Third Annual Christmas Contest

It's getting late and we're sorry! But, we can't miss an opportunity to reach out to everyone with an invitation to participate in our Third Annual Christmas Story Contest.

The theme of this year’s Christmas newsletter is “Good News in Bethlehem”. Of course, we know WHO the Good News is … Yeshua, Jesus, the Christ, the Promised Messiah, the Redeemer, the King, the Lord of all! Setting aside any controversy about when the Messiah came to earth in the form of a tiny child, we’re asking you as a writer to share a story from your heart based on the theme “Good News in Bethlehem” and submit it to us no later than midnight on December 1st, only a few days from today.

Here are the guidelines:

1. Your story must be submitted via email to jan@journezine.com.

2. All entries must be received by midnight on December 1st.

3. Your entry (you may submit more than one) must be no less than 300 and no more than 750 words in length; please use a word-counter to help us stay within our limit. Any entry outside the word limit will be automatically disqualified.

4. Your story must be submitted IN THE BODY OF AN EMAIL—NOT AN ATTACHMENT! Please simply copy and paste your entry into the body of an email and send it to jan@journezine.com.

5. Because this is a Christian ministry, your entry must reflect Christian principles and somehow point to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

6. Because we are pressed for time, please help us by including the following information with your submission:

a. Full name

b. Mailing Address

c. Phone Number

d. Email Address

e. Short Bio (under 75 words) with a link to a picture if possible

f. Link to your website and/or blog

7. Finally, make sure your story (or stories) are edited and in publishable form.

By submitting your story, you confirm that you allow Heart of God International Ministries to use your story in their December newsletter to be mailed to all partners and friends of the ministry, to be displayed on the websites, and to be featured in the December issue of JournEzine if your story is chosen. Also you affirm that you release to Heart of God International Ministries the rights to use your story even if you have it copyrighted. Please only submit original material—any forwards or copied or plagiarized stories will automatically be rejected by us.

We have three independent judges who will read your story (or stories) anonymously; we will have removed your name and contact information before submitting the entries to them. We affirm there will be no favoritism—each entry will stand on its own merit.

Now for the good part … the PRIZES, and we’ve made it worth your while to enter! But, in order to keep this post down to a reasonable size, we have put the guidelines and the prizes on the website. Please click on this link for further information: CLICK HERE

We are excited to be able to up to TEN of the top entries in the December 2008 issue of JournEzine, as the judges recommend, primarily depending on the number of entries. But this means you will have to get your story or stories in quickly.

If you have any questions, get back with me as soon as you can. Please feel free to pass this invitation to participate along to your friends and colleagues. We look forward to hearing from you VERY, VERY SOON!

More Souls Added to the Kingdom

The following is a letter we received from Pastor in India with some updates for September and October. Please keep him and the ministry in prayer as they face much opposition because of their powerful witness for Christ. Every day they live with the knowledge that their ministry may require them to give the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of the Cross. Yet, every day they continue to minister the love of Jesus Christ to all who will hear. Our Pastor in India lives in a hostile area that is becoming more hostile as days pass. Yet, new churches are being built, new souls are being born in to the Kingdom of God, and the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ prevails. Hallelujah! Read what Pastor says:

Dear sister,

Pastor D given the support you have sent for him. Still he is in the hospital waiting for the surgery. He thanked all the brothers and sisters of the Heart of God International. He could get some debt some money from lenders and sold away his old bicycle but still he needs some more money and waiting for that. Please remember him in your prayers.

Lepers were given rice and all the lepers have been praying for you and they are asking about the church construction. Please consider for that. If we cannot build a permanent building, it would be better provide a thatched roof so that they can continue worship under the thatched roof otherwise they will be discouraged in faith. Sister, it is an important need; please tell all the brothers and sisters for the construction of the church at least a temporary (which costs 15000 rupees).

Here I send you some pictures of outreach ministries, lepers support, pastors meeting, and Pastor D. Sister, we thank you so much for your most valuable prayers because we can share the Gospel in a village called K*** . It was totally of Hindu people who do not like Jesus and it is very difficult to share the Gospel among them. They don't allow preachers into their village to share the Gospel but by your prayers nearly 70 people attended and 4 people accepted Jesus as their Saviour. Praise the Lord. I send you those pictures also along with this email.

Convey our greetings to al the brothers and sisters those who are with you and working for the Kingdom of God. I will be waiting for your most valuable email.

Thanking you so much.

Most sincerely yours in Christ Jesus

Pastor

There is much left unsaid because of security reasons. Pray for Pastor, pray that support will continue to come in to fund the outreaches and daily ministry of Heart of God in India.

© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

New Church Already Too Small

This morning I talked with Pastor from India. He gave us some GREAT news!

As you may know, a new church was started in a remote tribal village and a pastor was appointed to minister to this brand new group of believers. Until the first part of September, this village had never been evangelized. In other words, not one of the residents of this particular village had ever heard the Name of Jesus. Pastor took a group of men through flooded rivers and over two mountains to reach this village, carrying their sound equipment, food, and other items in order to minister to this village. By the end of that evening, many had accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior including the president of the village.

When Pastor told us about the needs in this village for a church, we immediately responded with a gift to cover the building of a church – a structure that provided a dirt floor and a thatched roof in the middle of an open field.

Just a few short weeks after the church was built, the Pastor has announced that the building they made for the church was not large enough. Already they had 23 adults, 15 youth and 34 children attending. Ten people are ready to "take baptisms." To "take baptism" in India is to make public confession of faith while denouncing Hinduism and committing their lives to Christ.

We praise God for this quick growth! God is doing a quick work in these last days.

If you would like to be involved in building more churches in tribal areas where the Gospel has never been preached, contact us and learn how you can make a very small investment while providing a place where new Christians can assemble to learn and grow. What an opportunity to be the Body, unified and sharing with one another!

What an awesome God we serve!

_________
© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

"If I Die, Please Take Care of My Family"

This morning I had the blessed opportunity to chat with Pastor in India. He wanted to enlist our prayers for the persecuted church in India; we've shared with you details of what is happening in previous posts. However, the terrorism continues to escalate. Pastor related to me that he has now been targeted because of the work of Heart of God in India in the tribal areas. Many people are denouncing Hinduism and accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah; souls are being saved, new believers are being baptized, and new churches are being established. Pastor and his team take a large panel truck into the forest area along with sound equipment and elders from his church in order to preach and teach the Word of God, delivering convicting messages of the power of the Gospel to save.

To make a long conversation short, Pastor made three requests of us; I've left these in his own words:

1. Please pray because I will continue to evangelize and preach Gospel so many souls will be saved.
   
2. Please pray for protection for me and family because radicals have targeted us due to great work of evangelism in tribal areas.
   
3. Please take care of my family if I should be killed for the glory of God. I am ready to die and have no fear.
   

We praise God for our partners in India; they are courageous men because the Spirit of God is strong in them. Their lives are truly committed and they continue to make sacrifice for the sake of the Gospel. We urge all our friends and partners to enter into a season of prayer covering for Pastor and those who do the work of ministry with him.

God bless you as you stand with us for protection and shelter from the enemy of those who labor for the Lord. Please also remember those in the State of Orissa who are enduring unbelievable persecution because of their witness for Christ.

__________
© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Message from Orissa: "God is in Control" (GFA)

Juria Bardhan, Gospel for Asia's state leader in Orissa, India, knows what it's like to be hunted by anti-Christian extremists bent on killing him. During the past two weeks, he has seen dozens of churches burned to the ground. He has seen missionaries and Christians beaten and killed. But during all these horrific attacks, Juria has had one thought.

"We know the Lord is in control," Juria said in an interview Thursday.

Juria's comments may sound naïve to Western ears, but to Christians in volatile parts of Asia, they ring true. They expect persecution rather than peace. They know that to follow Christ means choosing to bring more trouble into their lives. They also know that Christians standing strong in the face of such trials encourages others to follow Christ.

"The encouraging thing is that the attackers themselves acknowledge that Orissa used to be only 2 percent Christian, and now it's 28 percent Christian," Juria said. "They don't understand that by doing this, the church will grow by leaps and bounds, and this will cause thousands to come to Christ."

Juria said his pastors are not complaining about the abuse heaped upon them. Instead they are glorifying God for the opportunity to share in His sufferings.

"Many of our pastors have said, ‘Even if they kill us, no problem. This will cause thousands to come to Christ,' " he reported.

Juria said that things are improving somewhat in the cities, but the persecution continues unabated in more remote areas. Orissan Christians are accustomed to harassment, but Juria noted that this wave of attacks, which began August 22 after the murder of a popular Hindu leader, is different.

"Last time, the persecution was restricted to only one district. During the last six months, they planned this out, and now nine districts are under attack," he noted.

Juria reports that six people have been killed, and 27 GFA-related churches and more than 800 homes of Christians have been ransacked and destroyed since the violence began.

At least 24 Gospel for Asia missionaries have been attacked, some joining the thousands of Christians who are seeking refuge in the forests, where they remain without adequate food or shelter.

Juria said that the Hindu extremists have made a list of demands, including:

* Stop conversions ... They accuse Christian missionaries of forcing people to convert to Christianity or using false allurements, such as money or jobs, to get them to follow Christ.

* No more slaughtering of cows ... Cows are considered holy in the Hindu religion.

* All church buildings should be verified ... The extremists want to place additional restrictions on Christian churches that do no exist for Hindu temples.

* Christian churches and related non-governmental (charitable) organizations should be banned ... This would prevent any Christian work that helps the poor.

* Anyone occupying tribal land must vacate it ... Most Orissan Christians are from low castes and live on tribal land that was settled generations ago. This would essentially force all Christians to move out of the area.

The extremists are also on a campaign to "reconvert" Christians back to Hinduism. They are threatening people at knifepoint, saying they will die if they do not agree to offer pujas (prayers and ceremonial acts) to Hindu gods and goddesses.

One missionary was attacked and threatened unless he performed a puja. He refused to turn his back on Christ, so they beat him again and told him to stay away from the village where he had been working, but he would not agree to do this.

"Even if you kill me, I will not make a vow that I will never come back; that depends not on me but on the Lord. If he wants to send me here, then I will come," he told his attackers.

He was discouraged when he saw some of the same people he had prayed for and helped in the past now ready to kill him. But his life was spared when an elderly villager, seeing his strong commitment, convinced the mob to let him go.

One Christian who attends a GFA-related church gave his life rather than turn his back on Christ. The extremists were trying to get him to participate in a Hindu ceremony that involved shaving his head, putting cow dung on it and then sacrificing a goat. When he refused, he was killed and his body hacked into pieces.

Juria reports that the extremists are now using women to lead the Hindu mobs. They believe that if a woman is in front, the government will not take action against them. Several of these mobs of women have even caused disruptions in some of the relief camps.

Juria does not expect the volatile situation in Orissa to change anytime soon. He theorizes that the extremists will continue the campaign of terror and religious emotion until the next general election. There are several powerful Hindu political parties in the country. Juria says they may be trying to exploit the fear of the people to get into power. There is also a rumor that the extremists are planning to carry the ashes of the murdered leader, along with his photo, to villages throughout the country. They hope that the emotional response will cause another round of unrest.

He asks that Christians would continue praying for Orissa. Here are some of the specific requests.

* Pray for peace and harmony in Orissa and that families will be able to return to their villages.

* Pray for relief work to go on unhindered.

* Pray for the health, safety and security of the people living in the forests.

* Ask the Lord for mercy in providing new homes for the people who have lost theirs.

* Continue to lift up the missionaries who are obvious targets of the persecutors. The extremists are looking for what they consider to be a high-ranking Christian leader to kill in revenge for the death of their leader.

* Pray that the Christians will remain firm in their faith and that their commitment to Jesus will remain stronger than any fear they have.

Donate to GFA's Persecution Relief Fund.

God’s Utter Faithfulness

"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions [mercies] never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Mornings are hard! Many mornings, I wake up barely able to walk to the bathroom, desperate to take my meds, sit down with a cup of coffee and wait until the pain and stiffness ease. And, every morning it's the same. No surprises, nothing new—the same routine day in and day out.

But, God has prepared something special, something specific for each new day even in the midst of our routinely difficult mornings. Mercies! Not just one mercy, but mercies. And, not the same mercies as yesterday … new mercies each and every morning.

The Lord proves His faithfulness to be great—greater than what we know. The word "great" comes from a Hebrew word meaning manifold or multiplied by myriads. In other words, God's love provides to us new mercies every morning because His faithfulness is manifold and multiplied by myriads.

It reminds me of another scripture: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…" (Ephesians 3:20). It's His exceedingly immeasurable greatness that makes new mercies available to us every day, even when we're struggling with pain of chronic illness, more than we can ask or imagine.

I'm so thankful the Lord isn't like our everyday pain and stiffness. He gives NEW mercies proving His utter faithfulness resulting from His great love. Today's mercies will not be tomorrow's mercies. Today's compassion toward us will never become routine. Each new day contains new compassions—new mercies.

Did you happen to notice any new mercies today? Look for them … be aware of and thank the Lord for each new mercy He has extended toward you from His incredibly compassionate love.

Oh Lord, teach me to find new mercies for each new day. Teach me to exalt in Your great love and compassion toward me. Thank You, Father, for the greatness of Your faithfulness toward me. Amen!

___________
© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Note:  As a way of acknowledging "National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week," this week's devotions will be of a nature that will encourage anyone who either suffers with or knows someone who suffers with an invisible chronic illness. You are encouraged to forward this week's devotions to anyone you know who might find encouragement as they deal with the pain and emotional burden associated with invisible chronic illness.

Pray for Our Pastors in India

We received the following communication from Pastor in India:

Greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus, 

Sister, the School of Ministry was conducted from 11-13 this month. Twenty-three pastors attended, but four could not attend the classes because there is much effect of flood. There is no connection with other villages to the villages those in which our pastors are living. It was no chance to go to them. Communication was cut off because of floods. 

Still here are heavy rains. If the rain starts it continues for three days without ceasing. Still last day the heavy rain continued. Phone wires, internet connections were cut off. 

The church construction work in the village is being continued but there is no chance to cross the river as it is flowing in dangerous position (nearly 28 feet high). Previously I sent you some pictures which we were crossing the river carrying musical instruments. That river is completely flooded and the water level touches the two mountains of the either sides of the river. The communication is totally disconnected with that village and the people say that it would take at least 20 days to dry up that flood water, till only then can we cross the river to reach that village. When the water is dry and if there is any possibility to go there we will go to that village and send you pictures.

The heavy rains suffer us also. Many people are dying as they were daily laborers and they had nothing with them to get food. In our village recorded nearly 30 deaths of floods. 

Dear sister, please pray for all the pastors who are victimized. And especially that we can go to village with new church. I will send the pictures of School of Ministry when I am able.

Convey our greetings to all the brothers and sisters. 

Thanking you so much
Most sincerely yours in Christ Jesus
Pastor