Persecution Blog

Homeschooling Mother Using Kids of Courage Materials to Teach Son to Pray

Earlier this week we wrote about some of the wonderful things happening in our Kids of Courage ministry... one of my personal favorite ministries of VOM, and today I was informed about a blog post that I just have to share with you because it's someone who is teaching their child about the persecuted church.  This is very cool.

The blog is called Explore and Express: Thoughts about children's spirituality, Godly Play and art education, and it is written from Berlin, Germany.   In the post we want to share with you, Leann is a guest who is posting on the blog.  The blog belongs to Sheila, so if you look at who posted the entry, you'll see Sheila's name, not Leann.

Leann shares in her post about how she is teaching her son how to pray using an interactive chart.  There are two sentences that her child has to focus on, so that he can pray.  I pray for____ and I am thankful for _________.  A great lesson for all of us!

Leann mentions the following about how she has taught her son to use the chart and what she offers for resources.

At the bottom, he’s placed that he’s thankful for two of his cousins, as well as a printable about a persecuted people group in Central America (this is usually located under the “I pray for…” section and not the “I am thankful for…” section).



When I first began this chart, I was seeking additional resources that could complement it.  Here are a few of our favorites:

• We Choose Virtues clue cards
• Character trait printables found here (I print 6 to a page)
• I’ve been eyeing these prayer cards for a while, from Prayer Products
• scripture memory cards – your own memory work or print a set of ABC scripture cards
• unreached people group cards
• prayer calendar for persecuted Christians, found within the activity books from Voice of the Martyrs/Kids of Courage

I love that this interactive prayer chart allows my son to have the freedom to choose what he’d like to pray for.  It is teaching him to have compassion and gratitude, by reminding him to be thankful besides being earnest.  Most importantly, it’s building a foundation of coming to the Father with an open heart about any problem, situation, or care – and, in my eyes, there’s nothing else more important to teach him.

Click here to read the full blog post.

As you can see, the prayer calendar for the persecuted Christians is one of the Kids of Courage activity books.  Her son prayed for Chiapas that day.  Pretty cool, and I'm pretty sure that this mother is going to have her son rise up and call her blessed.

New Prayer Bulletin: More Attacks in Nigeria

Our latest Be-A-Voice-Prayer bulletin focuses on the recent attacks in Nigeria.

In case you didn't know, the persecution in Nigeria is horrific and seems to never stop.  Please click here to download the bulletin in PDF form.

Here are a few of the prayer points we'd like you to consider when you pray.

Pray for the protection of Christians in Nigeria.

Pray for those who lost loved ones in the attacks as well as for the physically injured and emotionally traumatized.

Pray that many members of Boko Haram will come to a saving knowledge of Christ.

"Rise up, O Judge of the earth; render punishment to the proud. Lord, how long will the wicked, how long will the wicked triumph?" Psalm 94:2-3

VOM assists hundreds of Nigerian pastors and also provides food, clothing and medical aid to Nigerian Christians who are attacked by Muslim extremists.

 

China Aid Honored by Congress for Ten Year Anniversary

The following is from our friends at China Aid...

(Washington, D.C.—July 24, 2012) A member of Congress was to congratulate ChinaAid on Tuesday in formal remarks from the congressional floor marking the group’s 10-year anniversary.

In prepared remarks made available to ChinaAid, Rep. John Carter (R-Tex.) described ChinaAid as being “at the forefront of the struggle for freedom and rights in China” and said it has been “doing important work.”

“ChinaAid is not only an effective voice for the voiceless, but is also working to make sure China’s human rights defenders are able to speak up against injustice,” the former judge said.

After giving a brief history of ChinaAid and its founder, Pastor Bob Fu, Carter said, “The work of his organization is vital, it is effective, it is bipartisan, and it is necessary.  Everyone here in Congress will agree, a future China that respects the freedom of speech, the freedom to worship, and the rule of law will be a critical strategic partner with the United States.”

Carter was one of the VIPs ChinaAid invited to speak at its Tuesday morning seminar on “Human Rights, Religious Freedom and Rule of Law in China: A 10-Year Review and Future Prospects."

Below is the full text of Rep. Carter’s prepared remarks, which will be entered into the Congressional Record:  Click here to read the full speech.

140 Killed in Bloody Massacre

Syria (MNN) ― This past week marked the bloodiest set of conflicts since the start of the Syrian civil war with a death toll of around 1,200.

The violence reached a climax over the weekend as President Bashar al-Assad’s military struck back against rebel forces occupying various districts of Damascus, the capital of Syria.

Government tanks and helicopters blasted the capital as pockets of rebels roamed the streets. According to The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 140 Syrians, including 43 troops, were slain in the clash on Saturday.

The retaliation of Assad forces on the rebel-held districts of Damascus came after a six-day series of rebel attacks resulting in the assassination of four Assad top security officials last week. The rebels marked their six-day operation as “Damascus Volcano.”

Bill Bray with Christian Aid Mission says the increased Syrian violence is affecting refugee numbers. “What we saw over the weekend especially was just everywhere.... All of the missions and outreaches that we’re supporting in the front-line states are seeing a massive increase in refugees from Syria coming across the border: all kinds of refugees, but especially Christians.”

EU officials report that the number of Syrian refugees fleeing the country has reached 115,000.

Bray says one of their workers witnessed the waves of Syrian refugees fleeing by night. “He said it looked like army ants were coming across the border all night. Everywhere he could look, under fences, everywhere there’s a hole, they’re coming across.”

Yet the hope of the Gospel casts a beam of light on a seemingly devastating situation. Christian Aid Mission is providing funds for Syrian refugees to provide humanitarian aid such as food packs and housing, along with God’s Word.

“Over the weekend, 20 new believers were baptized, so evangelism is still going on. Church planting and small group Bible studies also continue…devotional fervor is high,” says Bray.

And in Lebanon, Christians aren’t just reaching out to refugees in their country. According to Bray, “While the Turks are allowing Syrian refugees to cross the border to some extent, they’re not allowing any mobilization of the Turkish Christians to reach out to them. But the Lebanese Christians are crossing the border. They are asking us for New Testaments and 15,000 New Testament CDs to distribute, so they are viewing the Turkish refugee camps as an evangelistic opportunity.”

Such an evangelistic opportunity for such a great need, however, requires funding. Bray states, “Just as fast as the money comes in, we’re sending it over. The need is tremendous: the need for housing, rent, [and] food packs. We can feed a refugee family for $90 a week.... And of course, there’s a great hunger for the Word of God. So giving out Bibles; that’s really an important part of the witness.”

Pray for the safety and salvation of Syrian refugees and for the safety of evangelizing Christians.

To support this ministry, click here and enter the designation code ‘400REF’ to go to work with Syrian refugees.

Source: Mission Network News

What Do We Have to Do to Get Christians to Pay Attention to the Persecuted Church?

Have you ever considered what it must be like to be a surgeon?  I'm asking because the overwhelming majority of people in life, are not surgeons.  Most of us will never go to medical school and most of us will never learn to cut into a dead corpse and take out a heart in order to do a heart transplant on someone.  Truth be told, you would not catch me near a corpse or blood or anything remotely that gory!  I don't have the stomach to even look at medical shows on television where they do these types of things.

I bring this up because every day I read through a number of news articles about Christians being persecuted all over the world.  Some days, to be honest, it's pretty depressing.  I get to read about how Muslims are chopping off the heads of other Christians, or how Boko Haram has decided to murder more of my brothers and sisters in Christ.  When I'm not reading about that, I'm reading about how Christians in China, Indonesia, North Korea and other countries are being tortured and imprisoned for their faith in Christ.  It can get a person down, especially when you consider that despite your efforts to inform other Christians about it, so many of those Christians you're trying to inform just hit the snooze button, yawn and then go back to sleep.  It gets very old.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not into depressing people.  I certainly don't want to complain that the overwhelming majority of the Christians I know are clueless about the plight of the persecuted church, but I have to admit that there are some days when I really would like to give a loud speech and tell people, "Look, your Christianity is not what Christians all over the world are living out as Christians."

I mean, seriously, how hard is it to write a letter to a persecuted Christian?   How hard is it to give a few dollars a month to get bibles into a restricted nation?  How hard is it to pray every day for the persecuted church?

It really isn't that hard at all.  The Voice of the Martyrs has a great mobile phone app, which according to the Android page where downloads are recorded, there are between 1000-5000 downloads of the app.  But did you know that every day there are only between 250-400 people who actually use the app to pray?  Why download an app that you're not going to use?  I don't understand it.

Did you know that there are about 15 profiles of persecuted Christians on our Prisoner Alert page that could use some letters of encouragement?  We've highlighted one of those believers every week for years.  How many have you written?

What about Asia Bibi, we've had a Call for Mercy Petition going for Asia for over a year now and we've been trying to get one million people to sign the petition, which is asking for a Call for Mercy for her and yet there's just over 619,000 signatures and only 212, 494 of those are from the United States!  How hard is it to sign a petition? 

The Voice of the Martyrs Facebook page has over 122, 000 likes but only two to three percent of the people who have liked that page engage with the content on that page.  I think that's pretty sad.

However, I have to say that the reason I feel this way sometimes is because I do this every day.  Just like a heart surgeon does surgery and understands the ease of how to do that, and the necessary information to know, I think it's the same way with our jobs.   I'm sure some heart surgeons get sick and tired of telling people to eat a low fat diet and to get plenty of exercise.  And yet, I bet that same surgeon rejoices when he sees one of his cardiac patients recover fully and then live a healthier lifestyle.

My point is this, I know I am called to spread the word about the persecuted church and get the word out every day about what's happening.  I realize that if something doesn't directly impact your life, that you're not going to pay attention to it.  That's pretty evident by the little remnant of Christians online I see engaging this issue on a daily basis.   However, I have to say that we - especially as American Christians - need to not neglect our education and understanding of what is happening with the persecuted church.  There could come a time when Christians in America are persecuted by our government.  There could come a time when Christians in America are imprisoned for simply being a Christian.

My hope and my prayer is that we consider this, while we still have our religious freedoms available and while we are free to speak on behalf of those who need all of us to pay attention, write letters, pray and even give money to causes that support the persecuted church.

And do not neglect praying for the people, like me, and others who work tirelessly behind the scenes, on a daily basis, who are just trying to help everyone know that the persecuted church IS our family and that when one part of the body suffers, we all suffer.

Remember, one day it might be you who is in prison.  One day it could be you, who needs prayer.  Some day it could be you, that we don't want people to forget.

Take action today and support those who need YOU to do that.

Blessings,

 

Stacy

 

Brink of War: No End in Sight for Sudan Violence

Please pray for Christians in the Sudan as you watch this important video report from CBN News.

You may read the full article here.

Christians are Desperate in Syria

Syria (MNN/OD) ― With Syrian President Bashar al-Assad possibly losing his grip on power, and rebels making major inroads, a possible end to the bloody civil war may be in sight. The United Nations estimates more than 10,000 have been killed in the violence since the crisis began in March 2011. Another report puts the total at more than 17,000, including 1,261 last week.

But while the defeat of Assad and the military would be welcome news to most, the sizeable Christian community of over 1.5 million is fearful for its future.

Under Assad, Christians enjoyed a measure of freedom to worship in Syria, which is 90% Muslim. In fact, Christians were granted a degree of religious freedom not seen in most other Middle Eastern countries -- before and after Arab Spring.

According to Reuters News, the rebels include the Free Syrian Army, al-Qaeda-style jihadists, the Muslim Brotherhood, and local pro-democracy Sunni liberals.

"If Assad falls, Christians in Syria are fearful of what will happen when a new government--probably a radical Islamic one--will come into power," says Open Doors USA President/CEO Dr. Carl Moeller. "Will their freedom to worship end? Will persecution increase? Will they have to flee Syria with their families as have thousands of believers in Iraq?

"Already, thousands have been targeted and have fled Syria. Some have been forced to flee from cities like Homs and seek shelter and help from Christian churches in the area. Christians who supported Assad could face reprisal from the rebels. There is just a tremendous fear for their future."

A Christian from Syria asks, "What is the free world doing to prepare for that exodus? Who is going to welcome Syrian Christians?"

In the last few months, Open Doors has been responding to the pleas for help by providing emergency relief packages to displaced Syrian Christians ,as well as food and medical supplies. Open Doors works in partnership with leaders from churches in designated areas.

An Open Doors worker says, "The aid will help them survive. And it will be enhanced by the other work that Open Doors is doing in Syria, such as providing biblical training, trauma counseling, and discipleship training."

Moeller says believers must be on their knees in prayer for the Christians in Syria.

"Pray that if the rebels overthrow the Assad regime, they will not retaliate against Christians, forcing a mass exodus of believers from Syria," says Moeller. "Pray for an end to the chaos and violence. Pray that Syria will allow freedom of religion for all minorities. And pray that Christians will continue to reach out to Muslims who are also suffering from the violence."

To pray for Christians in Muslim-dominated countries such as Syria during Ramadan, click here.

Source: Mission Network News

Volunteers Learn About Christian Persecution

One of the most active websites of The Voice of the Martyrs is our Kids of Courage page.  Recently I was encouraging my radio audience to check out the Kids of Courage page even if they don't have children because the resources there are awesome. 

For example, did you know that Kids of Courage has their own blog?  Yup, it's true.  Almost everyday they list stories and happenings so that you know how to minister to children and tell them about the persecuted church in an appropriate way.

There is also a wonderful video section on the Kids of Courage page that you will want to look at, as well as my favorite section which is the downloads section.  The reason I like the downloads section is because that section is loaded with great material and all you have to do is sign up for a free account and you can get all of the resources for free.  This is a great resource that parents can use for family bible learning, and Sunday school teachers can use to teach their classes.  Be sure to check it out.

I also wanted to tell you that right now we have highlighted a two part series concerning how volunteers have learned more about the persecuted church by helping The Voice of the Martyrs.  In part one of the blog posts you'll read about Emily, who said regarding the persecuted church and volunteering, “gives a huge picture of what loyalty to Christ means,” and “It’s humbling.”

In part two you'll read about Nathan's experience and see his comment, "“I never really thought about persecution in other countries were [going to church] is against the law.”  Click here to visit Kids of Courage today.

Ramadan Reflections from a Former Prisoner for Christ

Earlier today on our The Voice of the Martyrs Facebook page, we posted a video of Heather Mercer, a former prisoner for Christ in Afghanistan discussing some reflections on Ramadan. This video is from 2009, but it's contents are still apropos for today. Please share this video with your friends and pray for the Muslim world during this most important month where they are seeking forgiveness from God.

Heather Mercer shares about her experiences in Afghanistan, her love for the Muslim world, and her current work with Global Hope (you can learn more at www.freedomcenteriraq.org).

In this segment Heather discusses the meaning of Ramadan to Muslims, and how Christians can pray for the Islamic world during the Ramadan season.

For the latest news from the persecuted church in Muslim and other restricted nations, visit our web site at www.persecution.com.

Boko Haram Kills Six at the Start of Ramadan

Nigeria (MNN) ― Six more people were killed late last week at the hands of Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram.

Attacks on Christian churches by the Boko Haram have been practically a weekly occurrence in Nigeria for the last couple of months. But this particular string of attacks was not directly against Christians. Instead, the attacks included a run-in with the military Joint Task Force (JTF).

Two people were killed in Maiduguri during a gunfight between the JTF and suspected Boko Haram members, according to Reuters. Gunmen later killed four people at a nearby market.

Interestingly, this all happened the day after Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan agreed to lift the state of emergency on several regions.

"It seems like they clearly are making a statement," says Todd Nettleton with Voice of the Martyrs. "But it also is the beginning of Ramadan, so it's interesting to think that may also play into this."

During the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, jihadists often have increased their attacks. Ramadan just began on Friday.

More Boko Haram attacks like this only increase the concerns of Christians, many of whom bring machetes with them to church to defend themselves from militants. But the way these particular attacks were handled by the government is actually a good indicator.

"I think one of the positive things about this story is that the military was actually fighting back against Boko Haram," says Nettleton. "That has not always been the case in the attacks in Nigeria, so the fact that the military was involved--that they were trying to take an active role in stopping Boko Haram--is good news."

Better news than that is the prayerful approach Nigerian believers have begun to take. "As they think about defending themselves, they're also thinking about praying and seeking God's favor, and seeking the move of God's Spirit in Nigeria," says Nettleton.

Especially in this season of Ramadan when Muslims are more openly seeking God, believers are praying for Muslims and even Boko Haram members to meet Christ. Pray with them that the Holy Spirit would reveal His truth to many in Nigeria, not only so that the attacks might stop, but so that more people would be rescued from death and brought into the eternal grace and life of Jesus Christ.

Source: Mission Network News