Refreshment

"...he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake."

Psalm 23:3 (NIV)

Dear brothers and sisters,

Jesus Christ related Psalm 23 to Himself - see John 10. He is our Good Shepherd who gives His life for us, sacrificing Himself to save us and give us a full life if we let Him lead us. "Refreshing" comes before "leading."  First, we are allowed to receive, and then to be on the way with Jesus as the bestowed, and to pass on the good. God promised Abraham: I will bless you, and you shall be a blessing. Through Jesus, we are included in this line of promise. Therefore, let us always seek communion with God anew and be refreshed by Him. This fills our lives with strength for the tasks that stand before us. 

• The Gambia: We had a groundbreaking CM visit to Gambia and were received with arms wide open by the Pastors’ Alliance, as with the previous visit to some 40 leaders of the indigenous MBB movement across the Sahel zone in a neighbouring country. The Council of the Gambian Pastors’ Alliance shared with me the challenges they are facing in the Gambia which not only come from the extreme Islamic movement, which has been pushing on the agenda of Islamising the Gambia, but also pastors and church leaders coming from neighbouring West African countries, to churches across The Gambia. Some of these have no idea about the cultural context of the country and have been causing a lot of problems for the MBBs and presenting the church with several social and security challenges.  This is causing social unrest, which Gambia was not known for previously. Christians and Muslims generally lived in a spirit of tolerance for one another and mostly still want to keep that understanding. Pray that CM will be able to provide further guidance in this area and help the MBB community flourish even more as it develops its own Gambian identity.

• Iraq: Our MBB brothers and sisters in Irak continue to face severe rejection and persecution from their Muslim Families and Communities. Pray for our CM pastoral leader for Irak, who has faced severe persecution himself while taking care of the followers of Christ. Pray also for the often discouraged flock living scattered over the whole country with little to no opportunity for fellowship with other followers of Christ. Some of our brothers and sisters have found temporary refuge in northern Iraq, but they long to be able to live in peace among their people and be a witness of the love of Christ to them. Iraq is a sectarian country with dividing lines following the clan or tribe contours. These clans and tribes define themselves by the form of Islam they follow, making it impossible for members to leave that form of Islam without being ostracized and persecuted by their clan. Pray for the believers living where Abram (Abraham) set out from at God’s bidding to find the Promised Land, that all of God’s promises would be fulfilled in their land. 

• CM: Pray for all the converts from Islam who are tempted to go back in the face of adversity in their countries or contexts. Markus 4,16–17 (NIV): Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. Verse 17: But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. May the Holy Spirit strengthen their resolve and encourage them. Many converts in the West are tempted to succumb to the worries of life and the temptation of wealth - Markus 4,18–19 (NIV): Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; Verse 19: but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Let us ask for sixty-fold and hundred-fold fruit! Pray for wisdom and unity in taking decisive steps toward CM ecclesiastical formation for those in need of this framework.

• Global Prayer Day: A warm invitation to the Global Day of Prayer for MBBs, organized by Al Hayat Ministries! This year we will again join together as brothers and sisters in prayer to pray specifically for MBBs worldwide. Everyone (whether MBB themselves or not) is invited to join in and watch the livestream on www.mbbglobal.net on November 18 at 17:00 GMT and pray along. 

• Mauritania: CM in Mauritania exists now as an official entity! We praise the Lord for this development and pray for wisdom, strength, and God’s Holy Spirit for the leadership there. Praise the Lord with us that one of our imprisoned brothers has been released from jail! Continue to uphold those who are facing trial because of their Christian faith. Pray that their counsel would be faithful and effective in representing them. One of the huge challenges for converts from Islam is to find gainful employment. Often self-employment is the only option. Please pray for wisdom, creativity and customers for our self-employed brothers and sisters in Mauritania.

• Israel/Gaza: We have MBBs as the smallest minority both in Israel and the Palestinian areas, and we have another, somewhat larger minority in the Messianic Jews. All of whom have been neglected by politics and even persecuted by their people as a result of their faith in Jesus. Please pray that they would reflect the light of Christ in this present darkness and shine out as a beacon for those in need of his salvation. Let us pray that they would not become bitter but continue to put their faith and hope in our Lord Jesus and trust in his provision and deliverance. Let us not pray only for only one side – we pray for all the people impacted by this conflict and that the situation will not escalate. Let us pray for peace for Jerusalem. Please pray for the safety of all who are caught in the crossfire. We want to pray for peace for individuals in the Middle East because the message of our Lord Jesus Christ is for every human being, no matter which background they are from. 

Thank you for supporting us in prayer.

Shalom - May God’s peace be with you.

Yassir Eric and the team. 

Acct:

Communio Messianica e.V.

Evangelische Bank 

IBAN: DE32 520 604 100 005 039 355

BIC: GENODEF1EK1

Tax ID: 45 255/196 25

Please note: 

The use of ‘Muslim Background Believer’ (MBB) in this report refers to a former Muslim who now follows Christ.