Persecution Blog

How Can I Keep From Singing?

I recently served as a leader at a Christian retreat for teenagers. Over the weekend, we were asked to take off our watches and shut off our phones so that we could focus our attention on what God had for us over that three-day period. Though it wasn’t as easy to do as I thought it would be, I was glad for the brief reprieve.

It was good not to have my attention pulled away by social media or news of political upheaval, financial crises, and terrorist attacks. Even so, I was keenly aware, that even if I didn’t hear of the latest attack over the weekend, Christians around the world were certainly facing difficulties at that moment. Christians in each of the countries where VOM works face innumerable problems with their families, their government, and those who declare themselves as enemies of Christ. How do they keep their faith in Christ during such tumultuous times?

One of the hymns that comes to mind as an answer is “How Can I Keep From Singing?” by Robert Lowry. The refrain:

No storm can shake my inmost calm
while to that Rock I’m clinging.
Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth,
how can I keep from singing?

Immediately following the retreat, I had the privilege of sitting down with Pastor Faisal, who has served in Pakistan for many years. While facing constant difficulties, he continues to follow Christ faithfully. 

Pastor Faisal shared that while on his way back from distributing VOM-sponsored Bibles to believers in rural villages, his team was attacked. While driving through a secluded area at night, six gunmen forced their second vehicle to stop.

The gunmen threatened to kill the driver and demanded valuables. They beat one of the passengers badly, and the Christians gave the gunmen all they had. When the robbers asked for more, the Christians offered them the Bibles they had in the van.

Instead of focusing on the fear of what might happen, the Christians in the van kept Psalm 23 in mind. When they had taken all they could, the robbers left. The Christians later learned this criminal gang is notorious for killing their victims.

My problems are not generally as severe as those faced by Pastor Faisal’s team. Mine might be more of distractions or annoyances. And yet, the example of Pastor Faisal and his team are enough to remind me that in those moments, I must continue to keep on singing, because Christ is the Lord of heaven and earth.

 “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.

Yklas’ Family Hopes for Early Release

It was difficult to know what to expect as we met with the family of Yklas Kabduakasov, a Christian convert from Islam who is serving two years in a prison labor camp in Kazakhstan for sharing his Christian faith with Muslims. I hoped to both find out how his wife, Karlygash, and their children have been coping in his absence and to convey God’s love and our support.

Karlygash welcomed us into her pristine home, and I was impressed by her hospitality and warm spirit. This is the home where she and Yklas are raising their four youngest children. A teenage son and daughter greeted us, led us up the elevator to the family’s apartment, and then say their goodbyes as they left for school. The couple’s youngest daughter played in a playpen nearby, and their infant son sat in his high chair.

Yklas’ adult son, Alibek, a lawyer who is representing his father, also joined us. Yklas was arrested Aug. 14, 2015 after secret police began secretly recording his conversations with several people who claimed to be seekers. Karlygash told us, “They had spies in the people who were talking with him.”

After his arrest, secret police came to seize all literature in the family’s home, even if it had nothing to do with Christian teachings. Karlygash was eight months’ pregnant with their youngest son, and the search lasted for several hours.

As the secret police continued their investigation, they held Yklas in a detention cell for twelve weeks. During this time, numerous reports about Yklas were broadcast on television. Alibek said, “There were a lot of inaccurate scenes basically portraying [him] as an evil doer. The way they handled this information on TV, they really tried to generate this negative attitude.” This was the hardest moment for the family, especially Yklas’ teenage daughter and son.

As his father’s public defender, Alibek was allowed to watch hours of the videos used to charge his father with “inciting religious hatred.” Though convinced of his dad’s innocence, it wasn’t until he watched the videos that he stopped trying to push his dad to take a plea deal. He was certain that the videos would prove that his father never spoke negatively about Islam or Muslims.

Yklas was eventually found guilty and sentenced to seven years’ house arrest. Upon appeal in December 2015, where the prosecution pushed for a seven-year prison sentence, the judge imposed a harsher sentence than the original. Yklas would spend the next two years in a labor camp.

The judge had given the lowest possible sentence in consideration of Yklas’ young children, but the family was discouraged to have him taken away. Situated 280 miles away, the prison labor camp allows one visit every two months, and a special 48-hour visit can be arranged once every six months. For the shorter visits, only two adults and one child can visit, making it impossible for the entire family to see him at the same time.

Yklas’ family has chosen not to pursue another appeal. They fear that his two-year sentence could become longer if they go to the Supreme Court.  Once he reaches the mid-point of his sentence in October 2016, he could be eligible for early release based on behavior.

Karlygash tells us that while it has been hard on her, Yklas’ absence has been especially difficult for their teenage son and daughter. Her son has become quiet, and she believes that he is trying to protect her from being hurt. Her daughter developed a skin rash soon after her father’s imprisonment, which seems related to stress. The positive thing, however, is that both of them seem to have maintained their friendships and have not been ostracized.

It was an encouragement to hear that the family has found support. The church pastor along with a local Christian friend frequently visit and continue to offer guidance and emotional support.

They ask that we pray that Yklas would return soon and stay in good health. We tell them that we certainly will, and that more than 600 believers have already made their prayers on Yklas’ behalf public.

Post your prayer for Yklas here.

Write Yklas an encouraging letter here.

 “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.

Praying for Muslims: Isik Abla

Earlier this month Muslims around the world finished their celebration of Ramadan, the holiest month on the Islamic calendar.

During the final 10 days of Ramadan, The Voice of the Martyrs was one of the ministries involved in a world-wide effort to encourage Christians to pray specifically for a move of God’s spirit to draw Muslims to Jesus Christ during Ramadan. The effort was coordinated by author Tom Doyle and our friends at CBN News, and featured a Facebook Live prayer meeting each evening at 8:38 (EDT) for the last 10 days of Ramadan.

The videos posted have now been watched more than half a million times! Only in eternity will we know how many prayers have been encouraged by this effort, or how many Muslims responded to Christ’s call as a direct result of this prayer effort.

Ramadan has ended, but there is never a bad time to pray for Muslims to come to know Jesus. On the blog we’ll be sharing videos from all of the speakers who were part of this special effort. Today is the final day, and the leader is Isik Abla, a former Muslim who was planning to commit suicide when she met Jesus Christ.

May each of these videos remind you to continue to pray for Muslims, not only during Ramadan but throughout the year.

 

Praying for Muslims: Heather Mercer

Earlier this month Muslims around the world finished their celebration of Ramadan, the holiest month on the Islamic calendar.

During the final 10 days of Ramadan, The Voice of the Martyrs was one of the ministries involved in a world-wide effort to encourage Christians to pray specifically for a move of God’s spirit to draw Muslims to Jesus Christ during Ramadan. The effort was coordinated by author Tom Doyle and our friends at CBN News, and featured a Facebook Live prayer meeting each evening at 8:38 (EDT) for the last 10 days of Ramadan.

The videos posted have now been watched more than half a million times! Only in eternity will we know how many prayers have been encouraged by this effort, or how many Muslims responded to Christ’s call as a direct result of this prayer effort.

Ramadan has ended, but there is never a bad time to pray for Muslims to come to know Jesus. On the blog we’ll be sharing videos from all of the speakers who were part of this special effort. May each one remind you to continue to pray for Muslims, not only during Ramadan but throughout the year. Today's prayer leader is Heather Mercer, former gospel worker and hostage for Christ in Afghanistan:

 

Praying for Muslims: Chris Mitchell

Earlier this month Muslims around the world finished their celebration of Ramadan, the holiest month on the Islamic calendar.

During the final 10 days of Ramadan, The Voice of the Martyrs was one of the ministries involved in a world-wide effort to encourage Christians to pray specifically for a move of God’s spirit to draw Muslims to Jesus Christ during Ramadan. The effort was coordinated by author Tom Doyle and our friends at CBN News, and featured a Facebook Live prayer meeting each evening at 8:38 (EDT) for the last 10 days of Ramadan.

The videos posted have now been watched more than half a million times! Only in eternity will we know how many prayers have been encouraged by this effort, or how many Muslims responded to Christ’s call as a direct result of this prayer effort.

Ramadan has ended, but there is never a bad time to pray for Muslims to come to know Jesus. On the blog we’ll be sharing videos from all of the speakers who were part of this special effort. May each one remind you to continue to pray for Muslims, not only during Ramadan but throughout the year.

Today Chris Mitchell, CBN's Middle East Bureau Chief, leads our prayer:

 

Praying for Muslims: Tom Doyle

Earlier this month Muslims around the world finished their celebration of Ramadan, the holiest month on the Islamic calendar.

During the final 10 days of Ramadan, The Voice of the Martyrs was one of the ministries involved in a world-wide effort to encourage Christians to pray specifically for a move of God’s spirit to draw Muslims to Jesus Christ during Ramadan. The effort was coordinated by author Tom Doyle and our friends at CBN News, and featured a Facebook Live prayer meeting each evening at 8:38 (EDT) for the last 10 days of Ramadan.

The videos posted have now been watched more than half a million times! Only in eternity will we know how many prayers have been encouraged by this effort, or how many Muslims responded to Christ’s call as a direct result of this prayer effort.

Ramadan has ended, but there is never a bad time to pray for Muslims to come to know Jesus. On the blog we’ll be sharing videos from all of the speakers who were part of this special effort. May each one remind you to continue to pray for Muslims, not only during Ramadan but throughout the year. Tonight's prayer leader is Tom Doyle, author of the book, Killing Christians.

 

You can also hear Tom Doyle's interview with The Voice of the Martyrs Radio here and here.

Praying for Muslims: Hazem Farraj

Earlier this month Muslims around the world finished their celebration of Ramadan, the holiest month on the Islamic calendar.

During the final 10 days of Ramadan, The Voice of the Martyrs was one of the ministries involved in a world-wide effort to encourage Christians to pray specifically for a move of God’s spirit to draw Muslims to Jesus Christ during Ramadan. The effort was coordinated by author Tom Doyle and our friends at CBN News, and featured a Facebook Live prayer meeting each evening at 8:38 (EDT) for the last 10 days of Ramadan.

The videos posted have now been watched more than half a million times! Only in eternity will we know how many prayers have been encouraged by this effort, or how many Muslims responded to Christ’s call as a direct result of this prayer effort.

Ramadan has ended, but there is never a bad time to pray for Muslims to come to know Jesus. On the blog we’ll be sharing videos from all of the speakers who were part of this special effort. May each one remind you to continue to pray for Muslims, not only during Ramadan but throughout the year. In today's video, ex-Muslim Hazem Farraj shares his POWERFUL testimony, reveals the truth about ISIS, and explains why Americans MUST pray for Muslims.

 

 

Praying for Muslims: Fouad Masri

Earlier this month Muslims around the world finished their celebration of Ramadan, the holiest month on the Islamic calendar.

During the final 10 days of Ramadan, The Voice of the Martyrs was one of the ministries involved in a world-wide effort to encourage Christians to pray specifically for a move of God’s spirit to draw Muslims to Jesus Christ during Ramadan. The effort was coordinated by author Tom Doyle and our friends at CBN News, and featured a Facebook Live prayer meeting each evening at 8:38 (EDT) for the last 10 days of Ramadan.

The videos posted have now been watched more than half a million times! Only in eternity will we know how many prayers have been encouraged by this effort, or how many Muslims responded to Christ’s call as a direct result of this prayer effort.

Ramadan has ended, but there is never a bad time to pray for Muslims to come to know Jesus. On the blog we’ll be sharing videos from all of the speakers who were part of this special effort. May each one remind you to continue to pray for Muslims, not only during Ramadan but throughout the year. Today's prayer leader is Fouad Masri, the founder and leader of The Crescent Project.

 

 

 

Praying for Muslims: George Thomas

Earlier this month Muslims around the world finished their celebration of Ramadan, the holiest month on the Islamic calendar.

During the final 10 days of Ramadan, The Voice of the Martyrs was one of the ministries involved in a world-wide effort to encourage Christians to pray specifically for a move of God’s spirit to draw Muslims to Jesus Christ during Ramadan. The effort was coordinated by author Tom Doyle and our friends at CBN News, and featured a Facebook Live prayer meeting each evening at 8:38 (EDT) for the last 10 days of Ramadan.

The videos posted have now been watched more than half a million times! Only in eternity will we know how many prayers have been encouraged by this effort, or how many Muslims responded to Christ’s call as a direct result of this prayer effort.

Ramadan has ended, but there is never a bad time to pray for Muslims to come to know Jesus. On the blog we’ll be sharing videos from all of the speakers who were part of this special effort. May each one remind you to continue to pray for Muslims, not only during Ramadan but throughout the year. Today we'll share the video from CBN News anchor George Thomas:

 

 

Praying for Muslims: Hormoz Shariat

Earlier this month Muslims around the world finished their celebration of Ramadan, the holiest month on the Islamic calendar.

During the final 10 days of Ramadan, The Voice of the Martyrs was one of the ministries involved in a world-wide effort to encourage Christians to pray specifically for a move of God’s spirit to draw Muslims to Jesus Christ during Ramadan. The effort was coordinated by author Tom Doyle and our friends at CBN News, and featured a Facebook Live prayer meeting each evening at 8:38 (EDT) for the last 10 days of Ramadan.

Behind the scenes, it was interesting to see the opposition to this effort. VOM’s Dr. Jason Peters was the designated prayer on the first evening, and in the minutes before he was supposed to go live on Facebook his phone’s battery died AND the wifi at the hotel he was staying at went down! The second and third nights there were more “technical difficulties!”

But the videos posted have now been watched more than half a million times! Only in eternity will we know how many prayers have been encouraged by this effort, or how many Muslims responded to Christ’s call as a direct result of this prayer effort.

Ramadan has ended, but there is never a bad time to pray for Muslims to come to know Jesus. We have already shared the videos from Dr. Peters and VOM’s Todd Nettleton. Today and in coming days we’ll be sharing videos from the other eight speakers. May each one remind you to continue to pray for Muslims, not only during Ramadan but throughout the year.

The second speaker was Dr. Hormoz Shariat of Iran Alive Ministries, one of VOM's broadcast partners delivering the gospel into Iran. Due to some of those difficulties, Pastor Hormoz spoke in two videos: