This is interesting.
IndonesiaThe Sword will not SeparateBrought to you by The Voice of the Martyrs
From the left side, Noviana Malewa may look like any other 15-year-old girl. In her eyes you see a sadness and a strength much too deep for any girl her age. She has the look of someone who has witnessed more than they want to see and endured more than they think they can survive.
In October 2005, Noviana and three other teenagers were taking a small footpath on the way to their Christian high school near Poso, Indonesia. Suddenly, from out of the jungle, sprang six masked men in all black, wielding machetes. Noviana fought bravely, but was struck across the side of her face and neck with a machete. She fell to the ground and rolled down into a ravine. Above, she heard her friends screaming. Just when she was about to lose hope, a van of soldiers appeared and took her to a hospital.
Noviana was the only survivor that day. After the attack, she was hidden in a Christian village and guarded by police because her testimony was needed in court. The radical Muslims who had killed her friends were still looking for her. It was even too dangerous for her to attempt a hospital visit.
After months of negotiation to guarantee her safety, VOMedical was finally able to arrange transportation to a hospital in Surabaya, Indonesia. While in hiding VOMedical will continue follow-up treatment. Though Noviana's physical scars are beginning to heal, she still struggles with the emotional and mental scars from witnessing the brutal murder of her three friends. Yet, she remains steadfast in her faith.Check out this link for information on Voice of the Martyrs
The man whispered, "God, speak to me" and a meadowlark sang. But the man did not hear. So the man yelled, "God, speak to me" and the thunder rolled across the sky. But the man did not listen. The man looked around and said, "God let me see you." And a star shined brightly. But the man did not see. And the man shouted, "God show me a miracle." And a life was born. But the man did not notice. So the man cried out in despair, "Touch me God, and let me know you are here." Whereupon God reached down and touched the man. But the man brushed the butterfly away .. and walked on. Don't miss out on a blessing because it isn't packaged the way that you expect.
Exodus 3:13-15
And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
God did not tell Moses that His name is "Allah".
Exodus 6:3
And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob knew Him as Jehovah, not "Allah".
Nowhere in the Holy Bible is God referred to as "Allah". God insured that His people knew His name. What makes Bishop Muskens think that God doesn't care what He is called? My name is Trudy. I would soon be offended if someone insisted on calling me "Sally" when they already knew what my name is just because they liked "Sally" better or because someone else liked that name better. For that matter, what makes Christians think that Muslims will like us any better if we appease them? If anything, they will lose even more respect for us because we don't even have the courage to stand fast for what we believe. Well entrenched hatreds will not go away simply because we back down on matters of our own faith.
By the time we were finished we had a car that is five years newer, a better interest rate, three days and two nights in Vegas and lifetime service with free oil changes. The Focus has all of the bells and whistles that the Jetta had except we traded the sun roof for heated seats. After all, we do have to live with Alberta winters! And the Focus has a CD player - the Jetta only had a tape deck. The Focus runs so quietly that when it is idling you're not even sure it is running. I'm sure we're going to be very happy together.
| This is a press release when Pastor Berlin V Guerrero was kidnapped: PRESS STATEMENT *presented to the media, 12 nn, May 28, 2007 The United Church of Christ in the Philippines condemns in strongest terms the latest abduction of one of its pastors, Pastor Berlin V. Guerrero who was taken at gunpoint yesterday at 5:45 pm Sunday, May 27, 2007 in front of Seven Star gas station at Bgy. Casile, Binan, Laguna by undetermined number of armed men who were on board two L 300 FB vans whose plate numbers were covered. Pastor Guerrero, 46 years old, pastor assigned at the UCCP local in Malaban, was with his wife Mylene and three children when the abduction took place. According to his wife, they were on board a tricycle when military looking armed men blocked their way, poked their guns on them, grabbed her bag as they forced Pastor Guerrero in one of the vans. According to witnesses, some of the abductors were even video taping the incident. The vans fled to the direction of Carmona. As of press time, efforts to locate Pastor Guerrero in various military and police facilities are fruitless. This update was then printed: We have found Pastor Berlin. He is detained here at Camp Pantaleon Garcia in Imus, Cavite. The Philippine National Police (PNP) says he faces murder and sedition cases filed in 1991 and 1993. He is tortured. The following is a poem that he apparently wrote while in prison: A PASTOR IN PRISON When a pastor is in prison his ministry is not impaired; the bars and walls are only futile attempts to cut his connections to the world beyond the state curtain. His confinement is limited only to the physical body and never to his spirit; transcending the man-made prison he is ever connected to the Source. He remains a priest -- meditating on the liberating Gospel together with fellow prisoners, they come before the God of freedom and justice. He remains a prophet -- speaking the truth, exposing the crookedness of the prison meant to straiten persons pointing out the negligence and faults of the court system which add up to injustice already done to the poor and the oppressed. His understanding and skill of pastoral care is deepened and honed in the countless narratives of human frailty, failure and hopelessness where the only the spoken language is that of forgiveness, love and hope. He becomes a healer -- of the sick and broken -a sea of humility, its will defeated and dying. His touch caresses the hardened heart and calms the troubled soul. His ears are attuned to the whisper pleas and unspoken prayers of the remorseful, lost and heavy-laden. His voice echoes God's message of redemption in a pit of forsakenness and a ravine of damnation. He is humbled in finding himself among the wicked and downtrodden which reminds him of his own imperfection. He treats each inmate as a child of God invited to partake in Christ's feast and into God's reign in the here and now of the concrete prison cell. Christ is enfleshed through the pastor's acts in the redeemed and redemptive community he prayerfully works to bring about within the wall and iron bars of the cursed state prison. Pastor Berlin V. Guerrero June 21 2007 CPJ - TMC |
Please pray for Pastor Berlin V Guerrero and his family as they attempt to get through this ordeal.
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