Persecution Blog

He Chose to Remain in Prison

To Dinh Trung has put hundreds of miles on his bicycle, traveling bumpy dirt roads to minister to the K’Ho tribe. This is one of sixty tribes in Vietnam that the government forbids visitors to evangelize. As he entered the village on April 4, 1995, police suddenly pulled him off his bicycle and started to beat him. They videotaped him and ridiculed him in front of the villagers.

He was taken to prison and held for six months before his trial. When he sang a children’s song called, “Love the Lord Day and Night,” he was sentenced to spend even more time in prison.

Eventually, due to pressure on the government from Christian aid organizations, Trung was offered release six months early. But, although he had a faithful wife and two small children waiting for him, the evangelist wasn’t ready to leave! He saw this as another divine opportunity to preach to the lost. What could they do to him? He was already in prison!

Through Trung’s efforts in the prison near Quang Ngai, many came to Christ. After hearing of the numerous Christians praying and petitioning on his behalf, how could he pass up this opportunity to set an example by forsaking his life for the kingdom of God? Trung refused his early release and chose to remain in prison and continue his work as an evangelist.

Trung was once a prisoner of the state and subjected to cruelty and torture. However, when he chose to remain in prison for the duration of his sentence, he became a prisoner of Jesus Christ. The state tried to break him. His new Master—Jesus—restored him. The state tried to silence his message. Jesus took his message to every prison cell, making Trung twice the evangelist he was before his sentence. Trung reminds us what it is like to enjoy freedom under Christ’s rule even in the midst of feeling enslaved to this life’s worry and woe. You may feel like you are a prisoner to a similarly depressing situation. Let Jesus set you free by allowing him to become the true Master of your life.

Persecution Podcast Show #4

Show #4 of Persecution Podcast is live over at www.persecutionpodcast.com. Give it a listen and let us know what you think. You can leave comments on the site or send an email to podcast (at) vom-usa.org

The Commission

The Commission

I asked the Lord to help my neighbor,
And carry the gospel to distant lands,
And to comfort the sick, but he said to me,
If you love me, be my hands.

I asked the Lord to go to the dying,
And the orphan in the street,
And visit the prisoner, but he said to me,
If you love me, be my feet.

I asked the Lord to look to the poor,
And watch over each babe that cries,
And see each man’s need, but he said to me,
If you love me, be my eyes.

I said to the Lord, I want to serve you,
But I don’t know where to start.
To love is the answer, he said to me.
If you love me, be my heart.

G. SHIRIE WESTFALL

Christian Family Attacked and Three Killed

On August 23, three Christians in Chiapas, Mexico, were brutally killed by their neighbor after he blamed them for his daughter’s stomach ailment. Antonio Gomez blamed his Christian neighbor, Pedro Gomez Diaz and his family, for his 11-year-old daughter's stomach ailment and accused the Christian family of practicing witchcraft, Compass Direct News reported.

Gomez and seven of his friends entered the Christian family’s home and attacked them with machetes. Pedro, his wife, Marcela, and their oldest son, Rene, were hacked to death. Six of the other Diaz children were seriously wounded. At last report, the eight men involved in the attack were being held in a jail, Compass Direct News added.

The Voice of the Martyrs actively supports persecuted Christians in Chiapas, Mexico, with literature and other resources following incidents of persecution. VOM encourages you to pray for their protection and courage during challenging times. Pray for the surviving Diaz family as they mourn their parents and oldest sibling. Ask God to give them comfort in knowing that Christ is victorious over death.

Why Be An Advocate for Persecuted Prisoners

Today I would like to talk to you a little bit about why The Voice of the Martyrs would like you to be an advocate for the persecuted church and specifically for persecuted prisoners.  First, let's look at some passages of scripture.

Hebrews 13:3 says, "Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.

This passage alone is extremely powerful.  Since we who call ourselves followers of Jesus Christ are apart of His body - we have part of our body in prison, when another brother in Christ is in prison.  We are called to REMEMBER the prisoners - as if we are there with them.

How do we do that? How do we remember when most of us live with the attitude "Out of sight, out of mind"? - Write it down in your prayer journal, your calendar, on a post it note in your car, or mirror.  Do whatever you can to REMEMBER.

Next we have  Matthew 25:34-40 which teaches us...

34"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, ^(A)inherit the kingdom prepared for you ^(B)from the foundation of the world.

35'For ^(C)I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; ^(D)I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;

36^(E)naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you ^(F)visited Me; ^(G)I was in prison, and you came to Me.'

37"Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?

38'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?

39'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'

40"^(H)The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, ^(I)to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'

Now if you're like me, the first thing that comes to mind when you read this passage of scripture is the very old song by Keith Green called The Sheep and the Goats.  Watch it below...

The point of this is clear - what you do for the least of these, you do unto Christ.

The next reason is by becoming an advocate you can enter into the world of intercession for our persecuted family.  Prayer is the most important thing we can do.  Never underestimate your prayers and the collective prayers of righteous people accomplish much!

When you become an advocate you are also showing the unconditional love of Christ - not only to the prisoners you may write a letter on behalf, but also to the watching world who may be holding that prisoner unjustly.

And finally, another great reason to be an advocate for the prisoners is because of your help, prisoners often are treated better, and let out early.  If YOU were that prisoner, I'm sure you'd want someone to advocate for you. 

So why not join The Voice of the Martyrs today and be an Advocate for the prisoners.  Visit http://www.prisoneralert.com to participate today and please tell a friend or two!

More Die in India Violence Against Churches

Today Christian World News has a video report from Lee Webb about the recent violence in churches, against Christians, from Hindu extremists.

Click here to view the report and then please pray!

Janet Parshall Talks Persecution Over with Todd Nettleton Today!

This morning Todd Nettleton will be the guest of Janet Parshall on her Saturday program, Talking it Over.

Todd and Janet will discuss the latest news from around the world concerning our brothers and sisters in Christ who are daily dealing with persecution for their faith in Jesus.

You may listen live at http://www.talkingitover.org  at 10:30 AM Pacific Time and 1:30 PM Eastern Time.

North Korea - Christian Persecution Expected to Continue

The Voice of the Martyrs contacts working with North Korean Christians do not expect a change in the North Korean government’s policies and practices that persecute believers, despite reports the country’s dictator, Kim Jong Il, is acutely ill.

VOM contacts report that sometime in late August, Kim Jong Il suffered some kind of acute illness, quite possibly a stroke, that incapacitated him to some level but was neither fatal nor debilitating enough to prevent him from continuing to be aware and interactive with those around him. VOM contacts also report that five Chinese physicians are known to be in North Korea and it is assumed they are caring for him.

“It is also reasonably certain that no change in the North Korean power structure has occurred, and there are no signs that such a change is imminent,” says a staff member who oversees VOM’s work in North Korea. In recent days, numerous media reports have suggested that Kim Jong Il’s stroke has created a chaotic power struggle for control of North Korea, also called the “Hermit Kingdom.”“Kim Jong IL’s rise to power during the reign of [his father] Kim Il Sung occurred through the military, and his power continues to be exercised in this way. No line of succession has been publicly noted, though it is well established that the Chinese prefer Kim Jong Nam, Kim Jong Il’s eldest son, while the North Korean military prefers Kim Jong Chul, Kim's second son,” a VOM North Korea insider said.

VOM has been working with persecuted believers in North Korea for decades, including launching thousands of scripture balloons across into the notoriously closed country. VOM encourages all believers to pray for the situation in North Korea. Pray for the protection of believers living under harsh conditions and those who have defected to China. Ask God to use their courageous testimonies to draw non believers into fellowship with Him.

To help you to effectively pray for North Korea, The Voice of the Martyrs has released a new book giving the history of the gospel and of persecution in that nation. Click here to purchase Restricted Nations: North Korea, the second book in VOM’s Restricted Nations series.

Carter's Meeting with Religious Leaders in China a 'ploy'

Allie Martin over at OneNewsNow.com has a great article that mentions our very own Todd Nettleton.  I love the way Todd speaks the truth.  Keep reading...

A spokesman with Voice of the Martyrs thinks the recent meeting between former President Jimmy Carter and a group of Chinese religious leaders may have been a propaganda ploy by the communist government.

 

The former president met with a group of religious leaders who were handpicked by the communist regime. And according to press reports, the delegation discussed new opportunities for dialogue on religious freedom and tolerance in both countries. However, Todd Nettleton with Voice of the Martyrs points out that China gives official recognition only to those churches and organizations that register with the government-controlled Three Self Patriotic Movement.

"That's really the challenge for the average American Christian who sees this story in their newspaper and maybe doesn't know about the persecution of Christians," he points out. "They don't know about the Christians who are currently in jail in China. They see this story in their local paper and think, oh, that's great, China's free -- so that's really our concern, ...that people know the whole story."

It is estimated that 80 percent of Chinese Christians worship in unregistered and illegal house churches.

Grace to Suffer 2

 

Those who originally read 1 Peter 5:10 must have been very encouraged to read: “After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who had called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” This is the only place in the New Testament where God is addressed as the “God of all grace.” Our God is the source of all grace and divine power, supplying help to his children for every need and occasion. Peter assures these persecuted believers that God will:

• restore them in the areas where they break down and fail;
•  confirm them, giving them the inflexibility and support needed to withstand the temptations to deny him without toppling;
• strengthen them to resist Satan and to endure even to the point of death without falling; and
• establish them, giving the believers a firm foundation so that they will not be swept away.

Though Satan seeks to destroy, God takes his actions and turns them in to the means by which he graciously develops his character into the lives of his people. Grace is seen as God’s work of transforming his children through persecution and suffering into a sacrificial giver to others (just as he is), equipping them to be involved in the cause of Christ and the gospel.

Just as there was no glory without Christ’s suffering, so it is with his people. Suffering never thwarts God’s purposes. Indeed, God knows no other formula of accomplishing his purpose of self-sacrifice and self-giving. And he wants to weave his story in to our story, recreating us as cross-carrying disciples of the message of the gospel.

-Glenn Penner and Bernie Daniel