IDOP 2006: To Bind And To Loose

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin – No. 403 – Wed 08 Nov 2006

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IDOP 2006: To Bind And To
Loose
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PARTICIPATE IN IDOP – 12 (or 19) NOVEMBER 2006
The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Visit < http://www.idop.org > for resources

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Jesus through his words to Peter in Matthew 16:13-20 indicates that
the Church has a spiritual authority in the world to ‘bind’ and to
‘loose’ (v19) in accordance with the Sovereign will of God. This
IDOP we will pray for the persecuted Church which is at the cutting
edge of the advancing Kingdom of God in the world. But we will also
pray against three specific evils that directly confront, challenge
and threaten the Church: terrorism, small arms and isolation. And
we will pray with the confidence that comes from knowing that we
pray in accordance with the promises of God. He has declared that
the nations and rulers that plot against the Lord do so in vain
(Psalm 2). God is in the process of putting his enemies under his
feet (Psalm 110:1 and 1 Corinthians 15:25).

* TERRORISM

Because Islam has little to offer and dawa (Islamic mission) brings
in few converts, Islam has historically relied on jihad to expand
its empire. At present jihadists do not have the military
capability to seriously threaten technologically advanced states.
Therefore Islamic indoctrination and terrorism – a means of
extracting concessions – have become the main tools of Islamist
advance. Since the 1970s Saudi Arabia, the primary sponsor of
global Islamic indoctrination, has been channelling Wahhabi
ideology all around the world through Saudi-sponsored madrassas,
Islamic schools, university departments and Islamic ‘charities’.
This is mainly why younger Muslims (under 40) are generally more
radicalised than their parents. Iran has been promoting and
exporting Islamic revolution ever since its own Islamic revolution
in 1979. Then the Afghan war gave rise to the international
jihadist movement. Today the Islamic empire is advancing
incrementally through concessions extracted using domestic and
international terrorism, and through advances in Islamic politics.
Most funding and logistics for Islamic terrorism comes from cells
and operations in the West.

Hindutva (Hindu nationalist) groups in India are presently engaged
in massive, nationwide anti-Christian disinformation and
indoctrination campaigns. Whilst these are primarily designed
simply to bring the Hindu nationalists to power, they are also
responsible for the terror currently being unleashed against Indian
Christians. These Hindutva groups receive massive amounts of
funding from their Hindu ‘charities’ around the world, especially
in the West.

* ARMS

Weapons of mass destruction are a real threat to the world,
especially as belligerent states and individuals export their
nuclear and weapons technology to other equally belligerent forces.
However the greatest threat to Christians around the world comes
from the proliferation of illicit small arms. Smuggled guns are the
main weapons used against Christians in hostile areas. The weapons
problem is a cycle: weapons proliferation fuels conflicts which
create more demand which fuels proliferation. Instead of being
destroyed, weapons stockpiled from past conflicts (such as WW2)
frequently end up being sold, donated or smuggled into new
conflicts. Oxfam estimates that some 33 million bullets are
manufactured around the world daily. Where persecution is violent,
most Christians have died in attacks with illicit small arms that
have come into the region via arms traffickers. Most jihads and
other ethnic, sectarian and civil conflicts are fueled by illicit
small arms traffickers.

* ISOLATION

Corrupt, repressive, totalitarian dictators thrive on isolation.
Openness is the ultimate enemy of every dictator and ideology that
cannot survive scrutiny. Their survival depends on their subjects’
ignorance and weakness. Today belligerent regimes are forming
alliances with each other to stave off economic isolation while
maintaining repression and the isolation of their people. For
example Belarus doesn’t need the West as it has Iran as an ally.
Uzbekistan doesn’t need the West as it has China. These networks of
dictators ensure that religious liberty advocates, particularly the
USA, have less leverage than previously.

* PRAYER FOCUS (See the following Bulletin Summary)

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SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE:
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GLOBAL NETWORKS FUND PERSECUTION

Much persecution of Christians is funded by international networks
devoted to advancing the Islamic empire globally, Hindu nationalism
across India, the proliferation of illicit small arms and
repressive totalitarian regimes. On this International Day of
Prayer for the Persecuted Church (12 November) we will pray not
only for the suffering Church, but for God to break through these
networks: to sever links, cut funds, disrupt supply and ‘frustrate
the ways of the wicked’ (Psalm 146:9), for the sake of his Church
and for the Kingdom and glory of God forever. (Please visit
< http://www.idop.org > for further resources and information.)

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RL Prayer is moderated by Ron Clough, a commissioner
of the WEA RLC and convenor of the Australian EA RLC.
Elizabeth Kendal researched and authored this message.