Persecution Blog

Top 8 in 16: #2

In the remaining days of 2016 we'll look back on the most-viewed posts on Persecution Blog in 2016, including a post that is more than 10 years old but is still one of the most-read posts on the blog! Today we look at #2, a post that goes all the way back to 2006, but continues to generate traffic and readers today. The story it tells goes back even further, to the Apostle John:

Boiled In Oil But Remains Alive

Hebrews  9:27 tells us that, "... it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment," and I love this passage because it gives me confidence in knowing that the Lord will not take me home to be with Him until that appointed time.  So the story of John is inspiring and also draws us back to worship the One who made us.  Be encouraged as you read this excerpt from Extreme Devotion (order your copy of the book here, or download VOM's Pray Today app to read a new devotional from Extreme Devotion each day on your phone or other device).

What do you do with someone who is boiled in oil but doesn’t die?

It is said that Roman emperor Domitian commanded that the apostle John be boiled to death in oil, but John only continued to preach from within the pot. Another time, John was forced to drink poison, but, as promised in Mark 16:18, it did not hurt him. Thus John, the head of the church in Ephesus at the time, was banished to Patmos in A.D. 97.

John survived all of this because God had not finished with him yet. A “revelation” still had to come. While he was in a cave on the island of Patmos, John received a vision. This vision became the book of Revelation—the book that would act as the driving force for evangelism in the church age. It prophesied the events that surround the return of Christ. John wrote of Christ’s second coming and welcomed his arrival. Even today his writings inspire believers to anticipate the glorious return of Christ.  

Two years after John’s exile, the emperor Domitian died, and John returned to the church in Ephesus. The youngest of the disciples lived also to be the oldest, dying in peace in Ephesus at the age of eighty after over half a century of resilient service to Jesus’ church.

Hebrews  9:27 tells us that, "... it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment," and I love this passage because it gives me confidence in knowing that the Lord will not take me home to be with Him until that appointed time.  So the story of John is inspiring and also draws us back to worship the One who made us.  Be encouraged as you read this excerpt from Extreme Devotion (order your copy of the book here, or download VOM's Pray Today app to read a new devotional from Extreme Devotion each day on your phone or other device).

What do you do with someone who is boiled in oil but doesn’t die?

It is said that Roman emperor Domitian commanded that the apostle John be boiled to death in oil, but John only continued to preach from within the pot. Another time, John was forced to drink poison, but, as promised in Mark 16:18, it did not hurt him. Thus John, the head of the church in Ephesus at the time, was banished to Patmos in A.D. 97.

John survived all of this because God had not finished with him yet. A “revelation” still had to come. While he was in a cave on the island of Patmos, John received a vision. This vision became the book of Revelation—the book that would act as the driving force for evangelism in the church age. It prophesied the events that surround the return of Christ. John wrote of Christ’s second coming and welcomed his arrival. Even today his writings inspire believers to anticipate the glorious return of Christ.  

Two years after John’s exile, the emperor Domitian died, and John returned to the church in Ephesus. The youngest of the disciples lived also to be the oldest, dying in peace in Ephesus at the age of eighty after over half a century of resilient service to Jesus’ church.

Send Notes to Families of Imprisoned Christians

Have you ever received an encouraging note while you were going through a difficult time? It is refreshing to know that someone cares enough to send a card.

Now you can write directly to families of Christian imprisoned for their faith to let them know they are not alone. Add your personal note to VOM’s new “Never Alone” cards, which include Genesis 39:20–21 in Arabic, Farsi and Chinese. VOM workers will then deliver these notes to the families of prisoners.

The “Never Alone” cards are offered in sets of 25 or 100 at low cost. It’s a great project for a small group or even an entire church. Let families of persecuted believers know they are not alone.

ORDER "NEVER ALONE" CARDS

 

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. Story source: "Lords of the Earth" by Don Richardson. 

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.

Bad For Good

Each month VOM produces "The Jesus Freaks Minute," a daily radio-PSA that shares the stories of the persecuted church with Christian radio listeners all over the United States and around the world. Here's the script for one of the spots that will air next month, a spot entitled Bad For Good.

 

[LYRICS:]  What will people think when they hear that I’m a Jesus Freak. What will people do when they find that it’s true. 

[TOBYMAC:]  Hey, this is TobyMac with truth every Jesus Freak should hear from The Voice of the Martyrs.

[ANNOUNCER:]   In Genesis, Chapter 50, Joseph told his brothers not to dwell on their past evil deeds. He said, “You meant to harm me, but God intended it for good.”

God’s ability to exchange evil for good is a common theme in scripture. Ruth is widowed, but she marries Boaz and becomes part of the messianic line. Stephen is stoned and fearful followers of Christ scatter, which spreads the gospel far and wide. Jesus is crucified, rescuing the world.

Today, The Voice of the Martyrs sees how persecuted Christians expect God to overturn the plans of Satan. Is that your attitude?  For more, go online to persecution.com.

 

Photo credit: Vintage beauty II - Radio by monogatari via Flickr. Used under Creative Commons license.

Turkey: Visions of Jesus Christ

I recently had the privilege of speaking with a Muslim convert to Christianity. Thousands of Muslims have experienced dreams and visions of God, and “Baris” took the time to share how a vision of Jesus changed his life.

When I asked Baris to share his testimony, he spoke about his devout Muslim family who means everything to him. He arrived in the United States as a graduate student more than a decade ago, and now owns several businesses. In Turkey, he was a “missionary” of the Islamic faith, and he continued to live as a good Muslim here in the United States. In his first year as a graduate student, he says he did read part of the Bible, but put it aside. He married a woman from a strict Muslim family, and on Friday nights, he and his friends studied the Quran.

About a year ago, he found a Turkish translation of the New Testament online. “It really affected me,” he says, and he kept reading secretly. The Quran had taught him that the Bible was corrupted and that Jesus was only a prophet. Baris said, “I felt conflicted,” but he wanted answers about Jesus. Each night, he locked himself in a small room of his house to pray for at least an hour.

One night, while praying, God gave him a vision of Jesus Christ as the Creator God. It was a startling revelation. He continued to pray and read from the New Testament. Not long after this, he had another vision of Jesus. Baris said, “His love really poured into my heart.” He felt an overwhelming and indescribable love. He knelt down to confess his love and belief in Jesus that night, just before he was to see family in Turkey.

Baris’s wife sensed that something was different. He felt compelled to tell her all that he had experienced and that he had become a Christian. Immediately, she wanted a divorce.

Even with that set back, Baris wanted to tell his brother about his experience. “Will you believe me if I tell you something that happened to me?” he asked his brother. Baris’s brother listened and said nothing. The next day, his brother and one of their mutual friends escorted him to a psychiatrist. Baris believed it would be a half-hour visit and a chance to share his testimony.

The visit turned into a defense of his Christian faith at a psychiatric hospital.  The hospital staff seemed convinced that his vision had been some sort of hallucination. He was forced to take psychotropic drugs, and one doctor tried to reason with him and convince Baris to return to his Muslim faith. Another doctor did an internet search and discovered that Jesus had appeared to other Muslims through visions. Several committee meetings later, the hospital decided they could not declare him crazy on the basis of his Christian faith.

When his parents received word of all that had happened, Baris met them for a hard conversation in Istanbul. He told them about his visions and that he had decided to follow Jesus. His dad threatened to disown him, but Baris told his father, “You can even kill me and I won’t change my mind.” His mother fainted.

His father agreed to treat his son as an atheist. His brother later asked him why he had to look at a Bible at all. “I wanted to seek the truth,” he told him.

Today, Baris has a church home in America, where he continues to learn about Jesus. He is also teaching members of the church how to reach out to Muslims.

Like the thousands of Muslims who have had dreams and visions of Jesus, Baris’s life was transformed through Christ’s power. It came with a price, but it was one he was willing to pay in order to know the truth.

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.

VOMRadio: Reaching Out To Muslim Women

Muslim women face oppression in society and even in their own families, sometimes forced to hide even their very faces from the world. JoAnn Doyle leads an outreach to share the truth with Muslim women that they are Not Forgotten, that Jesus Christ loved them so much He even gave His life for them. Listen in as JoAnn shares how we can reach out to Muslim women, even through simple acts of kindness and conversation. We’ll also answer a question from a reader about how Christians inside the world’s most closed nation—North Korea—pray and worship Jesus Christ.

 

Learn more about JoAnn's ministry here.

The Driver Who Became Our Brother

I’ve got some exciting news! I am literally on my way home from visiting some of our Christian family members in a very hostile nation, but I couldn’t wait to share! In the country I just left, just over one percent of the population is Christian, and it is a very difficult place to live.

One of the greatest joys of my life, beyond the joy of life with my wife and children, is to meet with sisters and brothers in these remote locations. It is a deep honor to share a greeting with them from their American family members, to offer them support and encouragement and to “refresh” them. Our presence alone refreshes them in incredible ways. It reminds me of Paul writing to Philemon, “For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother” (Philemon 7).

It is invigorating to spend time with these dear family members, and our swelling love for each other shows. This was my fifth time in this particular country, and I have been honored to develop enduring friendships with our staff there. We have also shared time together outside of their country several times. When we get together now, it is like a family reunion!

Jesus said that we would be known by our love for one another, and He works in astonishing ways through these interactions. This brings me to the wonderful news I want to share with you.

After spending a few days shuttling us around the country and watching us meet with persecuted Christians, our non-Christian driver, “Navotny” (not his real name) told one of our youngest staff members that he would like to know more about this Jesus.

Our staff member asked me if I could meet with Navotny to tell him more—of course I would!

The next morning, after breakfast, we spent about 30 minutes in a hotel room, where I carefully, and slowly, shared the story of Jesus and what distinguishes our faith from the religions of the world.

Navotny listened carefully, answered my questions and showed genuine interest. I asked him if he was interested in receiving the gift of Jesus’ forgiveness and the promise of peace with God—now and forevermore.

He thought about it carefully, and then said he wanted to think about it for a while. I assured Navotny that I would be available during the rest of the trip for any questions that he may have and we started our journey for the day

Meanwhile, I asked my family and colleagues to pray for wisdom and for the Holy Spirit to guide each of us.

A few days later, two days before we left the country, Navotny said he was ready. Yes, he wanted to place his trust in Christ alone! Early the next morning, I asked him a few more questions to make sure that he understood what he was asking, and then our team knelt with Navotny and prayed with him as he surrendered his life to God.

A few minutes later, we gathered with a small group of Christians and celebrated our new brother! Our national leader is already working to connect Navotny with a local pastor who will disciple this infant brother, and will share with his family. Please pray with us that God will lead Navotny to the ideal community of believers! Pray also that God will give each of us more opportunities to demonstrate His love to a watching world.

Dr. Jason Peters serves in VOM’s International Ministries department, traveling frequently to meet with our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. Jason and Kimberly have been married for more than twenty years, and have five children who are actively engaged in standing with their persecuted family members.

Bangladesh: Extreme Assassin

I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. Job 42:2

The evangelist, Andrew, stared into the gun, wondering why the man didn’t fire. The assassin grew frustrated, then frightened, and finally he fled from the room.

The phone rang, and Andrew found himself talking to the man who had come to kill him minutes earlier.

“The Muslim leaders offered me a big reward to kill you,” the would-be assassin explained. “I rode across Bangladesh to come to your office. The reward was mine. I was ready to shoot, but I couldn’t move my arm. I couldn’t pull the trigger.” The evangelist praised the Lord for protection.

Andrew found it somewhat comical. “So what can I do for you now?” he asked.

“Sir, I still can’t move my arm, and it’s because of you! Can you help me?”

Right on the phone Andrew prayed, and instantly the man regained full use of his arm. Astounded by the miracle, he returned to the evangelist’s office and began to ask questions about this “Jesus” of whom the Muslim leaders seemed to be afraid.

The evangelist patiently explained the good news of Jesus’ love, even offering tea to the man who’d come to kill him. After forty-five minutes, the man prayed to receive Jesus into his own heart. The former hit man’s ministry now is to destroy the works of the devil. To this day, he is a fellow missionary in Bangladesh.

The assassin’s would-be murder attempt was a comedy in errors. If it were a movie, the audience would have cheered aloud when the protagonist, Andrew, came onto the scene. Like any good movie hero, Andrew did not just defeat his enemy’s plans. He confounded them, even to the point of having tea with the hit-man-turned-convert. This was not going according to plan. The devil constantly has to go back to the drawing board to rethink his plans for our destruction. Andrew was not a victim of his circumstances, and neither are you. If he had been shot, his death also would have been a witness, and so will you. Unlike the devil’s schemes, God’s plans for your life cannot be thwarted. 

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

We Will Endure

This week on the Persecution Blog we’re sharing excerpts from At The Foot of the Snows: A Journey of Faith and Words Among the Kham-Speaking People of Nepal by David E. Watters with Steve and Daniel Watters. (Read more about the book in Tuesday’s post.)

We have shared about a low point in the Watters ministry, and then about the moment the Kham people began to come to Christ. But their new-found faith came with a price. In this final excerpt we’ll hear how the believers suffered arrest and imprisonment, but more importantly how they responded and how God used it to grow the Kham church.

First an excerpt from a letter from Bishnu, one of seven Kham believers arrested and put in prison for their faith:

“We’re a little bit concerned, wondering what will happen to us. But whatever it be, we have cast ourselves upon God. Whatever he wants to do is his will. He knows. Thanks be to God. Up until the time that we have written this letter we are sitting in the gloom of the police fortress. But God’s glory is with us.

Regardless of what suffering comes in the name of our Lord Jesus, we will endure it. Do not concern yourself. Be of good confidence. We can never repay the debt for all that we have received from our Lord. This present suffering is of no significance. What is it compared to the suffering our Lord endured?”

* * * * *

The men began talking of about their dark, gloomy prison cell as “the house of God,” and their chains as “the ornaments of God.” Amazing! These were unlettered, unschooled men, but they stood like the giants before and after them…

* * * * *

We discovered quickly that the men’s imprisonment was the number one topic of discussion in every Kham village. Around every hearth the gospel was being discussed, by believers and unbelievers alike. “What does the gospel say, and why is it so bad?” All seven men were considered model citizens, and it baffled everybody that the government should wish to put such men into prison. “Why?” they asked. “What in those booklets is so terrible that it would put a man in prison?” So they began beating a path to Hasta Ram’s village to buy booklets and find out for themselves.

Nancy and I have often commented since that if we had hired those seven men to preach the gospel in every village, it would not have been nearly so effective as having them go to prison.

* * * * *

Later, Karna Bahadur would say with a grin on his face, “How stupid could they be? They thought they could beat God out of us with a stick!”

* * * * *

I am thankful for the legacy of David Watters and these bold Kham believers. And I'm thankful for great books like At the Foot of the Snows, that inspire us to seek God's will for our own lives and to boldly serve Him wherever He may call us. I encourage you to read the book, and to read it to your children and grandchildren.

[YOUR TURN:] What biographies have inspired you in your Christian faith and in your desire to serve Jesus more fully? Share thoughts in the comments to this post.

Todd Nettleton has served with The Voice of the Martyrs for 16 years. He’s travelled to more than 20 restricted and hostile nations and interviewed hundreds of believers who’ve faced persecution for their Christian witness. As VOM’s principle media spokesperson, Todd has done more than 2,000 interviews with media outlets ranging from Moody Radio to the BBC and Los Angeles Times. He is the principle author of Restricted Nations: North Korea and was part of the writing team for four other VOM books. You can see all 26 books that Todd read in 2014 on his personal blog.

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.

We Probably Wouldn't Go Back

I shared in yesterday’s post about my annual reading goals, and introduced you to the last book I read in 2014, At The Foot of the Snows: A Journey of Faith and Words Among the Kham-Speaking People of Nepal by David E. Watters with Steve and Daniel Watters.

Today I want to offer another excerpt from the book, and it is at the low point of the story. David Watters, the Bible translator who went to Nepal and set about to reach the Kham people, and his wife, Nancy, are about to throw in the towel. But as they are about to give up; God shows up and changes their plans. David Watters tells it this way:

A letter arrived from Hasta Ram that summed up our sense of futility. “I have come to the conclusion,” he said, “that no one will ever come to the gospel. I made one friend, but he died within two months. I have tried everything, but to no avail. Now I go to the hillside daily, and I pray to God. Maybe he will do something.”

Yeah, maybe, I thought. Or maybe not. I had grown cynical.

* * *

February 1974 was a watershed month for us. We had decided that we probably wouldn’t go back to Nepal. How could we? There was nothing there for us. We had already failed.

One Saturday afternoon, after Nancy had spent a particularly discouraging week in bed, we felt inclined to kneel beside our bed and pray. This was a different kind of prayer for us. We realized that the heaviest burden we carried was not the burden of illness, but the burden of disappointment. We decided to give it all to God.

Once we started to acknowledge and lay down every source of discouragement, it became easier, and we were suddenly feeling a whole lot lighter and a whole lot freer. Our step quickened that day, and several months later, on April 24, we wrote a letter to our headquarters in Santa Ana, California. Following is an excerpt:

We had an encounter with God that Saturday afternoon. We gave our burdens to Him. It was a heavy load that Nancy was carrying—the illness plus the burdens. I’ll never forget how she gave them away. She named them one by one—all the disappointments, the worries, the wounds; and as she did, with tears streaming down her face, she held out an open hand to God, saying “And Lord, take that one too! And this one too, Lord! And Lord, don’t forget this one!” Before long we were sobbing with relief from the lifted burdens, and our souls were bursting with revival. Praise God! There really is a balm in Gilead! There really is a river whose streams gladden the city of God! There really is a tree of life whose leaves are for the healing of the nations!

Come back tomorrow to see the results of their faithfulness as the gospel message began to take hold among the Kham.

Todd Nettleton has served with The Voice of the Martyrs for 16 years. He’s travelled to more than 20 restricted and hostile nations and interviewed hundreds of believers who’ve faced persecution for their Christian witness. As VOM’s principle media spokesperson, Todd has done more than 2,000 interviews with media outlets ranging from Moody Radio to the BBC and Los Angeles Times. He is the principle author of Restricted Nations: North Korea and was part of the writing team for four other VOM books. You can see all 26 books that Todd read in 2014 on his personal blog.

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.