“They don’t ask for us to pray that persecution would stop. They pray instead, that they would be strong in the midst of persecution,” Carl Moeller, president of Open Doors USA, explained. Many Christian were killed during a series of attacks by the militant Islamic group Boko Haram in Borno and Yobe states. Several churches were destroyed in the city of Damaturu and others were bombed over the summer in Maiduguri. But Moeller says they pray for God “to empower them to be bold witnesses despite the obvious persecution in many places.”

“Boko Haram is another one of the extremist offshoots that has advocated the complete Sharia law rule in Nigeria,” Moeller explained. ”But the aggressiveness of Boko Haram has resulted in Christian villages being raised. Over a hundred churches alone last year were burnt to the ground.”

In recent years, many attacks have occurred in the predominately Christian Plateau state. About 53 percent of the people there are Christian, while 41 percent are Muslim. Most of the Muslims live in the north where Sharia Islamic law is now in place in 12 states. Nigeria’s Christian President Goodluck Jonathan has pledged to combat terrorism and bring Boko Haram under control.

Moeller said , “When we unite with them in prayer, we really affirm the prayer of Jesus in the upper room with his disciples where he prayed that we would be one body,” Moeller said. “And we are able to then demonstrate that we do care for our suffering brothers and sisters around the world.”

Source: CBN News.

BIBLE STUDY: Acts 26:9-16

PRAISE: God that true believers remain confident in Christ, despite death and persecution. Pray for an end to the harassment and violence.

And the growing movement could have a significant impact on the makeup and mission of churches in America. “Hispanics will transform American evangelicalism in the 21st century,” Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, President of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, told CBN News. “There are some in the non-Latino church that are swaying away from Biblical truth,” he continued. “And Hispanic evangelicals are very committed to Biblical orthodoxy, Biblical truth.”

CBN News spoke with Rev. Samuel Rodriguez more about the church migration taking place among young Latinos and how this transition benefits the evangelical community.

Source: CBN News; Revival Media

BIBLE STUDY: Acts 26:1-8

PRAISE: God that the “immigrant church” is providing a solid basis for the advance of Biblical truth in America. Pray for strong and wise leaders.

The first video is about a city in Indonesia where small groups of Muslim seekers and new believers are gathering to study the Bible, pray and then put their faith in action. “Is Jesus God?” This is the bottom-line question that Muslims are challenged to face, and they are asked to find the answer for themselves. Inevitably Jesus reveals Himself to those who seek Him, in vision, through
miracles and in His Word. 

Once a house church has grown to 12 members, it is encouraged to start another one. In the face of persecution, spiritual warfare and poverty, Jesus is building His church!

Source: Joel News International; Revival Media

BIBLE STUDY: Psalm 107:7-9

PRAISE: God that He loves and saves the Muslim people of this world. Pray for great wisdom to reach out to them in ways that will feed their hunger for the living God.

The transmitters can broadcast in both “analog” and “digital” modes. Digital shortwave will enable TWR to reach both rural areas and large cities with a strong “near FM” quality signal as they are known to reduce fading and interference associated with analog transmissions, TWR explained. Mike Tirone, senior president and general manger of KCBI, a Texas-based TWR affiliate, said he hopes the network will also be able to better serve those who are persecuted for their faith in Communist China.

“I am so excited that now they are going to get the spiritual food and that this is going to help them grow [in God's Word].” Tirone said China’s government has consistently denied wrongdoing, saying Christians are free to  worship within the state-approved churches, but rights groups say many of the estimated 130 million Chinese Christians prefer to worship outside government control, often in home churches.

TWR says it uses the broadcasts in China to help “further supply, strengthen, and fuel the growing house church movement with programmes that offer seminary training, Bible teaching and spiritual encouragement.”

From Guam, TWR broadcasts to what it calls “numerous unreached groups,” including Han Chinese and Cantonese as well as people in North Korea, Burma, and Vietnam who “are largely unreachable except by way of shortwave radio.” Also within range of Guam’s broadcasting site are India and Indonesia who receive “numerous programmes in multiple languages,” TWR said.

Tirone urged company executives and others to become involved in TWR’s mission. “When Jesus saw the sea of lost people, he wept. We need to care about what the Lord cares about.” Founded in 1952, TWR broadcasts from 14 countries as well as through local radio stations, cable, satellite, and the Internet, reaching millions of people in 160 nations in over 200 languages and dialects. It claims to receive over 1.5 million letters annually.

Source: BosNewsLife

BIBLE STUDY: Psalm 107:1-6

PRAISE: God for this major step forward, enabling Christian to be nurtured in their Faith, and unbelievers to hear the Gospel of Salvation in the nations of the Far East, including China, Burma, Vietnam and North Korea.

PRAY: That the Holy Spirit will prepare many people to listen to these broadcasts and come to know the living Christ. Pray that those who prepare programmes may have grace and wisdom.

Source:Prayer Alert; No Limit – Summer2Go

BIBLE STUDY: Psalm 81:6-10

PRAISE: God that these young Christians are seeing God work in power to save and to heal. Pray that this move of His Spirit will cover every European nation.

Ian Milmine, Revival's General Secretary

Dear Friends,

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; the
people He has chosen as His own inheritance.”
(Psalm 33:12)

God Bless Her Majesty the Queen!

It seems to me that, as every year passes, Her Majesty has become ever more forthright in proclaiming her Christian faith. In her latest Christmas broadcast, she has focused on the
theme of hope in the midst of adversity – Christian hope!

She said, “Finding hope in adversity is one of the themes of Christmas… Jesus was born into a world full of fear. The angels came to frightened shepherds with hope in
their voices: ‘Fear not’, they urged, ‘we bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour who is Christ
the Lord…’” “God sent into the world a unique person – neither a philosopher nor a general (important though they are) – but a Saviour, with the power to forgive.”
She added, “Forgiveness lies at the heart of the Christian faith. It can heal broken families, it can restore friendships and it can reconcile divided communities. It is in forgiveness that we feel the power of God’s love. In the last verse of this beautiful carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem, there’s a prayer:

O Holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us we pray
Cast out our sin
And enter in
Be born in us today

It is my prayer that on this Christmas day we might all find room in our lives for the message of the angels and for the love of God through Christ our Lord,” she ended.

Then there was the Prime Minister’s speech to mark the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. David Cameron declared that, “Britain is a Christian country and we should not be afraid to say so.” He added, “The Bible has helped to give Britain a set of values… which make Britain what it is today… A return to Christian values could counter the country’s moral collapse.”

Earlier the Royal Mail issued its Christmas stamps including references from the Gospels. The verses declare: “thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins… and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

Is it possible that we are seeing a national change of mood, reflecting God’s reviving work in the heavens? Keep praying!

With loving greetings from all the Revival team,

Ian Milmine

Leaders of the Holocaust Survivors said, “We went through the Holocaust alone. Our hearts are filled with joy that in this world there are people like you who remember us who survived that hell and butchery. We have children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren – you cannot understand the effect your preaching will have on them!”

One Israeli tour guide in Israel, a born-again Messianic Jew, commented: “Christians come in their thousands… to ‘support’ Israel – they hold meetings, I take their tour groups there, but not even the greatest ‘evangelists’ reach one Israeli. The realisation of what has happened in these 3 days to my people has ‘hit’ me! Thank you for bringing Jesus to our people!”

Source: Prophetic Vision; Premier Christian Radio

BIBLE STUDY: Psalm 81:1-5

PRAISE: God for these elderly Jewish people, who  suffered the unthinkable and who, in their twilight years,  have heard the call of Jesus their Messiah.

Source: Open Doors; Revival Media

BIBLE STUDY: Matthew 10:22

PRAISE: God for little Susan’s faith and for the support of local Christians. Pray for the many Muslim converts in similar predicaments.

Source: Sky News; Revival Media

BIBLE STUDY: Matthew 24:5-7

PRAY: That God will control this volatile situation and that He will neutralise Iran’s threat in ways that will bring glory to His name.

Source: Operation Mobilisation International

BIBLE STUDY: Matthew 16:32-39

PRAISE: God that He does indeed provide bountifully when we reach out in faith and service