tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202710972024-03-06T23:31:56.700-05:00Persecuted Church WeblogFocusing on the persecution of Christians around the world and the theological, historical, missiological, and human rights issues involved. "Persecuted Church Weblog" is the official weblog site for The Voice of the Martyrs in Canada.Greg Musselmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15224965213121759243noreply@blogger.comBlogger1084125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20271097.post-21141134350790299462010-02-16T16:08:00.004-05:002010-02-17T09:04:04.883-05:00New Weblog for The Voice of the Martyrs Canada<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; CLEAR: both" class="separator"><a href="http://vomcblog.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil1aUDp2mfoqMcgHzhya0-gRvtffA-FlXwEeAwQdapvzjZzzhlAC3kEmfpc22O5D_7m-7tQDBm1L_A-oO3B8tKgJfqMquL27b2zP9SYnR-Xfeoqe1CEFvA62r0Dw1nEOJyqkyN/s400/newblog.jpg" width="400" height="145" /></a></div><br />Dear blog readers,<br /><br />As of today, The Voice of the Martyrs Canada has launched a new blog following the passing of VOMC's former C.E.O., Glenn Penner, who was largely responsible for managing this weblog site. We felt that a new space, a fresh forum, was needed to reconnect with you and dialogue with you about the persecuted Church.<br /><br />So, we warmly invite you to check out our <a href="http://vomcblog.blogspot.com/">new blog</a> today.<br /><br />Thanks, and God bless!<br /><br />-Adele Konyndyk and Erin VandenbergUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20271097.post-8660849772309524202010-01-27T16:17:00.004-05:002010-01-28T09:37:23.969-05:00Glenn Penner passes on to glory<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUNBizXrp05PTbG3ZSooyX2utVB0s_9bJfojTzxovNL_uwat-gnaP0CoALycEicHXLmusydI1Ryhryht0Zb_qCUznHCj7OTXV5IAg4gFMAO4JCtqQeUWkv-6V2qKNnlApuJPmTA/s1600-h/GLENN+2009.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 234px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431544503412331282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUNBizXrp05PTbG3ZSooyX2utVB0s_9bJfojTzxovNL_uwat-gnaP0CoALycEicHXLmusydI1Ryhryht0Zb_qCUznHCj7OTXV5IAg4gFMAO4JCtqQeUWkv-6V2qKNnlApuJPmTA/s320/GLENN+2009.JPG" /></a>After a seven year struggle with cancer, Glenn Penner of The Voice of the Martyrs Canada went home to be with the Lord on the evening of January 26, 2010 at the age of 48.<br /><br />Glenn first joined VOM-Canada in 1997. Klaas Brobbel, the Director of the mission at the time, recalls, "Looking back to August 1997 when we interviewed Glenn for the position of Development Director for The Voice of the Martyrs, I marvel at God’s goodness and timing to send Glenn our way. The mission was floundering and we needed help. Little could we have known the great work that Glenn would be able to pack into the nearly 12½ years of service to the Persecuted Church."<br /><br />Barely five years after joining VOM-Canada, Glenn was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. After undergoing chemotherapy, radiation treatment and a stem cell transplant, Glenn, his wife Denita, and their family decided not to pursue further treatment when the cancer returned. With confidence in God's provision, Glenn bravely continued to serve the Persecuted Church and strove to utilize the time God gave him to its fullest potential.<br /><br />Merv Knight, Ambassador-at-Large with International Christian Association, of which VOM-Canada is an affiliate, reflected, "It is my privilege to have had a close association with VOM-Canada from its formative days. I have seen it move through various stages of change and growth. One of those positive changes came with the appointment in 2007 of Glenn Penner as C.E.O. Glenn was God’s man for the time."<br /><br />Glenn had a particular passion for helping suffering believers to understand the biblical basis for their trials. His book, <em>In the Shadow of the Cross</em>, is an intensive study of the theology of persecution and discipleship which continues to be an invaluable resource to Christians worldwide who are suffering for Christ's sake. A gifted teacher, Glenn was blessed to be able to share his study with Christian leaders in religiously restricted and hostile nations in South America, Africa and Asia, as well as in seminaries and colleges in Europe and North America.<br /><br />In January 2010, Glenn stepped down from the position of C.E.O. to allow him to serve more in line with the limitations and challenges of his condition. Corey Odden, who served for 10 years with VOM-USA, assumed the role of C.E.O. while Glenn became VOMC's Scholar-in-Residence/Executive Advisor.<br /><br />Glenn's faithful dedication has inspired many – his family, the staff and supporters of VOM-Canada, international partners, and the many suffering Christians worldwide who have been touched by his service to them. As the mission moves forward into a new chapter, the staff is profoundly thankful to God for Glenn's example.<br /><br />Greg Musselman, VOM-Canada's Chief Communications Officer, said, "I’ve known Glenn for the past 10 years and we worked together at VOM-Canada for seven. We travelled together overseas several times and worked on many video projects and newsletter articles about the Persecuted Church. I learned so much from him in the area of theology and church history and for that I will always be grateful. The rest of the team and I at VOM-Canada will strive to carry on his legacy as we serve the Persecuted Church."<br /><br />VOM-Canada's Chief Operations Officer, Floyd Brobbel, added, "Words can never completely convey what Glenn meant to me and over the years ahead I will cherish the memories of my time with Glenn. The meetings, the travel, the laughter, the tears, the heated discussions, the planning, the practical jokes, and the list goes on to form a wonderful tapestry Glenn wove into my life. I would not change a thing because it all narrows to one word for me, and that is 'friend.'"<br /><br />Friends and family of Glenn Penner are invited to celebrate his life and express condolences to his loved ones on Friday, January 29 at City Centre Baptist Church. The viewing will be held, the Lord willing, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., with the funeral beginning at 1:00 p.m. City Centre Baptist Church is located at 1075 Eglinton Avenue West in Mississauga, Ontario. A memorial service is planned for Saturday, February 6 at 1:00 p.m. at the Zion Evangelical Missionary Church in Didsbury, Alberta. Directions are available <a href="http://www.zemc.org/" target="_blank">here.</a> For more information, please phone 1.888.298.6423.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zUJzG2gEYNw&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zUJzG2gEYNw&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20271097.post-72323797252176017062010-01-22T16:12:00.005-05:002010-01-22T16:27:58.849-05:00Prisoner of TehranAs a subscriber to the <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/books/betweenthecovers/index.html" target="_blank">CBC Radio's Between the Covers podcast</a>, I am currently listening to a reading of Marina Nemat's memoir, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Prisoner-Tehran-Memoir-Marina-Nemat/dp/1416537422" target="_blank"><em>Prisoner of Tehran</em></a>. In the book, Marina recounts her arrest in 1982 at the age of 16 and her subsequent detention at Tehran's notorious Evin prison. Since we receive reports about Iranian Christians detained at Evin prison, this book immediately grabbed my attention. I hope it will help me have a fuller understanding of the conditions and challenges they face and how I can better pray for them.<br /><br />You can watch a video interview below for more information about Marina Nemat:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ew2RwOKjgkc&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ew2RwOKjgkc&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Have you read <em>Prisoner of Tehran</em>? If so, please feel free to comment with your reactions to the book. Did you enjoy it? Would you recommend it to others?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20271097.post-90002608019082715562010-01-18T15:24:00.008-05:002010-01-22T12:20:41.763-05:00Stand with Gao Zhisheng<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOpZybw2a201kc-sDSEJKkKTFp46KKod9NQGh0yFxlcqDofF_3egckerO7vZtmdeUV8exkW0IlI_HyiFiRa7lP8n7Y3Aiu29Lk6Grx83V-UIXmPKKkE0qbNUmzcVegFmx58pdMQ/s1600-h/gao+z.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 169px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428183769541295410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOpZybw2a201kc-sDSEJKkKTFp46KKod9NQGh0yFxlcqDofF_3egckerO7vZtmdeUV8exkW0IlI_HyiFiRa7lP8n7Y3Aiu29Lk6Grx83V-UIXmPKKkE0qbNUmzcVegFmx58pdMQ/s320/gao+z.jpg" /></a> The following report from VOMC partner <a href="http://www.chinaaid.org/" target="_blank">ChinaAid</a> shares the latest information on <a href="http://www.persecution.net/cn-2009-02-11a.htm" target="new">Gao Zhisheng</a>, a Christian human rights lawyer who has endured much persecution from authorities. Please consider joining ChinaAid in raising a voice for Gao and his family by signing their petition. To sign today, and for other ways you can help, please visit their website at <a href="http://www.freegao.com" target="_blank">www.freegao.com.</a><br /><br /><div><blockquote><em>Since mid-December, 2009, ominous rumors have circulated about Gao Zhisheng, hinting that he has died after brutal torture in prison. However, no reports have been confirmed, and the Chinese government continues to refuse comment on his condition and whereabouts. </em><br /><em><br />Gege, Gao's daughter, had been reportedly "pale and tired-looking" with worry for months. After hearing a rumor of Gao's death just before Christmas, Gege became so emotionally distraught, she was forced to be hospitalized. She remains fragile and under medical watch in a New York hospital. </em><br /><br /><em>This week, after searching out the policeman who originally detained Gao Zhisheng back in February, 2009, Gao's brother Zhiyi was told that Attorney Gao allegedly "went missing while out on a walk" on September 25, 2009. Gao's wife refused to comment, but was reported to be extremely upset after hearing the news.<br /><br />This is the first time a Chinese government official has hinted that they no longer have Gao Zhisheng in their custody, leading ChinaAid to believe Gao's condition has taken a turn for the worse.<br /><br />"It is totally unacceptable for the Chinese government to lose track of their own prisoner," said President of ChinaAid Bob Fu. "It is absolutely clear that he was forcibly taken from his home in February 2009. Nearly a year later, the Chinese government now says they do not have him."<br /><br />Though the rumors of death cannot be confirmed, Bob Fu remains extremely concerned for this new development.<br /><br />"We have every reason to suspect that the Chinese government has something very serious to hide. Gao's family has every right to know what happened to him. It is unbelievable that a high security prisoner would go missing while "out on a walk," without suspecting that there is a major cover up of his condition."<br /><br />The Chinese government can no longer hide their actions from the world and must be held accountable for their treatment of Gao Zhisheng. Now is the time to act!</em></blockquote></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20271097.post-413822301255476102010-01-16T16:07:00.001-05:002010-01-16T16:07:07.218-05:00Reaching out to Haiti<p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8tdzoRv_yCc/S1IqcSA-OjI/AAAAAAAADEU/cA812it8rA8/s1600-h/5-e1263408803734%5B18%5D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: 0px" title="5-e1263408803734" border="0" alt="5-e1263408803734" align="right" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGIgQN6QQR6IzEod_A7TvRV52JRpN3YqRG0kqsCGtGCZ25DLJEumVgRK9FVFAxDEW-gFjlJlbCHfSI7KH5GC6lLVcEpvOBlxbEr9Jjst_cwYNB5Tt-o8wcAb1tfYZH-D00U2K/?imgmax=800" width="276" height="214" /></a> At times like this, The Voice of the Martyrs is thankful that there are committed ministries whom we can refer to when our friends and supporters contact us asking how they they can reach out to when disasters take place like that taking place in Haiti.  As the suffering in Haiti is clearly not one of Christian persecution, The Voice of the Martyrs, as a ministry, will not proposing any projects for Haiti at this time (the only reason we might do so is if we learn that Christians are being discriminated against in the aid distribution and this seems unlikely in Haiti at this time, as persecution of any sort is rare there art other times).  </p> <p>Hence, we are pleased to refer you to other excellent ministries who are stepping up to effectively assist those in need in Haiti at this time.  The Voice of the Martyrs recommends t<strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2xanMZflBEAjLZCPhukd3NbHFJVCGkpHBZh1XuF1VSn93uer7U11HKLUOcBaGNR-tCNfK1FZOJDNHf7voqfTIMgfR_FUkKw73ODA1UvtLMI-ieU3XjQXKPZaTwQMSQM9yaGB/s1600-h/reachout%5B17%5D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: 0px" title="reachout" border="0" alt="reachout" align="right" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9yIXm8s-9hjpVNkiRyh8DW6Z6GKKq3bSTcMJFyd0Va9x8H0BbGryRLo3tL9ampDQT-MF9E5zYMOk1YKgerhfsKtcUbcU43erRBYBqAaNcm7rnfAZBlkcrJQ61HdApMSfiYxY1/?imgmax=800" width="307" height="228" /></a></strong>he following ministries: </p> <p><strong>1. </strong><a href="http://www.worldvision.ca/Pages/Home.aspx" target="_blank"><strong>World Vision Canada</strong></a></p> <p><strong>2. </strong><a href="http://www.compassion.ca/" target="_blank"><strong>Compassion Canada</strong></a><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>3. </strong><a href="http://www.samaritanspurse.ca/" target="_blank"><strong>Samaritan’s Purse Canada</strong></a></p> <p><strong>4. </strong><a href="http://www.hpicanada.ca/" target="_blank"><strong>Health Partners International Canada</strong></a></p> <p><strong>5. </strong><a href="http://www.crwrc.org/pages/crwrc.cfm" target="_blank"><strong>CRWRC</strong></a></p> <p>6. Your own denominational mission, if applicable.</p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20271097.post-8661502164873154832010-01-15T19:00:00.001-05:002010-01-15T19:00:03.865-05:00Check out The new PersecutionTV!<p><a href="http://www.persecution.tv/"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiri0ebEXBj1aKRVf899OSaXmiy7yBWFACwOZA8jX2FRanBwLqsEC95MNohCluda7Bm4N_Ifh3lCpZgJ2oWasWg7XB4zohcoqPpG8z0woFQgSxi3yYMuGnHg81z-k2447IrbUmj/?imgmax=800" width="436" height="258" /></a></p> <p>Check out the radical new update of The Voice of the Martyrs’ multimedia website.  With more features and videos than ever before, this site is definitely <em>the </em>place to go for  video and audio reports on Christian persecution around the world.</p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20271097.post-56665220718463563672010-01-15T09:18:00.001-05:002010-01-16T12:46:40.391-05:00Google Takes a Stand<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq85ULJaRF2L7jAiVjiXBH746Hsg2FWyMKGZ5EaradkirngvGYC1Ro5kMXSYFPU344ysTFrRyrdw6CNoCRLpNc056FN1ALZsBn7I6Lao6hru28OwliviweCItpsIzY1EGI48JB/s1600-h/google_logo5%5B7%5D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 5px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="google_logo5" border="0" alt="google_logo5" align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8tdzoRv_yCc/S1EDBdx_vGI/AAAAAAAADEI/cuvzgffUCis/google_logo5_thumb%5B5%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="170" height="71" /></a> The following editorial appeared in today’s <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/opinion/14kristof.html" target="_blank">New York Times</a>.  As an organization that devotes considerable time and effort in promoting religious freedom, we believe, Google’s actions in this are both laudatory and worth imitating.</p> <blockquote> <p><em>January 14, 2010</em></p> <p><em>Op-Ed Columnist</em></p> <h4><em><strong>Google Takes a Stand</strong> </em></h4> <p><em>By </em><em>NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF</em></p> <p><em>It has been dispiriting to see America’s banks apparently stand for nothing more lofty than plunder. It has been demoralizing to see President Obama hiding from the Dalai Lama rather than offend China’s rulers.</em></p> <p><em>So all that makes Google’s decision to stand up to Chinese cyberoppression positively breathtaking. By announcing that it no longer plans to censor search results in China, even if that means it must withdraw from the country, Google is showing spine — a kind that few other companies or governments have shown toward Beijing.</em></p> <p><em>One result was immediate: Young Chinese have been visiting Google’s headquarters in Beijing to deposit flowers and pay their respects. </em></p> <p><em>China promptly tried to censor the ensuing debate about its censorship, but many Chinese Twitter users went out of their way to praise Google. One from Guangdong declared: “It’s not Google that’s withdrawing from China, it’s China that’s withdrawing from the world.”</em></p> <p><em>Cynics say that Google tried to turn a business setback (it lags in the Chinese market behind a local search engine, Baidu) into a bid to burnish its brand. Whatever the motivations, it marks a refreshing contrast </em><em>to Yahoo assisting the Chinese government</em><em> in sending four dissidents — Shi Tao, Li Zhi, Jiang Lijun and Wang Xiaoning — to prison for terms of up to 10 years.</em></p> <p><em>“In the 20 years I’ve been doing this work, I can’t think of anything comparable,” said John Kamm, the founder of </em><em>the Dui Hua Foundation</em><em>, which has enjoyed remarkable success in encouraging China to release dissidents. Mr. Kamm, a former business leader himself, argues that Western companies could do far more to project their values.</em></p> <p><em>Google announced its decision after a sophisticated Chinese attempt to penetrate the Gmail addresses of dissidents. The episode and the resulting flap highlight two important points about China. </em></p> <p><em>The first is that Beijing is increasingly devoting itself to cyberwarfare. This is a cheap way to counter American dominance in traditional military fields. If the U.S. and China ever jostle with force, Beijing may hit us not with missiles but with cyberinfiltrations that shut down the electrical grid, disrupt communications and tinker with the floodgates of dams.</em></p> <p><em>Moreover, China’s leaders aren’t keeping their cyberarsenal in reserve. They seem to be using it aggressively already.</em></p> <p><em>A major coordinated assault on computers of the Dalai Lama, foreign embassies and even foreign ministries was uncovered last year and traced to Chinese hackers. The operation targeted computers in more than 100 countries and was so widespread that Western intelligence experts believe it was organized by the Chinese government, although there is no definitive proof of that.</em></p> <p><em>(If this column is replaced on </em><em>nytimes.com</em><em> with one under my byline praising the glorious courage of the Chinese Communist Party in standing up to the bourgeois imperialists of Google — well, that would make my case.)</em></p> <p><em>A second point is that China is redrawing the balance between openness and economic efficiency. The architect of China’s astonishingly successful economic reforms, Deng Xiaoping, clenched his teeth and accepted photocopiers, fax machines, cellphones, computers and lawyers because they were part of modernization. </em></p> <p><em>Yet in the last few years, President Hu Jintao has cracked down on Internet freedoms and independent lawyers and journalists. President Hu is intellectually brilliant but seems to have no vision for China 20 years from now. He seems to be the weakest Chinese leader since Hua Guofeng was stripped of power in 1978.</em></p> <p><em>Instead, vision and leadership in China have come from its Netizens, who show none of the lame sycophancy that so many foreigners do. In their Twitter photos, many display yellow ribbons to show solidarity with Liu Xiaobo, </em><em>a Chinese writer</em><em> recently sentenced to 10 years in prison. That’s guts!</em></p> <p><em>China’s Netizens scale the Great Firewall of China with virtual private networks and American-based proxy servers </em><em>like Freegate</em><em>. (The United States should support these efforts with additional server capacity as a way of promoting free information and undermining censorship by China and Iran).</em></p> <p><em>Young Chinese also are infinitely creative. When the government blocks references to “June 4,” the date of the Tiananmen Square massacre, Netizens evade the restriction by typing in “May 35.”</em></p> <p><em>When I lived China in the 1990s, an early computer virus would pop up on the screen and ask: Do you like Li Peng? (He was then the widely disliked hard-line prime minister.) If you said you didn’t like Li Peng, the virus disappeared and did no harm. If you expressed support for him, it tried to wipe out your hard drive.</em></p> <p><em>Eventually, I think, a combination of technology, education and information will end the present stasis in China. In a conflict between the Communist Party and Google, the party will win in the short run. But in the long run, I’d put my money on Google.</em></p> </blockquote> <p><em> </em>For further comment from other media sources <a href="http://www.thestar.com/article/751497" target="_blank">click here</a> or <a href="http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1585856/google-china-crisis" target="_blank">here</a></p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20271097.post-36763884736139862272010-01-14T14:09:00.001-05:002010-01-14T14:11:22.859-05:00Living in the shadow of the martyrs<p><a href="http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/toronto/story.html?id=2439190" target="_blank">Yesterday</a> a young Vietnamese Catholic priest was ordained as a bishop in Toronto. His ordination was significant not primarily because he is only 26 years old, making him Canada’s youngest bishop or because he is Canada’s first non-white bishop. Rather, what makes his ordination so significant, in my opinion, is the fact that Bishop Vincent Nguyen has grown up in the shadow of martyrdom.</p> <p>In the 19th century, 21-year-old Joseph Can Nguyen was arrested for being a Christian.  His executioners tied him to a post in the river and waited for the tide to rise.  Every now and then, at their leisure, they would wade out to Joseph to see if he would recant his faith.  He consistently refused until finally he drowned.</p> <p>This story of courage and faith has been a legacy of the Nguyen family ever since.</p> <p>It is in this sense that the blood of the martyrs has served to embolden following generations.  Remembering his faith and courage, the Nguyen family has continued to follow Christ faithfully both in Vietnam and in Canada.  At the age of 16, Vincent dreamed of being a priest but saw no chance of that happening in communist Vietnam.  Risking his life, he and several others boarded a rickety fishing boat hoping to sail for freedom to follow his passion for Christ.</p> <p>By God’s grace, he survived, culminating in yesterday’s ordination.</p> <p>As Christians, we all live in the shadow of the martyrs.  Hebrews 13:7 calls us to observe the lives of those leaders who have walked the path of martyrdom and to follow their example.  This legacy is essential if we are to walk faithfully as they did.  This is why we tell the stories of the martyrs in our monthly <a href="http://www.persecution.net/nlorder.htm" target="_blank">newsletter</a>.  A task with a God-given mandate, valuable in it’s own right, even if we were to never suggest ways of providing aid.  </p> <p>Oddly enough, there are more admonitions to remember the martyrs in scripture than there are admonitions for advocacy or providing practical aid.  Could it be that the former is more essential to the survival of the faith than the later?</p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20271097.post-38429724096932515152010-01-13T15:51:00.004-05:002010-01-13T16:10:10.005-05:00Video report: Churches set ablaze as religious strife rages in Malaysia<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cbpcjzYYpZM&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cbpcjzYYpZM&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20271097.post-7993117353812099982010-01-12T13:03:00.001-05:002010-01-12T13:04:09.223-05:00Urgent Prayer Requested for Hostages in Yemen<p>Middle East Concern has released <a href="http://www.givengain.com/cgi-bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&cause_id= 1489&news_id=80192" target="_blank">the following report</a> concerning six Christians who have been held hostage in Yemen since June 12.  Please join us in praying for this situation requiring urgent prayer.  </p> <blockquote> <p><em>Greetings in the name of Jesus, who came that all may have life.</em></p> <p><em>In recent months we have requested prayer following the kidnapping on Friday 12th June of nine foreigners in Saada, north-west Yemen, three of whom were murdered shortly afterwards. Recall that those missing are a German couple, their three children, and a British man.</em></p> <p><em>We are pleased to report that a Yemeni government official has announced that the government has seen proof that the missing six are alive. Precise details have not been disclosed. However, a recent video showing the three young children has been confirmed. This has led some to speculate that the children are being held separately from the adults.</em></p> <p><em>The government has given assurances that, together with German and British investigators, it is continuing to work for their release.</em></p> <p><em>Christians in Yemen give praise for these signs of hope and request our continued prayers that: <br />a.  The missing six will know the peace and presence of Jesus and will be released unharmed shortly <br />b.  They will receive enough healthy food and keep warm during the cold nights <br />c.  If separated, the three children will be reunited with their parents soon <br />d.  Efforts to negotiate their release will be successful <br />e.  The families and colleagues of those missing and murdered will know the peace of Jesus amidst the intense uncertainty <br />f.  Efforts to end the violence in Saada province will be successful and the root causes addressed <br />g.  All expatriate Christians in Yemen will know the Lord's guiding and protecting at this time, in particular in view of the latest AlQaeda threats <br />h.  The perpetrators will be convicted by the Spirit and drawn to the forgiveness, love and true life offered by Jesus.</em></p> </blockquote> <p>We encourage you to post prayers on our <a href="http://www.persecution.net/prayerwall" target="_blank">Persecuted Church Prayer Wall</a> as a means on expressing your solidarity with them and their family during this time.  We will keep you up to date as to the status of the hostages as <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8453902.stm" target="_blank">negotiations for their freedom continue</a>.</p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20271097.post-89650073504655514232010-01-12T11:40:00.007-05:002010-01-12T12:51:33.776-05:00Keeping the faith in the shadow of persecutionIn Egypt, converts to Christianity are facing a number of challenges for refusing to deny their faith in Jesus and embrace Islam. They can be rejected from their families and communities, harassed by authorities and even imprisoned. Some believers remain in the country, despite such difficult conditions, and some flee out of fear for their lives. The following <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/national/keeping-the-faith-in-the-shadow-of-persecution-20100112-m4qg.html" target="_blank">article</a> is the story of an Egyptian Christian man who was arrested, beaten and jailed for his conversion from Islam to Christianity: <br /> <br /> <blockquote> <h4><strong><em>Keeping the faith in the shadow of persecution</em></strong></h4> <p><em>ANDRA JACKSON</em> <br /> <br /><em>FOR the past two years, ''Mina'' has regularly phoned his mother in Egypt. But the 36-year-old is so scared for the safety of his family here and in Egypt that he has not told her he lives in Australia, instead letting her believe he is in the United States.</em></p> <p><em>It is a fiction devised out of fear that Egypt's security police will track him down or persecute his family in Egypt in retaliation for defying them and fleeing the country.</em></p> <p><em>What brought Mina to their attention was his conversion at age 21 to the Coptic Orthodox Christian faith, which meant turning his back on Islam, the dominant, state-sanctioned religion.</em></p> <p><em>He was arrested and beaten numerous times, then thrown in a room with Islamic radical prisoners who were encouraged to beat him, his Melbourne lawyer, Jimmy Morcos, said.</em></p> <p><em>Mina is one of 70,000 Coptic Orthodox Christians who have fled persecution in Egypt and resettled in Australia since 1971, according to their bishop in Victoria, Bishop Suriel. </em></p> <p><em>He is also one of 12,000 people expected to march to the Egyptian consulate in the city tomorrow to protest over the killing of six Coptic Orthodox Christians in a drive-by shooting in Egypt last month.</em></p> <p><em>The killings are the latest in a catalogue of attacks on Copts in Egypt dating back more than a decade. Even now, the climate of fear is so strong that Mina refuses to publicly reveal his real name for fear of repercussions.</em></p> <p><em>Australia granted him a humanitarian visa in 2003 but Egyptian authorities seized his passport and stopped him from leaving the country six times.</em></p> <p><em>He said he was eventually taken to a prison.</em></p> <p><em>''I saw a person with a blindfold over his eyes and he was hit and there was shouting and he was as taken to a dark place,'' he said.</em></p> <p><em>Mina said he was told this would happen to him if he did not recant, and that leaving Islam was ''a big crime''.</em></p> <p><em>He had to report to the security officials every week to rethink his stance.</em></p> <p><em>In 2007, a way was found to get him to Australia to rejoin his wife and children who had left ahead of him.</em></p> <p><em>Mr Morcos said that international pressure needed to be brought on Egypt to guarantee the human rights of Copts, who make up 18 per cent of the country's population.</em></p> <p><em>Bishop Suriel said the protest would also call on the Australian Government to break its silence on the attacks on Copts in Egypt which has drawn wide condemnation round the world, including from the Pope.</em></p></blockquote> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20271097.post-63682181498071943332010-01-10T21:37:00.001-05:002010-01-10T21:37:06.424-05:00Study shows that U.S. has failed to assist Christians in China due to financial interests<p>In another example of the improving coverage of Christian persecution by the Canadian secular media, the <a href="http://www.nationalpost.com/scripts/story.html?id=2414539#ixzz0cGWGEz27" target="_blank">National Post</a> published an excellent article on Thursday on the how the United States has lost a major opportunity to help improve the plight of Christians in China by putting financial interests first, according to the author of a new report on religious freedom.</p> <blockquote> <p>"It's terribly inconsistent. It's a real black eye in American foreign policy for us to turn a blind eye to the human rights abuses going on in China while we pursue economic advantage," Carl Moeller, head of Open Doors USA, said yesterday.</p> <p>"It's like selling our birthright. Our nation was founded by people fleeing Europe to seek the very religious freedom being denied people in these countries.</p> <p>"In the case of China, the chance to use influence is now gone. The American economy has become enslaved to the Chinese banks. It would be economic suicide to make threats now."</p> <p>His remarks came as the California non-denominational Christian group issued its World Watch List, which ranks 50 countries in terms of their abuse of Christians.</p> <p>North Korea, an official atheist state that worships its supreme leader, was the most fanatically anti-Christian, followed by Iran, Saudi Arabia and Somalia. China was No. 13.</p> <p>"They [North Korea] have arrested and tortured Christians in various horrible ways, such as sometimes using them as a means of testing biological or chemical weapons," the report said.</p> <p>Mr. Moeller said getting reliable information from North Korea is difficult, but over the years his group has made contact with enough people "on the ground" to believe these extreme reports are accurate.</p> <p>He said many of the countries, especially those at the top of the list, are so politically isolated from the West the best that can be hoped is the report will give moral support to those facing bigotry and violence.</p> <p>Other top offenders were: Somalia The report says Somali Christians "practise their faith in secret under extremely dangerous conditions. At least 10 Christians, including four teachers, were killed for their faith in 2008 and several others kidnapped and raped. Islam is the official religion; there is no legal provision for religious freedom." Yemen "Converts from Islam encounter opposition from the authorities and extremist groups who threaten 'apostates' with death if they do not turn back to Islam."</p> <p>Mr. Moeller was particularly scathing about Saudi Arabia, which has strong military ties with the United States.</p> <p>"Saudi Arabia is our ally and they are horrific when it comes to religious liberty," he said.</p> <p>"[In general], Western governments are not doing enough to combat anti-religious activity."</p> <p>Religious oppression is a global issue and not just restricted to Christians, Mr. Moeller acknowledged. But pointing out discrimination against Christians is an efficient way to point to the greater issue of religious liberty.</p> <p>"Evangelicals are becoming a litmus test for human rights abuses in these countries. How Christians are treated in Iran is a good litmus test about how [Iranians] do on human rights overall."</p> <p>In December, the Washington-based Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, which has no religious affiliation, produced a massive report called Global Restrictions on Religion. This looked at government restrictions and social hostility against religious groups.</p> <p>The two-year study found 64 countries -- about one-third of all nations -- had "high or very high restrictions on religion."</p> <p>"But because some of the most restrictive countries are very populous, nearly 70% of the world's 6.8 billion people live in countries with high restrictions on religion, the brunt of which falls on religious minorities."</p> <p>Brian Grim, a senior researcher at Pew, said in those 64 countries minorities are constantly exposed to violence or imprisonment. Even those not persecuted directly find their civil liberties restricted.</p> <p>clewis@nationalpost.com---------</p> <p>WORLD'S TOP 10 ANTI-CHRISTIAN REGIMES</p> <p>1. North Korea <br />2. Iran <br />3. Saudi Arabia <br />4. Somalia <br />5. Maldives <br />6. Afghanistan <br />7. Yemen <br />8. Mauritania <br />9. Laos <br />10. Uzbekistan</p> </blockquote> <p>The National Post is perhaps the best example of secular press organizations here in Canada in covering religious liberty and Christian persecution but they are hardly alone.  Others have also shown marked improvement in recent years, in my opinion. Could there be further improvement?  Undoubtedly; but almost any special interest group would probably say the same. Let’s be grateful for the coverage being given and <a href="http://www.persecution.net/writemedia.htm" target="_blank">let editors know</a> that we appreciate their coverage. </p> <p>Also, continue to pray for the U.S. administration as they fail to assist Christians in China due to their financial priorities.  Pray for the Canadian government as it has faced similar pressures but, to this point, has resisted stepping off of the human rights wagon in the pursuit of international trade with China.</p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20271097.post-24958562086304168532010-01-09T19:49:00.001-05:002010-01-09T20:01:21.258-05:00Kidnap victims reported still alive in Yemen<p><a href="http://www.allvoices.com/s/event-4958968/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5hYmMubmV0LmF1L25ld3Mvc3Rvcmllcy8yMDEwLzAxLzA3LzI3ODc4MzcuaHRt">AFP</a> reported on Thursday that the five Germans, including three children, and a British national who have been held by kidnappers in Yemen for the past six months are still alive, a top official said on Thursday. According to the report: </p> <blockquote> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8tdzoRv_yCc/S0kkHYxvZDI/AAAAAAAADDY/AZSCgioSoWI/s1600-h/anthony_s_yemen1_thumb%5B2%5D%5B4%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="anthony_s_yemen1_thumb[2]" border="0" alt="anthony_s_yemen1_thumb[2]" align="left" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8tdzoRv_yCc/S0kkIJ1h10I/AAAAAAAADDc/YH3ABkfdYhk/anthony_s_yemen1_thumb%5B2%5D_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="140" height="144" /></a> "We have confirmed information that they are still alive. They are five Germans and a British national," said Rashad al-Aleemi, the deputy prime minister for defence and security affairs.</p> <p>"The three possible places they could be in are [the provinces of] Maarib, Al-Jouf and Saada. Available information confirm that there is coordination between the [northern Shi'ite rebels] Huthis and the Al Qaeda in this matter.</p> <p>"It is believed that the three children, who were shown in a recent video, are alive in Maarib, while the elders are being used by the Huthis [to provide] medical treatment."</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8tdzoRv_yCc/S0kkI95RUPI/AAAAAAAADDg/5LvAR3h7g6A/s1600-h/johannes_h_fam_yemen_thumb%5B1%5D%5B4%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="johannes_h_fam_yemen_thumb[1]" border="0" alt="johannes_h_fam_yemen_thumb[1]" align="left" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8tdzoRv_yCc/S0kkJriYw3I/AAAAAAAADDk/qwDTnklCXxQ/johannes_h_fam_yemen_thumb%5B1%5D_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="158" height="244" /></a> The three children had resurfaced in a new video two weeks ago but the tape featured no sign of their parents. All were kidnapped in June.</p> <p>German officials who requested anonymity had confirmed a report in the daily Bild saying the images, apparently recorded recently by the abductors, indicated at least that the three children aged one, three and five were still alive.</p> <p>The German government now has a copy of the video, Bild said in December.</p> <p>"The children seemed exhausted," a high-ranking German official was quoted by the newspaper as saying, as the German government declined to comment.</p> <p>The family of five and the Briton were abducted in northern Yemen along with two German Bible students and a South Korean who were shot dead soon after.</p> <p>The Yemeni government had repeatedly accused the Huthi rebels of being behind the kidnapping, a charge they denied, charging that the government was behind their disappearance to use it as an excuse to attack them.</p> <p>Since August, the army has been engaged in an all-out offensive against the Zaidi Shi'ite rebels in the Saada northern province and its surrounding, in a bid to end their five year rebellion. </p> <p>[<a href="http://www.todayonline.com/BreakingNews/EDC100107-0000311/Yemen-says-German-family,-Briton,-kidnapped-by-al-Qaida-still-alive" target="_blank">click here</a> for a collaborating AP report and <a href="http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/world/middle_east/yemen+british+hostage+aposstill+aliveapos/3494742" target="_blank">here</a> for a Channel 4 report]</p> </blockquote> <p>Pray that these reports are true.  Pray for the hostages during this time.  Show your solidarity with them by posting a prayer request on our <a href="http://www.persecution.net/prayerwall">Persecuted Church Prayer Wall</a> for them and their family.</p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20271097.post-27725162401689411932010-01-09T17:58:00.001-05:002010-01-09T17:58:51.084-05:00Don’t ban the burka<p>We would love to get your opinion on this editorial from today’s <a href="http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2010/01/09/national-post-editorial-board-don-t-ban-the-burka.aspx">National Post</a> on this highly controversial subject.  Please leave your comment below, remembering that they need to be <a href="http://persecutedchurch.blogspot.com/2008/12/persecuted-church-weblog-comment-policy.html">moderated</a> before they will be posted</p> <blockquote> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8tdzoRv_yCc/S0kKJ-JPikI/AAAAAAAADDQ/x6cuNmzIp-Y/s1600-h/woman-with-burka_64%5B3%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="woman-with-burka_64" border="0" alt="woman-with-burka_64" align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8tdzoRv_yCc/S0kKKtxe3rI/AAAAAAAADDU/3RK3Qiy40gw/woman-with-burka_64_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="162" /></a> French legislators are considering a measure that would impose a fine of more than $1,000 on women who wear a burka, a garment that covers Muslim women from head to foot, with a thin, gauzy slit for the eyes.</p> <p>The government maintains the ban would be a statement in support of “French values,” which, as appears to be endlessly the case in France, are the subject of much public debate. Burkas have been denounced as “a walking coffin” and “a prison for women.” President Nicolas Sarkozy last year declared the burka a “sign of subservience and debasement.” </p> <p>We share this abhorrence for such clothing: The burka signifies the notion that a woman is a piece of male property, which must be packaged and caged. Contrary to received wisdom, the use of burkas has no “traditional” basis in Islam. It is a vestige of primitive tribal practices from certain parts of the Middle East and Asia, where honour killings are common, and female sexuality is a subject of phobic paranoia.</p> <p>Still, banning burkas is not the right way to battle the sexist ideas that burkas symbolize. In our society, women have a right to wear what they want, assuming they choose to do so of their own free will. </p> <p>If women are being forced to wear the burka, that is unacceptable, of course. But even in such cases, the crime lies in the coercion, not the clothing. If radical Muslims forced their wives to memorize the Koran on pain of beating, we wouldn’t ban the Koran — we’d throw the husbands in jail. The same principle should hold with burkas.</p> <p>Western liberalism means, among other things, the right to dress, eat, pray, and speak as we please. And so the government’s role in the burka debate should be to educate all immigrant cultures, including those that are Muslim, that women have every right to behave as they wish, whether or not it pleases their fathers, brothers or imams. </p> <p>If a woman understands this fact, and still chooses to go around in a burka, well, so be it. Being free means having the right to make bad decisions.</p></blockquote> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20271097.post-9203069413261769702010-01-08T10:35:00.003-05:002010-01-08T10:45:57.082-05:00Yemen: Christians vulnerable in a failing state<blockquote><em>Yemen has been a unified state only since 1990. Before that, North Yemen (on the Red Sea) was 60 percent Shi'ite and ruled by a conservative Shi'ite Imamate, while South Yemen (on the Gulf of Aden) was 99 percent Sunni and Communist. In 1962, Ali Abdallah Saleh, a northern socialist and nominal Sunni, seized power in North Yemen in a military coup. He was elected president of North Yemen in 1978 and retains power as president of the unitary Republic of Yemen, which today is on the verge of collapse. The Shi'ites, a 30 percent minority in the unitary state, are marginalised by the Sunnis, while the oil- rich south is marginalised by the ruling north. The Shi'ites want to restore the Imamate, while the south wants to secede. Since at least 2005, President Saleh has been using al Qaeda jihadists (fundamentalist Sunnis) in his fight against the al Houthi rebels (Shi'ites) in the north and more secular (formerly Soviet-backed Communist) secessionists in the south. The conflict also has regional dimensions: Saudi Arabia is fighting advancing Iran-backed al Houthi Shi'ite rebels, while Somalis have joined the Sunnis and Lebanese Hezballah have joined the Shi'ites.</em><br /><em><br />Underneath this crumbling structure are vulnerable Jewish and Christian minorities amidst a population of 24 million. In 1949-50 Israel rescued 45,000 of Yemen's Jews from genocide through Operation Magic Carpet. A further 32,000 Jews have left Yemen since then and now less than 400 remain. As sectarian conflict escalated in the north in January 2007, the Shi'ite rebels forced the 45 remaining Jews in al Haid, Sa'ada, from their homes under threat of death. Most Christians in Yemen (est. 9000 in Operation World 2000) are expatriate workers or Ethiopian refugees. They are a source of light and hope for Yemen, one of the world's poorest and least evangelised nations. Participate! Intercede for the Church in Yemen. </em><br /><br /><em>Please pray specifically that, by His word and Holy Spirit, God: </em><br /><br /><em>-- will draw all Christians in Yemen into prayer and supply all their needs, increasing their faith and courage; may their lives witness to the faithfulness and supremacy of Jesus Christ. </em><br /><br /><em>-- will awaken many Muslims in Yemen (local Arabs and foreign jihadists) to the truth that it is Jesus Christ who is the light of God. </em><br /><br /><em>For the 'true light, which enlightens' has come into the world. And to all who receive him, who believe in his name, he gives the right to become children of God (See John 1:9-13).</em></blockquote><br />This Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin was written for the Australian Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (AEA RLC) by Elizabeth Kendal, an international religious liberty analyst and advocate, and a member of the AEA RLC team. All previous bulletins may be viewed <a href="http://www.ea.org.au/ReligiousLiberty/PrayerPostings.aspx" target="_blank">here.</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20271097.post-31712766280658119262010-01-06T12:07:00.008-05:002010-01-06T12:29:43.169-05:00Video report: World Watch List 2010As we begin 2010, I encourage you to watch the following video from Open Doors, another ministry that serves the Persecuted Church worldwide. This video and the accompanying <a href="http://members.opendoorsusa.org/site/PageNavigator/World_Watch_List_2010" target="new">report</a> will assist you in understanding the areas of the world where Christians face the most severe persecution because of their Christian faith.<br /><br /><object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bWytX6Yr2LA&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bWytX6Yr2LA&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20271097.post-90279792223378034682010-01-05T15:16:00.008-05:002010-01-05T15:33:40.910-05:00Words from our founder - Two kinds of love<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dsm32Fy4RoSpxGxxJ5obFGi3rjPEUzvr5DNmEYXiqO9V8yc2u0kNEWoZWWfQIME4eAkCX_s2o_0FQ7PSH1_07RYAnHNdEop9tVr9-UyA4-p-2wHB9SW0h9Mhkfiq_yH6_Alu6w/s1600-h/Copy+of+wr2_misc_067.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 252px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 308px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423355719752180370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dsm32Fy4RoSpxGxxJ5obFGi3rjPEUzvr5DNmEYXiqO9V8yc2u0kNEWoZWWfQIME4eAkCX_s2o_0FQ7PSH1_07RYAnHNdEop9tVr9-UyA4-p-2wHB9SW0h9Mhkfiq_yH6_Alu6w/s320/Copy+of+wr2_misc_067.jpg" /></a> There are two kinds of love: "love because of" the good and beautiful in a person, and "love in spite" of all that this person does to puzzle and hurt us. Obviously, "love in spite of" is superior. It is the most exquisite jewel to be found in the universe. God loves us in spite of our sins. Jesus loved His torturers in spite of what they did to Him.<br /><div></div><div>We can love God not only because of the splendid things that enchant us in the universe, but also in spite of the sufferings we encounter. Without pain in this world, the highest form of love could not exist. This love is worth its price.</div><div><strong>Excerpted from pages 130-131 of Pastor Wurmbrand's <em>Proofs of God's Existence. </em>In this book, we are reminded that the questions of God's existence and absolute truth are not new. But, as our founder writes, they are critical to both the atheist as well as the Christian. Will the atheist embrace or reject God, and will the Christian live a life that reflects our Creator? You can order a copy of this unique book for only $7.00 from our <a href="https://www.persecution.net/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=182&osCsid=8c710ed0e75192c0c72b1a8e2782b80d">online catalogue</a>. </strong></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20271097.post-91095677991283683092010-01-04T16:23:00.003-05:002010-01-05T08:41:27.187-05:00Tips for getting your thoughts published<p>As the National Post notes today, “Close to 100 letters to the editor arrive at the Post each day. All are read, but only 10 to 15 make it into print each issue. That's partly due to space limitations, but also because many are basically unusable.”</p><p>One of the best ways to raise a voice for the persecuted is through well-written letters to newspaper editors. And a 1 in 10 printed average is pretty good odds that your letter will be taken seriously if you do a good job. To help get your letter into print, Paul Russell, the National Post letters editor, suggests the following tips:</p><blockquote><p>A reader recently commented that he has "been impressed for a long time with the quality of the letters that appear on the Post's pages. That must mean that your job of selecting puts you in the same position as a kid with a free pass in a candy store."</p><p>Nice analogy, but not quite accurate. Numerous letters can be savoured and enjoyed in their raw form, but most require some degree of editing before publication. So here are 15 pointers on how to make your letter irresistible in that candy store we call the letters file.</p><ol><li><strong>Shorter is always better</strong> In this era of decreased attention spans -- encouraged by 140-character Tweets and abbreviated text messaging conversations -- newspapers have to compete. That is why we insist that letters be short and to the point. While it may seem difficult to express your ground-breaking thoughts in 200 words or less, this limit is for your benefit. The more succinctly the point is made, the better the chance the letter will be read and remembered.</li><li><strong>Letters aren't mini-columns</strong> Instead of trying to frame a complex argument, the best letters make a single point, convincingly yet briefly. If you can throw in a pithy observation or humorous twist along the way, all the better.</li><li><strong>Be topical</strong> Readers want letters about the issues and stories that are currently in the news. You don't have to limit your subject choice to Tiger Woods's bizarre love life or what's happening in Israel (a topic that never goes out of date), but at the same time, don't bother sending us your thoughts on Michael Jackson, Balloon Boy or the Copenhagen summit. Those topics are soooo yesterday.</li><li><strong>Appeal to readers' emotions</strong> Some of our best letters come from people talking about their own experiences. Last year, for example, we carried an amazing letter from a man coping with Autistic Disorder. As he noted, "Often it seems like I'm looking in on a bad movie scene -- with me as the anti-hero."</li><li><strong>Draw from your own experience and thoughts</strong> Don't pen a letter that relies on quotes from outside authorities to make its point. We want to hear what you think, not what you read elsewhere.</li><li><strong>Financial Post vs. National Post</strong> If you want to blast Terence Corcoran for his views on global warming or if you disagree with any other Financial Post article, send your thoughts to fpletters@nationalpost.com.The FP Comment page runs letters related to all content in its section, and FP editors welcome all feedback. - Print vs. online We only run letters to the editor about articles that appear in our print edition. Responses to articles on one of the Post's almost two dozen blogs can be posted by the public online (where you get to assume a cool nickname, like SassieLassie or GrungyOldVan).</li><li><strong>Articles vs. advertising</strong> Interest groups often buy advertising space in the Post to advocate positions that some readers will find controversial. If you want to respond to these paid advertisements, either buy your own ad or send your letter to the group in question.</li><li><strong>Your letter will be edited</strong> All letters are fine-tuned -- and probably shortened -- by Post staff, in the interest of clarity and space. Don't take it personally, but instead consider it a learning experience for the next missive you send in.</li><li><strong>Eschew obfuscation</strong> Write your letter as clearly and simply as possible. While columnists such as Conrad Black are given the leeway to use terms such as "callipygian" (it's worth looking up) to describe Michelle Obama, letter writers are advised to avoid using words that require readers to reach for their dictionaries.</li><li><strong>Avoid cliches like the plague</strong> "Thinking outside the box" is now an "inside the box" expression. Don't write that someone has "hit the nail on the head" unless you're talking about carpentry, and for the love of God, avoid gratuitous religious references (as I just failed to do). They offend some readers.</li><li><strong>We need exclusivity</strong> Don't send your letter to numerous media outlets thinking that will increase its chance of publication. Letters editors across the land, seeing the note is not unique to their paper, will just delete it.</li><li><strong>Play nice</strong> Don't attack the personal views of a reporter, fellow letter writer or columnist (even people as incendiary as John Moore or Don Martin). Instead offer a thoughtful countervailing opinion and try to advance the debate, which will encourage other readers to join in.</li><li><strong>Know the two-week rule</strong> In an effort to allow as many readers as possible to have their say on our pages, we aim to space out contributions by letter writers by at least two weeks.</li><li><strong>Tell us who you are</strong> Give us your name, phone number and address. This information is needed not only for verification, but also so we can contact you about editing changes. And we will not publish letters with your name withheld, except in extraordinary circumstances that have to be arranged beforehand with our staff.</li></ol></blockquote><p>I hope that these tips will help you to write more effective letters to editors on behalf of persecuted Christians around the world. For even more information, <a href="http://www.persecution.net/writemedia.htm">click here</a>.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20271097.post-77304471474880175242009-12-31T13:06:00.004-05:002010-01-06T08:41:36.169-05:00Year after year, He is faithfulAs 2009 draws to a close, we can be grateful to God for the many ways He has provided for His persecuted children around the world. In the past year, we have witnessed prisoners released, families reunited, false charges dropped, faith strengthened, and the truth of Christ received by many. We have much to be thankful for.<br /><br />But even for those whose situations seemingly haven't improved -- those who spent Christmas in prison, those who are being physically or verbally abused, those who know that 2010 will bring many difficult days -- we can still be thankful to God for providing for and sustaining them in the midst of their suffering.<br /><br />At the end of the year, while we pause and look back on what has happened and anticipate what is to come, we can see God's hand in the lives of persecuted Christians. Their testimonies make us grateful to serve a God who is so intimately concerned with all our needs. By recognizing what He has done in the past, we can look ahead confidently to 2010, knowing that He will continue to guide and support all His children. Year after year, He is faithful.<br /><br />It is imperative to know God's constant faithfulness as we enter a New Year. Many will undoubtedly suffer in the year to come, and without understanding that this world belongs to God -- at all times, in all situations -- it is easy to lose our footing and grow weary over the amount of suffering our Christian family faces around the globe.<br /><br />We are so grateful for the ways Christians in Canada and around the world have supported the persecuted Church this year. We ask that you please continue to stand with them in 2010. We know that God is faithful year after year. May we too be faithful to the Lord and to each other in the year to come.<br /><br />Blessings to you!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20271097.post-21330233277695218272009-12-30T16:04:00.003-05:002009-12-30T16:08:49.733-05:00Christian woman murdered in Somalia<p><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-g7HFb_azsI&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-g7HFb_azsI&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></p><p>For more videos and media reports, check out our multimedia site at <a href="http://www.persecution.tv/">www.persecution.tv</a>. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20271097.post-92202776228978026232009-12-29T15:24:00.006-05:002010-01-02T12:11:32.825-05:00The Voice of the Martyrs Canada appoints new C.E.O.<p>The following is the official press release announcing the appointment of Corey Odden as VOMC's C.E.O. beginning January 2010. Please pray for Corey and his family as well as the staff at VOMC during this time of transition. <br /></p> <blockquote> <p></p> <br /> <p>Contacts: Glenn Penner/Floyd Brobbel, The Voice of the Martyrs Canada, 905‐670‐9721</p> <p>MISSISSAUGA, Ontario. -- December. 29, 2009 / ‐‐ The Board of Directors of The Voice of The Martyrs Canada, a non‐profit charitable organization dedicated to raising awareness and support for persecuted Christians around the world, is pleased to announce the appointment of Corey Odden to the position of Chief Executive Officer.</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQ7wYoorGSqqm1yFIATnWYJTKzhBWgWu5ZFs4GT2n15s2CatOEVobbYTrawv7_nhQFKUlT3f-87opVvjtn2yNwQWar5ZqRyheKUFe60EdutPkQzhGarzx77Oy_LH6SamRcPzGmw/s1600-h/oddens2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 299px; float: right; height: 233px; cursor: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420769484193703394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQ7wYoorGSqqm1yFIATnWYJTKzhBWgWu5ZFs4GT2n15s2CatOEVobbYTrawv7_nhQFKUlT3f-87opVvjtn2yNwQWar5ZqRyheKUFe60EdutPkQzhGarzx77Oy_LH6SamRcPzGmw/s320/oddens2.jpg" /></a>Corey Odden joins VOM‐Canada after having served most recently as Vice‐President of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. Prior to that, Mr. Odden served for 10 years as the Chief Financial Officer with The Voice of the Martyrs in the United States and had the opportunity to travel to many countries throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia in service to the persecuted church.</p> <p>Mr. Odden will officially assume the role of C.E.O. from Rev. Glenn Penner on January 4, 2010. Rev. Penner, who has been battling Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia since 2002, will assume a more specialized role that will enable him to continue to serve the Persecuted Church more in line with his health limitations. Rev. Penner has been with the mission since 1997, during which time he authored an extensive study on the theology of persecution and discipleship and ministered across the world to suffering believers.</p> <p>The Chairman of the Board of Directors, Rev. Peter Jardine, is confident of the Lord's provision during this time of transition. "Glenn Penner took the mission to a level of excellence which leaves me both thankful to be part of it and humbled by the extent of it. I am profoundly thankful that Glenn will continue to be involved, spending time on his great work on the theology of persecution and remaining as an invaluable resource to the leadership."</p> <p>Rev. Jardine is also excited about the addition of Mr. Odden to the mission. "I cannot thank God enough for bringing to us Corey Odden, who is, in my humble opinion, uniquely qualified to step into the C.E.O.'s office. We remain in God's hands, secure in the knowledge that He is guiding us, sustaining us and loving us through this difficult but rewarding work."</p> <p>In anticipation of joining the team and VOM‐Canada, Mr. Odden stated, “I am deeply grateful for the testimony of my friends, the late Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, and their son, Mihai, who stirred the hearts of Klaas and Nellie Brobbel to establish VOM’s mission in Canada nearly 40 years ago. In addition, Glenn Penner has assembled a highly qualified and dedicated team. It is an honour to serve alongside the staff and volunteers as we raise the voice of such Christians who would otherwise be forgotten.”</p> <p><em>About The Voice of the Martyrs Canada</em></p> <p><em>The Voice of the Martyrs Inc., a registered non‐profit charitable organization founded in Canada in 1971 by Klaas and Nellie Brobbel, has been ministering to persecuted Christians worldwide for nearly 40 years in more than 50 countries. The Voice of the Martyrs, which has multiple missions around the world, was founded by Richard Wurmbrand, a Romanian pastor who was imprisoned and tortured for 14 years for professing his faith in Christ.</em></p> <p><em>For more information on The Voice of the Martyrs Canada, please visit </em><a href="http://www.persecution.net/" target="_blank">www.persecution.net</a><em></em><em> or contact </em><a href="mailto:thevoice@persecution.net" target="_blank">thevoice@persecution.net</a><em></em>.</p></blockquote> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20271097.post-89179563794937816882009-12-29T09:34:00.015-05:002010-01-02T12:37:58.275-05:00Christmas in North KoreaOver Christmas a <a href="http://cnsnews.com/news/article/59101" target="_blank">news story</a> broke regarding a 28-year-old American who "illegally entered" North Korea on Christmas Eve. The man is believed to be a Christian missionary who slipped across the frozen Tumen River in China bearing a letter urging leader Kim Jong Il to resign, repent, and free all political prisoners in the country. Quite a story, and one we'll continue to keep an eye on and pray for. <br /> <br />While looking for details and information on this story, I discovered a <a href="http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1949984,00.html?artId=1949984?contType=article?chn=world" target="_blank">TIME Magazine article</a> which looks at what Christmas is like in North Korea. Certainly a challenging reality to think about following a time of church services, carol concerts, school programs and other such Christmas events, which are so encouraged in many areas of the world. I found it to be a helpful look into the government's view of Christianity in North Korea: <br /> <br /><span style="font-style: italic"> <br /></span><span style="font-style: italic"> <blockquote><strong>How Christmas Is (Not) Celebrated in North Korea</strong> <br /> <br />By Geoffrey Cain / Seoul <br /> <br />When North Korean authorities caught Jeong Young Sil helping Christians escape to China seven years ago, they did not take her transgression lightly. First, they pulled out her teeth and fingernails to get information about her underground church in the country's northeast. Then, they threw her in prison for four years. "They demanded to know who was helping me and where they were," says Jeong, an evangelist in her 50s now living in South Korea, who uses an alias to protect her family back home. Despite their efforts, the Northern officials could not stop her. After she fled two years ago, she secretly began sending Christmas gifts to her old church. "Christmas," Jeong says, "would otherwise be meaningless." <br /> <br />For most North Koreans, Christmas has long been a nonevent, in part because the government keeps a tight rein on information about religious holidays from entering the country, and in part because Christians can be arrested for celebrating it. Though the country's constitution does grant freedom of religion to all citizens, North Korean authorities don't seem to pay the idea much heed. The government also monitors other religions — such as Buddhism and Cheondoism, a popular Korean belief system that combines elements of several faiths — but underground churches are particularly feared by authorities because they're estimated to have helped some 20,000 North Koreans defect to China. As a result, the regime routinely imprisons and executes Christian religious leaders who teach their faith without state approval, according to a U.S. State department report. Official figures put the number of practicing Christians at 13,000 in 2001, but South Korean church groups estimate about 100,000 Christians practice in secret churches across the nation now. "We always met for prayer at peoples' homes, in groups of two to keep it private," Jeong says. "When we met in bigger groups, we went far away to the mountains where no one could find us." (See <a href="http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1903919,00.html" target="_blank">rare pictures</a> from inside North Korea) <br /> <br />Of course, in an impoverished nation where aid organizations provide food aid to some six million people, the Western notion of a gift-giving holiday does not translate very well, particularly after Kim Jong Il's regime effectively stripped most of the nation of any personal savings three weeks ago. Each year underground worshippers in North Korea receive an array of presents from the outside world, including foreign-made clothes and candy, smuggled in by defectors like Jeong. <br /> <br />Meanwhile, the communist regime has placed a slew of nationalistic holidays around Christmas, though their timing is probably a coincidence. On December 24, many North Koreans observe the birthday of Kim Jong Suk — the deceased mother of dictator Kim Jong Il and a revolutionary hero — by making pilgrimages to her birthplace of Hoeryong, a town in the northeast. Three days later, they are given a day off work for Constitution Day. Even New Years' Day is more about revolutionary zeal than ushering in 2010, when thousands of North Koreans will walk in a yearly procession to the Kumsusan Memorial Palace at the northeast outskirts of the capital to pay homage to the preserved body of Kim Il Sung, the father of North Korea. (See pictures of Kim Jong Il.) <br /> <br />Life in the North wasn't always so rank-and-file. In the early 1900s, Pyongyang was widely known as the "Jerusalem of the East" for its vibrant milieu of Christians. American Protestant missionaries arrived as early as the 1880s (Catholics arrived centuries earlier but the religion didn't catch on as widely), building religious schools and universities across the capital. Later, as Christianity gained popularity, worshippers held group prayers in public every Christmas. But after the Japanese government took control of Korea in 1910, the new administration began suppressing religious gatherings, and by the 1950s, — after the Korean War left the peninsula split into a communist north and capitalist south, — the northern government began to carry out executions of thousands of Christians for the years to come. <br /> <br />The government took a more nuanced — if short-lived — approach to religion in the following decades. In 1988, South Korea expanded economic ties with its neighbor, bringing in more foreigners on business and exchange trips; the following year Pyongyang hosted the World Festival of Youth and Students, a massive socialist festival that attracted 22,000 people from 177 countries. With an influx of foreigners, the government saw a need to build four state-run churches in Pyongyang in the following years, though critics maintain they're facades to show the world that it supports freedom of religion. "[Foreign missionaries] are allowed to come for relief or other purposes, only if they promise not to spread the word," argues Kim. (See pictures of the key moments in North Korea's history.) <br /> <br />Still, some scholars contend the regime practices a kind of pragmatic tolerance of Christianity, suggesting North Korea's intelligence agency chooses to ignore underground churches because of their political usefulness. "How can they not know the whereabouts of 100,000 Christians?" says Philo Kim, a professor of sociology at Seoul National University in South Korea, who has visited North Korea several times to study Christianity there. "The government takes advantage of them by dispatching spies into the churches. They can gather information about the churches in China and how they help defectors escape." <br /> <br />That may be, but it's a limit that most are not willing to test. North Koreans still face execution if they're caught evangelizing, prompting most Christians to put aside Christmas for more patriotic holidays. Because useful or not, says Kim, "Among all religions, Christianity is seen as the most threatening to the regime."</blockquote> </span> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20271097.post-66144157052691792682009-12-24T12:16:00.030-05:002010-06-19T12:13:51.991-04:00The more that is needed<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBMm2qhzMHZa7r44G_NND2hsTgJX7wIhlKeJakSTgKvw2xr-MWxXrqEozb0CYx4ALo5o9Hso6sd0tfu5iHfUCTpw-KcMZQQ46vdMLKIP9DDklJ3BwNYu5nIBC19z8pQbtuKA2s/s1600-h/Messiah.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 290px; float: right; height: 235px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418907007788910370" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBMm2qhzMHZa7r44G_NND2hsTgJX7wIhlKeJakSTgKvw2xr-MWxXrqEozb0CYx4ALo5o9Hso6sd0tfu5iHfUCTpw-KcMZQQ46vdMLKIP9DDklJ3BwNYu5nIBC19z8pQbtuKA2s/s400/Messiah.jpg" border="0" /></a>Last week I had the wonderful experience of seeing George Frideric Handel's "Messiah"<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>in concert for the very first time. It was as moving as many had promised it would be. The moments of exuberant joy were of course among the most familiar in the production. Yet I was also deeply moved by the moments of solemnity, which are choruses of other kind: cries for relief from the anguish of a world bent by sin and death. <br /><br />In many ways, my emotional response to the production echoed that of well-known Christian author Philip Yancey who, in his Christianity Today <a href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2000/decemberweb-only/51.0b.html?start=5" target="_blank">essay</a>, describes how "the bright and glistening theology" of the Messiah broke through to him in a new way one memorable winter night. The essay is truly a treat to read, and I highly encourage you to do so, especially if you have listened to or attended a performance of Handel's masterpiece recently. <br /><br />For me, the highlight of Yancey's piece is his reflection on why Handel's Messiah could not rightly end with the ever-lively and stirring "Hallelujah!" chorus. He begins by explaining that many still speculate that when King George I attended the premiere of the production, he rose to his feet at the singing of the "Hallelujah!" chorus out of the mistaken assumption it had reached its conclusion. Apparently his mistake also continues to be repeated by novice audience members today. "Who can blame them? " says Yancey. "After two hours of performance, the music seems to culminate in the rousing chorus. What more is needed?" <br /><br />By way of an answer, Yancey breaks down the Messiah's finale and eloquently illustrates the 'more' that is needed--not just in Handel's classic oratorio, but in Lord's masterpiece of achieving salvation for His children through the sacrifice of His son. He writes:<span style="font-style: italic;"> <br /> <br /> <br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;"> <blockquote>The Messiah has come in "glory" (Part 1); the Messiah has died and been resurrected (Part 2). Why, then, does the world remain in such a sorry state? Part 3 attempts an answer. Beyond the images from Bethlehem and Calvary, one more messianic image is needed: the Messiah as Sovereign Lord. The Incarnation did not usher in the end of history--only the beginning of the end. Much work remains before creation is restored to God's original intent. <br /> <br />In a brilliant stroke, Part 3 of Messiah opens with a quotation from Job, that tragic figure who clung stubbornly to faith amid circumstances that called for bleak despair. "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth," the soprano sings out. Overwhelmed by tragedy, with scant evidence of a sovereign God, Job still managed to believe; and, Handel implies, so should we.<span style="font-style: italic;"> <br /> <br />From that defiant opening, Part 3 shifts to the apostle Paul's theological explanation of Christ's death ("Since by man came death ... ") and then moves quickly to his lofty words about a final resurrection ("The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised").</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> <br /> <br />Just as the tragedy of Good Friday was transformed into the triumph of Easter Sunday, one day all war, all violence, all injustice, all sadness will likewise be transformed. Then and only then we will be able to say, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" The soprano carries that thought forward to its logical conclusion, quoting from Romans 8: "If God be for us, who can be against us?" If we believe, truly believe, that the last enemy has been destroyed, then we indeed have nothing to fear. At long last, death is swallowed up in victory.</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> <br /> <br />Handel's masterwork ends with a single scene frozen in time. To make his point about the Christ of eternity, librettist Jennens could have settled on the scene from Revelation 2, where Jesus appears with a face like the shining sun and eyes like blazing fire. Instead, his text concludes with the scene from Revelation 4-5, perhaps the most vivid image in a book of vivid imagery.</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> <br /> <br />Twenty-four impressive rulers are gathered together, along with four living creatures who represent strength and wisdom and majesty--the best in all creation. These creatures and rulers kneel respectfully before a throne luminous with lightning and encircled by a rainbow. An angel asks who is worthy to break a seal that will open up the scroll of history. Neither the creatures nor the 24 rulers are worthy. The author realizes well the significance of that moment, "I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside."</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> <br /> <br />Besides these creatures, impotent for the grand task, one more creature stands before the throne. Though appearance offers little to recommend him, he is nevertheless history's sole remaining hope. "Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain." A lamb! A helpless, baa-baa lamb, and a slaughtered one at that! Yet John in Revelation, and Handel in Messiah, sum up all history in this one mysterious image. The great God who became a baby, who became a lamb, who became a sacrifice--this God, who bore our stripes and died our death, this one alone is worthy. That is where Handel leaves us, with the chorus "Worthy Is the Lamb," followed by exultant amens.</span></blockquote> </span> <br />I recently heard an anecdote about Handel during his creation of the Messiah. One day, while Handel was working in his room while his assistant was trying to shout for his attention. He called and called for Handel for several minutes but received no response. Finally, the assistant walked over to Handel's room, where he found the composer in tears. "What's wrong?" he asked. Handel then held up the score to the "Hallelujah" movement and said, "I thought I saw the face of God." <br /><br />A powerful story indeed. And yet, it's worth noting that, even after Handel apparently felt as if he had glimpsed God's splendorous face, he continued on to write the third and final chapter to his musical creation. He knew the face of God could not be fully revealed even in the most beautiful of earthly choruses. His classical masterpiece acknowledges that while our world rightly rejoices in the God who is with us (and who suffers with us), it also aches for the 'more' of our Saviour's return. <br /><br />This is the eternal 'more' that all of us, including our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters, look towards--not only now, in this time of Christmas celebration, but always. Together we lean into Christ's light in joyful anticipation of the day when our afflictions will cease and we will be rewarded with the finale that Christ has deemed worthy for His faithful. <br /><br />Until then, our cries of joy and of sorrow all culminate in the same heartrending chorus: Hallelujah! Come, Lord Jesus!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20271097.post-43951801667109586302009-12-22T16:14:00.002-05:002009-12-22T16:24:49.057-05:00Words from our founder - Overcoming solitude<img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 190px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418174416015385778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxa62FeXAsvcFAwWzeADgjMWCLHvKzcVs8SbCQeVocXht5Vak8YFoD3Tcj2_RNHopvW4QmwuSAufV7bx5yGFVTYOaoBjiR7YxR5mvacUL1bwUL4-MCkYa3iQqH9qO42X-5YTZ/s320/Wurmbrand1.jpg" /><em>One of the greatest problems for an underground fighter is to know how to fill up his solitude. We had absolutely no books. Not only no Bible, but no books, no scrap of paper, and no pencil. We never heard a noise, and there was absolutely nothing to distract our attention. We looked at the walls, that was all. Now normally a mind under such circumstances becomes mad. …I can tell you from my own experience how I avoided becoming mad, but this again has to be prepared by a life of spiritual exercise beforehand. …</em><br /><br /><em>I, and many other prisoners, did it like this. We never slept during the night. We slept during the day. The whole night we were awake. …The demonic forces are forces of the night, and therefore, it is so important to oppose them during the night. Vigils are very important. In the free world, vigils are largely unknown. In my country, even before the Communist takeover, we had vigils. …</em><br /><br /><em>In solitary confinement we awoke when the other prisoners went to bed. We filled our time with a program that was so heavy we could not fulfill it. We started with a prayer, a prayer in which we traveled through the whole world. We prayed for each country, for where we knew the names of towns and men, and we prayed for great preachers. It took a good hour or two to come back. We prayed for pilots, and for those on the sea, and for those who were in prisons.</em><br /><br /><em>The Bible tells us about one of the great joys we can have, even in a prison cell: “Rejoice with those who rejoice” (Romans 12:15). I rejoiced that there were families somewhere who gathered with their children, read the Bible together, told jokes, and were so happy with each other. </em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Somewhere there was a boy who loved a young girl and dated her; I could be happy about them. There they had a prayer meeting; and there was someone who studied; and there is somebody who enjoyed good food, etc. We could rejoice with those who rejoiced.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>After having traveled through the whole world, I read the Bible from memory. To memorize the Bible is very important for an underground worker.</em><br /><br /><strong>Excerpted and edited from Pastor Wurmbrand’s<em> The Triumphant Church</em>, pp. 22-23. You can order this special resource on our <a href="https://www.persecution.net/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=48&osCsid=24d7dc1507bcca8b21fd882abde24546">online catalog</a>.</strong>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20271097.post-42618561323923558332009-12-22T08:27:00.018-05:002010-01-02T12:44:17.009-05:00Christians in Vietnam hold historic Christmas celebrations<div>What a delight it has been to read of the Christmas celebrations that have been held by Christians in Vietnam in recent weeks. Last week, Compass Direct <a href="http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/vietnam/12508/" target="_blank">reported</a> that some 40,000 people gathered in Ho Chi Minh City to worship God, celebrate Christmas, and hear a gospel message. Many believers were reportedly overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude, spontaneously hugging each other and crying out statements such as, “Lord, bring revival to all of Vietnam!” and “Nothing could stop the hand of the Lord.” Then on <a href="http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/vietnam/12952/" target="_blank">December 20</a>, an estimated 12,000 people attended a Christmas rally in Hanoi. Local sources said long-requested written permission for the event was never given, in spite of several reminders to authorities. However, four days before the event was to take place, Hanoi authorities and police told organizers that they would not interfere with the proceedings. "The sound of crying, of praise, of prayer were blended as one, beseeching Almighty God for spiritual revival in Vietnam,” said a believer who attended the special Christmas gathering. <br /> <br />Praise God for the resilient faith of His children in Vietnam. Pray that the Lord will continue to make His presence and grace known to them as they celebrate their Saviour, whether it be in large Christmas services such as these, small gatherings with friends and family, or from a prison cell. <br /> <br />You <a href="http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/vietnam/12508/" target="_blank">can read the full report</a> on the Christmas celebration in Hanoi below: <br /> <br /> <blockquote style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">Christians in Vietnam Hold Another Historic Celebration</span> <br /> <br />Largest-ever event in northern part of country encourages house churches. <br /> <br />HANOI, December 21 (CDN) — For the second time in 10 days, Protestant history was made in Vietnam yesterday when 12,000 people gathered for a Christmas rally here. <br /> <br />The event, which took place in the large square in front of the entrance to My Dinh National Stadium in the heart of Hanoi, was said to be 10 times larger than any prior Protestant gathering in history in northern Vietnam. On Dec. 11 in southern Vietnam, an estimated 40,000 people attended a Christmas celebration in Ho Chi Minh City (see “Unprecedented Christmas Gathering Held in Vietnam”). <br /> <br />Local sources said long-requested written permission for the event, entitled “Praise Jesus Together,” never came in spite of several reminders. But four days before the event was to take place, Hanoi authorities and police told organizers – in words as close as they would get to granting permission – that they would “not interfere.” <br /> <br />“One can hardly overestimate the importance of such an event in the lives of northern house church Christians,” said one long-time Compass source. “For many, this will have been the first time to join in a large crowd with other Christians, to feel the growing power of their movement, to hear, see and participate in the high quality, and deeply spiritual mass worship.” <br /> <br />The day before the event, Christians gathered near the stadium for final prayer and to help with preparations. Witnesses said the huge public square at the entrance to the stadium was arrayed with thousands of stools rather than chairs – plastic, backless, and bright blue and red. In 10-foot tall letters, “JESUS’ was emblazoned on the backdrop to the stage. <br /> <br />Invitations had been sent through house church networks even as official permission for the event was still pending. When church leaders decided to move ahead only days before, Christians were asked to send out mass invitations by text-message, leading some to speculate whether this may have been the largest ever such messaging for a Christian event. <br /> <br />Nearby Christians as well as those bussed from more distant areas began to fill the venue hours before the event. They were not dissuaded by a Hanoi cool spell of 12 Celsius (56 Fahrenheit) with a chill wind. Bundled in thick jackets, their heads wrapped in scarves, they waited expectantly without complaint. <br /> <br />They were not disappointed. Witnesses said the throng deeply appreciated a program of outstanding music and dance, a powerful personal narrative followed by a gospel message and an extended time for prayer for the nation. As at the previous event in Ho Chi Minh City on Dec. 11 that house church Christians had long worked and prayed for, the program featured music from Jackson Family Ministries of the United States. <br /> <br />In a world of globalized gospel and praise choruses, songs included hymns such as “How Great Thou Art” as well as classic praise songs such as “Sing Hallelujah to the Lord.” Witnesses said the music was accompanied by tasteful, emotionally engaging dance. Top Vietnamese artists performed, including news songs by Vietnamese songwriters, and a Vietnamese choir of 80 sang, as did a Korean choir. <br /> <br />A young man in his 30s who now pastors two house churches told the crowd how an encounter with Jesus proved more powerful than the grip of drug addiction. His story, simply and humbly told, proved an effective bridge to a Christmas evangelistic message by Pastor Pham Tuan Nhuong of the Word of Life house church. Then the winsome Pastor Pham Dinh Nhan, a top southern house church leader, gave a disarming but strong invitation to follow Jesus, witnesses said. <br /> <br />Organizers said approximately 2,000 people then poured forward in response, packing the large area in front of the stage. <br /> <br />The final portion of the program included a time of intense prayer for the nation, with pastors confessing and praying for righteousness for Vietnam’s leaders, as well as for God’s protection and blessing on their land. In their prayers they claimed Vietnam for Christ, witnesses said. <br /> <br />A high point for the throng was the superimposing of a large white cross on a yellow map of Vietnam on the backdrop. As the Korean choir sang a spirited revival hymn, the crowd raised thousands of hands and exploded in sound. <br /> <br />“The sound of crying, of praise, of prayer were blended as one, beseeching Almighty God for spiritual revival in Vietnam,” said one participant. <br /> <br />The event was streamed live at www.hoithanh.com for Vietnamese and others around the world to see. <br /> <br />Until recently – and still in some places – most Vietnamese meet in small groups in homes knowing at any time there could be a hostile knock on the door, a source said. <br /> <br />“None of these groups is registered or recognized by the government,” the source said of the crowd at yesterday’s event. “What you see is Christians standing up!” <br /> <br />In addition to this event and the Dec. 11 event in Ho Chi Minh City, a large public Christmas rally was held by the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (North) at the Hoang Nhi church in Nam Dinh Province on Saturday (Dec. 19). Some 2,500 people gathered in the church’s large courtyard, with sources saying 200 responded to an invitation to follow Christ. <br /> <br />In Tuy Hoa, on the coast of central Vietnam, a Christmas program is planned for Saturday (Dec. 26) in a 4,000- seat theater. Many smaller events are also planned in other areas, part of an unprecedented public display by Vietnam’s Protestants. <br /> <br />At the same time, the freedom for Christians tolerated in large cities has not reached some more remote parts of the country, where ethnic minority Christians live. In Dien Bien Dong district of Dien Bien Province, authorities on Tuesday (Dec. 15) orchestrated immense ethnic social pressure on a new Christian couple to recant. The couple told Compass that police added their own pressure. <br /> <br />“The police said they would beat me to death, and take away all my possessions, leaving my wife a widow, and my children orphans with no place to live,” the husband told Compass. “I folded. I signed promising that I would no longer follow God. I really want to, but it is very, very hard to be a believer where we live, as the officials will not allow us.” </blockquote> </div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4