A Message from the Chief Executive Officer

A painting depicts a manger on a hillside. There is a brilliant star shining on one side of the sky. A golden swirl of light on the other side casts long shadows of two people walking in the distance.
A painting depicts a manger on a hillside. There is a brilliant star shining on one side of the sky. A golden swirl of light on the other side casts long shadows of two people walking in the distance.

 

Reflecting on the Christmas Nativity…

 

 “The Promised Messiah’s Birth”

 

“Who can add to Christmas? The perfect motive is that
God so loved the world. The perfect gift is that He gave His
only Son. The only requirement is to believe in Him. The
reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life.”
~ Corrie Ten Boom

Luke 2:8-20 recounts the remarkable announcement of Jesus’ birth; a glorious event in which obscure shepherds were some of the first people to receive news that would forever change the course of history.

A brilliant star is bursting with rays of light in a sky full of tiny, distant stars.
A brilliant star is bursting with rays of light in a sky full of tiny, distant stars.

 

ADVENTUS

 “The Coming”

“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the
clans of Judah, from you shall come
forth for Me One who is to be ruler in
Israel, whose coming forth is from
of old, from ancient days.”
Micah 5:2 ESV


In the book, Extreme Devotion, Aristar tells the Christmas story to his fellow inmates in the Romanian prison of Tirgul-Ocna.1 Cold winter air seeped through the prison walls around the captives who lacked food, clothing and blankets. As Christmas approached, each prisoner felt the pain of missing their loved ones and dreamt of going home to celebrate the birth of the Saviour.

woman is praying as she looks up. She appears to be in prison.
A woman is praying as she looks up. She appears to be in prison.

The International Day of Prayer
for the Persecuted Church

Sunday, November 3rd, 2024

Rev. Richard Wurmbrand, founder of the Voice of the Martyrs internationally, approached his mission with deep compassion. He recognized that for Christians behind the Iron Curtain, true hope lay in their relationship with Jesus Christ rather than just escaping to the West. He believed that God's Word and the support of the faithful church provided them enduring strength and solace amid their struggles.

A woman is sitting on a church pew praying. The image is overlaid with the following: "International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Sunday, November 3. Download free church resources at www.idop.ca. Remember Her. Genesis 16:13."
A woman is sitting on a church pew praying. The image is overlaid with the following: "International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Sunday, November 3. Download free church resources at www.idop.ca. Remember Her. Genesis 16:13."


"She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: 'You are the God
who sees me,' for she said, 'I have now seen the One who sees me.'"
Genesis 16:13 NIVUK

SAVE THE DATE!

This year’s International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church will be held on Sunday, November 3rd.

Metal Olympic rings are in the foreground. Paris is seen in the background.
Metal Olympic rings are in the foreground. Paris is seen in the background.

Shocking, but not Surprising

“Christ is for the world; the world needs Christ.”
~ Eric Liddell

Considerable criticism has emerged from the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France. Artistic director Thomas Jolly sparked controversy when he used dancers and drag queens in what appeared to be a reenactment of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.” Christians worldwide were appalled to witness such flagrant mockery of Christianity on one of the world’s most prominent stages – the Olympic games. Jolly, however, defended the provocative scene by saying that a pagan festival associated with the gods of Olympus was his inspiration for the performance and not Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece.

Screenshot of reenactment - Helen Berhane is sitting on the floor of a shipping container showing signs of having been beaten.
Screenshot of reenactment - Helen Berhane is sitting on the floor of a shipping container showing signs of having been beaten.

Tune My Heart

"On the twenty-third day of the seventh month [the king] sent the
people away to their homes, joyful and glad of heart for the prosperity that
the Lord had granted to David and to Solomon and to Israel His people."
~ 2 Chronicles 7:10 ESV

Helen Berhane is smiling as she leans against a tree.
Helen Berhane


In May 2004, Helen Berhane was taken into custody by Eritrean authorities after refusing to sign a document asserting that she would not practise her Christian faith. Helen understood that imprisonment, solitary confinement and torture awaited her if she did not comply with the governing officials' demands. The pressure to recant her faith did not cease when Helen ended up in a prison camp; it only intensified.