Persecution Blog | Today In Theology

The Iranian parliament is reviewing a bill for the Islamic Penal
Law (Penal Code) that aims at legislating the death penalty for
apostasy.

According to the Institute on Religion and Public Policy, the draft
law defines an apostate as �any Muslim who clearly announces that
he/she has left Islam and declares blasphemy.�

Article 225 to 227 of the law defines two kinds of apostates,
namely, innate (Fetri) and parental (Melli) apostates. Parental
apostates are individuals whose parents had been Muslims and the
individual later decided to leave Islam, while innate apostates had one
parent who was Muslim, �but after the age of maturity, without
pretending to be Muslim, chooses blasphemy.�

The draft law states, �Punishment for an Innate Apostate is death.
Punishment for a Parental Apostate is death, but after the final
sentencing for three days he/she would be guided to the right path and
encouraged to recant his/her belief and if he/she refused the death
penalty would be carried out.�

The proposed law indicates that punishment for women will be life
imprisonment and �hardship� will be exercised on female apostates who
will be immediately released when they recant.

This law reinforces stringent laws Christian converts from Islam
face in Iran. Pray for Iranian believers who live in danger because of
their faith in Jesus Christ. Ask God to give them courage and increased
faith as they remain faithful in their walk with the Lord.

A Dangerous Christian

One of our wonderful persecution bloggers alerted me to a great post they recently wrote called A Dangerous Christian.

Strong Advocate of the Persecuted Church Receives Award

February 7th, Bob Fu, who is a leading advocate for the persecuted church in China, received the 2007 John Leland Religious Liberty Award for his service to the Lord and the persecuted church, from Richard Land, the President of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.

We here, at The Voice of the Martyrs, want to publicly congratulate Bob Fu for his award. It is well deserved.

Burnt Alive

The Staines family is a family that loves and serves the Lord in many areas. One area they loved working in is with those who suffer from leprosy.

Then the unbelievable happened, as a group of about 50 Hindu extremists attacked and killed her family. Her husband Graham and her children were in India when the Hindu extremists attacked them and burned them alive.

Todd Nettleton LIVE on Janet Parshall’s America Today

Today you will have the opportunity to tune in to Janet Parshall’s America so that you can hear The Voice of the Martyrs, very own Todd Nettleton talk to Janet about Christian persecution around the world.

One of the topics they will be discussing is the recent murder of a pastor in Pakistan. Be sure to tune in LIVE at www.jpamerica.com or afterwards listening to the archived show at http://ww.wava.com .

Write a Love Letter to Christians in Prison

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly stores change the merchandise on their shelves after Christmas to valentine cards, candy and anything else you can imagine that symbolizes love. Through the years, I have made a conscious effort not to be pressured by the many commercials and merchandise because, surely, there is more to life than buying stuff and feeling all giddy about a holiday.

This year as I was reflecting on the hustle and bustle of Valentine�s Day, I felt impressed to do something different. I decided to send letters of encouragement to our brothers and sisters around the world who are imprisoned for their faith. Can you imagine the difference the letters will make in showing these precious, courageous believers that we love them and have not forgotten about them and their sacrifice? This Valentine�s Day, I encourage you to join me and send letters of love to our brothers and sisters around the world. To get a list of believers in prison, go to www.prisoneralert.com and share your love with persecuted believers.

Woman Attacked for Converting to Christianity

By James Varghese
Special to ASSIST News Service
KARNATAKA, INDIA (ANS) — A woman was reportedly attacked by a group of suspected Hindu group for converting into Christianity at Ullal on the outskirts of Mangalore city, Karnataka state on January 17.

According to news released via the sify web portal http://sify.com/news/, the woman was waiting at a bus stand for her husband, a bus conductor (ticket collector), with the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, on that day when a petty shop owner there asked her what her name was and whether she was a Hindu.

She responded, saying she had converted into Christianity 15 years previously. The shop owner then alerted a few people present there about her conversion, following which the group, suspected to be Hindu fundamentalists, beat her up.

He then alleged that the police, who arrived at the spot, beat her with sticks and detained her at the police station. The woman was released only after local political leader U. K. Khader intervened.

Meanwhile, superintendent of police, N. Satish Kumar, confirmed that the incident had taken place and said “the deputy superintendent of police Dharmaiah would conduct an enquiry into the incident.”

“Based on the report, action would be taken against those responsible,” he added.

Eritrean Christians Arrested Again

Eritrea (MNN) — Next, Voice of the Martyrs Canada reported the arrest of 30 Christian youth in Eritrea in late January. Now, there are reports that 35 men, women, and children were arrested from an underground church in Eritrea. The prisoners were sent to one of the country’s most brutal prisons. In the capital of Asmara, prisoners are tortured to reveal the names of other believers. Even the few recognized Christian churches are not spared persecution. Pray for strength for imprisoned Christians.
Full story: http://www.MNNonline.org/article/10886

Precious Senior Mary Heitz Loves to Share The Voice of the Martyrs

Today highlighted in the online website the Orlando Sentinel.com the highlighted Senior Spotlight is Mary Heitz who among many other things, says this about The Voice of the Martyrs.

We here at the Persecution Blog, want to thank Mary for her ministry and also for her love of the persecuted church.

Twenty Six Crosses

After they all had been tried, found guilty, and sentenced to die, twenty-six Christians were marched to the place where crudely made crosses stood. Almost three months earlier, they had been arrested in Kyoto, Japan, and charged with following Christ. One of the convicts was named Ibaragi Kun.

Seeing how young Kun was, an official took him aside and urged him to recant his faith to save his life. Looking the official in the eye, Kun said confidently, �Sir, it would be far better if you yourself became a Christian. Then you could go to heaven with me.�

The officer stared, startled by the young man�s faith. Finally, Ibaragi asked, �Sir, which cross is mine?�

The bewildered official pointed to the smallest of the twenty-six crosses. Young Kun ran to the cross, knelt before it, and embraced it. When the soldiers began to nail his hands and feet to the cross, he did not cry out in pain. He courageously accepted the path God had laid out for him.

The crucifixion of the twenty-six Christians on November 23, 1596, was the beginning of a period of intense persecution of Christians in Japan. Over the next seventy years, as many as one million Japanese Christians would be killed for their faith. Many would embrace their own crosses to follow the example of Ibaragi Kun, a very mature twelve-year-old boy.

Spiritual maturity is not measured by a birth certificate. Chronological age has little to do with conviction. Rather, spiritual maturity is measured one day at a time. We measure our maturity by how well we daily apply our faith. Contrary to popular belief, spiritual maturity is not how much we know about the Bible. Many people are very familiar with the Bible, yet they remain strangers to spiritual maturity. Obedience to the Bible�s commands is the mark of maturity. One question will help us know how well we are growing spiritually. We must ask ourselves each day, �How much more do we look like Jesus today than we did yesterday?� Our answer is a true reflection of our growth.

Sharing the Persecuted Church with Jr. High Students

Today I had one of the greatest opportunities I have had in a long time. I was asked recently to speak to a few Jr. High classes at a local church that has a Christian school, and all I can tell you is that it was totally fun to see these young men and women begin to learn about the persecuted church.

The first class I spoke to had all girls in it, and it was fascinating to see them as they watched a small portion of The Voice of the Martyrs great DVD called Underground Vietnam.

One of the observations of the class with all girls was that they couldn’t quite understand why the underground church was so joyful, and were crying when they received the bibles the teens in the film had delivered. So I had the opportunity to share with them the joy of the persecuted church because those who are suffering for Christ have a greater joy because they get to see the Lord answer prayer in miraculous ways.

After we watched the DVD, we then had an opportunity to unpack my bibles I received from the Bibles Unbound program and share with the class the five bibles that we were going to ship to China. And it was very cool because the teens were eager to look at the bible in a different language, and also eager to get the bibles in the mail so that those who have never received one, can get one.

In the second class I got to speak to, the class was half boys and half girls, and none of them have ever heard of the ministry of The Voice of the Martyrs. So it was especially exciting to be able to introduce them to the persecuted church for the first time, and also answer some of their questions.

One topic of discussion had to do with what the persecuted Christians ask for, and also what they are praying for Western Christians to have. We shared about the number one request of the persecuted church, which is prayer. And then the value of having a bible so that they could grow in their commitment to Jesus Christ.

We ended that class by packing bibles to Indonesian and praying for the recipients.

And the teacher was touched by what had happened in her classes, that she asked me back to share more about the ministry of VOM.

And she also cried when she saw the joy of the persecuted church in the Underground Vietnam DVD. (I did too.)

So I would like to encourage you to share about the suffering church with your Sunday school classes, or classes in your Christian schools. You may be surprised at how interested you will find your students, and you may be leading them into a ministry that is far greater than anything you could imagine.

To participate with the Bibles Unbound project, please visit www.biblesunbound.com to sign up today. It’s easy, fun and will change so many lives.

Christian Leader Detained in China

Yesterday, my friends from VOM Canada sent out their weekly prayer email, and this story about a Christian leader being detained in China really stood out to me because I send bibles to China every month. Read on and pray pray pray!

At approximately 5:00 p.m. on
January 29, a Chinese Christian leader, Bai Cheng, was detained in
Luoyang, Henan province while he was leading a Bible study, according
to a January 31 report from China Aid Association. That same day,
Cheng’s sister-in-law received a criminal detention notice issued by
the Public Service Bureau of Luoyang stating that Cheng had been put in
criminal detention at Luoyang City Detention Centre for his suspected
participation in "evil cult" activities under Article 61 of China’s
criminal law. Officials also confiscated two computers and a car from
Cheng.

Pray for strength for Bai as he serves his Saviour in
prison. Pray he will be released soon. Pray that his passion for Christ
will be a light that draws others to Jesus (Matthew 5:14-16).

If you are a Christian in Canada, feel free to sign up for the VOM Canada newsletter.
For more information on the persecution of Christians in China, go to www.persecution.net/country/china.htm.
The March edition of The Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter features the
trials and faith of today’s Chinese Church. To subscribe to this free
sixteen-page monthly magazine, go to www.persecution.net/newsletter.htm today.

Attacks on Christians May Resume in India

Attacks on Christians may resume in India, says report

India (MNN) — Hindu militants are now threatening to resume attacks against Christians in the eastern Indian state of Orissa. Mission India’s
David Stravers says their Bible clubs, literacy classes and other
ministries have been temporarily suspended because of the violence–a
typical response "because then you’re not so high profile, and people
will kind of come to their senses and people start talking. And the
people in the villages who have been benefiting from the ministry say,
‘You’re not teaching us any more. Why not? We don’t like this.’ We find
that the Hindus actually come to our defense." Stravers says
persecution typically brings more
Christians to join the cause. However, he’s concerned. "We don’t know
how long this responsiveness will last. There are workers in place
ready to go. They’re passionate; they’re willing to suffer; they know
it’s dangerous, but they still want to do it. They just need a little
help. They need our materials, and they need a little bit of training."
Your financial gift can provide Christ-centered literacy training.
270,000 Hindus are on a waiting list for these classes.

Gaza Christians Need Prayer

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL (ANS) – �Worship
services at Gaza Baptist Church now includes no more than 10 or 15
believers who are willing to risk publicly attending the only
evangelical church in all of the Gaza Strip since October when a church
leader was martyred.�

numbering about 150 has lost 80 percent of its leadership, reported two
Baptist workers who met Jan. 14 with three Baptist newspaper editors in
Jerusalem.

�I
want Baptists in America to remember that there is a tiny group of
believers who are living out their faith. … I want the people in
America to pray for Gaza. I want them to pray every Wednesday night and
every Sunday and any day in between that they can pray. … When they
see Gaza on the news to pray for the little, tiny Gaza Baptist Church,�
said one of the Baptist workers, neither of whom can be identified for
security reasons.

Smith
went on to say, �The workers, who have lived in the region more than 20
years, including many years in Gaza, are deeply concerned for the
evangelicals in Gaza and urge Baptists in America to send cards of
encouragement to the church (GBC, P.O. Box 7364, Jerusalem, Israel
91072).

�In
August 2005, Israel pulled out of Gaza, turning over to the
Palestinians control of the 25 mile long strip of land on the
Mediterranean coast with a seven mile southern border with Egypt.
Twenty-one Israeli settlements with about 9,000 residents were
shuttered. Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist organization, won elections
last June and now ruthlessly controls the 1.5 million residents.

North Korea Remains Top Persecutor of Christians

In a few days I will have a new prayer video that will be specifically about North Korea and how we need to pray for the 1.69% of the population of North Koreans who are professed Christians. So when I read this story from ASSIST News Service yesterday, I felt it just confirmed the burden I have to pray for North Korea on a regular basis.

SANTA ANA, CA (ANS) — This year’s No. 1 spot on Open Doors’ 2008 World Watch List is no stranger: North Korea has now topped the list for six years in a row.

There is no other country in the world where Christians are being persecuted in such a horrible and relentless way. The kingdom of Saudi Arabia holds a solid No. 2 place, followed closely by Iran. Maldives is No. 4.

New at No. 5 is Bhutan, moving a few places up from No. 7 last year, mainly because Somalia and Yemen saw a decrease in persecution. The No. 6 spot is taken by Yemen.

Laos saw little change in religious freedom last year, but it moved up one place, from No. 9 to No. 8. Two new countries entered the Top 10: Uzbekistan at No. 9 and China No. 10. Uzbekistan was No. 11 last year and China No. 12.

Islam is the majority religion in six of the top 10 countries: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Maldives, Afghanistan, Yemen and Uzbekistan. Three countries have communist governments: North Korea, Laos and China. Bhutan is the only Buddhist country on the Top 10 list.

The World Watch List ranks countries according to the intensity of persecution Christians face for actively pursuing their faith. The list is compiled based on the answers to 50 questions covering various aspects of religious freedom from Open Doors’ indigenous contacts, field workers and persecuted believers.

More Christians were arrested in North Korea in 2007 than in 2006. Many have been beaten, tortured or killed because of their religious beliefs. Open Doors’ local source estimates the number of underground Christians to be at least 200,000, and it’s likely that there are as many as 400,000 to 500,000 believers. At least a quarter of the Christians are imprisoned for their faith in political prison camps, from which people rarely get out alive.

Carl Moeller, President/CEO of Open Doors USA, says: “It is certainly not a shock that North Korea is No. 1 on the shame list for the sixth year in a row. There is no other country in the world where Christians are being persecuted in such a horrible and systematic manner. I encourage you to join our prayer campaign for North Korea and to plug in to the many opportunities Open Doors offers to advocate for the oppressed believers during North Korea Freedom Week April 27-May 3. All the information is on our Website at www.OpenDoorsUSA.org.”

Bibles Confiscated at Airport in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, February 5 (Compass Direct News) � A customs officer on January 28 confiscated two boxes containing 32 Bibles at a low-cost carrier terminal from a citizen returning from a trip to the Philippines, further troubling Malaysian Christians beset by government curbs on press and religious freedoms. Online news agency Malaysiakini reported yesterday that Juliana Nichols produced a letter from her parish priest stating the English Bibles were meant for use in her church, but a customs officer told her the texts needed to be cleared with the Internal Security Ministry�s Control Division of Publications and Al-Quran Texts. The Rev. Dr. Hermen Shastri, general secretary of the Council of Churches of Malaysia, said in a press statement that �the Bible is Holy Scripture for Christians� and �no authority on earth should deny Christians the right to possess, read and travel with their Bibles.� He called for the immediate release of the Bibles and an official apology from the Royal Malaysian Customs Department.

Persistent Persecution of the Church Continues in Zimbabwe

HARARE, ZIMBABWE (ANS) — Eight Church leaders, including a blind pastor were arrested during a meeting in front of 400 worshippers and detained in police cells in Kadoma (120 km South West of Harare), in what is seen as continuing persecution of the church by the ZANU PF government.

The arrested Church leaders are Jonathan Gokovah, Pastor Raymond Motsi, Pius Wakatama, Pastor Ancelimo Magaya, Pastor Wilson Mugabe, Pastor Zvizai Chiponda, Lawrence Berejena and Gerald Mubaiwa.

In an e-mail report to ANS from the Foundation of Reason and Justice, Pastor Moyo is quoted as saying: "The meeting was for Christians who felt they cannot remain silent while the country burns with companies closing, inflation (26,000 percent) hitting everyone hard and the majority of people suffering."

The Pastors declared: "We are not aligned to any political party and we don’t mind who rules this country as long as they are accountable and respect the rights of all citizens. We are just against the prevailing situation characterised by looting and misgovernance."

Christians in the Holy Land

The article Stacy pointed out a few days ago discusses a topic from our March newsletter: Christians in Israel. Here’s an excerpt from the Jeruslam Post article:

…CHRISTIANS WORLDWIDE are also unaware of Palestinian Christians. Samir says he meets Americans in the Old City who are shocked to find he is both Arab and Christian.

All interviewees concur that this anonymous Christian community is characterized by lack of support from sister churches….

Look for more in the March newsletter, coming soon to your mail box. And if you don’t get the newsletter, you can sign up for the FREE newsletter by clicking on the link at the top right corner of the page.

Police Attack House Church Members after Burning Bibles

On January 23, members of a house church in Yunan Province were
severely beaten by police officials when they went to the Xishan
District Public Security Bureau (PSB) to ask about their property which
had been confiscated.

According to China Aid Association (CAA), Chen Xiqiong and Liang
Guihua walked into the PSB office and requested an account of items,
including Bibles which were taken from their house church and burned by
police officers in early December 2007. CAA said, �After ignoring the
members� request, officials proceeded to violently remove them from
office. One female church member, 54-year-old Liang Guihua, was thrown
into a wall and rendered unconscious for more than 10 minutes. After
the assault the members went to a local hospital for evaluation.
Officials who witnessed the event refuse to testify on the members�
behalf.�

�The attack on these house church members follows a separate police
raid on a house church meeting in Kunming where several members were
detained. CAA added, �After searching the building, officials seized
several hundred Christian books, including Bibles and notepads, and
proceeded to burn them outside the residence.�

�This year the world will be watching China as it plays host to the
Olympic Games,� said Todd Nettleton, spokesperson for The Voice of the
Martyrs. �But behind the pomp and medals of the Olympics lies the
persecution of our Christian brothers and sisters. We call on
Christians everywhere to mark this Olympic year with a concerted prayer
effort on behalf of our brothers and sisters in China.�

Pray for healing for those believers injured in this attack. Ask
God to protect and encourage Christians in China who face increased
persecution.

When God Shows His Power, People Believe

The unwritten code of the police was clear: If you catch the Khmu or other tribesmen converting to Christianity, arrest them. If you catch anyone evangelizing the tribesmen, kill him.

After �Lu� had been shackled at the hands and feet and shamefully marched through the village, the Communist police threw him in a pit. �We will let you go,� they said, �when one hundred Christians in your village renounce their conversion to Christianity.� But they were unable to find believers willing to turn their backs on Christ.

Then tragedy struck the police. One officer�s son broke both legs in an accident. His other son became critically ill. The officer who had beaten and harassed new Christians suddenly died of a heart attack.

Other officials fearfully pulled �Lu� from the pit and allowed him to return home. Government authorities were too frightened to take action against the Christians in the village after seeing what happened to their leader.

Seeing God�s show of power, more Khmu became believers. Where there had been one hundred Christians, now there were seven hundred. They even sent Christians out to tell other villages about Jesus. While the Laotian authorities were controlled by their fear, the Christians in Southeast Asia overcame theirs.

Fear is one of the most basic human motivations. It drives stock markets and fuels wars. Its unruly energies can be used for great harm or channeled for great good. Professional boxers are often told fear is their friend. Fear can make them better fighters. It keeps them alert. It sensitizes their determination. In the same way, God can use our fears and make us better fighters for his cause. Whenever we are afraid, we have the potential to do the impossible. Why? That which is impossible in our own strength is made possible with God�s help. Fear makes us more likely to forsake our own resources and rely on God instead. In this way, extreme fear can lead to extreme faith.

Tortured for Christ

Anonymous Christians

There is a very interesting article in the Jerusalem Post today called Christian Anonymous about how many Christians really are in Israel. Check it out, it’s very interesting.

North Korea Christians Face More Persecution Than Ever

Pakistani Pastor Martyred

Pastor Sajid William was shot and killed by unidentified, masked gunmen
on January 17. William, age 29, was on his way home in the city of
Peshawar, in Pakistan�s violent Northwest Frontier Province.

VOM contacts report that Pastor Sajid was employed by a humanitarian relief agency and also involved in evangelistic work.

Unknown assailants were standing near a bend in the road along
William�s route on January 17. Because of the sharp corner, the pastor
had to reduce the speed of the car. When the car came close to the
attackers, they ordered William to stop the car. When he saw the
attackers� weapons though, William tried to speed past them. The
attackers open fired. Three shots were fired. Two bullets missed, but
the third hit the pastor�s back and passed through his chest. He was
pronounced dead at the scene.

�The world watched following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in
December. We hope the world will also remember the death of this
pastor, killed simply for being a passionate follower of Jesus Christ,�
said Todd Nettleton of The Voice of the Martyrs. �We pray for comfort
for his wife and young daughter, and we pray that bold witnesses for
Christ will be raised up in Peshawar and throughout Pakistan.�

Pastor Sajid had worked with the Assembly of God Church in Peshawar
for the past 10 years. He is survived by his wife and an 18-month-old
daughter. Pray for his grieving family and church. Ask God to comfort
and encourage believers in Peshawar and for opportunities for them to
witness to those around them.

Coming Soon…A New Prayer Video

It has been a few weeks since I’ve been able to put together a prayer video for you, and I just wanted to let you know that we are working on it and will get a new one up soon for you.

Write a Letter of Encouragement to Li Mei in China

In July 2007, 42-year-old Li Mei and nine house church leaders were arrested, when they were discovered having a Sunday worship service. They were charged with singing Christian hymns to villagers, showing the JESUS film in a nursing home and praying for healing for a disabled elderly man. The nine were sentenced to re-education through labor for 12 to 18 months. Li Mei served part of her one-year sentence in a hospital with both hands chained to her bed. Repeated beatings and torture caused her to require a hysterectomy. She is currently serving the remainder of her sentence at home under house arrest.

We invite you to write a letter of encouragement to Li Mei. We have experienced great results when readers write to believers who have been imprisoned for their faith. The letters make a difference, often resulting in shorter prison terms. Please send a letter of encouragement and let Li Mei know you are praying for her. Also, write to the Chinese government requesting that Li Mei be released. Let your friends know about suffering believers in China and encourage them to write. Get involved and write today by going to www.prisoneralert.com

Muslim Militants Target Clergy in Philippines

DUBLIN, January
30 (Compass
Direct News) � In the midst of recent threats of violence against clergy in the
Philippines, one repentant murderer
next week will express his remorse by visiting the grave of the priest he
killed.

Norberto Manero Jr. spent almost 23 years in prison for murdering
Catholic Father Tulio Favali in 1985. Granted a pardon and released last Friday
(January 25) � just 10 days after the latest murder by Muslim militants of a
Catholic clergyman, Father Reynaldo Albores Roda � Manero plans to
visit Fr. Favali�s grave in
Kidapawan, southern Mindanao on Monday
(February 4).

VOM Joins The Faith Spot.com

VOM joins TheFaithSpot.com! Click the graphic below to visit our page and become a friend today!

Dissin’ Jesus

Emmy Award winning television sports director, author, and columnist, David Burchett, discusses Christian persecution in his latest column at Crosswalk.com

In his article Dissin’ Jesus, Burchett writes, "The fact is that Christians are getting beaten up a bit in this
culture. And a lot of Christians are getting defensive about it. I
understand that. Nobody likes to be mocked, ridiculed, badgered and
marginalized . Okay, most of us don�t like that. The tough thing for
followers of Jesus is deciding the right response to all of these
verbal drive-bys. I have a hard time calling them attacks. I read the Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter.
The suffering Christians around the world can use the word attack and
persecution honestly. So far in America we are only dealing with bad
manners and insults."

Burchett goes on to write about a recent incident when Ms. Jacobsen, an employee of ESPN was accused of making a vulgar remark about Jesus. In fact, you may have heard about this unfortunate incident because it was all over the news for a few days. Burchett goes on to explain his feelings about the issue as opposed to serious Christian persecution taking place in the world.’

Pastor Murdered in Peshawar, Pakistan

Pastor murdered in Peshawar, Pakistan

Pakistan (MNN) — Next, a Pakistani pastor has been murdered because of his involvement in evangelistic work. According to Voice of the Martyrs’ Canada,
29-year old Sajid William was shot and killed by a masked gunman on his
way home in Peshawar. Pastor William was the office manager for the
Christian relief and development agency "Shelter Now." Pray for God’s
comfort for Pastor William’s family. Ask God to embolden Pakistani
Christians to follow his example of faithfulness.

Jordan Expels Foreign Christians

ISTANBUL, January 29
(Compass Direct News) � Jordan has increased pressure on foreign
Christians living in the kingdom, expelling many long-time residents over the
past 13 months in what local churches see as an attack on their legitimacy.
Authorities deported or refused residence permits to at least 27 expatriate
Christian families and individuals in 2007, a number of them working with local
churches or studying at a Christian seminary, Compass has confirmed. In all but
one case, officials refused to provide written explanations for the decisions.
But many of those expelled told Compass that they had been questioned by
intelligence officers regarding evangelism of Muslims. �They said that I
am a threat to Jordanian security and I am making the society unstable,�
said Hannu Lahtinen, a Finnish pastor deported last month. �They have a
thousand ways to say you are preaching the gospel.�

Two Christians Attacked, Kidnapped and Later Released

On January 17, eight Bajrang extremists attacked a house church in Madhya Pradesh, kidnapping two believers.

According to The Voice of the Martyrs contacts in India, �a group
of Bajrang extremists attacked a house church in Pathigawan village.
Eight men, led by AP Sakhi (Bajrang Area Secretary) came on motorbikes
with Bajrang Dal flags at around 8 a.m. and surrounded the house church
where worship was taking place. They beat the two kidnapped believers
mercilessly before taking them away on their bikes.�

VOM contacts added the believers were later released. �The
extremists attacked with swords, sticks, knives and other instruments.
Two believers were critically injured in the attack and are undergoing
treatment in the hospital,� VOM contacts said.

Pray for Christians facing difficult situations in India. Pray God
protects them and gives them courage to stand in spite of the attacks.
Pray for a speedy recovery for the two believers injured during this
attack. Ask that God uses their powerful testimonies to draw
nonbelievers into fellowship with Him.

Potential Friends, Potential Christians

�I admire Communists.� The words seemed strange from a pastor who spent fourteen years in Communist prisons, but Richard Wurmbrand was sincere when he said them.

�Many Communists were willing to die to defend their �Utopia.� They were more committed to their cause than some I met in churches.�

In every enemy Pastor Wurmbrand saw a potential friend and a potential Christian. By loving his opponents, he not only saw many come to know Christ but also increased his opportunities to witness.

�When they called me a �dirty Jew� and told everyone not to read my books, people immediately went out to see what this �dirty Jew� had to say,� he chuckled. �I welcome anyone who has offense against me. Others are not always interested in what you have to say. You need to challenge them to the truth before you share your beliefs. To do this you must understand where they are coming from and be able to speak intelligently. But we must also remember to always speak in love.�

Pastor Wurmbrand�s words were not some high-minded ideal that he didn�t exemplify. He and his wife Sabina welcomed into their home a Nazi officer who worked at the very concentration camp where all of Sabina�s family had been exterminated. When the officer saw their forgiveness and love for him, he was won into the kingdom.

Note: These statements were made during one of Pastor Wurmbrand�s final interviews prior to his death in February, 2001.

Jesus taught us that others would recognize our faith by our love�especially when it comes to dealing with the opposition. How we treat our enemies is equally important as how we treat those in our own Christian family. In fact, our response to criticism often makes a greater statement for Christianity than any other example. When believers put this powerful principle of the Christian faith into practice, they distinguish themselves from the rest of the world. The natural response to opposition is to refute it or return the favor. Instead, believers strive to understand their enemies, not undermine them. Opposition, when put into this perspective, is welcomed as an opportunity to exercise faith and imitate Christ�s commands.

VOM Persecution Blog Joins MySpace

We really want to connect with you and many more readers so that we can spread the message of God’s love through the persecuted church, which is why we have also started a Voice of the Martyrs page on MySpace. Click here to visit Myspace and our page.

VOM Persecution Blog Joins Shoutlife

Not too long ago I opened an account on the Christian social networking group Shoutlife. And today I am very happy to share with you that we would love it if you joined us on this new exciting networking adventure.

Christians in Chiapas Mexico Resilient, Despite Persecution

When you examine countries where Christians are facing persecution because of their faith in Jesus Christ, many people would never think of Chiapas, Mexico. The Voice of the Martyrs� recent newsletter gives us a glimpse of the challenges believers face in Chiapas state, and what is incredible is the determination of these precious brothers and sisters. Their testimonies and stories are inspiring because despite what they have been through, their faith in God is solid. To me, they are a great example of Christ�s redemptive love and what our dedication to faith should be, irrespective of what can be going on around us. I encourage you to get a copy of the newsletter and read stories that I can assure you will transform your faith.

Recently, I heard missionaries who work in Chiapas and other surrounding areas share about the wonderful work God has allowed them to do in Mexico. They reported that although in some areas evangelicals are expelled, beaten, sometimes killed and churches burnt down, Christians have remained faithful and people in those areas are getting saved. They added, �In the midst of fierce persecution, new churches are being raised up. You cannot stop the gospel of Jesus Christ.� Amen to that!

The missionaries passionate report, alluded to Hebrews 12:1 (NIV), �Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.� They said, �Men, women and children are willing to die for Christ. They run the race with passion, resilience and a willingness to die for Christ.� What a great testimony and challenge for us. If you do not already receive the VOM monthly newsletter, click here and sign up to receive it:

A Poem from St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so
Much seek to be consoled, as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Perseverance in Palestine

A VOM worker recently met secretly with two Palestinian Christians, encouraging them and providing some practical assistance. Without knowing who he was meeting with, one brought a book that had greatly encouraged him: an Arabic version of Tortured for Christ.

The two men lead separate house churches in their areas of the West Bank. They have both lost jobs and family members because of their new beliefs.

�God wishes for all my people to come out of the darkness into the light,� says one. Through the peace of Christ, they are able to endure weekly interrogation by Palestinian authority agents.

One brother has been enduring these interrogations every week for more than two years.

Hindu Man Collects Stamps to Learn About Christianity

It never ceases to amaze me how the Lord uses things to teach about Himself all over the world. In a story today put out by Assist News Service I read of a man by the name of Arvind Khodke who has collected postal stamps since childhood and now at 57 years old, he still collects stamps so he can learn more about Christianity. Here’s part of the article…

Please add Arvind to your prayer list and ask the Lord to reveal Himself in even greater ways to Arvind. And you can read more about Arvind and his stamp collecting here.

Two Christians Abducted in India

The last few weeks have been filled with tons of news regarding Christian persecution in India. Here’s another story from our friends at Compass Direct. For the full story, click here.

(Compass Direct News) � Six Hindu nationalist extremists stormed a house church, abducted two
Christians and severely beat them last Thursday (January 17) in Madhya Pradesh
state�s Rewa district. Brandishing swords, knives, tridents and sticks,
the alleged members of the Hindu extremist Bajrang
Dal arrived on three motorbikes at a house church prayer meeting in Pathigaon
village, Naigadi area, and began forcing Vijaya Kumar Maurya and Keera Lal to
come with them to a police station at around 8 a.m., said the Rev. Augustine
Jebakumar of GEMS, an indigenous Christian organization with headquarters in
Bihar state. The Hindu extremists beat the two Christians, took them to a
jungle, and beat them again. �While two of the kidnappers left half way,
the other four took us to a temple on a mountain, known as Sahaki Pahar, which
is about six kilometers from Pathigaon village,� Maurya told Compass. �They
said they were going to sacrifice us to the god of the temple. But they
received a phone call and were warned that a police complaint had been lodged.
This is why they did not kill us.�

Attacks on Christians may resume in India, says report

Pastor murdered in Peshawar, Pakistan

LearnTheology Home

Blogs & Categories:

Monthly Archives:

Meta: