Category Archives: Uncategorized

Lebanon Readies New Government

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01/26/2020 Lebanon (International Christian Concern) – Lebanon is currently readying its new government and has decided that the ministry will be formed by 10 Christians and 7 Muslims (4 Shi’ites and 3 Sunnis).

It is customary for Lebanon’s governmental team to be a reflection of the country’s religious demographics. The constitution dictates a balance. The head of government is Sunni, the President of Parliament is Shi’ite, and the President of the Republic is Maronite Christian. This structure was formed following a bloody civil war that pitted all sides against each other. It was intended to create a balance of power to prevent future conflicts.

However, this system has come under pressure both from prolonged Iranian influence through Hezbollah and more recently from protesters. Demonstrations began about four months ago as citizens demanded an overhaul of the ruling system, citing problems with corruption and a worsening economy. Three months have passed since the government had resigned, leaving tensions unresolved and a worsening political climate. Questions have persisted on how this will impact the delicate religious balance reflected within the government’s structure.

For interviews, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org. 

Scripture of the Day

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Galatians 3


2. This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3. Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
4. Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
5. He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
6. Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
7. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
8. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
9. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

Update: Leah Sharibu reported alive in Nigeria

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Friends, on January 19, a released captive of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP)—the same Islamic terrorist group who kidnapped Leah Sharibu in 2018—in Nigeria told local media that she spoke with Alice Ngaddah who reported that Leah Sharibu is alive and doing well. This is notable and welcome news; we have been praying for Leah and Alice over the last 18 months. Alice was an aid worker who was kidnapped by the radical group, while Leah was a schoolgirl who has been in captivity since February 2018 because she is a Christian.

The former captive, Jennifer Ukambong Samuel, is an aid worker with Action for International Medical Alliance (ALIMA) who was kidnapped by ISWAP—which is an offshoot of Boko Haram—on December 22; she was freed on January 16.

“We thank the Lord for Jennifer and her colleagues’ release and for the ray of hope about the other female captives, including Leah, that would no doubt be very welcome to their loved ones. However, …. Open Doors strongly urges the Nigerian President to continue his efforts to liberate the hostages held by Boko Haram,” said Jo Newhouse*, a local Open Doors spokesperson.

Open Doors calls on believers around the world to continue in fervent prayer for the release of Leah, Alice and other captives.

Pray for God’s sustaining grace to all loved ones eagerly hoping to be reunited.

Pray President Buhari continues his efforts to liberate the hostages held by ISWAP and Boko Haram.

Pray for the hearts of the radicals in ISWAP. Pray God would move mightily and soften their spirits to hear His voice.

If God moves you to become more involved in supporting believers facing persecution, we encourage you to tap here to explore our Frontline Partner Program.

*Representative names and photos are sometimes used to protect identity.

Two pastors murdered on Christmas in CAR

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https://www.opendoorsusa.org/prayerapp

Open Doors has just learned that two pastors of an evangelical church in the Central African Republic (CAR) were brutally murdered. Members of a rebel militant group shot and killed pastors Michel Archange Redimo (64) and Paul Orosio (51) as they were returning from a Christmas service on December 25. Because of continued security issues, both pastors had to be buried in the village they died in rather than in their home villages.

Pastor Redimo (64) was married and the father of 16. His widow and children are being cared for by a church in another village. Pastor Orosio (51) was married and father of 6.

Central African Republic is 25th on the 2020 World Watch List, with 924 Christians killed across the country during the reporting period.

Please pray for the families of the murdered pastors. Pray the Lord will comfort them and provide for them.

Pray for the believers who are left without pastors to teach and lead them as a result of the murders.

Please pray for peace in CAR, as it is ravaged by insecurity that keeps people in need of assistance.

Photo: Pastor Michael Archange Redimo (64)

Christian activist denied education in Iran

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Friends, a young Iranian Christian convert has been kicked out of her Tehran university without explanation. Fatemeh Mohammadi (21), who prefers to be called Mary, converted to Christianity from Islam as a teenager. She served six months in prison at the age of 19 for being a member of a house church in Iran and is now a Christian activist.

Last month, according to Article 18, Mary tweeted that she had been kicked out of Azad University the night before exams and had not been told why. The day before being kicked out of school, Mary tweeted about the cases of ten Christian converts currently serving prison sentences in Iran because of their nonviolent practice of their religious beliefs.

Iran is ranked #9 on the 2020 World Watch List.

Please pray Mary continues to have courage and boldness to speak up on behalf of all Christians in Iran.

Pray she is able to pursue her education.

Pray all Christians in Iran would be allowed to attend church and practice their religious beliefs.

Scripture of the Day

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Luke 1


30. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Scripture of the Day

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Mark 14


3. And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.
4. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?
5. For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.
6. And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.
7. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.
8. She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.
9. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.

Scripture of the Day

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Mark 12

13. And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words.
14. And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?
15. Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it.
16. And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar’s.
17. And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marvelled at him.

Scripture of the Day

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Matk 6

6. He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
7. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
8. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
9. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

Scripture of the Day

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Mark 4 (The Sower)

13. And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?
14. The sower soweth the word.
15. And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
16. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
17. And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.
18. And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
19. And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
20. And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

Scripture of the Day

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Psalms 14
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
1. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
2. The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
3. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
4. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD.
5. There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.
6. Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the LORD is his refuge.
7. Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when the LORD bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

Scripture of the Day

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Philippians 3

7. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9. And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10. That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
11. If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

Scripture of the Day

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Romans 3

9. What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
10. As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11. There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Scripture of the Day

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Psalms 10

12. Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.
13. Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.
14. Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.
15. Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.
16. The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.