Here is an interesting article regarding the persecution and martyrdom that has taken place this year.

As 2008 comes to an end, the Vatican has released a list of the names of pastoral workers, priests and prelates, religious men and women killed during the past 12 months. As far as we know, the following persons have died this year: Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho of Mosul for Chaldeans (Iraq), 16 priests, 1 religious, and 2 lay volunteers. 

Here's a press release put out today by China Aid - this is good news.

 Contact: Katherine Cason, 267-210-8278, Katherine@ChinaAid.org; Washington, D.C.: Jenny McCloy, 202-213-0506, Jenny@ChinaAid.org; both with China Aid Association www.ChinaAid.org, www.MonitorChina.org 

GUANGDONG, China, Dec. 31 /Christian Newswire/ -- On December 25, 2008, Haizhu District People's Court accepted the filing of Pastor Wang Dao's lawsuit against the State Administration of Religious Affairs Bureau (SARA) in Guangzhou city, Guangdong province for raiding Liangren Church. This is an unprecedented move by the court to accept an administrative lawsuit filed by a house church pastor challenging the penalty decision by SARA. On the morning of December 14, 2008, Liangren Church was raided by more than 50 officials from SARA and the Public Security Bureau (PSB) during a Sunday service. Authorities issued a "Notice of Administrative Penalty" charging Pastor Wang Dao with organizing an illegal gathering. Officials demanded that the household gatherings be stopped. On December 18, Pastor Wang filed an administrative lawsuit against SARA, in Guangdong province, requesting the court to demand SARA to withdraw its Notice of Administrative Penalty. The court accepted the filing and on December 25, the court sent a "Notification of Acceptance of Administrative Case" to Pastor Wang. ChinaAid, as well as house church Christians across China, are watching to see how the court will respond in this case which could set a precedent for other cases of persecution.

Recently Todd Nettleton was interviewed by Mission Network News regarding persecution this year and in the future.  Here is part of that interview.

Persecution has diminished for some Christians in 2008, but it has increased for others. Overall, Todd Nettleton withVoice of the Martyrs believes it is worse than it used to be and will continue to worsen in 2009. 

"I think there are situations where it's worse. I think there are probably some isolated situations where things are improving a little bit, but I think on the whole, it's at least as bad and probably worse than 2007, or worse than five or ten years ago," said Nettleton

...

"Orissa is probably the location of the worst persecution that's going on right now in the world," Nettleton said, "a place where they're trying to wipe out the Christian church; a place where tens of thousands of Christians have had to flee their homes. Many of them fled literally into the jungle to escape the attacks of radical Hindus."

Click here for the full story.

If you have been watching the news, then you are fully aware about the war going on again in Israel and Gaza.  Yesterday I had the opportunity to  interview Dr. Michael Rydelnick about the current controversy, and you may listen to that here for your edification and information.

Mission Network News has more insight as to how more Muslims are open to the gospel during this time of war.

If there is one word that I hate in the English language, it is the word rape.  As a woman, there is probably nothing that we fear more than being raped or gang raped, and yet, today I read this tremendously tragic piece from Mission Network News about a woman who was raped because she refused to convert back to Islam, my heart just breaks.

I wonder if people understand the gravity of being raped.  Sometimes it's like the word just trickles off of our tongues, and we think "oh that's horrible"  and yet all over the world, women are raped all of the time.  And yet add insult to injury by being raped because you believe in the One True God.  It's hard to imagine, but women who truly love the Lord Jesus that much, are willing to endure such torture and torment as to not deny Christ.  Remember when Peter denied Christ simply because he was asked if he knew Jesus...that was not even close to rape.

I would like you to think about the survivors of rape today, especially in regards to those who are undergoing such torture because of their faith in Jesus Christ.

When a woman is raped physically she may suffer from vaginal bleeding, chronic pelvic pain, urinary tract infections, decreased desire for sexual intimacy.  She may also contract a sexually transmitted disease, including AIDS and HIV if her rapist has those.

Sadly, the effects a woman can go through psychologically include but are not limited to: anger, suicidality, regression, panic, panic attacks, post traumatic stress, nightmares, guilt, and depression.

And spiritually a woman can also have to struggle with their faith and never ending questions about why God allowed her to be raped.

Nothing good comes from rape, and so as we talk about women who are raped because of their religious beliefs, I urge you to remember the whole person in prayer as you read their stories.

Click here to read the full story about Martha Samuel and please pray for her.

Compass Direct reported recently...

In same district, Muslim land-grabbers murder defender of tribal villagers.

DHAKA, Bangladesh, December 26 (Compass Direct News) – Buddhist villagers in southeastern Bangladesh’s Rangamati district last week beat a young father and drove him from his house for converting to Christianity. The Buddhists in Asambosti, in the Tabalchari area some 300 kilometers (186 miles) southeast of Dhaka, warned Sujan Chakma, 27, not to return to his home after beating him on Dec. 18. Chakma, who converted to Christianity about four months ago, has come back to his home but some nights the likelihood of attacks forces him to remain outside. He is often unable to provide for his 26-year-old wife, Shefali Chakma, and their 6-year-old son, as area residents opposed to his faith refuse to give him work as a day laborer. Chakma, his wife and son do not eat on days he does not work, he said. “They threatened me that if I come back to my home, I will be in great trouble,” he said. Earlier this year in Rangamati district, Bengali Muslim settlers killed a tribal Christian for defending indigenous peoples from illegal land-grabs. On Aug. 19 Ladu Moni Chakma, 55, was stabbed repeatedly and his throat was cut at Sajek in Baghaichuri sub-district in Rangamati district after he reported to the Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission how a military commander helped settle Bengali Muslims on area lands.

The grandmother finally let her hungry, ten-year-old grandson go search for food. She knew the dangers outside the village and insisted that he be home before dark.

    Kamerino and his friends had walked several miles picking berries when they suddenly heard soldiers yelling at them. Frightened, the boys ran into a field with tall grass and ducked down. The soldiers lit the field on fire and waited for the boys to run out.

    Christians in Sudan have been displaced within their own country for their religious beliefs. Many have fled the cruel Islamic assaults with barely the clothing on their backs. 

    The flames quickly reached the boys, and they had no choice but to run for their lives. Only three boys made it out of the fields; Kamerino remained.

    When the fire burned down, the soldiers, having caught the other three, walked to where Kamerino was lying. Scorching pain caused his body to curl up in the fetal position. The boy’s burned body was motionless, and he was left for dead—another Christian casualty. Or so they thought. 

    By some miracle, Kamerino crawled out of the field and was discovered by fellow villagers, who brought him back to his grandmother’s home. Large portions of his body were grossly burned. There was nothing they could do for Kamerino but pray for his sufferings.

The Christians in Sudan put the power of prayer in perspective. Their sufferings and daily dangers have reduced their reliance upon themselves and increased their dependence upon God. Prayer is all that remains for many Christian families in Sudan. It’s a scary proposition—and a wonderful place to be. We are not likely to say that God is all we need until and unless God is all we have. Otherwise, we are quick to rely on our own abilities. Prayer—what can do the most, we are apt to do the least. God is calling you to extreme prayer in these extreme times. How often do you rely on prayer as if there were nothing else you could do but pray?

  Here is a great article called Mainstream Media Seems Indifferent to Persecution of Christians by Herb Denenberg from The Bulletin.

I find it remarkable that not only the mainstream media virtually ignores the story, but also major Christian denominations and their leadership seem almost indifferent to the persecution of Christians worldwide. And don’t assume it is a small or isolated problem. It is truly a worldwide problem impacting millions. I found this surprising, but the persecution of Christians in the twentieth century exceeded all previous centuries.

Persecution of Christians has several other layers of importance. First, much of it involves Muslims and the Stealth Jihad, which now challenges the very existence of Western civilization. Second, Christian persecution shows how we have failed to guarantee basic human rights in so many areas of the world. Third, when we tolerate religious or other persecution of one group, we put all of us at risk.

The great German pastor, Martin Nieomoller, was right in his famous poem when he said we better speak up early on, because if we don’t pretty soon there will be no one left to speak up for us. In other words, it pays to face down religious persecution for both altruistic and selfish reasons.

The problem of persecution of Christians first caught my attention when I read an article in the Jerusalem Post by Lela Gilbert, author of the book, Their Blood Cries Out, and a leading authority on religious persecution. The subject got my attention again when I noticed two articles in the Jerusalem Post (Dec. 19-25) on the subject — one on the presence of Christians being eradicated in Gaza and another by Ms. Gilbert on the ongoing persecution and genocide in Sudan. (Read the rest at the link above)

Meanwhile note how aid to Africa is leading one atheist to speak out in favor of Christianity.

Peace on Earth? In case you missed this amazing story during the holiday...watch. Leave us your thoughts too. Click here for related story.

When I read this piece today I had to share it with you because it shows that people are genuinely curious as to why Paul suffered for his faith and ended up in jail.

Billy Graham answers the question in It Takes Strength to Live a Christian Life.