DAWN Fridayfax 2000 #7

Middle East

High-ranking government member becomes a Christian

In a Middle Eastern country (details withheld for security reasons - Ed.), "Johnathan", a local Christian, was having a discussion with a hotel manager. Between them lay an open Bible. Another man was watching their discussion, and, when the hotel manager left, came to ask which book they had been reading. "The Bible," replied Johnathan. The man asked many questions, and finally asked for a Bible. "It would be dangerous for me to give you a Bible," Johnathan said, to which the stranger replied "Yes, and if you knew who I was, you would not give me one." It soon transpired that the man was a high-ranking government official, and that he was ready to pray with Johnathan to accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and savior. He later reported that 14 members of the government who are "born-again Christians" regularly meet.
Source: Marion

USA

Thanks for life

Samuel Alexander Armas, an unborn baby, would not have survived his own birth had it not been for Joseph Brunner, a surgeon at the Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville. Samuel was suffering from Spina Bifida, and required a special operation in the 21st week of the pregnancy. During the operation, performed by caesarian section, Samuel's small but fully developed hand emerged from the womb and grasped the surgeon's finger "as though he wanted to thank the surgeon for the gift of life," as 'USA Today' reported. "An unborn baby is not a piece of tissue, but a person with emotions, a will and a personality, just like any other person," according to one comment. Julie Armas, Samuel's mother, said "We wept for days, because we realised that my pregnancy is not an illness but a tiny person."

Photo is freely distributed by the National Right To Life Committee.

Sources: The Tennessean, Focus on the Family -- Life on the Edge Live.

India

Young church planter forgives his murderous father

"At the age of 18, Manoj was already a mature Christian and leading a house church," according to an 'Operation Agape' report from India. In December 1999, Manoj's fanatical Hindu father and other family members poured kerosene over him and set it alight. Manoj survived, though - he ran out of the house and jumped into a water tank, where he remained for over an hour before someone took him to hospital. Most of his upper body was burned. He prayed that God would forgive his father for what he had done to him.

Rickshaw-puller leads 75 people to Jesus

Mahender, a Christian, earned his wage pulling rickshaws. One day, God spoke to him in a vision, calling him to preach the gospel. Seeking advice, he went to pastor Howell in Ferozpur (Punjab), who encouraged him to heed the call. In the last 18 months, 75 people have come to belief in Jesus and been baptised.

The Punjab 2000 Movement's vision

Last year, 220 of Punjab's 490 PIN-codes (postal areas) had no Christian church; today, it is only 100. "In the next 3 months, we hope that new churches will be started in every one, because they have all been adopted by Christian churches and movements," says Ravi (name changed - Ed.), the movement's researcher and network coordinator.
Source: Operation Agape, Tel/Fax (+91)-161-609061, e-mail:agapeldh@usa.net

Malaysia

"Nation's largest Christian event"

"A total of 150,000 people heard Argentine evangelist Carlos Annacondia over three evenings from 11-13 December 1999. Around 15,000 responded to his sermons, and many of them were ready to follow Jesus for the first time. This is a breakthrough for Malaysia," writes Melvyn Mak, Deputy Senior Pastor of the Faith Community Baptist Church, and chairman of the organisation committee for a similar event in Singapore. "While a Muezzin called people to prayer in a nearby mosque, the fiery Argentinian evangelist called people to repent for their sin and renew their faith in Jesus Christ," wrote Associated Press' Alvin Ung. "The 'Emmanuel Celebration' was the largest Christian event in predominantly Muslim Malaysia. Evangelical Christians, mostly of Chinese and Indian descent, constitute less than 5% of the nation's 22 million inhabitants," he continues. "But we do not have the same difficulties as Christians in the Middle East," said Wong Kim Kong, General Secretary of the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship. Officials made the Bukit Jalil National Stadium available for the event without problem. It is estimated that ex-industrialist Annacondia, 'the Billy Graham of Latin America', has led 2 million people to Christ in the last 17 years. "During that time, a number of people have been healed, as we saw in Malaysia: after prayer, one man could stand up out of his wheelchair and walk," according to pastor Mak's report. Mak reports that a similar event took place in Singapore from 17-19 November 1999, with a total attendance of some 100,000. 70 different Christian churches cooperated in organising the event, and 4,000 responded to Annacondia's calls to follow or return to Jesus.
Source: 2000 Faith Community Baptist Church 66 East Coast Road #06-00, Singapore 428778, tel.: (65) 440 8821, fax: 440 5205, e-mail fcbc@touch.org.sg

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