Persecution Blog

Most Read Posts of 2015: #4

This week on the Persecution Blog we are looking back at the top six most-read stories of 2015, based on the posts that created the most traffic throughout the year.

Today is #4. Amidst the controversy surrounding Muslim refugees, Todd Nettleton shared some personal thoughts about what the response of Christians should be. The post generated plenty of comments—both positive and negative. It was the fourth-most-read post on the Persecution Blog this year.  

Come back every day this week as we count down to the most-read post of 2015 on Saturday.

Three Thoughts on Refugees Coming To America

Recently a college friend asked my opinion about Syrian refugees and whether or not the US should allow them in. In recent weeks—especially since the Paris attacks—there has been much ado about Syrian refugees coming in, and how they are being screened, and the security concerns raised by allowing thousands of people from the war-torn Middle East into our nation. “What is the right thing for us as Christians to do?” my friend asked, crediting me with a lot more expertise than I actually possess.

I am not running for President and I’m glad that I don’t have to lay out a plan that tries to answer every question and every security concern. But as I have watched the news reports, read the angry Facebook posts and thought about what the right response is, I’ve been reminded of three things:

The first thing I thought of was the story in Matthew 25 about who Jesus welcomes into eternity with Him and who he turns away. To those He invites into paradise He says:

“Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I wasnaked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’” (Mat. 25:34-36)

A few verses later, He explains to those He is turning away why they will not be welcomed into His presence, including that “I was a stranger and you did not take Me in” (v. 43).

As we think about refugees, this story seems to make imminently clear which response Jesus will honor.

The second thing I thought of was the story of Richard Wurmbrand, as he tells it in his best-selling book, Tortured For Christ. Richard had a great heart, after he committed his life to Christ, to reach Russians with the gospel message that had transformed him. “For me,” he wrote, “to preach the Gospel to Russians is heaven on earth.”

When a million Russian soldiers were sent in by their communist masters to occupy Wurmbrand’s native Romania, he didn’t protest the illegality or hunker down to ensure the safety of his family and church. Instead, Wurmbrand saw these one million armed men as a divine answer to his prayer! He loved to minister to Russians and had asked God to open the door for him to minister to more, and now ONE MILLION RUSSIANS were inside his country, within easy reach! Praise the Lord for this miracle!

I wonder how many Christians have asked God to open doors for them to minister to Muslims and share with them the LOVE of Jehovah God (something that is not offered by Allah of the Quran)? Is it possible refugees fleeing the chaos of their nation, and having seen up-close the darkness of Islam, might be God’s miraculous answer to some of those prayers?

The third thing I thought of was a message I heard from Joel Rosenberg, author and astute Christian thinker, one of the people I trust when it comes to Middle Eastern affairs. Earlier this year I had the privilege of hearing Rosenberg speak at the National Religious Broadcasters conference.

Rosenberg made a statement that wasn’t about refugees; he was talking about the Islamic State. “We need to defeat [ISIS] as enemies as a government,” Rosenberg said. “And we need to love them as enemies as a church.”

I was reminded of Rosenberg’s statement when thinking about refugees because I believe his statement shows that there are different responses from a government perspective than from a church or Christian perspective. Our government leaders take an oath “to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America.” They have a responsibility to that oath, and in thinking about refugees they must think about the safety of American citizens and the need to carefully screen those whom America welcomes within her borders.

As followers of Christ we are loyal to our nation and pray for our leaders. We also hear Christ’s call for us to love our “enemies” and we know that our ultimate citizenship is not in the United States, but in a heavenly country (Heb. 11:16).

I’m not running for President. I don’t have any wish for a radical Islamic terrorist to move in next door to me. But I do want to honor Christ. I do want to be among those He invites into eternity with Him.

There are “strangers” coming out of the Middle East. They are fleeing chaos and war and terror. Some are fleeing persecution. Most see no hope for themselves in their country, or even the region.

God is giving us an opportunity, as Christians in America. An opportunity to follow Jesus’s clear instructions. An opportunity to reach Muslims with the gospel message.

I don’t see how, as Christ followers, we can close our ears to the refugees’ cry and our doors to their knock.

Todd Nettleton has served with The Voice of the Martyrs for 17 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. In 2014 VOM launched a weekly, half-hour radio show with Todd as the host.

Recently a college friend asked my opinion about Syrian refugees and whether or not the US should allow them in. In recent weeks—especially since the Paris attacks—there has been much ado about Syrian refugees coming in, and how they are being screened, and the security concerns raised by allowing thousands of people from the war-torn Middle East into our nation. “What is the right thing for us as Christians to do?” my friend asked, crediting me with a lot more expertise than I actually possess.

I am not running for President and I’m glad that I don’t have to lay out a plan that tries to answer every question and every security concern. But as I have watched the news reports, read the angry Facebook posts and thought about what the right response is, I’ve been reminded of three things:

The first thing I thought of was the story in Matthew 25 about who Jesus welcomes into eternity with Him and who he turns away. To those He invites into paradise He says:

“Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I wasnaked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’” (Mat. 25:34-36)

A few verses later, He explains to those He is turning away why they will not be welcomed into His presence, including that “I was a stranger and you did not take Me in” (v. 43).

As we think about refugees, this story seems to make imminently clear which response Jesus will honor.

The second thing I thought of was the story of Richard Wurmbrand, as he tells it in his best-selling book, Tortured For Christ. Richard had a great heart, after he committed his life to Christ, to reach Russians with the gospel message that had transformed him. “For me,” he wrote, “to preach the Gospel to Russians is heaven on earth.”

When a million Russian soldiers were sent in by their communist masters to occupy Wurmbrand’s native Romania, he didn’t protest the illegality or hunker down to ensure the safety of his family and church. Instead, Wurmbrand saw these one million armed men as a divine answer to his prayer! He loved to minister to Russians and had asked God to open the door for him to minister to more, and now ONE MILLION RUSSIANS were inside his country, within easy reach! Praise the Lord for this miracle!

I wonder how many Christians have asked God to open doors for them to minister to Muslims and share with them the LOVE of Jehovah God (something that is not offered by Allah of the Quran)? Is it possible refugees fleeing the chaos of their nation, and having seen up-close the darkness of Islam, might be God’s miraculous answer to some of those prayers?

The third thing I thought of was a message I heard from Joel Rosenberg, author and astute Christian thinker, one of the people I trust when it comes to Middle Eastern affairs. Earlier this year I had the privilege of hearing Rosenberg speak at the National Religious Broadcasters conference.

Rosenberg made a statement that wasn’t about refugees; he was talking about the Islamic State. “We need to defeat [ISIS] as enemies as a government,” Rosenberg said. “And we need to love them as enemies as a church.”

I was reminded of Rosenberg’s statement when thinking about refugees because I believe his statement shows that there are different responses from a government perspective than from a church or Christian perspective. Our government leaders take an oath “to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America.” They have a responsibility to that oath, and in thinking about refugees they must think about the safety of American citizens and the need to carefully screen those whom America welcomes within her borders.

As followers of Christ we are loyal to our nation and pray for our leaders. We also hear Christ’s call for us to love our “enemies” and we know that our ultimate citizenship is not in the United States, but in a heavenly country (Heb. 11:16).

I’m not running for President. I don’t have any wish for a radical Islamic terrorist to move in next door to me. But I do want to honor Christ. I do want to be among those He invites into eternity with Him.

There are “strangers” coming out of the Middle East. They are fleeing chaos and war and terror. Some are fleeing persecution. Most see no hope for themselves in their country, or even the region.

God is giving us an opportunity, as Christians in America. An opportunity to follow Jesus’s clear instructions. An opportunity to reach Muslims with the gospel message.

I don’t see how, as Christ followers, we can close our ears to the refugees’ cry and our doors to their knock.

Todd Nettleton has served with The Voice of the Martyrs for 17 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. In 2014 VOM launched a weekly, half-hour radio show with Todd as the host.

VOM Radio: Best Moments of 2015

In its first full year of broadcasting, VOM Radio has had the opportunity to share some amazing stories!

Listeners have heard stories of God's faithfulness and protection over believers in hostile and restricted nations. We've shared stories of enemies of the gospel—even ISIS fighters!—coming to know Jesus Christ personally. We've lengthened your prayer list and given ideas about how you can share the gospel with Muslims and others in your sphere of influence.

This week we share some of the best moments of this first full year of VOM Radio. Listen now to catch up on highlights of the program that was recently named Radio Program of the Year by the National Religious Broadcasters.

 

You can also subscribe to the VOM Radio podcast to hear every episode of VOM Radio.

"Any Christian is Worth a Bullet"

Earlier this year, I traveled to meet with Syrian refugees in Lebanon. The national crisis facing Lebanon is noteworthy. A country long known for its hospitable people, towering cedars and beautiful shores has been flooded by Syrians who have been displaced by the spread of Islamic extremists and government troops.

I traveled from Beirut into the interior of Lebanon, to a wide valley dotted with camps established by the United Nations and various aid organizations. The survivors who occupy these refugee centers stand in long lines to receive the basic necessities of life. They live in tents, lean-to shelters and even concrete factories. I met with a family of five occupying a single room, with a closet-sized adjoining room where they cooked over an open flame.

One family looked particularly “shell-shocked” and distressed. As we began to talk, I learned that the day before my interview with this Syrian Christian family, ISIS came into their former village and killed four men and two women, including their 28-year-old niece. Reportedly, she desperately struggled with the insurgents, refusing to go with them. Finally, they slit her throat and left her in the street.

Understandably, this family refused to be interviewed on camera, or even to have their voices recorded. They were reared under a Syrian regime of terror and now they live in fear of ISIS. It is hard for us to comprehend how deeply traumatized many of these families are.

I also met with a former Syrian military officer. Years ago, he was sent abroad to study for his military specialty. While completing his training overseas, he became a Christian. Immediately upon his return to Damascus he was rejected by his Muslim family.

He reported that he has endured many trials, but that they have been "beautiful trials." He also said, as so many have said before him, that "Jesus has been with me every day.” Because of his unique situation, he had the opportunity to immigrate to a European country but he chose to stay and to minister instead. He chose to be a light in the darkness of this overwhelming crisis.

He highlighted the distinctive shift in the challenges that Syrian Christians face. Formerly, Syrian Christians were threatened by the government. He shared that years ago he experienced intense struggles with Syrian police but noted that they would not kill him because of the government structure that was in place. Now, he said, with ISIS in control "any Christian is worth a bullet."

What compels Christians to stay and continue to minister in these types of situations?  It is only by God’s grace, and they will be the first to admit that. But their examples challenge us to look at our own posture toward those who are displaced. How is God calling us to respond to the refugee crisis?  Are we willing to minister to our family members who continue to suffer because of Islamic extremists, even if it costs us something…or maybe everything? Are we willing to reach out to those who have been admitted into our own countries, or will we be the next stop on a long journey of painful rejections that they have already experienced?

Dr. Jason Peters serves as Associate Vice President of Connection for The Voice of the Martyrs and travels frequently to meet with our persecuted sisters and brothers. He has ministered in 40 countries, as diverse as Iraq, Cuba, Nepal, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Burma, Colombia, Sri Lanka, Kyrgyzstan, Indonesia and Nigeria. Jason ministered as a military chaplain for more than 18 years, with assignments at the Pentagon, the US Air Force Academy and as a faculty member of the Air Force Chaplain Corps College, where he directed Crisis and Trauma training. Jason and his wife Kimberly lived overseas for several years, where two of their five children were born.

Three Thoughts on Refugees Coming To America

Recently a college friend asked my opinion about Syrian refugees and whether or not the US should allow them in. In recent weeks—especially since the Paris attacks—there has been much ado about Syrian refugees coming in, and how they are being screened, and the security concerns raised by allowing thousands of people from the war-torn Middle East into our nation. “What is the right thing for us as Christians to do?” my friend asked, crediting me with a lot more expertise than I actually possess.

I am not running for President and I’m glad that I don’t have to lay out a plan that tries to answer every question and every security concern. But as I have watched the news reports, read the angry Facebook posts and thought about what the right response is, I’ve been reminded of three things:

The first thing I thought of was the story in Matthew 25 about who Jesus welcomes into eternity with Him and who he turns away. To those He invites into paradise He says:

“Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’” (Mat. 25:34-36)

A few verses later, He explains to those He is turning away why they will not be welcomed into His presence, including that “I was a stranger and you did not take Me in” (v. 43).

As we think about refugees, this story seems to make imminently clear which response Jesus will honor.

The second thing I thought of was the story of Richard Wurmbrand, as he tells it in his best-selling book, Tortured For Christ. Richard had a great heart, after he committed his life to Christ, to reach Russians with the gospel message that had transformed him. “For me,” he wrote, “to preach the Gospel to Russians is heaven on earth.”

When a million Russian soldiers were sent in by their communist masters to occupy Wurmbrand’s native Romania, he didn’t protest the illegality or hunker down to ensure the safety of his family and church. Instead, Wurmbrand saw these one million armed men as a divine answer to his prayer! He loved to minister to Russians and had asked God to open the door for him to minister to more, and now ONE MILLION RUSSIANS were inside his country, within easy reach! Praise the Lord for this miracle!

I wonder how many Christians have asked God to open doors for them to minister to Muslims and share with them the LOVE of Jehovah God (something that is not offered by Allah of the Quran)? Is it possible refugees fleeing the chaos of their nation, and having seen up-close the darkness of Islam, might be God’s miraculous answer to some of those prayers?

The third thing I thought of was a message I heard from Joel Rosenberg, author and astute Christian thinker, one of the people I trust when it comes to Middle Eastern affairs. Earlier this year I had the privilege of hearing Rosenberg speak at the National Religious Broadcasters conference.

Rosenberg made a statement that wasn’t about refugees; he was talking about the Islamic State. “We need to defeat [ISIS] as enemies as a government,” Rosenberg said. “And we need to love them as enemies as a church.”

I was reminded of Rosenberg’s statement when thinking about refugees because I believe his statement shows that there are different responses from a government perspective than from a church or Christian perspective. Our government leaders take an oath “to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America.” They have a responsibility to that oath, and in thinking about refugees they must think about the safety of American citizens and the need to carefully screen those whom America welcomes within her borders.

As followers of Christ we are loyal to our nation and pray for our leaders. We also hear Christ’s call for us to love our “enemies” and we know that our ultimate citizenship is not in the United States, but in a heavenly country (Heb. 11:16).

I’m not running for President. I don’t have any wish for a radical Islamic terrorist to move in next door to me. But I do want to honor Christ. I do want to be among those He invites into eternity with Him.

There are “strangers” coming out of the Middle East. They are fleeing chaos and war and terror. Some are fleeing persecution. Most see no hope for themselves in their country, or even the region.

God is giving us an opportunity, as Christians in America. An opportunity to follow Jesus’s clear instructions. An opportunity to reach Muslims with the gospel message.

I don’t see how, as Christ followers, we can close our ears to the refugees’ cry and our doors to their knock.

Todd Nettleton has served with The Voice of the Martyrs for 17 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. In 2014 VOM launched a weekly, half-hour radio show with Todd as the host.

VOM Featured on Moody Radio

VOM's Todd Nettleton was a guest on "In the Market With Janet Parshall," aired nationally yesterday on the Moody Radio Network.

In the 30-minute interview, Nettleton shared updates about Christians in Syria, Turkey, Bangladesh, Iran and other nations. Parshall and Nettleton also discussed the issue of refugees from the Middle East coming to the United States.

Please click here to listen to the interview. (A new window will open, Todd's interview begins at about the 29:00 mark.)

SYRIA: Christians Forced to Pay Tax

In a recent video produced by ISIS and posted online by the Middle East Media Research Institute TV Monitor Project (MemriTV), the extremist group announced that it has captured the Syrian town of Qaryatayn. Christians there were forced to flee, convert to Islam or sign a dhimma contract agreeing to live under Islamic law and pay jizya, an Islamic tax.

In the video, an Islamist explains that Christians caught trying to flee have four options: “One, for the men to be killed and the women and children to be enslaved. Two, to be exchanged (for prisoners, money or booty). Three, to be pardoned (provided they leave the Caliphate). Four, to pay the jizya and live as dhimmis under the rule of the Caliphate.”

 

A report by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) stated that ISIS received money in early September that is believed to be jizya tax collected by Christian clerks in the village. The IDs of Christians were also seized and are still being held by the extremist group.

In addition, the SOHR reported that the Saint Elian monastery in Qaryatayn was bulldozed and demolished on Aug. 6 by the extremists, who claimed that Christians worshiped the monastery instead of Allah. 

(Editor's note: it is important to remember that these options are only available to members of the traditional Christian communities in IS-controlled areas. For a former Muslim who converted and now follows Jesus Christ, there would only be two choices: return to Islam immediately or be executed.)

What if Ananias Said No?

I have been reading the Book of Acts and read, again, the story of Saul’s conversation in Acts, chapter 9. I am always struck by how soon after Saul met Jesus that people were trying to kill him!

As I have been reading in Acts in recent days the Lord has really drawn my attention to the role that Ananias played in Saul’s conversion. We all remember the story, Saul is on the road to Damascus and he sees a blinding light and hears the voice of Jesus saying, “Why are you persecuting me?” Saul is struck blind and has to be lead into the city by his helpers. That is where Ananias comes in.

God tells Ananias to go to Saul and restore his sight. What does Ananias say? You can read the story in Acts, chapter 9, but basically he tells God, “That is a terrible idea. No, no, no, God! I know about Saul and he is a really bad guy. He has come here to arrest people in the church and now you want me to go see him?” The Lord tells Ananias, “Yes, I want you to go.”

So Ananias is obedient and he goes to see Saul and there are two things that struck me in a new way as I read the story this time. First, Ananias reached out and touched Saul and secondly, he called him Brother Saul, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus sent me to you.” Remember just four verses earlier Ananias was telling God what a terrible guy Saul was and yet now he obeys God, goes to Saul, reaches out to touch him and calls him brother, "Brother Saul.” Then Ananias sort of disappears from the story. We don’t know what happened to him, but we sure know what happened with Saul. He became Paul, the great missionary/evangelist and the author of so much of the New Testament.

How different is that story if Ananias says no to God?

Not too long ago one of our VOM staff was in the Middle East at a meeting of Syrian church leaders. They were talking about this very passage. Some of these believers minister in the city of Damascus. For them it is very easy to see Ananias’ side of the story. They talked about that very situation. What if a guy from ISIS calls and says he wants to meet? What if a fighter from Al-Nusra Front comes in the door of your church? “I have had a vision of Jesus and I need to meet with you to learn more.” What would these Syrian Christians do? What would we do?

Our Syrian brothers and sisters talked about that. Would they go to meet with a sworn enemy of the gospel? One-by-one they shared that it would be difficult, it would be scary, but that if they felt God calling them to go, they would go in spite of the risks. I am thankful for the example of Ananias who was willing to reach out and touch and call “Brother” someone who had been an enemy. And I am thankful for Syrian Christians who are willing to take that risk today. It is thrilling to know that God is reaching into the ranks of terrorists, even ISIS, and calling people to Himself.

We have had the incredible privilege to share some of those stories right here on The Voice of the Martyrs Radio. But those new believers, those Sauls, need an Ananias to help connect them to the truth and to a body of believers, and that is not an easy job. There is a lot of risk.

But it isn’t just former ISIS fighters that need an Ananias, it is people coming to Christ where you live, where I live; our neighbors, co-workers, students at our children’s school. I hope that you will pray with me that God will reach more Sauls among radical Muslim groups and also raise up more Ananias’ to disciple and teach them. I hope we will pray that we can be an Ananias for someone who needs a friendly face and a welcoming smile as they choose to follow Jesus Christ.

These comments were a part of a recent VOM Radio episode.

Todd Nettleton has served with The Voice of the Martyrs for 17 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. He is the host of VOM's weekly half-hour radio program, The Voice of the Martyrs Radio, which you can find online at www.VOMRadio.net. 

VOMRadio: "Even If You Take My Life"

"Even if you take my life here in front of my wife...I will not deny Christ."

The Iraqi Christian stood at an ISIS check point. The fighters' guns were pointed at him. Their instruction was clear: deny your faith and become a Muslim. He said no, and miraculously God intervened and our Iraqi brother lived to tell the story.

This is just one of the stories that Joe, a VOM international worker, will share this week on VOMRadio after returning from a recent trip to the Middle East. He’ll also tell how VOM helps displaced Christians from Iraq and Syria forced from their homes by the Islamic State. We'll also learn how Muslim converts face persecution right here in the United States, and how your church can engage with Muslim immigrants and refugees in your city.

 

Access all episodes of VOMRadio at www.VOMRadio.net, or access the show as a podcast.

VOMRadio: Update from Syria

For years the Christians in Syria prayed for God to bring revival to their country. Little did they know that revival would come, but it would come in the midst of war and suffering and death.

This week “Brother John” shares the story of that revival, and the amazing ways that God is working in Syria today to strengthen and unify His church and to bring Muslims to fellowship with Jesus. John also brings a challenge to American Christians: are we willing to pay a price to see revival in our own country?

You’ll be encouraged to pray for Christians in the Middle East this week, and VOM’s international ministry leader will also answer a question from a VOMRadio listener about whether or not persecuted Christians can or should defend themselves from the attacks of their persecutors.

 

Access all episodes of VOMRadio at www.VOMRadio.net, or access the show as a podcast.

Pray For Syria

At least 17 people were killed April 11 in Aleppo, Syria, when rebels from al-Nusra Front launched missiles into a Christian neighborhood.

The attack occurred the weekend Syrian Christians were celebrating Easter, and al-Nusra Front had publicly called its followers to attack Christians.

Pray for our brothers and sisters in Syria, and pray that members and leaders of al-Nusra Front will come to know and worship Jesus Christ.

Sign up to receive new prayer requests from persecuted Christians around the world in your email box each week at www.iCommitToPray.com.