wfn.org | TCN: Churches urged to pray for national revival on 228

["Lydia Ma" <enews@pctpress.org>]

>Taiwan Church News

>2975 Edition

>March 2~8, 2009

Churches urged to pray for national revival on 228

>Reported by Chiou Kuo-rong

>Written by Lydia Ma

February 28 will forever be remembered in Taiwanese history as an  example of oppression by outside forces. To this day, many Taiwanese are  still dealing with this tragedy as government and social agencies try to  heal and redress old wounds.

This year’s 228 Memorial Day was filled with ceremonies  commemorating the victims of the massacre. Churches across Taiwan held a  national prayer chain to remember the event, and Christians prayed to  God for comfort and healing so that Taiwanese could set aside their  hatred and political disagreements. Christians also prayed that churches  could lead the way in spreading the gospel and transforming Taiwan.

Taipei Truth Lutheran Church Pastor Yang Ning-ya admitted that he had  been praying for Taiwan for more than thirty years. He discovered that  national revival and transformation was not a simple process and usually  required transformation from pastors first so that churches had a role  model to follow as they slowly became agents of change and vessels used  by God to spread the gospel.

Yang said that before Taiwan could become a missionary country, it must  first start a national prayer movement. He used Uganda as an example by  pointing out the country used fervent prayers to counter a dictatorial  regime and the AIDS epidemic. He was convinced that if Taiwanese  churches would model the fervent prayers of believers in Uganda and seek  God for strength and discernment, Taiwan could experience transformation  and revival. He also emphasized that churches needed to pray for the  ability to discern what was preventing transformation and what could be  done to heal ethnic strife.

Pastor John Mulinde from Uganda was invited to speak during this  year’s “228 prayer for the Nation”. During his sermon, he  said he was convinced God would change Uganda and Taiwan and emphasized  that the key to transforming a country was using prayer to counter the  devil’s schemes.

He also said that the devil the devil had a hand in the AIDS epidemic  and the dictatorial regime that ordered a genocide because its ultimate  goals are to pit ethnic groups against each other, confuse moral values,  and prevent people from seeking God’s truth. Because of the  devil’s evil schemes, many have turned to idol worship and dabbled  with the occult.

However, what is happening in Uganda is only one example of the  devil’s schemes, said Mulinde. Another scheme the devil likes to  use is to lead people away from God as soon as they begin to enjoy a  comfortable life. This tactic is especially evident in North American  and European countries, where churches that used to send missionaries  abroad are now nearly empty.

Mulinde said that though the devil may use every opportunity to prevent  people from drawing closer to God, countries that overcome these  challenges will be ready and equipped to become missionary countries. He  believed that Uganda is a good example of such a country.

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