Persecution Blog

Pray for Czech Christian on Trial in Sudan

Petr Jasek, a former hospital administrator from Czech Republic, is currently being tried in Khartoum, Sudan, on charges of “crimes against national security.” If convicted of the charges, Mr. Jasek, along with two Sudanese pastors and another Sudanese man being tried on the same charges, could face the death penalty.

Mr. Jasek has a 20-year background in the medical field, including 10 years as a hospital administrator. This experience and training uniquely qualified him to serve suffering people in places like Sudan. Mr. Jasek has assisted VOM on different occasions to provide care to persecuted Christians in Sudan and Nigeria, including medical care for Christians attacked by Boko Haram.

Please pray for Mr. Jasek, along with Rev. Hassan Abduraheem, Rev. Kuwa Shamal and for the other Sudanese man, as their trial continues. Pray for favor with court officials, for justice in their trial and that all four men will be freed and allowed to return to their families. Pray that God will continue to protect and sustain these men who have been unjustly imprisoned for more than nine months.

Pray also for the wives and children of these men, who are naturally concerned for their loved ones. Pray that God’s peace will reign in their hearts during this difficult time.

VOM will be sending some of the prisoners' family members a link to this prayer request on the www.iCommitToPray.com web site so they can receive encouragement from your prayers. Please click on the link and add your prayers to those already offered from around the world.

Country With Fastest Growing Church May Surprise You

VOM was featured recently on Mission Network News in a story about the country with the world's fastest growing church. And the location of that church may surprise you: The Islamic Republic of Iran. Here's an excerpt from the story from MNN:

 

Why is the Iranian Church going through such a growth spurt?

[VOM's Todd] Nettleton shares, “I’ve had Iranian Christians tell me, ‘The greatest missionary in Iran, the greatest evangelist we’ve had in Iran was the Ayatollah Khomeini.’ This is the guy who took power in 1979, he converted Iran to the Islamic Republic [saying], ‘We’re going to run our country according to what Mohammed would have us do, we’re going to run our country according to the Koran.’

 

“Now here we are thirty-plus years later, and most Iranians have rejected Islam precisely because of that. The country is run by the Mullahs. The government says, ‘We’re doing everything according to Islamic principles.’ So if the government doesn’t work, if there’s still corruption, if there’s still poverty, then that must mean Islam doesn’t work…. That failure has really, in the eyes of the people of Iran, become the failure of Islam.”

According to Nettleton, the Iranian people are going through honest introspection about what they’ve witnessed in their country, and what that means for their lives…and their souls.

“I’ve heard statistics as high as 70 percent of Iranians have rejected Islam. If you ask them in an honest conversation, ‘Do you believe Islam is the truth? Do you believe Islam is the way?’ They would say, ‘No! Of course not!’…. Then the Gospel comes and they say, ‘Wait, this is true. This is right.’ And I think that’s really the root cause of the growth in the Iranian church we see.”

A challenge to American Christians

All of this poses a thoughtful question: how would the American Church respond if we were in a similar situation? How would Western Christians react under restriction and persecution?

Nettleton reflects, “I think the story of the Church in Iran is an incredibly timely message for American Christians. If you think back to 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini takes power, the Mullahs are now in charge of the country. The natural response to that from the Church there would be, ‘Oh no! This is horrible! This is terrible! The Muslims have taken control of the government. What’s going to happen to us now?’ Now thirty years later it’s the fastest growing Church in the world.

“There are many American Christians who look at what’s happening in our country, they look at the presidential elections, they look at the Supreme Court decisions, and they say, ‘Oh no! The government is turning against Christianity, Christian principles are no longer being honored in Washington D.C., what’s going to happen to us?’”

We can take a cue from our Iranian brothers and sisters in Christ.

“The people of Iran would say, ‘Hang on. Serve the Lord, and see what He does. We’re not dependent on the government, we’re dependent on Christ.’”

To be clear, persecution is not something to be sought after for the sake of persecution. Religious freedom is an ideal to be sought after and advocated for.

But when persecution does enter our lives, we can respond as Paul did in 1 Corinthians 4:12b, “When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure.”

Therein lies our witness for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Therein lies our opportunity to share our eternal hope with others who see us responding to hurt and shame in a way that doesn’t make sense to the world.

Nettleton emphasizes, “Our reliance needs to be on God, not on the protections offered by the Constitution, or the political process, or the U.S. government. Now I’m not saying don’t vote, I’m not saying don’t speak out. But understand that ultimately our reliance is on God.”

 

Read the full article on Mission Network News' web site. We appreciate our media partners, helping VOM to share the stories of God's faithfulness and the faithfulness of our persecuted family around the world.

We're Fighting for Petr's Life

Petr Jasek has been unjustly jailed for his faith. He needs your help today.

Christian aid worker Petr Jasek has been wrongfully imprisoned in Sudan for 293 days, and his family is asking you to help save his life.

Facing espionage charges that could lead to a death sentence, Petr is being held captive in the squalor of a Sudanese prison, but his faith is strong. VOM knows Petr as a kindhearted man who has assisted VOM in providing care to persecuted Christians in Sudan and Nigeria, including medical care for Christians attacked by Boko Haram.

He was arrested in December 2015 in Khartoum, along with two Sudanese pastors whose stories have been widely reported. The trial for these men began on Sunday, Aug. 21, after more than nine months of wrongful imprisonment because of their Christian faith. Petr’s family has asked The Voice of the Martyrs to bring his situation to the attention of American Christians, asking for prayer and advocacy as the trial continues.

VOM has stood with Petr’s family since the day of his arrest, meeting their immediate needs and providing for Petr’s legal defense, just as we do for many others around the world who are imprisoned for their faith. Petr’s faith is strong, and he knows we are lifting him up in prayer. In the first letter he sent to his family after his arrest last December, Petr stated that “God holds the key to my cell. He will open the door in His timing.”

The Voice of the Martyrs provides help to the families of imprisoned Christians through the Families of Martyrs Fund, and you can help today.

Help Petr and the Sudanese Pastors now.

VOM Radio: "Love Opens Every Door" to Reach Muslim Women

Jami Staples works with Crescent Project (www.crescentproject.org) to train American women to reach out to Muslims—right here in the US.

Listen as she shares how God grabbed her heart for Muslim women, using a veiled woman whose name she’ll never know walking across an East-African roundabout. In just a moment, God changed Jami’s heart and life forever.

What are the two themes Jami hears in every testimony of a Muslim woman coming to faith in Jesus? You’ll hear stories of women who even in recent months have opened their hearts to Jesus, and the price they must pay to follow Him—even in America.

You’ll be inspired to go deeper in your own faith and to look with love on Muslims in your community this week on VOM Radio.

 

 

Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the VOM Radio podcast on iTunes or Google Play Music.

Prayer Changes America - The Fulton Street Revival

The mood of America was grim during the mid-1850s. The country was teetering on the brink of civil war, torn by angry voices and impassioned opinions. A depression had halted railroad construction and factory output. Banks were failing; unemployment soared. Spiritual lethargy permeated the land.

In New York City Jeremiah C. Lanphier, a layman, accepted the call of the North Reformed Dutch Church to a full-time program of evangelism. He visited door-to-door, placed posters, and prayed. But the work languished and Lanphier grew discouraged.

As autumn fell over the city, Lanphier decided to try noon-time prayer meetings, thinking that businessmen might attend during their lunch hours. He announced the first one for September 23, 1857, at the Old Dutch Church on Fulton Street. When the hour came, Lanphier found himself alone. He sat and waited. Finally, one man showed up, then a few others.

But the next week, 20 came. The third week, 40. Someone suggested the meetings occur daily, and within months the building was overflowing. The revival spread to other cities. Offices and stores closed for prayer at noon. Newspapers spread the story, even telegraph companies set aside certain hours during which businessmen could wire one another with news of the revival.

In all these cities, prayer services began at noon and ended at one. People could come and go as they pleased. The service opened with a hymn, followed by the sharing of testimonies and prayer requests. A time limit of five minutes per speaker was enforced by a small bell, when anyone exceeded the limit. Virtually no great preachers or famous Christians were used. It was primarily a lay movement, led by the gentle moving of God’s spirit.

The revival—sometimes called “The Third Great Awakening”—lasted nearly two years, and between 500,000 and 1,000,000 people were said to have been converted. Out of it came the largest outlay of money for philanthropic and Christian causes America had yet experienced.

Story excerpted from “On This Day in Christian History: 365 Amazing and Inspiring Stories about Saints, Martyrs and Heroes” by Robert J. Morgan. Disclosure: VOM is part of the Amazon Associates program. If you click on the links in this post and purchase the book from Amazon, VOM will receive a very small percentage of your purchase as a referral fee.

Extreme Power

ROME: VINCENT

Being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience. Colossians 1:11

The ropes at his wrists and ankles stretched further until Roman Christian Vincent felt his arms pull out of his shoulder sockets and his hips come out of joint.

Decius, the Roman emperor, stood by the rack where Vincent was tied. “You will die in terrible pain,” he told the young Christian.

“No death is more honorable than that of a martyr,” Vincent said to the king with conviction. “I see heaven, and I abhor your idols.”

Furious, the king called for the now-crippled Christian to be tortured even more. Yet they could not rid Vincent of his smile. He told the emperor through his pain, “You destroy only my body, which has to perish anyway. Inside of me lives another Vincent, and over him you have no power. That Vincent cannot be put on a rack and cannot be killed.” Vincent welcomed death with a smile.

Finally, the Roman soldiers pulled him from the rack, but his torments were not over. They stripped him of his clothes and threw him into a cell, the floor of which was covered with shattered glass. Unable to stand, Vincent was forced to lie on the ragged glass. Even there, God’s peace was with him. Guards later reported to the emperor that he rested on the shattered glass “as on a bed of flowers.”

In modern culture, the idea of power is tied to authority and office. Power is reserved for the outwardly important, the cultured, and the refined. History, however, shows that people with the mere position of power are ineffective without the inner strength to carry out their duties. In contrast, God targets our inner strength through the presence of the Holy Spirit. Suffering is his classroom, where he teaches us what it is like to be strong. We are able to endure more than we imagined. We are bold beyond our means. You may feel as though your sufferings have made you weak. Ask God to show you how they can, in fact, make you stronger. Flex your muscles. You will see you are stronger than you think.

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 or in VOM’s Pray Today App for your smart phone or tablet.

VOM Radio: "We Have to Apply What Jesus Said"

“Brother Sam” is a gospel worker in the Middle East, where part of his ministry is reaching out with help to refugees displaced by ISIS from Iraq and Syria. By helping with practical needs—shelter, education, medical aid—Brother Sam and other Christians have the opportunity to share the gospel and introduce Muslim refugees to Jesus Christ.

Such work comes with risk and threats, but Sam tells us that persecution creates “a healthy environment for the Lord to work.” And God is working! Listen this week to hear stories of divine healing, Muslims coming to faith and Christians passionately reaching out in the name of Jesus. Your faith will be inspired!

 

Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the VOM Radio podcast on iTunes or Google Play Music.

 

Torchlighters: Not Just For Kids

Torchlighters DVDs, produced by Christian History Institute and The Voice of the Martyrs, introduce today’s kids to the lives of heroes of our faith. The DVDs’ animated 30-minute features teach children the true stories of bold believers who came before us.

But did you know that the DVDs also include feature-length documentaries about the heroes?

The newest Torchlighters DVD, The Martin Luther Story, has been released just in time for the 500^th anniversary of Luther’s 95 theses. The animated segment, teacher’s guide, and student handouts on the DVD help teachers and parents explain the story behind the Protestant Reformation.

The 90-minute documentary on the DVD, Luther — His Life, His Path, His Legacy, includes informative interviews with historians and scenery from the region where Luther lived, interspersed with clips from the movie Luther.

The documentary with the Torchlighters Corrie ten Boom Story DVD includes World War II film footage, a demonstration inside Corrie’s house of how the “hiding place” sheltered Jewish guests, audio clips of Corrie speaking, and interviews with Corrie’s assistant.

The Samuel Morris Story is the true account of a young African “missionary to North America.” The accompanying documentary tells the story of Morris’s remarkable journey from Africa to New York, and how he led many Americans to Christ before his death in 1893 at the age of 20.

Torchlighters DVDs are available at vombooks.com. Teasers for the DVDs and downloadable lesson plans can be found at torchlighters.org and kidsofcourage.com.

You’re never too old to be inspired!

(Note: Please preview Torchlighters animated features and documentaries before sharing them with children.)

VOM’s Kids of Courage resources help parents and educators teach children ages 5 to 13 about persecuted Christians. The resources provide opportunities for children to serve and pray for their suffering brothers and sisters around the world.

Help Give a Bible to Every Believer

After receiving his first Bible from The Voice of the Martyrs, “Adhit” clutched the precious book near his chest in gratitude. He finally had personal access to God’s Word and could now go much deeper in his relationship with Jesus in Nepal.

Adhit’s story is common throughout the 68 countries where VOM serves our persecuted Christian family. For many believers in restricted and hostile nations, Bible ownership is out of the question. Bibles in these areas are simply unavailable or too costly for poor believers.

Last year, VOM workers collected the names of 178,875 believers from hostile and restricted nations who are waiting for a Bible. These include the names of children and believers in the most restricted nations, such as Iran and North Korea. Each Bible costs just $6, including the cost of distribution. These believers are waiting for a Bible today–will you help?

GIVE THEM GOD'S WORD

VOM Radio: "God is Shaking Things Up" in Middle East

 

"Brother James" works to reach Muslims and train believers to plant churches in the Middle East, a place where choosing to follow Christ comes with a high cost.

This week he shares with us how God is shaking things up in that region--both inside the church and inside the hearts of Muslims--to spread the gospel and draw more Muslims to Christ.

James will also share the challenges of his work, and how he and his Operation Mobilization coworkers identify those God is calling to the difficult, sometimes dangerous work of planting churches in that Islamic region. The Middle East is beset by bloodshed and hardship, but James tells us God is redeeming even evil activities in the region to advance His Kingdom.

Be ready to add to your prayer list and to consider how you can reach out to Muslims in your city, this week on VOM Radio.

 Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the VOM Radio podcast on iTunes or Google Play Music.