Persecution Blog

Criminal or Hero?

Pastor Shi Weihan, now also known by his English name, John Stone, was arrested in China on Nov. 29, 2007. As a bookstore owner, he sold books with the government’s permission, but Pastor Shi also printed and freely distributed Bibles and other Christian books on the side. On June 10, 2009, he was sentenced to three years in prison on a charge of violating “the regulations of the state in printing illegal publications,” according to the official indictment.

While Shi was in prison, VOM readers sent his family letters in response to a story about him on VOM’s www.PrisonerAlert.com website. Pastor Shi was released from prison in February 2011 and later left China with his family to pursue studies at Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas, Texas. He recently met with VOM workers to talk about his time in prison and share how much the letters from VOM readers meant to him and to his family.

 

Meeting Saints: a good trip

Editor's note: a version of this story appears in VOM's February newsletter. U.S. residents can request a free subscription to the newsletter here.

There are good trips and bad trips when you go on the road to meet the persecuted church.

Bad trips where you come home with malaria (Sudan) or get so sick you actually consider going to a local doctor (Pakistan). But the good trips far outweigh the bad: trips where you meet a pastor and his wife eight days after the pastor was shot by Muslim radicals (Iraq) or watch as God opens door after door so you can meet widows of Christians martyred just a few weeks before (Turkey). Good trips where you are "smuggled" late at night to an underground Bible school and meet the future church leaders of a huge nation (China), or are tossed up in the air (literally!) by brothers in Christ as they thank you for coming to encourage them in their trials (can't say where for security reasons). Good trips where a kindly pastor's wife, seeing jet-lag overcoming you, invites you to take a nap in one of her children's beds (Uzbekistan).

I am often sobered by the fact that brothers with whom I've laughed over coffee and popcorn are in prison today because they follow Jesus (Eritrea). I am humbled and incredibly grateful God has allowed me the sacred privilege of meeting, interviewing and hopefully encouraging His beloved children who suffer so much for doing things most of us take for granted.

Visiting Nepal late last year was definitely a good trip. For one coworker it was the first time he'd been to meet the persecuted church, and seeing the trip through his fresh eyes was a great reminder of the blessing of our work. I was encouraged to hear from a Nepali brother that two books I helped write – Extreme Devotion and Hearts of Fire – are among their favorite tools to strengthen Nepali Christians to stand amidst persecution. And it was amazing to step out of my hotel room and look up at four of the 10 tallest mountains in the world!

Danmaya

The person I'll remember most from the trip was a sweet, joyful, pretty lady who gave up everything to follow Christ. After she got baptized, her high-caste Hindu husband threw her stuff out of the house, kicked her out and married another woman. Instead of taking her in after that, her own parents also turned her away when she refused to denounce her faith.

When her earthly family kicked her out, her spiritual family opened their doors and took her in. We met Danmaya in the stifling heat of a one-room brick house that belongs to her pastor and his family. They gave me a plastic chair to sit in while the pastor sat on the bed and his wife and Danmaya sat on the floor.

Danmaya couldn't stop smiling. She's lost every family relationship she had in the world because she followed Jesus. She's sleeping on the floor of someone else's house. But she couldn't stop smiling. She told us that she's forgiven her husband…and even prays for his new wife.

Danmaya and her pastor thanked us repeatedly for coming, as if we'd done something special. We thanked them for sharing their stories, and for their faithful witness. We rode almost two hours in a taxi with a/c that couldn't quite keep up with the heat to meet Danmaya. But after hearing her story, and seeing the joy of the Lord literally radiate from her face, I thought on the two-hour drive back to the hotel that I'd happily drive eight hours to spend one hour with such a Godly saint.

P. Todd Nettleton has served the persecuted church and VOM almost 15 years. He has been interviewed more than 1850 times by various media outlets. He's the author of Restricted Nations: North Korea, and served on the writing team for FOXE, Extreme Devotion, Hearts of Fire and other VOM books.

God’s will for Godswill

I met Godswill five and a half years ago.

Well, to say I met him is a bit of an overstatement; I talked to him and some other children living at the Stephen Centre in Nigeria over the phone for about an hour, interviewing them for a VOM article. Back then, Godswill was a shy, quiet, 14-year-old boy who liked soccer.

Godswill around the time Dory "met" him, after he arrived at the Stephen Centre.

I wondered how he'd gotten such an unusual name. He told me his mother had given birth to twins before he was born, but they did not live. Then she didn't have another child for nine years. When her son was born, on February 15, 1992, she named him "Godswill."

In 2009, I met Godswill's mother, Ruth, in northern Nigeria, while visiting widows and victims of the religious violence. Ruth's husband, a leader in the Christian community, was killed during a religious riot in Kaduna in 2000.

As a widow, Ruth struggled to support Godswill and his younger sister, Joy. So when our partners in Nigeria offered Godswill and Joy a place in a VOM-supported boarding school called the Stephen Centre, Ruth made the decision to send her kids away to be educated. It wasn't easy for her to let them go, but she knew she'd never be able to provide them with a good education.

Last week, I met Godswill again. Now 19, Godswill is a confident young man pursuing a law degree at a university near the Stephen Centre. He loves the Lord and works hard at both school and at being a man of character. As I interviewed other children now living at the Stephen Centre, Godswill acted as my "fixer," suggesting children I could interview. He knows almost all the 307 children living at the school, where he's seen as a leader.

Godswill (center, striped shirt) was among the first class of graduates from The Stephen Centre. All these students are now in college.

It was so encouraging to see how God has worked in the lives of some of these young men and women. Godswill lost his father at a young age and had to live apart from his mother for much of his formative years. But instead of using his suffering as an excuse or a stumbling block, he's taken it as a challenge and used it to motivate himself toward better things. He reported that his mother continues to do well as a cloth-seller in the Kaduna market, and she continues to meet with other Christian widows in Kaduna.

His mother named him Godswill, and I know that Godswill will go on to serve the Lord and carry out God's will in Nigeria.

 

Dory P. has worked with VOM for six years. She grew up in Ecuador, met her husband while working with another mission organization, and now lives in Oklahoma. Between Dory, her husband and two-year-old son, they share five passports. Dory helps tell the stories of the persecuted through VOM's newsletter, and her husband serves with VOM's international department.

I’m ready to go

"I need you to go to Nigeria," said my boss one Friday afternoon as I was preparing to leave for the day.

"Sure," I replied, "When?"

"Next week," she said. "Something came up."

Getting ready to go with just a few days' notice wasn't what I had expected, but thankfully, I was mostly ready to go. Traveling to meet our persecuted brothers and sisters isn't like preparing for a vacation, and it's not even like packing for an overseas mission trip.

My first thought was to make sure my husband would be in town to take care of our son. He also works for VOM, and travels about every-other-month to some of the hottest regions in the world. It turned out that yes, he'd be around to watch our two-year-old, but I needed to cut my trip a little short in order to be home before he left on his next trip.

As we travel for VOM to meet with the persecuted, my husband and I have also had to make other preparations. We have a will that details who will take care of our son should anything happen to us. We've talked with family about how we'd like him to be raised. We've named close friends in town who would be responsible for selling our home and other assets in order to provide for him. While these are things anyone should do in case of unforeseen circumstances, we're more aware than other 30-somethings that our lives might be taken at any moment.

We've also talked through our expectations of what would happen to either of us if one of us were to die. I know my husband isn't afraid to give his life in service to Christ and our brothers and sisters, and I feel the same way. When our friends offer to pray for our safety when we travel, we tell them instead to pray for God's will for our lives. If God's purposes are accomplished, then our own safety is in His hands.

There's no fear when I travel, even to places like Nigeria or Egypt, which are quite risky for Westerners. Sure, there's nervousness to make certain I've made proper preparations, or of getting lost in an unfamiliar place, but there's no fear. I'm in God's hands. I'd never choose to leave my husband and son behind, but if I'm called to do so, I know God will take care of them.

How could I not believe this, when on these trips I meet widows and orphans who can praise God despite having lost a spouse or a parent because of their Christian faith? I've met so many women who weep and mourn the loss of their husband, yet in the next breath praise God for his unchanging nature and his constant care for them. I don't expect any less from God for myself.

So when the Lord calls, I'm ready to go—whether it's to Nigeria next week or to eternity with him.

Dory P. has worked with VOM for six years. She grew up in Ecuador, met her husband while working with another mission organization, and now lives in Oklahoma. Between Dory, her husband and two-year-old son, they share five passports. Dory helps tell the stories of the persecuted through VOM's newsletter, and her husband serves with VOM's international department.

Engaging the Mind

It is very appropriate to have an emotional response to persecution. That is how many of us began in ministry to and with the persecuted church. We deeply identify with their pain and loss, and we are driven to help.

As good as that emotional response is, there is more we can do. More than likely, if we have an emotional response to persecution, it will set our bodies in motion to do something. That is the Western way—we are, by and large, 'activists.'

But there is still more we can do. We need to have an intentional, intelligent response to persecution as well. We need to engage the mind to understand the biblical and theological aspects of persecution so we can have a competent and mature understanding not only to be able to articulate this clearly to those who are skeptical but also to approach persecution with wisdom. When the emotions cool and the body gets weary, we will still be engaged in the very important ministry to the persecuted church because we are fully committed to it. We are focused, determined, and relentless in our ministry. That kind of spirit comes with concrete devotion based on a rational choice and is much more than a mere emotional response. It involves an intentional, willful decision based on the realization that it is the will of God and that we are to be about his business.

Be assured that I am not talking about a cold, rational approach that inspires no one. God wants people with long-term passion, fully engaging every aspect of our being to do what he calls us to do.

One way to develop a sound, disciplined mind is to complete one or more of the online courses on VOMClassroom. The site includes material on many aspects of persecution and is ready to help you engage your mind. Courses on the site include history of persecution, preparing for persecution, New Testament studies on persecution, and evangelizing Muslims. Each study is a wonderful resource for you personally and for your church, and they are available at no charge.

These courses are making a difference. Here are comments from current and recent students:

"I recommended the classes…[if] people want to know about Biblical perspective on persecution and learning about history of persecution, they can check your website out."

"VOM classes appear to be so valuable, that they should be offered more widely."

"I am really enjoying the online classes. I'm enrolled in the classes to get more information that may be of use for me in the ministry. I'm also developing a Bible study curriculum for my church's small groups to introduce them to VOM and the persecuted church and a deeper meaning of the cost of following Christ."

As we charge out into the world, we need to be sure that we truly have a sound, disciplined mind capable of being mightily used by God. Developing our minds is a part of being about God's business.

Roy Stults, PhD, is the Online Workshop Coordinator and Educational Services Coordinator for The Voice of the Martyrs. He graduated from Olivet Nazarene University (BA and MA), Nazarene Theological Seminary (M.Div.), Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Doctor of Missiology), and The University of Manchester (England) with a PhD (theology). A Vietnam veteran, Dr. Stults served as a missionary for 19 years and pastored U.S. churches for eight years. Prior to joining VOM, he was a Professor of Religion at Oklahoma Wesleyan University.

DEVOTIONAL: God is a fortress

"He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken" (Psalm 62:6).

Do you ever feel assaulted by life? Life is difficult. As human beings, we all experience physical challenges, emotional upsets financial tests and deep spiritual questions. Others willingly suffer persecution because of their readiness to take risks for Jesus. I have met many sisters and brothers who report that their hope is secure in Christ alone and that they experience spiritual security, exceptional peace and lasting significance He offers to those who fully trust in Him.

A few weeks ago, I traveled to India to meet with persecuted members of our "extended family." In Bangalore, I met a man who had almost all of his teeth knocked out in a vicious attack. In spite of intense personal suffering, he continues to boldly serve in an influential ministry. His wife shared that even though she is sometimes scared when he travels to minister in dangerous places, she is learning to trust in God. In Psalm 62, David was learning how to trust as well. He refers to God as his "fortress" twice, as a "rock" three times and as his "refuge." Clearly, David believed that God would be there for him in the midst of the assaults he faced.

A part of the "Elephant Gate" at Agra Fortress in India.

I was reminded of this Psalm when our team visited Agra Fortress, a few hours south of Delhi. It was overwhelming to walk through the massive "elephant gate." To get to the heart of this amazing fortress, you must cross two moats. When the fortress was built, the outer moat was filled with water; the inner moat was filled with tigers. As you cross a giant drawbridge, you encounter an inner gateway called Hathi Pol, the "Elephant Gate." This gate was specifically engineered to defend against attackers using elephants to crush the gates of a fort during a siege. The drawbridge, slight ascent, and 90-degree turn between the outer and inner gates made the entrance impregnable by preventing the elephants from gathering enough speed to crush the gates.

David is remembered as a warrior, but he is also remembered for the deep intimacy he shared with our Father, as reflected in so many Psalms. One of the essential elements of this deep intimacy was his absolute reliance and rest in the Lord. David felt free to go to the Father, to openly share his most personal struggles, to process his pain and to receive healing and hope from his "fortress" God, Who is able to withstand any assault.  

Martin Luther expressed this shared hope beautifully in one of the Church's most beloved hymns, "A Mighty Fortress is Our God." Throughout Christian history, millions of other followers have run to God to find spiritual security, exceptional peace and lasting significance. "Resting" in Him is like placing your soul in an impregnable fortress, so place your trust in Him alone today!

Dr. Jason Peters serves in VOM's International Ministries department, traveling frequently to meet with our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. He lived overseas for five years and has ministered in 28 countries as diverse as Cuba, Nepal, Iraq and Indonesia. He and his wife, Kimberly, along with their five children, count it a great honor to serve with the persecuted church.

“Stops my pity party in its tracks”

Each day VOM receives letters from readers all over the United States. Some compliment VOM; others have questions or complaints. Many write requesting more information on how they can pray for and minister to persecuted Christians. For today's blog post we wanted to share part of a recent letter received from a reader named Millie, who wrote to share how the materials from VOM have affected her life and faith:

It's difficult to put into words how [The Voice of the Martyrs newsletter] has impacted me. First of all, it has given me profound gratitude for my freedom as a believer. I know the Lord has put me in the place I am (Acts 17:26) for this time of human history; why He allowed me to live where I may proclaim faith in Him freely and not in a place such as North Korea gives me unspeakable gratitude to Him. Before I started reading VOM's magazine I didn't realize the plight of believers in other nations. Like many Americans, I had a vague "idea," but no real knowledge. I have used your materials when I teach high school students at our church, praying that they will also have an appreciation for the blessing they have received by being Americans and to give them a heart for those who are being persecuted around the world. I have used some of the pictures and stories (if I can make them age appropriate) for my fours and fives in my Sunday School class. I believe that even at a young age they are capable of understanding there are those who love Jesus in other parts of the world who need encouragement and prayer.

Second, it has made me more vocal about my own faith. Believers around the world are risking death or unspeakable acts against them and their families for speaking of Christ, and yet I fear ridicule and rejection by certain people? I have become more bold as I am encouraged by the stories of those who have not just suffered persecution, but CONTINUE to risk persecution, all for the name of Jesus! I'm still not as bold as I would like, but pray the Lord will give me the strength to be bolder.

Third, it makes me stop and consider what I THINK is important in my life. So much of what I want is not a need or even a remote necessity. I think and pray more carefully as to how to use the resources with which God has blessed me. When I start to feel sorry for myself over something that may not be going according to MY plans, images from your publication will come into focus and of course I can hear the admonition of the Holy Spirit prompting me with, "Really, this upsets you? Are you suffering for My Name?" That usually stops my pity party in its tracks.

There is a small thing that has always impressed me and it doesn't have anything to do with the magazine. Whenever we have sent a donation, there is always a handwritten verse or verse reference on our donation [receipt] we receive back from VOM. It shows that someone personally took the time to put that particular verse on the page. It just gives me satisfaction to see this small human element inserted into a process that could be totally handled by technology.

It is a privilege to pray for VOM and those who are being persecuted. Do I pray faithfully every day? No, if I am honest, I don't, but I do pray often for you at headquarters and for different nations where persecution seems to be more severe. I especially pray that God will reward those being persecuted with new believers from the witness they bear to those around them.

In Jesus' Love,

Millie

YOUR TURN: How has reading VOM's newsletter affected your life and your walk with Christ? Share in a comment on this post, or email VOM.

Teaching children about persecution

"I have concerns about materials that might introduce pain, torture, and death to a young child without a context for them" — Scottie May, author and professor of Christian Spirituality, quoted in Christianity Today

There is widespread recognition that teaching children skills and academic subjects should be done in an age-appropriate and kid-friendly manner. But some Christians seem to doubt that the same approach is possible when teaching kids about persecution.

Certainly it would be inappropriate to "introduce pain, torture, and death to a young child without a context for them." The following are just a few of the concepts that ARE, in general, appropriate to introduce to children that can help them learn to "Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also" (Hebrews 13:3).

Children can learn that:

*Some people do not know that the Bible is true, so they oppose Christianity. (See John 16:3.) Christians can stand strong in the face of such opposition.

*Christians can praise God even when they are afraid. (See Psalm 56:3-4.) We can trust God in the middle of trials and struggles.

*Following God may sometimes mean being in the minority. (See 2 Timothy 1:15.)

*Christians can continue to do good even when rewards are not immediate. (See Hebrews 11:39-40.)

*It is difficult to reach some countries with the gospel. Christians around the world witness boldly and in creative ways. (See Ephesians 6:19-20.)

The Voice of the Martyrs' Kids of Courage materials, many of them available for free download at www.kidsofcourage.com, provide resources to introduce these and other appropriate concepts to children.

VOM's Kids of Courage resources help parents and educators teach children ages 5 to 13 about persecuted Christians around the world, and provide opportunities for children to serve and pray for them.

Surprised by Suffering

Editor's note: The following is an excerpt from a post on Ravi Zacharias International Ministries' web site, reposted here with permission. The post was written by Jill Carattini, managing editor of A Slice of Infinity for RZIM. You can read the full post here.

For those of us who live in far less hostile environments, news of persecution is foreign, frightening, and difficult to fathom. Their experiences bring the words of the early church to life in a way that many of us have never considered. When the apostle Paul wrote that nothing will separate us from the love of Christ—neither "trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword"—he was referring to struggles that were dangerously real to him and the people to whom he was writing. "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies" (2 Corinthians 4:8-10). Peter, too, encouraged believers in their troubling situations. He urged them to stand firm in their convictions regardless of their affliction; he reminded them that discomfort and suffering was a sacred part of following the wounded one. "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ" (1 Peter 4:12-13).

The apostles' words do not take away the injustice of brutal murder. But they do assuage the shock of its occurrence. Jesus told his followers to expect persecution; in fact, he said they would be blessed by it. "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:11-12). Peter's words encourage the suffering not to see their painful trials as strange or out of the ordinary, but as something that further marks them as believers and unites them in even greater intimacy with their leader. Persecution may be always jarring, unfair, or lamentable, but it is not strange when it happens to those who follow Christ. Perhaps it is stranger when it is not happening.

Mark Twain once said, "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect." For those of us who live the faith we profess without challenge, trial, or risk, reflection may well be appropriate. Is it possible that we have so shut ourselves up in Christian circles that we have closed ourselves off from the world and hence any chance of suffering for Christ? Is it possible that we are so at ease among the majority that we avoid venturing out as the minority among those who might hate or hurt us? Certainly we experience hostility and persecution indirectly. But how we are personally interacting with the angry, the lost, and the broken masses Jesus once wept over is another thing entirely. How effectively we live as "the salt of the earth" that Jesus described depends on our place and posture within it. Surely salt that remains content within the shaker has lost its saltiness.

The struggles of Christian students on university campuses, the sufferings of Christian aid workers across the world, and the daily trials of believers who live courageously in dangerous places are stories that frighten and sadden us. They are also stories that depict what can happen when the salt of the kingdom is allowed to season the earth. Gayle Williams is said to have been the hand of Christ among some of the world's most forgotten. "Remember the words I spoke to you," said Jesus to his disciples. "'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also" (John 15:20). And then he was led away like a sheep to the slaughter.

MOVING TOWARD MUSLIMS: A greeting of peace

Muslims often come to Christ in the context of friendship, and friendship can begin with a simple greeting:  

        "May peace be upon you."

It can be muttered in passing or proclaimed loudly. Accompanying this blessing of peace can be a glance, a head nod, or just a cautious smile. Then a light grip between my pale right hand and her darker one. That handshake can lead to a kiss where cheeks touch, where a veil is shifted to welcome me into her personal space.

In my years of relating with Muslim women, I have found that with some women, it stops there. Pleasantries are exchanged and we move on. It is run-of-the-mill politeness, and I have come to expect nothing less – and sometimes, nothing more.

But there are other women with whom the conversation moves on. Starting with, "What is your news?" it can deepen to "What is your faith?" They may open their homes and, after some time, even their hearts.

Amina was one such open woman I met at a park not long ago. With a quiet "Salaamu alaikum (peace be upon you)," she sat next to me under an awning covered with flowering vines.

We were past formalities when she shared, "I come here to pray, to recite verses from the Quran as I walk." She showed me a little book of surahs and the prayer beads she carried.

Then Amina startled me with her confession: "When I walked into the garden today, I saw you and a voice inside me said, She will be your friend. This is why I came over to talk with you."

My eyebrows raised. A voice inside you? Clearly, this was no chance meeting. This was what I call a divine appointment. And it all started with a simple greeting.

Jesus used a greeting similar to the Muslim "Salaamu alaikum" when appearing to his disciples after his resurrection. His words "Peace be with you," are recorded twice in John 20. His greeting made his friends aware of his presence, resulting in their joy and belief in Him (see John 20:19-29).

"Peace I leave with you," Jesus said (John 14:27). He encouraged his friends who believed in God to "believe also in Me" (John 14:1). With Jesus as our Lord, we can be ambassadors of peace to Muslims who may in turn believe in Him.

It is true that some Muslims persecute Christians. But it is also true that many, many Muslim individuals are peace-loving. Like Amina, they are curious about Jesus, and may even desire a Christian friend.

In the coming year, I hope to share a realistic picture of Muslims and explore ways God is working among them. One of the primary ways Muslims come to faith in Jesus is through the consistent witness of a Christian friend (source).

Although God alone orchestrates "divine encounters," I believe Christians must take the initiative to befriend and reach out to Muslims. That could mean shopping where they shop, sitting down beside someone new on the bus, or greeting your Muslim professor or classmate.

Muslims often come to Christ in the context of friendship, and friendship can begin with a simple greeting. What's more, when the children of God speak those peace-filled words, they are backed by the authority of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. May His peace be upon us all.

"Anna" blogs about friendship, culture, and Kingdom-living from her home in the Middle East. She loves Jesus and wants to see Him cherished by her neighbors and people everywhere. Anna will be posting on the Persecution Blog each month. Feel free to ask questions or suggest future topics in the comments section for this post. Anna is a pseudonym, and all names in her posts are changed for security reasons.

Join the Discussion:   Have you ever tried to befriend a Muslim? What are the obstacles to meeting Muslims in your city?