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GOOD NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

In Psalms 105:1 - 5(LB), David says,
"Thank the Lord for all the glorious things He does; proclaim them to the nations.  Sing His praises and tell everyone about His miracles.  Glory in the Lord; O worshipers of God, rejoice "

"Search for Him and for His strength, and keep on searching!"

"Think of the mighty deeds he did for us, His chosen ones ---"

Several times in these verses (and many others throughout the Bible) God admonishes us to praise Him for the wonderful things He does.

A few years ago I became keenly aware that God was doing many incredible things all over the world, but that most Christians in the United States had little of no knowledge of these things, and therefore could not praise Him and give Him glory.

In addition to giving God the glory due His name, we are all encouraged and our faith is stretched by hearing what God is doing for others.

For these reasons, we have added this section to our website.

CAMBODIA -Children are bartering, selling, and begging in filth-clogged streets; children blind and maimed children everywhere. Over 50% of the population are under 15 and over 70% are under 21! Three decades of war have decimated the population, left the economy in shambles, and have given Cambodia the dubious reputation of leading the world in amputees. The land mine-infested countryside still kills scores of children.

But Christianity is bringing healing, hope, and salvation at an astonishing rate- a 3000% growth of the church in 5 years! In 1990, when the State of Cambodia (SOC) reorganized and accorded legal status to the Christian community, there were only 10 house churches. That number grew to 300 by last year, and currently among churches related to the Khmer Evangelical Church, a new church is organized weekly. This one group alone has a goal of planting 300 churches by the year 2000. Pray for Christian work by Christian and Missionary Alliance, Assemblies of God, and Overseas Missionary Fellowship. Man's adversity is truly God's opportunity today in Cambodia. Global Prayer Digest, March 1997

CHINA - "The people of Shandong Province have experienced revival, but often don't possess copies of the Scriptures to help them mature.  A visitor observed that in one place there was only one Bible for every one hundred people." (SGM)

FORMER SOVIET UNION- Through the cooperation of around 80 Christian Ministries, 33,000 public school teachers have  been trained to use a curriculum based on the Christian Worldview of ethics and morality.  Each one is given a copy of the Jesus Film to show their students.

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EGYPT- During March, 1998, Luis Palau was invited by Pastor Menes Abdul Noor to hold an evangelistic meeting in his church, Kasr el-Dobara, in Cairo Egypt.  It is the largest church in the Middle East, and seats 1,500, but accommodates an additional 1,500 in overflow seating through closed-circuit TV.  Because of security concerns, meetings such as this are held only inside churches - no open air preaching is allowed.

As word got out that Luis was coming to Cairo, the plans quickly escalated as churches throughout Egypt asked to be part of the outreach effort.  The Palau team estimated that 500 churches would participate with over 60,000 people taking part.  

The following is a follow-up news release from the Luis Palau Evangelistic Association.

Hundreds of Thousands Overflow Egypt's Churches for Nationwide Campaign

Church leaders in Cairo believe 110,000 people watched Luis Palau on videotape each of the four nights he preached during his first campaign in the Middle East.

CAIRO, EGYPT (March 16, 1998) With a bold vision to reach all of Egypt with the Gospel, Kasr el-Dobara Evangelical Church in Cairo multiplied four Luis Palau evangelistic messages by 585. The result: Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians heard that Jesus Christ died on the cross for their sins, conquered death, and offers eternal life to all who receive Him by faith.

Invited to Cairo for his first Middle East campaign, international evangelist Luis Palau preached to 3,000 people who crammed into Kasr el-Dobara's sanctuary, courtyards, and classrooms each of the four nights, March 12 - 15. Hundreds of other people had to be turned away.

Immediately after each rally, a videotape of the service was edited, copied, and distributed by volunteer couriers for showing in 585 churches the next day. (On the first night of the campaign, these churches showed a video of Palau preaching in Hong Kong that had been dubbed into Arabic.) Associate Pastor Sameh Tewfik, who served as chairman of the campaign, said he estimates 110,000 people viewed the videos each night, an average of almost 200 people per church.

Initial reports from several cities and regions, including Aswan, Asyut, El Mahalla, El Minya, and Tanta, confirmed that Protestant, Coptic Orthodox, and Roman Catholic churches, some that seat 400 to 500 people, were full. Some churches held two services each evening. Others turned scores away.

Kasr el-Dobara, used LPEA's training materials to train more than 4,000 people to counsel decision-makers. Each night at Kasr el-Dobara, several hundred people indicated a commitment to Jesus Christ. A similar percentage at the 585 satellite campaigns by videotape would mean many thousands of people across Egypt committed their lives to Christ. A church in Aswan with less than 100 members reported that 85 people made public statements of commitment to Christ.

Sameh Tewfik said he estimates that the total number of commitments will surpass 30,500.

"We never dreamed that God would bless in such an incredible way," Tewfik said. "Originally we hoped for 300 churches, then 400. To have 585 - we've never had such unity. Many of these churches have not seen people come to Christ for years"

"I've seldom seen such an overwhelming hunger to hear the Good News," Palau said. "God is preparing this strategic part of the world to welcome the Gospel in this generation."

During the campaign, the evangelist addressed 1,200 pastors and Christian leaders from Egypt and six other Middle East countries. Speaking from John 14, he encouraged them to continue dreaming great dreams, planning great plans, and praying great prayers to see their nations reached with the Gospel.

Palau also preached to 850 people at the English-speaking Maadi Community Church in Cairo. Sixty-nine people made decisions for Christ, including two university students who came with the granddaughter of Menes Abdul Noor, senior pastor of Kasr el-Dobara.

A 14-year-old Jewish boy, who had just begun to attend the youth group at Maadi Community Church, wanted to bring his father to the meeting, but he refused. After the service started, however, the man came on his own, heard the Gospel, and talked to Pastor David Petresque. He said that 27 years ago to the day, March 13, was his bar mitzvah and he was feeling far from God. After Petresque explained what it meant to become a Christian, the man prayed with him and received Christ. Minutes later his son also committed his life to Christ.

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CHAD - (45% Muslim) "In April, 1992, thousands of Christians using the Global Prayer Digest, prayed for Chad the entire month.  Here is a recent report that indicates that prayers are being answered:  "Rev. Daidanso, Associate General of the Association of Evangelicals for Africa (AEA) has pointed out that the Christians in Chad made an evangelistic plan in 1993 to plant a church in every Chadian Village by the year 2000."  In 1993, the year after thousands prayed for Chad, 35 villages received their first church.  In 1994, 67; and in 1995, 211!  Keep praying that more villages in this largely Muslim-animist country will receive their first church this year.

GHANA - A lawyer from Ghana recently wrote to us saying that an average of twenty people would avidly read every piece of Christian literature we can supply.

ANDAMAN ISLANDS (INDIA) - Crowds packed the meetings held by Shiloh Evangelistic Mission in the islands southeast of India.  In one place 500 met the Lord; in another 1,000 came to Christ, including many witch doctors.  As leader Vasanth Edward ate dinner one night 1,500 gathered in the street outside for an impromptu meeting. (Christian Aid)

INDIA- Scripture Gift Mission recently received a letter from an Indian Hindu family telling how they had read "Words of Comfort" (a tract) for over a decade until the words were no longer legible on the page.

INDONESIA - Muslims offer olive branch to Indonesian Christians - "Muslim leaders have apologized to Indonesia's Christian community following the attacks last fall on 25 Christian churches by a Muslim Mob that left five dead.  The Chairman of Indonesia's largest Muslim organization, the 30-million-strong Nahdlatul Ulama, met with local Christian leaders and issued a formal apology as most of the rioters were members of his organization.  He called on people of all faiths to assist the Christians in rebuilding their churches.  Local government officials have offered Protestants and Catholics use of government buildings for worship while they rebuild.  The riots and burning followed the blasphemy trial of a Muslim leader." Church Around the World, Feb. 1997

As far as I know this sort of thing has never happened in the history of the world.

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IRAQ - Christians in Iraq have permission from the Iraqi Ministry of Religion to organize Bible studies in public schools. The Bible League, Manara Book Ministries, and Open Doors have all been instrumental in bringing Bibles and other Christian materials into this predominantly Muslim country, where only about 3% profess Christ as Lord.

At this time there seems to be a hunger for God's Word in Iraq. War and hardship have brought about a change in the attitudes among the Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims of Iraq. There is a growing respect for Christians and a desire to hear the gospel.

Here is but one example of what God is doing in Iraq: an evangelical church is rapidly growing in Basra, a city in a predominantly Shi'ite Muslim region. They have increased from two families meeting in a dilapidated church to 60 families with a new church building. Global Prayer Digest, March 1997

Praise God for efforts to get Christian Literature to the Muslim Arabs of Iraq.

MOZAMBIQUE  - More than 200 people made professions of faith in Christ during a three-week medical project in central Mozambique. The country, which has one of the largest animist populations in Africa (5 million), is said to be in revival. Recently 30 churches were started in one region. Pastor's Update, March 1997

MUSLIM - Leaders Encourage Their Followers To Read The Bible - During recent weeks in a predominantly Muslim country, several Muslim leaders have publicly encouraged their followers to read the Bible.  Several verses of the Quran do encourage Muslims to read the holy books that Allah gave to Moses (the Taurat), David (the Zabur) and to Jesus (the Injil). GPG, Jan. 1997

NEPAL  - Nepal, a country surrounded by the Himalayas, is situated between China and India. Nepal has experienced explosive church growth since 1990, when it became legal to share one's religious faith there. No local church existed until the first missionaries arrived in 1954. In 1994, there were 23 Christian churches in the capital city of Kathmandu. There are now 85 churches in that city. Nepal now has 200,000 Christians in a population of 20,000,000. Church Around the World, March 1997

NICARAGUA - "A crowd of 30,000 people poured into the streets of Nicaragua's capital city, Managua, to worship God and to listen to Brazilian born evangelist Haje "Andres" Andraus, president of International Vision.  Evangelicals there are experiencing great growth and receptivity to the gospel.  Twenty-five percent of the population consider themselves Christians."  Church Around the World Publication, Jan. 1997

SOUTH KOREAN MILITARY -"During a recent evangelistic crusade among the military in South Korea, 4,077 military personnel were baptized. Military chaplains are discipling them in an effective follow-up program established by Korean Baptists." Church Around the World, March 1997

THAILAND  - The September, 1996 issue of the Global Prayer Digest carried an article which read, "Korean Bible Society pledges to share a Bible with every Buddhist temple in Thailand. Of the 15,000 temples in 38 provinces receiving Bibles between 1986 and 1991, only 10 were returned.

Thailand is in deep bondage, not only to Buddhism and spirit worship, but to moral decay and materialism, which have taken a firm hold on Thai hearts.

Authorities and religious leaders are embarrassed and concerned about the lack of morals, especially among leaders of their great Buddhist temples. Some Thai priests are committing crimes that were once unthinkable to leaders of this faith; smuggling, drug-peddling, misuse of finances, even rape and murder.

UGANDA - Seventy Karamojong cattle ranchers in Uganda were so quick to accept Christ after hearing the Word from missionary Bruce Schmidt that he repeated the invitation to make sure they understood. They did. They had been waiting. One said, "We have been in darkness for years, but this is the way of light." Pastor's Update, March 1997

UKRAINE - Last year 23 young people aged 16-25 accepted the Lord at evangelistic meetings in Ukraine. They formed the nucleus of a new church which has grown to 700 enthusiastic members packed into a meeting hall. The new church has become a multitude. Christian Aid News, 1996

VIETNAM - The Bur People of Vietnam are highly resistant to the Gospel.  Fewer than 390 are Christians.  Vietnamese Evangelical Churches have five workers who have won almost 2,000 Bru to the Lord and established 14 house churches. (Christian Aid)

WORLD - Recent studies show that 150,000 people are saved daily throughout the world.  That is 55 million new believers each year or almost two people per second.

The number of people coming to Christ is now three times greater than the world population growth rate.  

WORLD - "On every continent and in every nation, God is preparing the hearts of people to receive the Lord.  We will see hundreds of millions of people coming into the Kingdom of God in the next four or five years. " CBN

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