GFA DAY 32 The Power of Prayer

Sister Mary suffered from debilitating pain and couldn’t find a cure. A vast amounts of money wasn’t enough to buy a cure, and eventually she planned to kill herself. But on the night she expected to find death, she found new life. Jesus came to her in a dream, and she gave her life to Christ.

Mary could have done like many people do, commit to going to church—when it’s convenient, but she decided that she would truly follow Christ. She shares His love throughout the community praying for the needs of individuals, families, and villages. Many of her prayers have brought about physical healing. But even more importantly they have brought spiritual healing. 

In an area where black magic is the norm, where superstition rules, Sister Mary’s prayers have brought about healing, transformation, and changed hearts. God can use your prayers too. 

                                            Why not start today by praying for: 

+Widows. The treatment of widows in South Asia is unimaginably horrific.
+ Abandoned Children. Countless children in Asia have been discarded and abused, but they are not forgotten.
+ Asia’s Youth. Did you know that 40 percent of India’s 1 billion people are under the age of 18?
+ National Missionaries. Everyday people who love the Lord and rely on Him for help as they give their lives to further God’s Kingdom

.

To see more ways to pray for South Asia visit

            GFA has provided a short video (about 8 minutes) about Mary’s prayer ministry and the effect that it has had  on the people within her expanding circle of influence. Watch it HERE

thoughts on REBIRTH

Just a few months ago I wrote about a novel called Hastening.  The premise was to send missionaries into all the world, until, a la Matthew 24:14, there was ‘no place left’ where the gospel had not been shared.  Now Stephen R Smith has released the sequel in this 'No Place Left' saga. Rebirth (2414ventures, 2016), picks up where Hastening ended.

             

              Senator Michael Worth, now Number Seven of a group of extreme power brokers known simply as the Ten, wants to be Number One. On his way to that exalted position he decides to take on religion, all religion, including Christianity. Of course that’s not his stated goal; he wants to be the instrument through which universal peace is finally achieved.  It’s within this context that Christopher Owens and his group, KPF (Kingdom Preparation Force), try to go to each under- and un-reached people group in the world. In Hastening we learned that they goal was to reach all groups by 2025, and in doing so be part of the generation that will ‘hasten the day” (2 Peter 3:12) and welcome Christ’s return.

                The group knows, because they have read through the biblical book of Revelation, that a lot of ugly things are going to happen before Jesus finally returns, and they prepare for the worst. Through their preparation their faith strengthens, and many are martyred for the cause.

                If you’ve read the New Testament, you’ll get many of the references to false prophets, false teachings, and some of the elements of John’s Revelation. For those who haven’t read through the Bible, the references are explained.

                If you don’t understand why missionaries do what they do, this book may give you a pretty good idea. Although there is a synopsis of Book I of the saga at the start of this book, Book II, I would recommend that you read Hastening, before digging into Rebirth.

                If you’re a Christian interested in end times, and you like pleasure reading, this novel is probably something you would enjoy.

                I received an electronic copy of the book in exchange for agreeing to post a review.

                4/5

GFA Day 31 18 million street children

              It’s hard for me to imagine 18 million of anything. Oh sure we hear about athletes making almost that many dollars per year. But even that is beyond my grasp.  We live comfortably on a very small percentage of that amount. What would I do with $18 million? And even as that seems like a lot of money, would it be enough to deal with the increasingly large number of children on the street. Stats provided by Gospel for Asia suggest that there are 18 million street children in India. I can believe it. In fact this past summer I think they were all hanging out at the entrance to our hotel in Delhi.

                                                                

                For whatever reason, they are alone on the street. And things happen there that rob them of their childhood innocence, if ever they had any. They are sold into slavery: forced labor, and more disgustingly into the sex trade. Some avoid the traffickers, but most of them end up in gangs, they seek relief from their pain through alcohol and drugs. The concept of trust is totally foreign to them, and every day their main goal is to survive yet another day. Another day of darkness and despair. 

                There’s 18 million of them, and that’s just in one country. That $18 million salary seems paltry next to the need. It would be enough to give each of those street children $1.00 a year. Hardly enough to lift them from despair.

                The Apostle James wrote that pure and faultless religion is to care for orphans and widows.  Where is the church? Where is the pure and faultless religion? Who is caring for these “street orphans”? Many of them have parents still living, but they are separated from them. Many girls are abandoned simply because they are girls. In the true sense they are not orphans, but…

                But there is hope. Gospel for Asia has a home for runaways and abandoned children, a home where the children are protected from predators while the staff try to effect reconciliation with the birth family.

Your gift today will help even more children escape their street life, and offer them a chance to succeed.   When you click HERE, you'll be redirected to a page with a 5 minute video explaining the plight of Street Children in Asia. Heart strings will be touched, and hopefully purse strings will be opened!