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JOEL-NEWS-INTERNATIONAL-443 * 27 MAY 2003 * WWW.JOELNEWS.ORG

IN THIS EDITION:

JN443-1. TYPICALLY GOD: The maniacs we know as the Church
JN443-2. PRAYER FOCUS: 10 days for Holland
JN443-3. NEWS BRIEF: Global prayer initiative for Iraq launched
JN443-4. NEWS BRIEF: Southern Baptists pray for China
JN443-5. RESOURCE: Open Church
JN443-6. RESOURCE: How to overcome the adversary in Jesus' name

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QUOTE: "No excuse is good enough. The next time you think you have an excuse why God can't use you, remember the following people: Noah was drunk, Abraham was too old, Isaac was a daydreamer, Jacob was a liar, Leah was ugly, Joseph was abused, Moses was a murderer (like David and Paul), Deborah was a female judge, Gideon was afraid, Samson had long hair, Rahab was a prostitute, Jeremiah and Timothy were too young, David pretended to be mad, had an affair and ran away from his own son, Elijah was suicidal, Isaiah preached naked, Jonah ran away from God, Naomi was a widow, Job lost everything, John the Baptist ate locusts, Peter was hot-tempered, John was self-righteous, the disciples fell asleep while praying, Martha was worried about everything, Mary was too lazy, Mary Magdalene was demon-possessed, the boy with the fish and five rolls of bread was too unknown (and still is), the Samaritan woman slept with many men, Zacchaeus was too small, Peter was too impulsive, Mark had given up, Timothy had a stomach ulcer, and Lazarus - he was dead." (Anonymous)
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JN443-1. TYPICALLY GOD: The maniacs we know as the Church

"You can hate the music, flatten the structures, moan about the meetings, disappear into a prophetic black hole but I'll still be one of them - one of those screwed up, down-trodden, out-of-touch, utterly underwhelming bunch of misfits and maniacs known as the church," says 24-7prayer.com's Pete Greig. He continues:

"A girl in our church became a follower of Jesus a while ago and her parents didn't like it. She decided to go to University and they refused to drive her to the campus 300 miles away. So a Christian - a girl called Charlotte - drove Julia on a 600 mile round trip. And she then persuaded two car-loads of other Christians to secretly drive up in advance, so that when Julia arrived at University, nervous and uncertain, nine Christians were waiting in her room to welcome her to her new home! Normal people don't do that.

"A few weeks ago in our Sunday meeting a guy with Downs Syndrome danced for us to a beautiful piece of music. As he moved his limbs awkwardly to the easy-flowing music, lost in wonder love and the glow of our praise, I wondered where else in our town that day anything remotely similar was happening.

"I turned my entire wardrobe pink in a single wash and a guy I vaguely know at church stopped laughing long enough to give me a load of cash to buy new stuff. I was merely grateful but my friends at work were stunned. I mean the guy hardly knew me right?"

LINK: http://makeashorterlink.com/?L2EB151A4

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JN443-2. PRAYER FOCUS: 10 days for Holland

Between Ascension Day and Pentecost (29 May-7 June 2003) thousands of Christians in the Netherlands will pray, fast and reach out for a spiritual transformation in their neighborhoods, schools and workplaces. Like in Acts 2 they expect prayer to 'break out' of the upper room and impact the people around them. The prayer and outreach period is organised by Transformations.NL, a national partnership of the Dutch prayer movement.

Let's join in prayer for the Netherlands, that God will pour out his Spirit of prayer, boldness and creativity on the believers, and his Spirit of revelation and conviction on those who do not yet know the living Christ.

LINK: http://www.10dagenvoornederland.nl (Dutch only)

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JN443-3. NEWS BRIEF: Global prayer initiative for Iraq launched

Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), announced the start of a global prayer initiative for Iraq called 'Operation Iraqi Care'. The initiative provides an opportunity for Christians worldwide to join as 'prayer partners' in helping Iraqis rebuild their country. The Internet-based effort (supported by the World Prayer Team, the Presidential Prayer Team, World Relief and the Christian Emergency Network) provides a specific avenue for Christians "to encourage and bless the Iraqis" through the power of prayer and through the 'adoption' of a specific Iraqi city to lift up in prayer, Haggard said.

The biblical principles of prayer, compassion and giving in practical ways energize Christians to join the Iraqi humanitarian campaign, leaders said. Those who join 'Operation Iraqi Care' can download a certificate reminding them to pray for the country, and register to receive e-mail updates of current events and prayer points.

LINK: http://www.operationiraqicare.org

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JN443-4. NEWS BRIEF: Southern Baptists pray for China

On June 8, Southern Baptists will take on an enormous task: praying and fasting for the more than 1 billion Chinese who have yet to hear of the love and saving power of Jesus Christ. "Praying for so many people may seem daunting, but the power of united prayer is immeasurable," said Randy Sprinkle, director of the International Mission Board's prayer strategy office. With the world's fastest Christian growth, China is seeing a dynamic working of the Holy Spirit and is home to many of the world's church-planting movements. The Chinese are the largest people group in the world, they make up 20 percent of the world's population, yet less than 5 percent are Christians.

LINK: http://www.imb.org/ime/dayofprayer/

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JN443-5. RESOURCE: Open Church

"Because of the power that God is unleashing worldwide, business as usual won't do anymore. So let's stop 'playing church'," says Jim Rutz of Open Church Ministries. His mission is to aid the restoration of the church with pure worship, true sharing and free ministry, including sharing time. This simple concept is called 'Open Church'.

LINK: http://www.openchurch.com

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JN443-6. RESOURCE: How to overcome the adversary in Jesus' name

Spiritual warfare, or dealing with the demonic, is a topic that is often avoided. Yet it is an ever-present reality for all front-line soldiers in the army of God. Roy Rosedale, a long-term missionary with Campus Crusade for Christ, accounts of how the Lord led him and his wife into waging battle with the enemy - and triumphing over his deceptive tactics. Their experiences in Indonesia and the United States are crucial for anyone preparing for the ministry.

LINK: http://www.leaderu.com/isot/docs/overadvers.html

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COLOPHON

Joel News International is a leading special interest bulletin on prayer, church growth and revival. We offer a keen selection of the most encouraging news reports, the most challenging developments and the best resources from over 100 reliable sources in six continents. Joel News International is a great help and time-saver for thousands of Christian leaders and intercessors in over 120 nations.

Editors: Alex ten Cate and Marc van der Woude. You can contact the editorial office at joel-news@xs4all.nl.

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