Turkey is not just a food, but a country that needs spiritual food or soul food!
Turkey has 70 million people.
There are roughly 2,500 Turkish Christians in 70 churches. (That's one
church for every one million people!)
There are 81 provinces in Turkey and only 35 of them have a church.
Most of the Turkish churches and Christians, and most of the 1000 or so missionaries, are concentrated in the major cities of Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya and Izmir.
*stats provided by:
John J. Downer
PIONEERS Recruitment Coordinator
PRAYER REQUESTS
Below is an e-mail forwarded by a Filipino brethren (brother in Christ) from Lamp Missions, based in the Philippines
----- Original Message -----
From:Turkish Revival
To: (anonymous)
Sent: Sunday, November 30, 2003 6:44 AM
Subject: Urgent Prayer: Police is trying to stop the Jesus Film outreach in Istanbul
Dear friends:
As most of you know, we have been showing the Jesus film in Turkish on Sunday nights at our church in Istanbul. Our people have been giving out free tickets on the streets and so far close to 40,000 tickets have been given out in the last 5 months. Hundreds have come to watch the film and dozens have been saved.
However, two and a half months ago, a few police came and questioned us about the work. They asked for a permit to distribute tickets and show a film. We told them that we don't need a permit under the law to do such an event as long as it is free and by invitation only. We had our lawyer write up our legal rights and send a letter to the local authorities. We never heard back from them again.
But this last Sunday, some policemen questioned our people on the street and came to check up on us right before the start of the film. They said they received a complaint call from somebody and came to investigate. This time we showed them the declaration of our legal rights written up by our lawyer in the letter he sent. They made light of it and called a higher up police chief from the borough headquarters. During this time, they blocked the enterance to the building with a patrol car and many visitors turned away when they saw the police at the door.
When the police chief came, he was very unflexible and he declared that we could not show a film unless we are licensed as a movie theather. Then they suggested that we don't show the film until we get a response to our lawyers letter. We showed the film anyways and 12 people came even though they saw the police to watch the film. 5 of them made decisions to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
My father was called in to the borough headquarters to pick up the response to the lawyers letter. Suddenly, after two and a half months of sitting on it they had a response letter typed up within a day. The letter is a total fabrication and is totally bogus. It states the same ridiculous statement that we must be licensed as a movie theather to show a film. Off course, the problem is not that we are showing A FILM, but it is that we are showing THE JESUS FILM.
Last week was the religious Ramadan holiday, so everything was shut down. We have not been able to reach our lawyer as he has been out of town. This week we did not have any new tickets distributed, but WE ARE STILL GOING TO SHOW THE FILM ON SUNDAY NIGHT NOV 30TH. There are thousands of ticket holders out there and some want to come back with their friends who have not seen it.
We need prayer cover right now to breakthrough this hinderance. Also on Monday, when all government offices open back up, we will pursue legal roads. However, we are not trusting in the system or our lawyer. We need a breakthrough from the Lord. We have been praying and we have peace that everything will be ok. I have a peace in my heart that we already have the victory. Last night, during the prayer meeting at the church my wife said that this barrier wall is just a plastic wall.
We want to see God's army mobilized to pray for victory and breakthrough in this situation as well. We are in faith, so please join in faith with us that we will get the required permit (even though we don't need one) and that this outreach will continue and even go to another level to bring in a greater harvest of souls.
Thank you for standing with us
Rev. (anoymous)
Biblical History
*inspired to write this on Jan 07' after watching "Walking the Bible"
Turkey is one of several current nations that exist in the old former-ancient Mesopotamia Empire. In fact, the city Harran (southern part of Turkey bordering Syria) is the city where Abram (later know as Abraham) was born.
Related Sites:
Ephesus (Asia Minor, Turkey)
"Ancient Ephesus in Turkey"
Travel Guide, photos
Also, Turkey is the site of Mount Ararat, where in the Bible mentions the place that Noah's Ark landed...
"and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat."-Genesis 8:4
Related Sites:
The Mountain of Noah
Creation: The Flood, from GoodnewsUMM: Science
Government
Music
Food
Gospel Resources
History
-People
St. Nicholas (Christmas icon)
Missions
Christian Bible Publishers Slain in Turkey
"This news story speaks about how recently in Turkey, several Christians that were Bible publishers were martyred is Islamic extremists."
Man Who Played Jesus Christ in TURK-7 Easter Broadcast Martyred
By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries
Religion (April 20th of 2007)
"EASTON, MD (ANS) -- The man who brought Jesus to life in a recent Easter stage play televised on TURK-7 was the victim of a brutal and fatal attack.
According to a spokesperson for SAT-7, “Necati Aydin, husband and father of two young children, was one of three men brutally murdered on April 18 in far eastern Turkey in what many believe is a crime motivated by religious hatred. The three were workers at a Christian publishing house in the city of Malatya. Aydin was also an amateur actor and was featured in TURK-7's Easter-season programming just a week before the tragedy.”
Said Terence Ascott, the SAT-7 CEO said, "This is truly a sad week for Christians."
TURK-7 broadcasts on SAT-7 PARS, which is part of the Christian satellite network created by and for the people of the Middle East and North Africa. "We are praying for the families, for the Church, and for the nation of Turkey that God will bring some good out of this terrible tragedy. Aydin, a man who portrayed Jesus on one of our broadcasts, was himself the target of religious hatred simply because he worked so that others would have a chance to understand the story of Christ in Turkish."
TURK-7 is an indigenous Turkish television ministry that broadcasts four hours a day on SAT-7's Farsi and Turkish channel. Christians make up less than one percent of the population of Turkey.
"The whole Christian community here in Turkey is shocked by the horrific way these men were murdered. Our team is also truly saddened and upset," said David Middleton, TURK-7 executive director.
EASTON, MD (ANS) -- The man who brought Jesus to life in a recent Easter stage play televised on TURK-7 was the victim of a brutal and fatal attack.
According to a spokesperson for SAT-7, “Necati Aydin, husband and father of two young children, was one of three men brutally murdered on April 18 in far eastern Turkey in what many believe is a crime motivated by religious hatred. The three were workers at a Christian publishing house in the city of Malatya. Aydin was also an amateur actor and was featured in TURK-7's Easter-season programming just a week before the tragedy.”
Said Terence Ascott, the SAT-7 CEO said, "This is truly a sad week for Christians."
TURK-7 broadcasts on SAT-7 PARS, which is part of the Christian satellite network created by and for the people of the Middle East and North Africa. "We are praying for the families, for the Church, and for the nation of Turkey that God will bring some good out of this terrible tragedy. Aydin, a man who portrayed Jesus on one of our broadcasts, was himself the target of religious hatred simply because he worked so that others would have a chance to understand the story of Christ in Turkish."
TURK-7 is an indigenous Turkish television ministry that broadcasts four hours a day on SAT-7's Farsi and Turkish channel. Christians make up less than one percent of the population of Turkey.
"The whole Christian community here in Turkey is shocked by the horrific way these men were murdered. Our team is also truly saddened and upset," said David Middleton, TURK-7 executive director.
According to Middleton, many Turkish believers fear that the killings could represent an escalating trend of attacks on Christians.
"We hope that our broadcasts will help calm people's fears. Television is a way to give support to those Christians who are isolated, to give a sense of community so believers can be encouraged in the Lord no matter where they are and what crises they may face," said Mr. Middleton.
SAT-7 seeks to encourage and support the local Christian community and also to help all viewers come to a better understanding of Christianity, thereby dispelling many false stereotypes about the faith commonly held in parts of the Middle East. SAT 7's Arabic channel has broadcasted several programs that encourage dialogue, understanding, and peaceful co-existence between the major faiths of the region and the broadcaster hopes TURK-7 will carry similar programs in the future.
ABOUT SAT-7
SAT-7 is a Christian satellite network created by and for the people of the Middle East and North Africa. Christians make up approximately four percent of the Middle East, down from about 20 percent in the year 1900. SAT-7’s programs help equip the churches of this minority Christian community and provide the wider non-Christian audience a better understanding of the beliefs and teachings of Christ. Each week between nine and ten million people watch the channels in Arabic, Farsi, and Turkish (Intermedia research, 2004-2005), and those numbers are growing in many countries. In 2005, nearly 40,000 people responded to SAT-7 broadcasts by contacting counseling centers located across the Middle East and Europe. SAT-7 can be viewed via satellite in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and much of Central Asia. Programming can also be watched worldwide at www.SAT7.org. Through locally produced Arabic and Farsi children’s programming, talk shows, teaching programs, music, serial dramas, and documentaries, SAT-7 provides large audiences with a unique opportunity to hear an accurate presentation of Christian truths in their own language through programming created by their own people. Launched in 1996, SAT-7 is a Christian television service by and for the people of the Middle East and North Africa and has its U.S. headquarters in Easton, Md. Debbie Brink is the USA executive director. "
Testimonies
Turkish Muslims now follow Christ and lead others too
"..Praise God that he works in the hearts of men.. Greeks, kurds, armenians, turks, JESUS Christ is THE answer. Jews, arabs, persians...JESUS Christ is THE answer... God bless"
Travel
Thank you for visiting my page at Angelfire. Please come back and visit again!
