Peter ·  8 years old · Philippines · 1992

“We have your nephew,” said the handwritten note. “If you surrender to us, we will return the boy to his parents.”  Brother MT stared a t the message.  It was from the leaders of the New People’s Army (NPA), the military arm of the Communist Party of the Philippines.  People in many parts of the Philippines have been threatened and persecuted for years by this group of terrorists.

Brother MT is an evangelist in the Philippines.  He travels regularly into the mountains to preach to the terrorist groups.  Peter, his eight-year –old nephew, frequently went with Brother MT on his evangelistic trips.  He was a special help to him in children’s meetings in the mountain villages.

Because of pressure from the NPA, Brother MT was often forced into hiding.  Still, as a result of his ministry, some of the NPA soldiers had given their lives to Jesus Christ and left the organization.  MT had counted the cost and was prepared to give his  life for the Gospel, but he was not prepared for this!  He knew there was no hope that his surrender would save his nephew.  He knew they would both be killed; still, he hesitated.

The boy’s parent insisted that MT ignore this order and continue his evangelistic outreach.  As a result, the parents gave their son for the Gospel.  Peter was killed on Good Friday, April 17, 1992.  He was tortured for three hours and suffered very much.  His hands were tied with wire, and the terrorist struck him in the legs and head with an ax.  Finally he was beheaded.

The abductors have warned the boy’s parents and MT that if they do not stop their ministry, they will return and torture them.  Brother MT is continuing his dangerous work in the mountains among the terrorist groups

 

 

A minister I had heard of in Romania had been horribly beaten and was thrown back into the cell with the other prisoners.  He was half-dead, with blood streaming from his face and body.  As some of the prisoners washed him, others cursed the Communists.  Groaning, the minister said, “Please, don’t curse them!  Keep silent!   I wish to pray for them.” 

Richard Wurmbrand
Spent 14 years in a Communist prison
Romania
1940s, 50s, and 60s

Taken from "Jesus Freaks" by DC Talk and Voice of the Martyrs, Bethany House Publishers, 1999.

http://www.jesusfreaks.net

LDYR TENT SET UP DAY
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
4:00-8:30PM · Grades 6-12 · COST=FREE

Get a few of your community service hours out of the way right at the beginning of school.  Come and help set up tents for Labor Day Youth Rally.  We have a great time setting up tents and then we go in to Santa Cruz for some killer tacos!!  Join us for a great evening, it really is a lot more fun than it sounds.

CLICK HERE for a permission slip.  Sign up by Sunday, August 28th.

LABOR DAY YOUTH RALLY
DAYBREAK CAMP
September 2-5, 2005
Students Entering Grades 9-College

RATE INCREASES AUGUST $15

The Labor Day Youth Rally is just around the corner and you are not going to want to miss out on this year's rally.  Scotty Christensen and Ken Schackelford will be speaking this year and I know that is is going to be awesome.  CLICK HERE for more info on the theme and other details of the weekend.

The registration rate INCREASES August 15th.  So save $10 and register TODAY! 

CLICK HERE to DOWNLOAD a registration form.

MOST OF THE WORLD LIVES ON LESS THAN $1 A DAY

You have heard this statistic quoted by me over and over and over.  You will probably hear it quoted over and over and over.  But the fact still remains, there is a tremendous amount of poverty in this world.  Does it have to be this way?  I mean, Jesus did say, "You will always have the poor with you."  Did he mean that there are always going to be those who are poor?  Probably, but why?  Perhaps it is one of God's ways to give us the opportunity to be the church to a world.  I mean being the church means much, much more than going to worship and singing songs on a Sunday.  I think God is most pleased when we are BEING church in the world.  That means bringing justice to the oppressed, providing relief to the needy, and sharing the good news to the lost. 

A dollar a day.  That isn't much.  What if we gave a dollar a week?  That would be almost $500 a month or $6000 a year!  That could begin to make a difference. 

Where can you get $1 a week?

These take some sacrifice.  They take choosing what we may not want for what others NEED.  We will continue to take up collections every Sunday mornings, Sunday Nights at The Edge and Wednesday Nights at Cross Training and Sanctuary to continue to support Missions, Relief work and Justice causes in this world.  God recognizes the sacrifices you make.  You may not have a squad of cheerleaders screaming affirmations about you when you drop a dollar in a collection plate, but God is cheering you on.

Once we learn to live without $1 a week, what if we begin to learn to live without $2 a week ($12,000 a year) then $3 ($18,000 a year)?  Can you imagine what a force for good The Zone can be. . .

Junior High Beach Day Was a Blast!!!
We froze since it was pretty cold, but we still had a blast.  There was even a dead seagull to greet us when we arrived.  Some took a long, long hike to the end of the beach and saw dolphins, seals and a shark.  Some tried their hand at the old "Keep the Advancing Tide from Destroying the Sandcastle Game" which everyone always loses.  We did a lot of boogie boarding and just kicking it on the beach.  What a wonderful God to give us things like sand, beaches, oceans and friends to enjoy this life.

CLICK HERE to see the pics.

The Audio Update returns with a review of Google Earth, Four Movie Reviews in Two Minutes and the Mystery Girl Mollie from Tampa Bay, FL.  Listen to find out more!!!!

If you want to stream the show CLICK HERE. Get it by clicking on the Attachment link below:

A BIG THANK YOU goes out to all of you who served this week at ADventure Camp.  Whether you serves as an OTS or a CIT or in the Kitchen, your ministry and service to the young people of our congregation was a testimony of how God is at work in your hearts.  Thank you! Thank You! Thank You!  It was such and encouragement to me to know that so many students from The Zone were up at Daybreak helping and serving others.  You ROCK! 

CLICK HERE to see photos from the week.

Her Last Prayer · 16 or 17 years old · Asia · 1970s

The communist solders had discovered their illegal Bible study.

As the pastor was reading from the Bible, men with guns suddenly broke into the home, terrorizing the believers who had gathered there to worship.  The Communists shouted insults and threatened to kill the Christians.  The leading officer pointed his gun at the pastor’s head.  “Hand me your Bible,” he demanded.

Reluctantly, the pastor handed over his Bible, his prized possession.  With a sneer on his face, the guard threw the Word of God on the floor at his feet.

He glared a t small congregation.  “We will let you go,” he growled, “but first, you must spit on this book of lies.  Anyone who refuses will be shot.  The believers had no choice but to obey the officer’s order.

A soldier pointed his gun at one of the men.  “You first. Reluctantly, he spit on it, praying, “Father, please forgive me. He stood up and walked to the door.  The soldiers stood back and allowed him to leave.

“Okay, you!” the soldier said, nudging a woman forward.  In tears, she could barely do what the soldier demanded.  She spit only a little, but it is enough.  She too was allowed to leave.

Quietly, a young girl came forward.  Overcome with love for her Lord, she knelt down and picked up the Bible.  She wiped off the spit with her dress.  “What have they done to Your Word?  Please forgive them,” she prayed.

The communist soldier put his pistol to her head.  Then he pulled the trigger.

Most of those facing persecution today could have escaped if they had denied their faith.  The question is not whether we are persecuted, but whether we are willing to lay down our life for our faith in Jesus Christ.

Taken from "Jesus Freaks" by DC Talk and Voice of the Martyrs, Bethany House Publishers, 1999.

http://www.jesusfreaks.net

The Audio Update Returns with a great story about Kyle busting up his face.

If you want to stream the show CLICK HERE. Get it by clicking on the Attachment link below: