FEB 17, 2020
Bible Reading: Psalm 2:1-12
Memory Verse: Because I love Zion, I will not keep still. Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem, I cannot remain silent. I will not stop praying for her until her righteousness shines like the dawn, and her salvation blazes like a burning torch. Isaiah 62:1 (NLT)
Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) guarantees the freedom of religion, including the right to adopt a faith of one’s choice and to publicly practice and teach it. Who can battle with the Lord? While Nigeria and some African countries are battling with Boko Haram insurgency, a greater threat is happening to Christianity all over the world. In North Korea, it is treason to practice any other religion. The family of their leader, Kim Jong Un is regarded as the only divine order that should be worshipped. This is called “Kimilsungism”.
Should you be caught with a Bible, be double sure you and your entire family will be seriously dealt with. Infact, military officers are often decorated for fishing out rebels. Christians from nearby countries such as China are making frantic efforts to break this evil trend by evangelizing at the borders. This they do at the risk of their own lives. In Saudi Arabia, some group of American evangelicals visited the Crown Prince last year on the eve of 9/11. The delegation was led by New York Times bestselling author Joel Rosenberg. While Christianity is not yet a religion to be practiced openly, the country is gradually becoming more religious tolerant and women friendly.
Again, Terry Ascott, founder and CEO of SAT-7, a Christian broadcasting network in the Middle East said, “Iran is home to one of the fastest-growing churches in the world”. The wave of revival is sweeping the nation and many are coming to the saving grace of Christ Jesus; meeting in underground Churches. An in-depth report on violations against Iranian Christians in 2018 was jointly released in January 2019 by Open Doors, Middle East Concern, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, and Article18 together for the first-time in order to amplify their voice. The report stated that according to public records, 29 Christians were held in detention in 2018 for terms of 6 months to 10 years (if formally sentenced at all). Eight were released.
The report emphasized that many more detentions of Christians remained undocumented. Telegram is a secure messaging app that protects user identity. Iranians used it to download the Bible 60,000 times after SAT-7 opened a chat room in 2015. Christians today are persecuted on a larger scale than ever in the past 40 years.
Challenge: There is a clarion call for more intercession and strategic evangelism. The present day Turkey used to be the habitation of the biblical 7 Churches of Asia which is now predominantly a Muslim nation. The Bible says woe to Him that is at ease in Zion. Thy kingdom come O Lord, thy will be done on earth.
Quote: I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it – Matthew 16:18b
Prophetic Decree: We scatter the host of hell gathered against Christianity.
Prayer Focus
1. Thank you Father because you reign over the earth.
2. We bring to nought the rage of hell against the Church of Christ, in Jesus name.
3. We pull down the authority of hell against the End time Church, in Jesus name.
4. We disorganize all the governmental structures built against the Church of Christ, in Jesus name.
5. Holy Spirit, give us wisdom, strategy and financial power to establish the reign of Jesus upon the earth, in Jesus name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 14-15