Year: 2020

Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’”  (Exodus 5:1 ESV)

Seven Christians in southern Laos are now living in the forest after refusing to recant their faith. Local authorities evicted members of two families from the village of Pasing-Kang in the Ta-Oesy district in southern Salavan province on 10 October. The village authorities have banned relatives and others from helping them as they struggle to survive. Even family members say they are too scared to help and fear they too will be forced out from the village if they do so.

A Lao Front for the National Construction (LFNC) official from the province said he was waiting for information about the case. “Things have been quiet,” he said. “Their religious leader just came here and spoke with the Office of Religious Affairs.” The Lao Evangelical Church (LEC) is closely monitoring the situation and trying to find a solution to the unfair treatment.

Meanwhile, four Christian men have been languishing in jail for months for wanting to hold a Christian funeral, which officials said would have violated local customs and traditions. The four were detained in early July in Khammouane province after they travelled to a village to participate in the last rites for a deceased fellow believer.

Last year, the government approved the Constitution of the LEC, which allows Christians the right to conduct services and preach throughout the country and to maintain contact with other believers. Last month, the LEC together with the Interior Ministry and the LFNC held seminars in Bolikhamxay, Bokeo and Savannakhet provinces to inform rural authorities on the new law, with similar meetings planned in other areas.

Although the number of people arrested in Laos for following Jesus has decreased in recent years, cases of abuse are still reported in remote rural areas. Most Laotians view Christianity as a Western religion. Many also believe Christians anger the spirits when they refuse to participate in village rituals. House churches and church buildings exist, but the vast majority do not have a trained pastor. In most villages, no church buildings are allowed. If village leaders notice that a house church is growing, they will try to stop it. Christians often are unable to get jobs, most of which are through the government, and they commonly are denied medical treatment, education and other social services. There are no open Bible schools in the country.

Home Group Prayer

Heavenly Father,

We thank you for all the times you have rescued and comforted your people when they have been cast into the wilderness. We pray for these seven Laotians who because of their faith have been cast into the forest and need to rely on you to survive. We pray that notwithstanding people not being able to help them, you will provide them with the sustenance they need to survive and thrive in the forest. We give thanks for the strong faith these people have in you in order to be willing to suffer in your name. We pray that their example will be an encouragement to others. We pray also for their families and friends who live in terror and are afraid for these seven Christians. Please provide them the strength they need in facing persecution.

We pray as well for the four men still in jail as a result of wanting to hold a Christian funeral and the many other victims of religious persecution in Laos. We pray for the Lao Evangelical Church which is doing its best to assist these Christians. May their efforts at spreading your word be successful. We pray for all the pastors and believers who in spite of the trials they face are willing to stand up and proclaim your name. We pray that the Lao Evangelical Church will be successful in its efforts at making the governmental authorities in Laos stop hostile actions against Christian believers in Laos and permit true religious freedom to take place.

We pray that particularly in this difficult economic environment owing to COVID-19 that Christians will be able to get jobs and will receive the necessary medical treatment, education and other social services they require. We know that while we may need to live in the wilderness for a while, you will eventually bring us to glory. We give thanks for your Son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit who sustain these seven Christians and all the others suffering persecution in Laos and elsewhere in Asia and the world. May we pray for them and pray for the church in Laos and pray that your justice will prevail.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”
(Psalm 46: 1–3)

India’s Ministry of Home Affairs has suspended the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) licences of six non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

The FCRA licence is required to receive donations from abroad. While an NGO’s funding is being investigated, it is not allowed to receive any foreign donations and its bank account is also frozen. This suspension of FCRA licences therefore effectively cuts off an NGO from any overseas-based financial sources for an indefinite time.

Four Christian charities have been affected: Ecreosoculis North Western Gossner Evangelical in Jharkhand, New Life Fellowship Association in Mumbai, Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jharkhand, and the Evangelical Churches Association in Manipur. The reason for the suspension of their licenses has not been specified, but may be due to reports that the NGOs seek to proselytise locals.

This is not the first time that Christian charities have faced the cessation of funding from abroad. In 2017, the US-based donor Compassion International had to cease activities in India because it was deemed to fund NGOs encouraging religious conversions. It had been the biggest donor to India amongst charities. Since then, attacks on Christians and Muslims have increased and India is now tenth on the World Watch List of Open Doors, which assesses the most difficult places to be a Christian.

In the first six months of 2020, 135 cases of assaults against Christians were reported in India. The cases included physical violence, harassment and threats, as well as false accusations which have led directly to the arrests and imprisonment of Christians.

Most disturbingly, three Christians are reported to have died in India in the first half of 2020 because of their faith, according to a July 2020 report by the Religious Liberty Commission of the Evangelical Fellowship of India.

The Indian government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been criticised for using the cancellation of FCRA licenses as a means to silence Christian charities that speak out about the social costs of economic development in India.

Since Modi took the helm in 2014, a total of 15,000 foreign NGO licences have been revoked. In November 2016 alone, the Ministry of Home Affairs rejected the licence renewals of 25 charities, including those working on human rights, with the alleged cause being that these NGOs were deemed to be “anti-national”. In early September 2020, the Modi government tabled changes to the FCRA that would impose further restrictions to stifle foreign donations from critics of the government.

Home Group Prayer

Dear Lord and Heavenly Father,

We pray at this time for Christians in India who face persecution: for those who are attacked both physically and verbally, for those who are falsely accused and imprisoned, and for those who are forced to flee from their homes.

We also pray for those charities who are working in India, that they may be allowed to work peacefully and for the common good, to benefit the poorest and most socially disadvantaged in society. We pray for them to have the courage to speak out against social injustice even when pressure is put on them to stay silent.

Lord, we pray for those who are persecuting Christians in India, that you may soften their hearts and open their eyes to your redeeming love.

Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

“If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. … if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.”
(1 Peter 4:14, 16)

The Lao government has approved the constitution of the Lao Evangelical Church (LEC), in effect giving its churches the freedom to share the gospel freely in the country.

The Minister of Home Affairs signed the document, which includes a statement that church workers have the right to travel, meet together for worship, and evangelise non-Christians. According to Stand Asia’s sources, since the document includes the statement that evangelisation is part of the churches’ mandate, the authorities should not stop Christian meetings or arrest believers for sharing the gospel. The impact of this document is likely to be freedom to believers and transformation of the lives of many Christians.

The LEC president has started meeting provincial officials and local Christian leaders in each of the provinces to explain the LEC constitution and its significance.

Nevertheless, Lao authorities continue to persecute and arrest believers on flimsy charges. According to reports, officials are twisting a number of issues to make Christians look bad. The police have also apparently threatened to arrest all Christians.

In early August, police arrested Grandfather Ter in May district, Phongsaly province and prohibited him from sharing the gospel. Grandfather Ter is the first Akha to be arrested by the police for his Christian faith. The oldest of three brothers who returned to their village after detox and rehab, he was the first among them to turn to the Lord. This is the first arrest of a believer among the Akha people, so it’s a potentially critical time for God’s people in their area.

There have been other such incidents. On 17 August, police arrested Achan Bounkeo when he went to the market to buy lunch. On 3 July, police arrested four Christian leaders in central Laos, because they conducted a Christian funeral in a mainly spirit-worshipping village. The authorities took them to the district prison and later transferred them to the provincial town prison. Local Christians cannot visit them but can take food to them. On 15 March, a detained Christian pastor was sentenced to six months in prison. This prison term is likely to end in mid-September.

Laos has imposed tight border controls to restrict the spread of the coronavirus. Many Christian expatriate workers have not been able to return to Laos because of travel restrictions.

Christians make up just three percent of the population and are a small minority. Christianity, in particular, is considered a Western influence and especially dangerous. Conversion to Christianity can be seen as a betrayal to the family and Lao culture. Despite setbacks and ongoing persecution, the Lao church continues to grow at a purported six percent every year.

PRAYER POINTS

• Pray for the LEC president, as he meets local officials and Christian leaders to explain the government-approved LEC constitution and its significance. Pray that the meetings will have a deep impact throughout the country.
• Pray for arrested Christians and their families, including Grandfather Ter, Achan Bounkeo, the four Christian leaders arrested in central Laos, and the Christian pastor sentenced to six months in jail. Pray for strength and wisdom for them to face and respond to their situations.
• Pray for believers among the Akha in the May district of Phongsaly province. May God strengthen the believers in this time of trial and the authorities come to know God through the testimonies of these believers as they stand firm.
• Pray for Christian expatriate workers who have not been able to return to Laos because of travel restrictions due to COVID-19.

 

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(Romans 8:35–39)

Life for Christians under the communist regime in Laos is very tough. The Open Doors estimate of 227,000 Christians in a country of over 7 million face frequent persecution, including forced conversion and imprisonment. According to accounts from believers in Laos, the threats come in the form of community pressure, including from family members, and institutional forms of discrimination from the state and other authorities.

On 15 March, Pastor Sithon Thipavong was arrested for holding a worship service in his village home and was subsequently imprisoned for this offence. It is said that he has led over 400 people to faith in the last year.

On 24 May, a case of family conflict occurred at a church near the capital city, Vientiane. Two brothers, Chan and Huang, were attending a church service when their father burst in, swearing at and threatening them. He demanded that they renounce their faith and sent them away, after which they ended up at their pastor’s home. However, the boys are now back home with their father because of the rice-planting season.

It has also been recently alleged that authorities have arrested four individuals for their faith, including a pastor in Bolikhamsai province in central Laos. This is not the first time that the pastor has been arrested for this reason. This time, it appears that the pastor was conducting a Christian funeral when the authorities arrived and tried to force the congregation to sign documents recanting their faith in Jesus. After refusing to do so, the pastor and three other leaders were taken to the district jail, where they remain.

Home group prayer

Lord Jesus, we give you thanks for your faithful servants in Laos. We give you thanks for their steadfast commitment to you through all circumstances.

We pray today for each and every individual in Laos who has accepted you as Lord and Saviour. Might they know that you are with them in the valley, that you go before them, and that you will never leave them nor forsake them.

Lord, we pray especially for the leaders of your church in Laos. Be with them today. By the power of your Holy Spirit, remind them that their life gives you glory and their labour is not in vain. In particular for Pastor Sithon and other church leaders arrested across Laos, may they know today the comfort and peace that can come only from you. We think of their families who anxiously await their return and pray for justice in this situation.  We lift up to you the police, politicians and all those involved in the justice system — we pray that the faith of our brothers and sisters will shine as a light and change hearts and minds for you.

Lord, we gave you thanks that you know the names of every man and woman suffering for your name’s sake in Laos — you know them and you love them. Lord, we pray that this truth will be written on their hearts today and will give them joy amidst the pain.

In the name of your Son, we pray.

Amen.

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my saviour — from violent people you save me.”
(2 Samuel 22:2–3)

The NGO Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (aka Suhakam) is to resume its inquiry into whether the 2016 disappearance of Pastor Joshua Hilmy and his wife, Ruth Sitepu, was an “enforced disappearance” — that is to say, whether state agents were involved in abducting them.

The family of Ruth said they were encouraged by Suhakam’s commitment to the inquiry: “This public inquiry is our hope of finding our sister Ruth and brother-in-law Joshua.”

Joshua, a Malay from Taiping, Perak who converted to Christianity from Islam, and Ruth, a Batak Christian from Indonesia, were last seen on 30 November 2016 and reported missing on 6 March 2017. The inquiry resumes as their families fear that the government has been delaying efforts to uncover the truth.

Suhakam commissioner, Jerald Joseph, said that they would finalise the dates for the inquiry’s resumption with stakeholders and lawyers after confirming the easing of restrictions enforced in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He added that they had planned for 15 days for the inquiry, but this was an estimate that depended on how the inquiry developed.

Before it was postponed because of the restrictions, the inquiry had heard from a witness that the couple were intending to flee the country after receiving threatening phone calls and emails over Joshua’s alleged preaching of Christianity to Muslims and baptizing those who convert. The inquiry also learnt that Hilmy had been baptizing converts since 2011, usually in bathrooms using a showerhead and once in a pond.

Muslim citizens of Malaysia are prohibited from converting to other religions unless they receive the consent of a Shariah court. Islam is the country’s official religion.

Suhakam commissioned a similar inquiry to probe the separate disappearances of Pastor Raymond Koh and social activist Amri Che Mat. They reported their findings in April 2019 — both men were victims of enforced disappearances. They had been abducted by the Special Branch, an intelligence unit of the Royal Malaysia Police.

Suhakam said it was likely that Joshua and Ruth had disappeared for the same reason. Police have denied this allegation.

More than 9 percent of Malaysia’s population of 31.5 million are Christians.

Home Group Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,

These are difficult times, Lord, even for those of us who are free to worship you without persecution. How much more do your sons and daughters suffer for you in countries like Malaysia, where they must endure bias, hatred, violence and even abduction and death at the hands of those who do not know you.

Lord, we ask you give your faithful in Malaysia an extra dose of your divine peace, strength, fortitude, grace and love to withstand the onslaught of these spiritual, emotional and physical slings and arrows. Lord, endow them with supernatural capacity and ability to stand up to their attackers, knowing you are there with them, Lord, and you are their eternal refuge and fortress and saviour.

Lord, we also ask you touch the hearts of the persecutors, that the scales might fall from their eyes, that they might see you through those they persecute and be convicted of their sinful ways, and cry out and fall to the ground worshipping you as the One True God. And unite this divided land as only you can, oh God.

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

“Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain, at the mount that
God desired for his abode, yes, where the LORD will dwell forever?”
(Psalm 68:16)

A group of armed men in Pakistan vandalized a church in Punjab province in early May.  Police said the group desecrated a cross and demolished the gate and boundary wall of the church in Kala Shah Kaku town, some 40 km from Lahore, the provincial capital. The alleged cause was a land dispute — the group told Christians to vacate the church land, claiming it belonged to them.  Church leaders lodged a police complaint following the incident.

The incident occurred as the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan pointed out in their 2019 annual report that Christians have continued to suffer forced conversions and persecution under the country’s blasphemy law.  The report noted particular cases of forced conversion in Sindh and Punjab provinces.  In Punjab, 14-year-old girls had been forced to convert and to marry.  In Sindh, the families of two Hindu girls claimed they had been kidnapped for marriage and forced conversion.  According to human rights NGO International Christian Concern, at least 50 Christian women and girls faced this issue in 2019.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has not reduced discrimination against Christians in Pakistan.  Authorities have apparently denied food supplies to them by claiming they were meant for Muslims.

Christians in Pakistan often face religious hatred and discrimination.  The country’s blasphemy law is controversial because it is often used to persecute Christians and other religious minorities, with consequences for their places of worship and residential areas. Blasphemy against prophets of Islam is a capital crime in Pakistan.  According to Open Doors, a mission supporting persecuted believers, Pakistani Christians are afraid to express their faith freely in case something they say is interpreted as blasphemy.  False accusations of blasphemy have led to imprisonment or even killings.

Christians constitute around two percent of the population in Pakistan.  Christian communities remain among the poorest sections of society, often do menial jobs, and are regarded as second-class citizens.  Three cities, Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad, have large Christian populations.

Pakistan is currently fifth on the World Watch List, an annual report by Open Doors.  It is considered a country where extreme persecution of Christians takes place.

HOME PRAYER GROUP

Heavenly Father,

We ask your blessings for the people of Pakistan and especially for Christians who are suffering from persecution there. We pray for the church in Kala Shah Kaku and its pastor and congregation.  May they be strong when faced with violence.  We pray for those imprisoned or suffering unjustly from the blasphemy law. We pray that you will help the people who practise violence to see the light and that way is not the answer. We pray that your Holy Spirit will descend on this community and all of Pakistan and cleanse it of religious and other persecution.

Especially in these times of the coronavirus, we pray that people will come together rather than pull apart. We need your spirit of peace and strength to get through these difficult times. We pray that your Holy Spirit will help the government and people of Pakistan turn it into a country where extreme persecution no longer exists. We pray that all will work together in peace and harmony to deal with the coronavirus and all the other ills which affect the country.

Watch over your flock in Pakistan and bring them safely to a land of peace and harmony.  May your Spirit comfort them and keep them safe from persecution and the coronavirus. We need your help and guidance in all we do.

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” (Psalm 46:1–3)

Authorities in Laos have arrested a pastor for holding a church service without official permission. The arrest took place on 15 March, a few days before the government issued an advisory against religious gatherings to stop the spread of the coronavirus epidemic.

Police arrested Pastor Sithon Thiphavong in Kaleum Vangkae village in Chonnaburi district, Savannakhet province. Pastor Sithon has not been formally charged with any offence, and the provincial police department and the Lao Front for Construction, which oversees religious affairs in the country, have not responded to calls to confirm the arrest.

Pastor Sithon’s family members have not been allowed to visit him, though they can send him food via the authorities every day. They have been told that his case will be dealt with after the COVID-19 lockdown is lifted in the country.

Lao church leaders say that most believers don’t have the technical capacity to livestream services.

On 29 March, the Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith instructed everyone to stay at home from 1 to 19 April in order to contain the spread of the potentially deadly virus. The government has since extended the lockdown until 3 May and closed its borders with neighbouring countries. However, China, its neighbour to the north, has sent medical experts, medical equipment and medicines, and Vietnam, its neighbour to the east, has also offered to help fight the virus.

Laos announced its first COVID-19 cases on 24 March and, as of 10 May, officials claim that the number of confirmed cases has remained at 19 for 27 consecutive days.

According to a 2019 report by the US Commission for International Religious Freedom, the Lao constitution “ostensibly protects its people’s inherent right to religious freedom,” but members of the Christian minority are often targeted and arrested. Christians make up about 1.5 percent of the Lao population, while 67 percent of the people practise Buddhism.

As recently as 25 February, in Long district, Luang Namtha province, three Christian families totalling 14 people were evicted from their village and their houses demolished for refusing to recant their faith in Jesus. According to Open Doors, the country’s overall persecution score increased by one point over 2019 mostly as a result of increasing reports of violence against Christians.

Dear Heavenly Father,

In this time of great hardship and suffering throughout the world, let us take a moment to remember your sons and daughters in Laos who are suffering even more for their faith. Let us lift them up to pray for an extra dose of strength, hope and peace that only you can bestow to sustain them. May you convict those who persecute them to see the error of their ways and help them to see you through the actions and attitudes of your faithful servants there. As we are all on our knees now, Lord, because of the coronavirus, we see how weak and futile are efforts made on our own, and we see even more clearly how we are powerless without you, Lord. On our knees is the perfect place to pray to you for your help to unite this divided country in your holy name.

In the name of your Son, Jesus, we pray. Amen.

INDONESIA: Construction of church blocked

“The Lord is my light and my salvation — whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life — of whom shall I be afraid?  When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.”            (Psalm 27:1–3 NIV)

Local officials in the Central Java province of Indonesia have obstructed the completion of a Baptist church building for the past six months. The officials refused to grant the required permit for completion after local Muslim residents opposed the construction in the Tlogosari area of Semarang, the provincial capital. Last year, the government asked the church to collect more than 60 signatures indicating approval from local residents, but even though the church collected 84 signatures, construction was still halted.

With no resolution in sight, the Baptist church has decided to take legal action to resolve the dispute. “The reasons for the rejection are changing, starting from falsified signatures, expired IMBs (permits) until finally, the residents’ refusal does not touch the issue of principle permits,” the church’s attorney, Zainal Arifin, said. Pastor Wahyudi of the church added, “We will continue to fight for this because if left unchecked it will set a bad precedent for freedom of religion and worship in Semarang.”

Last year, a local chief revoked the permit for a Pentecostal church in Indonesia’s special region of Yogyakarta after radical Muslim groups from the area made protests and threats. The official said the permit previously issued to the church did not meet requirements established by a 2006 joint ministerial decree regulating the construction of houses of worship. The church’s pastor, Tigor Yunus Sitorus, said he then asked members to attend services at other churches. In January, an agreement was made that the church would move to another village.

Religious tolerance in Indonesia has come under threat. In May 2018, a court in Tangerang, Java, sentenced Rev. Abraham Ben Moses to four years in prison for religious defamation for sharing his faith with a Muslim driver. And while Indonesian Muslims are generally seen as tolerant and moderate, radical Islamic groups have been seeking to promote a violent version of Islam.

Dear Heavenly Father, we lift up the persecuted church in Indonesia to you. Please give your sons and daughters there an extra dose of your strength, perseverance, peace, hope and faith, that they will stand strong against the forces of oppression. Lord, please touch the hearts of those who would seek to block the spread of your Word by halting construction of churches, and in other ways persecute your followers. Please convict these oppressors of the error of their ways, and help them to see you through your faithful sons and daughters as the one true God. Unite the divided land as only you can, Lord, as one family, all belonging to you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

“Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, who draw sin as with cart ropes”(Isaiah 5:18 ESV)

Three years after Malaysian pastor Raymond Koh went missing in broad daylight, the family filed a civil suit against the government and senior officials. His wife, Susanna Liew, said they had no other option but to turn to the courts to get justice in order to resolve the investigations into her husband’s disappearance. The suit named two former national police chiefs and 11 other defendants at the Kuala Lumpur High Court as the family observed the third anniversary of Pastor Koh’s abduction in February 2017.

The lawsuit comes four months after a similar one was filed in November 2019 by Norhayati Mohd Ariffin, the wife of activist Amri Che Mat, who has been missing since December 2016. Amri, co-founder of the Perlis Hope charity, left his home to meet a friend late one night in November 2016; the next morning, his car was found abandoned with its windscreen smashed. The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has just begun its investigation into the disappearance of another pastor, Joshua Hilmy, and his wife, Ruth Sitepu.

In a statement, Susanna Liew said if the police and their intelligence agency, the Malaysian Special Branch, had been capable of solving the murder of Kim Jong Nam, half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, in a week, they should be capable of solving her husband’s disappearance. To this day, Liew has not received any ransom demands.

“Our hope is slowly fading, but because of faith in God, we still hang on. I believe Raymond is still alive and detained somewhere and we want them to be released as soon as possible. It is too long for the family to go on like that,” she said.

Pastor Koh founded Harapan Komuniti (Hope Community) in Kuala Lumpur, a charity that helps the poor, single mothers, and drug addicts. Security cameras captured footage of a group of men in tactical gear abducting him on a public road in the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur. Prior to this, the pastor had received a box of bullets in the mail, warning him to stop his work. Nevertheless, he persisted in his ministry.

In April 2019, Suhakam concluded in their public inquiry that the Special Branch was behind the enforced disappearances of Pastor Koh and Amri.

In July 2019, the government appointed a special task force to act upon Suhakam’s findings, but there have been no developments since then. Despite Liew meeting the ex-prime minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and current prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Pastor Koh’s whereabouts and condition remain unknown and no one has been held accountable.

Home Group Prayer

Heavenly Father,

We pray for Pastor Raymond Koh, Amri Che Mat, Pastor Joshua Hilmy, Ruth Sitepu, and their families. We pray that you will keep them from harm’s way and let them know how you are holding them in the palm of your hand. Watch over them and keep them safe. Bring comfort to Susanna Liew, Norhayati Mohd Ariffin, and the other members of their families and congregations and organisations who care so much about them and have great worry about their conditions.

We pray for an end to the falsehoods which have been told in an attempt to avoid the truth. Evil is perpetrated even further with falsehood. The failure to pursue evil is evil. We pray that the police and other governmental authorities of Malaysia will finally take action to find these missing heroes and bring them back to the families and friends.

We pray for the churches who have been deprived of their pastors. We pray for Hope Community that the ministry will continue to bring God’s word of hope and peace and love to the poor, single mothers and drug addicts it cares for. Malaysia needs much more of this hope and peace and love that come only from you rather than violence and oppression.  We pray for all pastors in Malaysia and their congregations. We pray that you will keep them safe and protect them. We pray that the government of Malaysia will protect all its citizens, including Christians. Heavenly Father, you know the fate of these brave men and women who have suffered for the Good News you bring to all humankind. We give thanks for all they have done for us.  May you bless them and their families.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.