Dear Rev Joseph Diaz,
"Remember my affliction and roaming, the wormwood and the gall (bitterness). My soul still remembers and sinks within me. This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'Therefore I hope in Him'" (Lamentations 3:19-24).
Praise to our God that His compassions never fail! As you begin this new year, pray our persecuted brothers and sisters will make Jesus Christ their portion and hope during these dark times. Also, pray they will be examples of God's faithfulness and lovingkindness to their persecutors.
May this next year be filled with the joy and love of Christ!
VOM Web Editor
| Prayers for January 4, 2005
From The Voice of the Martyrs
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Global Report for 2004  (Religion Today)
* IRAQ: Bombings, killings and harassment of Christians by Muslim fundamentalists resulted in the exodus of thousands of Christians to Syria and Jordan.
* NIGERIA: Muslim fundamentalists increased their attacks. At least 1,500 Christians were killed, and over 9,000 Christian children lost their parents.
* ERITREA: Hundreds of believers were arrested, subjected to interrogation and tortured. Over 200 Christians remain in prison.
* VIETNAM: A new restrictive religious law targeting Christians went into effect November 15th. Mennonite Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang and five other leaders were given prison sentences for meeting with other Christians. All were reportedly beaten while in police custody.
* CHINA: There has been a concerted effort to clamp down on unregistered house churches, especially in rural areas. Hundreds of church leaders have been arrested, including Pastor Zhang, one of China's best-known and most respected house-church leaders.
* TURKEY: Soner Onder was released from prison after standing firm for over 12 years after he was falsely charged.
* INDONESIA: Pastor Rinaldy Damanik was released from prison before his sentence expired.
* SAUDI ARABIA: Indian national Brian O'Connor was released from prison.
To read a complete article concerning the 2004 Global Report, click here.
Pray Jesus will comfort those suffering with His presence. Pray those who do not know the forgiving love of God through the blood of His Son will long for it. Give thanks to God for those who were released from prison after remaining faithful to Him.
CHINA (The Australian)
On Christmas Eve, police in Beijing canceled a gathering of Christian activists. Hua Huiqi said he and others planned to have a party Friday night at a restaurant to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Two Christians were not allowed to leave their homes, and the restaurant owner was forced not to rent the place out, so the activity was canceled. Christmas is increasingly being celebrated as a major holiday in China as businesses try to capitalize on the commercial aspects of the holiday while many people also seek spiritual guidance to help them cope with a rapidly changing society. The government, however, maintains tight control over churches, banning proselytizing, despite recently passing a new regulation on religion protecting the right to worship.
Pray God will protect Christians who continue to meet secretly to worship and study His Word. Pray those seeking spiritual guidance will find the Savior. Pray government officials will abide by their regulations and allow everyone to worship freely.
TATARSTAN (Charisma News)
Rafis Nabiullin, the pastor of a small church in this mostly Muslim country, was recently threatened by a security official. He was told to halt the church's activity and leave the town of Aznakayevo, Forum 18 News Service reported. He was also threatened in the summer of 2003 for allegedly inviting children to services without the permission of their parents. He said Protestant churches often cannot rent public buildings or show evangelistic films.
Pray God will strengthen the faith of these believers. Pray this controversy will cause Muslims to inquire about Jesus. Pray the Lord will soften the hearts of the authorities to allow this little fellowship to continue meeting.
 1 2004 Global Report
http://crosswalk.com/news/religiontoday/1304492.html
 
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