Indianapolis Pastor Goes to 'Prison'

Indianapolis, Indiana - November 14, 2010 - Reverend Neil Bell, Lead Pastor of Parc-Way Assembly of God, is spending seven days and nights outside his Southside church in a make-shift prison to bring attention to the plight of the persecuted church.



"Each year I look for an innovaitive way to lead our church in rememberance of the suffering some believers face on a daily basis. Our brothers and sisters in bonds aren't just pastors and leaders, they are the elderly, the single, the moms and dads, aunts and uncles, and in some cases, even children."


It is estimated that over 165,000 Christians around the world are martyred each year. They also are arrested or abducted, maimed, burned, beaten, or raped because of their faith in Christ. In synch with the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP), Rev. Bell asks for, "folks to not only donate, but that they would make this cause a part of their personal prayer life. There are people depending on our support both monetarily and spiritually."



R. Brandon with Voice of the Martyrs Ministry says of Reverend Bell's efforts, "This seems like an effective tool as far as making people aware of the realities of Christian persecution taking place around the world."



All proceeds will go to The Voice of the Martyrs, a non-profit, inter-demoninational Christian organization dedicated to assisting the persecuted church worldwide.



To donate go to http://www.parc-way.org/



Thursday, November 18, 2010

Pakistan

Pakistani Christians face heavy opposition from militant Islamic groups, including imprisonment, severe brutalities and even death. False charges have been brought up against many Christians in Pakistan under Law 295c (blaspheming Mohammed or the Quran).  This crime is punishable by death. Militants have often pressured judges in courtrooms to return a guilty verdict or to continue trials indefinitely.  A Christian man's testimony is worth half that of a Muslim man's in court. A Christian woman's testimony is worth just a quarter.  This said - these women and girls are easy targets for rape -- and justice for them is extremely hard to get. 


On the 7th of this month, Asia Bibi, a Christian mother of two, was the first woman to receive a death sentence for 'blasphemy'.  She was arrested in June of last year. She was also fined the amount equal to an average Pakistani worker's salary for two-and-a-half years.                                                                         
Pray for her release. Pray that she will trust God to lift her spirits as she suffers. Pray for God's peace to sustain her husband and two daughters. Pray that other believers in that country will remain strong in the faith.  

Further, the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan has passed a bill noted to be the "Talibanization" of Pakistan by some critics. This law would establish watchdogs with the power to publicly note and enforce "Islamic values". Christians in other parts of Pakistan are praying that this law will not pass country-wide. 

Prayer Requests

  • Pray that those in prison for their faith will know the presence of God and will grow in their faith.
  • Pray that Christians in Pakistan will have a bold testimony to those around them.
  • Pray for protection for Christians facing intimidation and threats from those around them.

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1 comment:

  1. Becky PetersonNovember 19, 2010 at 4:38 AM

    Thank you Pastor for raising the awareness of the Christian community, both Protestants and Catholic’s to the plight of the persecuted church around the world. The simple desire for people to have individual Freedom like worshiping Jesus Christ causes them great personal harm, incarceration or even death. I believe this week will be “time well spent”!

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