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Pray For Christians In Malaysia ZT Pray For Christians In Malaysia
Eventually, they left Malaysia. Due to economic and political injustices Malaysian Christians generally do not have a heart for their Malay neighbours. ...
http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/10.htm
Pray For Christians In Malaysia ZT
Dear friends,
This is serious. After half a dozen trips to Malaysia, and meeting
pastors who were part of the 'crack-down' against any who were running a
Malay-speaking church service etc. in 1988 I think it was (some of whom
were tortured while in prison), I'm concerned that our Christian friends
there are about to be threatened again. Pray for them.
~~~~~
***** PROPOSED MALAYSIAN LAW
We received the following email from workers in
Malaysia which is being circulated among the churches
in Malaysia.
Dear friends,
There is an urgent need to pray for Christian Malays in
Malaysia & all mission work that is going on among the
Muslims. I am never in the habit of writing chain
mails but I drafted this email in response to the
article on "page 2 of 17 April 98 of The Straits
Times". Please circulate to all your Christian friends
out there... The New Straits Times article says ...
GIVE UP YOUR FAITH AND GO TO JAIL
??????????????????????????? In brief, the article says
that a new Bill is in its final stages of drafting to
curb the "problem" of Muslims converting to another
religion and the Proposed Bill is ... "MALAYSIA MUSLIMS
WHO REJECT THEIR ISLAMIC FAITH MAY BE JAILED UP TO
THREE (3) YEARS !" I am not circulating this to invoke
any resentment against the government of Malaysia
because I believe that my struggle is not against flesh
and blood but against the powers of this dark world and
against the spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly
realms (Ephesians 6:12). My purpose of drafting this
chain mail is to start up a wave of prayer for the
Muslims in particularly Malaysia. I wish to invoke, in
all born-again Christians, this burden to pray and fast
for the Christian Malays in Malaysia and all the
mission work that is going on among the Muslims. This
Bill, if passed by the Malaysia Cabinet will set back
Christian Missionary Work among the Malaysia Muslims by
a great extent and much persecution will arise among
the Christian Malays in Malaysia. Churches that have
Malay congregations will be refused of their license
and even be forced to close down and go underground.
As Paul urge Timothy, in the same manner I urge you, my
fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to start putting
on your full armour of God and start interceding for
all the Saints of God (Malay Christians and
Missionaries) and particularly the Cabinet Leaders in
Malaysia. Paul wrote to Timothy, "I urge, then, first
of all, that requests prayers, intercession and thanks
giving be made for everyone - for kings and all those
in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives
in all godliness and holiness." (1 Tim 2:1-2) As how
the apostles, in conclusion, exhorted the Hebrews, in
the same way I beseech you, to "Remember those in
prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those
who are mistreated as if you yourselves were
suffering." (Hebrews 13:3)
PLEASE pray:
a. for protection and wisdom for the Malay
Christians;
b. for more Malay conversions especially among the
families of the lawmakers and rulers;
c. that Polarization over religious issues will not
split society;
d. for the salvation of government officials;
e. that this law would not pass; and
f. that the local church would become a strong
governing entity, and seriously take it upon them
selves to organize effective outreach to the
Malays.
3. ***** MALAYSIA
Malaysia is an Islamic stronghold in tropical SE Asia,
and is about the size of the US state of New Mexico
(329,750 sq km). Most parts of the country have
traditionally been ruled by hereditary rulers called
Sultans. The 21,000,000 people are composed of: Malay
and other indigenous 58%, Chinese 26%, Indian 7%,
others 9%. Although the country is multi-racial and
multi-cultural, there is little mixing between the
races. British colonizers found Chinese entrepreneurs
in settled areas and encouraged the Buddhist Chinese to
stay in business, and the Muslim Malay to enter
government service. Indians were brought in to work
the rubber plantations and staff the police forces and
some professions. Today the three Asian people groups
have their own private schools with distinct uniforms.
The Malay people turned to Islam when sea faring Arab
traders came with the teachings of their Prophet
Muhammad in the 14th century. Today they are one of
the world's most resistant and unreached people groups.
Although Muslims comprise only about 51% of the
population, Islam is the official religion. No country
organizes the pilgrimage to Mecca like Malaysia does.
The trip lasts a month and pilgrims receive a package
deal that covers food and hotels as well as
transportation.
It is acceptable for non-Malays to be converted to
Islam and many are openly encouraged to do so, through
either marriage or economic incentive but it is against
the Constitution to convert a Muslim to another
religion. However the constitution is fuzzy enough to
allow for Malays to CHOOSE to convert on their own
accord, but this loophole may be closed with a new law
currently being discussed in parliament. Missionaries
to Muslims have often turned to the more receptive
Chinese and Indians, with good success, after giving up
on the Malay Muslims. The few hundred Malay in
Malaysia who believe in Jesus have suffered social
ostracism, loss of legal rights, loss of the economic
privileges of being a Malay, jobs, and sometimes home
and country. Many have moved to Singapore. In 1987, a
few converts were arrested and kept in solitary
confinement. Eventually, they left Malaysia. Due to
economic and political injustices Malaysian Christians
generally do not have a heart for their Malay
neighbours. While the Church is strong and is now a
missionary sending body, little outreach, and no
coordinated outreach whatsoever, is done for the
Malays. It is often left up to the individual minister
to decide whether or not they will even attempt to
reach the other half of the population. Those that set
their hearts to it have had good success. Recent
legal/political developments include the proposed law
making it a punishable offence for a Malay to convert
to another religion (read "Christianity"). This Bill
is a reaction to the conversion of a Malay woman to
Christianity earlier this year (1998) for the purpose
of marriage, a common source of conversion to Islam in
Malaysia.
Sources:
http://www.calebproject.org/nance/n712.htm
此文于2010年01月21日做了修改
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