Persecution Blog

LAOS: “If I wasn’t a real Christian…”

Recently I had the privilege to travel to Laos and to meet Christians there who face persecution. One of the brothers we met with is an evangelist who leads people to Christ almost every day. He has seen numerous people miraculously healed through the power of God, and many overcome drug addiction with God’s help. He told us that his cel phone rings regularly with people who say, “I need help.”

“I tell them, ‘I can’t help you. But Jesus can help you,’” he said, and he introduces them to the Savior.

One of those that he reached, we’ll call him “Phong,” lived in a village where there were no other Christians. Phong quickly won six other people to Christ in the village. But such outreach upset the village leaders, and they expelled Phong from the village. Forced to leave, he and his wife and their two children moved in with relatives in another village; relatives that were not yet believers in Christ.

Our evangelist friend asked Phong, “Are you discouraged?”

“No. This is God’s plan.”

“How do you feel about this?” the evangelist asked.

“I feel honored. This is in the Bible! I’m not disappointed. If I wasn’t a real Christian, this wouldn’t have happened.”

If I wasn’t a real Christian…

I was reminded by his statement of a verse that is a troubling one for many American Christians like me, II Timothy 3:12: “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” How do we, who aren’t currently facing persecution, read that verse? What does it mean to us? If we aren’t being persecuted, does it mean that we don’t truly desire to “live godly in Christ Jesus”?

Matthew Henry’s commentary on this passage sheds light on some of those questions:

When we know the afflictions of good people but in part, they are a temptation to us to decline that cause which they suffer for; when we know only the hardships they undergo for Christ, we may be ready to say, "We will renounce that cause that is likely to cost us so dear in the owning of it;’’ but when we fully know the afflictions, not only how they suffer, but how they are supported and comforted under their sufferings, then, instead of being discouraged, we shall be animated by them, especially considering that we are told before that we must count upon such things (v. 12): All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution: not always alike; at that time those who professed the faith of Christ were more exposed to persecution than at other times; but at all times, more or less, those who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. They must expect to be despised, and that their religion will stand in the way of their preferment; those who will live godly must expect it, especially those who will live godly in Christ Jesus, that is, according to the strict rules of the Christian religion, those who will wear the livery and bear the name of the crucified Redeemer. All who will show their religion in their conversation, who will not only be godly, but live godly, let them expect persecution, especially when they are resolute in it.

Even though he is young in faith, Phong seems to have grabbed hold of these truths deeply. He understands that false or shallow Christians don’t suffer the persecution he and his family currently suffer. So he can say “I feel honored” to suffer such mistreatment, for he sees it as a mark of his growing faith and God’s faithfulness. It is the same honor that the apostles felt after being questioned by the Jewish leaders and beaten: “they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name” (Acts 5:41).

Please pray for “Phong” and his family, and for other Christians in Laos.

YOUR TURN: If you were persecuted for your Christian faith, do you think you would be able to think of it as an honor? How would you respond?

Todd Nettleton has served the persecuted church and VOM more than 15 years. He has been interviewed more than 2000 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.

INDIA: Christ Is Preached

One of our VOM contacts in India recently shared an inspiring story of a young woman that lives her life for Jesus in spite of her many trials.

A 30-year-old widow, Vani is the sole provider for her family. While I’m not sure when Vani lost her husband, imagine the grief that a young mother must face with such loss. As a daily laborer, it is now up to her to provide shelter and food, clothing, as well as school fees for her 7-year-old daughter. Not an easy task, but she presses forward and finds her strength in Jesus.

Vani is a strong woman who is a faithful member of her church. She regularly travels with Rekha, 50, who is the pastor’s wife, and Mala, 34, who is a widow with two children, ages 12 and 14. Can you envision the sorts of conversations that they must have along the way? Together, they routinely go out to other villages where they meet with people who need to know about Jesus. They distribute gospel tracts, and actively seek opportunities to share God’s love with those they meet.

In early February, as Vani was on her way home from church, she found just such an opportunity when she noticed a young teenage girl at the bus stop. As they made introductions, she came to learn that Kusuma was a 15-year-old girl who was very depressed and sad about her home situation. She faced a lot of problems with her parents and her relatives.  

Following her recent release from prison, Vani is pictured with her 7-year-old daughter.

Vani shared the gospel with her, and Kusuma was very intrigued. As evening came, Kusuma decided to go to Vani’s house. The next morning, she still wasn’t ready to return to her parents’ home, so Vani invited her to attend church with her. There, she introduced the girl to Rekha and Mala, who also took interest in helping the girl and shared stories of Jesus with her before she went back to her home.

When Kusuma returned home, one can imagine how upset her parents must have been. Although Vani, Rekha, and Mala had cared for their daughter, it must have seemed suspicious. The parents told others about what happened, and soon they along with a group of radical Hindus filed a false complaint with police, stating that the women were kidnapping children and forcing them to convert to Christianity.

On March 2, police arrested Vani and took her to jail. Rekha and Mala managed to escape immediate arrest, but authorities were still looking for them as they wanted to charge all three with kidnapping and forced conversions. Vani’s 7-year-old daughter was left in the care of church workers.

While many people may have been discouraged, Vani saw it as a new opportunity to preach Christ. When we first learned of this, VOM was arranging to help with legal fees, including bail for Vani and anticipatory bail for Rekha and Mala.

Yesterday, we learned something even more exciting. She had been released after spending 15 days in jail, but it gets better. Vani tells us that she “did not lose her faith in the Lord” and used the time to continue to pray and share the gospel with those around her.

When the jailer saw the changes in the habits and activities of these women, Vani was encouraged to share the gospel and pray for nearly 70 ladies. In the 15 days that she was locked up for “forcing” a 15-year-old to convert, 14 of the women that Vani shared the gospel message with made decisions to follow Jesus.

Vani’s story reminds me of Paul’s words in Philippians 1: 12-13, “But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ.”

Vani has told us that she is interested in continuing prison ministry and reaching out to these women. Although Kusuma’s parents and other radical Hindus wanted her locked away for her “crime” of preaching Christ, even the jailer noticed a distinct difference about Vani. It was the jailer who encouraged Vani to pray for the women and share her faith. As a result, the things that have happened to Vani have actually turned out for the advancing of the gospel, so that there are now 14 more sisters in Christ.

“Ann Kay” is a writer for VOM. She learned about VOM five years ago when she read Tortured for Christ and began receiving the newsletter. She is passionate about reaching the world for Christ and sharing stories of the persecuted church.

Asia Bibi Appeal Delayed Again

The Lahore High Court has, for the second time in two weeks, delayed the first hearing on Asia Bibi’s appeal of her conviction for blasphemy and the resulting death sentence.

A hearing last week was delayed because one of the two judges set to hear the case was unable to be in court. Today the court convened once again, but had to delay the proceedings when the attorney for the complainant was not present in the court room. The judges waited ten minutes and then announced a delay in the case.

A photo of Asia Bibi taken during a prison visit.

In the case of Asia Bibi, the complainant, or “counterparty,” is Muslim mullah Qari Muhammed Sallam. Sallam is the man who submitted the original complaint in the case on June 19, 2009. The complaint accused Asia Bibi of speaking against the Islamic prophet, Mohammed, on June 14 of that year. Asia Bibi’s lawyers told Agenzia Fides that they will point to the five-day gap between the alleged statements and the complaint being filed as evidence that the charges were fabricated.

Asia Bibi was sentenced to death on November 8, 2010. Her appeal, No. 2509, was filed with the Lahore High Court on November 11, 2010.

Reportedly, April 14 was set for the next attempt to have this initial appeal hearing. VOM contacts in Pakistan are closely monitoring the case.

Please continue to pray for Asia Bibi as she waits in prison for the appeal process to move forward. Pray also for her husband and daughters as they await the court’s decision.

You can still sign the petition asking for Asia Bibi's release at www.CallForMercy.com.

Wise as Serpents and Harmless as Doves

In giving instructions to his disciples as they set out on a limited mission to Israel (Matt 10:16), Christ tells them that he is sending them out as sheep among the wolves, so they needed to be shrewd and not be seen as a threat. They were to remain innocent but not be foolish. While the instructions were meant for this limited mission, it makes good sense in our approach to the world. There is no need to rush out, foolishly crashing headlong into the opposition. That would be reckless. Why purposefully provoke those who are hostile when the point of the mission is to win those who are hostile to Christ? The message may invite and incite hostility but our behavior should not provoke them.

We do not seek difficulty or trouble but we are foolish to believe that we will not face it. As hard as it is for many, the point may come when civil disobedience is required of us. Sometimes it requires us to request due process of the law and fairness in interpreting the law. In the story of Rev. Christo Kulichev (found in Holcomb, Imprisoned for Christ), the pastor (Kulichev) makes a good point during his interrogation. He mentions that he was being interrogated for preaching but that in reality the Committee (the Communist Party) had not officially taken this right away from him nor had any accusations been written or issued against him. So, he argued, he was being arrested illegally. In doing this, he was clarifying the issue so that the interrogator would recognize that he (the interrogator) was in an illegal position. While it may not matter in the ultimate outcome of the trial, at least the Christian does not appear to be weak or passive. Reasoning with those who are perpetuating injustice allows the Holy Spirit to work in their hearts.

Sometimes careful reasoning and civil dialogue with our accusers is not an option. James Howell, in his book Servants, Misfits, and Martyrs, tells the story of Paul Schneider, who was a pastor in the Rhineland during Hitler’s time in power. While preaching a funeral for a youth who was a part of Hitler Youth and who died in a tragic accident, a leader of the Nazi youth organization exclaimed that the youth was now one of Horst Wessel’s heavenly storm troopers. Schneider responded by saying that there are no storm troopers in heaven. For three years he continued to speak in Christ’s name. Finally, the Gestapo arrested him and sent him to prison camp where each morning they tried to force him to salute the swastika and pledge allegiance to Hitler. He was tortured and cast into solitary confinement, where he preached as loudly as he could from his cell. The SS officers would beat him senseless each time. Finally, he was given a Strophanthin injection which abruptly ended his preaching and his life.

He chose the only righteous path open to him. He did the right thing and died for it.

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.

Extreme Example

COLOMBIA: CHET BITTERMAN

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1

The hooded and armed guerillas, members of the Marxist revolutionary group known as M-19, tied up the twelve adults and five children who were present in the Wycliffe Bible Translators headquarters in Bogota, Colombia. “Where is your director? Where is Al Wheeler?” the leader shouted into the face of one of the secretaries. “We want Wheeler!”

“Don’t hurt her,” came a quick reply. “Wheeler is not here.”

The Marxist bristled as if to hit him, then reconsidered. “All right, we’ll just take you instead. Let’s go!”

Chet Bitterman is one of those honored on The Martyrs' Wall at VOM's Ministry Center in Bartlesville, OK.

Their demands arrived several days later. “If your organization does not leave Colombia by February 19, we will execute our prisoner.” The guerillas even called President Reagan and demanded that their manifesto be published in the New York Times and the Washington Post or Mr. Chet Bitterman would die.

As the date approached, prayer chains were formed. A tape was received at a local radio station confirming that Chet had been witnessing to the guerillas. His wife, Brenda, received a letter requesting a Spanish Bible.

Chet reached his goal in life-to broadcast the gospel wherever it was needed. Chet’s body was eventually left on an abandoned bus by the terrorists. Colombians, along with Christians all across America, commemorated his death by stepping forward to fill the gap left by Chet. The following year, applications to serve with Wycliffe Bible Translators doubled.

Leading by example is a popular executive training principle. A company’s priorities ought to be modeled by the highest level of staff. When it comes to Christianity, leading by example is equally important. In fact, Jesus commanded it. He demonstrated how Christian leaders must model the faith for other believers to follow. He didn’t just give us his teachings-he lived them. How many of us are willing to live out a standard of radical obedience to Christ? If we are, we won’t control our own destinies. We will be an example to others as we follow the example of Christ. Who is observing your life today? What are they learning from your example about how closely you follow Christ? 

This is one of the readings from the book, Extreme Devotion, available from VOM’s online bookstore. You can also receive devotional thoughts daily via email. Sign up here.

Murderers Set Free in Turkey

This week I received an email from a Christian contact in Turkey. He shared the news that, under authority of a new Turkish law, the five men who murdered three Christians in 2007 were being set free. Their court case has dragged on and on and on, and the new law says that if a court verdict is not reached within five years, the accused should be set free until the verdict is reached.

The story of the deaths of my three brothers— Necati Aydın, Uğur Yüksel and German national Tilmann Geske—is a story that has gripped me deeply. Seven weeks after the murders I went to Turkey, where I met the widows of the two married martyrs, as well as the fiancé of the third man. I listened in awe as these ladies told me how God had enabled them to forgive the young men who brutally killed their husbands.

The young men were captured at the scene of the crime. They had notes in their pockets that they were defending their nation and their religion, Islam. There really isn’t much question as to their guilt or innocence. The questions that have arisen in the trial have much more to do with who put the men up to the killing. Did they act on their own, or were their powerful men behind the scenes that ordered the killing?

According to my contact, another new law in Turkey raises the possibility that the Malatya murder case will be assigned to a completely new court, which would mean starting the trial over and maybe many more years before a final verdict is rendered.

Christians in Turkey are understandably frustrated. They see the freedom of these men as a clear signal that they are not safe in their own country, that their government will not protect them and will not punish those who harm them.

Yet their hope does not rest in the Turkish government, or any other worldly power. Their hope, as the song says, is “built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” Whatever the court or the government may do, the foundation for these Christians is secure.

When I met Susanne Geske, widow of Tilmann, she told me that her young daughter had asked when they would go to see the men that killed her father. She wanted to take a Bible to them, in the jail, in the hope that someday they might be reunited with Tilmann and the other men—in heaven. Will you join me and the families of these courageous martyrs in that prayer, that—whether in jail or not—these five men will come to know Christ as their Savior and Lord?

For further information on this case, read Faithful Until Death by Wolfgang Haede. You can also watch a video interview with Haede and Semse Aydin, his sister-in-law and the widow of Necati Aydin.

Todd Nettleton has served the persecuted church and VOM 15 years. He has been interviewed more than 2000 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.

Should We Smuggle?

A couple of weeks ago, I was asked to teach a missions class at a Christian university. The topic was “Smuggling” and it was an excellent opportunity for me to share our perspective on a controversial topic. One of the reasons that the topic of smuggling is so hotly debated in Christian circles is that many misunderstand a biblical hierarchy of authority.

One fact is clear: persecuted Christians are asking for Bibles. What will we do about it?

Richard Wurmbrand wrote and spoke often about Bible smuggling.

VOM workers take risks to get God’s word into hostile and restricted nations. We are willing to work hard to get God’s Word to spiritually hungry people!

There are several explicit scriptural examples of breaking civil laws for God’s purposes. Here are a few quick examples that Richard Wurmbrand, our founder, alluded to: Michal put a doll in David’s bed to deceive Saul’s soldiers (An innocent man that had been anointed by God escaped), Rahab helped the spies smuggle themselves out of Jericho (Rahab is referred to as an example of faith in the NT), and Mary smuggled Jesus to Egypt (The law of Herod would have obliged Mary to give him up to death).

These examples are compelling and are worth digging into further. But, perhaps the most compelling examples emerge during the earliest days of the Church.

Two key verses report the apostles’ response to the command to stop spreading the good news about Jesus: “But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19–20).

But, wait, the case for illegal activity in the name of God becomes even more compelling when you flip the page in your Bible to Acts chapter 5. The local authorities, the High Priests, and the Sadducees were plagued with jealousy. So what did they do? They arrested the apostles and put them in the common prison. Consider verse 19: “But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, ‘Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.’”

What? Are you saying that an “angel of the Lord” actually told Peter and the other apostles to break the law? Unbelievable!

Of course, a few verses later we see the response from Peter and the other apostles: “But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

Wow! What a defining moment! Little did Peter and the other apostles know that their reaction to these threats would radically impact the history of the Church.

This would not be the last time that the apostles would suffer for Christ—they would face many more opportunities to suffer for His name’s sake. Are we willing to take that risk?

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 more than 30 countries as diverse as Cuba, Nepal, Iraq, Nigeria and Indonesia. He and his wife, Kimberly, along with their five children, count it a great honor to serve with the persecuted church.

A Secret Prayer Request

Believers in hostile and restricted nations must often pray and worship in secret. They risk their freedom, their physical and emotional well-being, and even their lives for sharing the gospel message with others in their families and those around them. They trust the words of Jesus when He said, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).

Your brothers and sisters in Christ around the world are encouraged when they hear how you have been praying for them, and they depend on your steadfast prayers. We consistently hear how God is working in their lives and using them even while they take great risks; they find more courage and strength because of prayers of readers like you.

Our VOM contacts try to give us as many pertinent details as possible, but they also must do so with extreme caution. This week, we received a very sensitive and urgent prayer request. Our VOM contact wrote:

In an Arabic country, a passionate local believer was informed by his father and his tribe’s leadership that he and others who decided to follow Christ had one week to return to Islam. If they do not, the family and tribe have decided they will be killed. This believer has already suffered greatly for his witness. Moreover, several of his closest friends have also been targeted and persecuted terribly because of their faith. Please pray for this brother and the others affected by this tribe’s decision. May God give them courage and wisdom in knowing how to respond. And may He work powerfully on the hearts of those who plan this scheme.

Will you please join us in prayer for this brother in Christ and his fellow workers?

“Ann Kay” is a writer for VOM. She learned about VOM five years ago when she read Tortured for Christ and began receiving the newsletter. She is passionate about reaching the world for Christ and sharing stories of the persecuted church.

The Real Story of St. Patrick

Monday is St. Patrick’s Day, a day Americans focus on good luck and all things Irish. But most of those celebrating don't know that the man for whom this day is named was a Christian persecuted because of his Christian actions.

The following comes from "A Note from the Author to Parents and Educators" that is included in The Story of St. Patrick: More Than Shamrocks and Leprechauns, a book for children published by VOM that tells the true story of St. Patrick’s Day.

Many celebrate Saint Patrick's Day on March 17^th and hang pictures of shamrocks and mythical creatures called leprechauns. But who was St. Patrick, and why do we celebrate his life on this day?

Patrick lived a full life, but not without his share of suffering and adventure. He was born in Britain, in the fourth century A.D., during a time of great uncertainty for the Roman Empire. The Roman legions that once protected civilized Britain from barbaric invaders were called away to defend themselves in other regions of the Roman Empire. Therefore, Britain was left vulnerable to attacks.

Just before Patrick turned 16 years of age, he and his family were at their holiday villa by the sea, located outside the town of Bannaventa Berniae when Irish  pirates attacked it just before dawn. (Some say the villa was attacked during the day while Patrick played on the beach. Although Patrick's family escaped, Patrick and many of the family's workers did not; and soon they were en route to Ireland, where Patrick was sold as a slave to Miliuc of Slemich, a Druid tribal chieftain.

Patrick was given the task of a herdsman. Though raised in a Christian home (his father, Calpornius, was a civil magistrate and tax collector, as well as a church deacon), Patrick never made a decision to follow Christ until he was kidnapped and made a slave. In his autobiography called Confessions, Patrick wrote: “…‘the Lord opened my senses to my unbelief,’ so that though late in the day, I might remember my many sins; and accordingly ‘I might turn to the Lord my God with all my heart.’” He also wrote about how his faith in God grew as he prayed to Him while he shepherded the flocks: “But after l had come to Ireland, it was then that I was made to shepherd the flocks day after day, and, as l did so, I would pray all the time, right through the day. More and more the love of God and fear of him grew strong within me, and as my faith grew, so the Spirit became more and more active... In snow, in frost, in rain, I would hardly notice any discomfort, and I was never slack but always full of energy. It is clear to me now, that this was due to. . .the Spirit within me.”

But Patricks devotion to God did not go unnoticed. He soon earned the nickname "Holy Boy" among his fellow slaves.

One night Patrick had a dream, and in it he heard a voice saying do him, "You are right to fast, soon you will be returning to your own country." In another dream he received a response to the first dream, being told, “Come and see where your ship is waiting for you.” At the age of 22, Patrick escaped and traveled 200 miles to the coast of Ireland. Of his long journey across Ireland, he wrote: "I turned on my heel and ran away, leaving behind the man to whom I had been bound for six years. Yet I came away from him in the power of God, for it was he who was guiding my every step for the best. And so I felt not the least anxiety until I reached the ship.

When Patrick approached one of the men on the ship that was on the coast, he asked to board. The seaman scowled at him, so Patrick began to leave when the man called back to him, saying the other men wanted him on board as a passenger. Patrick wrote. "In spite of this, I still hoped that they might come to have faith in Jesus Christ."

The journey by boat was long, including a stop on land where they journeyed for 28 days. After having run out of food, the captain turned to Patrick and challenged him to ask his God for food. Glad to oblige, Patrick responded: "Turn trustingly to the Lord who is my God and put your faith in him with all your heart, because nothing is impossible to him. On this day, he will send us food sufficient for our journey, because for him there is abundance everywhere." According to Patrick’s autobiography, when the men turned around, a herd of pigs was standing before them. They feasted for days and gave thanks to God.

Two years later Patrick finally made it to his beloved Britain and into the arms of his mother and father who pled with him never to leave them again. Patrick began to settle back into his life in Britain and studied to become a priest and bishop. But one night Patrick had a dream of a man who seemed to come from Ireland and was carrying a letter with the words “The Voice of the Irish.” As Patrick began to read the words, he seemed to hear the voice of the same men he worked with as if they were shouting, “Holy broth of a boy, we beg you, come back and walk once more among us.”

But Patrick's plans to return to Ireland—the land of his captivity—were fiercely opposed by both his parents and the church leaders who, by the way, did not think the Druids were worth saving. His family shuddered at the thought of him returning to barbaric Ireland with the gospel, as the Druids were known to weave criminals and runaway  slaves into giant wicker baskets and suspend them over a fire. Of this opposition Patrick later wrote; “So at last I came here to the Irish gentiles to preach the gospel. And now I had to endure insults from unbelievers, to ‘hear criticism of my journeys’ and suffer many persecutions ‘even to the point of chains.’…And should I prove worthy, I am ready and willing to give up my own life, without hesitation, for his name…There was always someone talking behind my back and whispering, ‘Why does he want to put himself in such danger among his enemies who do not know God?’” Patrick had to sell his title of nobility in order to become the “slave of Christ serving the barbaric nation.”

While Patrick was in Ireland, he shared the gospel with his former slave owner, Miliuc the Druid. But instead of turning his back on his pagan gods, Miliuc locked himself in his house and set it on fire while Patrick stood outside the house and pled with him to turn to Christ. It is said Miliuc drowned out Patrick’s pleadings by crying out to his false gods.

But Miliuc's refusal to hear the gospel was just the beginning of Patrick’s challenges with the Druids as he spread the gospel across Ireland and taught the people how to read and write. One story that some believe is legend mentions Patrick challenging the Druid wizards in 433 A.D., on the vernal equinox, which occurred on Easter Sunday that year. Patrick challenged the wizards' power of control by starting a bonfire, which was central to the Druids’ ritual, on a hillside opposite of the barbaric idol-worshippers. Patrick was dragged before the Druid council where he had the opportunity to share about Jesus, the light of the world. Some Druids believed, and others tried to kill him.

Patrick continued his journey across Ireland. He preached at racetracks and other places of worldly indulgences, seeing many come to Christ. However, this was not without opposition. The Druids often tried to poison him. One time a barbarian warrior speared Patrick’s chariot driver to death in an attempt to kill Patrick. He was often ambushed at his evangelistic events, and it is noted that he was enslaved again for a short time. He had to purchase safe passage through a hostile warlord's land in order to continue on his journey. Another time Patrick and his companions were taken as prisoners and were going to be killed, but they were later released. In Confessions, Patrick wrote, “As every day arrives, I expect either sudden death or deception or being taken back as a slave or some such other misfortune. But I fear none of these, since I look to the promise of heaven and have flung myself into the hands of the all-powerful God, who rules as Lord everywhere.”

Patrick journeyed throughout Ireland, sharing Christ until his death on March 17^th, around the year 461 A.D. Later Irish mythological creatures known as leprechauns would creep into the holiday celebrations, as well as the symbol of the shamrock, believed to have been used by Patrick to illustrate the Trinity as he preached and taught. Some legends have circulated stating Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland. Since there are no snakes in Ireland and snakes often symbolize the devil and evil, many believe the "snakes" were a metaphor representing his work of driving the idol-worshipping Druid cult out of the country.

Enslavement, torture, imprisonment and death for one's faith in Christ were not confined to Patrick’s lifetime. Today Christians in communist nations like China, Vietnam and Cuba are imprisoned if caught sharing the gospel with fellow countrymen. In Sudan, a Christian boy named Demare was kidnapped by militant Muslims and sold as a slave. And in Vietnam, when members of some tribal groups have come to Christ, they destroy the altars used to pray to their dead ancestors. When fellow villagers and even members of the government hear about this, these new believers in Christ are harassed and some even imprisoned for turning away from their empty religions of idol and ancestor worship.

We may never be enslaved, imprisoned or beaten because of our faith in Christ, but many may make fun of us for believing in Jesus’ promise of heaven and placing our faith in a God they do not see with their eyes and cannot touch with their hands. I pray this version of Patrick’s courageous life will inspire you to stand firm in Christ and stand strong for Him as you tell others about the greatest gift we can ever be given—salvation through Jesus!

Opposition: Positive, Negative, or Deadly

People who thrive on competition enjoy opposition; it is what motivates and inspires them. Conventional wisdom says that competition brings out the best in us, and to a degree that is true. When opposition, however, is serious and life-threatening, most people shy away from it, usually because opposition implies something negative and difficult, if not personally devastating. Opposition can be devastating.

This is equally true when one’s beliefs are threatened, along with the threat of loss of property or life. Christians are aware, by and large, that there is opposition from spiritual forces that seek to undermine and destroy God’s work and people. The positive side is that it should make us more vigilant. The negative side (at least from the world’s viewpoint) is that it could cost us everything. That is why we are to “count the cost.” What seems negative may bring glory to God, and that is always positive.

Opposition can have many forms; it can be a minor restriction or serious oppression and repression. We can be challenged, threatened, hated, shamed, shunned, treated with contempt, harassed, discriminated against, and sometimes expelled or killed for our witness. Spiritual opposition can come from spiritual beings who seek to disrupt or destroy our faith, but it often takes the form of human beings, persons in positions of power, who seek to restrict or destroy our faith through force and coercion. This makes opposition up-close and personally costly.

In some cases, opposition can decimate or destroy the church in a particular location. Nina Shea remarks: “we must remember that in some cases, such as in many parts of the Muslim world, Christian communities are rapidly vanishing under relentless persecution” (In the Lion’s Den, 8). In the Middle East “persecution has led to a vastly diminished Christian presence” (In the Lion’s Den, 15).

Opposition can be devastating. In North Korea, in the early part of the twentieth century, the church was thriving. Pyongyang, the capital of now North Korea was known as “The Jerusalem of the Orient” had 2000 churches in the city. Today, under one of the world’s most repressive political and military regimes, the church is nearly absent except for some showcase churches and an underground church that cannot meet together because of the danger of spies.

On the positive side, there are places where persecution and serious opposition has caused the church to grow and experience revival (such as Iran and the Horn of Africa). Religious persecution has become so serious that it is being picked up as news stories in international news media. In this sense, opposition is playing a positive role in educating the Western church about the reality of persecution around the world. Persecution is a profound and ongoing reality in many countries, and is something that the Western world will not be able to avoid. It should motivate us to be more vigilant and more committed as we face ever-increasing opposition.

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.