Persecution Blog

The Trinity: worth suffering for?

The Bible teaches that we were created in the image of God, so we have personhood and our personhood reflects the nature of God. We are not only individuals but we also are a part of families and communities. We are designed to live in community because God is like that.

Along with this question is the question of unity and diversity. In what way are we, as humans, unified in our diversity? God is the answer to that question as well. "Without the high order of personal unity and diversity as given in the Trinity, there are no answers" (Francis Schaeffer, He is There and He is not Silent, 14). Our experience in community should be one of mutuality and interaction. We have significant relationships with others from the time of our birth where we learn to be social. In a positive community experience we support each other and build each other up. Jesus said that he and the Father were one—they were distinct but perfectly identified with each other. In theology, the term perichoresis has become popular again. It was first used by the Church Fathers to express the relationship of the Persons of the Triune God. Each Person maintains individuality while sharing in the lives of the other two. It is a fascinating idea. It is more popularly known as the community of being.

This idea of community is apparently behind Paul's description of the church as the body of Christ, where there is a diversity of parts but one body. Each part has its unique, individual function but it works in conjunction with and for the benefit of the other parts. When one part suffers, we all suffer. If one part is honored, we all rejoice.

There are those in the world who will consider our belief in the Trinity heresy, blaspheming and irreverent. They become especially hostile when we declare that Jesus is God, one with the Father. There is an amazing description of who the second Person of the Trinity is in Colossians chapters 1and 2. As wonderful as this passage is we may have to suffer persecution for believing it and witnessing to it. Christ is "the fullness of the Deity in bodily form" and is "the head over every power and authority." Some will be offended by the first phrase and others will contest the second phrase by saying that their power is greater than Jesus. Some are so offended and threatened by these words that they may be willing to kill Christians. It teaches that Christ is God, the Second Person of the Trinity and not just a "teacher" or "prophet." He is the only One to whom we give our ultimate allegiance and loyalty.

That raises the question: "Are you willing to suffer for the Trinity?" It is more than a theological term—it is the truth. It is essential truth that is necessary for a correct understanding of reality. If martyr is defined as someone who will hold the truth in spite of "the assaults of persecution" (Martin Luther) and death, then we are all potential martyrs if we believe in the Trinity. The Trinity is not only worth suffering for but dying for as well.

For more discussion on the Trinity, visit www.vomclassroom.com and check out the information on persecution and its role in the mission of God.

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.

"Without You we can do nothing"

“O most merciful Christ,” John Huss wrote while awaiting his execution, “give us a courageous spirit, so that it may be ready. And if the flesh is weak, may your grace go before it, for without you we can do nothing, and above all, without you we cannot face a cruel death. Give us a bold courage and upright faith, a firm hope, and perfect charity, that we may give our life for you in all patience and all joy. Amen.”

Huss had called for reform in the fifteenth-century church, challenging priests who sold indulgences (the right to sin without consequence) and calling for biblical standards of justice. Huss was promised royal protection to present his defense. But he now sat in a dungeon, awaiting death, and cried out to God.

On July 6, 1415, Huss was stripped and chained to a stake. As the fire was lit around him, Huss prayed, “Lord Jesus Christ, it is for the sake of the gospel and the preaching of the word that I undergo with patience and humility this terrifying, ignominious, and cruel death.”

As the flames rose around him, Huss, with his final breath, cried out, “Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy upon me.”

Huss’s witness was crucial in ending the practice of selling indulgences and influencing Christians to return to biblical teachings.

Prayer. That which does the most, we often do the least. Prayer is our first defense against spiritual warfare, yet often our last resort. Those who are persecuted for their faith teach us the priority of prayer. Their last remarks are not fighting words. Their final actions on earth are not resistance. Instead, prayer is their dying breath, confounding their accusers and convincing others of their resolute faith. History shows persecuted saints’ dying prayers can influence others for the gospel perhaps more than if they had lived. When you are in life’s crucible and the “flames” are hot around you, will you turn to prayer? Will others see your first and last defense is your communication with your heavenly Father?

Excerpted from Extreme Devotion, a daily devotional written by The Voice of the Martyrs. Order your copy online.

"Mr. Insecticide"

"I was called Mr. Insecticide," he says. "I was the only one who could organize the killing of the insects, the killing of Christians. When you are looking for someone to get rid of insects you call me, then I arrange and plan an attack against Christians. This was my life."


Today, "Babasola" no longer kills Christians. Now he tells Muslims about Christ. Just as Jesus called Saul the persecutor and transformed him into Paul, today He is still calling and transforming persecutors into His servants.

Babasola is one of seven former persecutors now serving Christ. You can read their stories in VOM's new book, "Saul to Paul." Order your copy online.

Troubling Times in Tanzania

The past two weeks have seen two Christian leaders in Tanzania killed by radical Muslims. The first was an Assembly of God pastor killed on Feb. 11 in the northwest part of the country. Pastor Mathayo Kachili was killed when Muslims attacked Christians who had butchered an animal. (Traditionally all of the butcher shops in Tanzania have been run by Muslims, but in recent months Christians have tried to change that.)

Six days later, VOM received the following message from one of our Christian contacts in Tanzania:

"While we were busy trying to heal the wounded hearts of Christians of Buseresere-Katoro of Geita, I have just got a VERY SAD news that Rev. Fr Evarist Mushi of Roman Catholic Church and the head priest of St. Theresia Cathedral in Mtoni County of Zanzibar has just been attacked and shot dead by extremist Islamists and died on spot! He was driving a car to his church for Sunday service of this morning, now his life is taken away! HOW LONG SHALL CHRISTIAN BEAR WITH THIS BARBARIC ACTS WHICH ARE NOT SANCTIONED BY THE TANZANIAN GOVERNMENT?

A police spokesman said that Father Evarist Mushi was blocked by two men at the entrance to his Catholic church on Zanzibar Island and shot in the head. A group calling itself "Muslim Renewal" took credit for his murder and claimed the young attackers had been trained in Somalia. More concerning for Christians on Zanzibar and in the rest of Tanzania, the group says there are more attacks to come: "Many more will die. We will burn homes and churches. We have not finished: at Easter, be prepared for disaster."

Tanzania is a majority-Christian country, according to Operation World, but there is a growing radical-Muslim presence, and persecution is on the rise. Particularly concerning to Christians is the possibility that Islamists in Tanzania are linking with terrorist groups in other countries, such as al-Shabaab in Somalia.

Please pray for Christians in Tanzania. Pray that God will sustain and heal Pastor Kachili's widow and children. Pray that church leaders in the country will know how to respond to persecution and that Christians will be supernaturally empowered to forgive their persecutors. Finally, pray that Muslims will come to know Jesus Christ in a personal way.

Richard Wurmbrand: Lessons from a thief

It is a world apart, the world of thieves. I found that they like to talk of their exploits, the riskier the better. They loved the excitement as other men love drink, gambling or women. I wondered at the dedication they brought to their work.

One evening, when most prisoners were outside, the door crashed open and the guards flung in a pickpocket, known to everyone as "Fingers." He rolled on the floor, gasping and groaning, as I helped him to his bunk. Soaking a rag in water, I began to wash the blood from his swollen mouth. It seemed he had been pilfering from the kitchen.

Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand

“You're not a bad sort, Pastor,” Fingers said. “When I get out and make my next good haul, I won’t forget your share.”

I said I hoped he would find a better means of living. He laughed. “They're wasting their time beating me,” he said. “I love my work. I’ll never give it up.”

I put my arm around his shoulder and told him, “Thank you. You've taught me a great lesson.”

“What do you mean?” Fingers asked.

“If beatings don't persuade you to give up your ways, why should I listen to those who want me to change mine? I must put at least as much thought into winning a soul as you do into pulling off your next coup. The more I listen to the stories which you and your friends tell, the more I learn.”

He grinned painfully, "You're joking, Pastor.”

“No,” I said. “For example, you work at night, and if you fail the first night, you try again the next. So I, as a pastor, should spend my night in prayer, and if I don’t get what I want, I shouldn’t give up. You steal from others, but there is honesty among thieves: we Christians should be as united among ourselves. And although you risk your liberty and lives for money, as soon as you get it you throw it right and left; we should not overvalue money, either. You thieves don’t let punishment deter you; nor should we shrink from suffering. Just as you hazard everything, so too, should we, knowing there is a paradise to win.”

The prison at Poarta-Alba consisted of the remains of the labor camp beside the canal project on which my wife had been forced to work. I knew that now she was living somehow in Bucharest. No hour passed without thoughts of her. We lived in long, bare huts which held fifty men each. All around were derelict barracks and vegetable patches which Sabina must have known. This melancholy comfort was taken from me when, after a few weeks, I was told to prepare for another move.

Fingers came up to say goodbye. With him was an associate called Calapod, a villainous bandit who had been feared throughout the countryside. He slapped me on the back, shouting, “So this is the Holy Reverend who likes thieves and robbers!”

“Mr. Calapod,” I said, “Jesus did not mind comparing himself with a thief. He promised, ‘I will come as a thief in the night.’ Just as those whom you have robbed never knew you were coming, so one night Jesus will come for your soul, and you will not be ready.”

Excerpted from In God's Underground, written by Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, the founder of The Voice of the Martyrs. You can order a copy of the book here; it is also available for Kindle
and Nook e-readers.

MOVING TOWARD MUSLIMS: Take the first step

Has it ever occurred to you that Muslims might be as afraid of you as you are of them?

An Arab Muslim woman studying in the United States confided in me that her family was worried about her living in America. “They tried to stop me,” Najma said. “My aunt visited me and warned me, ‘Don’t you know America is full of violence? They will kill you on the street!’”

Together, we laughed at her aunt’s fears, knowing how far it was from the truth of the sleepy town in which Najma lived. Her aunt had based her impression of America and Americans on violent films she had seen. But Najma’s reservations evaporated once she began meeting average Americans—store clerks, teachers, her host family. They were nothing like the Americans she had seen on TV.

When people ask me, “What do Muslims think of Christians?” a simple answer eludes me. First, which Muslims? To lump all Muslims—the Western convert, the uneducated Bosnian woman, and the Syrian engineer—into one pile and ask what “they think” is presumptuous at best. And second, which Christians? Although you might define Christian as “evangelical” or “practicing Christians,” Muslims don’t define it that way. Most will categorize an entire nation as Christian, so we have to recognize and work with the Muslim’s definition.

“What do Muslims think of Christians?” is a loaded question, with no way around approximations and generalizations. But in a phrase, they are respectful, yet wary.

• Muslims consider Christians “People of the Book” and respect their faith in one God. While still seeing themselves as superior for practicing the best religion, Muslims respect those who worship one God, pray, and treat others kindly. A Muslim recently told me, “Your prophet (Jesus) was the Prophet of Love, that is why Christians are so loving.”
• Muslims are in a love/hate relationship with the West. They love healthcare, technology and some ideas from the West but regret its deteriorating effect on their cultures. Some blame television programs and government policies from the “Christian West” as the reason for problems and sin in their own countries.
• Muslims tend to be wary of Christians. Stories circulate about argumentative, in-your-face polemicists that defame Islam, and most Muslims want to steer clear of a fight. They may be concerned that by befriending a non-Muslim they will be criticized by other Muslims, or even worse, influenced to sin.

These misconceptions run deep, but something stronger can disarm a Muslim’s watertight wariness: initiative on our part. Just as average Americans helped alleviate Najma’s fears, the same holds true when authentic Jesus-followers take the first step with wary Muslims. One perspective shift, coming right up!

Meeting a follower of Jesus should be like a refreshing breeze blowing or an attractive scent alluring. It piques the interest and leaves the other wanting more. As a believer I am instructed to “let [my] conversation be gracious and attractive” in interactions with outsiders (Colossians 4:6 NLT). Gracious. Attractive. That will blow the mind of Muslims…or anyone, for that matter.

Muslims may be hesitant to initiate a relationship, which leaves the ball in our court. I’d hate to have Hollywood do all the talking, wouldn’t you?

Your turn: How much of your opinion of Muslims is based on films and other media? Have you met a Muslim who blew apart your preconceptions?

"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.

Not ashamed to pray

Perhaps one of the biggest stumbling blocks in our prayer life and our relationship with Christ is disappointment. We are disappointed in our spiritual life, job, country, church, and perhaps even our family.

If we get to the heart of the issue, our disappointment is directed not at these areas of our lives but at God. We may ask: How could he allow this (circumstance) to happen? Why isn’t he helping me overcome these sin issues in my life? Why isn’t he rewarding me for my hard work? Why isn’t he bringing about revival in our nation? Why isn’t he working in our children’s hearts?  

The apostle Paul had every "right" to be disappointed in God. Paul was given a dramatic salvation experience and was launched into ministry. People were coming to Christ; religious and government officials were being convicted. It couldn’t get any better than that, could it? It did. Paul was thrown in jail. There he wrote several letters, which today are cornerstones of the Christian faith.

Yet Paul saw his chains not as a disappointment or a setback, but as an opportunity. He wrote to Timothy, advising him not to be ashamed of him, and used Onesiphorus as an example of one who was "not ashamed" of his chains." He invited Timothy to share in his sufferings through God’s power. Then earlier in his letter to the Philippians, he tells them that his imprisonment has furthered the gospel not frustrated it (1:12-14). And more so, his bonds have emboldened believers to preach without fear.

As we pray for the persecuted church, let us first evaluate our relationship with Christ. Spend some time alone with God, asking him to reveal any areas of your life where you are disappointed in him. If we allow ourselves to be honest, have we accused him of being indifferent toward our trials? Are we viewing our current sufferings as an obstacle for the gospel or an opportunity? Agree with him that your disappointment ultimately is sin. Thank him that he uses all things for his good purposes, and then stand on what’s true about him: Jesus is the chief cornerstone (Matthew 21:42); the earth is his and all it contains (Psalm 24:1); and he is the "ruler over the kings of the earth" (Revelation 1:5).

Then start praying for your persecuted family who is inviting you to fellowship in their sufferings according to God’s power.

Your turn: Do you struggle with disappointment in your prayer life? Are there other areas that hinder you from being consistent in prayer? How do you overcome these challenges to pray consistently for the persecuted church and for other needs? Please share in the comment section below.

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Parenting lessons from the persecuted

With a gaggle of kids among us, ranging from infants to 3-years-olds, my friends and I have been tossing around ideas about how to educate our kids.

The issue of how to educate their children is a big one for persecuted Christians as well. Two Christian Egyptian families have had to go into hiding in the last five years after they tried to have their official religion changed from "Muslim" to "Christian" on their national ID cards. The parents wanted the change in part so that their children would have the option of attending Christian schools. Unfortunately for them, the Egyptian judicial system denied their requests, and Muslim extremists began sending death threats.

I met one of these men, Mohammed Hegazy, in 2010. He's my age, with two young children. His oldest, Miriam, would be ready for kindergarten this year. His son, Joseph, is about 3. He told me, "When my wife was pregnant with our first child, I had that in my heart that I don't want my child to suffer like all the children of converts in Egypt. You know, the children of converts are having a dual identity – they have to be a Christian at home, Muslims at school and with their friends. And this is really complicated for the psychology of a child to understand or to bear."

I've wept with Egyptian Christian parents who agonize over sending their kids to schools that train them to be Muslims and teach them to hate Christians. These Egyptian parents wonder whether they should wait to introduce their children to Christ until they're older and more able to handle the attacks, taunts and degrading they'll certainly face if their classmates learn they are Christians. Or do they tell them about Christ and force them to live double lives, participating in Muslim worship and prayers at school as required and celebrating Christ's love at home?

Iranian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani got into trouble when he learned in 2009 that a change in Iranian education policy would require his two boys to take a course in studying the Quran. Nadarkhani would go on to spend three years in prison before he was acquitted of apostasy.

Sometimes it's not the parents who suffer the consequences of being Christians in a Muslim majority nation. One 12-year-old Christian boy, Amin, painted a picture of Jesus in art class. When his teacher saw the painting, she questioned the boy about his faith in front of the class, openly ridiculing him for his outdated and superstitious beliefs. On the way home from school that day, three of Amin's classmates attacked and beat him, damaging his face. When he got home and told his parents, first they prayed with him, then they took him to the hospital.

When Amin returned to school, he stood up in front of the class and told the three bullies, "God has forgiven me. I forgive you and want to be your friend." The three bullies became some of Amin's closest friends.

WEIGH IN: Can children be lights for Christ? How much responsibility should we as parents give them, and how much should we try to protect them? What would you do if you were trying to raise your child as a Christian in a Muslim society?

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.

Saul to Paul: Gowda

This month VOM released a new book, Saul to Paul: From Persecutor to Christ Follower, which shares the story of seven men who once tried to destroy the Bride of Christ, but ultimately succumbed to the power of the Holy Spirit. One of those men is Pastor Gowda, a former radical Hindu in India who today passionately serves Christ and His church. Here is a portion of his story, when he decided to read his mother's Bible.

"Where is it?" Gowda asked.

His mother rolled over, rubbing her eyes.

"Go away," she said. "It's midnight."

She cringed, afraid he would hit her again. But something seemed changed, she thought, though she couldn't be sure.

"Where is it?" he repeated.

"Where is what?" she asked, stalling for time. How do I escape? She thought. How do I get away if he becomes violent again?

"Where is the book?" he asked calmly.

She shook her head involuntarily. She would never let him have it. She couldn't let him destroy it.

"Please, mama," he said quietly. "I won't hurt it and I promise I won't hurt you anymore. I just want to see it. I want to read it. To see if what you said is true"

Still she hesitated.

"I will not damage it," he said. "You are telling me that Jesus is God who sacrificed His life, so just let me go through it."

She got up and grabbed it from a secret hiding place. She placed it in his hands. His hands were covered with bruises; his arms had large welts from his many needle marks. His face was drawn, and his eyes bloodshot. This man was not her son, she thought. But he could be soon.

Gowda took the book and climbed up onto the roof of the house. By the light of the moon he read the Gospel of John. He saw the words again: Sin. Forgiveness. Love. Jesus Christ. He read all night without stopping. It was as if he was in a trance.

Gowda thought about all the terrible things he had done. "God is living," his mother had told him. "Jesus died for your sins."

Suddenly, Gowda put the book down and stared at the cross on its cover. He somehow felt unworthy, unclean. He knew he shouldn't touch it. But he couldn't help himself. He searched in vain for all the things the [radical Hindu] RSS camp had taught him about Christ. He tried to find the part where Jesus forced people to convert. He looked for the country Jesus came from, to see if Jesus was really a foreign God. But Jesus didn't come from America. He was born in Israel—but He had a virgin birth. And then he read it—the verse that made all the difference. It was the phrase that clicked, that unleashed in him a powerful desire for the Lord. He knew before he finished reading it that it was the truth.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. (John 1:12)

Hope. Belief was the only price. And another one…

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life." (John 5:24)

Hope. Forgiveness was available. Jesus could wash away all Gowda's sin and suffering.

Order your copy of Saul to Paul and read the rest of Gowda's incredible story, and how God transformed him from a persecutor into a pastor.

IRAN: “I am in a fight with myself every day”

Following is a portion from an interview with Padina, an Iranian Christian woman who, along with her husband, is helping grow God's Kingdom in Iran. You can read the full interview here.

VOM: The situation in Iran has changed a little bit since [you first began in ministry]. It seems like more arrests and more persecution. How does that affect you and your work?

Padina: Persecution has caused us to be stronger in faith, has caused us to be more in prayer and fasting, and we take what we are doing for God more seriously, that this is serious. Because every place we go and every ministry, every trip, we feel this might be our last. So whenever we go out, especially on trips, we feel this might be our last trip.

I have chosen this way knowingly and I know that this was my choice so I don't have a problem with it. But I am more worried about my husband because of the way I feel about him. During the day when I think about my husband being arrested, when I consider all these things I come to the point and I think, I know I love Jesus more than this and I may even give up my husband for the love I have for God. So it challenges me, my love for Jesus — do you really love me at that level? So that causes me to have a more loving relationship with Jesus himself.

VOM: That is almost a daily process in your ministry?

Padina: Every day.

VOM: "Take up your cross daily." (Luke 9:23)

Padina: And because our ministry is expanding, we almost once-a-month have a training conference which are all new people and all new risks for my husband to be arrested [because new people could be spies]. So he is at constant risk.

VOM: So you know all the risks but you keep doing the work every day?

Padina: I am in a fight with myself every day. I struggle every day with this idea that I could go out of Iran and minister and already have enough connections to have a large ministry outside Iran. But then I realize God has called me for this country and I have to stay. I won't do that — leave Iran — until I am confident that I have done my part and the ministry is strong and stable.

VOM: There is a famous quote to the effect that courage is not the absence of fear; courage is being afraid and doing it anyway. So I think every day you show amazing amounts of courage. But I also think if we talk to your husband he would say I am not so worried about myself I am more worried about my wife. Do you think so?

Padina: Yes. These days, even a regular arrest of a woman is very uncertain what happens to her in the jail, especially if she is arrested for this kind of thing [Christian activities]. My husband says, "It is very hard for me that you might be arrested and raped. But I have come to a point with my faith in Christ," he says, "at that point give your body to Jesus."

VOM: Are there particular scriptures that you come back to again and again that you draw strength from?

Padina: Psalms gives me a lot of comfort. Especially Psalm 91, I love that Psalm. Even with the snakes and all the enemies around you, I will protect you. I receive a lot of peace and comfort from the book of Psalms. Also, Psalms not only reminds me of God's protection but reminds me of his love for me and my love for him.

VOM: How can we, Christians in the United States, pray for the ministry in Iran?

Padina: A prayer would be that God would give faithful and courageous leaders that would continue to minister under persecution. Because when persecution comes some of the leaders, because of fear, they go away. So pray for courageous and faithful servants.

Second, my prayer would be that God would increase our faith. Not just for me but the leaders, that they would not lose their faith under persecution. And number three is for protection.

YOUR TURN: What are the challenges that you must overcome each day in order to fully serve Christ? Share in the comments below.

The story of Padina coming to faith in Christ is told in IRAN: Desperate for God. You can order your copy here. You may also want to order a 5-pack to share copies with Christian friends who might also pray for the church in Iran.