the book was speedily published in Paris, in Russian, just after Christmas. The Soviet government counterattacked with a spate of articles, including one in Pravda, the state-run newspaper, headlined “The Path of a Traitor.” He and his family were followed, and he received death threats.

On Feb. 12, 1974, he was arrested. The next day, he was told that he was being deprived of his citizenship and deported.”

Dr. Alebert Mohler wrote,

“He was a man of massive courage and literary ability -- a central character of the twentieth century. He was a moralist to the core, affirming human dignity against Communist oppression and Stalin's murder of millions. Even so, he carried on an affair with the woman who became his second wife and the mother of his sons. He seemed ungrateful to America, but he also saw what many Americans, blinded by historical optimism, could not or would not see in the weakness of the West.

He returned to Russia a prophet, but also a man who seemed strangely out of his times. In his case, a great life of the twentieth century lingered awkwardly into the twenty-first. Nevertheless, his great courage and his literary achievement remain a tribute to the human spirit. Even more, Solzhenitsyn's moral vision serves as a reminder that Christianity alone provides an adequate grounding for human dignity.

When asked once about the force of his writings, Solzhenitsyn explained: 'The secret is that when you've been pitched head first into hell you just write about it.' The world was changed because he did just that.”

---

[1] http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1970/solzhenitsyn-lecture.html

[2] Ibid.