Tag Archives: Ramadan

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Prayer For Salvation During Month of Ramadan

Ramadan is the month when all the Muslim will fast – from dawn until sunset – from eating & drinking, sexual relations, forged speed and evil actions, increased recitation of the Quran. Their hope to receive spiritual reward from Allah and be multiplied. During the month of Ramadan, the Muslims fast for the sake of demonstrating submission to God and to offer more prayer than usual (from Wikipedia). More about Ramadan you also can find at 30-Days Prayer Network.

This year, the month of Ramadan starts on July 20th through August 18th, it is the Month of Ramadan for the Muslim people in the world. We, as believers, also can get involved during this month by praying for the Muslims in the world, praying for their salvation, praying that they will see the True God, praying that they will be received the revelation of God about Isa-Almasih, the Son of God.

The 30-days Prayer Network encourages and provides the guide how to pray for the Muslim countries during this month of Ramadan. You can join their Facebook Page and Twitter to get updates during the 30-days prayer. At their website, they provide lots of reading materials related to Muslims and how to minister to them. It is also available for Kids and Family, in PDF format or booklet.

Another website where you can learn more about Muslims and how to minister to them is Isa and Islam.  This Website is in English and Indonesian, their desire is:

….. to help other people of faith discover and understand Isa Al-Masih (Jesus the Messiah) from the perspective of both the Quran and the Bible.

Furthermore, we are members of the community of the faithful ones who diligently study the Bible and Islamic writings. For many years we have had meaningful dialogues with Muslims and Christians. We are grateful and humbled by the wisdom that God has given us to understand and speak about these two great world religions.

Indonesia is a country with

  • about 80% of over 230 million people are Muslims, the most Muslim population in the world (from Operation World)
  • 784 people groups (from Joshua Projects).
  • about 722 language groups (from Ethnologue).

Those are some facts about the country where I was born and raised. God has put Indonesia in my heart and show me how much He loves the people of Indonesia since 2004. Since that day, I cry and pray to God for all He will send more and more His workers for the harvest is ready there.

Would you pray with me for the Muslims in the World and Indonesia? Would you pray and ask God what He wants you to do to reach out these people?

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The Kerinci People of Indonesia

We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. (2 Corinthians 10:4)

Introduction / History
Originally from the eastern coast of Sumatera, the Kerinci fled from local Muslim Sultanates in an ancient war and moved into their existing homeland high in the Bukit Barisan Mountains near Mount Kerinci in West Sumatera and Lake Kerinci in Jambi. Although the highlands present challenges for living, intensive agriculture coupled with fishing has been sufficient to sustain sizeable indigenous populations. The Kerinci have been able to resist assimilation with the stronger lowland peoples. They have managed to not only survive but to grow enriched by what they have borrowed from the coastal cultures, but in each case absorbing and reshaping according to their indigenous ethos without losing their own ethnic identity. Today, their isolation is being broken by government-sponsored mass relocations of Jawa, Sunda, and Bali people for plantation projects on their rich soil. In addition, a world-class national park is being developed by the World Wildlife Fund to preserve the rain forest, flora, and fauna. This will draw even more outsiders into this remote area.

(C) PJRN-IPN

What are their lives like?
Most of the Kerinci are farmers. Other than their main crop of rice (grown in both irrigated and unirrigated fields), they also grow potatoes, vegetables, and tobacco. Those who live around the base of the mountains are nomadic farmers. These nomadic farmers grow coffee, cinnamon, and cloves. The primary crops harvested from the jungle are resin and rattan. Most of the people living near Lake Kerinci and some other small lakes are fishermen. Their village homes are built very close together. A village is called a dusun and is inhabited by one clan that has descended from one common female ancestor. In a dusun there are always several long-houses, which are built side by side along the road. The nuclear family is called a tumbi. Once a man marries, he moves out of his family’s home and moves in with his new wife’s family. Normally, if a daughter is married, she is given a new small house attached to the house of her parents. In turn, her daughters will be given houses attached to her house. A mother’s clan is called the kelbu. This kelbu is considered the most important family unit among the Kerinci people. Even though the Kerinci people are matrilineal, the nuclear family is led by the husband, not the wife’s brother (as is common to other matrilineal groups, including the Minang). The mother’s brother avoids involvement in clan issues and only gets involved in problems with his sister’s immediate family. Inheritance is given to the daughters in the family.

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The Kangean People of Indonesia

The Lord is king! 
Let the earth rejoice! 
Let the farthest coastlands be glad.

Psalm 97:1

www.photorays.net

The Kangean people (population 135,000) live on Indonesia’s Kangean Island, located north of Bali. The island holds great tourism potential. Its beaches on the Java Sea are scenic and unspoiled, and the thick East Kangean forest contains many animals and beautiful birds.

Since 1993 the islands have been the site of natural gas drilling. They are connected to East Java via a 430-kilometer pipeline, most of which runs underwater. However, the Kangean are one of the last 200 or so Muslim people groups of over 100,000 with no organised effort to establish a community of believers. 

They use the Kangean language which is close to the Madura language. The major religion is Muslim, no Christians at all in this people group. They don’t have any medias – audio, nor written – of the Gospel. They are the Least-Reached people group in Indonesia.

Bible Translation is needed for this group. They need to know about the Love of God for their life, the Word of Living God can change their life, turn them into God’s worshippers.

Resource:

www.30-days.net

www.joshuaproject.net

Would you pray for the Kangean People?

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The Dates of Ramadan

“to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.” (Acts 26:18, NLT)

This year most of the countries in the world will start their Ramadan (the fasting month) on August 1-30, 2011. The dates of Ramadan always change every year, here’s why:

The dates for Ramadan are established according to the Islamic lunar calendar of 354 days. Starting 11 days earlier each year, it takes about 33 years for the Islam calendar to go through all the seasons.

Because of the changing nature of the Islamic year the 2011 booklet is actually our 20th edition. There have been 20 Islamic lunar years since the beginning of “30 Days” in March 1993. This is the year 1432 of the Islamic lunar calendar.

(C) 30-Days of Prayer for the Muslim World

Our Muslim friends will use this whole month to meditate their Al-quran, ask forgiveness for their sins, and longing for the Way, The Truth and the Life – the guidance to the right path, which only can be found through Isa Almasih. There’s one website that provides all information and knowledge about Isa and Islam, you can visit their website here. All you need to know you can find them on that website.

Would you join me to pray for the Muslims in the world this month?

 

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Injil dan Budaya

Pada hari ke-4 dalam 40 Hari Mengasihi Bangsa Dalam Doa ini, kita belajar bahwa hubungan antara Injil dan Budaya. Kedua elemen ini tidak dapat dipisahkan. Dalam kehidupan seseorang, kemanapun dia pergi, atau dimanapun dia tinggal, budaya pribadi tidak dapat dipisahkan. Budaya dapat dikembangkan mungkin, tapi ditidak dapat dirubah.

Cara hidup seseorang dipengaruhi oleh budayanya sendiri. Tuhan menciptakan budaya dan menjadikan bagian hidup manusia ciptaan-Nya untuk menghormati dan menyembah-Nya, sebagai Sang Pencipta, tetapi karen korupsi dosa dalam hidup manusia, budaya pun tercemar dan dibengkokkan oleh pengaruh Iblis. Tapi Allah tidak kalah akal, Allah menyediakan jalan untuk menembus manusia, termasuk budaya, lewat pengorbanan Kristus di Kayu Salib. Rencana Allah adalah segala suku, budaya, bahasa, dan bahasa akan berdiri di hadapan tahta-Nya yang kudus untuk menyembah-Nya.