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JOEL-NEWS-INTERNATIONAL-462 * 12 DECEMBER 2003 * WWW.JOELNEWS.ORG

IN THIS EDITION:

JN462-1. TYPICALLY GOD: Healed by forgiveness
JN462-2. PRAYER FOCUS: Buddhist world agenda
JN462-3. NEWS BRIEF: Prayer shield from Oregon to Mexico
JN462-4. NEWS BRIEF: Strip club becomes prayer room
JN462-5. RESOURCE: School of Reconciliation
JN462-6. RESOURCE: The humble will inherit the earth

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JN462-1. TYPICALLY GOD: Healed by forgiveness

Rolland and Heidi Baker sent us this wonderful testimony from Mozambique:

Iris Africa has hundreds of churches in South Africa, mostly among the very poor, and a few weeks ago we were having a youth conference in the town of Slauslau, just east of White River near Mozambique. Surprise Sithole, our African director, and our five South African commissioners were holding three days of meetings in the town's community hall, Friday through Sunday.

On Saturday night, September 27, the meeting was going beautifully until late. Many older Christians were there to support the youth, and everyone was having a wonderful time. Then a gang of drunken teenagers showed up outside the hall to cause trouble, throw rocks and do what violence they could to disrupt the meeting. At midnight one of our commissioners, Franse Shongwe, a young married man of 28, went out to lock the gate to the hall and prevent more trouble. The gang jumped on him and began to beat him without mercy until he stopped breathing and they left him for dead.

They all fled into the night, and the horrified church began to pray earnestly. The police were afraid to come out and pursue the case that night. An ambulance was called and called, but never came. Finally someone took Franse's body to the hospital himself in his small car. As they were checking the body at 1:15 a.m., Franse suddenly began to breathe again. The doctors injected him with painkillers and sedatives, and he was out for the night.

Surprise went to the hospital at 6:00 a.m. to visit. Franse's eyes were swollen shut, and his whole body was swollen and covered with bruises. He was a tragic mess, and he could hardly think straight and communicate through his lips. It looked like he would take a long time to recover. Meanwhile the church kept praying, and considering what they should do with the gang if the police caught them. Before long it was agreed that the church would forgive the murderers. Later in the morning the police did catch one of them, and at 2:00 p.m. they called the church to ask someone to come down and file charges at the police station. The church announced their decision that no charge would be made, which thoroughly agitated the police. This would encourage more crime, they said, and the teenager should be jailed at least eighteen months. No, the church was firm. The boy was forgiven.

As that decision was being made at the church, Franse's body was totally healed. Just after the police called, the hospital also called to ask someone to come and pick Franse up. Surprise went to the hospital and found Franse totally well, with no swelling, no bruises, no scars and no problems whatsoever. It was as though he had never been touched and nothing had happened the night before. Patients were not supposed to be released on a Sunday at this hospital; they were always kept through the weekend and watched until Monday. But there was nothing wrong with Franse, and they had no reason to keep him. Surprise did have to run out and buy new clothes for Frans, whose own clothes had been torn to shreds in the beating.

The next morning, Monday, Franse himself went to the police station with Surprise to pick up the teenage criminal, who had been released into the church's custody. Do whatever you want with him, the police said. The church ministered to him with compassion, and within an hour the boy gave his heart to Jesus.

Three weeks later, the boy is attending church, Franse is doing perfectly well teaching in Bible school, and the Kingdom is advancing!

LINK: http://www.baspub.com/connected/report.asp?id=226

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JN462-2. PRAYER FOCUS: Buddhist world agenda

This past summer, Buddhist monks carried a gold dome containing
Buddha's ashes through Santiago, Chile, drawing hundreds of onlookers.
Burma, Sri Lanka, and Thailand donated the ashes to the United Nations,
which officially recognized Buddhism as a world religion in 1999. The
tour of Buddha's remains, which has visited 15 countries, began last
year. Next May, the ashes will be placed on permanent display in UN
headquarters in New York City. One Tibetan healer said the ashes are
for everyone, not just Buddhists, "because Buddha himself was open to
all of us. The relics help the creation of a non-violent culture."

Stand in prayer against the forces of deception behind the peaceful
Buddhist facade. Ask God to reveal to Buddhists that Jesus Christ is
the only source of true peace. Pray that he would frustrate Buddhist
attempts to curry favor with powerful figures in the United Nations.

Source: Advance

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JN462-3. NEWS BRIEF: Prayer shield from Oregon to Mexico

Prayer networks in California are cooperating to form a prayer shield along the Interstate 5 (motorway) from Oregon to Mexico, on January 3, 2004. "This is a call to all believers throughout the State of California to unite in prayer and worship and rededicate our region to the sovereignty of Almighty God for revival, that He would once again visit our state and that it again become a lighthouse for the Gospel of Jesus Christ especially in the movie and studio industry of Hollywood. It's time for the Church in California to rise!"

To goal of this prayer shield is two-fold:

1. To reestablish the covenant made by Father Junipero Serra, the 'father of California missions' and those who dedicated the land to Jesus Christ and gave their lives for the proclamation of the Gospel.

2. To come against the mandala ritual that Tibetan Buddhist lamas will complete on January 4 to invoke ancestral territorial spirits over California.

LINK: http://makeashorterlink.com/?Z430228C6

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JN462-4. NEWS BRIEF: Strip club becomes prayer room

Praying Christians in Eastern Canada have been asking God during the last few months to change their city from the inside out. As a result they've seen a drug house close in their area and now the local strip club shut down, to be re-opened soon as a house of prayer.

Steve, the club DJ, became a Christian earlier in the year and for several months kept his job at the Strip Bar. His testimony helped bring the strip show to a close and secure the group's purchase of the building. They hope that many of the club's former clients will frequent the building again in the future, as a house of prayer and healing.

Source: 24-7prayer Canada

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JN462-5. RESOURCE: School of Reconciliation

In association with John Dawson's International Reconciliation Coalition, registration is now open for the new web-based, self-paced 9 month school for leaders, the International School of Reconciliation Studies. Comprised of a world-class gathering of scholars and storytellers, this school is designed to multiply creative, biblically anchored, multi-cultural reconcilers throughout the world.

LINK: http://www.reignbridge.com/?page=school

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JN462-6. RESOURCE: The humble will inherit the earth

"The Kingdom is not given to the worldly wise and powerful, but to the meek and poor in spirit. It is not given to those with the largest church, or the biggest ministry," says David Orton from Australia in this prophetic teaching article.

"Sure, there may be numerical increase under the blessing of God, but this is not our goal nor motive, for the Lord can save by many or by few (see 1 Sam 14:6). He is, therefore, not impressed by our size - and is not moved by our worldly measures of success. What does move him is our trust in his ways - our refusal to lean to our own understanding (Prov 3:5,6)." Orton draws several parallels to 'Lord of the Rings'.

LINK: http://www.lifemessenger.org/teachings/20031118.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.

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