Week of June 27, 2016

"The gospel doesn't add to who we are; it transforms who we are. The gospel isn't about addition; it's about exchange." - Rosaria Butterfield

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FROM THE DESK OF: the Director of Communications

Our office is starting to get back to normal after our international meetings and travels. Lots of updates, changes and transitions to report. Excited about what the future holds for Uttermost, our reps and the multitudes of sports programming we have in the works. Stay tuned!

For the Win[dow],

Bubby Bryan

VERSE OF THE WEEK: Psalm 3:3

"But you O Lord are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head."

COUNTRY OF THE WEEK: Qatar

Ruled by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Qatari economy was crippled by a continuous siphoning off of petroleum revenues by the amir, who had ruled the country since 1972. His son, HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, overthrew the father in a bloodless coup in 1995. In short order, HAMAD oversaw the creation of the pan-Arab satellite news network Al-Jazeera and Qatar's pursuit of a leadership role in mediating regional conflicts. In the 2000s, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. As of 2007, oil and natural gas revenues had enabled Qatar to attain the highest per capita income in the world. Qatar has not experienced domestic unrest or violence like that seen in other Near Eastern and North African countries in 2010-11, due in part to its immense wealth. Since the outbreak of regional unrest, however, Doha has prided itself on its support for many of these popular revolutions, particularly in Libya and Syria. In mid-2013, HAMAD transferred power to his 33 year-old son, the current Amir TAMIM bin Hamad - a peaceful abdication rare in the history of Arab Gulf states. TAMIM has prioritized improving the domestic welfare of Qataris, including establishing advanced healthcare and education systems and expanding the country's infrastructure in anticipation of Doha's hosting of the 2022 World Cup. (CIA World Factbook)

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PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for open doors for Muslims to hear and receive the Gospel.
• Pray for a deep spiritual hunger amid such material wealth.
• Pray for the birth of an indigenous church focused on sharing the Gospel with all Qataris.
• Pray for the Uttermost workers on the field.
• Pray for the US office.

Week of June 20, 2016

"God doesn't give us hypothetical grace in lifetime supply. He gives us what we need today - one day at a time." - Tim Keller

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FROM THE DESK OF: the Director of Communications

Over the next few weeks approximately 1.6 billion Muslims will participate in Ramadan - a season of prayer and fasting designed to draw closer to Allah. 50% of our Uttermost reps live and work in predominately Muslim contexts. As these brothers and sisters pray to draw closer to God would you join us in praying that they would draw closer to Jesus - the image of the invisible God and the exact imprint of his nature - who routinely visits these people through dreams and visions.

For the Win[dow],

Bubby Bryan, DOC

VERSE OF THE WEEK: Hebrews 1: 1-4

"Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs."

COUNTRY OF THE WEEK: Afghanistan

Ahmad Shah DURRANI unified the Pashtun tribes and founded Afghanistan in 1747. The country served as a buffer between the British and Russian Empires until it won independence from notional British control in 1919. A brief experiment in democracy ended in a 1973 coup and a 1978 communist countercoup. The Soviet Union invaded in 1979 to support the tottering Afghan communist regime, touching off a long and destructive war. The USSR withdrew in 1989 under relentless pressure by internationally supported anti-communist mujahidin rebels. A series of subsequent civil wars saw Kabul finally fall in 1996 to the Taliban, a hardline Pakistani-sponsored movement that emerged in 1994 to end the country's civil war and anarchy. Following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, a US, Allied, and anti-Taliban Northern Alliance military action toppled the Taliban for sheltering Usama BIN LADIN.

A UN-sponsored Bonn Conference in 2001 established a process for political reconstruction that included the adoption of a new constitution, a presidential election in 2004, and National Assembly elections in 2005. In December 2004, Hamid KARZAI became the first democratically elected president of Afghanistan and the National Assembly was inaugurated the following December. KARZAI was reelected in August 2009 for a second term. The 2014 presidential election was the country's first to include a runoff, which featured the top two vote-getters from the first round, Abdullah ABDULLAH and Ashraf GHANI. Throughout the summer of 2014, their campaigns disputed the results and traded accusations of fraud, leading to a US-led diplomatic intervention that included a full vote audit as well as political negotiations between the two camps. In September 2014, GHANI and ABDULLAH agreed to form the Government of National Unity, with GHANI inaugurated as President and ABDULLAH elevated to the newly-created position of Chief Executive Officer. The day after the inauguration, the Ghani administration signed the US-Afghan Bilateral Security Agreement and NATO Status of Forces Agreement, which provide the legal basis for the post-2014 international military presence in Afghanistan.

Despite gains toward building a stable central government, the Taliban remains a serious challenge for the Afghan Government in almost every province. The Taliban still considers itself the rightful government of Afghanistan. (CIA World Factbook)

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PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for appropriate and expedient solutions to ongoing threats of violence.
• Pray for Afghans who are seeking Truth to boldly embrace a new identity in Christ.
• Pray for protection over Afghan believers and perseverance despite suffering.
• Pray for the Uttermost reps on the field.
• Pray for the US office.

Week of May 9, 2016

"That very church which the world likes best is sure to be that which God abhors." - Charles Spurgeon

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FROM THE DESK OF: the Director of Communications

Weird week around the office - multiple staff members are heading out of town, wrapping up law school finals and preparing for our big international staff conference. So we are a little scattered, no one is operating on a normal schedule or in their normal lanes but we're excited about things coming together and launching into the summer.

For the Win[dow],

Bubby Bryan

VERSE OF THE WEEK:  Matthew 11:28

"Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest."

COUNTRY OF THE WEEK: Pakistan

The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world and dating back at least 5,000 years, spread over much of what is presently Pakistan. During the second millennium B.C., remnants of this culture fused with the migrating Indo-Aryan peoples. The area underwent successive invasions in subsequent centuries from the Persians, Greeks, Scythians, Arabs (who brought Islam), Afghans, and Turks. The Mughal Empire flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries; the British came to dominate the region in the 18th century. The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with West and East sections) and largely Hindu India was never satisfactorily resolved, and India and Pakistan fought two wars - in 1947-48 and 1965 - over the disputed Kashmir territory. A third war between these countries in 1971 - in which India capitalized on Islamabad's marginalization of Bengalis in Pakistani politics - resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998. India-Pakistan relations have been rocky since the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, but both countries are taking steps to put relations back on track. Nawaz SHARIF took office as Prime Minister in 2013, marking the first time in Pakistani history that a democratically elected government completed a full term and transitioned to a successive democratically elected government. (CIA World Factbook)

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PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for breakthroughs in reaching spiritually oppressed people living in areas currently beyond the reach of a Christian witness.
• Pray for leaders of integrity to carefully navigate ongoing tensions with neighbors which threaten the nation’s stability.
• Pray for the strongholds of Islamic extremism and terrorist violence to be broken and rendered powerless.
• Pray for our Uttermost workers on the field.
• Pray for our US office.
• Pray for our Uttermost president's health.

Week of May 2, 2016

"Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us, we have to see it as something done by us." - John Stott

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FROM THE DESK OF: the Director of Communications

Please continue to pray for our president as he recovers from a pulmonary embolism and the rest of our team as we make the final preparations for our overseas meetings with many of our workers and new candidates. May will be a big month for our organization. 

For the Win[dow],

Bubby Bryan, DOC

VERSE OF THE WEEK: Psalm 127: 1

"Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain."

COUNTRY OF THE WEEK: Philippines

The Philippine Islands became a Spanish colony during the 16th century; they were ceded to the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. In 1935 the Philippines became a self-governing commonwealth. Manuel QUEZON was elected president and was tasked with preparing the country for independence after a 10-year transition. In 1942 the islands fell under Japanese occupation during World War II, and US forces and Filipinos fought together during 1944-45 to regain control. On 4 July 1946 the Republic of the Philippines attained its independence. A 20-year rule by Ferdinand MARCOS ended in 1986, when a "people power" movement in Manila ("EDSA 1") forced him into exile and installed Corazon AQUINO as president. Her presidency was hampered by several coup attempts that prevented a return to full political stability and economic development. Fidel RAMOS was elected president in 1992. His administration was marked by increased stability and by progress on economic reforms. In 1992, the US closed its last military bases on the islands. Joseph ESTRADA was elected president in 1998. He was succeeded by his vice-president, Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, in January 2001 after ESTRADA's stormy impeachment trial on corruption charges broke down and another "people power" movement ("EDSA 2") demanded his resignation. MACAPAGAL-ARROYO was elected to a six-year term as president in May 2004. Her presidency was marred by several corruption allegations but the Philippine economy was one of the few to avoid contraction following the 2008 global financial crisis, expanding each year of her administration. Benigno AQUINO III was elected to a six-year term as president in May 2010. The Philippine Government faces threats from several groups, some of which are on the US Government's Foreign Terrorist Organization list. Manila has waged a decades-long struggle against ethnic Moro insurgencies in the southern Philippines, which has led to a peace accord with the Moro National Liberation Front and ongoing peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The decades-long Maoist-inspired New People's Army insurgency also operates through much of the country. The Philippines faces increased tension with China over disputed territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea. (CIA World Factbook)

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PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for more Filipino churches to raise up and send out missionaries committed to worldwide evangelism.
• Pray for honesty, justice, and fairness to replace corruption and greed in the government.
• Pray for the church to stand firm on biblical truth and to be unified with one another.
• Pray for the Uttermost workers on the field.
• Pray for the US office.
• Pray for the Uttermost president's health.

 

Week of April 25, 2016

"God relentlessly offers His grace to people who don't deserve it, seek it or appreciate it after they have been saved by it." - Tim Keller

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FROM THE DESK OF: the Director of Communications

From the Department of Redundancy Department: You are worse than you let yourself believe but Jesus loves you than you would ever hope...

For the Win[dow],

Bubby Bryan, DOC

VERSE OF THE WEEK: Romans 8:1

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus."

COUNTRY OF THE WEEK: Laos

Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th century under King FA NGUM. For 300 years Lan Xang had influence reaching into present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as over all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the domination of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the communist Pathet Lao took control of the government ending a six-century-old monarchy and instituting a strict socialist regime closely aligned to Vietnam. A gradual, limited return to private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment laws began in 1988. Laos became a member of ASEAN in 1997 and the WTO in 2013. (CIA World Factbook)

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PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for house church leaders who are singled out as targets of persecution to persevere with grace.
• Pray for Lao seekers to toss aside the social pressure to practice Buddhism and place their hope in the one true God.
• Pray for believers to unashamedly proclaim the Gospel to their neighbors despite close government monitoring.
• Pray for the Uttermost workers on the field.
• Pray for the US office.
• Pray for the health of our president.

Week of April 18, 2016

“People who believe nothing are willing to negotiate everything.”

— R.C. Sproul

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FROM THE DESK OF: the Director of Communications

Today the Boston Marathon is underway. This huge event looms even larger for runners after the terrorist bombing at the finish line in 2013. It is a reminder that what evil intended to destroy has only made it stronger. Keep pressing.

For the Win[dow],

Bubby Bryan, DOC

VERSE OF THE WEEK: Exodus 14:13-14

And Moses said to the people, "Fear not, stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you and you have only to be silent."

COUNTRY OF THE WEEK: Sri Lanka

The first Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C., probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced in about the mid-third century B.C., and a great civilization developed at the cities of Anuradhapura (kingdom from circa 200 B.C. to circa A.D. 1000) and Polonnaruwa (from about 1070 to 1200). In the 14th century, a south Indian dynasty established a Tamil kingdom in northern Sri Lanka. The Portuguese controlled the coastal areas of the island in the 16th century and the Dutch in the 17th century. The island was ceded to the British in 1796, became a crown colony in 1802, and was formally united under British rule by 1815. As Ceylon, it became independent in 1948; its name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972. Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted into war in 1983. After two decades of fighting, the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) formalized a cease-fire in February 2002 with Norway brokering peace negotiations. Violence between the LTTE and government forces intensified in 2006, but the government regained control of the Eastern Province in 2007 and by May 2009, the remnants of the LTTE had been defeated. Since the end of the conflict, the government has enacted an ambitious program of economic development projects, many of which are financed by loans from the Government of China. In addition to efforts at reconstructing its economy, the government has resettled more than 95% of those civilians displaced during the final phase of the conflict and released the vast majority of former LTTE combatants captured by Government Security Forces. At the same time, there has been little progress on more contentious and politically difficult issues such as reaching a political settlement with Tamil elected representatives and holding accountable those alleged to have been involved in human rights violations and other abuses during the conflict. (CIA World Factbook)

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PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for physical and relational healing after a generation of civil war.
• Pray for the freedom of religious expression without proposed anti-conversion laws.
• Pray for growth and maturity for the indigenous Church.
• Pray for the Uttermost workers on the field.
• Pray for the US office.