by Jason Joyner | Dec 9, 2007 | Blog, missions, news, prayer, YWAM
“Once a YWAMer, always a YWAMer.”
Many groups can say this, but attending a program through Youth With a Mission is always life-changing. This is why my heart is so heavy today as I read about the shooting that occurred at a YWAM training center in Arvada, Colorado. It happened early in the morning of 12/9/07. So far there are two staff members confirmed dead, and two others wounded. One of the wounded is in critical condition and is slated for more surgery today.
It is always a tragedy when innocent life is taken, no matter the circumstances. I have prayed for the families of the Omaha mall incident earlier this week, and I also grieve for those who go missing in large cities anonymously every day. It is unavoidable that some situations hit us more as individuals than others.
I was just looking over pictures of my own time in YWAM, so the thought of what those young people were doing when this happened is very fresh in my mind. As of this writing, the killer has not been apprehended, and there is little information as far as motive.
Please pray for the families of those who were injured and killed. Pray for the healing of the wounded. Pray for justice. Pray for those who have survived and the people in Arvada. Pray for YWAM, as a global family they will be grieving as well.
Lord, we don’t know why these things happen. We don’t understand. But we can trust in Your great faithfulness, grace, and mercy. I pray for the wounded to be healed by Your touch. I pray for those who died, that they will realize the reward You have prepared for them. I pray that Your strength will be evident to all those at the YWAM Arvada center and for YWAMers around the world.
In Your great name Jesus, Amen.
For more information, see the MSNBC link, and YWAM has limited information at this time.
by Jason Joyner | Nov 9, 2007 | Blog, missions, prayer, social justice
This Sunday is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. For those of us in the protected West, we have no excuse not to pray for our brothers and sisters around the world who hold up the mantle of our Lord Jesus and those saints gone before who suffered for the gospel. We do not suffer persecution here. Any perceived persecution pales compared to that of Christians in Myanmar/Burma, China, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, North Korea, and numerous other places around the world.
Here are some resources for you to pray knowledgeably and effectively:
The website of Open Doors and their IDOP materials page. Another news page from Open Doors.
The Persecution Blog of the group Voice of the Martyrs.
Operation World has daily prayer guides for the world.
Please make time this weekend to pray for those suffering in Jesus’ name. That’s the least we can do if we are truly little Christs.
by Jason Joyner | Nov 9, 2007 | Blog, missions, prayer, social justice
This Sunday is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. For those of us in the protected West, we have no excuse not to pray for our brothers and sisters around the world who hold up the mantle of our Lord Jesus and those saints gone before who suffered for the gospel. We do not suffer persecution here. Any perceived persecution pales compared to that of Christians in Myanmar/Burma, China, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, North Korea, and numerous other places around the world.
Here are some resources for you to pray knowledgeably and effectively:
The website of Open Doors and their IDOP materials page. Another news page from Open Doors.
The Persecution Blog of the group Voice of the Martyrs.
Operation World has daily prayer guides for the world.
Please make time this weekend to pray for those suffering in Jesus’ name. That’s the least we can do if we are truly little Christs.
by Jason Joyner | Sep 26, 2007 | Blog, Burma, missions, Myanmar, prayer
Events in the news can and should push us as Christians to pray for events unfolding. One event in the news right now concerning a country most people know nothing about (and can’t even pronounce!) is the country of Myanmar. It is known by the name Burma, but the ruling junta renamed it Myanmar in 1989, even though the US and UK do not recognize the name change.
The last couple of weeks has seen a lot of peaceful protests by Buddhist monks, who are highly revered in Burma, against the military rulers. It was sparked by a harsh doubling of gas prices in this poor country, but it has taken on familiar democratic cries for freedom and elections. The junta behaved initially, but with the protests increasing in scope, they have initiated curfews and there are reports of deaths.
This country has a very small minority of Christians, mainly in the hill people known as the Karen. There is a lot of persecution for Christians in particular, even though people from all backgrounds suffer greatly in Burma. There was a report earlier this year that told of a government plan to wipe Christianity out of the country altogether.
Let’s all pray for peace for the country, and that justice would come to pass for those poor people under oppression there. We need to especially pray for the Christians for protection, and strive to see the country opened up for freedom for all.
Remember to use whatever comes your way through the day as opportunities to pray and inject the Kingdom of God into our world.
Edited on 9/27/07
For more information:
An insightful article about Burma and its last revolt.
Updates from the BBC.
A Q&A about the situation.
by Jason Joyner | Sep 26, 2007 | Blog, Burma, missions, Myanmar, prayer
Events in the news can and should push us as Christians to pray for events unfolding. One event in the news right now concerning a country most people know nothing about (and can’t even pronounce!) is the country of Myanmar. It is known by the name Burma, but the ruling junta renamed it Myanmar in 1989, even though the US and UK do not recognize the name change.
The last couple of weeks has seen a lot of peaceful protests by Buddhist monks, who are highly revered in Burma, against the military rulers. It was sparked by a harsh doubling of gas prices in this poor country, but it has taken on familiar democratic cries for freedom and elections. The junta behaved initially, but with the protests increasing in scope, they have initiated curfews and there are reports of deaths.
This country has a very small minority of Christians, mainly in the hill people known as the Karen. There is a lot of persecution for Christians in particular, even though people from all backgrounds suffer greatly in Burma. There was a report earlier this year that told of a government plan to wipe Christianity out of the country altogether.
Let’s all pray for peace for the country, and that justice would come to pass for those poor people under oppression there. We need to especially pray for the Christians for protection, and strive to see the country opened up for freedom for all.
Remember to use whatever comes your way through the day as opportunities to pray and inject the Kingdom of God into our world.
Edited on 9/27/07
For more information:
An insightful article about Burma and its last revolt.
Updates from the BBC.
A Q&A about the situation.
by Jason Joyner | Sep 10, 2007 | Biblical worldview, Blog, Islam, ministry, missions, prayer
This week marks the beginning of Ramadan, the month of fasting for Islam. It is one of their holiest times of the year. As such, they fast from sun-up to sunset, spending time seeking Allah during the day and breaking fast at dusk with feasting.
The last 15 years has seen a coordinated effort by Christians to pray strategically for Muslims around the world during this time. This is the 16th edition of the effort, which has a worldwide reach.
We know that the conflict between the world of Islam and the West is a huge issue with lots of complexity and challenges. I encourage everyone to look into this material and participate with the prayers of thousands of Christians during this time. It has always been an insightful time of learning and blessing for my wife and I as we treat the prayer booklet as a nightly devotion.
You can get involved in a couple of ways. World Christian Books publishes a handy prayer booklet that gives you information on Islam and daily topics to pray through. You can still get one in time to start if you order right away! They even have a kids version of the booklet to do as a family. I’ve ordered this for the first time to do with my boys.
If you don’t want a booklet or have time to order, then there is an online reference you can use as well. It looks to have deeper information than what was put in the booklet.
Finally, in the materials I received with our booklets (our church participates in it), it had an advertisement for The Crescent Project, a ministry that strives to educate the North American church about Islam and equips us to reach our Muslim neighbors. There is a $35 online seminar that can be done through this group. I haven’t done this yet, but I think I will. I will report back on this if I do. This looks like a good resource for anyone with a heart regarding this matter.
As the church, we all have an opportunity to do something for the gospel to shine in such dark times and regions. We may not be called to go (although be honest, when was the last time we asked?) but we can intercede for Jesus’ light to be revealed and freedom proclaimed to the captives. Please take a look at this material further over the next month.
