A few days ago I received a copy of the One Year Book of Christian History and all I can say is that if you love Christian history this is definitely a devotional book you will want to purchase.

Today I wanted to highlight the martyr they have in the book for February 29th, and since this year isn't leap year you won't find the 29th on your calendars - and I didn't want to wait another couple of years to share this with you.

Patrick Hamilton was born around 1503 and died on February 29, 1528 at 25 years old.  He was Scotland's first Protestant martyr and was executed because he decided to follow the teachings of Martin Luther that says that we are justified by faith and not by works.

As a result, he was charged with 13 counts of heresy - including the positions he took on penance, confession and purgatory.  He was convicted and sentenced to be burned at the stake on the same day - February 29, 1528.

When the execution was carried out it was done so hastily that there wasn't enough wood and powder on hand to produce a huge enough fire to burn Hamilton.  As a result, Hamilton burned a slow and horrible death. The One Year Book of Christian History goes on to say...

"Hamilton's influence grew as word of his martyrdom spread, making him more popular in death than in life.  Soon all of Scottland was discussing Reformed Theology.  One of his accusers, Alexander Alexius, was converted as a result of Hamilton's testimony and became a Reformation leader.  A witness of Hamilton's burning later remarked, "The reek of Patrick Hamilton has infected as many as it did blow upon."

To read more about Patrick Hamilton click here.

This is a very special edition taken from Extreme Devotion.

Dear Mom and Dad,

    I greet you with the love of Christ. I am doing well and feel very blessed. One of my schoolmates, Varia, is a member of the Communist Youth Organization. I have been witnessing to her, and I think I am finally starting to get through to her. Recently she said, “I cannot understand you at all. So many of the students insult and hurt you, and you love them anyway.”

    I told her that God has taught us all to love, not only those who are kind to us, but especially those who are unkind—that they might see God within us. Varia has been one of the ones to join in the mocking and insults, but that has only made me pray for her even more.

    Today, she asked me if I could really love her too! We embraced and both began to weep. I believe she is very close to receiving Christ. Please pray for her.

    When you listen to those who loudly deny God, it seems like they mean it. But life shows that many of them really have a great longing in their hearts. And you can hear the groaning of the heart; they seek something and try to cover their inner emptiness with their godlessness.

    I will write soon. Please send my love to everyone at home.

    Maria

God created human beings with a spiritual space within them that can only be completely filled by him. When we run across someone who is hostile to Christianity, we can remind ourselves of the tremendous needs in that person’s life. Imagine a cavernous space in the chest cavity of your enemy—a body without a heart. This inner emptiness is what drives many people to a spiritual search. They either respond in faith, wanting to accept Christ’s offer to fill the void, or they respond with bitterness, rejecting Christ altogether. Often, a Christian’s presence simply reminds those who reject Christ what they are missing in their own lives. They are not resenting you personally. They resent what you represent.

UPDATE:  Earlier this week I cited that this information was from Mission Network News, however, today I found out the original source of the story was from our friends at Compass Direct.  We apologize to Compass Direct for not realizing this was originally their story.  To read the Compass Direct story online, please click here.

Sadly, today Mission Network News reported that we lost another believer to death while in jail.

(MNN) -- Next, the story of Magos Solomon Semere (MAH-gohs solomon se-MEH-ray) is at an end. Four-and-a-half years after the Eritrean regime jailed him for worshiping in a banned Protestant church, Voice of the Martyrs Canada's Bernie Daniel confirms his death while still in jail. "He was a young Eritrean Christian, aged 30, and died in a military jail in the southern part of Assab. He was sick with pneumonia, and I can assure you that he was being brutally treated by the military authorities in that southern most part of Eritrea." More than 2,000 Eritrean citizens have been jailed solely for practicing their faith. Semere is the third known Christian to die for his faith in Eritrea since last October. "I would be cautious to put it as escalation because it came kind of in a time frame distance, but still, it just shows the brutal treatment of Christians still being perpetuated by local officials in the military jails. We have to still continue to pray for the body of Christ in Eritrea."

Full story: http://www.MNNonline.org/article/9633

I wanted to let you all know that there will not be a persecution blog round up this week.   I'm flying to Portland, Oregon very early tomorrow morning for a conference and will not be in the office until Monday morning.  Please send your entries for next week and we will resume the round up then.

Thanks!

This week VOM is asking that we all remember those in prayer who are being persecuted in Laos.  The following was taken from the weekly VOM prayer email.

– In Southern Laos, two Christian men have been taken from their farms and put in prison. No charges have been filed and no news is forthcoming about their current situation. Pray God protects and encourages these men and their families in this difficult time.

In North Central Laos, on January 18, five police officers showed up at a Christian brother's home and arrested him. VOM sources have known him and his family for 20 years. His wife and 12-year-old son did not get an opportunity to speak to him before he was taken away. All efforts to locate him or allow his wife to know where he is being detained have been unsuccessful. According to VOM contacts, in several similar incidents, the people taken by police were never found alive. Pray for this family, that has led more than 500 people to Christ in the past two years. Ask God to protect this brother and comfort his wife and child. Psalm 119: 49-56

This week I was privileged to hear from two Christians serving the Lord in the midst of persecution in Turkey and India. Their passion for Jesus Christ and the lost was contagious. While they were sharing, I asked myself how I would respond if placed in their situations. These precious leaders of the church in India and Turkey have endured persecution and remain steadfast in their faith. “I was raised and taught in a Muslim family. Even though I questioned the teachings of Islam, I had no other option. One day, I received a New Testament and started reading the Gospel of John. I soon realized that in the Middle East we had everything else, but the love of God. I discovered Jesus and after my conversion I went to my grandfather and told him I was now a Christian. Immediately, I lost everything,” the brother from Turkey said.

I believe it is important to remind ourselves about the sufferings of our brother and sisters around the world. The courage they show in the midst of rejection from their families, arrest and torture should move us to pray even more. “I would rather die than deny the son of God, the Living God,” the Turkish brother added. I challenge you to continually pray for the persecuted church around the world. After hearing what God is doing in Turkey and India, I urge you to pray God gives Christians courage to continue in their faith and boldness to share the gospel.

As I was thinking about writing to you today I wanted to share with you a thought I had recently about denying Christ.  In American culture there is a growing division between the world and the church.  There has always been that division, but it seems like the darkness is getting darker and the light is becoming more evident as Christians begin to really stand for what the Scriptures teach us.

The other day I was recording a podcast and I made the statement that when I don't speak up for what God's word says then essentially I am denying Christ.  For some reason that was a powerful thought to me and I've been thinking about it for a few days because it occurred to me that I have denied Christ on many occassions when I didn't speak up for what I know is good and right.  I know I'm not alone in this matter either because the evil and immorality in our culture is evidence of that.

Then this morning I was reading the February Voice of the Martyrs Magazine that I get monthly, and I was reading about The Rescue of Azra Bibi, a girl from Pakistan who did not waver in her faith and did not deny Him under even the most horrible circumstances.

Her testimony is powerful because her behavior exemplified how all of us Christians should be.  The article says that her mother, also a Christian, was murdered.  First the killer violated her, then chopped her body into pieces and then burned her body in a kiln.

I honestly can't even imagine losing my mother to death that way.  I lost my mother to cancer and that was hard enough to watch, and yet here Azra Bibi lost her Christian mother to persecution and she stood and prayed to the Lord her God for help.

The good news is that Azra was helped through the ministry of VOM and it's a beautiful ending.  If you want to know more about her story, go get your February 2007 copy of The Voice of the Martyr's magazine and read all of Azra's story.  I guarantee that after reading her testimony you will think twice about denying Christ.

If you don't receive the VOM magazine you can also sign up to receive it free every month just for the asking.  Just click the box on the right side of this page.

The underground-church movement in Turkey is growing and expanding amidst persecution from Muslims. Christians are banished from their families when they convert to Christianity, but their faith in God is unshakeable.

The Voice of the Martyrs recently received information from sources in Turkey that while Christians risk imprisonment and torture, believers are still meeting and preaching the gospel. “I was raised and taught in a Muslim family. Even though I questioned the teachings of Islam, I had no other option. One day, I received a New Testament and started reading the Gospel of John. I soon realized that in the Middle East we needed God. I discovered Jesus and after my conversion I went to my grandfather and told him I was now a Christian. Immediately, I lost everything,” the VOM source said.

He added he had to leave his village when people found out he became a Christian. “When I moved, I started evangelizing and winning Muslims to Christ. I was arrested and tortured. Instead of denying Christ, I prayed for my captors. They tortured my body; they ripped my soul and spirit, but I survived. God was in control,” the contact added.

“I would rather die than deny the Son of God, the Living God,” he said.

Pray for Christians in Turkey to be bold witnesses for Christ in spite of threats and attacks against them.

Christians in India face growing persecution as they are attacked, beaten and killed for believing in Jesus Christ. The Voice of Martyrs recently received information Christian attacks were escalating. On February 10, a 58-year-old Christian, S. Stanley was stabbed and killed by rioting youth in front of his house in Pavaloor, Kerala State, India. VOM contacts report youths assembled in front of Stanley’s house shouting blasphemous abuses against Christians. The attackers later climbed over the locked gate, entered the house and stabbed Stanley several times on his back, neck and stomach. His wife was also assaulted.

“Where Stanley was martyred has traditionally been an area of India that has less persecution. The fact that something like this is happening is further evidence of the worsening climate for Christians in India,” VOM contacts working in India said.

“The persecution in India has risen at an alarming rate, to the point that it seems we get multiple stories of persecution each week in India. I encourage American Christians to pray for India and for our brothers and sisters who are witnessing for Christ there,” added Todd Nettleton of The Voice of the Martyrs.

I also want to ask you to pray for the wife of Stanley who is now a widow and was also assaulted.  Join me in asking the Lord for her comfort and restoration.

My husband and I are passionate about bible distribution.  My husband is a Gideon and I am an Auxillary for the Gideon's International and we just love being able to go out and give away bibles.  We also love knowing about ministries like VOM and others who have programs specifically set up to purchase and then send bibles to people who need them.

Last week I had the opportunity to go out on a distribution with a friend of mine from the Gideons.  We went and distributed bibles in dental offices and also some medical offices and a few chiropractic offices.  We also had the opportunity to hand out medical testaments to the nurses and secretarial staff in these medical offices and I have to be honest and tell you that it can be nerve wracking going in and offering the bible to complete strangers.  But I love to do it because when I consider what persecuted saints go through to get the Word of God and to distribute it to others what little rejection we receive - and there is always someone - is nothing compared to what Jesus did for me by dying on the cross in my place.

I read this quote from Richard Wurmbrand this morning and it made me smile because he was obviously a man just as passionate about spreading the Word of God as I am....well, he's probably way more passionate than I!  But I'm working on it!

If you are not willing to die for what is in the Bible, you should not give money for Bibles. Because if you give, we will smuggle more Bibles. And if we smuggle more Bibles, there will be more martyrs.

So my question for you today is this - how passionate are you concerning the distribution of God's word?  Do you purchase bibles through VOM's great Bibles Unbound Program?  How about other ministries...?

Why?  or Why Not?

Feel free to share if you'd like.  I always love to hear the testimonies of others.