VOM's Todd Nettleton was interviewed this week by Mission Network News reporter Ruth Kramer about the release earlier this month of the US State Department's annual report on religious freedom around the world. Here's the article from Mission Network News' web site:

Photo of the day: this photo was taken recently by a VOM team visiting Nigeria. The team was blessed to meet with Nigerian Christians, hear their stories of persecution and faith, and pray with them for God to bless them and to bless the church in Nigeria.

There is a scripture that haunted me in my growing up years. “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required...” (Luke 12:48). It felt like a burden to me. I treated it like a checklist: 1. Did I pray for others in need today? 2. Did I give financially as much as I possibly could? 3. Did I raise awareness about what is going on? 4. Did I tell other people about Jesus because I have the freedom to do so anytime?

"Padina" was so depressed that she planned to end her life. Then she met Jesus.

The Communist prison of Jilava was especially harsh. The broken windows let in the bitter winter cold. Some of the prisoners had even frozen to death. There was no sympathy for Christians at Jilava. In fact, they often endured “special” beatings from the cruel guards.

Many people who reach out to Muslims agree that God initially changes them more than He changes their Muslim friends! As we take steps to move toward Muslims, a side benefit will occur: sanctification in our own lives.

Iranian forces arrested Rev. Robert Asserian on Tuesday, May 21 as he conducted a prayer meeting at the Assemblies of God church in Tehran where he serves as one of the pastors. Security forces raided his house earlier in the morning, confiscating belongings such as his computer and books before moving to the church to arrest him. He was taken to an unknown location.

A criticism leveled at Christians is that we are narrow-minded because we believe in one God, the Creator of the material world and also a spiritual realm that is beyond this world. Because we believe in a spiritual realm, we are accused of being superstitious. Belief in the spiritual world and in an unseen God can be a cause for persecution because it challenges the pervading worldview in many places of the world. Our belief put a lot of Christians into prisons in the old Soviet Union, and it continues to do so today in other world areas.

“…a threefold cord is not quickly broken" (Ecclesiastes 4:12b).