People who believe nothing are willing to negotiate everything.
— R.C. Sproul

FROM THE DESK OF: the Director of Communications

Today the Boston Marathon is underway. This huge event looms even larger for runners after the terrorist bombing at the finish line in 2013. It is a reminder that what evil intended to destroy has only made it stronger. Keep pressing.

For the Win[dow],

Bubby Bryan, DOC

VERSE OF THE WEEK: Exodus 14:13-14

And Moses said to the people, "Fear not, stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you and you have only to be silent."

COUNTRY OF THE WEEK: Sri Lanka

The first Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C., probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced in about the mid-third century B.C., and a great civilization developed at the cities of Anuradhapura (kingdom from circa 200 B.C. to circa A.D. 1000) and Polonnaruwa (from about 1070 to 1200). In the 14th century, a south Indian dynasty established a Tamil kingdom in northern Sri Lanka. The Portuguese controlled the coastal areas of the island in the 16th century and the Dutch in the 17th century. The island was ceded to the British in 1796, became a crown colony in 1802, and was formally united under British rule by 1815. As Ceylon, it became independent in 1948; its name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972. Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted into war in 1983. After two decades of fighting, the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) formalized a cease-fire in February 2002 with Norway brokering peace negotiations. Violence between the LTTE and government forces intensified in 2006, but the government regained control of the Eastern Province in 2007 and by May 2009, the remnants of the LTTE had been defeated. Since the end of the conflict, the government has enacted an ambitious program of economic development projects, many of which are financed by loans from the Government of China. In addition to efforts at reconstructing its economy, the government has resettled more than 95% of those civilians displaced during the final phase of the conflict and released the vast majority of former LTTE combatants captured by Government Security Forces. At the same time, there has been little progress on more contentious and politically difficult issues such as reaching a political settlement with Tamil elected representatives and holding accountable those alleged to have been involved in human rights violations and other abuses during the conflict. (CIA World Factbook)

 

Joshua Project Profile

Prayercast Profile

PRAYER REQUESTS:

  • Pray for physical and relational healing after a generation of civil war.
  • Pray for the freedom of religious expression without proposed anti-conversion laws.
  • Pray for growth and maturity for the indigenous Church.
  • Pray for the Uttermost workers on the field.
  • Pray for the US office.

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