Persecution Blog

Video: Heather Mercer - "A Place for Everybody"

"God is looking for available people..." - Heather Mercer

As you watch this wonderful video of Heather Mercer sharing about how to minister among Muslims, think about the mission field that you have under your feet. God is looking for available people - will you be available for Him today?

Christian Father Arrested for Rescuing Daughter from Muslim Husband

This story broke last week over at The Christian Post and I wanted you to see it even though it's a few days old.  Basically, we have a Coptic Christian father who rescued his daughter who is six months pregnant, from her Muslim husband.  The dad has been fined, arrested, abused for rescuing his daughter, who converted to Islam after she was married.

The validity of the marriage between his daughter and Hefnawy is a point of debate because according to Egyptian law a woman under the age of 21 needs the approval of her father, or another male family member if her father is deceased, to marry. The daughter was married at the age of 19 and Hefnawy’s father was said to have stood in the place of her father in approving the marriage. She was later converted to Islam by her husband and his father.

Please pray for this family and the others like them in Egypt.  Egypt is about 13% Christian and 86% Muslim and unfortunately the persecution towards the Christians is not uncommon.  Here's a little more information on Egypt from our Restricted Nations page.

I would also like to challenge you to adopt a restricted nation like Egypt to pray for daily.  Your prayers and support make a big difference in the lives of those believers who are living under restrictive governments.  Thank you for considering it.

Some Good News for Maryam & Marzieh

Last week Maryam and Marzieh, who are two Iranian converts to Christianity and who are currently in prison, received some good news.  According to various news reports, including Elam, a ministry to Iranian Christians, Maryam and Marzieh were taken to court where they were acquitted of one of the three charges that they have against them.

We praise the Lord for the compassionate judge who removed the charge of anti-state activities, and we ask for all of you to keep on praying for Maryam and Marzieh as they still have two charges against them.

Click here to read the full story at the Elam website.

PAKISTAN: Asia Bibi In Court

On Oct. 14, Asia Bibi appeared in court, in Sheikhupura, Pakistan and spent some time with her family before the court appearance.

Asia’s husband, Ashiq Masih, her daughters and VOM contacts met  her for 15 minutes before the court appearance. “Asia is in strong faith. Her eyes were hopeful. Praise God,” VOM contacts said. Asia told VOM contacts she prays everyday at 3 a.m. “I thank God that the jail administration has good behavior with me,” she said. “I don’t have trouble from them, but I miss my daughters and family. Please arrange my soon release from this jail,” Asia told VOM contacts.

Asia’s daughters were visibly upset when they met her. “The little daughter was continuously asking her mother ‘Mama when are you coming back home?’” VOM contacts said. Isha, the eldest daughter, cried and hugged her mother and would not let her go.  Isha pointed to the veil on her mother’s face and said, “I want to see your face, remove this cover.” It was a sad scene. 

The court rescheduled another hearing for Oct. 27. Asia was arrested by police on Friday, June 19, and charged with blasphemy. Her family is one of only three Christian families in a village of more than 1,500 families.

Many of the local women, including Asia, work on the farm of Muslim landowner Muhammad Idrees. During their work many of the Muslim women have pressured Asia to renounce Christianity and accept Islam.

On June 19, there was an intense discussion among the women about their faith. The Muslim women told Asia about Islam. Asia responded by telling the Muslim women that Christ died on the cross for our sins, and then asked them what Mohammed had done for them, according to VOM sources.  She told them Jesus is alive, but Mohammed is dead. “Our Christ is the true prophet of God,” she reportedly told them, “and yours is not true.”

Upon hearing this response the Muslim women became angry and began to beat Asia Bibi. Then some men came and took her and locked her in a room. They announced from mosque loudspeakers that she would be punished by having her face blackened and being paraded through the village on a donkey.

Local Christians informed the police, who took Asia into custody before the Muslims could carry out their plan. She is currently being held at the police station in Nankana city. Christians there urged the police not to file blasphemy charges, but police claimed that they must go forward due to the pressure from local Muslim leaders.

VOM is assisting Asia’s family and urges you to continue praying for them. Call on the Pakistani government to insure that the rights of Christians like Asia are protected.

You may still write an encouraging letter to Asia by going to Prisoner Alert. Please click here and have a friend join you.  It will make a lot of difference for Asia and her family.

Refusing to Dishonor God

In A.D. 286, the 6,666 men of the Theban Legion were ordered by Emperor Maximus to march to Gaul and to assist him against the rebels of Burgundy. Every member of this division was a devout Christian.

    After traveling a difficult trail through the Alps, Maximus demanded a general sacrifice before going into battle. Every man of the Theban Legion refused to dishonor God. The emperor was angered by their insubordination, so he sought to persuade them by having every tenth man slain with the sword. Yet the legionnaires were no less resolute in their stand. The emperor tried to change their position by having his soldiers go back through the ranks again, killing every tenth. These men died with great dignity and poise as if in battle. But this second massacre was no more effective than the first. 

    If anything, the remaining soldiers were more determined than ever to resist after the slaughter of their companions. Not desiring to die, and at the direction of their officers, they drew up an article of allegiance to the emperor. They declared that their faith and dedication to God only made them more loyal to the emperor. They had hoped this would appease the emperor, but it had the opposite effect. Enraged, he ordered the rest of the legion from Thebias slain.

Insubordination is the highest military offense. Yet, the Theban Legion had no other choice, for to disobey God would have been an even greater crime. Humans rule with authority. However, only God grants authority. The Bible gives examples of how God’s people chose to overrule human authority when it conflicted with God’s command. Consider the Hebrew midwives and also Moses’ parents who disobeyed Pharaoh’s orders. Consider Daniel and his companions who refused to serve foreign gods. Their examples and the examples of these brave soldiers remind us we have a duty to recognize human authority. Yet we must respect God’s authority most of all. When human orders are in direct conflict with God’s commands, you must consider the risk of insubordination.

Glenn Penner Gives Us a Video Update

Today I am so happy to share with you that our good buddy Glenn Penner from VOM Canada, has posted a few videos of himself sharing about his health updates.

So, please click on over to Glenn's blog to see how he is doing and share a word and prayer of encouragement.

Jim Elliott Quote

The word “missionary” is not in the Bible—the word “witness” is.

JIM ELLIOTT, MISSIONARY TO ECUADOR WHO WAS MARTYRED WHILE TRYING TO BRING THE GOSPEL TO THE AUCA INDIAN TRIBE—QUOTED BY ELIZABETH ELLIOT IN MY SAVAGE, MY KINSMEN

Hostilities Flare in India

Anti-Christian violence, efforts to tarnish church increase in past five years.

NEW DELHI, October 14 (CDN) — Since the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in Madhya Pradesh in December 2003, Christians in the state have suffered increased attacks and concerted efforts to tarnish their image, church leaders said.

Before the BJP took office the state recorded two or three attacks against Christians per year, they said, whereas Jabalpur Archbishop Gerald Almeida said that in the past five years 65 baseless charges of forceful conversion – commonly accompanied by mob violence – have been registered in his diocese alone.

“There are some groups who are closely monitoring the Christian movement, and these people are bent on creating problems for the Christians for the past five years,” Almeida told Compass. 

Read more, and pray for our suffering brothers and sisters in Christ.

Russia: Pastors Fined for Worship

Recently, two Baptist pastors in Russia's Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad were fined 2,200 rubles (US $75) after their community "sang psalms and spoke about Christ" on the street, according to Forum 18 News Service.

Kaliningrad police told Forum 18 News that the pastors did get permission in advance to sing, as required by law. "But they didn't have permission and they had no intention of getting it!" a police official remarked, clearly irritated by the Baptists' actions. Asked why permission is necessary, the police official replied, "That's the law in Russia!" 

Aleksandr Legotin, one of the two Baptist pastors, insisted that the Baptists held a religious service and not a demonstration so  the legal requirement to notify the authorities in advance should not have applied. "We follow the law very carefully," he told Forum 18 News. "And under the Universal Declaration [of Human Rights] we have the right to freedom of conscience – the law should be … protecting us from such arbitrariness."

At last report, the pastors had not decided whether they would appeal the fine. The Voice of the Martyrs encourages you to pray for believers in Kaliningrad and other countries in Europe where their freedom to worship freely is coming under attack. Ask God to encourage and protect them.

The Presence - A Day of Prayer October 17th

As you know the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church is coming up on November 8th this year, but did you know that in a few days there is a joint day of prayer being put on by Release International, a sister ministry,Christian Solidarity Worldwide and Open Doors?

Well, if you didn't, we wanted to let you know on Saturday, October 17th from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. a prayer event called The Presence which is taking place in Birmingham.  Please take a minute to join our brothers and sisters who will be lifting up our other brothers and sisters who are suffering for their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.  Thank you!