Incarnation

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

John 1,14 (NIV)

Dear brothers and sisters,

With this sentence, the mystery of the person of Jesus Christ is described by his disciple John in the Gospel of John. These words have power. The name „Jesus“ means "God saves". His name spells out his purpose. Jesus is the Word of God and at the same time human, tangible for us. This is how close God comes to us!

At Christmas we celebrate this. God gives himself to us and becomes man in Jesus so that we can live in eternal communion with Him. God himself cleared this path to Himself for us through His son. „Jesus in me", that is the secret of the power for a changed life. That is the greatest joy there can be. True Christmas joy!

• Mullahs in Iran using AI to oppress their people

  As reported by our partner Heart4Iran, Iranian clerics are exploring the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to fortify the enforcement of Islamic religious edicts. Mohammad Ghotbi—a proponent of technology innovation in Iran—suggests AI could accelerate issuance of fatwas from 50 days to five hours. This raises concerns about the potential utilization of AI to stifle dissent and enforce stringent Islamic laws in Iran and other nations.

  In this era of rapid technological change and societal upheavals, let’s pray for our brothers and sisters in Iran, who are in dire need of hope and liberation. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5)

Pray with us:

Heavenly Father, we remember the burdens of the people of Iran. We lift them up to You, especially the courageous young people resisting the regime. Lord, we pray for revival to sweep across the nation, for Your love and truth to penetrate the hearts of the leaders and the people, and for You to dismantle the shackles of Sharia law.

Set your people free! Protect them! Strengthen them! Comfort them in Your presence! Guide them with Your wisdom! Uphold them with Your strength! Transform them with Your love! We pray for a wave of Your Spirit to wash over the land, bringing enlightenment, transformation, and a deep awakening to Your eternal love and grace. May the winds of change carry the fragrance of Your love and may the soils of Iran be fertile grounds for the seeds of Your truth.

In Your Mighty Name, Amen!

Your consideration, prayers, and support for the Iranian people are deeply valued. May your heart be filled with divine peace and joy as you extend your hands in love and prayer.

Communio Messianica Educational Programs

The sheer masses of converts from Islam brings with it an enormous need for training. Currently, Communio Messianica is involved in several strategic partnerships focused on educational materials tailored to MBBs. These include basic discipleship courses for new believers, training in Christian living and God’s Word, and theological and pastoral education for MBB leaders.

To meet the needs of new believers in various ethnic and language groups we are partnering with dozens of course writers from various organizations. Partnering with Word of Life we are producing Paths of Life, and we will soon launch a website for distribution of these resources. This partnership is also connecting scholarly MBBs with the Hikma initiative to research theological issues relevant to the MBB community and to publish academic papers and books on these topics. A database of scholarly articles, literature, and research relevant to the unique needs of MBBs is being assembled and will be co-launched with Hikma in the near future.

Within Communio Messianica, the Council has spent three years re-working major theological issues from the perspective of those coming from a Muslim background, which has led to unique perspectives on key theological and ethical concepts. Pray for us as we convert this material in distributable formats to benefit the MBB church at large. We have also been hosting pastoral training courses in Arabic for Arabic-speaking believers who have been called to the ministry. Pray for wisdom and grace as we produce this content.

• Bringing smiles to children’s faces in Turkey

  "For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes, and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." – Matthew 25:35–36

As we approach Christmas, we are reminded of two groups of people who are dear to us at Communio Messianica.

MBB families that have fled to Turkey as a result of the war in Syria and Iraq.

Pray with us specifically for upcoming Christmas outreaches to MBB children, their families, and friends in four Turkish cities, Istanbul, Gaziantep, Izmir, and Antakya. These families will be invited to churches to learn about Jesus’ birth as the reason why Christians celebrate. Every child will receive a Christmas gift, and the celebration in Istanbul will include a Christmas meal. Many of those in Gaziantep and Antakya fled from regions affected by the disastrous earthquake earlier in the year. In the city of Izmir, we are aiming to reach 1000 children and their families.

Pray with us also for the many refugees in Southern Turkey who have fled the war in Syria. Through our network of partners including Al Hayat Ministries, many MBBs among the refugees have been stirred to assist others. We are sending pastors and volunteers from the refugee churches in Southern Turkey to minister to the families who have fled the war in Syria, many of whom have children in hospital for various treatments including cancer. Pray for opportunities for our teams to be able to pray with the families and to share the Gospel with them. We intend to support these families both spiritually and physically.

Thank you for your prayers. Your partnership in the Gospel will play a key role in providing much needed support to MBB children, their families, and their friends in Turkey this Christmas! 

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 next prayer bulletin will be sent out in the beginning of February 2024.