Persecution Blog

Ex-Soviet Country Faces Communist-Era Persecution

This is a wonderful report from CBN News about the latest persecution happening in Uzbekistan.

Crackdown on Christians Worsens in Uzbekistan

Mission Network News is reporting today that Christians in Uzbekistan have seen a worsening of persecution in 2010.  According to Open Doors, Uzbekistan is in their top ten for countries being persecuted, and 2010 has seen a rise in persecution for our brothers and sisters.

Several unjust rulings have been made against Christians since the start of 2010. The homes of numerous Christians as well as churches have been raided, and many Christians have been fined for sharing their faith, holding religious services, and illegally distributing Christian literature, according to Forum 18 News.

Within the last three months, however, pressure has increased to the point of unlawful imprisonment.

"In the last several months, 10 Christians have been sentenced to administrative detention for their Christian activities--that can mean something as simple as holding a Bible study in their home," says Carl Moeller, president of Open Doors USA. "This is four times the amount of detentions that we saw last year."

Please say a prayer today for those in Uzbekistan who are enduring these trials.

The Doctor Who Helped Find Richard Wurmbrand

The application process was long and cumbersome. The background checks were extensive, and Dr. Karlo’s application was almost derailed over rumors of his “Christian” ties. But Dr. Karlo made it through the arduous process and became a doctor for the Secret Police. He avoided telling them that he was a Christian.

    Dr. Karlo’s own family turned on him because they thought he had become a Communist. One by one, his church family and all those he had been close to turned their backs on him. None of them knew his mission: to find the pastor.
  

 In his role as a Secret Police doctor, he could come and go at the prison without questions. He had access to every cell, so—finally—he found the pastor locked away.

    Karlo got word to other Christians, who then got word to the outside world. They had been told that he was dead, but now they had proof that Pastor Richard Wurmbrand was alive. During talks between Kruschev and Eisenhower in 1956, Christians around the world clamored for Wurmbrand’s release. Eventually he was freed for a ransom of $10,000.

    “If it had not been for this doctor,” Wurmbrand later wrote, “who joined the Secret Police specifically to find me, I would never have been released. I would have remained in prison—or in a prison grave.”

Undercover agents are the stars of the big screen. Their missions involve one adventure after another in service to headquarters’ commands. In the same way, extreme believers in restricted nations lead adventurous lives. Their stories make an eternal difference for many. They dare not advertise their mission, but they are always prepared to make the most of every opportunity to share the good news of Christ. Regardless of geography or life situation, God calls each of us to be his spiritual agent, reporting to heavenly headquarters. We are on mission to share God’s love every day. God gives no guarantee of safety or security with this job assignment, but he promises eternal rewards.

Mission's Flame

I would like to end this week out by sharing a wonderful song by Matt Redman called Mission's Flame. Since the Voice of the Martyrs ministers all over the world, I pray this song blesses you as you support VOM and other missionaries.

God Bless you all!

Evangelical Pastor Gunned Down in Dagestan, Russia

Mission Network News is reporting today about the brutal ambush and murder of a senior pastor of an evangelical church in Russia.  Apparently he was leaving the church's House of Prayer when it happened. 

The pastor died about a hour after the attack, and thankfully no one else was injured.

Please keep this church and the pastors family in your prayers.

More here.

This Weeks Prayer Needs

Prayer is the pulse of life; by it the doctor can tell what is the condition of the heart. The sin of prayerlessness is a proof for the ordinary Christian or minister that the life of God in the soul is in deadly sickness and weakness." - Andrew Murray

Every week the Voice of the Martyrs shares with email subscribers some of the most important prayer needs of the week. Today I would like to share a few of those with you, and encourage you to sign up to receive all of them in your email. Click here to sign up.

INDIA — Assailants sever Christian's hand in India — VOM Contacts

On July 4, unknown assailants attacked a college professor, severing his right hand and part of his arm in Kerala, India. According to The Voice of the Martyrs contacts T.J. Joseph, a professor at Newman's College in Thodupuzha, was returning from a Sunday service at his church when a van pulled up beside him. The assailants forced him from his car and attacked him with knives and swords, amputating his lower arm and inflicting deep wounds to his body. At last report, doctors were attempting to save his limb. According to reports, several Muslim students were offended by test questions on an exam T.J. Joseph gave two months ago. After protests by Islamic groups, T.J. was suspended from his job and apologized for his “unintentional error.” Nevertheless, he continued to receive threats. T.J.’s assailants in the July 4 attack are suspected to be members of the Islamic militant group, the Popular Front of India, but the attack was condemned by other Islamic groups. The media in India reported that T.J. Joseph forgave his attackers. Praise God T.J. has forgiven his persecutors. Pray for his full and speedy recovery. Pray that the misunderstanding which led to the attack will be resolved. Pray for peace among India's religious communities.

Psalm 5:11-12 But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous;With favor You will surround him as with a shield.

North Korean Refugees Risk Life

I pray the faith of these Christians, increases your faith today. Please keep praying for the freedom of believers in North Korea.

Christians Narrowly Escape Flying Bullets in Pakistan

They shoot from ambush at the innocent man; they shoot at him suddenly, without fear. - Psalm 64:4

Compass Direct is reporting a story about a few Christians who were shot at, on separate occasions and yet, thankfully, were not killed.  Click here for the full story.

Evangelistic team cheats death; separately, stray gunshot leads to false charges.

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan, July 15 (CDN) — Suspected Islamic extremists fired bullets into the car of a Christian evangelist with impunity last month, while in another Punjab Province town stray gunfire led to two Christians being falsely accused of murder.

Threats Increase Against Followers of Christ in Indonesia

HT: Mission Network News for this story.

Indonesia (MNN) ― Voice of the Martyrs Canada joins their concerns with reports coming out of Indonesia from Compass Direct and AsiaNews.   

Christians in Bekasi, West Java have faced growing opposition in recent months from Muslims opposed to "Christianization."

Church services throughout the city have been interrupted and Christians threatened. There is also a push for sharia law in the region.  

Opposition seems to have the stamp of approval from the government, too. According to the reports from CDN and AsiaNews, the Bekasi Islamic Congress set up a "mission center" last month along with a youth army to oppose Christian efforts.

Death threats are on the rise, too. Last Monday, a banner with the picture of a Christian man with a noose around his neck was hung on the front of a mosque in Bekasi, stating, "This man deserves the death penalty."

The picture was of 29-year-old Andreas Sanau, one of two men accused of organizing mass baptisms. The false accusations came after busloads of poor villagers arrived at a Christian relief agency on June 30 as part of an outreach program.

Pray for protection for Christians in Bekasi. Pray that the authorities will protect the Christians against opposition from militant Islamic groups.

Two Pakistan Churches Come Under Attack from Islamists

We need to keep praying for the Christians in Pakistan because they are under constant pressure from militant Muslims. 

One community in Punjab Province faces threat from grenade, another from bulldozer.

SARGODHA, Pakistan, July 13 (CDN) — Christian communities in two areas came under attack in Punjab Province earlier this month. 

In Sargodha, an unidentified motorcyclist on July 1 tossed a grenade in front of the gates of St. Filian’s Church of Pakistan, next to a small Christian-owned amusement park where children were playing, Christian sources said. 
... 

Masih said children told him that after throwing the grenade, the motorcyclist sped away, disappearing into the traffic of University Road in Sargodha, a major street where government offices are located. Masih said police confirmed that it was an explosive device that did not go off. 

...

“By the grace of God, that hand grenade did not go off, and there was no loss of life or property despite the fact that the alleged militant made his best efforts to throw it close to the entrance of the church, possibly inside the church,” Iqbal said.   Read the full story at Compass Direct.