Persecution Blog

Giving Thanks

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods.

Psalm 95:2-3

 

Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

Ephesians 1:15-21

 

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

 

Happy Thanksgiving from The Voice of the Martyrs.

"Do You Want To See My New Book?"

What would it be like to live in a village that was nearly impossible to drive to? When visitors manage to travel to this type of village, people come pouring out of their homes to see what all the commotion is about.

Not long ago, I visited a place like this in Nepal. As we drove out of the city one morning, and made our way through some small towns, we finally met a brother on the corner of a small road. Of course, I was still in a bit of a jet lag fog since Nepal’s time-zone is 11 hours and forty-five minutes ahead of where I live. I didn’t quite understand why we were getting out of our vehicle already. Then, it became clear. We were leaving our car and crawling into his four wheel drive vehicle so that we could drive up that road? Really? I guess you could call that a road…it looked more like a path to me. But he skillfully drove to the top of a steep incline, sliding through the mud along the way.

After we exited his vehicle and walked down a muddy path, we took our shoes off and ducked into a room that was filled with excitement. It was a church, and there were at least 80 people squeezed in. They knew we were coming, and many of them left early that morning to walk to this meeting. They were there to receive Bibles — and they were ready!

After listening to them sing, and sharing a brief word of encouragement with them, we began opening boxes. People sat patiently as we hand-delivered stacks of Bibles to various parts of the room, where they were evenly distributed. Smiles were all around as these dear sisters and brothers clung to their new Bibles. Many of them had experienced persecution and marginalization for years without being able to find encouragement from their own copy of the Bible.

Showing a Bible story book to a Hindu neighbor

These types of distributions happen in many of the 64 countries that VOM worked in last year. Our goal is a “Bible for Every Believer.” What is remarkable about this goal is that many of the believers we serve are in the most hostile and restricted places on earth. Places where is it possible to be killed just for possessing contraband — like a Bible.

In spite of these restrictions and risks, these bold believers continue to stand for Christ and to attempt to live at peace with their neighbors. It reminded me of Paul’s admonition to the Church at Rome, a Church that understood what it meant to be marginalized: “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:18-21).

That morning, we also distributed Children’s Bible story books. I was so pleased to see the young girl in this picture sharing her story book with a neighbor. As soon as our meeting was over, she ran out the door where her Hindu neighbor boy was waiting. We smiled at him and then she asked him if he wanted to see her new book. Of course he did! He couldn’t wait to check it out! He began to excitedly flip through the pages, and I have a feeling that he’ll get a chance to read the entire book before long.

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone…

Dr. Jason Peters serves in VOM’s International Ministries department, traveling frequently to meet with our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. He has ministered in 35 countries, as diverse as Cuba, India, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Burma, Sri Lanka, Colombia, Kyrgyzstan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Indonesia and Nigeria. Before joining VOM’s team, Jason was a faculty member of the US Air Force Chaplain Corps College, where he directed Crisis and Trauma training. Jason, his wife, Kimberly, and their five children are actively engaged in standing with their persecuted sisters and brothers.

Extreme Missionary

IRIAN JAYA: STANLEY ALBERT DALE

He has also set eternity in the hearts of men. Ecclesiastes 3:11

One by one the arrows struck his flesh, and one by one Stanley Albert Dale pulled them out and broke the cane shafts over his knee. The blood flowed from his many wounds and onto the riverbank. The screaming Yali warriors feared that the white man, or duong, was immortal.

Already, the Yali in another village had tried to kill Dale. They were frightened by his message, for his followers had burned their traditional idols and places of spirit worship. They had also shot Dale, but the duong had walked away and completely healed.

Dale had come to the mountains of Irian Jaya (today’s Indonesia) in the 1960s to share Christ’s love. Now facing hundreds of screaming warriors, he pulled arrows out of his body as fast as they pierced his skin. These Yali had been warned that the Spirit inside him was very powerful. Finally, Dale and the other missionary fell. More than sixty broken arrows were piled at Dale’s feet. The warriors then dismembered his body parts for fear that they would rise again.

The Yali thought that would be the end of the gospel message in their valley, but it was not. Other Christians came, and many of the same warriors who had fired arrows into Dale’s body became believers. The duong who would not die now celebrates Jesus alongside his own converted murderers.

Although the Yali thought Dale’s earthly body was immortal, it was actually his soul that would not die. The missionaries who followed in Dale’s wake helped the Yali understand eternity. They shared God with the Yali. Think for a moment about what events, people, and things took the bulk of your time this past week. Certainly, the practicalities of life call us to deal with things that are hardly eternal issues: dirty diapers, ringing phones, dry cleaning, and soccer practice. However, Dale’s story reminds us to prioritize things that matter for eternity. What part of your daily life does have eternal significance? If you don’t make time for it, who will?

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.

Stanley Dale's story is told in "Lords of the Earth" by Don Richardson.

[Disclosure: VOM is a member of the Amazon Associates program, and if you click on the previous link and order a copy of Lords of the Earth, VOM will recieve a small portion of the sale price.]

 

Deliverance from Evil People

The Apostle Paul asked the Thessalonian church to pray that he, Silas, and Timothy be delivered from wicked and evil people (2 Thessalonians 3:2-3). Jesus prayed in John 17:18 that the Father not take his followers from the world, but that they be kept from the evil one. How do we harmonize Paul’s expectation to be persecuted and even Christ’s statements that all of his followers will be persecuted (John 15:20) with the prayer to avoid persecution?

What may be generally true is not necessarily God’s will in each instance. Paul, for example, had a calling to work in that particular case. The key to understanding Paul is to realize that foremost in his mind was to do God’s will. Paul would not intentionally seek persecution, but if it came his way in the course of doing God’s will, he would endure it if necessary. In some cases persecution would be an unnecessary distraction and delay, sidetracking him from doing the work he was supposed to do. When he was healed, he would resume the work. The Ephesian Church begged him not to go to Jerusalem because he would be killed but Paul was determined to go because he was sure that this was God’s will. Jewish and Roman authorities sent him from Jerusalem to Rome where he was martyred. In the meantime he preached the gospel to persons who could not have had the opportunity to hear the gospel had he not gone there and been martyred.

The point is that Paul single-mindedly sought to do God’s will, using discretion in areas where caution was called for. If he suffered he was assured that God had allowed it to complement and supplement his work. We do not recklessly run toward persecution nor do we shy away from it when it becomes evident that it has been providentially ordained for us at that particular time. This would reflect Paul’s method of work and mission.

The great Church Father, Athanasius, had to defend his decision to escape to Alexandria, Egypt to avoid persecution. The people who called him a coward were the ones who desired to kill him. He felt no obligation to submit to their demand and taunting to come forth and be judged and punished. He had important work to do defending orthodox teachings. He was forced into exile numerous times because of his orthodox belief in the nature of Christ. Few today in the Western world are persecuted for believing in doctrinal truth but around the world many are dying each day because of their belief in Jesus as Lord, which is an important theological statement. Some are able to flee from persecution, but some are caught up in the evil schemes of men.  In all cases the purpose is to do God’s will. Persecution may be a consequence of this work. It is perfectly appropriate to pray to escape persecution if that is not God’s will for the occasion.

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.

VOMRadio: "How Do We Understand The Cross Unless We Suffer?"

In this week's episode of VOMRadio we talk with Dr. Berhane, a Christians from the small African nation of Eritrea--a nation where almost 1,000 Christians are currently in prison for their faith.

Dr. Berhane spent 11 months in prison for his Christian work; he watched friends and fellow prisoners led away to execution. But he also saw God’s hand at work as fellow prisoners accepted the gospel message and turned their hearts toward Christ.

Dr. Berhane shares movingly the lessons God taught him through days of dark suffering, and how he prepared himself to face persecution. He also offers updates on the current persecution of Christians in Eritrea and how we can pray for that nation.

Among the gems from the interview:

“I think we have to read the Scripture as it is. Sometimes we select some Scriptures that deal with blessing and we just want to meditate on them. But we have to balance it. Of course God is the God who blesses us. But sometimes also He lets us go through suffering in order to share in His suffering. How do we understand the cross unless we suffer?”

 

 

There are currently three Christian prisoners from Eritrea listed on PrisonerAlert. Write letters to them, and to Eritrean government officials, here.

You can also listen to previous episodes of VOMRadio, including discussions of China, Iran, Iraq and other nations.

Indonesia: More Religious Freedom?

VOM's Todd Nettleton was interviewed this week by Mission Network News about possible developments in Indonesia that could be good news for our Christian brothers and sisters. Here is a portion of the resulting story from MNN:

Indonesia (MNN) — The world’s largest Muslim country may be looking at some significant change for religious freedom priorities soon. It’s an about-face from the Yudhoyono administration.

One month into his new presidency, Jokowi Widodo, is living up to his reputation as a reformer by proposing a controversial change. The Voice of the Martyrs-USA spokesman Todd Nettleton explains, “He’s proposing a bill. He says it will come before the Parliament within the next six months to protect religious minorities. That would include Christians. There’s another facet of change that he wants to make which would remove religious identity from the national ID cards that the Indonesia government issues.” Part of the proposed bill would streamline the process for non-Muslims to get permits for places of worship.

Until now, the government recognized six religions: Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Taoism, and Buddhism. However, Nettleton says the issue wasn’t a religious one so much as a reaction to the political landscape of the time.

The list and ID card designation are kind of an outdated reaction to a political situation Indonesia in 1969. Nettleton says, “That goes back to a previous dictator fighting against Communism, so putting religion on the ID card was a step toward saying, ‘There is a God. Look! All the people of our country are going to say which god they’re following.'”

Nettleton goes on to add, “Really, the time for that is past. If he [President Jokowi Widodo] can present it in a way that is not so much a religious thing as much as ‘we don’t have to worry about a communism takeover anymore,’ maybe it’ll go smoother, but there will be some push-back against this.”

The proposals seem like a fairly minor issue to people not following Indonesia’s politics. However, Nettleton says, “It is a very significant thing, particularly for those who want to change their religion. If your identity card says you’re a Muslim, and you want to become a Christian, you need to go back to that office and say, ‘I’m a Christian now. I want to get a new ID card.’ That is a choke point for persecution.”

When asked about potential impact of this legislation, Nettleton said it was a step in the right direction, but it’s too early to get excited. “At this point, this is somebody saying, ‘This is what we want to do,’ or ‘This is what we’re GOING to do.’ But it hasn’t been done yet. That’s something that we can pray about, that we can be successful in moving this from the idea stage to actually being passed law in Indonesia.” Lawmakers are still working on putting the legal code together, but expect it to be ready for discussion within six months.

Read the rest of the story from MNN.

"Sincerely Spiritually Touched"

VOM held 40 regional conferences in 2014, in every corner of the United States. Speakers from many different restricted and hostile nations have shared their stories, as well as VOM workers sharing the stories of persecuted believers they have met and VOM projects that have assisted these believers.

We've received so many letters from those whose hearts were challenged and changed while attending a VOM conference. Letters like this one from a couple in Ohio:

This was our first VOM Conference...and we could not have been more pleased, impressed and sincerely spiritually touched. From the moment we walked in the door each and every person was as polite & caring as you can imagine. The Host Church did a fantastic job and the event was life-changing.
We look forward to next years schedule.  
Gods Blessings to all involved with such an event as this !

The final conference for 2014 will be held this Saturday in Jackson, Kentucky. (More info and free online registration is here.) Already conferences are being scheduled for 2015, where more encouraging stories will be told.

Make plans now to attend a conference in 2015. If you attend a large church (seating for 600+), consider talking with your pastor about your church hosting a VOM conference.

Refiner’s Fire: Christians in the Kilns

Set within Pakistan’s Punjab province about 40 miles southwest of Lahore, Chak 59 is a rural village where most people work as day laborers. Like many other families here, Christians Shahzad Masih and his pregnant wife, Shama Bibi were compelled to work long days at the brick kiln. Their 6-year-old son and two daughters, 4 and 1 ½, will also be expected to work when they are older.

Brick kiln where Shehzad and Shama worked.

Already outcasts in society, believers in Pakistan are often without work or property. They are marginalized and pushed to the edges of town where factories like brick kilns operate and need laborers. Nearly all of those who work in the brick kilns are bonded servants – essentially slaves to the owner because of the debt that they owe him. Though the practice was outlawed decades ago, an estimated eight million Pakistanis work as bonded servants. Shahzad Masih and his five older brothers had worked at the brick kiln for the last seventeen years. Though he started working around age 13 helping to repay his father’s debt, Shahzad owed the brick kiln owner an estimated 100,000 Rupees or $970.

Virtually all bonded servants are from minority groups: Christians, those from the lowest castes, and people from indigenous tribes. Human Rights Watch (HRW) reports that thirteen out of nineteen brick-kiln workers in Punjab district are Christians. In addition to Shahzad Masih’s family, there were ten other Christian families working for the brick kiln in Chak 59.

Brick kiln work is one of the harshest forms of servitude in Pakistan. Workers – which often include children – endure physical strain and hazardous working conditions. Those who are injured are often forced to continue their work in spite of painful bruises, burns, cuts, sprains, or broken bones.

A Christian lawyer in Lahore stated, “Christian bonded laborers suffer double exploitation as religious minorities and bonded laborers.” Often, they are forced to work harder and punished more brutally and more frequently than Muslim bonded laborers. In spite of laws against forced labor, local government officials rarely protect Christian citizens and often discriminate against them.

One Christian worker at a brick kiln tried to leave after constant mistreatment. He was caught by local police and held for three weeks under a false theft charge. While imprisoned, he was beaten by police officers and his wife was sexually harassed by the brick kiln foreman. After his release, police forced him to return to the brick kiln.

Even where officials try to protect Christians, locals can depend on Muslim sects to carry out extreme violence against perceived offenses. When Chak 59’s brick kiln owner Muhammad Yousaf became concerned that Shahzad Masih and Shama Bibi were going to leave before their debt was paid, a rumor was spread that Shama Bibi had violated Pakistan’s longstanding blasphemy law by burning a Quran.

It is not likely that Shama Bibi or anyone in her extended Christian family would have had the means to own a Quran. But with logic pushed aside, a loudspeaker at the local mosque made an announcement on Nov. 4 that Shama Bibi had burned a Quran, and the terror began.

When the mob descended, the Christian families fled the brick kiln. Shama and Shahzad locked themselves in a room, but Muslim radicals climbed on top of the thatched roof and pulled them out. The couple was mercilessly beaten with sticks and shovels. The couple was then tied to a tractor that dragged their beaten bodies around in circles.

The graves where Shehzad and Shama are buried.

As some of their horrified relatives cried for the Muslim radicals to stop, the tractor suddenly turned towards the brick kiln furnaces. The couple frantically begged for their lives. The couple was placed inside the circular holes situated in rows used for stoking the fire pits. Afterward, only their bones remained.

Though the owner, Muhammad Yousaf, along with the brick kiln clerk and 43 others were arrested for their part in the mob attack, it’s not likely they’ll ever face justice.

And today, millions of Christians continue their work at brick kilns throughout Pakistan. They are our brothers and sisters being refined like gold and silver. They need encouragement and prayers.

Sources: VOM sources, International Dalit Solidarity Network, Human Rights Watch

US Official Gets Rare Look Inside North Korea

Yesterday CBS News aired an interview with James Clapper, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence, who recently returned from North Korea along with two American citizens who had been imprisoned there.

It is extremely rare for a currently-serving government official to visit North Korea, and while Clapper does not discuss North Korea's treatment of Christians in this interview, his comments offer insights into the nation where thousands of our brothers and sisters are currently held in political-prisoner camps:

 

We are thankful for the release of these two Americans and their chance to be reunited with their families. We pray this same blessing will be realized by our Christian brothers and sisters inside North Korea's prisons: that they may be released and reunited with their families as well. Pray with us for the nation of North Korea.

You can speak out on behalf of North Korea's Christians at www.letterofconfession.com. 

VOMRadio: VOM Standing with Displaced Christians in Iraq

Tens of thousands of Christians have been displaced by the advance of the Islamic State in Iraq. Many families were forced out of their homes with nothing more than the clothes on their backs.

This week on VOMRadio, Todd and Adam discuss traveling to Iraq to deliver aid from VOM to those displaced Christians, hearing their stories of suffering and seeing first-hand how God is working even during this time of upheaval and suffering in Iraq. We’ll also discuss how listeners can pray for and support these believers.

 

You can watch Todd's video diary from the Iraq trip that Adam and Todd are discussing here: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4. You can learn about the launch of VOMRadio here, and listen to all episodes.