Proclamation over North Korea

Proclamation of ‘2007 Year of Prayer for North Korea ’


We give God all the honour and praise that the Great Revival which broke out on 14th January 1907 in Pyongyang was the greatest demonstration of God’s powerful plan of salvation for the Korean Peninsula .

As we mark this centenary day of the outbreak of the 1907 Pyongyang Great Revival, we desire to see love, freedom and peace restored in Korea . We thus proclaim 2007 as a Year of Prayer for North Korea and call the global Church and Christians worldwide to join the South Korean Church in actively praying for North Korea this year.

A hundred years ago God started the flames of repentance and revival in Pyongyang Jang Dae Hyun Church , but His work did not stop there. As the miracles of the revival spread from Pyongyang across the Korean Peninsula , Pyongyang became known throughout the worldwide Church as ‘The Jerusalem of the East’.

We are aware, however, that in this day North Korea is in a time of deep suffering; that her people face great hardship and that many have died as a result. We mourn with those who mourn and are deeply concerned for the welfare of the North Korean people.

In light of the current situation, we call on all churches and Christians around the world to pray urgently for North Korea during 2007. We urge for fervent prayer for an end to the deprivations and sufferings, and for the day to come when the love of God and the blessing of salvation breaks out once again throughout the nation and touches the lives of the people of North Korea .

Furthermore, the South Korean Church lays before God the pain caused by the division of Korea and proclaims the week of 25th June, the anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, as the ‘Global Week of Prayer for North Korea’.

We hereby call on denominations and ministries around the world to promote the ‘2007 Year of Prayer for North Korea ’. We urge for intercession to be rallied for 2007 to be the year in which walls of darkness fall in North Korea , crosses are restored in every corner of the land and a historical tide of repentance and revival breaks out and brings peace to Korea and beyond.

The centenary day of the outbreak of the 1907 Pyongyang Great Revival
14 January 2007


President Rev. Park Jong Soon
Executive Secretary Rev. Choi Hee Boum


The Christian Council of Korea (CCK) is the representative Christian alliance in South Korea made up of 61 denominations and 21 Christian agencies (http://www.cck.or.kr/).

We ask you to kindly publicise this proclamation as widely as possible amongst denominations, agencies, churches, media outlets and individuals all over the world.

Check out some helpful info on this blog:
http://magicstatistics.com/category/asia/eastern-asia/north-korea/

CSW - North Korea (recent press release)

Christian Solidarity Worldwide

For immediate release

15th January 2007


SOUTH KOREAN CHURCH ANNOUNCES INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF PRAYER FOR NORTH KOREA IN 2007

HISTORIC PROCLAMATION MADE AT SEOUL OLYMPIC STADIUM COMPLEX ON REVIVAL CENTENARY DATE


On the centenary day of the Pyongyang Great Revival, the South Korean Church proclaimed an international Year of Prayer for North Korea in 2007. The announcement was made at the Seoul Olympic Gymnastic Stadium before an audience of 15,000.

The proclamation states ‘As we mark this centenary day of the outbreak of the 1907 Pyongyang Great Revival, we desire to see love, freedom and peace restored in Korea. We thus proclaim 2007 as a Year of Prayer for North Korea and call the global Church and Christians worldwide to join the South Korean Church in actively praying for North Korea this year.’

The proclamation was made by Rev. Choi Hee Boum, the Executive Secretary of the Christian Council of Korea, the representative Christian alliance of South Korea, and co-signed by the body’s President, Rev. Park Jong Soon. The announcement came in the culmination of a week of meetings at the Olympic Stadium leading up to the revival centenary date.

A new website address was launched during the week as a vehicle for prayer for North Korea. The inter-agency site at http://www.pfnk.org/ carries information and resources to inform and equip Christians everywhere to pray for North Korea and its people.

The proclamation concludes with the words: ‘We hereby call on denominations and ministries around the world to promote the ‘2007 Year of Prayer for North Korea’. We urge for intercession to be rallied for 2007 to be the year in which the walls of darkness fall in North Korea, crosses are restored in every corner of the land and a historical tide of repentance and revival breaks out and brings peace to Korea and beyond.’

The appeal for prayer reflects the grave concern that exists over the situation in North Korea in both spiritual and physical terms.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide’s International Advocate, Elizabeth Batha, spoke earlier at the Olympic Stadium Complex, highlighting the grave need for concerted worldwide prayer for North Korea: ‘The contrast between the spiritual climate in North Korea today and one hundred years ago could not be starker. That Pyongyang has moved from being a city known throughout the Christian world as ‘the Jerusalem of the East’ to now being the capital of probably the most brutal suppressor of Christianity is chilling. The population is subject to enforced idolatry of the political leadership, there is a ruthless ban on the gospel and Christians are brutally persecuted, imprisoned and executed. All these reasons make it imperative that the worldwide Church recognises North Korea as a top prayer priority and stands in the gap to intercede for these most beleaguered of people.’

Stuart Windsor, CSW’s National Director, who also spoke at the Stadium Complex events said: ‘May God awaken the Church and cause a tidal wave of prayer to arise, bringing down the walls of darkness and pouring His love and light into the nation, just as He did one hundred years ago. We hope that all Christian groups and individuals will respond to this call to pray.’

For more information on North Korea, please visit http://www.pfnk.org/ or http://www.csw.org.uk/. Further information on the Christian Council of Korea is available at http://www.cck.or.kr/.

Photos and additional information are available from Christian Solidarity Worldwide in South Korea on 018 696 1180 or in the UK on 020 8329 0043 or by e-mailing mailto:alexa@csw.org.uk.

CSW is a human rights organisation which specialises in religious freedom, works on behalf of those persecuted for their Christian beliefs and promotes religious liberty for all.

Cornerstone Asia - pray for India

Writing as I am, from England, we are not unfamiliar here with many aspects of Indian culture.Our historical links with India go back a considerable length of time, from the East India Company and the British Raj. One of our family's grandparents, wrote of his experiences and views from serving in the British Army in the region and as the independence of India was debated in parliament.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_India
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Raj

Many people from the Indian sub-continent have connections with the United Kingdom. Close neighbours that we know came here many years ago, and now four generations have come and settled - or travel between India and England.

Yet, surprisingly, I read on the front pages of British newspapers (Wednesday January 17th), the controversy over comments made on the reality TV show 'Big Brother'. Shilpa Shetty, a Bollywood actress, is driven to tears over cruel bullying, the papers say. She is mocked about her cooking, her standard of home accommodation and another contestant says her name is unpronouncable.

Bollywood and other films still reflect the difficult and painful history between India and it's British rulers under the British Empire. Films such as 'Lagaan' (2001) by Ashutosh Gowarikar , the award-winning 'Ghandi' (1982) by Richard Attenborough and the drama series 'Jewel in the Crown' (1984) by Christopher Morahan, show some of the oppression that existed. Shilpa hoped to demonstrate Indians as 'modern, intelligent and glamourous' on British TV. Instead, she came up against stereotypes, (and perhaps Bollywood could be criticised for stereotypes from history in portraying the British at times?)

But what of the future? India remains a vast challenge for missions, both to the Indian Church itself and missions around the world. Now fast catching up with China, and likely to overtake her as the most populated nation on earth.

The huge social move of Dalits changing religious adherence from Hinduism to Buddhism or Christianity, is unsettling higher castes and ruling BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) Hindu political interests. Since November 2001, this has had a huge impact - challenging a social order in place for over 3000 years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalit_(outcaste)

http://www.cswusa.com/Reports%20Pages/Reports-India.htm


British relationships ith Gujurat actually began in 1608, with ships from the British East India Company arrived at Surat. Gujarat is probably the most staunchly Hindu of the India's states- so it appears to westerners who have visited. I asked some of those familiar with Gujarat about their impressions of the state. They mentioned the hospitality, the fact that few people speak English, the concern that westerners do not understand the social system. To help a poor member of the community can easily be misunderstood there. Many Gujaratis are now in the UK, frequently recognized as a Patel family running a newsagent or corner shop.

http://www.countercurrents.org/comm-puniyani030206.htm


And this year, millions will visit Allahabad, in North India for the Ardh Kumbh Mela (see www.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/6224659.stm ). Many seek to wash their sins away, but the waters of the Ganges cannot do it. The bible talks of a better cleasing, an inward one, (see 1 Peter 3:21). The river of life the bible talks about in Revelation 21 and Ezekiel 47 is the only source of life- the fountain of living water that Jesus himself promised would spring up to eternal life in John 4.

Many in India can only dream of the fame, wealth and public interest of Bollywood stars such as Shilpa Shetty. They will never make headlines in the newspaper, never own a floor of a luxury apartment block, never hit the silver screen.

We have been particularily impressed with the heart of C V Vadavana - a dear brother who is working in India in some of the toughest areas, ministering with others through the work of Sathyam (Truth) Ministries. Please have a look at the website : www.sathyam.org


'Father, we ask for your heart for those in Asia particularly India, that you see, but people have despised, neglected, forgotten and discarded. The Dalits, the tribal groups, the children in India. Those who are child prostitutes, those who are with HIV/AIDS, those without hope'.

Cornerstone Asia- Praying for Tibet

There can be few more remote regions of the world that still contain many unreached groups of people as the Tibetan plateau. Behind the peaks of the Himalayan mountains, much of Tibet is a high-altitude plateau, inhospitable, severe and largely untouched by the gospel.

There is a great need for fresh vision to come to the church for reaching Tibet - although there are those historically who have such. Even today, many Christians in China have such a vision in reaching areas West of China as part of the 'Back to Jerusalem' missions movement.

One of the most significant missionaries to the region was Sadhu Sundar Singh, an Indian believer who spent much time reaching Tibetans often at tremendous personal cost.

In recent years prayer trips by intercessors have been part of God's strategy for opening up the heavenly places, to quote Isaiah, 'oh that you would end the heavens and come down.'. In the words of Jesus: 'your kingdom come.on earth as it is in heaven'.

Tibetan Buddhism is a vast subject in itself, since it's influence spreads into surrounding areas such as Bhutan, Arunanchal Pradesh, Qinghai Province and Mongolia. In recent years its influence in the west has grown immensely through the talks, books and profile of the fourteenth Dalai Lama.

Useful Links:A number of interesting articles can be found if you do a www.google.co.uk search under 'Tibet Christians'. Bear in mind that some are about historical references to missions, some are more recent and not all are in sympathy to an evangelical position.

www.backtojerusalem.com Has a recommended booklist regarding the Asian Missionfield, some of which might also be obtained via www.amazon.com I recommend Marku Tsering's 'Sharing Christ in the Tibetan Buddhist World' (1993).

I highly recommend 'Peoples of the Buddhist World-a Christian Prayer Guide' by Paul Hattaway, Piquant Editions. Again, try amazon or www.piquanteditions.com. This has some of the most detailed misions information on Tibetan and other groups I have found in book form.

Try also www.ad2000.org/peoples And the Joshua Project listed in my general recommended links.

A good general introduction to understanding Tibet, would be to watch the film 'Himalaya' (1999-Director Eric Valli, see www.kino.com/himalaya/gb_accueil), or read the book by the author Michael Palin 'Himalaya' (ISBN 0297 84371) - which talks more widely about the regions around also.

It's worth doing a search on the internet for further information - there is no shortage of images on www.flickr.com : try searching under 'tibet' or 'amdo' for example.

'Father bring your light into every tribe and people and ethnic group in Tibet. Reveal your truth and hope. Let your glory be manifest in the heavens over Tibet and your kingdom come on earth in the Tibetan plateau'.

The Heart of Asia

Surprising though it may seem, the heart of Asia is not China, nor India but Israel.

Why do I make such a strange assertion? In Isaiah 2:2-3 (NIV) we read the following:

'In the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as chief among the mountains;it will be raised above the hills,and all nations will stream to it.

Many peoples will come and say,"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.
"The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."

Many other scriptures point to the unique and vital purpose that God has for Israel, most of all being his special instrument to fulfil the purpose of sending his Son into the world to be the sacifice for sins, once and for all people for all time.

The heart of God and the heart of his purposes has a special focus on Israel and the Jewish people. He said to Solomon at the building of temple:

My eyes and my heart will ALWAYS be there (2 Chronicles 7:16)

Have a look at the following scriptures especially: Romans 9:1-5, 11:28-29, Psalm 122:6-9.

Israel -the Jewish people as a nation -has never been given her P45 (told to leave her job) as God's testimony on earth.

This divine purpose is to be a blessing began with Abraham's calling in Genesis 12:2-3.

God's restoration of the Jewish people to their ancient land, and their spiritual restoration are inextricably linked to his salvation of the nations (see Isaiah 49:5-13).

Israel must also have a two-way role:

1.To be in the place of God's favour in order to be a source of blessing to the nations,
(Psalm 67:1-2).

2.To seek God for his blessing for the Gentile (non-Jewish) nations, that they might experience his blessing,
(Psalm 67:3-7).

There are websites and biblical scholars who might communicate these things more adequately, but I hope these thoughts are helpful.

God chose one of Jesus' ancestors - a Gentile -to be redeemed and partner with the spies, in assessing and entering the promised land. This was Rahab (see Joshua 2).

God chose one of Jesus' ancestors -a Gentile- to be married to Boaz and redeemed in order to be a mother in Israel and great-grandmother of David (see the book of Ruth).

Our participation as Gentiles in the riches of God's mercy is only by a joining as 'one new man' (see Ephesians 2 especially 15b).

It is a grafting into the root of Jesus for us as Gentiles (Romans 11:17-18), remembering that when the Jews return to their Messiah, it will be the most natural thing (Romans 11:24). The fruitfulness that results, will be beyond our imagination (Romans 11:12,15).

Father, make us watchmen on your walls day and night until you establish Jerusalem and make her the oraise of the earth (Isaiah 62:6-7).

Cornerstone Asia - pray for the Tsangla

We continue with a special feature on prayer for the eastern Himalayan Tsangla. About 250,000 Tsangla live in Bhutan, Aunacahl Pradesh in India and Tibet. FEBC Christian radio are broadcasting in the Tsangla language and the Jesus film has now been translated also. Like many Tibetan Buddhists, their belief practices are are superficial level over older Shamanistic and Polytheistic rituals. In attributing all disease to demons, the Tsangla believe they must appease angry demons by sacrificing often quite valuable animals. They also believe that humans may, in some cases, be demons. Such individuals,and those who marry them, are 'demon families' and must intermarry only with one another.

Father, bring your hope and freedom to the Tsangla - the reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work (I John 3:8) - liberate these dear people in your compassion and mercy, as you did for that Canaanite child tormented by evil spirits, during your ministry on earth (Matthew 15:21-28).

(Source: Peoples of the Buddhist World P.Hattaway, Piquant Editions, www.piquanteditions.com)

Send workers into this harvest field!

Father - release workers into this great harvest field of Asia - especially those who right now have a heart to go. Prepare them, guide them, direct them, anoint them! Let your presence fall on them and fill them with your Holy Spirit and the power of your grace , mercy and love.

Let your glory fall on Asia! Send a spirit of wisdom and revelation on those who have yet never been reached with the knowledge of Jesus - to meet you. Amen.

Pray for Thailand

Still things are unclear - please pray for peace in situation in Thailand regarding security after the New Year's Eve bombs in Bangkok.

Father, have your hand on those who are there seeking to reach the lost and reach out to minority groups especially in the north. Let your presence and peace surround them - especially the Mickels and those in Chiang Mai Christian Fellowship.

See:

www.cornerstoneasia.co.uk

www.ccfth.org

for more information on those ministries

Recommittment Prayer for 2007

Father, I come to you today and just need to rededicate everything to you all over - the pains, the struggles, the fears, the hopes and dreams, the expectations, the successes and failures, the pressures, commitments, the things that really matter to you and need priority and first place and the things that you want to fall away and take a second place.

Jesus, be the centre, be the focus again, be the one I turn to the cross, where all of history stopped and changed course for every person on earth to find salvation and wholeness and to know you intimately.

Holy Spirit, come as a wind and a fire and purify again, renew, refresh, fill, lead me into all truth.

Lord let your fire fall again - give us your heart for your purposes and compassion for this nation again, for Asia again, for the many many unreached peoples there. Give us your heart of mercy, of grace, of wisdom. Today again.

Draw together those you want to join here, make it a place of prayer, make this holy ground on the net, let your glory fall here in this room, in this blog, in this space, in every post and podcast, to every reader - let them know your heart for the things that matter to you and your purpose for them - that your kingdom might come, that we become everything you want us to be as the bride of Christ - the bride you long for, for your Son.

Draw us back to your heart, your presence, your word, your glory, the place of prayer again.

Amen and Amen!

Cornerstone Asia - pray for Bhutan

A really helpful book I have been using for prayer for the Buddhist world is called 'Peoples of the Buddhist World - A Christian Prayer Guide' by Paul Hattaway check out the website www.piquanteditions.com for his stuff. Also Asia Harvest have some fantastic detailed newsletters on unreached Asian Peoples - see www.asiaharvest.org.

I owe alot of the information on these areas that I pass on to you, from Paul's existentive work on the subject. I am interested to receive any further more accurate information on areas and peoples I mention if my facts are not quite correct.

Many parts of Bhutan are remote by western standards and the country remained very closed until the mid-sixties. The Leprosy Mission had a key role in setting up hospitals as did the Norwegian Santal Mission in the 1960's and 1970's. As Christianity has been seen as a threat to national cohesiveness. 210 years ago this March, William Carey actually visited Bhutan with a view to setting up some work there, but the hope was not fulfilled and he focussed on his Bengal mission work that had been established already.

Proverbs says: 'A longing fulfilled is a tree of life' and 'Hope deferred makes the heart grow sick' (Proverbs 13:12).

Lord, how long does it have to be for the deferred hope of the nations to come to Bhutan - to the Lap people, the Kurtop, the Western and Eastern Khampa, the Drokpa-speaking majority and the many tiny groups who have never heard? Surely 210 years is too long to wait. Open up the gates and those ancient doors - may the King of glory come in! Send us, release us, anoint us, challenge us to give, to pray and to go.

Cornerstone Asia

My intention in due course is to organise prayer information, prayers and podcasts from this blogspot for those interested in Cornerstone Asia. This is the charitable organisation set up to help promotion of missions in Asia see http://www.cornerstoneasia.co.uk