France is good news! February 2019
FRANCE A Legacy That Endures by Dick Eastman
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s young believers, we dream of the great exploits we might achieve for Christ's Kingdom. But as years pass and we grow in maturity,we also begin to wonder what legacy we will impart to future generations. Perhaps you're familiar with the kinds of questions that arise: What is the significance of my life story? What will people remember of me in 50 years? For many, these are difficult questions - but they don't need to be. All of us can have a legacy that endures. All of us can have a testimony that speaks to future generations. As I've considered what it means to be part of God's story on earth, I've found guidance in the lives of faithful men and women who have gone before me. Without the past there would be no present. Without spiritual fathers, there would be no children. There are few true fathers in the faith, but the EHC ministry is what it is today because of those who have provided such godly leadership. In April 2018, one of my fathers in the faith went to be with the Lord. At 96 years old, Bernard Clement passed away in Burgundy, France. This was a man I admired and aspired to emulate, a man who followed Jesus with his entire life. He recognised a harvest that was ripe and ready, and he laboured with all his might to bring it into the Kingdom.
Although Bernard was extraordinary in his passion for evangelism and was instrumental in bringing the Gospel to hundreds of thousands of people, most of the world will never know his name. However, I can only imagine his joy as he entered heaven and met those who came to Christ as a result of his life. It would take some time; his was an amazing harvest. But Bernard's incredible legacy might have never happened were it not for some miracles along the way. The first truly defining spiritual moment in Bernard's life happened when, at 18 years old, he met Yvonne, the woman who would become his wife, and lead him to Jesus. This was during a period of great revival in France, which began in Le Havre, where Bernard was born. However, soon after Bernard's engagement to Yvonne, he contracted tuberculosis and was forced to enter a sanatorium. His doctor believed that he would only live a year or two and strongly encouraged his fiancee, Yvonne, to break off their engagement. But God had other plans. Bernard survived his time in the sanatorium, and while recovering there began Bible studies that led many to Christ, some of whom would follow Bernard into pastoral ministry in the coming years.
What will people remember of me in 50 years?
"For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Therefore I urge you, imitate me." 1 Corinthians 4:15-16
On July 6, 1944, exactly one month after D-Day, Bernard and Yvonne were married 40 miles away from the beaches of Normandy. In the years to come they would share their testimony of this season, telling how they fled to occupied Paris in the back of an Allied army truck while bombs fell all around. In subsequent years, Bernard and Yvonne would go on to plant 13 churches throughout France. Many are thriving churches to the present day - a testimony to the "fruit that remains" (John 15:16). These years of both hardship and favour were preparation for a much greater harvest than this young couple could ever have imagined. In 1949, Bernard met Every Home for Christ Founder Jack McAlister and began a lifelong friendship. In 1970, after years of their growing partnership, Jack invited Bernard to become the official leader of the EHC work in France, taking the ministry to new levels of systematic evangelism and reaching thousands of villages with the Gospel every year. Because he was faithful with little, God gave him much. Six years later, Bernard was appointed the Europe Continental Director and began establishing new EHC works in nations like those in Switzerland, Spain, Poland and Greece, whilst giving fresh leadership to existing works like Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Norway, Austria, Germany and Northern Ireland. The work that God began through Bernard has now taken the Gospel to the entire nation of France - twice. Bernard is certainly rejoicing in heaven, along with his wife, Yvonne. The work he helped build across Europe (including Eastern Europe as communism began to crumble in the region) has now seen over 181,374,719 homes reached with the Gospel and more than 1,086,657 people responding by making a decision to accept Christ or by requesting further information about what it means to follow Jesus as Saviour.
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Because young Bernard was faithful with little, God gave him much.
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I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)...That ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth... I am glad of the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus: for that which was lacking on your part they have supplied...For they have refreshed my spirit and yours: therefore acknowledge ye them that are such. 1 Corinthians 16:15, 17-18, KJV
Bernard was truly a leader of leaders and a father of fathers who had tremendous influence in shepherding the EHC vision in the ministry's formative years. But his legacy also lives on in the lives of the many people who knew him personally. To me, Bernard Clement was a consummate encourager. He always brought great joy to both Dee and me when we could be with him. He couldn't help himself - He was a joy addict and a true "saint refresher"! Through the many, many hours we spent together, I cannot recall Bernard ever saying a negative word about a single person. Up until his passing, Dee and I had the pleasure of being with Bernard numerous times while visiting with his son and daughter-in-law, Pierre and Francoise
Clement, in their home in Burgundy, France. (Bernard's legacy has been passed on to his children, as Pierre now serves as Senior Advisor to our international leadership team in Colorado Springs.) Bernard always gave me the best advice to help me become a more focused and passionate leader. As we bid farewell to his father, we know that the future carriers of this vision will not stop until every home in France, Europe and beyond has been reached with the Good News of Jesus. Bernard's legacy has been expanded further than he could have forseen. To date, 151,375 volunteers have partnered with his vision to take the Gospel to every home in France. Today, Bernard is resting from his labours, but his deeds will certainly follow him.
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Bernard's kingdom impact stretched far beyond France and into the nations of the earth.
As we remember our fathers in the faith, we naturally turn to our own lives in the present day. Who will be the next Bernard Clement? The answer is simple - you are. Every time you father or mother a growing believer, you follow in Bernard's footsteps. Every time you share the Gospel, you take part in the legacy he established. You may never see the full harvest in this life, but your impact in the heavenly Kingdom may be far beyond what you expect. All of us will have a legacy on earth, one that cannot be tallied in dollar signs or possessions. Some of us plant, and some of us water, but God is faithful to bring the increase. In whatever work you are engaged in, I pray that God grants you increase as you partner with Him to build a Kingdom that cannot be shaken. Every life you touch is an eternal being, a part of your lasting legacy on earth.
"Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord... they will rest from their labour, for their deeds will follow them!" Revelation 14:13, NIV
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Adobe.Stock/Ronen Zvulun
ISRAEL Joshua - Seeking the truth from inside "the Yeshiva" Joshua has grown up in Israel, the Jewish ultra-Orthodox world and is now married with two small children. He spends his days studying in a Yeshiva, an ultra-Orthodox school which is dedicated to studying the Torah (the five books of Moses) and Talmud (the oral law or traditions). The Yeshiva is much more than a school, it is the centre of the ultra-Orthodox community. Most of the men will begin study at the Yeshiva from a young age and continue studying there for the rest of their lives. Although he has spent most of his life in Yeshiva, there are many books of the Bible he has never read, especially from the prophets. Life in the Yeshiva is so totally focused on Torah and Talmud that no time is allotted to systematically read the Prophets. This is the path that Joshua is on, but he is not sure if it is the right path. Joshua has many questions about
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the Torah itself and a hunger to learn from sources outside the world of the Yeshiva. He has been searching, secretly, with a number of friends for other sources of information about the Bible. His questions include topics related to the creation of the world and the very meaning of our existence. The fact that secular scholars reject the existence of God troubles him. Joshua wants to know the truth, and this quest for truth has led him and his friends to ask serious questions about the life of Jesus. Joshua is aware of Isaiah 53 and some other prophecies which speak about Jesus, but does not yet understand the whole picture. He has many questions about the teachings of Jesus and the meaning of his death and resurrection, but is especially troubled by the question of rabbinic authority. He asks: if Jesus is the Messiah, why do the rabbis reject him? We shared with
him from Romans: "I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I am also an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying "LORD, THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS AND TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY SEEK MY LIFE"? But what does the divine response say to him? "I HAVE RESERVED FOR MYSELF SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL."
Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace." - Romans 11:1-5 Joshua acknowledged that Israel has more often than not rejected the prophets whom God has sent. He is genuinely open and asking many very different questions regarding both the Torah and science. Please pray that Joshua could use his intellect to see the hand of God throughout the Scriptures and that God would give him a revelation of his Son, the promised Messiah.
NEPAL
Nepal Persecutes Christian Conversion and Evangelism The Nepal President approved new sanctions targeting non-Hindus and foreign missionaries by enacting a law to stop evangelism by criminalising religious conversion. "The Nepali government has taken a regressive step as this law severely restricts freedom of expression and freedom of religion or belief," said Tanka Subedi, chair of the national Religious Liberty Forum, to Christian Solidarity Worldwide.
It is estimated there are 375,000 Christians living in Nepal. If anyone is found guilty of converting a person to Christianity, there will be punishment of five (5) years of imprisonment and a penalty of fifty thousand rupees. Please pray this law will be cancelled and Christians in Nepal will live in freedom. Pray!! Pray!! Pray!! Pray!! Pray!! Pray!! Pray!!
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BANGLADESH Bangladesh is a Muslim nation of more than 164 million people and is the fourth largest Islamic-dominated nation in the world; the Bangladesh population is mostly Muslim with only .05% being Christian and Every Home for Christ workers are visiting home-to-home with gospel literature as pictured above. Bangladesh Every Home for Christ is celebrating 46 years of going to every home with a printed Gospel message. The story of one EHC worker who went home to home in a large village is amazing! After spending considerable time in this village he was able to bring 70 young people to take the step of following Jesus. But the fundamentalist leaders started to torture these youths relentlessly. The group of 70 soon was reduced to 17. Those 17 decided to follow Jesus even unto death. Through their involvement and continuing faithfulness, 16 Christ Groups have now been established in and around the village. Praise the Lord!
See enclosed Gift Slip they need your help!
Every Home for Christ in Bangladesh is also providing education for children in four schools with 1,000 children.
Women are given an opportunity to learn how to sew for their family and other people for their living expenses.
Rickshaws are made available for men to make a business and earn a living to provide for their families.
FEBRUARY 2019
Bible Readings: This month the daily text will be taken from the Psalms. For those wanting to do the one-year Bible reading program these chapters are in brackets.
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PRAY FOR DICK AND DEE EASTMAN. Dick is the International President of Every Home for Christ with a large responsibility for EHC ministries across the world. Psalm 119:1-88 (1 Timothy 4-6)
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PRAY FOR YOUR FAMILY Sons, daughters and grandchildren, plus others to come to Christ. Get a piece of paper and write down their names. Get their photos and pray every day for their salvation;eternity without Christ is a long time! Psalm 119:89-176 (2 Timothy 1:1 to 2:13)
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PRAY FOR DIPLAVE POKHREL Please continue to pray urgently for the Immigration Department to approve Every Home for Christ's application for a Labour Agreement so that we can sponsor Diplave to continue working with Every Home for Christ. He needs permanent residency and without the granting of a Labour Agreement he cannot continue in his application for permanent residency. Pray for favour on Every Home for Christ's application which was submitted in 2017 and still hasn't been approved. Psalm 120 (2 Timothy 2:14 to 4:22)
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FRENCH GUIANA Pop. 270,000 Map. 211
Praise God for willing helpers from a local church. They shared gospel messages in a poor area of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni during a recent outreach. The people welcomed them, and they had the opportunity to pray for several families. Psalm 121 (1 Peter 1:1 to 2:10)
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CREATIVE ACCESS The National Director in this country is visiting every missionary and coordinator to discuss the best way to continue the work of Every Home for Christ despite strict laws against sharing the Gospel. Pray for a successful trip and wisdom from God. Psalm 122 (1 Peter 2:11 to 4:11) MAURITIUS Pop. 1,300,000 Map. 6 Please pray for EHC workers involved in a recent car accident. Pastor Vinay, his wife and daughter and another EHC worker all suffered serious injuries. Pray for healing and encouragement. Psalm 123 (1 Peter 4:12 to 5:14)
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ITALY Pop. 60,600,000 Map. 65 Pray for God's wisdom as Every Home Italy staff plan to publish a new magazine for Italy. Pray for clarity on what would pique the interest of people and prompt them to look inside. Pray for a clear presentation of the Gospel. Psalm 124 (2 Peter 1)
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BURKINA FASO Pop. 19,200,000 Map.40 In the eastern part of the country security and defence officers are being killed, schools torched and civilians murdered. Pray for the God of peace to rule and reign in this nation. Psalm 125 (2 Peter 2)
EAST TIMOR Pop. 1,300,000 Map. 144 Please pray for leaders of the new government in this nation. Pray that God would put fear of the Lord in them so His Word may run swiftly. Also pray for EHC staff - for grace and strength as they continue to minister to every home. Psalm 126 (2 Peter 3)
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CREATIVE ACCESS Please pray for courage for EHC workers to continue preaching the Good News with joy even in the face of persecution by police and religious extremists. Pray for the very ones persecuting them. Psalm 127 (1 John 1-2) LITHUANIA Pop. 2,800,000 Map. 99 Pray that God will begin to touch hearts in Kazlu Ruda. Every Home Lithuania longs to see a new church set up in this area and a great harvest of souls brought into God's Kingdom. Please join them in prayer. Psalm 128 (1 John 3-4)
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BURUNDI Pop. 10,900,000 Map. 18 Pray for the population in the province of Cankuzo. Many people practise witchcraft. Also pray for the EHC staff and the pastors leading outreaches there. Pray for open doors and hearts that are hungry for the Gospel. Psalm 129 (1 John 5) NAMIBIA Pop. 2,500,000 Map. 11 Thank God for a fruitful meeting with about 300 people in attendance. Seventy-three of them received Jesus Christ. Praise God for His love and faithfulness. Pray for these new believers to be established in their faith and discipled. Psalm 130 (2 John)
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LESOTHO Pop. 2,200,000 Map. 2 Please pray with the EHC missionaries in Lesotho as they believe the Lord has laid it on their hearts in the eastern part of the country and to pray for witches, devil worshippers and witch doctors. Pray that they will accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour. Psalm 131 (3 John)
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PRAY FOR JACOB DAMKANI ISRAEL
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SEYCHELLES Pop. 95,800,000 Map. 4 Please pray for more partner churches in this nation. Every Home Seychelles is asking God for a massive harvest, but they are in need of more church partners and workers. Pray for a great awakening in the Church. Psalm 137 (Revelation 6:1 to 8:5)
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On July 9th, 2018, Jacob was wheeled into theatre for open heart surgery. An infected valve implant from a previous operation needed to be replaced. Six months later, Jacob is in rehabilitation but sadly he is not fully whole. In August of 2016, the doctors revealed to Jacob that a fungal infection had attached itself to the implant they had grafted onto his aorta one year prior. A powerful antibiotic treatment, administered intravenously, was the first attempted remedy. The leading surgeon, Dimitri, had refused to open and operate saying this would likely be fatal. The operation had not been performed in Israel before. After two years of these infusions, they realised little success. A surgical operation became necessary as without it, a sudden, and life-threatening episode was the expected result. We were all now aware of how extremely complicated a procedure this was, and that the chances of surviving the surgery itself were less than equal - Jacob's chances of survival were small. Accepting there was no reasonable alternative, Jacob made the painful decision to undergo the operation. Pray for Jacob to be completely healed. Jacob's ministry has been taking teams of people from overseas to preach to the people on the streets and beaches of Israel! Psalm 132 (Jude) CREATIVE ACCESS Praise God for His protection. Despite heavy rainfall, treacherous terrain and a motor bike that burst into flames, an EHC worker was still able to connect with 30 workers and pastors from different churches - all by God's grace and prayer. Psalm 133 (Revelation 1) ESTONIA Pop. 1,300,000 Map. 97 Pray for a church in Estonia that is starting a new work to reach children. The nation needs the next generation ... Pray for wisdom and clear vision for the leaders to know how best to reach out to the children in this nation. Psalm 134 (Revelation 2-3) MALI Pop. 18,500,000 Map.49 Pray for wisdom for EHC leaders as they think and pray about how to reach the whole country with the Good News. They want to see every home reached by 2038 or even sooner. Pray for open doors, open hearts and labourers for the task ahead. Psalm 135 (Revelation 4)
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ETHIOPIA Pop. 105,00,000 Map. 29 An EHC team will visit the largest prison in Ethiopia. Pray for them as they minister to the broken in this difficult place. Pray for open ears and open hearts so that many will be touched and receive the Lord. Psalm 136 (Revelation 5)
MOZAMBIQUE Pop. 29,700,000 Map. 8 Pray for a Mobile Training Coordinator who has had a severe case of malaria. She is being treated but is not recovering as fast as the doctors would like to see. Please pray for a miracle of healing in Jesus' name. Psalm 138 (Revelation 8:6 to 11:19)
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BENIN Pop. 11,200,000 Map. 37 Maurent is a God-fearing boy. His parents are not. This boy has been sick for months and the doctors cannot help him. His parents want to involve witch doctors to heal their son. Pray that God will bring healing to Maurent and a change of heart to his parents. Psalm 139 (Revelation 12 -14)
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CREATIVE ACCESS We thank and praise God that despite great opposition, the Church in this nation continues to grow. Many people are joining because they are hungry for God, and God is leading many believers to share the Good News with those around them. Psalm 140 (Revelation 15 - 16)
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JAPAN Pop. 126,800,000 Map. 174 Missionaries say there is a cloud over the people of Japan that is not easily broken. Please pray for these people God loves. Pray for eyes to see and ears to hear so they may experience the love of the Father. Psalm 141 (Revelation 17 - 18)
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LIBERIA Pop. 4,700,000 Map. 42 Praise God! A lady named Asatu has struggled with neck pain for over two years. Just recently an EHC team prayed for her, and she was healed instantly! She is praising God for His kindness. Psalm 142 (Revelation 19) CEN. AFRICAN REP. Pop. 4,700,000 Map. 25 Pray for the witches in the village of Moungoumba. Pray that they will come to accept Christ and, their witness will cause many more people in the area to come to know God. Psalm 143 (Revelation 20)
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COTE DĂ?VOIRE Pop. 24,300,000 Map. 41 Praise God for the successful completion of training at Semien with the Union of Evangelical Churches. Thirty leaders have been trained and equipped in evangelism and prayer, and 21 leaders in discipleship as well. Psalm 144 (Revelation 21)
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CREATIVE ACCESS Please pray for an EHC worker who was just released from jail. The police have created bureaucratic problems for him, and he cannot get his documents back. Pray for God to work on his behalf and encourage his heart. Psalm 145 (Revelation 22)
Write your prayer request and we will pray for you too!