Persecution Blog

After Arrest, "I Was Terrified"

“Dr. Andrew” is working to share the gospel in the Middle East, but he hasn’t always had a heart to share Christ’s love with Muslims. Growing up in a nominal Christian family, Andrew was harassed by Muslims his whole life. But God changed his heart and gave him a passion to share Christ’s love with Muslims.

His gospel work has brought him to the attention of secret police, who have detained and questioned him many times. Andrew says each time he is detained, even though he feels fear, he also sees an opportunity to share the gospel.

Listen as Andrew talks about how he overcomes the fear by focusing on the reality of Who God is rather than on his immediate surroundings. He’ll also share some of the blessings that can be found in persecution, and help us understand the mindset of Middle Eastern Muslims.

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Being a True Vessel for God's Use

“Brother Matthew” is a pastor and church planter in South Asia, working among Muslims to share the gospel.

After threats against his life and an attack on his brother, he was encouraged by family members to leave his country. He fled to a safe place, but God clearly called him to go back to his home country, in spite of the danger. Matthew obeyed, and since his return he’s seen explosive growth in his church planting work.

Matthew says persecution is something God uses to purify and unify the church, and further it’s something that every Christian should be ready to experience. Let Matthew’s story inspire you to walk boldly with Christ, and remember this week to pray for Christians in South Asia.

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Middle East Christians "Standing in the Fire"

For Christians in Syria and other Middle East nations, human logic is clear: get out! Go someplace safe!

In spite of such advice, Tom and JoAnn Doyle tell us many Christians are choosing to STAY and serve the Lord and witness for Christ. These bold brothers and sisters are standing in the fire of war and persecution, and they are finding—just as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did—that God is standing with them.

Listen to the story of Jamila, a 12-year-old girl healed from cancer after a Christian man prayed for her in Jesus’ name, leading to hundreds of Druze people coming to faith in Christ. Jamila's is just one of the stories in Tom Doyle’s new book, Standing in the Fire.

You’ll be encouraged as you hear what God is doing in the Middle East, and challenged as Tom and JoAnn give insights into how we, Christians in free nations, can emulate the lessons offered by our brothers and sisters standing in the fire.

Order “Standing In The Fire” by Tom Doyle (affiliate link).

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Petr Jasek: God Opened the Prison Door

From the first days after his arrest in Sudan, Petr Jasek repeatedly said, "God is the One who holds the key to my cell."

Jasek, a Czech citizen, is VOM’s Africa regional director and he was just released after 14 months in prison in Sudan. In this third and final part of our conversation with Petr, he shares about how he stopped praying to be released from prison and simply focused on fulfilling the Lord’s purpose for him inside prison walls.

Listen as Petr shares what it was like to hear the judge announce that he was sentenced to life in prison, and the verse he read from Psalms moments before he found out God would be using the key and opening Petr’s cell door. Petr will also share—from his personal experience—how we should pray for Christians in prison, and for their families who sometimes suffer more than the prisoners.

You will be challenged to think about what it means to wait on the Lord as you hear Petr share how, after 445 days, God set this captive free.

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"Holy, Holy, Holy" in a Sudanese Prison

What verse of Scripture would you grab onto if you were locked in prison for your faith? Perhaps you'd choose Isaiah 61:1: 

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound"

Petr Jasek, a Czech national and VOM’s Africa regional director, was released last month after 445 days in prison in Sudan. Listen below as he shares the verse that God brought to his mind which became a theme for him during those long months in prison, Revelation 4:8:

The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:

“Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!”

That verse became a theme for Petr; he would use it to guide his prayers and recite it over and over each day throughout his imprisonment.

Meditating on God’s holiness provided strength for Petr as his radical Muslim cellmates began to pressure, persecute and torture him. Listen also for the story of the opportunity God provided that encouraged Petr as he began to lose hope after four months in prison. Petr’s story challenges each of us to think about how we deal with hardship or opposition, and reminds us to seek God’s plan and His will, even when we’re uncomfortable or suffering.

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Petr Jasek Tells of Being Imprisoned in Sudan

Petr Jasek, a Czech national and VOM’s Africa regional director, spent 445 days in a Sudanese prison. Days after returning home, Petr sat down with VOM Radio to share his story and thank the thousands of people who prayed for him and his co-defendants during his long months in prison.

Listen in as Petr shares about going to the airport to leave Sudan in December of 2015, and the point when he knew that what he faced was much more than a routine security screening. He’ll share how he kept praying as he was questioned, and how he found out that his cell mates were members of ISIS. Your faith will be encouraged as you hear how God had been preparing Petr—even years before his arrest—to remain faithful even during months in prison.

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A Personal Taste of Persecution

What would you do if a group of angry young men came streaming into your Sunday School class this Sunday, faces masked and swinging clubs as they came?

Aaron Miller helps lead VOM’s work in South Asia, including the nation of India, where he previously served full-time as a gospel worker. Listen this week as Aaron shares what happened when he found himself at a Christian gathering in India that was attacked by radical Hindus. It was a small taste of persecution that was a part of God’s preparation for Aaron to serve persecuted Christians in India and other South Asian nations.

It was also a blessing. Even as he was being slapped and kicked, Aaron says God gave him a sense of His presence, His blessing. Listen below to have your faith inspired, and hear specific ways to pray for the nation of India and our spiritual family there.

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Reaching Out to Refugees

Selena grew up in the home of a pastor in the Middle East. Today she’s working among Muslim people in the US—including refugees from the Middle East.

Selena has seen firsthand that Muslims who choose to follow Christ face persecution, even in the United States. She will share how Christians in Lebanon have responded as their country has been flooded with refugees, and encourage American Christians with how we can respond to Muslims and refugees that we encounter here in the US.

Finally, she’ll equip us to pray for the church in Lebanon, and for outreach ministries to Muslims right here in the US.

 

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Petr Jasek Finally Free

Czech national and long-time VOM staff member Petr Jasek has been released from prison in Sudan, following a pardon issued by Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir. Petr was arrested by the Islamic Sudanese regime after visiting Sudanese Christians and providing a small gift to help with a man’s medical treatment. He was convicted of multiple “crimes” last month, including espionage and entering Sudan illegally. He was sentenced to life in prison for espionage, which according to Sudanese law means 20 years in prison, plus four additional years for other alleged crimes. Negotiations between the Sudanese and Czech governments have been ongoing since the sentence was announced, culminating in a visit to Khartoum by Czech Foreign Minister Lubomír Zaorálek. Zaorálek tweeted out a picture of Petr Jasek returning home on the plane with him Sunday afternoon.

Jasek was arrested in December 2015 and had remained in prison since that time. He was found guilty in January by a Sudanese court of “waging war against the state,” “violating restrictions in military areas,” “spreading rumors to defame the state,” committing “espionage” and “inciting strife between communities.”

Jasek has passionately served persecuted Christians as a staff member with The Voice of the Martyrs for more than 15 years. Prior to his arrest, he served as VOM’s Africa Regional Director. He traveled extensively throughout Africa, personally overseeing the delivery of material and spiritual assistance to Christians on behalf of VOM.

“Early in his imprisonment, Petr made the statement that ‘God holds the key to my cell,’” said VOM spokesperson Todd Nettleton. “We are so thankful that God has opened that cell door and that Petr is back with his family.”

Petr was originally tried with three Sudanese men, including two pastors. Near the end of the trial, the judge ruled that there was no evidence of a crime by Rev. Kuwa Shamaal, and he was released.

Rev. Hassan Abduraheem and Abdulmonem Abdumawla, however, were tried and found guilty of aiding Jasek in espionage. These two Sudanese men remain in prison, each serving a 12-year sentence.

“This has been a sobering reminder of the dangers VOM workers face as we serve persecuted Christians,” Nettleton said. “But it has been such a blessing to see Petr’s faith — and that of his family — shine through in this time of trial. Once again, God has shown Himself faithful. We are overjoyed at the opportunity to welcome our friend and co-worker home.”

After returning home, Mr. Jasek is expected to be hospitalized to evaluate the physical toll these long months in prison have taken on his body. He and his family request privacy as they reunite and begin to recover from this experience. After a period of rest, reflection and recovery, Mr. Jasek looks forward to sharing some of his experiences and the lessons God taught him in prison.

(This story originally appeared on www.Persecution.com.)

Missions: "Safety Is Not Our Primary Goal"

There are 2.8 billion unreached people on earth; they will live their entire lives without ever hearing the gospel message of Jesus’ love for them.

Andrew Scott wants to motivate and mobilize Christians around the world to GO to those billions and reach them for Christ. Andrew is the President and CEO of Operation Mobilization – USA, and the author of a book called SCATTER: Go Therefore and Take Your Job With You. Andrew wants to see more American Christians understand that people from every vocational background—doctors, businessmen, engineers, artists—are called to share His glory with the nations.

Listen to his advice for those feeling a call to live and represent Christ among those 2.8 billion unreached people, and pray that the Lord of the harvest (Luke 10:2) will send out more workers—and maybe even send you.

Visit the Scatter Global site to learn more about getting involved with God’s work around the world. Order your copy of SCATTER: Go Therefore and Take Your Job With You (affiliate link).

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