#PFUMC

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March 26, 2016 Day 40 Challenge: Saturday of Holy Week You made it to the last day of Lent. While Saturday of Holy Week is not a day for celebration, know that you have worked hard and sacrificed. Take time to reflect on your motivation for these sacrifices: were they to grow in your relationship with God, to make your heart more Christ-like, or were they to help you appear a certain way to others? Remember what Jesus says in Luke 12:34 - "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." In other words, your heart will match whatever you value. If you love God and desire a deeper connection with Him, this will be reflected in the condition of your heart. If you value attention, status, and outward appearance, your heart may look different to God. Use Saturday as a day to focus on the sacrifice made by Jesus for you, and where you are in terms of growing more like Him. When you've finished with your personal introspection, read through the devotion below to learn more. Jesus Joins the Righteous (Written by Dr. Gary M. Burge) Readings: Psalm 22 Friday afternoon, Jesus “died and was buried.” He remained in His tomb in Jerusalem from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning. However, during this time, Jesus was not idle. He entered into the realm of the dead and joined the righteous who were “resting” in a place of “shadows” awaiting their resurrection. Jesus’ disciples and His family no doubt mourned tremendously because few believed His promise of resurrection. They thought this was the end, and they grieved deeply. Few of us have the skills we need for public grieving. In Jesus’ day, grieving was loud, messy, and emotional. People wore clothes signaling their grief; some might wear ashes on their head or tear their garments, and at times they might simply sit in silence. On the cross, Jesus recited Psalm 22 (a grave psalm) —and sadly, we do not read it all the way through. It begins: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?” It ends 31 verses later with praise and confidence in God. Christians also have long-standing traditions around grieving. Many Christians sing one of our greatest hymns: “O Sacred Head Now Wounded.” It is our grave song for Jesus and for centuries, it has been in use on this day before Easter. Many Christians wear black. Many refrain from shopping and working, and many spend the evening quietly at home without turning on music or TV. This day cannot be an ordinary one. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11 ESV) Meditate on the words to “O Sacred Head Now Wounded.” Let them fill you with gratitude. The hymn, now 900 years old, has many verses and came into prominence when J.S. Bach wrote a melody for it in the 1700s. Since then it has been in continuous use. Hear Fernando Ortega sing it and follow the words below. We will use three verses. (1) O sacred Head, now wounded, With grief and shame weighed down, Now scornfully surrounded With thorns, Thine only crown; How pale Thou art with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn! How doth Thy visage languish, which once was bright as morn! (2) What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered, ‘Twas all for sinners' gain; Mine, mine was the transgression, But Thine the deadly pain. Lo, here I fall, my Savior! 'Tis I deserve Thy place; Look on me with Thy favor, Vouchsafe to me Thy grace. (3) What language shall I borrow To thank Thee, dearest friend, For this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end? O make me Thine forever, And should I fainting be, Lord, let me never, never Outlive my love for Thee.

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March 25, 2016 Day 39: Friday of Holy Week For me, today represents the darkness that we often encounter in life during times of crisis or distress. We feel low and often can't see how it can get better, much like the disciples felt this day. However, we're lucky enough to know that the light is coming, if we remain patient. Keep going. Fight through it. The darkness will not win this battle. The Final Moment By Dr. Gary M. Burge Readings: Mark 14:32–15:47 Today Christians throughout the world remember Jesus’ death. Jesus was arrested late Thursday night, remained in custody until Friday morning, and then on Friday afternoon, after His trial, He was crucified. Before sundown, He was removed from the cross and buried in the tomb of a man named Joseph of Arimathea. Christ followers remembered well what happened while Jesus was on the cross since there were many eyewitnesses that day. Jesus spoke numerous words and each has been studied carefully. Perhaps the most famous words are those reported by Luke: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34 ESV). This is a fulfillment of His frequent teaching: “I say to you, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you’” (Matthew 5:44 ESV). On the cross, He forgave and loved even those who were hostile to Him. We know as Christians, we should love our enemies as Jesus did. But there is more here. Not infrequently, we know we are often disgruntled disciples, angry with God because of something that has happened and we wonder if these attitudes separate us from Jesus’ love. Jesus forgave those who crucified him. He does the same for us. The shock of Jesus’ arrest and death begins our season of grief in Holy Week. In some parts of the world, Christians wear black on Good Friday as a private, personal reminder. These are our grief clothes for Jesus.

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March 24, 2016 Day 38: Thursday of Holy Week Easter is almost here, and with it comes the end of Holy Week. These last few days before the resurrection are filled with love, confusion, pain, and suffering for Jesus and His disciples. Amidst all of this, though, one thing remained clear for Jesus: that He was to sacrifice Himself so that we may be free of sin. Read the devotion below, written by Dr. Gary M. Burge, to learn more about this. In the Upper Room Readings: Mark 14:12–31 John 13:1–20 Today Christians throughout the world gather to tell the story of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet and the story of His final meal—the Lord’s Supper—in a private room in Jerusalem. Some ancient churches begin a worship service this night and remain in worship continually until Easter Sunday morning. The Jewish Passover Feast was set to begin at sundown, so throughout this day, Jews went to the Temple to ceremonially sacrifice a lamb for the Passover meal that night. Because the meal had to be eaten by dusk within Jerusalem’s walls, Jesus had prepared a room where He and His disciples would meet and celebrate together. His final meal, eaten this night, is one of His best-known activities. We call it the Lord’s Supper. This same evening, Jesus dressed as a slave and washed the feet of His disciples, and they found His action shocking. Foot washing was a common practice—however it was one that was always done by a servant. By His action, Jesus clearly demonstrated a model of how His followers are to live: “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14 ESV). For Jesus, lowly service—service beyond what anyone might expect—is another hallmark of what it means to be His follower. In this deed, Jesus literally “made them clean” but He also saw this as a convenient symbol. They would be completely “cleansed” by His death on the cross where their sins would be forgiven. Remarkably, we are to join Jesus in this work. “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:15 NIV). How can I imitate Jesus’ service to others?

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March 23, 2016 Day 37: Wednesday of Holy Week How might Jesus have spent the Wednesday before His death? Read the devotion below, written by Dr. Gary M. Burge, to find out. The Essence of Faithfulness Readings: Mark 12:28–34 Matthew 25:31–46 During this week, Jesus taught for hours inside the Temple. He was both confrontational (with the Temple leaders) and compassionate (with the crowds). His desire was to show average people what it meant to love God. When a teacher asked Him what was most important, He recited the ancient creed of Israel from Deuteronomy 6:5 that we should love God exhaustively. But then He included his own addition from Leviticus 19:18 that we should love our neighbor with equal strength. The teacher agreed: This is worth more than all the sacrifices made at the Temple. And Jesus complimented him. The next night Jesus would say the same thing to His closest disciples: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34 NIV). For Jesus, how we love is as important as the faith we hold. We often think that what God wants is complicated. It isn’t. God asks us for our undivided devotion, but he also asks us to love richly those who are around us. This includes our families, our colleagues, our friends. In Jesus’ mind, this must have been the hallmark of a faithful person. How can I love as Jesus loved?

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March 22, 2016 Day 36: Tuesday of Holy Week Continue with your sacrifice from yesterday. When it gets difficult, spend time in prayer asking God for strength and discipline. Read the devotional below to better understand what Jesus's Tuesday may have looked like during Holy Week. (Devotional written by Dr. Gary M. Burge) Friends in Bethany Readings: Mark 14:1–9 John 12:1–8 The remarkable thing about this little village just over the hill from Jerusalem is that it offered a welcoming home to Jesus during this entire week. Bethany was the village of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. We can assume all their extended families lived there as well. They were all Jesus’ friends, which underscores the importance of our families to support and sustain us. But there is more. This family did something courageous: they were able to discern God’s will in this moment for Jesus and support Him in it. They loved Him and did not choose to dissuade Him from the fate that awaited Him. When Mary anointed Jesus with expensive perfume, it became a symbolic anointing for the work He would accomplish through His death later in the week. It was a lavish gift, but more importantly, through her action, Mary showed her acceptance of the reality of Jesus’ impending death. Having families and close friends who can stand with us as we discern God’s plans for our lives is a great gift. There are families that actually talk together regularly about how they can better support each other. Or how they can see what God is doing more clearly. Some families help one another make hard decisions that may be difficult but right. Other families help one another accept a hard reality they do not want to face. Is there a time when I have accepted a difficult reality for a loved one or myself? Reflect on this. In the present time, is there a family member or friend facing something difficult?

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March 21, 2016 Day 35: Monday of Holy Week We started 'Lent is Love' back on February 10th, and if you've participated in at least ONE of the challenges, the odds are that you're a different person now than you were back then. Hopefully, you've grown more connected with God and more compassionate toward others. For the last 6 days of Lent, the challenge will be the most intense yet. Think about something you have that you love dearly. What's the one thing you couldn't do without? Be honest. What's the thing that you put above all other things? Have an idea? Now, show God that He means more to you than whatever it is. Commit to giving it up through Easter Sunday, because you love Jesus more than the 'thing' you thought you couldn't live without. I told you this would be hard, but I'm also telling you when you complete this sacrifice, it will be worth so much more to you than anything else you've done. Christ sacrificed His life for you, so that you might live a new life washed clean of your sins. He hung on a cross for YOU! How could you ever show Him how much that meant to you? He knows your heart. He knows what's most important in your life. Spend some time in prayer and figure out what that item is and then hand it over to Him for the next 7 days. This 'fast' will help you connect more deeply and become more grateful for Jesus's sacrifice for you. Since you'll be fasting from your 'thing' this week, each day I'm going to post a short devotional from Dr. Gary M. Burge on what Jesus's experience was probably like during that day of Holy Week. Read through the devotion, spend time reading the accompanying scripture, and then pray on what you've read and learned. Use your empathy and compassion to connect more deeply with Jesus and understand His mindset better. Be ALL IN for growing deeper in your relationship with Christ this week. Monday - Jesus in the Temple Readings: Mark 11:15–33 Matthew 21:33–46 When Jesus was in Jerusalem this week, it’s clear He was unhappy with what He saw in the Temple. This was God’s House, but He was not pleased with what it had become. The temple had evolved into a commercial enterprise with rules that restricted access to only certain people. In other words, it was there to make money and to reinforce exclusivity. After overturning many of the tables of the merchants and moneychangers, Jesus said, “My house shall be a house of prayer for all nations” (emphasis added). Jesus made this statement while standing near a short wall that displayed a threatening sign to those who were not Israelites. Foreigners who tried to pass the wall would be killed, and Temple police were armed and ready to enforce this rule. For Jesus to pronounce His house (the Temple) as a house of prayer for all nations is a remarkable statement. When Jesus said “all nations” this meant other national or ethnic groups, other people not ordinarily welcomed in religious places. Jesus did not miss an opportunity to include those who were usually excluded. This means many of us who feel unworthy or excluded should be welcomed and discover hospitality when we meet God’s people. You should feel welcome regardless of your background or history. And we should extend that welcome to others, no matter their “nation.” How can I extend a welcome to others who have found little welcome in life?

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Not only is it Palm Sunday, it's also the first day of spring! Double yay! We have Fusion today at 5:30 pm. We'll finish up our paintings for next week, try out a new game, and worship with the Fusion band. See you soon!

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March 19, 2016 Day 34 Challenge: Put it all Together We've spent this past week working on our relationships with God, because almost all of us fall into the category of those without spirit. You've learned about a number of ways to connect deeper with God, including reflecting on your prayer life, using Lectio Divina as a method for reading and understanding scripture, using doodle prayer to focus better during prayer, choosing a reading plan for scripture around a topic you're interested in, and using random journaling to capture your thoughts throughout the day to see how much they are directed toward God. That's a lot, and to be honest, these are all activities that need to be done more than once for growth. Take time to reflect on which of these activities helped you connect with God in a way that was different than you normally do. Use the time for today's challenge to try it out again. Push yourself to move into an area that might feel a little uncomfortable initially. The more time you spend in it, the more comfortable it will feel. And always remember that what God wants is time connecting with you and your heart - He doesn't care about whether it seems awkward or not. :)

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March 18, 2016 Day 33 Challenge: Evaluate your Thoughts One of the ways that we can better understand the depth of our relationship with God is to look at how much time we spend throughout our day thinking of Him and looking to Him for guidance. But how, exactly, can we gather this type of information? Through a process I like to call 'random journaling.' The idea behind random journaling is to collect your thoughts at random times throughout the day, and then use them to better understand your thought patterns, overall, for any number of topics: anxiety, happiness, depression, how much I dislike black licorice, and the list goes on. Your challenge for today is to use random journaling to collect your thoughts. Take your phone out and set some alarms for random times throughout your day today: I'd shoot for one in the morning, one around lunch, one in the afternoon, and one in the evening (if you don't have a phone, get out a piece of paper and write down some random times-you're going to put this paper somewhere that you'll see it throughout your day). When the alarm goes off, stop what your doing and write down two things: 1. What was I doing (my behavior) and 2. What was I thinking? Ideally, you would use this process over the course of at least two weeks, to get a good set of data to reflect on. If you feel compelled, please feel free to keep going with this. For this challenge though, I would commit to at least Friday and Saturday. Record your observations and when you're done collecting your data, sit down and analyze it. What patterns do you see? How often are you actually engaging God in your thoughts? How often do you look to Him for guidance, clarification, or support? Do your thoughts tend to focus on your own problem-solving, or do you pursue God for help with your day to day experiences? It's fascinating to reveal these tendencies we have, because they often go unnoticed in our busy lives. Random journaling creates the space and opportunity for you to slow down and really get metacognitive, that is, thinking about your own thinking. Philippians 4:8-9 (MSG) Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious; the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

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March 17, 2016 Day 32 Challenge: Reading To Connect A couple of days ago, you were challenged to choose a short section of scripture in the Bible and use a process called lectio divina to read it and connect with God. Hopefully, that was an experience that helped you to understand scripture in a more meaningful way. Reading scripture is definitely necessary in order to grow deeper in our spiritual walk, but we must do it more often than once a week at church. We must choose to devote time regularly to reading the Word. With everything else that draws our attention throughout the day, though, we often forget. For me, I usually realize this when I'm in bed half asleep and can't do anything about it! Also, what should you read? While anything scripture will do, if you just pick random verses each day, it can be difficult to see what the overarching theme of the Bible is. What is God trying to teach us through a specific book or through a section of the Bible? One way to help with this involves finding a reading plan that you're interested in. Some reading plans go through specific books, while others follow specific topics. There are literally so many options you are almost guaranteed to find something that you're interested in. In terms of scripture apps for your phone, the two that I highly recommend are the Bible app and the Daily Audio Bible app. Both have specific plans for teens (I've included a screenshot of some of the plans from the Bible app - you can see they're pretty short and focus on a number of topics you could relate with). You simply choose a plan, set up when you want your notifications, and the app will do the rest for you. All you have to do is make the choice to devote time daily to your study. If you don't have a phone, there are also websites that will email you scripture daily for study. Check out biblegateway.com or dailybibleonline.com. Both allow you to choose a reading plan or devotional that you can sign up for to receive in your email inbox each day. Your challenge for today is to choose and sign up for a service to receive daily notifications for scripture reading. If growing in spirit and having a heart for Christ is truly something that you desire for your life, regular scripture reading is a necessary discipline to engage in. It's how we connect with God, better understanding who He is and what He wants for us in our lives. In order to grow in spirit today, complete Day 1 of the reading plan you've chosen. If it's just scripture with no reflective questions, here are a few to get you started: 1. How does this story or these verses show me what God is like? 2. What is the main message in this text? What does it mean for my life? 3. What is my favorite verse from what I’m reading? Why? When you're done reading and reflecting, be sure to close in prayer. Thank God for His word and His faithfulness, ask Him to guide you in what these verses might mean to you, or tell Him something you've been keeping in that you want to get off your chest. Regardless of the prayer, just spend time connected to Him.

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March 16, 2016 Day 31 Challenge: Doodle Prayer Do you love to doodle during lectures in school or when you're supposed to be focusing on homework? For some of us, doodling actually helps us focus better. This is the premise behind doodle prayers - another means for us to grow deeper in spirit with God. Here are some reasons to use doodle prayers (from prayingcolor.com): 1. You want to pray but words escape you. 2. Sitting still and staying focused in prayer are a challenge. 3. Your body wants to be part of prayer. 4. You want to just hang out with God but don't know how. 5. Listening to God feels like an impossible task. 7. You want a visual, concrete way to pray. 8. You need a new way to pray. So, here's how they work. Start with a blank piece of paper. In the center, write what you want to pray about (someone's name, a name for God, a verse, etc...). Draw a shape around the words to start your doodle. This will be your prayer space. As you pray, fill in the space with doodles, releasing your prayer to God. You can doodle in silence or talk out loud as you feel led. When your prayer topic changes (which it often does), start a new prayer space. Write the new topic somewhere else on your paper, draw a shape around it and continue praying and doodling within it. Every time you switch prayer spaces, pause and say, "Amen." Don’t worry about the artistic quality of your doodles. Just let your pen draw and your mind focus on your prayers. The purpose is connecting with God, not creating a work of art. Today, spend your 30 minutes of distraction-free, quiet time doodle praying. Get some paper, something to write with, and some topics you feel led to pray about. Put your cell phone in another room and get doodling. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians‬ ‭4:6-7‬ ‭(NLT)

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March 15, 2016 Day 30 Challenge: Reading to Connect Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psalm 119:105) These are likely David's words in Psalm 119, as he was writing about how very much he loved the Word of God. In fact, all of Psalm 119, which is the longest chapter in the Bible, presents an argument for how glorious and important God's Word truly is. What's fascinating to think about, however, is how much affection David had for the Word of God, even though he had so little of it available to read. Ponder this: at the time David wrote this Psalm, he may have had access to the first Books of Moses, which were just coming out. Yet he wrote this entire psalm about how much he revered and loved God's Word. On the other hand, here we sit with the entire collection of divine teachings/writings and our reaction to it is often cold and unemotional. We fail to see the Bible for what it truly is: God's love letter to us. We often get hung up on a specific verse we don't like, or we skip over the parts we don't understand. It becomes easier to avoid trying to figure out what some of the writings mean. Eventually, our attitude toward it shifts and it becomes a tool of obligation, rather than of spiritual discipline. For today's challenge, we are going to work on seeing the Bible through fresh eyes again. Lectio Divina, a Latin term, means "divine reading" and describes a way of reading the Scriptures whereby we gradually let go of our own agenda and open ourselves to what God wants to say to us. Find a comfortable place to sit, grab your bible and a highlighter or something to write with, turn off your phone and get rid of all distractions, and take the next 30 minutes to hear what God is saying to you through scripture. Lectio (Reading/Listening) - choose a passage to read out loud (10-15 verses is best). Give yourself a few moments of silence to let it sink in. Meditatio (Meditation) - read the same passage again, but this time have your highlighter ready to mark a word or phrase that stands out to you. Take a few minutes to reflect on your answer. Why did you pick that verse? Oratio (Prayer) - read through the passage one more time. After a few moments of silence, share any questions you may have with God in relation to the word or phrase you marked. Did the words or phrases bring up any prayer intentions? Contemplatio (Contemplation)-finally, read the verses one last time. This is a time to simply be with God in an extended period of silence. After completing this challenge, here are some questions to ponder: What thoughts do you have about this method of reading scripture? What was your favorite part? The most challenging part? Why? How can you make this method of reading scripture a more consistent part of your life? Close your time with prayer. Talk with God about your experience and possible next steps. And know that God loves you and desires a deep, meaningful relationship with you.

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March 14, 2016 Day 29 Challenge: Give Up Indifference! This week, we’re going to continue looking at those who are without, but our focus will be a little closer to home. Actually, A LOT closer to home. Those without spirit include all of us. While each of our relationships with God look different from one another, we all have work to do in figuring out ways to deepen our love for God and the intimacy of our relationships with Him. Sometimes, we see our lack of spirit and we work to cover it up with fancy clothes, nice cars, or acts of service; anything to show people that we’re okay on the outside. Other times, we choose to ignore or NOT spend time reflecting on our relationship with God, because it might be painful to admit to ourselves that it’s not where we’d like it to be. This quote from Mother Teresa explains it more clearly: “The spiritual poverty of the West is greater than ours… You, in the West, have millions of people who suffer such terrible loneliness and emptiness… They feel unloved and unwanted. These people are not hungry in the physical sense, but they are in another way. They know they need something more than money, yet they don’t know what it is. What they are missing, really, is a loving relationship with God.” We have to stop being indifferent to this lack of spirit (or spiritual poverty as Mother Teresa calls it), both within ourselves and within our family, friends and neighbors. But how? I definitely don’t have all the answers, but I know that prayer is always a good place to start with God, so that’s where we’re going today. One thing you’ll consistently see about this week is the importance of having daily quiet time during which you can reflect, meditate, pray, read scripture, or simply be still. During this time, move your electronic devices to another room, turn off your music, and get rid of any other distractions around you. The goal is to find a way to focus all of your energy on whatever you choose to do during that time. For today’s challenge, find 30 minutes of quiet time to reflect on your current prayer life with God. Use the questions below to guide you through: 1. What is your current attitude toward prayer? Is it something you look forward to and cherish or an item to check off your to-do list? Why? 2. The goal of prayer is not just to say words, but to actually connect with God. Reflect on your personal prayers (the ones in your own words) from the past week. Did you feel a connection, or deepening of your relationship, through them? Did you open your heart to God during them? 3. When do you normally pray? What if your first thoughts, before you got out of bed in the morning or picked up your phone, were directed to the Lord? If you started your day talking and listening to God, how do you think it would change the way you see the challenges and opportunities you encounter throughout your day? 4. Effective prayer is a two-way street. This means that you have to pause in solitude to listen. How do you allow space for God to communicate with you during your prayer time? Finish up the challenge today with a prayer of your own. Choose an amount of time to commit to praying: 3-5 minutes is a good start. Set a timer if you need to, and then focus on praying during that entire time. If you don’t know what to say, just sit in silence and listen. Notice any thoughts that come to mind or emotions placed on your heart during this time – they may be God’s response to you. Spend time saying thanks for your blessings, lifting up others in prayer, telling God how awesome He is, confessing any sins that you feel like giving to Him, and telling Him how much you truly love Him. You know what He’s going to say back to you? “I love you too, kid.”

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March 12, 2016 Day 28 Challenge: Share Your Love After this week, I'm honestly overwhelmed at the number of human beings currently facing or fleeing persecution from their government or militia groups based on their religious choices. It has brought to mind a quote I heard by Horst Schulze at the Global Leadership Summit this past year: "Nobody can claim superiority over another human being." God didn't create us to be this way; in fact, Jesus came to do the opposite and tear down the man-made power structures that were oppressing the poor. This week has made me feel saddened, frustrated, disheartened, angry, and powerless all at the same time. These individuals were born into these situations-they didn't cause them to happen. Had they been born here in the US or Canada (or any other developed nation), they could've experienced the same religious freedoms that we have without fear of physical harm. But, in my hopelessness this week, God has continued to nudge me and remind me of His power and presence. Matthew 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." We may not be able to overthrow a repressive government regime, but I'm reminded that we can bring hope and encouragement to our brothers and sisters in Christ in other ways, which is going to be our challenge for today. In Sri Lanka, Christian pastors and churches face threats of assault and violence by monks who see Christianity as a threat to their Buddhist beliefs and way of life (this is crazy to me-I always think of monks as being peaceful). When pastors have churches that are growing or thriving, they are often threatened, falsely accused or beaten. Open Doors works directly with these pastors, providing practical and legal aid, trauma counseling, Bible training, and livelihood support. One pastor they're specifically supporting right now is Pastor Daya, whose ministry to abandoned and abused children was recently closed under false charges. While Open Doors helps Pastor Daya on the ground, we're invited to write notes of encouragement for Daya and other Sri Lanken pastors that might need to be reminded of the hope that comes in Christ. Here are the guidelines for your note: Do not mention Open Doors in your message Your salutation should read: "Dear Pastor" Be encouraging-keep the message to no more than 200 words and include 1-2 Bible verses if you are led That's it! That's all it takes to provide some encouragement to those spreading the love of Christ in what can be a very discouraging situation. When you get your note written, bring it to Fusion and I can send it for you, or visit this website to send it yourself: http://live.opendoorsusa.org/letter/?_ga=1.247442055.2080514648.1457315635 And keep praying! God does amazing things through prayer!

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Day 27 Challenge: Power of Prayer Up until now, we've focused on those without religious freedom in Africa and the Middle East. Another country that has actually ranked #1 on the World Watch List for the past 14 years is North Korea. The dictators who have led the country not only oppose the practice of Christianity; they place known or suspected followers in labor camps with horrendous living conditions. The following will help you to better understand what living in North Korea as a Christian would be like. This interview was taken from the Open Doors USA website. Kim Sang-Hwa is the daughter of a North Korean church leader, but she lives in South Korea. The most fortified border in the world separates her from her parents and her North Korean brothers and sisters in Christ. She kneels at the table when she shares how she found the illegal Bible, how her father openly explained the Gospel to her and how she was banished from her home. Less than half a meter from the table filled with tea and cookies is a map taped to the floor. A dozen drawn hearts indicate the places where today thousands and thousands of people are perishing in horrendous prisoner camps. This is her story: "In our house was a hidden closet. When I was twelve, I accidentallyn found it. I don't know why, but I started to feel inside the cabinet with my hand and I felt a book; I pulled it out, opened the book and began to read. In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth... I began to shiver and dropped the book. I was so scared. My discovery could cost me my life. I was afraid to touch the Bible, but I couldn't just leave it there. I closed my eyes, picked up the book and put it back. I weighed my options. Should I tell my teacher? Should I visit the local security official? For fifteen days I couldn't think about anything else. I knew it was my duty to report this illegal book. But it was my family which was involved. And I had all these questions: Who is this God? Finally, I had the guts to ask my father. He was very surprised and sat next to me. He asked me: 'Do you see those old trees?' I nodded. 'Who made those?' I said I didn't know, and he explained the story of creation to me, including how God had made Adam and Eve. Then he turned to me and asked me another question. 'What is the most dangerous animal?' I did not know why, but I answered: 'The snake.' 'That's right,' he replied and told me how sin came into the world. It was the first of many conversations we had about the Bible, about God, Jesus and the Gospel. He explained many Bible stories to me. I was not a real believer yet, but they did make a lot of sense to me. I felt sorry for all the people who didn't know the truth. Even my older siblings were unaware. Sometimes my father met people in a secret location. Many children of believers came to that location too and learned the Bible. We prayed together. Among the people visiting the secret meetings were some non-believers, too, even spies. When one of those visitors was dying, my father went to see him on his death bed. He confessed: 'I know everything about you, your family and your faith. I was a spy and ordered to watch you.' 'And?' my father asked. 'You are a good man. I never told anyone you were a Christian. Tell me how I can become a Christian, too.' In the final moments of his life, this man repented and entered the Kingdom of God. My father was able to lead him there. Later my marriage life became so difficult that I had to escape North Korea. But my dreams and hopes haven't changed. There is much more freedom here in South Korea. Still, I wish I could go back to North Korea and share the Gospel with the people there and have fellowship with the local believers. I love their faith. I'd be ready to die for the Gospel. I think that if I didn't have a family here in South Korea, I would have returned already and helped the people in need. My father always told me to seek the Kingdom first. That will always be his prayer for his country and all believers. This is also what I pray in the morning when I kneel at the map on the floor and pray for the brothers and sisters. But sometimes I'm discouraged. I feel the same as many believers around the world. It seems like nothing is changing in North Korea. The situation only gets worse. When I pray, I often ask God: 'What's the point? Why do you want me to keep on praying for North Korea?' But then God reminds me: 'You know North Korea better than anyone else. You know the people and their suffering. If you won't pray, who will? Rely on Me. Believe in Me.' Read Matthew 6:19-34 Kim Sang-Hwa's father reminded her to seek first the Kingdom. He prays that for the believers in his country and he prays that for us as well. Here in the West, there are so many distractions that keep us from seeking first the Kingdom. What's keeping you? Close today's challenge in reflective, meditative prayer. Please pray for the 50,000-70,000 Christians imprisoned in labor camps; ask God to sustain them. Pray for the many Christians who don't have enough food to survive and are forced to flee to China. Finally, pray that Christians may stay strong in their faith under unrelenting pressure from government spies. It almost sounds fictional when you learn more, but it's not. Kim Jong-Un does an excellent job of leading out of fear and paranoia and the citizens are the ones who pay the cost.

[fusionpfumc]

March 10, 2016 Day 26 Challenge: Power of Prayer Until this week, Eritrea was a country I had never heard of before. After some research, I now know it's a small country of about 6 million people located in Eastern Africa. I also learned that it's ranked #3 on the 2016 World Watch List for most extreme persecution against Christians. The Eritrean government is strictly authoritarian and intolerant of any form of dissent or free expression. They have been a major supporter of radical Islam in the past, and are known to supply weapons and ammunition to Al-Shabaab, an Islamic extremist group. It's in this context that we place Helen's story. As you watch her video, listen to better understand her attitude toward her situation. Try to put yourself in her shoes as best you can and ask yourself, "Would I have the same attitude?" Helen's story: http://youtu.be/fjqX1v9a8cU So, here's a powerful question: If you were to wake up tomorrow with only the things you thanked God for today, what would you have? Your answer is between you and God. If you feel slightly convicted about your answer (like I'm sure many of us do), that's between you and God also, but understand that that feeling is because God wants you to change. End your time today in prayer. Focus on the people and government of Eritrea: Pray for the hundreds of Eritrean Christians who have been imprisoned for their faith. Pray that the government would soften its stance on evangelical Christians and give them the freedom to worship Jesus without restriction. Pray that the rise of Islamic extremism will be stifled. Focus on Helen: Pray that she has been able to openly express her faith without worry of violence or repercussions taken against her. Focus on your own gratitude: What do you need to thank God for today? If you're not sure, pray and ask. Then listen. This is an important step in the process that we often skip over. God is whispering His answer - are you quiet enough to hear it?