This week in persecuted church history (July 5-11)

Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
Hebrews 13:7b (ESV)

July 5, 2003: Father George Ibrahim is brutally murdered in the early hours of the day as six armed assailants enter his home in Renala Khord, Pakistan and shoot him and his parish assistant.

July 5, 2007: Two Pentecostal pastors are shot and killed by assailants suspected to be members of the leftist guerrilla group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in the village of El Dorado. At approximately 8:00 p.m., a group of armed men wearing camouflage clothing take Pastor Humberto Mendez (63) and Pastor Joel Cruz Garcia (27) from their homes. The next day, both of their bodies are found with gunshot wounds to the head.

July 5, 2007:  Rev. Pau Za Khen (62), pastor of the Upper Myanmar Evangelical Lutheran Church, is beheaded by an unidentified group in the town of Churachanpur, Manipur, India.  Pastor Khen was abducted from his daughter's home by four men the day before. His decapitated body is found in a field outside of town the following morning. His hands are tied behind his back and he is blindfolded.

July 6, 1054: Church legates of the Roman pope march into the church of Michael Cerularius, Patriarch of Constantinople, and place a bull on the altar, excommunicating him. So began of the Great Schism between the Catholics and the Orthodox.

July 6, 1415: Jan Hus, Bohemian preacher and forerunner of Protestantism, is burned as a heretic in Constance, Germany.

July 6, 1535: Sir Thomas More (b. 1478), who had recently resigned as Lord Chancellor of England, is executed for treason. He had sided with the pope against Henry VIII in the matter of the king's divorce. He was sentenced to be hanged, but Henry commuted the sentence to beheading.

July 7, 2007: Neng Mua is shot dead by Laotian authorities, one of 13 Christian villagers killed after being falsely accused of stirring rebel dissent.

July 8, 2005: A large mob forms north in eastern Ethiopia near Bahir Dar, intending to kill a local Ethiopian missionary named "Stephen". His house is burned and he is dragged into the bush.  Police managed to intervene, but the mob turn on the police and wound two of them. Stephen is taken into custody where police beat him and allow other prisoners to attack him.  He is finally released after paying 2000 Birr ($285.00 CDN). 

July 9, 1925: The Scopes "Monkey Trial" begins in Day ton, Tennessee, as John Scopes is tried for teaching evolution to his students. Though William Jennings Bryan, acting as prosecuting attorney, won the courtroom battle, the creationists lost where public opinion was concerned. Chagrined, fundamentalist Christians largely withdrew from American culture.

July 10, 2007: The Ministry of Cults and Religions in Cambodia bans Christian groups from door-to-door evangelism on the grounds that it "disrupts society."

July 10, 2008: Twenty-eight-year-old Sayid Ali Sheik Luqman Hussein, a convert from Islam, is approached on July 8 by two Muslim men in in Afgyoye, a town 18 miles from Mogadishu, Somalia. They ask him if he faces Mecca when he prays. Hussein tells them that, as a Christian, he does not have to face a specific direction to pray because God is omnipresent. The two Muslim men return two days later armed with an AK-47 assault rifle and a semi-automatic handgun and shoot Hussein to death.

July 11, 1656: Barbados expatriates Ann Austin and Mary Fisher become the first Quakers to arrive in America. Officials promptly arrest them and deport them back to England five weeks later.

July 11, 1681: Oliver Plunkett, Archbishop of Armagh, is executed, having been found guilty of treason. He was the last Catholic to die for his faith in England and the first Irish martyr to be beatified.

July 11, 1886: Protestant missionary Horace Underwood secretly baptizes Mr. Toh Sa No in Korea—the first recorded Protestant baptism in that country. However, an underground church was probably already active in Korea, begun by Korean workmen who had heard the gospel in China.

July 11, 2005: Four Americans participating in a Bible reading session in Mumbai, India are attacked by 30-40 Hindu youths because they believe the Americans are trying to convert Hindus.  Three of those attacked are treated for cuts and bruises but are not seriously hurt. While investigating the incident, officials decide that the Americans are in violation of their visitor's visa and order their deportation.

(sources: Christianity Today, The Voice of the Martyrs)

Prayer: “Grant that we, who now remember these before thee, may likewise so bear witness unto thee in this world, that we may receive with them the crown of glory that fadeth not away; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.” – taken from The Book of Common Prayer, Canada (1962)

This week’s featured Persecuted Church resources (July 5-11)

Here are three of our newest resources available for from The Voice of the Martyrs that you are going to love.

Safely Home (Audio Book) by Randy Alcorn

Heading on a road trip this summer?  Stuck in traffic, commuting to and from work?  Redeem the time, listening to a great Christian novel about the persecuted church in China.  Safely Home follows the story of two Harvard roommates, one American and one Chinese, who reunite in China decades after they graduate. They are shocked at what they discover about each other, how the paths they have walked have shaped their lives and loyalties in radically different ways. ($20.00. 6 CDs Approx. 7.5 hours)

The Gospel According to Job by Mike Mason

The Gospel According to Job is a rich, thoughtful and deep journey into the text of the book of Job where we learn that there are no easy answers to suffering, especially suffering due to one’s relationship with God. We discover that the mark of true faith is not happiness, but rather, having one's deepest passions engaged by the enormity of God. ($20.00. Paperback, 448 pages)

Egyptian Voices by The Voice of the Martyrs

Christianity goes back two thousand years in Egypt. Throughout that history, the followers of Christ have suffered persecution of varying kinds, continuing to the present day. For converts from Islam, the trials are particularly severe. Hear the stories of struggle and an enduring faith lived out by today’s persecuted church in Egypt and how The Voice of the Martyrs is standing with them in building God’s kingdom. (10.00. DVD, 25 minutes, 2009).

Also check out our online discount specials! VOMC t-shirts, caps, jewellery, DVDs, posters, and books – most only $5.00 or less!  New items added this week!

Persecuted Church Prayer Wall online

I am pleased to announce that our new Persecuted Church Prayer Wall is now online.  This prayer wall gives you the opportunity to write out a prayer on behalf of persecuted Christians and to post it online, just as people place prayers in the cracks of the Weeping Wall in Jerusalem.

Serving the persecuted church goes beyond advocacy, relief and development, training or supplying literature.  It also involves lifting them up to our Heavenly Father, asking for His intervention in their lives. Without prayer, all of our other efforts are simply human efforts which can never truly glorify Him.

Has God placed a specific prayer on your heart?  Please share it by posting it on our online prayer wall. As we pray, God moves in ways that we would never anticipate.

This wall will also serve as a tremendous source of encouragement to persecuted Christians who will log on to our website (and many do) and read your prayers their behalf.

Join with us in interceding for persecuted Christians around the world.

Add your prayer to our Persecuted Church Prayer Wall today. 

[You can also add a link to this prayer wall on your website or blog. Click here]

Resources for knowing the times we live in

As a follow up to our last two blogs, I would like to invite you to order a couple of resources that you will find very helpful in understanding the state of human rights here in Canada and a Christian understanding of human rights in general.  For the former, I would recommend Ezra Levant’s new book, Shakedown: How Our  Government is Undermining Democracy in the Name of Human Rights.  You can order it online from The Voice of the Martyrs for only $17.00 plus shipping. This bestselling book is a “must read” in my opinion.  Make sure your pastor gets a copy because I sincerely believe that freedom of expression (including religious freedom) is going to become an increasingly important issue here in Canada.

For a better understanding of human rights from a Christian perspective, read Human Rights - A Christian Primer by Thomas K. Johnson.  This 2008 publication is perhaps the most helpful introduction to human rights from a Christian perspective in print today.  You can also order it from The Voice of the Martyrs for $10.00 plus shipping. 

Sadly, many church leaders in Canada seem to have little or no understanding of the importance of human rights and how biblically based the concept it.  Many seem unaware of many of the religious liberty issues that swirl around them today. 

I have always been impressed by David’s selection of men who he believed were fit to be leaders when we read in 1 Chronicles 12:32 that he chose from Issachar, “men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do.”  This is the kind of leader that God is looking for today as well. If you are a church leader, I urge you to get these books and then pass them on to others.

VOMC welcomes Saskatchewan government’s proposal to allow commissioners to refuse to marry same-sex couples

The Voice of the Martyrs welcomes the government of Saskatchewan’s decision to propose legislation that would allow provincial marriage commissioners to refuse to perform same-sex marriages for religious reasons.  According to the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Justice Minister Don Morgan announced on Friday that the government would refer two versions of new legislation containing a religious exemption to the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal to rule whether they would conform with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Two legislative options will be put to the court, he said. "One would grandfather the existing marriage commissioners that are reluctant or unwilling to perform a same-sex marriage and the second option would grant religious exemption for not only the existing ones, but for future marriage commissioners that would have the same concerns." 

The previous NDP government had told marriage commissioners that they had to marry gay and lesbian couples, regardless of their personal religious beliefs. On May 23, 2008 a Saskatchewan human rights tribunal ruled that marriage commissioner Orville Nichols was guilty under the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code of discriminating against a gay couple whom he refused to marry three years ago.  He was ordered to pay $2,500 in compensation to the "couple", who claimed that the refusal was "pretty devastating" to them.  They were later married by another commissioner. Nichols, who has been a marriage commissioner for 25 years, has consistently said that his refusal was based on his religious beliefs. He has since filed a suit in the Prince Albert Court of Queen's Bench, claiming the Saskatchewan government is violating the Charter rights of the province's marriage commissioners.

Of the two options that the Saskatchewan government is proposing, the second provides far better protection of religious freedoms in our opinion.  To simply grant existing commissioners their full religious rights is merely a stop gap measure that would not protect the rights of future commissioners who might change their convictions or of citizens who might in the future wish to perform the duties of a marriage commissioner but who would be denied that possibility because of his or her religious views.  Such discrimination is wrong and should be addressed with this legislation.

Please pray as the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal considers these proposals. Why not post a pray to this effect on our new online prayer wall?

So, what about Omar Shaban?

Wow.  Rarely have I seen such universal and widespread vitriol condemnation than what I have seen expressed online towards the former vice-president of the Canadian Arab Federation who celebrated Canada Day by posting "F---Canada Day" on his personal Facebook page and calling Canada a "genocidal state” because of its treatment of its aboriginal people. 

Of course, I find these comments offensive and, I would suggest, misleading.  Omar Shaban’s real issues have to do with Canada’s close relationship with Israel and our banning of Hezbollah and Hamas, listing Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. Hiding behind aboriginal concerns is a common and convenient place for Islamists like him to hide.  And so condemnation, ridicule, taking him to task and holding him accountable for making and standing by these comments are perfectly appropriate in a free society.  The Canadian Arab Foundation was well within its rights to ask for his resignation and Canadians are well within their rights to express their outrage at these comments, whether they are true or not. 

And that is just the point.  Omar Shaban had the right to say stupid, tasteless, even false things.  And Canadians have the right to make him pay the consequences for his stupid, tasteless comments by responding to his comments with criticism and condemnation.  He should, however, not be silenced through state-imposed censorship. Neither should anyone who ridicules, condemns, criticizes and scorns him be subject to such. Omar Shaban has the right to say these things.  And the rest of the country has the right to criticize him for saying them. Freedom of expression goes both ways and always has consequences. Sometimes we have to hear people say dumb, brutish things.  And these people will have to expect to be treated like a pariah for saying them. Freedom of expression is not for the thin-skinned.

I strongly support freedom of expression; the right to express oneself without state retaliation. However, freedom of expression does not mean that one is to be free from social retaliation, consequences imposed by other people. Above all, freedom of expression does not protect you from being criticized for your ideas.

Omar Shaban should be grateful that he lives in a country that still allows him to flip the finger at his nation without being arrested for it.  I hope it stays that way.

Remember the persecuted in Egypt

The Voice of the Martyrs is focusing on the plight of persecuted Christians in Egypt during the month of August in our monthly newsletter. We have been involved in serving our Egyptian brothers and sisters for a number of years and urge you to consider how you can practically stand together with them in their afflictions this month.

In the early centuries after Christ, Egypt was predominantly Christian and a major centre for Christian scholarship. However, from the 7th century onwards with the initial Islamic invasion in 639 AD, Muslim rule and religion have predominated this ancient land. In 969, the country was conquered by Jawhar al-Siqilli and Cairo was founded as the new capital. Egypt's Coptic Christian church never disappeared, however, despite centuries of persecution and discrimination. Today, Egypt has the Middle East's largest Christian community. Some government figures have suggested that Christians make up twelve percent of the country’s population, with Christians claiming up to twenty percent. It is probably impossible to know for sure.

Despite the prominent Christian community, the country's constitution gives preference to Muslims and Christians are treated as second-class citizens, denied political representation, and often discriminated against in education and employment. While the constitution allows for freedom of conversion, Muslims converting to Christianity have often been unable to change their religion or their name on their identification cards. Without the freedom to make this change, Christian women remain designated as Muslims and are unable to marry Christian men. Children of those designated Muslim (even if they are, in fact, Christian) are educated as Muslims and those with Islamic names are routinely turned away from entering churches by police. Consequently, Christians have frequently had false ID cards produced, only to face prosecution for falsifying government documents. However, Christians who convert to Islam face no difficulty in changing their ID cards.

Egyptian Christians face ongoing challenges in building and repairing church buildings. The government requires permits for such construction but frequently refuses to grant them to churches. When applications are approved, they are often delayed by local authorities or security officials.

Another serious problem facing Christians in Egypt is the kidnapping, and often the rape, of Christian girls who are often then forced to marry a Muslim (even their attacker).

There have been a few hopeful decisions made by the Egyptian government. Some educational materials are now recognizing the Coptic contribution to Egyptian society. As well, the Coptic Christmas was officially recognized as an official national holiday in January 2003 (the Orthodox Christmas is celebrated on January 7). Despite these moves, Egypt has a long way to go before it can be recognized as a religiously free nation.

How can you remember (Hebrews 13:3) your Christian sisters and brothers in Egypt?

STAY INFORMED

The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada recently released a report entitled "Religious Freedom in Egypt: The Case of the Christian Minority. To download this report, click here.

SHOW ENCOURAGEMENT

In June 2000, Shaiboub Arsal was given a 15 year hard labour term. He has been falsely charged with two murders that took place during 1998 violence which targeted El-Kosheh’s Coptic Christian population. You can write a letter of encouragement to Shaiboub, care of his local bishop, at the following address:

Shaiboub Arsal
c/o Bishop Wissa Diocese of Baliana
Balina
Sohag Province
Egypt

PROTEST

Write the Egyptian embassy in Ottawa urging the removal of religious affiliation from Egyptian passports, government identification cards and birth certificates. In Egypt, citizens are required to carry their personal ID cards at all times. Without it, one has no access to basic services. Believers who try to change their card undergo severe persecution, such as Mohammed Hegazy. Please write to:

His Excellency Shamel Elsayed Nasser
Ambassador
Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt
454 Laurier Avenue East
Ottawa, ON K1N 6R3

PROVIDE

The Voice of the Martyrs supports safe houses in Egypt where Muslim converts in harm’s way can safely rebuild their lives and study God’s Word. Your gifts to VOMC’s Underground Church Fund help provide the means for this vital ministry. We are also involved in advocacy work to raise awareness of the persecution in Egypt and urge Canadian government officials to pressure their Egyptian counterparts to ensure greater religious freedom for Egypt’s Christians. We are grateful for your support of our ministry which allows us to do this.

Donations to all of our projects can be made securely online by clicking on the icon on the right or sent by mail to:

The Voice of the Martyrs
P.O. Box 117, Port Credit
Mississauga, ON
L5G 4L5

PROCLAIM

Do you know Arabic-speaking Muslims in your neighbourhood with whom you
would like to share the Good News? The Voice of the Martyrs is offering to provide you with up to five free copies of the evangelistic tool, He Lived Among Us, in Arabic. This vividly illustrated comic book tells the life of Jesus and presents the gospel simply and effectively. We also have a number of copies of Sons of Ishmael, a small book in Arabic with the testimonies of Muslims who have come to faith in Jesus. Many have heard the Good News worldwide through these incredible tools. Call us today at 1.888.298.6423 to receive up to five copies of one or both of these resources at no cost. Of course, a donation to help with shipping costs would be appreciated.

Muslim mob burns homes and churches in Pakistan

International Christian Concern is reporting that 100 Christian houses and churches were set on fire on June 30 by a mob local Muslims in the village of Kasur, east of Lahore, Pakistan. Here is the report:

The riots were incited by broadcasts from local mosques. This incident is similar to a February 1997 attack when thousands of Christian houses and churches were burned and hundreds of Christians were injured.

ICC partners received the news this morning and went immediately to the scene to help injured Christians transferred to Lahore, renting two mini vans for this purpose. So far 9 burned women and 4 children have been transferred to Lahore for further medical treatment. All of them have been injured by throwing acid on them. Local police have arrived on the scene but the situation is out of control as thousands of Muslims have gathered for this purpose.

Jubilee Campaign, Release International, the Pakistan Christian Post, and others have confirmed the attack and is reporting that Christian homes are being looted of their valuables. Pakistan’s Daily Times gives more details:

Thursday, July 02, 2009

Christian families in Kasur hide from angry mobs

* Christians say blasphemy charges result of misunderstanding, argument between two boys
* DCO ‘apologises’ to Christians

By Ali Usman

LAHORE: At least 110 Christian families, almost 700 people, were forced on Tuesday night to flee Bahmniwala, a village in Kasur, after angry mobs attacked and threatened to burn their houses for allegedly committing blasphemy.

The families sought safety in the fields surrounding their village, even as local mosques urged the Muslims to unite and “teach a lesson” to the Christians, residents told Daily Times. However, locals told Daily Times the problem started when a Christian boy, Arif Mashi, was travelling on a tractor and asked a Muslim boy, Muhammad Riaz, to allow him to pass. When Riaz refused, the two quarrelled.

Following this incident, on Tuesday night, a mob attacked houses of the area’s Christian community with petrol-bombs, destroying their electricity meters and thrashing any Christians they found. On Wednesday, the Muslim community refused to communicate with the Christian community, boycotting their businesses. The Christians who returned to their homes found they had no electricity or drinking water the entire day. “Despite the presence of police, the mosques continued to urge a complete Christian boycott,” Sohail Johnson, chief coordinator of the Sharing Life Ministry, said.

Human Rights and Minority Affairs Minister Kamran Michael said he had asked officials of the Revenue Department to compile an estimate of the loss suffered by the Christian community. He said justice would be ensured, adding the government would investigate the people responsible for turning the incident into a religious issue.

A committee comprising Christian and Muslim elders of the area, led by Kasur District Coordination Officer (DCO) Abdul Jabbar Shaheen, was formed on Wednesday to look into the matter and negotiate a peace deal between the two groups. The committee has been given four days to settle the matter.

DCO: The DCO said Islam did not allow cruelties against minorities. In his capacity as the DCO, he apologised to the Christians for the treatment that was meted out to them. A fact-finding mission led by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), will travel to the area today (Thursday) to probe into the matter.

Please remember our brothers and sisters in Kasur in your prayers.  We will continue to monitor this incident and update this blog as more information becomes available.

Family forgives son's killers

It always amazes me when I see the grace of God evident in the lives of those whose loved ones have been killed for Christ.  As many of you know, 39-year-old Christopher Leggett was killed by Al-Qaeda's North Africa branch on a week ago Tuesday because they claimed he was spreading Christianity in the Muslim country.  As the family prepared to bury their son yesterday, they sent a message to his killers.  Here is the report by Associated Press:

NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania—The family of an American man who was slain by extremists linked to al-Qaida while doing humanitarian work in Mauritania said Monday it has forgiven his killers.

Chris Leggett, 39, was shot dead in the Mauritanian capital on June 23, not far from the school he helped run which taught computer skills to local prisoners.

An Arab TV station aired a statement issued by a North African al-Qaida group spokesman who said the group killed Leggett because he was allegedly trying to convert Muslims to Christianity.

Leggett's family in the U.S. released a statement to reporters in Mauritania on Monday saying in French: "In the spirit of love, we forgive those that took the life of our remarkable son ... and we simply ask that the law is applied to those that killed him."

Leggett is to be buried Tuesday in Cleveland, Tennessee.

The Cleveland Daily Banner reports that he had spent seven years in Mauritania and that he is survived by a wife and four children.

Get down on your knees and blog

In Proverbs 31:8-9 we read:

  Open your mouth for the mute,
        for the rights of all who are destitute. 
  Open your mouth, judge righteously,
        defend the rights of the poor and needy.

I am often reminded of this in my role as CEO of The Voice of the Martyrs here in Canada.  Our mission is to glorify the persecuted church by serving His persecuted church.  In his book Tortured for Christ, our founder Richard Wurmbrand wrote,

“I would not have left Romania, despite the dangers, if the leaders of the Underground Church had not commanded me to use this opportunity to leave the country, to be the ‘voice’ of the Underground Church to the free world. They wished me to speak to you of the Western world on their behalf about their sufferings and needs. I came to the West, but my heart remained with them. I would never have left Romania if I had not understood the great necessity for you to hear of the sufferings and the courageous work of the Underground Church, but this is my mission.”

The Voice of the Martyrs today continues the legacy of Pastor Wurmbrand in raising a voice for persecuted Christians around the world.  It is sometimes hard for Christians in Canada to understand that persecuted Christians do not want us to send all of our funds directly overseas!  They urge us to publicize their plight, to tell their stories, to urge governments to intervene on their behalf, and to share their prayer requests with Christians in Canada.  One of our core values as a mission is to serve the Persecuted Church according to their wishes and needs, and not according to our own predetermined strategies. Just as Pastor Wurmbrand left Romania at the command of underground church leaders to be their voice, we are fulfilling the command of today’s Persecuted Church as we share their stories in our monthly newsletter, in books, and through television and radio. 

Today, of course, one of the key ways we do this is on the Internet.  This is why I take the time to blog as regularly as I do.  As I look at the statistics, I realize that there are few ways in which I can personally reach so many with this important message.  I think that as a CEO, that it is important that my voice is heard first-hand and not filtered through a public relations firm or a communications team.  You need to know that there is a real person here who cares deeply for our brothers and sisters.  It’s why I personally Twitter and answer emails and comments posted on our blog.  Cutting myself from the public goes against everything that I believe about leadership.  Blogging is a sacred task for me, in whatever form it takes. Personally, I think Richard Wurmbrand would have blogged had he been starting his ministry in 2009.

May I urge you to join me?  If you have a blog site or use Twitter or Facebook – however that looks for you - get involved in raising a voice for the voiceless (or, as I jokingly said to a friend of mine the other day, raise a tweet for the tweetless).  We have recently seen the impact of the Internet in raising awareness of the problems in Iran.  May I ask you to join me in raising awareness of the persecuted?  Feel free to create links to our websites and blogs.  Embed our videos that are on Youtube.  Follow us and retweet our messages on Twitter.   Write your own material and reference ours.  Feel free!  Anything that is online from our mission is yours to use just so long as you don’t use it for personal gain (and a link or credit line is always nice). 

But for the love of our brothers and sisters, get on your knees and blog – speak up for those who are being persecuted for Christ.

Spiritist challenges visiting preachers to power encounter in Uganda

You may find the following story a bit disconcerting. It was for me.  But it does reflect the reality of what Christians face in various parts of the world.  What bothered me was the response of the preachers, to be honest.  Why did they flee and now, why are they going to press charges?  Maybe the two responses are related? I certainly have some unanswered questions.

Read the story over and then give me your comments (keeping in mind our comments policy).  Who is in the right here?  Who is in the wrong? Is this persecution?  If so, did these preachers pass the test? If you are a Christians there anything in this incident that bothers you?  If you are not a Christian, what is your response to this incident? 

Uganda: Herbalist Challenges Evangelists

Ali Mambule
28 June 2009
The New Vision

Kampala — A herbalist in Masaka town challenged visiting preachers to a show of strength at his shrine on Wednesday evening in Mukudde zone in Nyendo Sennyange division.

The Christians from Bukakkata Evangelical Church and Health Building Church, Misaali, arrived at the shrine and began preaching. They were led by pastor Patrick Male Kakooza.

The herbalist, known as Prof. Kasagazi Kansaze, challenged the Christians to demonstrate their healing powers.

"I also have powers, which I believe are stronger than yours. I want you to show me what you can do. If my powers prove stronger than yours, you should join me, or else I'll join you if you happen to disprove me," Kansaze proposed to the evangelists, who seemed to think he was joking.

Kansaze then lit a wood fire and instructed his clients, who had been joined by some residents who live near the shrine, to start singing songs used to invoke spirits.

At this point, the evangelists started to flee, some of them abandoning their Bibles. Pastor Male escaped but the residents forced some, including Betty Nannyonjo, to stay and watch the herbalist's display.

"You neglect your culture and jump off with foreign cultures. You come here and preach to us the word which was sent to the Corinthians. Are we from that part of the world?" Kansaze, who seemed to be possessed, asked while stepping into the fire and putting burning wood into his mouth.

He grabbed Nannyonjo and asked her to step into the fire like he had done, but Nannyonjo broke free and escaped.

The residents chanted and praised the herbalist. Nannyonjo later told The New Vision that she would file a case against Kansaze.

"He welcomed us to his shrine. Why did he turn violent?" Nannyonjo asked.

The waning of Iran’s protest movement

This morning The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) published the following analysis on the reasons for the waning of the protest movement following the Iranian election.   Please continue to pray for Iran and especially for her Christian population.

Elections in Iran – Part V: The Waning of the Protest Movement

By: A. Savyon*

Iran|#529| June 29, 2009

Two weeks after the elections, it seems that the Iranian regime has managed to suppress the protest movement. This report examines the reasons for the waning of this movement.

1. Violence by the Regime

In attempt to quell the protests, which were mostly peaceful, the Iranian regime has employed brutal violence. IRGC and Basij units, some of them in plainclothes, used both cold weapons (clubs and knives) and live fire against the protestors. In addition to employing violence against the demonstrators in the streets, the security forces also raided student dorms, especially in Tehran; arrested protesters, political activists, journalists and intellectuals; and persecuted owners of homes from which the call of "Allah Akbar" was heard in the nights. The heads of the regime made threats against anyone who participated in the demonstrations, blocked websites and media outlets supportive of the protest movement, and waged a media campaign against this movement by describing the protestors and their leaders as hostile elements collaborating with Iran's enemies. Permits for political and party activities were revoked, and a special court was establish to prosecute the protestors.

2. Unlike Some of the Demonstrators, the Protest Movement Leaders Never Advocated a Regime Change in Iran; Their Campaign Is Part of a Struggle between Two Streams within the Regime

The leaders of the protest movement, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi and Mohammad Khatami, called on the demonstrators to keep their protests peaceful, and stated that they would negotiate with the regime to attain their goals, which are the holding of a new election or the establishment of a committee of ayatollahs, acceptable to all sides, to examine the election results. Unlike some of the protestors, these leaders are not interested in a change of regime in Iran, and have never called to topple Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.(1) 

It should be noted that Khatami and Rafsanjani, who stayed behind the scenes of the protest movement, have not managed to recruit the support of any senior ayatollah against Khamenei. Hashemi Rafsanjani, who is the second most powerful figure in the regime and heads two of its most important bodies (the Experts Assembly and Expediency Council), has never purported to lead a movement presenting an alternative to the regime. Despite his blatant disagreements with the Supreme Leader, he hasn't openly challenged the latter's decision to accept the election results, though, according to reports, he has sought to recruit senior ayatollahs to join his camp within the regime.

3. Absence of International Support

The policy of the West during this crisis has been one of non-intervention in the events in Iran.

Conclusion:

The events in Iran following the elections were a public outburst of rage that encompassed many sectors of Iranian society. This outburst was made possible by the emergence of a comprehensive common denominator, namely anger over the rigged elections. The protestors sought a leadership, but did not find one.

The regime's power and brutal suppression of the protests, the absence of a religious leadership, and the silence of the world meant that the protest movement could not maintain its momentum, and started to crumble after two weeks. However, it is safe to assume that another, more effective, protest movement will arise when the necessary "ingredients" are present, namely – a public of protestors, a compelling ideological agenda presenting an alternative to the regime, a religious leadership that will head the movement and will be willing to pay the price, and international support.

It can also be assumed that the present Iranian protest movement is likely to impact the Sunni Arab societies in the countries neighboring Iran, which are also no strangers to election fraud.

Now that the regime has managed to quell the protests, its various elites are busy trying to mediate between its two competing streams, both of which are conservative and accept Khamenei's authority.(2) The desire for reconciliation is clearly evident in Rafsanjani's recent public statement – his first in the last two weeks – in which he declared his loyalty to Khamenei (who has his "unending affection"), and adopted the line of Khamenei and Ahmadinejad that foreign elements were behind the protest movement.(3)

*A. Savyon is Director of the Iranian Media Project.

____________________________________

Endnotes:

(1) The leaders' position was expressed, for example, by Mousavi's supporter Majlis Member Ghodratollah Alikhani, who cried out emotionally during a recent Majlis session, "We are all sons of the Revolution!" 
(2) See MEMRI Inquiry and Analysis No. 522, "Elections in Iran – Part II," June 9, 2009, http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=countries&Area=iran&ID=IA52209.
Since Khamenei stressed, in his June 19, 2009 Friday sermon, the importance of all the leaders to the regime,  the regime's various elites and mechanisms have been working to appease the disgruntled presidential candidates and offer a solution to the crisis. Among the figures undertaking this effort are Ayatollahs from Qom, such as Mousavi Ardabili, Sobhani and Javadi-Amoli, as well as Majlis Speaker Larijani who has established his own committee for resolving the conflict, members of the Guardians Council and others.
On Khamenei's June 19 sermon, see MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 2413, "Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a Tehran Friday Sermon: In Every Election There Are Winners and There Are Losers," June 21, 2009, http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=countries&Area=iran&ID=SP241309.
(3) ILNA (Iran), June 28, 2009, Mehr (Iran), June 27, 2009, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFiv361ycpQ .

Remembering Chris Leggett

Chris Leggett

June 23, 2009

[From the Cleveland Daily Banner]

Christopher Ervin (Chris) Leggett, 39, formerly of Cleveland, and a current resident of Nouakchott, Mauritania, Africa, passed away Tuesday, June 23, 2009, in Mauritania. He was greatly loved and respected by the Mauritanian people. The Mauritanian Minister of Justice stated that “his death was a great loss to Mauritania”. Chris lived and died for Christ.

He and his family were residents of Mauritania for the past seven years where he directed a non-governmental organization with a focus to help the people of Mauritania. One aspect of his work involved working with the prison systems to train and equip women and young boys to re-enter society. He directed a training center providing training in such areas as computer skills, sewing, and literacy. He also oversaw a micro-loan program which fostered growth of small businesses; hundreds of projects were financed which impacted the lives of countless people.

He was a 1987 graduate of Cleveland High School. He attended Cleveland State Community College and graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 1990 with a degree in Business Administration. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Cleveland for many years and most recently was a member of Michigan Avenue Baptist Church of Cleveland.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents: Jay T. and Mildred B. Leggett; Ervin G. and Rachel A. Foreman.

Survivors include is wife, Jackie Beard Leggett; parents: Jay and Linda Leggett of Cleveland; four children: Hannah Marie Leggett, Jordan Christopher Leggett, Haley Rebecca Leggett and Erin Christian Leggett; brother and sister-in-law, Jay L. Leggett, Jr. and Erica S. Leggett of Cleveland; father-in-law and mother-in-law: Charles and Shirley Beard of Cleveland; nephews: Jay L. Leggett, III, Grant W. Leggett and Jonathan M. Rowland, all of Cleveland; and several other family members.

The funeral will be held on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at the First Baptist Church of Cleveland at 2:00 p.m. with Reverend Jim Gibson and Dr. Alan Lockerman officiating. Interment will follow in Fort Hill Cemetery in Cleveland with Jake Beard, Shannon Brown, Junior Burke, Stan Gibson, Brian Nerren, Jack Roach, David Souther, and Dennis Tweed serving as pallbearers.

The visitation will be held on Monday, June 29, 2009 at the First Baptist Church of Cleveland from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and also 1 hour prior to the Tuesday service.

Memorials can be given to the family as follows: Directly to Jackie B. Leggett at 1112 Glenmore Drive, Cleveland, TN 37312 or through First Baptist Church of Cleveland, 340 Church Street, Cleveland, TN 37311 and designated to the J. Mack Hall Fund or by going to www.clevelandfbc.com and selecting the icon for Chris Leggett. You may leave a message of condolence for the family at this web site.

Messages of condolence may also be given at www.ralphbuckner.com.

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Persecution: Normal and Expected

By Nik Ripken

“If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” - John 15:20

They admitted to being confused, these pastors and lay leaders who had endured decades of persecution within the now-failing Soviet Republic. Yet they agreed to share their personal, family, and church stories with the broader Christian community, hoping to help churches, mission organizations, and missionaries in the West develop a more biblical missiology of suffering. These pastors and lay leaders were intimately conversant with persecution, suffering, and martyrdom.

The confusion surfaced near the end of a series of interviews. Life histories had been shared, stories of persecution recited and documented, and tears shed while events were dissected. The testimonies were compelling. It seemed to the interviewer that this was the stuff of scripture—that he was hearing Bible stories come to life in his own time.

And that’s when the moment of confusion came, when the interviewer asked some questions that weren’t very professional or well planned. After hearing story after gripping story, he was compelled to ask this group of pastors and lay leaders, “Why have you cheated us in the West? Why haven’t you written these stories down? Where are the books that chronicle your faith and persecution? These stories are worthy of a movie. These are Bible stories come to life! Why have you not shared these lessons learned?”

As Common as the Sun Rising in the East
His outburst was greeted with confused silence. The pastors and lay leaders were dumbfounded. Most of the people simply ignored the embarrassing questions and the harshness of the challenge. Finally, one brother stood up, took the interviewer by the arm, and drew him to the end of the large room by the eastern window of the dwelling. Looking out at the horizon, the man spoke calmly to the interviewer: “Sir, when your sons were growing up, how many mornings did you take them to the window of your house and say to them, ‘Look, boys, the sun is coming up in the east this morning?’”

The interviewer found the question silly. “Well, I never once did that,” he answered. “Had I done that, my sons would have thought I had lost my mind, because the sun always comes up in the east!” Gently, the wise brother made his point: “Sir, that is why we talk little of our persecution and suffering. That is why we have not written our stories down. And that is why we have not made a movie. Our persecution is always with us. It simply comes as we walk with Jesus. It is like the sun coming up in the east.

“Besides,” he continued, “when did you Christians in the West stop reading the Bible? Our stories have already been told. God has already told all of us what we need to know about persecution and suffering.”

To say the interviewer was deeply humbled belabors the obvious. But the truth found a way into his heart and he was changed that day.

What kind of person sees persecution as biblical, expected, and hardly worth mentioning? Clearly, a person steeped in the story of scripture and well-acquainted with God. We would be wise to listen and learn the lessons.

First, persecution is normal for those who follow Jesus. Scripture makes this point from beginning to end. It is, quite simply, like the sun coming up in the east. Persecution is neither good nor bad—it just is. Certainly, Christians are not to seek persecution. But, at the same time, Christians need not give in to a crippling fear.

Persecutors intend for their actions to punish, intimidate, and (ultimately) silence God’s people. But God can use persecution in other ways. His highest purpose in persecution is to call his people closer to himself and to refocus their attention to the suffering of their Lord. When followers of Christ suffer willingly for their Savior, this gives their faith value. That kind of suffering also increases the impact of their witness.

Second, conversion is the primary cause of persecution. That may sound strange, but consider this simple truth: When people come to Jesus, persecution results. And the only way to stop persecution is to keep people from coming to Jesus. Conversion and suffering for the faith are simply two sides of the same coin. Many Christians in the West hold to a missiology of suffering that is, at the very least, biblically inconsistent. They see persecution as “bad,” as “a punishment,” and as “something to be avoided at all cost.” Western Christians facing persecution would typically ask, “What did we do to deserve this?” And that question really means, “What did we do wrong?” But believers who are more at home in the world of persecution would see things differently. They might say, “We are being persecuted because we did what was right!” What a different perspective!

The Western Church has been led by a host of well-meaning proclaimers and organizations asking that Christians pray for brothers and sisters who are experiencing persecution. That is biblically right and godly. Yet those who pray typically ask for God to stop the persecution.

Is that really what we want to pray, when the only way to stop persecution is to keep people from coming to Jesus?

Those who see persecution like the sun coming up in the east seldom ask others to pray for their suffering to end. Rather, they ask that others pray that:

• they might remain obedient in the midst of their persecution
• they might be bold in their witness
• God would use their suffering to bring others to himself

But they do not ask that others pray for their persecution to end. Amazingly, they understand that there is no resurrection without a crucifixion. And while they never seek to suffer, they find joy in being allowed to suffer for and with Jesus. In their suffering, they are privileged to identify with their risen Lord.

Third, even when missionaries do everything right, the result of a bold and culturally-astute witness will be the persecution, suffering, and martyrdom of others. That’s the result of “the mission enterprise.” One of Satan’s most powerful attacks comes against the fruit of a believer’s witness. Consider this scenario: Faith has been shared and received. A new disciple has come into the family. The one who has shared the good news feels responsible. And Satan can use that good feeling of responsibility for his purposes. The words Satan whispers are devastating: “You were faithful in your witness. Now look: someone is being hurt because of what you did! Your beloved disciple is now being persecuted! And it’s all because of what you did. Maybe it would have been better if this one had never come to Christ.”

Subconsciously, it is easy to accept those words. It’s easy to believe that the persecution is your fault. Trying to assuage that terrible guilt, Western workers often move into “rescue mode.” The plan is simple: “Perhaps we should extract this new disciple and keep him safe!” Tragically, in the process, God’s call to church planting gets lost. And, what’s even more dangerous is that the rescuers come to believe that safety is something that they can guarantee and provide.

The Purposes of God?
God’s story speaks to the situation. What do we do when Joseph is wrongly accused and thrown into Pharaoh’s prison? Practically speaking, what do we do when that happens today? We write emails. We distribute contact information for governments and United Nations officials. We fill inboxes and voicemails with demands that the person be freed. We righteously claim that his rights have been violated. We point out that he has committed no crime and we say that we will settle for nothing less than his release. We threaten sanctions.

And that’s all understandable.

But what if God has determined that he needs this person in jail for a season? Or, at the very least, what if God determines that he will use this time of imprisonment for some special purpose? What if we spring this person too soon—before he has the opportunity to interpret “Pharaoh’s” dream? What if we rescue him, only to discover that we have been working against the purposes of God?

Of course, we dare not be careless here: no believer has the right to be silent when another believer is suffering! The Church in the West has no right to ignore the suffering of brothers and sisters around the globe. But even so, there is a God-given wisdom that will lead God’s people to understand that there are times to allow Christians to remain imprisoned for the sake of God and his kingdom. They also will understand exactly when those times are.

For eighty percent of the Christian family in our world today, persecution remains as common as the sun coming up in the east. Surely, persecution is never to be sought nor fearfully avoided. But when it comes, each follower of Christ is invited to embrace it, to see it as normal and expected, and to pray that God might somehow use it for his purposes.

Dr. Nik Ripken (pseudonym) is a mission veteran of twenty-four years with the International Mission Board, SBC, having served in Malawi, South Africa, Kenya, Somalia, and Germany. Currently, he and and his wife serve as strategy associates in Northern Africa and the Middle East with specific responsibilities for the Horn of Africa and some Gulf States.

[This article first appeared in the November 2008 issue of Lausanne World Pulse and is used by permission]