Thursday, December 11, 2008

What Do Footspurs Look Like



Let's read Psalm 80, Zechariah 9 and 10, Apocalypse 9

"Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who led Joseph like a flock
You sit between the cherubim!
Appear in your glory ...
Put yourself on for our salvation !
O God, let us return!
Shine your face, and we shall be saved! "
Psalm 80: 2-4

Meditate:
- What images are used to describe the people of God (Ps. 80: 2, 9)? What damage did the people there suffered (vs. 7, 13 to 14, 17) what are the demands of the author to God (vs. 2, 3, 4, 15, 16, 19) ? Which comes back 3 times with the prospect of salvation? What is our prayer for the Church of the Lord?
- After several prophecies against the regions north and west Israel, Zechariah how he announces the coming of the Messiah (Zech. 9: 9)? Note that there was no king in Israel of his time! How did Jesus fulfilled this prophecy (the word "victory" is "saved" (Hebrew) or "saving" (LXX))? What part of the prophecy yet to come, when? How the Lord transforms he the courage of those of his house (10: 6, 12)? Am I one of his heroes?!
- What is the 5th and 6th trumpet (Rev. 9)? What is the difference between the people of God marked by the seal and non-Christians (vs. 4-6)? For how long these terrible events they occur?

Singing "Jesus is my divine shepherd" (JEM 187)
"Every moment of every day Jesus took care of me" (JEM 145)

Pray for persecuted Christians worldwide :

In Eritrea many Christians locked in shipping containers would be dead according to a recent report. No figures were given. As they never had a trial, the government says not to know. More than 2,000 Christians are still locked in conditions infinitely worse than Guantanamo. Pray that God will intervene to free its captives.

In North Korea, tens of thousands languish in prisons.

In Saudi Arabia a teenager converted to Jesus Christ just been killed by her brother in the name of Islam. His blood was shed, the blood of matyrs is the seed of the Gospel! Praise God for those in Saudi Arabia turn to Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord for his blood shed on the cross to save us!

In Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, proposals for legislation restricting the freedoms of all churches should be voted soon. Pray for freedom, we pray that these laws are rejected.


Contrary to expectation, persecution in China has intensified since late Olypmiques Games. In the city of Yichun, all house churches are being banned. In Shandong Province, Pastor Zhang Zhong Xin (pictured) was sentenced to 2 years hard labor. His appeal was dismissed in court just after the end of the Olympics, and we withdrew to his lawyer, Li Fang Ping, his license to practice as a lawyer. Pretext: Zhang represents a threat to state security. Pray for him and for his lawyer.


In Orissa state in India , Hindu extremists have killed between 59 and 500 Christians, seriously injured hundreds more, destroyed over 4,500 houses, churches and schools, caused the flight of tens of thousands of people. Some pastors were burned alive.

Good news for cons of Algeria : 3 accused of proselytizing Christians were released. Glory to God.

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