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Ministry watch to name VOM Shining Light for 2007

Ministrywatch.com has recently announced that The Voice of
the Martyrs will be featured on their 2007 “Shining Light ‘Top 30’ Exemplary
Ministries” list. This makes the third consecutive year that VOM has been
featured on this list, which is an honor Ministry Watch awards to few
organizations.

Ministry Watch is a program of Wall Watchers, an
organization dedicated to keeping Christian ministries accountable for their
spending while at the same time helping donors to be wise stewards of their
God-given resources.

The “Shining Light” list is published in response to
requests that Ministry Watch identify the “best” ministries to donate to. While Ministry Watch still encourages
individuals to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit when they donate, they
have identified 30 organizations that are both transparent and responsible with
their spending as well as bold in their stand as an evangelical Christian
organization. The Voice of the Martyrs is proud to be included on this list for
2005, 2006 and now 2007.

Here is an excerpt from www.ministrywatch.com which details why
the feature “Shining Lights”:

These ministries are called ‘Shining Lights’ because they are
indeed models of letting their Christian light shine before men so that the Gospel
may be proclaimed and God be glorified. Consequently, we are shining a
figurative light on them so that donors may be aware of their good works and
other ministries may learn from their examples.

Last March, MinistryWatch.com was featured on
ABC’s 20/20 with John Stossel. The interview talked about financial
transparency in ministries and brought public attention to the work of Ministry
Watch. To learn more about the organization and watch the video, you can visit
their website at www.ministrywatch.com.

Name a Bear Muhammad And Get Threatened with Death, Behead 3 Christian Girls and Receive Less Than 20 Years in Prison

The following news item is interesting especially in light of the recent Muslim extremist terrorist like activity towards Gillian Gibbons and the teddy bear incident.  In that case, she allows children to name a teddy bear Muhammad and the result is that her life is threatened, she’s thrown in jail, and then thankfully pardoned and released.

Compare that to the outcome of the trial of these Islamic terrorists who beheaded three Christian girls, who were doing absolutely nothing.  Their sentences?  19, 14 and 10 years in prison!  Read the rest of this outrageous story below.

(Compass Direct News) – Three Islamic extremists were sentenced yesterday to 19, 14 and 10 years in prison respectively for beheading three Christian teenage girls and shooting two others non-fatally in 2005. A South Jakarta district court sentenced Rahman Kalahe to 19 years in prison, Agus Nur Muhammad to 14 years and Yudi Heryanto to 10 years after finding them guilty in the beheading of Theresia Morangke and Yarni Sambue, both 15, and 17-year-old Alfita Poliwo as the girls walked to school in Poso district in Sulawesi on October 29, 2005. Kalahe was also found guilty of involvement in a Dec. 31, 2005 bomb attack on a market in Palu that killed at least eight people. Abdul Muis was also convicted for this crime and likewise received a sentence of 19 years. The two men were also convicted of murdering the Rev. Irianto Kongkoli and two high school students in 2006. The court also found Syaiful Anam and Amril Niode guilty of bombing a marketplace in the Christian-inhabited town of Tentena, in Poso district, in May 2005, with Anam receiving a prison sentence of 18 years and Niode one of 15 years.

Click here to read more coverage on this news item.

China: Debate Heats Up Over Religious Rights

BEIJING, December 5 (Compass Direct News) – Few would deny that, over the past 20 years, there has been genuine improvement in human rights for many Chinese Christians – so long as they register as government-controlled “patriotic” religious

(Photo Credit: Nelson/Sipa for Time )

bodies of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement. But those who on conscientious grounds refuse to accept the atheist Communist Party domination of, and interference in, church affairs – and they are the majority of both Protestants and Catholics – still face a rough ride. According to a leaked internal document, the Chinese Communist Party waged a secret campaign against unregistered house churches for nearly six months, from mid-June until the end of November. The July 24 document, first disclosed by the Texas-based China Aid Association, reveals that leading central government figures called for a crackdown and investigations into “the content of sermons, personal history of [house church] evangelists, the sources of their funds, the system of their activities, key members, and the ordinary people who participate.” More evidence of the crackdown came on November 18, when authorities detained 40 church leaders from China Gospel Fellowship. CAA reported that Public Security Bureau officers from Xiancheng county, Henan raided the house church leadership meeting in Peichang village, Fanhu town.

Praise God! Gillian Gibbons is Back at Home Safely

I would like to thank all of you who prayed for Gillian Gibbons to be delivered from the Muslim extremists in the Sudan because she "insulted Islam" by allowing her class to name a teddy bear Muhammad.  A few days ago she was pardoned and returned to her home in England.

Many of the news reports said that Gillian was "elated" to have been released and pardoned.  Which I believe is probably an understatement considering the militants wanted to cut off her head and kill her.

In an article from the Guardian Gibbons said, "I was well-treated in prison … I was very sorry to leave Sudan. . .  "The Sudanese people I found to be extremely kind and extremely generous."

Persecution Legal in More Indian States

Seven Indian states now have some form of “anti-conversion” laws, but it is actually only in force in three states—Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Orissa. This legislation, known as the Freedom of Religion Acts – or anti-conversion laws – is designed to prevent religious conversion by force, fraud or allurement. In practice, their main purpose is to prevent conversions from Hinduism to Christianity.

Hindu radicals use these laws as excuses to arrest and/or attack believers, frequently imprisoning pastors and other Christians. Local governments and police are often sympathizers of the same radical ideology. The majority of states with this type of legislation are controlled by the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In 2007, the governors of Rajasthan and Gujarat refused to approve similar laws in their states. In Arunachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, the Freedom of Religion Act has been signed, but the rules have yet to be structured. The four states without formal   of Religion legislation have other laws that seriously oppress Christians. In the past year, VOM has logged more than 300 religiously-motivated, significant attacks against Christians, nearly all tied to nationalistic Hindu groups.

Christians Protest Indian Government’s Delay in Dalit Case

Christians Protest Indian Government’s Delay in Dalit Case

Individuals familiar with Indian culture and life know that Indian society is comprised of numerous people groups. I have known that Dalits were treated badly in Indian society, but I had not realized the severity of the laws unfavorable to Christian Dalits. Recently The Voice of the Martyrs ran the story below, which shows Christians protesting the unfair treatment of Christian Dalits, by the Indian government:

INDIA: On November 29, more than 500 Christians from across India staged a rally in New Delhi protesting another Supreme Court decision to defer a hearing on the rights of more than 16 million Dalit Christians. According to Compass Direct News, Dalit Christians (formerly known as “untouchables”) eagerly awaited the hearing with the hope of a favorable outcome, which would have provided affirmative action benefits for Dalit converts to Christianity.

Compass Direct News reported, “The federal government, ruled by the Congress Party-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA), was expected to decide yesterday whether Dalit Christians can be denied affirmative action benefits extended to Dalits of other faiths. The hearing, however, was postponed until January after the government told the court that the UPA government was awaiting response from the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.”

Responding to the Supreme Court’s delay, Archbishop Vincent Concessao, of the Archdiocese of Delhi, released a statement stating, ‘They (Dalits) are oppressed a lot. We request the government of India to listen to the voice of Dalit Christians and stop exploiting the goodwill of minorities.”

The Voice of the Martyrs has and will continue to assist Dalit believers in India. Pray the Indian government recognizes Dalit Christians, so they will not continue to be treated as second-class citizens.

Prayer Video 1 - Gillian Gibbons and Others

Prayer Video 1 - Gillian Gibbons and Others

Thank you for watching our first prayer video. I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to comment in the comment section, but remember all comments are moderated and will only be published after approval.

Crescent Project Building BRIDGES

Crescent Project Building BRIDGES

I was in Indianapolis, IN this week on the way to a television interview, and had the great privilege of visiting the offices of Crescent Project.  This organization works to train Christians in how to reach out to Muslims and share the message of salvation through Jesus Christ with them. And their focus isn’t necessarily on people who are going to barge into Mecca and hand out tracts, but on people RIGHT HERE IN AMERICA!  You can reach your neighbor…your doctor…the exchange student at the university in your town.  Crescent Project  reminds us that you don’t have to GO to be a missionary…God is bringing the mission field onto our own soil!

While I was there I got a sneak peak at CP’s latest project, a small-group curriculum called BRIDGES.  It is a six-week small-group study that trains American Christians how to start the discussion with a Muslim, how to find common ground and how to dispel some of the misinformation about Christianity that is commonly taught in Muslim households. The curriculum includes DVD teaching material and study guides, as well as a leader’s guide. There will also be an online component to get additional information and to share stories of what worked (and what didn’t).

The sneak peak got me VERY excited about this incredible tool!  CP’s goal is to train one million American Christians to reach out to Muslims with the gospel.  The curriculum is available for pre-order now (at a discount!), and you can get a sneak peak at the web site, www.bridgesstudy.com  (they have even posted some of the video segments). If you know people who care about reaching Muslims for Christ, CP and BRIDGES provide excellent, unique training resources (CP also has one-day and one-week training seminars held around the country).

My hope is that a million on-fire American Christians trained, equipped and passionate about sharing the gospel with Muslims is only the beginning!

Todd Nettleton is the Director of Media Development for The Voice of the Martyrs—USA.

Gillian “Teddy Bear Teacher” Gibbons Receives 15 Day Prison Sentence, No Lashes

Gillian “Teddy Bear Teacher” Gibbons Receives 15 Day Prison Sentence, No Lashes

The verdict is in for Gillian Gibbons, she has been sentenced to 15 days in prison and then will be deported from the Sudan according to Fox News sources.

Yesterday we posted about how Gillian was charged with "insulting Islam" and "blasphemy" because the children in her class named a teddy bear Mohammed.  Many of us feared that the sentence imposed upon Gibbons would include lashes that could potentially kill the 54 year old.

Fortunately today, the court handed down the sentence for Gibbons that did not include lashes.  This is an answer to prayer for many of us, and we rejoice that at this time, it appears that Gillian Gibbons had been delivered from such harsh and unjust punishment.  Please continue to pray for Gillian as she still will be serving time in jail.

CNN’s Coverage on Gillian Gibbons Teddy Bear Offense

CNN’s Coverage on Gillian Gibbons Teddy Bear Offense

British Woman May Receive 40 Lashes for Insulting Islam

British Woman May Receive 40 Lashes for Insulting Islam

One of the news items I wanted to bring to your attention today is the story of Gillian Gibbons (Pictured: Courtesy of Reuters) who is a British teacher who is using her gift of teaching in the Sudan.

Recently she was teaching a class of youngsters (in a Christian school)  about Democracy and had asked her students to name a teddy bear.  After a vote, the children named the bear Mohammed.  As a result, some parents were angered and she was eventually charged with "insulting Islam" and "inciting religious hatred" because of the name the children chose.

The English Al Jazeera website is reporting that Ms. Gibbons could receive 40 lashes, up to six months in jail and a fine if she is convicted of this crime.

If you’d like to read a description of what a person will endure when they receive lashes, please click here to read the account of Gavin Sherard-Smith who was given 50 lashes in  1993 for breaking an alcohol ban.  He denied the charges.

Please keep Gillian Gibbons in your prayers and also please pray for the leaders who are going to be making the final decision about whether or not this woman should suffer such severe punishment.   Ms. Gibbons is 54 years old and she is being supported by the pupil who suggested the name of Mohammad for the bear, simply because it is his name.

In Islam naming anything after Mohammad is considered blasphemy.

God at Work in Iraq

God at Work in Iraq

What is Iraq like for Christians these days? Here are some excerpts from a believer there:

“Living in the atmosphere of Iraq, those who are controlled by the spirit of fear forced many churches to close their doors and told their members, ‘We will call you when the circumstances get better.’ When churches started to close their doors, people immigrated to Northern Iraq and some to Syria and Jordan. Many Christians did not find an open church to go to.

“One [church] was threatened [so] many times that they had to close their doors or the Muslims would attack them. After seeking the Lord in prayer and fasting, the pastor and some other workers VOM supports decided they would not close, and they would have their regular meetings. We decided to do as Nehemiah did when he resisted the spirit of fear and continued to build Jerusalem. We agreed to take turns spending nights in the church to watch for any attack. Other churches heard about this, and they started to open their doors and do the same. The brother visited other churches in Baghdad and encouraged them to keep their doors open also.

“The brothers also saw that division started to take place between the pastors in Iraq. The brothers invited most of the pastors in Baghdad to pray together for unity and encouragement. Now they have a weekly prayer meeting for their country and the different parts of the world.

“They also started an outreach ministry to Muslims. More than once, Muslims came to the church asking for someone who can talk to them about the peaceful religion, Christianity. The brothers are conducting a weekly Bible study for Muslims. Muslim converts started to tell each other about the meeting and the meeting keeps growing.”

Be encouraged that amidst all the pain the Iraqi people are suffering that we hear about on the new, some are turning to Jesus Christ as a result. Please continue to lift them up in your prayers.

Pastor Threated with Violence Flees to U.S.