Persecution Blog

VOM National Conference Begins

The VOM National Mission Conference began 25 minutes ago..."WEAR THE CROWN."

This promises to be an exciting time for the mission, and for those who have travelled from all across the U.S. and the world to be here.  This is an amazing opportunity to interact with members of the persecuted church, to hear their stories and to learn better how we in the U.S. can be a blessing to them.

I'm going to do my best throughout this weekend to keep www.persecutionblog.com up to date with what's going on here, so check back often for the latest events, happenings and excitement.  And plan NOW to be here with us in two years for the next conference.

Bill Drake is leading the music and worship for the conference, and later tonight will perform a concert.

Persecution Blog Carnival #6

This week we have a few great posts about persecution and faith that I hope you find a blessing.  Let us begin the 6th carnival with a post from Sheryl who blogs about the Voice of the Martyrs Kids of Courage program.

Our second post comes from Travike's Xanga Site where he writes about Printing Bibles a Crime?

Joy submits a post called  Tossed to the Lions  which contains thoughts from Joy  on Christian persecution as well as an article by Ray Comfort about how you can be sure your faith will pass the "lion" test.

Jan submits to us a post, before she went to the VOM Conference this week, called An Absolute Love which is a tender reminder of how we are to share God's love.

Cindy gives us a post titled "Missionaries Beaten". This is a story about a Gospel for Asia missionary team that was showing a film to a village in Andhra Pradesh, India and some men showed up and beat them and destroyed thousands of dollars worth of equipment.

And our last entry is from Carol who writes Rod, Arm of God which is a very worthy read.

I hope you all have a nice weekend and stay tuned to see some exclusive information from the Wear the Crown conference that some attendees from The Voice of the Martyrs will be posting in the coming days.

Sophie: A Spiritual Encourager with Skin On

The following devotion is taken from the book Extreme Devotion.  As I read through this devotion tonight, I was reminded of something I often tell people when I am feeling like I need Jesus close to me.  I tell them, "Sometimes God has your face."  If you've ever struggled with doubt or despair, and wandered through a valley of tears, then I think this devotion will touch  your heart.

In 1996, our daughter Sophia had a long seizure causing permanent brain damage. She suffered badly for months, crying incessantly for two or three days at a time and writhing in pain. She did not know us or respond to us.    

One nurse could not understand why we were not angry with God for allowing this to happen. I tried to help her see that we are his servants and cannot deny the tremendous gift that God had given us in his Son.

Four months after her seizure, Sophia died.     “The day she died, I saw a picture from a The Voice of the Martyrs article of a Sudanese sister whose breasts had been cut off sitting next to her infant. Her persecutors tortured her by doing this horrible thing, forcing her to watch her child die of starvation. Thousands of miles away from where she was, I knew her pain, and I wept, thinking, I will not allow myself to wallow in self-pity.    

“That woman and others like her did not have the benefit of medical care, fellowship, and love from brethren that we had. Yet they have endured so much, and I, by the grace of God, can also endure it.     “I need these living epistles of the Lord Jesus Christ to express the reality that Jesus lives and this world is not my home.”

Pray for the Persecution Conference

This week the VOM "Wear the Crown" conference is SOLD OUT!  We are so happy to see that the Lord has blessed this conference and I wanted to just ask you all to pray for the time all the leaders, speakers and missionaries to the persecuted who will be at this awesome event.

The conference will take place June 23rd to June 25th.  So, won't you join me in prayer for the Lord to do His awesome work during this time.  For more information click here.

Iran: Desperate for God

UPDATE 1:04 PM (June 21st) - Here is the podcast url if you are listening via iTunes.  Download here.

The Voice of the Martyr's is excited to introduce you to a brand new book just released to the public called Iran: Desperate for God.

This is an awesome book that is a follow up book to the popular book Into the Den of Infidels.

In Iran: Desperate for God you will read some powerful testimonies of Muslims who have found Jesus Christ and also about the hunger for God in Iran. 

Tom White and Todd Nettleton have also recorded a 10 minute interview that will give you more insight about what is happening in Iran, and you will hear their hearts about what the Lord is truly doing - setting the captives free!

Click here to buy a copy of the book today and support our persecuted family in Christ at the same time!

Click here to listen to Tom White & Todd Nettleton Discussing Iran: Desperate for God (mp3)

(Podcast Url will be online tomorrow)

Myanmar Christians Under Attack

One of my favorite mission sites, Mission Network News, mentions a response from The Voice of the Martyrs very own Todd Nettleton, concerning the plight of Myanmar refugees who are being marginalized.

To give you a little bit of background on Myanmar, it just so happens that Myanmar appears at #18 on this years' Open Doors' World Watch list which is a  list that ranks the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted the most.

Myanmar also has a Christian population of between 5 and 10 percent of an overall population of about 40 million.

Voice of the Martyrs' Todd Nettleton says the situation looks grim for the existing church. "We come alongside the local believers and hear their stories, and talk to them--basically ask them 'how can we help you, what do you need?' there are training seminars that are being held to equip pastors, to equip Christian leaders and get them ready to face the persecution that's there."

Please remember this country and her people in your prayers this week.  Then tell a friend and keep telling others.  The more we can pray together, the more hearts will be changed - ours and theirs.

Prison Time for Showing the JESUS Film

Once upon a time, a Christian did a good deed, and then they were thrown in jail for doing that good deed.  This is exactly what happened to Benjamin Dhunigana and John Dai in Western Bhutan.

Benjamin and John were arrested on January 8th because they are Christians. Neither of them were given trials or sentences until last week when they were given a 42 and 36 month sentence.  This is after serving six months already.

Why did this happen...?  Well, the previous day,(before they were arrested) Benjamin and Dai stopped their van to offer a woman walking along the road a ride home. Out of gratitude, she insisted the two say for dinner with her family. After dinner, they told their host they wanted to show her a movie, and she invited her family and neighbors to join them. Soon, the JESUS film was shown to a packed house.

VOM sources say the neighbors were the ones who reported Benjamin and John to authorities.

The good news is that local Christians will provide for their families until their release and that prison has not discouraged the men from sharing Christ. In fact, a VOM contact says Benjamin still has a heavy heart to share his faith with others―especially Buddhist monks.

I'm not sure about you, but I am so encouraged by this story.  Not because two of my brothers in the faith are jailed for their faith in Jesus Christ, but because their testimony reminds me of the testimonies of the saints in Scripture.

Have you done a word search on the word "jail" in the Bible?  If you haven't, click here to see the results.  Then read some of the passages, I think you'll be encouraged.  Please pray along with me today for these dear brothers and their families.  God will do great things through their time in jail.

INDIA: Pastor Murdered and Mutilated

 

Before I tell you how this precious pastor in India was murdered for his faith, I wanted to share a scripture with you from Revelation 6:9 because it specifically speaks of the martyrs who die for their testimony in Jesus.

"When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained..."

The testimony they maintained...please think about that today.

Pastor Prem Kumar (on the right with the mustache) of Nizamabad’s CSI Church in Andhra Pradesh, India, was murdered on June 8th with the same brutality typical of earlier radical Hindu attacks. According to the Global Council of Indian Christians, the 67-year-old pastor’s body was found mutilated with his head crushed, in the hills near Rampart in Kotagiri Mandal of Nizamudeen district. Kumar’s body was so disfigured that Kotagiri sub-inspector, Ch. Anjaneyulu had to identify his remains from a description of his clothes.

Family members report that several people planned to pick Kumar up in the city of Bodhan after inviting him to pray over a newly constructed church in Kotagiri on the eve of its opening. When Kumar arrived at the meeting place, unidentified men ushered him onto their two-wheeler and drove off. Kumar called his family on his cell phone, telling them he was picked up by people he was not familiar with―not those who had invited him. Sensing danger, he asked his family to call him every 15 minutes, but after an hour-and-a-half, the connection was lost.

Pastor Kumar’s ministry extended beyond his church in Nizamabad. He also taught at prayer gatherings, corner meetings and conventions. Since 2004, when the secular Congress Party won India’s national election over the Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), attacks by militant Hindu groups such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sang (RSS), Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) have increased.

Persecution Blog Carnival #5

Hear ye!  Hear ye!  Ladies and Gentlemen of all ages come and join us for the 5th Persecution Blog Carnival beginning right now.....

This week we've had some great entries, and I would not expect anything less from the great bloggers we have participating.  I pray you read and encourage one another in the Lord and that this blesses you today.

We begin with Christian, Think! who has written a post called The Cost which challenges readers to take action for the persecuted.

Laura Curtis who writes at Pursuing Holiness has a very unique entry this week called Persecution Blogging - Multimedia Edition, and is well worth your time to see the whole entry. Laura writes, "There are two types of churches in China. Legal and illegal. The legal churches have registered with the government and preach within certain guidelines. For example, preaching about Jesus’ millennium reign is verboten. Think about not owning a bible, much less several as most American Christians do. Think about it being illegal to teach your children about Jesus. Think about being a pastor in China. What a terrifying privilege it must be!"

The High Places gives us a post called I Don't Know What to Say about a new bus that was given to the Caleb House in India. The entry includes a letter to friends of VOM...here's the beginning. "Dear Friends of VOM, I am so happy that I met someone from VOM and they bought us a new van. I’m glad that the Lord has planned these beautiful things. I really believe it is the Lord’s grace that makes these things possible for us."

The Riches of His Glory tells us about an upcoming missions trip to Romania,in a post called A Passion for Romania! and features Pastor Wurmbrand in connection with their trip to Romania.  This is a wonderful testimony that you will be challenged and blessed by.

KC Living summarizes some prayer requests for North Korea in their post, aptly called N.Korea Prayer Needs.

Stingray: A Blog for Salty Christians, offers us a post titled Pastor Killed in India: 4th to be martyred in just over the past year.  They also have a very cool video cast linked on their site that you might enjoy watching.

Jan Fletcher, writing at Counted Worthy offers us a impacting post this week titled Communion with the Saints and it is a very worthy read.  Jan writes, " "It's easy to be a cultural Christian and to have your life consumed with church stuff and to ignore all the injustice, lying, false teaching, and so many lost, confused people," she says. "You have to make the choice to take a risk."

Doehill Homeschool talks about going from Guilt to Glory by helping the persecuted church.

Jesus Christ, Final Sacrifice asks the question What Does Faith Look Like? for their first post to the carnival.

Prayer Blog Requests offers us a post titled Bhutanese Christians/Chinese Pastor that reflects on the Bhutanese Christians and the beaten Chinese pastor asking people to pray for them and praying for them myself as well.

Tidbits & Treasures offers another post this week called China Rejects US Criticisms on religious freedom - The US House of Representatives approved resolutions criticizing the freedom of China's Christians. But, China is rejecting those criticisms, saying the Christians have full freedom of religious beliefs.

And our final post for this carnival is from Inspirational Korner who writes about Jail for Two Believers and wants you to get motivated and act on their behalf.  I pray you do!

Once again everyone, thank you so much for participating in the carnival, we really appreciate it!  For me, this is a highlight of my week and a blessing to see so many look outward and see that there is much to be done and together we all can make a difference for the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Near to the Cross & Near to God

Extreme Devotion

“If you do not denounce this Jesus, you will die on the cross,” Governor Aegaeas fumed. This Christian had caused him personal embarrassment in the eyes of Rome by spreading Christianity throughout the governor’s Greek province and even to his own wife.

“Had I feared the death of the cross, I should not have preached the majesty and glory of the Cross of Christ,” Andrew replied.

“Then you shall have it! Crucify him!”

As Andrew approached the X-shaped cross, he joyfully proclaimed, “O beloved cross! I rejoice to see you erected here. I come to you with a peaceful conscience and with cheerfulness, desiring that I, who am a disciple of him who hung on the cross, may be crucified. The nearer I come to the cross, the nearer I come to God.”

Andrew hung, bound to the cross for three days, preaching and exhorting the people before him, “Remain steadfast in the Word and doctrine which you have received, instructing one another, that you may dwell with God in eternity, and receive the fruit of his promises.”

Andrew declared, “O Lord Jesus Christ! Don’t let your servant who hangs here on a tree for your name’s sake be released to live among men again; receive me into your kingdom.” Then, having finished his plea, he gave up his spirit to God.

Porcelain. Sterling silver. Twenty-four karat gold. Even platinum. The cross comes in a number of designs today. Jewelry. Wall hangings. Even rearview mirror décor. The ubiquitous cross. For all its popularity, however, how many Christians have stopped to consider what it means to display the cross? For one, the cross represents an instrument of torture—imagine having a gallows or electric chair on display in your home! The cross reminds us that Christ died a painful death. Beyond that, it represents a bridge that spans over the sin that once separated God and his people. Jesus brought us back to God through the Cross. Right now, consider what meaning the Cross holds for you.