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Week of April 24, 2017

"What God is as invisible in heaven, Jesus was as visible on earth." - Andrew Murray


FROM THE DESK OF: the Director of Communications

Friends, this is the last week in the office for me. I'm transitioning to a new role in a church in Alabama. Hopefully I'll be able to continue to write for various Uttermost platforms in the future. I love this ministry and the people that run it.

For the Win[dow],

Bubby Bryan, DOC

VERSE OF THE WEEK: Isaiah 54:10

"For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you and my covenant of peaces shall not be removed..."

COUNTRY OF THE WEEK: Turkey

Modern Turkey was founded in 1923 from the remnants of the defeated Ottoman Empire by national hero Mustafa KEMAL, who was later honored with the title Ataturk or "Father of the Turks." Under his leadership, the country adopted radical social, legal, and political reforms. After a period of one-party rule, an experiment with multi-party politics led to the 1950 election victory of the opposition Democrat Party and the peaceful transfer of power. Since then, Turkish political parties have multiplied, but democracy has been fractured by periods of instability and military coups (1960, 1971, 1980), which in each case eventually resulted in a return of formal political power to civilians. In 1997, the military again helped engineer the ouster - popularly dubbed a "post-modern coup" - of the then Islamic-oriented government. A coup attempt was made in July 2016 by a faction of the Turkish Armed Forces.

Turkey intervened militarily on Cyprus in 1974 to prevent a Greek takeover of the island and has since acted as patron state to the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," which only Turkey recognizes. A separatist insurgency begun in 1984 by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has long dominated the Turkish military's attention and claimed more than 40,000 lives. In 2013, the PKK and the Turkish Government agreed to a cease-fire, but fighting resumed in 2015. Turkey joined the UN in 1945 and in 1952 it became a member of NATO. In 1963, Turkey became an associate member of the European Community; it began accession membership talks with the EU in 2005. Over the past decade, economic reforms have contributed to a growing economy, although economic growth slowed in recent years.

From 2015 and continuing in 2016, Turkey witnessed an uptick in terrorist violence. The attacks have included bombings in Ankara, Istanbul, and throughout the predominantly Kurdish southeastern region of Turkey. On 15 July 2016, elements of the Turkish Armed forces attempted a coup at key government and infrastructure locations in Ankara and Istanbul. An estimated 300 people were killed and over 2,000 injured when Turkish citizens took to the streets en masse to confront the coup forces. In response, Turkish Government authorities arrested and/or dismissed thousands of military personnel, journalists, and civil servants, including judges and educators, over their alleged connection with the attempted coup. The government accused followers of an Islamic transnational religious and social movement for allegedly instigating the failed coup and designates the followers as terrorists. Following the failed coup, the Turkish Government instituted a three-month State of Emergency in July 2016 that was extended in October 2016. The Turkish Government is considering changing Turkey to an executive presidency. (CIA World Fact book)

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PRAYER REQUESTS:

Pray for a radical change in deep-seated prejudices and biases against Christianity.

Pray for wise leadership to peacefullynavigate the tense rivalry between staunch nationalists and radical Islamists.

Pray for the work of evangelism to go forth in power despite increased hostilities and bitter persecution toward believers.

Pray for the Uttermost workers on the field.

Pray for the US office.

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Comment

Week of April 17, 2017

"Moralism rewards the strong. The gospel resurrects the dead." - Matt Smethurst

FROM THE DESK OF: the Director of Communications

The thought occurred to me over the Easter weekend that we rightly observe the weight of Good Friday and we rightly celebrate the joy of the resurrection on Easter Sunday but we tend to forget about Holy Saturday - the day where nothing was accomplished, nothing was produced. And yet God was still planning, moving and working. What an important thought during the mundane, normal, plain Mondays of life. God is still at work.

For the Win[dow],

Bubby Bryan, DOC

VERSE OF THE WEEK: Acts 19:8-10

"Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly over a period of three months, arguing and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9 But when some became hardened and would not believe, slandering the Way in front of the crowd, he withdrew from them, taking the disciples, and conducted discussions every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for two years, so that all the residents of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord."

COUNTRY OF THE WEEK: Myanmar (Burma)

Various ethnic Burmese and ethnic minority city-states or kingdoms occupied the present borders through the 19th century. Over a period of 62 years (1824-1886), Britain conquered Burma and incorporated the country into its Indian Empire. Burma was administered as a province of India until 1937 when it became a separate, self-governing colony; in 1948, Burma attained independence from the British Commonwealth. Gen. NE WIN dominated the government from 1962 to 1988, first as military ruler, then as self-appointed president, and later as political kingpin. In response to widespread civil unrest, NE WIN resigned in 1988, but within months the military crushed student-led protests and took power.

Multiparty legislative elections in 1990 resulted in the main opposition party - the National League for Democracy (NLD) - winning a landslide victory. Instead of handing over power, the junta placed NLD leader (and 1991 Nobel Peace Prize recipient) AUNG SAN SUU KYI under house arrest from 1989 to 1995, 2000 to 2002, and from May 2003 to November 2010. In late September 2007, the ruling junta brutally suppressed protests over increased fuel prices led by prodemocracy activists and Buddhist monks, killing an unknown number of people and arresting thousands for participating in the demonstrations. In early May 2008, Burma was struck by Cyclone Nargis, which left over 138,000 dead and tens of thousands injured and homeless. Despite this tragedy, the junta proceeded with its May constitutional referendum, the first vote in Burma since 1990. Legislative elections held in November 2010, which the NLD boycotted and were considered flawed by many in the international community, saw the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party garner over 75% of the contested seats.

The national legislature convened in January 2011 and selected former Prime Minister THEIN SEIN as president. Although the vast majority of national-level appointees named by THEIN SEIN were former or current military officers, the government initiated a series of political and economic reforms leading to a substantial opening of the long-isolated country. These reforms included releasing hundreds of political prisoners, signing a nationwide cease-fire with several of the country's ethnic armed groups, pursuing legal reform, and gradually reducing restrictions on freedom of the press, association, and civil society. At least due in part to these reforms, AUNG SAN SUU KYI was elected to the national legislature in April 2012 and became chair of the Committee for Rule of Law and Tranquility. Burma served as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for 2014. In a flawed but largely credible national legislative election in November 2015 featuring more than 90 political parties, the NLD again won a landslide victory. Using its overwhelming majority in both houses of parliament, the NLD elected HTIN KYAW, AUNG SAN SUU KYI’s confidant and long-time NLD supporter, as president. Burma's first credibly elected civilian government after more than five decades of military dictatorship was sworn into office on 30 March 2016.

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PRAYER REQUESTS:

Pray for peace and justice to reign in an impoverished land whose ethnically diverse peoples have suffered greatly.

Pray for effective evangelism that would penetrate the hearts of a staunchly Buddhist majority.

Pray for those believers who face tremendous harassment and persecution for their Christian faith.

Pray for the Uttermost workers in the field.

Pray for the US office.

 

 

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Comment

Week of April 3, 2017

"My temptation is this, that I think I don't have a gracious God." - Martin Luther


FROM THE DESK OF: the Director of Communications

Apologies for not updating the W.O.B recently, Team Bryan was busy welcoming baby number two into the world. My wife gave birth on Sunday morning and everyone is doing great - sleepy but great!

For the Win[dow],

Bubby Bryan

VERSE OF THE WEEK:  Romans 8:1

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

COUNTRY OF THE WEEK: Oman

The inhabitants of the area of Oman have long prospered from Indian Ocean trade. In the late 18th century, the nascent sultanate in Muscat signed the first in a series of friendship treaties with Britain. Over time, Oman's dependence on British political and military advisors increased, although the Sultanate never became a British colony. In 1970, QABOOS bin Said Al-Said overthrew his father, and has since ruled as sultan, but he has not designated a successor. His extensive modernization program has opened the country to the outside world, while preserving the longstanding close ties with the UK and US. Oman's moderate, independent foreign policy has sought to maintain good relations with its neighbors and to avoid external entanglements. Inspired by the popular uprisings that swept the Middle East and North Africa beginning in January 2011, some Omanis staged demonstrations, calling for more jobs and economic benefits and an end to corruption. In response to those protester demands, QABOOS in 2011 pledged to implement economic and political reforms, such as granting legislative and regulatory powers to the Majlis al-Shura and increasing unemployment benefits. Additionally, in August 2012, the Sultan announced a royal directive mandating the speedy implementation of a national job creation plan for thousands of public and private sector Omani jobs. As part of the government's efforts to decentralize authority and allow greater citizen participation in local governance, Oman successfully conducted its first municipal council elections in December 2012. Announced by the Sultan in 2011, the municipal councils have the power to advise the Royal Court on the needs of local districts across Oman's 11 governorates. The Sultan returned to Oman in March 2015 after eight months in Germany, where he received medical treatment. He has since appeared publicly on a few occasions. 

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PRAYER REQUESTS:

  • Pray for a wide open door to the Gospel that would spread to neighboring closed nations.
  • Pray for the Gospel to infiltrate Omani culture, reaching the many who are still unreached.
  • Pray for opportunities and courage for Muslims to become disciples of Jesus Christ.
  • Pray for the Uttermost workers in the field.
  • Pray for the US office.

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Comment

Week of March 20, 2017

"Most of your unhappiness in life is because you're listening to yourself rather than talking to yourself." - Martin-Lloyd Jones


FROM THE DESK OF: the Director of Communications

First two rounds of the NCAA tournament are behind us. My bracket is essentially in flames and Erin is now out of the office and doing soccer clinics overseas. Feel free to pray for both her work and my bracket...

For the Win[dow],

Bubby Bryan, DOC

VERSE OF THE WEEK: Isaiah 62:5

"...as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you."

COUNTRY OF THE WEEK: Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan - a nation with a majority-Turkic and majority-Shia Muslim population - was briefly independent (from 1918 to 1920) following the collapse of the Russian Empire; it was subsequently incorporated into the Soviet Union for seven decades. Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily ethnic Armenian-populated region that Moscow recognized in 1923 as an autonomous republic within Soviet Azerbaijan after Armenia and Azerbaijan disputed the territory's status. Armenia and Azerbaijan reignited their dispute over the area in 1988; the struggle escalated militarily after both countries attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold, ethnic Armenian forces held not only Nagorno-Karabakh but also seven surrounding provinces in the territory of Azerbaijan. The OSCE Minsk Group, co-chaired by the US, France, and Russia, is the framework established to mediate a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

Corruption in the country is widespread, and the government, which eliminated presidential term limits in a 2009 referendum and approved extending presidential terms from 5 to 7 years in 2016, has been accused of authoritarianism. Although the poverty rate has been reduced and infrastructure investment has increased substantially in recent years due to revenue from oil and gas production, reforms have not adequately addressed weaknesses in most government institutions, particularly in the education and health sectors, as well as the court system.

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PRAYER REQUESTS:

  • Pray for God's love to be proclaimed in the dozens of towns and villages which have never heard the Gospel.
  • Pray for enduring solutions to conflicts with Armenia and Russia.
  • Pray for mature leaders, deepening unity, and increased discipleship for the growing Church in spite of government surveillance.
  • Pray for the Uttermost workers in the field.
  • Pray for the US office.

Comment

Comment

Week of March 6, 2017

"You cannot have the communion of saints without the confession of sinners." - Brad Watson


FROM THE DESK OF: the Director of Communications

The staff has been scattered recently - fundraising trips to San Antonio, conferences in Atlanta and post - bar exam vacations in California. Everybody is back in the office. Reunited, and it feels so good...

For the Win[dow],

Bubby Bryan,DOC

VERSE OF THE WEEK: Galatians 5:6

"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love."

COUNTRY OF THE WEEK: Maldives

A sultanate since the 12th century, the Maldives became a British protectorate in 1887. It became a republic in 1968, three years after independence. President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM dominated the islands' political scene for 30 years, elected to six successive terms by single-party referendums. Following political demonstrations in the capital Male in August 2003, the president and his government pledged to embark upon a process of liberalization and democratic reforms, including a more representative political system and expanded political freedoms. Progress was sluggish, however, and many promised reforms were slow to be realized. Nonetheless, political parties were legalized in 2005.

In June 2008, a constituent assembly - termed the "Special Majlis" - finalized a new constitution, which was ratified by the president in August. The first-ever presidential elections under a multi-candidate, multi-party system were held in October 2008. GAYOOM was defeated in a runoff poll by Mohamed NASHEED, a political activist who had been jailed several years earlier by the former regime. President NASHEED faced a number of challenges including strengthening democracy and combating poverty and drug abuse. In early February 2012, after several weeks of street protests following his sacking of a top judge, NASHEED resigned the presidency and handed over power to Vice President Mohammed WAHEED Hassan Maniku. In mid-2012, a Commission of National Inquiry was set by the government to probe events leading up to NASHEED's resignation. Though the commission found no evidence of a coup, the report recommended the need to strengthen the country's democratic institutions to avert similar events in the future, and to further investigate alleged police misconduct during the crisis. Maldivian officials have played a prominent role in international climate change discussions (due to the islands' vulnerability to rising sea-level) on the UN Human Rights Council and in other international forums, as well as in encouraging regional cooperation, especially between India and Pakistan.

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PRAYER REQUESTS:

  • Pray for miraculous opportunities for Maldivians to hear the Gospel.
  • Pray for the government's attempts to silence the Gospel to instead raise up the Maldivian church.
  • Pray for drugs, violence, terrorism, and the occult to be supernaturally replaced by salvation in Jesus.
  • Pray for the Uttermost workers on the field.
  • Pray for the US office.

 

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Comment

Week of February 27, 2017

"It is not your hold on Christ that saves you but His hold on you." - Charles Spurgeon


FROM THE DESK OF: the Director of Communications

Happy Mardi Gras! Ash Wednesday is tomorrow, kicking off the Lent season and the 40 day countdown to Easter. It is a time of intentional fasting, prayer and reflection culminating with Resurrection Sunday! As you pray during this season of Lent please consider interceding for Uttermost Sports and our workers around the world as they spread the gospel through various sports programs.

For the Win[dow],

Bubby Bryan, DOC

VERSE OF THE WEEK: Romans 6:4

"We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."

COUNTRY OF THE WEEK: Iraq

Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by the United Kingdom during the course of World War I; in 1920, it was declared a League of Nations mandate under UK administration. In stages over the next dozen years, Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932. A "republic" was proclaimed in 1958, but in actuality a series of strongmen ruled the country until 2003. The last was SADDAM Husayn. Territorial disputes with Iran led to an inconclusive and costly eight-year war (1980-88). In August 1990, Iraq seized Kuwait but was expelled by US-led UN coalition forces during the Gulf War of January-February 1991. Following Kuwait's liberation, the UN Security Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap all weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles and to allow UN verification inspections. Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutions over a period of 12 years led to the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn regime. US forces remained in Iraq under a UNSC mandate through 2009 and under a bilateral security agreement thereafter, helping to provide security and to train and mentor Iraqi security forces.

In October 2005, Iraqis approved a constitution in a national referendum and, pursuant to this document, elected a 275-member Council of Representatives (COR) in December 2005. The COR approved most cabinet ministers in May 2006, marking the transition to Iraq's first constitutional government in nearly a half century. Nearly nine years after the start of the Second Gulf War in Iraq, US military operations there ended in mid-December 2011. In January 2009 and April 2013, Iraq held elections for provincial councils in all governorates except for the three comprising the Kurdistan Regional Government and Kirkuk Governorate. Iraq held a national legislative election in March 2010 - choosing 325 legislators in an expanded COR - and, after nine months of deadlock the COR approved the new government in December 2010. In April 2014, Iraq held a national legislative election and expanded the COR to 328 legislators. Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI dropped his bid for a third term in office, enabling new Prime Minister Haydar al-ABADI, a Shia Muslim from Baghdad, to win legislative approval of his new cabinet in September 2014. Since 2014, Iraq has been engaged in a military campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) to recapture territory lost in the western and northern portion of the country.

JOSHUA PROJECT PROFILE

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PRAYER REQUESTS:

  • Pray for evil and terror to be overcome by the power and love of Christ and His people.
  • Pray for the Gospel message to break through hearts hardened by longstanding divisions and intense rivalries.
  • Pray for believers to courageously stand firm in their faith despite persecution and terror.
  • Pray for the Uttermost workers on the field.
  • Pray for the US office.

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