REMEMBERING
PRISONERS AT CHRISTMAS
CHRISTIANS EMPRISONED
Tuesday, December 16, 2003
REMEMBERING PRISONERS AT CHRISTMAS
By Elizabeth Kendal
Religious Liberty Commission (RLC)
Special to ASSIST News Service
AUSTRALIA (ANS) -- Many Christians
celebrate the birth of Jesus in freedom and security, with family, singing,
feasting and gifts. Many others spend Christmas with their joys overshadowed by
fears of impending jihad or terror, or fears of fines, beatings or imprisonment
if they are caught together. Other believers spend Christmas in prisons and
labor camps, separated from their families, hungry and cruelly treated on
account of their faith. Once again we raise the call to fulfill the prayer of
Christ - and be one (John 17:21). We, the body of Christ, the Church, are
one body (1 Cor 12:12-13), one spiritual temple (1 Peter 2:5-8), one chosen
people, one kingdom of priests, one holy nation belonging to God (1 Peter
2:9-10). We are one – we need to be one. The fact of our unity
needs to be expressed in actions.
“Dear friends, I urge you I the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join me
in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me,
given to you by the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:30
Do you want to receive a gift this Christmas? Ask God to give you, through the
Holy Spirit, a love for your brothers and sisters that will compel you to join
them in their struggles by praying for them.
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WE ESPECIALLY REMEMBER those believers who will spend Christmas in 3rd
world prisons, many suffering severely, in appalling conditions, abused,
tortured and beaten. We particularly remember those we have been upholding in
prayer through out the year (this list is not exhaustive):
CHINA: we pray especially for pastor Gong Shengliang and the South China
Church prisoners, and Chinese Church historian Zhang Yi-nan. We pray also for
the hundreds of pastors, evangelists and simple, faithful believers who suffer
in Chinese prisons and labor camps, charged with illegal worship and subversion.
COMMUNIST SOUTH EAST ASIA: we pray for those imprisoned for their faith
and witness and Christian leadership in the jails and labor camps of Laos and
Vietnam.
ERITREA: we pray for at least 334 evangelical believers who are
imprisoned for their faith in nine known locations across Eritrea. Many of these
suffering Eritrean believers are youths, mere teenagers. The believers are
barbarically imprisoned in metal shipping containers. They are tortured and
deprived of adequate food, sanitation and ventilation. Some are in underground
isolation cells. Some were arrested for meeting together, some for possessing
Bibles – all for being affiliated with so-called banned non-Orthodox
autocephalous churches. All they need to do to be released, is renounce their
faith.
INDONESIA: we pray for pastor Renaldy Damanik imprisoned in Palu, Central
Sulawesi, especially as his appeal to the Indonesian Supreme Court has recently
been rejected, leading to much frustration and heartache.
NORTH KOREA: we pray for an estimated 100,000 Christians who will spend
Christmas in the world’s most appalling and cruel concentration camps. Life
expectancy is short as starvation and violence are commonplace. Christians are
considered to be political criminals. They are imprisoned with their families,
often to the fourth generation (to ensure political purity). They will probably
be unaware that it is Christmas
PAKISTAN: we pray for the Christians incarcerated on blasphemy charges
against Islam – especially remembering Anwar Masih (recently arrested), and Christian
school-teacher Pervaiz Masih (arrested April 2001). Two other believers arrested
in 2001 are still awaiting trial, while another four sentenced to either death
or life in prison are appealing their lower-court judgments. Not only are
Pakistani prisons extremely unpleasant, they are extremely dangerous places for
Christians accused of blasphemy.
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PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR:
 | all the suffering imprisoned believers to be comforted by the Comforter (2
Corinthians 1), counseled by the Counselor (John 14), given peace from the
Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9), and justice from the giver of justice (Prov.
29:26).
| the families of all imprisoned believers, that they will know the love of
God and the peace that passes understanding. Pray for blessings of joy and
provision, for demonstrations of God’s mercy and love, so their hearts
will be guarded and their faith encouraged.
| the political leaders of nations where Christians are imprisoned, that
their hearts will be redirected by the hand of the Lord (Proverbs 21:1). |
| |
In the midst of our Christmas celebrations, I believe it is acceptable to take
out a few moments to remember and even shed a tear for our imprisoned brothers
and sisters. We might not be able to see them, but their heavenly Father sees
them.
“Don’t forget about those in prison. Suffer with them as if you were
there yourself. Share the sorrows f those being mistreated, as though you feel
their pain in your own bodies.” Hebrews 13:3
"Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance."
--Article 18 of the Universal
Declaration of
Human
Rights--
True Christianity is the way of Genuine love and caring for others.
Christian Conversions - According to the Bible - Can NEVER be forced.
Any Conversion to Christianity which would be "Forced" would NOT be recognized by God. It is in
His True and KIND nature, that those who come to Him and choose to believe in Him, must come to Him OF
THEIR OWN FREE WILL.
Don't Let anyone tell you that Christians support Forced Conversions.
That is False. True Christianity is NEVER forced.
Core Universal Rights
The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one's belief or religion
The right to join together and express one's belief