I thought each of you would be interesed in this message. It is NOT a
chain letter. It is telling about the persecution of Christians, the
International Day
of Prayer and those that are endorsing it.
>To whomever it may concern:
>
>More Christians have been martyred in the 20th century than in
>the previous 19 centuries combined. Pastors are being
arrested
>and sometimes shot in China and Cuba. Believers are forbidden
>to buy goods or own property in Somalia. Christians who testify
>to their faith in Iran or Saudi Arabia may be put to death for
>blasphemy. Mobs have wiped out whole villiages of Christians
>in Pakistan. And it goes on.
>
>For all this, the western Church is mostly silent. "I am in
>prison," says the Lord, "and you are not visiting me."
>
>It is time to shatter the silence. Sunday, November 16, 1997,
>has been declared an International Day of Prayer for the
>Suffering Church. Until then, we need to educate our churches
>and our friends concerning the extent of persecution which
>Christ is suffering throughout the world.
>
>Later in this message, I suggest 3 specific steps we can all
>take, and I let you know where to get information. (NOTE: NONE
>of the suggestions include "send your donation...")
>
>The International Day of Prayer (IDOP) was initiated by the
>World Evangelical Fellowship (WEF), but it has earned the
>endorsement of Christian leaders of all types and
>denominations (I've attached a list to this message). This is
>as it should be; this call is for everyone. When a mob,
>fundamentalist Islamic policeman, or communist goverment
>investigator comes looking for Christians, they DO NOT ask any
>of the following questions:
>
> - Do you believe the Bible to be inerrant, infallible,
> and uniquely inspired?
> - Do you pray to Mary or any of the saints?
> - In whose name do you baptise?
> - Do you acknowledge the Priesthood of all believers?
> - Do you believe in a pre- or post-tribulation rapture?
> - Do you accept the authority of the Pope in Rome, or of
> the Eastern Bishops?
> - Is God a unity or a trinity?
> - When was the last time you received Holy Communion or
> confession?
>
>No, they ask one thing, and one thing only: will you bow down
>to another god, or will you remain faithful to Jesus? If the
>answer is "Jesus," you are under arrest. It's that simple.
>
>I AM ASKING EVERYONE WHO RECEIVES THIS MESSAGE TO
DO 3 THINGS:
>
> 1) Please, please forward this message to every Christian
> in your personal electronic mailing list. If we are all
> diligent to do this, in a few weeks this message could
> reach every Christian in the world who owns a modem. (No,
> this is not the only way we're spreading the word, but
> it could turn out to be one of the more efficient ones.)
>
> 2) Please pray for your brothers and sisters under
> persecution around the world on November 16. Pray every
> day, for that matter, but especially pray that day.
> Fast if you can.
>
> 3) Inform your pastor, your church's prayer ministry, and
> your friends (especially those who don't have email)
> about the International Day of Prayer on November 16, and
> about the persecution Christ is suffering.
>
>Information concerning the suffering of Christians worldwide
>may be obtained, in the US and Canada, from the US
>headquarters of IDOP. The address is:
>
> International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
> P.O. Box WEF, Wheaton, IL 60189-8003
>
> INFO: 800-LETS-PRAY (1-800-538-7772)
> OFFICES: 630-668-1754 FAX: 630-668-0498
> EMAIL: IDOP@xc.org
> WEB SITE: http://www.persecutedchurch.org
>
> National Coordinator: Steve Haas
> Director of Communications: Dr. Ed Bez
>
>IDOP has a packet of information designed for informing your
>church group and joining the day of prayer. The packet
>contains a Prayer Journal containing several articles
>concerning the persecuted church, a 21-minute video tape for
>your church or home group, several letters, and a Prayer
>Commitment Sheet to send to IDOP to register your support
>(this is optional. Please pray, with or without notifying
>anyone.) They ask for $15 to cover the cost of printing and
>shipping. If you really can't afford $15, ask for the packet
>anyway.
>
>Whatever you do, please don't allow this message to stop
>travelling. Keep the word moving. Real people are dying real
>deaths out there where we can't see them, and they need our
>help. Do it now rather than later.
>
>Thanks.
>
>Phil Weingart
>34 Chelton Road
>Havertown, PA 19083 (in the Philadelphia, PA, USA area)
>
>(610) 446-2709
>
>-----------------------
>
>International Day of Prayer Board of Advisors
>
>
> Dr. Joseph Aldrich, President
> Multnomah Bible College
>
> Dr. Donald Argue, President
> National Association of Evangelicals
>
> Hon. William Armstrong, Senator
> U.S. Senate, retired
>
> Dr. Scott G. Bauer, Co-Pastor
> The Church on the Way
>
> William Bennett, President
> Empower America
>
> Charles E. Blake, Bishop
> West Angeles Church of God in Christ
>
> Dr. William Bright, President
> Campus Crusade for Christ International
>
> Dr. Paul Bubna, President
> Christian and Missionary Alliance
>
> William F. Buckley, Jr., Editor at Large
> National Review
>
> John Burke, Management Team
> Willow Creek Community Church
>
> Anne Buwalda, Director
> Jubilee Foundation
>
> Dr. Anthony Campolo, Professor
> Eastern College
>
> Rev. Dwight Chapman, President
> General Association of General Baptists
>
> Charles Colson, President
> Prison Fellowship International
> (Chairman, IDOP Advisory Board)
>
> Johan Companjen, Intl. Director
> Open Doors
>
> Rev. Stan DeBoe, Priest
> Trinitarian Order
>
> David Engelhard, Gen. Secretary
> Christian Reformed Church - N. America
>
> Keith A. Fournier, President
> Catholic Alliance
>
> Dwight Gibson, N.A. Director
> World Evangelical Fellowship
>
> John Gimenez, Bishop
> Rock Church
>
> Dr. Os Guinness, Sr. Fellow
> Trinity Forum
>
> William J. Hamel, President
> Evangelical Free Church of America
>
> Hon. Mark O. Hatfield, Senator
> U.S. Senate
>
> Gary A. Haugen, President
> International Justice Mission
>
> Kent R. Hill, President
> Eastern Nazarene College
>
> Dr. John R. Holland, President
> Intl. Church of the Foursquare Gospel
>
> Michael Horowitz, Sr. Fellow
> Hudson Institute
>
> Jim Jacobson, Director
> Christian Solidarity International
>
> Dr. D. James Kennedy, President
> Coral Ridge Ministries
>
> Diane Knippers, President
> Institute on Religion & Democracy
>
> Dr. Richard Land, Exec. Director
> Christian Life Commission, SBC
>
> Paul E. Larsen, President
> The Evangelical Covenant Church
>
> Dr. Duane Litfin, President
> Wheaton College
>
> Dr. Paul Marshall, Sr. Fellow
> Institute of Christian Studies
>
> Dr. Jesse Miranda, President
> AMEN Ministries
>
> Pedro Moreno, Intl. Coordinator
> The Rutherford Institute
>
> Dr. Richard Mouw, President
> Fuller Theological Seminary
>
> Dr. Richard John Neuhaus, President
> Religion and Public Life Institute
>
> Dr. Lloyd Ogilive, Chaplain
> U.S. Senate
>
> Dr. Robert D. Ricker, President
> Baptist General Conference
>
> Rev. Michael Scanlan, T.O.R., President
> Franciscan University of Steubenville
>
> Dr. Robert Seiple, President
> World Vision
>
> Nina Shea, Director
> Puebla Program on Religious Freedom
>
> Dr. Ronald Sider, President
> Evangelicals for Social Action
>
> Rev. Steven Snyder, President
> International Christian Concern
>
> Dr. Thomas E. Trask, Gen. Superintendent
> Assemblies of God
>
> Dr. Paul L. Walker, Gen. Overseer
> Church of God
>
> Rev. Jim Wallis, President
> Sojourners
>
> Dr. Thomas Wang, Intl. Chairman
> AD 2000 & Beyond Movement
>
> J.C. Watts, Jr., Congressman
> U.S. House of Representatives
>
> Com. Robert Watson, Commander
> Salvation Army
>
> Rev. Jack Wease, President
> Evangelical Methodist Church
>
> Tom White, Exec. Director
> Voice of the Martyrs
>
> Thomas J. Wiens, Chairman
> Recycling Industries, Inc.
>
> Frank R. Wolf, Congressman
> U.S. House of Representatives
>
> Dr. Ravi Zacharias, President
> Ravi Zacharias International Ministries
>
>
>----------------------
>
>Footnotes:
>
>(1) Nina Shea, "In the Lion's Den," Broadman Holman Publishers,
> quoted in "Prayer Journal," International Day Of Prayer,
> brochure published August 1997, p. 6.
>
>(2) Specific examples of persecution from different parts of the
> world were obtained from "Special Introductory Issue,"
> Voice of the Martyrs, Bartlesville, OK, 1997, and from
> "Prayer Journal," IDOP, 1997, cited above.
>
>(3) Paraphrased from The Gospel According to St. Matthew, chapter
> 25, verse 43. The surrounding context is instructive; please
> read it if you're not familiar already.