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Advent Prayer - Indonesia

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Published: Thursday 08 December 2011

Advent Prayer - Indonesia

Project(s): 22-1017, 22-828

Country: South and East Asia, Indonesia

But you, Bethlehem ... out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel. Micah 5:2

The church-planting ministry of this Indonesian couple is sponsored by Barnabas Fund

On Sunday 25 September 2011 a suicide bomber detonated explosives at a church in Solo, Central Java, as the Christians were leaving the building, and 28 people were injured. The bombing may have been a response to clashes earlier that month in Ambon, sparked by false rumours among Muslims in the area that Christians had killed a Muslim taxi driver.

Islamist groups who want to eliminate Christianity from Indonesia and bring the whole country under the rule of sharia have been waging an often violent campaign against Christians in recent years. Many churches have been destroyed and others forced to close by pressure and intimidation. Often the police take no action.

The authorities have encouraged Muslims to migrate into Christian-majority areas; once they outnumber the Christians, they can press for the imposition of sharia. The churches are burdened with restrictions on evangelism, the construction of buildings and involvement in public life. A church in Jalan Abdullah bin Nuh street, Bogor, West Java, had its building permit revoked in 2008, and the local mayor is refusing to allow it to re-open, saying that churches should not be built on streets with Islamic names.

A Christian prayer ministry supported by Barnabas strengthens local churches across Indonesia. Pastors from each region gather for training sessions during the day and revival meetings in the evening. It takes the team several days to reach some of the remote islands. Our grant provides travel and accommodation costs, Bibles for distribution, and expenses for the seminars and meetings.

Give thanks to the Lord for the commitment of ’s Christians to outreach among the country’s Muslim population, which is the largest in the world. Pray that they may have wisdom and courage in fulfilling His Great Commission in the face of violence and restrictions. Pray that the authorities will uphold religious freedom and take firm action against Islamist groups that threaten the property and safety of Christians and want to make into an Islamic state. Ask that the churches that have been attacked will be able to resume their worship and will be protected from further attacks. Pray too that the church in Bogor will be allowed to re-open.