1 Comment

Week of November 2, 2015

The prayer meeting is the throbbing machinery of the Church.
— Charles Haddock Spurgeon

FROM THE DESK OF: the Director of Communications

Twelve million Syrians have fled their home country because of the violence and collapsing infrastructure brought on by civil war. Of the 12 million, 6 million are children. This mass exodus into neighboring countries has caused countless problems for the host countries as well as opportunities for exploitation. 

As we focus on Syria this week, join me in praying for these displaced peoples.

For the Win[dow],

Bubby Bryan, DOC

VERSE OF THE WEEK: Matthew 7:7-8

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened."

COUNTRY OF THE WEEK: Syria

Following World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. The French administered the area as Syria until granting it independence in 1946. The new country lacked political stability and experienced a series of military coups. Syria united with Egypt in February 1958 to form the United Arab Republic. In September 1961, the two entities separated, and the Syrian Arab Republic was reestablished. In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan Heights region to Israel. During the 1990s, Syria and Israel held occasional peace talks over its return. In November 1970, Hafiz al-ASAD, a member of the socialist Ba'th Party and the minority Alawi sect, seized power in a bloodless coup and brought political stability to the country. Following the death of President al-ASAD, his son, Bashar al-ASAD, was approved as president by popular referendum in July 2000. Syrian troops - stationed in Lebanon since 1976 in an ostensible peacekeeping role - were withdrawn in April 2005. During the July-August 2006 conflict between Israel and Hizballah, Syria placed its military forces on alert but did not intervene directly on behalf of its ally Hizballah. In May 2007, Bashar al-ASAD's second term as president was approved by popular referendum. (CIA World Factbook)

Joshua Project Profile

Prayercast Profile

 

 

 

PRAYER REQUESTS:

  • Pray for a swift end to the horrific civil war with people of peace rising to leadership.
  • Pray for Jesus to reveal Himself to the millions of Muslims displaced by the war.
  • Pray for the Church to be protected and expanded amid hostility.
  • Pray for the Uttermost workers in the field.
  • Pray for the US office.

 

1 Comment

1 Comment

Week of October 26, 2015

All vital praying makes a drain on a man’s vitality. True intercession is a sacrifice, a bleeding sacrifice.
— J. H. Jowett

FROM THE DESK OF: the Director of Communications

It's the World Series 2015, and I'm reminiscing ... growing up as an Astros fan, I enjoyed watching the Mets struggle. And although the 'Stros are in a different league now, part of me still wants them to get beat. However, I'm stuck because the Royals ended our season - so I'm not exactly rooting for them either. Paradox. The cool thing about this year's Mets team is that they came from out of nowhere. No one thought they would be in the World Series. You just never know...

For the Win[dow],

Bubby Bryan, DOC

VERSE OF THE WEEK: Colossians 1:15-16

"The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For in Him all things were created:  things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him."

COUNTRY OF THE WEEK: Iraq

iraqflagimage1.png

Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by Britain during the course of World War I; in 1920, it was declared a League of Nations mandate under UK administration. In stages over the next dozen years, Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932. A "republic" was proclaimed in 1958, but in actuality a series of strongmen ruled the country until 2003. The last was SADDAM Husayn. Territorial disputes with Iran led to an inconclusive and costly eight-year war (1980-88). In August 1990, Iraq seized Kuwait but was expelled by US-led, UN coalition forces during the Gulf War of January-February 1991. Following Kuwait's liberation, the UN Security Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap all weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles and to allow UN verification inspections. Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutions over a period of 12 years led to the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn regime. US forces remained in Iraq under a UNSC mandate through 2009 and under a bilateral security agreement thereafter, helping to provide security and to train and mentor Iraqi security forces. (CIA World Factbook)

Joshua Project Profile

Prayercast Profile

PRAYER REQUESTS:

  • Pray for evil and terror to be overcome by the power and love of Christ and His people.
  • Pray for the Gospel message to break through hearts hardened by longstanding divisions and intense rivalries.
  • Pray for believers to courageously stand firm in their faith despite persecution and terror.
  • Pray for the Uttermost workers in the field.
  • Pray for the US office.

 

1 Comment

1 Comment

Week of October 19, 2015

Work as if you were to live a hundred years, pray as if you were to die tomorrow.
— Benjamin Franklin

FROM THE DESK OF: the Director of Communications

The football season is approaching the half way point. It always amazes me how time flies by. Days become weeks, weeks become months. Even though progress seems slow or even unnoticeable, time marches on. Today I'm grateful that our God stands outside of time and works his will precisely at the appropriate time.

For the Win[dow],

Bubby Bryan, DOC

VERSE OF THE WEEK:  Romans 10:20

"I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me."

COUNTRY OF THE WEEK: Maldives

A sultanate since the 12th century, the Maldives became a British protectorate in 1887. It became a republic in 1968, three years after independence. President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM dominated the islands' political scene for 30 years, elected to six successive terms by single-party referendums. Following political demonstrations in the capital Male in August 2003, the president and his government pledged to embark upon a process of liberalization and democratic reforms, including a more representative political system and expanded political freedoms. Progress was sluggish, however, and many promised reforms were slow to be realized. Nonetheless, political parties were legalized in 2005. In June 2008, a constituent assembly - termed the "Special Majlis" - finalized a new constitution, which was ratified by the president in August. The first-ever presidential elections under a multi-candidate, multi-party system were held in October 2008. GAYOOM was defeated in a runoff poll by Mohamed NASHEED, a political activist who had been jailed several years earlier by the former regime. President NASHEED faced a number of challenges including strengthening democracy and combating poverty and drug abuse. In early February 2012, after several weeks of street protests following his sacking of a top judge, NASHEED resigned the presidency and handed over power to Vice President Mohammed WAHEED Hassan Maniku. In mid-2012, a Commission of National Inquiry was set by the government to probe events leading up to NASHEED's resignation. Though the commission found no evidence of a coup, the report recommended the need to strengthen the country's democratic institutions to avert similar events in the future, and to further investigate alleged police misconduct during the crisis. Maldivian officials have played a prominent role in international climate change discussions (due to the islands' low elevation and the threat from sea-level rise) on the UN Human Rights Council and in other international forums, as well as in encouraging regional cooperation, especially between India and Pakistan. (CIA World Factbook)

Joshua Project Profile

Prayercast Profile

PRAYER REQUESTS:

  • Pray for miraculous opportunities for Maldivians to hear the Gospel.
  • Pray for the government's attempts to silence the Gospel to instead raise up the Maldivian church.
  • Pray for drugs, violence, terrorism, and the occult to be supernaturally replaced by salvation in Jesus.
  • Pray for the Uttermost workers in the field.
  • Pray for the US office.

1 Comment

Comment

Week of October 12, 2015

Prayer lays hold of God’s plan and becomes the link between His will and its accomplishment on earth. Amazing things happen, and we are given the privilege of being the channels of the Holy Spirit’s prayer.
— Elisabeth Elliot

FROM THE DESK OF: the Director of Communications

Everyday people are hurting. Some obviously and some subtlety. Some are caught up in global, pandemic evil, while others are dealing with intimate, personal pain. People react in different ways, but because of the fall everyone is hurting. I'm thankful we serve a God who is not indifferent to pain but came into our world to suffer on our behalf.

For the Win[dow],

Bubby Bryan, DOC

VERSE OF THE WEEK: Psalm 22:14

"I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast..."

COUNTRY OF THE WEEK: Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan - a nation with a majority-Turkic and majority-Shia Muslim population - was briefly independent (from 1918 to 1920) following the collapse of the Russian Empire; it was subsequently incorporated into the Soviet Union for seven decades. Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated region that Moscow recognized in 1923 as an autonomous republic within Soviet Azerbaijan after Armenia and Azerbaijan disputed the territory's status. Armenia and Azerbaijan began fighting over the area in 1988; the struggle escalated after both countries attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold, ethnic Armenian forces held not only Nagorno-Karabakh but also seven surrounding provinces in the territory of Azerbaijan. The OSCE Minsk Group, co-chaired by the United States, France, and Russia, is the framework established to mediate a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Corruption in the country is widespread, and the government, which eliminated presidential term limits in a 2009 referendum, has been accused of authoritarianism. Although the poverty rate has been reduced and infrastructure investment has increased substantially in recent years due to revenue from oil and gas production, reforms have not adequately addressed weaknesses in most government institutions, particularly in the education and health sectors, as well as the court system. (CIA World Factbook)

Joshua Project Profile

Prayercast Profile

 

 

PRAYER REQUESTS:

  • Pray for God's love to be proclaimed in the dozens of towns and villages which have never heard the Gospel.
  • Pray for enduring solutions to conflicts with Armenia and Russia.
  • Pray for mature leaders, deepening unity, and increased discipleship for the growing Church in spite of government surveillance.
  • Pray for the Uttermost workers in the field.
  • Pray for the US office.

Comment

Comment

Week of October 5, 2015

Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden.
— Corrie ten Boom

FROM THE DESK OF: the Director of Communications

2005 was the last time the Houston Astros made the postseason. Ten years of futility - some those years we're as literally the worst team in Major League Baseball! And this year it came down to the 162nd game of the season to determine if the 'Stros would even make the Wild Card game. The moral of the story is this: never, ever, ever, give up.

For the Win[dow],

Bubby Bryan, DOC

VERSE OF THE WEEK: Luke 15:20

"And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion and ran and embraced him and kissed him."

COUNTRY OF THE WEEK: India

The Indus Valley civilization, one of the world's oldest, flourished during the 3rd and 2nd millennia B.C. and extended into northwestern India. Aryan tribes from the northwest infiltrated the Indian subcontinent about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. The Maurya Empire of the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. - which reached its zenith under ASHOKA - united much of South Asia. The Golden Age ushered in by the Gupta dynasty (4th to 6th centuries A.D.) saw a flowering of Indian science, art, and culture. Islam spread across the subcontinent over a period of 700 years. In the 10th and 11th centuries, Turks and Afghans invaded India and established the Delhi Sultanate. In the early 16th century, the Emperor BABUR established the Mughal Dynasty which ruled India for more than three centuries. European explorers began establishing footholds in India during the 16th century. By the 19th century, Great Britain had become the dominant political power on the subcontinent. The British Indian Army played a vital role in both World Wars. Years of nonviolent resistance to British rule, led by Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU, eventually resulted in Indian independence, which was granted in 1947. Large-scale communal violence took place before and after the subcontinent partition into two separate states - India and Pakistan. The neighboring nations have fought three wars since independence, the last of which was in 1971 and resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. India's nuclear weapons tests in 1998 emboldened Pakistan to conduct its own tests that same year. In November 2008, terrorists originating from Pakistan conducted a series of coordinated attacks in Mumbai, India's financial capital. Despite pressing problems such as significant overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and widespread corruption, economic growth following the launch of economic reforms in 1991 and a massive youthful population are driving India's emergence as a regional and global power. (CIA World Factbook)

Joshua Project Profile

Prayercast Profile

 

PRAYER REQUESTS:

  • Pray for the cultural barriers of the caste system and Hinduism to be overcome by the Gospel.
  • Pray for the Good News of Jesus Christ to reach every village and town.
  • Pray for justice and hope in a nation plagued by oppression, poverty, and disease.
  • Pray for the Uttermost workers in the field.
  • Pray for the US office.

Comment

Comment

Week of September 28, 2015

God warms his hands at man’s heart when he prays.
— John Masefield

FROM THE DESK OF: the Director of Communications

Last night I witnessed the Super Blood Moon. 'Super' because the timing of the orbit was such that the moon was visibly larger (compared to other seasons); and 'blood,' because the earth's shadow was cast on against the moon, creating a red shade. Its an eclipse that will not happen again for 30+ years. There are those who see this has a heavenly prediction of doom. However the scriptures say only that it will precede the Lord's coming. No official word on how long that will take...

For the Win[dow],

Bubby Bryan, DOC

VERSE OF THE WEEK: Acts 2:20

"The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day..."

COUNTRY OF THE WEEK: Oman

The inhabitants of the area of Oman have long prospered on Indian Ocean trade. In the late 18th century, a newly established sultanate in Muscat signed the first in a series of friendship treaties with Britain. Over time, Oman's dependence on British political and military advisors increased, but it never became a British colony. In 1970, QABOOS bin Said Al-Said overthrew his father, and has since ruled as sultan, but he has never designated a successor. His extensive modernization program has opened the country to the outside world while preserving the longstanding close ties with the UK. Oman's moderate, independent foreign policy has sought to maintain good relations with all Middle Eastern countries. Inspired by the popular uprisings that swept the Middle East and North Africa beginning in January 2011, some Omanis began staging marches, demonstrations, and sit-ins calling mostly for more jobs and economic benefits and an end to corruption. In response to those protester demands, QABOOS in 2011 pledged to implement economic and political reforms, such as granting legislative and regulatory powers to the Majlis al-Shura and introducing unemployment benefits. Additionally, in August 2012, the Sultan announced a royal directive mandating the speedy implementation of a national job creation plan for thousands of public and private sector jobs. As part of the government's efforts to decentralize authority and allow greater citizen participation in local governance, Oman successfully conducted its first municipal council elections in December 2012. Announced by the Sultan in 2011, the municipal councils will have the power to advise the Royal Court on the needs of local districts across Oman's 11 governorates. The Sultan returned to Oman in March 2015 after eight months in Germany, where he received medical treatment. (CIA World Factbook)

Joshua Project Profile

Prayercast Profile

PRAYER REQUESTS:

  • Pray for a wide open door to the Gospel that would spread to neighboring closed nations.
  • Pray for the Gospel to infiltrate Omani culture, reaching the many who are still unreached.
  • Pray for opportunities and courage for Muslims to become disciples of Jesus Christ.
  • Pray for the Uttermost workers on the field.
  • Pray for the US office.

Comment