Reachout

OUR FATHER’S BUSINESS? IT’S THE BIGGEST!

August 20, 2023… some remembered thoughts of the late George Forbes, missionary spokesperson, that remind us to be about our Father’s business.

Jesus, the Saviour of the  world – a dark world now –  declared in Matthew 24:14, ‘And this gospel of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in all the world as a witness to all nations. And then the end shall come.’

‘The end’ is ultimate! But between now and the end with God’s enabling the gospel of Christ must be proclaimed in the entire world as a witness to all nations. Then and only then, will the glorious end come.

Then and only then will…

  • Christ appear in the clouds.
  • The dead in Christ rise!
  • We (who are still living) be caught up with them and together we will all meet our Saviour Jesus in the air to be with Him forever!

Meanwhile…
We must be about our Father’s business! With His guidance, enabling and power, there is much work to do that must be done!

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MANDATE MINISTRIES JULY HIGHLIGHTS

(July 31, 2023) Ross and Donna, Mandate Ministries, share from Chiang Mai, northern Thailand…

Thank you to those who have given generously
Due to the generous giving of our friends and partner churches we have been able to arrange for three supply runs across the border over the last month.

The need is so great and we can only do what we can with funds that come in.

As well as providing much needed material needs, it was a joy to be able to pray for them and encourage them to continue to have faith and hope.

Tito the survivor
Last month while Donna and I were at a local market, we met a man named Tito shuffling along with a walking frame. He has had several operations to remove brain tumours, and it has affected his motor skills and speech.

I asked if I could pray for him and he was very eager for me to do so. We invited him to church and have taken him four times now and he absolutely loves it! He has since committed his life to Christ and I meet with him during the week.

We go out for lunch or coffee, talk about his walk with God and have lots of laughs. Although Tito struggles to communicate, he is one of the funniest and most intelligent guys I know. He also loves my dad jokes so he is officially my new best friend.

Prayer needs…
Thanks again for your faithful prayers and support of our ministry to Asia. Please pray for –

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Ross and Donna, Mandate Ministries, have been missionaries to Asia for many years. Based in  Chiang Mai, they work with local pastors and church-planters, developing in-service leadership training programs that address challenges and issues unique to this area of Thailand. Link via OnlinerConnect@gmail.com
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JULY RELIGIOUS LIBERTY PRAYER BULLETIN UPDATE

(July 27, 2023) Elizabeth Kendal, RLPB, updates July news, and requests prayer for…

VIETNAM [RLPB 700 (July 5)]
After the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam deployed massive military force into the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak in response to the deadly June 11 attack on two government offices in Dak Lak’s Cu Kuin district. We prayed specifically for the Central Highlands’ indigenous predominantly Christian hills tribes who feared the deployment could herald an escalation in ethno-religious persecution and displacement.

We also prayed for imprisoned Protestant minister and religious liberty advocate Pastor Nguyen Trung Ton (51), whose health continues to deteriorate as the authorities continue to withhold medical care. On July 21 the Director of Dak Lak’s provincial police announced that all six suspected ringleaders of the June 11 attacks had been arrested. In total, more than 90 people have been arrested on multiple charges including terrorism.

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PEOPLE EVERYWHERE NEED THE LORD!

(July 25, 2023… some remembered thoughts by the late George Forbes, missionary spokesperson)…

Over the centuries many Christians have responded to God’s calling to be missionaries and I praise God for this!

But… in doing so I remember that Matthew 22:14 says, ‘Many are called, but few are chosen.’

Necessary preparation
‘Called’ (klētos) means ‘invited’, ‘appointed’, ‘selected’, or ‘favoured.’ Words to be fully considered by every person dedicating themselves to the fulfilling of the call of God in their lives.

Matthew 22:14 has been interpreted in different ways; here I would write about the fact that though God calls those whom He has chosen, many are unprepared to activate their full response to His call because they have yet to complete the essential preparations for cross-cultural ministry!

Such preparation is to do with personal growth in Christ and learning how to walk in the Spirit.

Equipping essential!
Over many years, I interviewed hundreds of mission applicants and must say that too many were novices. 

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JESUS REVOLUTION MOVIE LEADS TO MASS BAPTISMS

(July 20, 2023) Steve Rees’ GodReports article shares about a recent huge inspirational one-day baptism service…

After hosting what may be the largest, one-day baptism in American history, Harvest Christian Fellowship‘s pastor Greg Laurie and Jesus Revolution movie director Jon Erwin announced the popular film is headed to Mexico and Brazil, where they expect record numbers of baptisms will continue.

4500 baptised!
‘I can tell you right now, we’ve never had anything like what we saw. It’s never happened before,’ said Laurie (baptising photo below) of the 4,500 people who were baptised in the Pacific Ocean on July 8th after travelling from across the nation and around the world.

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MYANMAR/THAILAND MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS

(June 26, 2023) Ross and Donna, Mandate Ministries, share from Chiang Mai, northern Thailand…

Ka-ren people
We continue to help the people of Ka-ren State, Myanmar with food, tents and other provisions, as well as prayer and encouragement.

The bombing and ground assaults continue, so we do what we can to alleviate their suffering. We can understand soldiers fighting soldiers, but when women and children are tortured, raped and brutally murdered, that has to be demonic. It’s a humanitarian crisis but also a spiritual warfare.

Recently a Ka-ren friend of mine was talking with two ladies in Ka-ren State. They were both 70 years old and said that they had never known a time in their entire lives when they were not fleeing from war and the Burmese (Myanmar) troops.

It’s hard to imagine, as we take our freedom for granted.

Karenni people flee
Another ethnic group in Myanmar that is suffering under the brutal illegal government is the Karenni. Due to the constant attacks on their villages, many have had to flee across the border into Thailand. However, their plight is by no means without its challenges. There is very little food and shelter available to them.

These war refugees are in great distress and have had to carry the bedridden, sick, elderly, disabled, and children to safe locations.

Our team from Thailand was able to bring rice and other foodstuffs, as well as tarps for makeshift shelters to these groups. Next week our team is taking blankets to a group of 160 Kar-en and Karenni who they recently brought to the Lord. These beautiful people are extremely grateful for any help they receive.

Golden Triangle Lahu Training
Last week Pastor Ian Peters and Ross conducted a 3-day leadership training program in Chiang Rai for Lahu pastors and church workers. They came from Lao, Myanmar and Northern Thailand, so we called it the Golden Triangle Leadership Training Program.

It was a wonderful time of teaching, impartation and prayer with these men and women who are so hungry for God. They have very little opportunity to study and learn together in programs like this and were deeply appreciative.

In the Mountains of Chiang Dao
Recently Ross and his Ka-ren friend Weerachai were invited to conduct ministry at a village high up in the mountains of Chiang Dao. It was humbling to spend time with Pastor Suphan, who pastors the Ka-ren church there.

A faithful servant of God, he even gave Ross his favourite traditional Ka-ren shirt!

On the way to the Ka-ren village in Chiang Dao, we stayed overnight in a Lisu village. The food was great and the mountain views even better.

Needs
Thanks again for your faithful prayers and support of every kind of our ministry to Asia.

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Ross and Donna, Mandate Ministries, have been missionaries to Asia for many years. Based in  Chiang Mai, they work with local pastors and church-planters, developing in-service leadership training programs that address challenges and issues unique to this area of Thailand. Link via OnlinerConnect@gmail.com
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MAY RLPB UPDATE

(May 30, 2023) Elizabeth Kendal, RLPB, updates May news, and requests prayer for…

BANGLADESH [RLPB 692 (3 May)]
The Bangladesh Armed Forces is waging a counter-terror operation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Because the BAF accuses the Christian Kuki-Chin minority of providing aid and support to al-Qaeda-linked jihadists (JAFHS), the Christian Kuki-Chin – who are seeking autonomy so they might preserve their people, lands and culture – are also under attack. Thousands have been driven from their homes, with the help of a tribal Buddhist militia that has forged a peace deal with the Bangladeshi government. This is an on-going – and indeed, existential – Christian crisis.

LIBYA [RLPB 693 (10 May)]
Six Libyan nationals arrested for apostasy (leaving Islam) and Christian proselytism (missionary work) could face the death penalty if found guilty. The authorities have broadcast video footage of their recorded ‘confessions’; one believer had already broken under torture.

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SHOCKING RULING FREES CHRISTIAN IRANIAN COUPLE

(May 29, 2023) GodReports shares good news…

Iranian authorities released two Christian leaders from prison last week after a judge broke with common judicial practice in the country and ruled that home church participation was not illegal, sources said.

Throwing out a 2020 conviction, a judge in Branch 34 of the Appeals Court in Tehran on May 9 found there was no evidence the couple had violated Iran’s national security laws by participating in a home meeting, according to advocacy group Article 18.

In his ruling, the judge found that belonging to or participating in a ‘home-group’ with people of the same faith was not illegal but ‘natural.’

‘The reports by the officers of the Ministry of Intelligence about organisation of home-groups to promote Christianity, membership, and participation in home-groups, are not considered as acts against the country’s security, and the law has not recognised them as criminal activity,’ the judge wrote.

The ruling was in some ways similar to a November 3, 2021 Supreme Court judgment that stated that nine converts could not be charged with acting against national security merely for belonging to a house church.

The acquittal struck down a November 2020 conviction in which Ahmadi, accused of being a house church leader, was sentenced to a total of 11 years in prison for ‘founding or leading an organization that aims to disrupt national security’ and ‘membership in organisations that aim to disrupt national security.’ In December 2020, Ahmadi’s original sentence was reduced to a total of eight years in prison.

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SEND NETWORK PLANTS 10,000 CHURCHES

(May 16, 2023) GodReports shares encouraging news regarding successful churchplanting planned with assistance from combined churches…

The continent’s largest church planting network, the North American Mission Board’s Send Network, has announced that Southern Baptist churches have planted more than 10,000 new churches across Canada, the U.S. and its territories since 2010.

Last year alone, supported by Send Network, the Southern Baptist Convention’s more than 47,000 churches worked together to plant 745 new churches.

Church plants increasing yearly
‘We are always excited to see an increase in churches planted year over year,’ said North American Mission Board (NAMB) President Kevin Ezell. ‘But our focus remains on the quality of the churches planted, which is why we’re more grateful that the survivability rate remains strong. Our goal is to see churches planted that impact their communities for years and multiply to reach more communities where churches are needed.’

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APRIL UPDATE & ROUNDUP

(April 27, 2023) Elizabeth Kendal, RLPB, updates prayer requests…

BURMA (Myanmar): Karen people flee
[RLPB 689 (12 April)]. After junta chief General Min Aung Hlaing labelled the resistance ‘terrorists’ with whom the junta would not negotiate, vowing instead to ‘annihilate them to an end.’

Within days of his speech, the Christian-led Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) had scored some significant victories, thereby triggering a massive military retaliation. By Easter Sunday 9 April some 10,000 civilians had fled Karen lands across the border into Thailand.

UZBEKISTAN: Baptist church raided
[RLPB 690 (19 April)]. Police raided the 9 April Easter Sunday worship service at the Baptist church in Qarshi, using batons and electric shock prods to incapacitate believers. Despite advancing transformative reforms, President Mirziyoyev – cognizant of the threat of Islamic terrorism and unrest – is reluctant to embrace religious freedom.

Consequently, the new religion law, passed in July 2021, retains many of the repressive elements of the Soviet era law, including mandatory registration, censorship of religious materials, restrictions on religious education, and a ban on ‘missionary activity and proselytism’ and ‘activities which offend the religious feelings of believers.’

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