Sunday, November 8, is this year's designated day for the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP). Please remember to pray on that day for our persecuted, imprisoned and tortured brothers and sisters in Christ who are bravely and boldly standing for Christ throughout the world. May we never take our freedoms for granted, and may we also pray for the Church in our own United States, that we will never fall under the category of a persecuted church, and if we do, may we be willing to stand strong in our faith in the One, True God, our Faithful Father and Lord Jesus Christ.
The Body of Christ located in the People's Republic of China is possibly the most widely persecuted among nations. More Christians are in prison or under detention in China than in any other country. Churches have had to find refuge literally underground in order to continue to gather together in Jesus' Name. The following are a few short stories of what Christians in China are enduring simply to continue in their faith. Their steadfastness and even joy in the Lord in the face of such suffering makes me weep.
Personal Prayer Request
As reported on The Voice of the Martyrs, on October 20th, Chen Le, who is a high school student in China was expelled from school for the sole reason that he would not renounce his faith in Christ. His expulsion notice read as follows:
Chen Le, a 2nd grader from Class 8 of Senior High School, was found by Bazhou Public Security Agency and other related agencies to have engaged in Christian gatherings. His school was notified that it should educate the student and persuade him to mend his ways. However, efforts from the class advisor and some leaders from the school in educating him have all failed and this student persists in his belief that he should not renounce his Christian belief. He can’t promise that he will not believe in Christianity or attend Christian activities. He also claims that if the school wants him to write a statement of self-criticism and self-introspection of examining his error of attending religious activities as a high school student, he would rather not attend this school. Given the above situation, this school advises him to transfer to other related schools.
Chen Le signed a document admitting his faith in Jesus Christ, even though the expulsion means that he'll be barred from college entrance exams. Please pray for Chen Le and for his family, and for our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout China.
Showing posts with label Persecuted Church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Persecuted Church. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
The Persecuted Church in Indonesia
The focus of the persecuted church this month will be on Indonesia. Indonesia is made up of 18,306 islands, 6,000 of which are inhabited. Indonesia is currently listed as a hostile nation, wherein the government attempts to protect Christians, but they are still victimized with violence because of their Christian beliefs.
The religious affiliation currently in Indonesia is 80% Muslim and 16% Christian. The Indonesian government holds a belief called “Pancasila,” where people are technically allowed to choose the religion they follow, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism or Hinduism, but Muslims are given preferential treatment.
Two families in West Java, Indonesia have recently been forced from their homes because the families converted to Christianity and baptized. A Voice of the Martyrs contact reported that, “They were summoned by a Muslim leader [in the village] and told they should leave the village because Christians make the village unclean.”
Prayer Request
Please be praying for Daniel and other prisoners who are currently serving prison time or are being persecuted in any way in Indonesia. If you’d like to write a letter of encouragement to Daniel, you can do so through Prisoner Alert.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
The Persecuted Church in Vietnam
It’s the first Wednesday of the month and that means taking a look into one of the countries that is now listed among the restricted nations of the world, where professing Christ can mean torture, imprisonment or death.
This month we’ll take a glimpse into the communist country of Vietnam.
Currently, Vietnam is approximately 54% Buddhist, 22% non-religious, and 8% Christian. The government officially recognizes one Buddhist organization, the South Evangelical Church of Vietnam, the Roman Catholic Church and two Protestant organizations, which are The Christian Missionary Alliance and the Evangelical Church of Vietnam.
The government bans all unregistered groups, and it doesn’t allow anyone who belongs to an unauthorized religious group to speak publicly about their faith; likewise, foreign missionaries are prohibited from sharing their faith.
The churches that remain unregistered do so because of the extreme restrictions that are put on those that are registered. Known Christians are routinely harassed, arrested, imprisoned and tortured.
Underground Christians have to baptize at night in streams and will walk for days to acquire a bible or to hand them out. Despite the persecution, many are following Christ and there is a need for trained teachers and leaders.
The following is but one of the prisoner profiles listed on the website The Voice of the Martyrs. It is a story of Le Thi Cong Nhan, a Christian woman who is currently imprisoned for her Christian faith, and has been for the past two and a half years. It reads as follows:
“In May 2007, Le Thi Cong Nhan, a Vietnamese Christian and lawyer, was sentenced to four years in prison followed by three years of house arrest. Nhan was arrested and sentenced alongside Nguyen Van Dai, a Protestant church leader and lawyer. They are accused of a wide range of crimes; such as “conspiring with terrorists, in their efforts to promote human rights efforts, including religious rights and democracy.” They are also accused of compiling “evidence of Vietnam’s suppression of the Protestant religion and providing it to the U.S.-based Committee for Religious Freedom in Vietnam and the U.S. embassy.” Following Nhan and Dai’s sentencing, the Vietnamese state news agency accused the lawyers of “posting information on the internet … [and] painting biased and distorted pictures of the country and its internal affairs.”
To me, this speaks loud and clear about the fear that the government has about being revealed as a corrupt government who then turns that fear on its citizens by treating them in an absolutely malicious manner. Shoot, why would anyone want to promote human rights, for Pete’s sake, especially when they are religious rights and, heaven forbid, democracy? There is, to be sure, an evil force behind the persecution these brothers and sisters are facing.
You can find information on Prisoner Alert about others who are currently imprisoned in Vietnam for their faith, and there are addresses where you can write to each one.
Please keep this woman and the others in your prayers, that God will give them the strength to endure and to hold onto their faith no matter what.
"Remember the prisoners as if chained with them-those who are mistreated-since you yourselves are in the body also." Hebrews 13:3
This month we’ll take a glimpse into the communist country of Vietnam.
Currently, Vietnam is approximately 54% Buddhist, 22% non-religious, and 8% Christian. The government officially recognizes one Buddhist organization, the South Evangelical Church of Vietnam, the Roman Catholic Church and two Protestant organizations, which are The Christian Missionary Alliance and the Evangelical Church of Vietnam.The government bans all unregistered groups, and it doesn’t allow anyone who belongs to an unauthorized religious group to speak publicly about their faith; likewise, foreign missionaries are prohibited from sharing their faith.
The churches that remain unregistered do so because of the extreme restrictions that are put on those that are registered. Known Christians are routinely harassed, arrested, imprisoned and tortured.
Underground Christians have to baptize at night in streams and will walk for days to acquire a bible or to hand them out. Despite the persecution, many are following Christ and there is a need for trained teachers and leaders.
The following is but one of the prisoner profiles listed on the website The Voice of the Martyrs. It is a story of Le Thi Cong Nhan, a Christian woman who is currently imprisoned for her Christian faith, and has been for the past two and a half years. It reads as follows:
“In May 2007, Le Thi Cong Nhan, a Vietnamese Christian and lawyer, was sentenced to four years in prison followed by three years of house arrest. Nhan was arrested and sentenced alongside Nguyen Van Dai, a Protestant church leader and lawyer. They are accused of a wide range of crimes; such as “conspiring with terrorists, in their efforts to promote human rights efforts, including religious rights and democracy.” They are also accused of compiling “evidence of Vietnam’s suppression of the Protestant religion and providing it to the U.S.-based Committee for Religious Freedom in Vietnam and the U.S. embassy.” Following Nhan and Dai’s sentencing, the Vietnamese state news agency accused the lawyers of “posting information on the internet … [and] painting biased and distorted pictures of the country and its internal affairs.”To me, this speaks loud and clear about the fear that the government has about being revealed as a corrupt government who then turns that fear on its citizens by treating them in an absolutely malicious manner. Shoot, why would anyone want to promote human rights, for Pete’s sake, especially when they are religious rights and, heaven forbid, democracy? There is, to be sure, an evil force behind the persecution these brothers and sisters are facing.
You can find information on Prisoner Alert about others who are currently imprisoned in Vietnam for their faith, and there are addresses where you can write to each one.
Please keep this woman and the others in your prayers, that God will give them the strength to endure and to hold onto their faith no matter what.
"Remember the prisoners as if chained with them-those who are mistreated-since you yourselves are in the body also." Hebrews 13:3
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
The Real Jesus Freaks
For a while now I’ve wanted to start doing monthly posts regarding the persecuted Christian church around the world. So every first Wednesday of the month I’ll feature a country that is listed as a restricted nation as a result of their persecution of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
First, a little background on the beginnings of the persecution of the Christian church. (And please know that when I refer to the Christian church, I am not referring to any religious institution, but the body of Christ, which is composed not of brick and mortar, but of each follower in Jesus Christ.)
Subsequent to our first and greatest Martyr, Jesus Christ, Christians have been persecuted since very shortly after the His death and resurrection and the continued dawning of the Christian church as disciples were scattered among the nations. These martyred men, women and children stood by their faith in Jesus Christ through unimaginable threats. I pray we are humbled, motivated and energized to take our trust in the Lord to new levels and put feet to our faith.
Ironically enough, the next recorded martyrdom, which is chronicled in the Bible, took place as Saul, a then future apostle who would be re-named Paul, stood by approvingly, protecting the garments of those who stoned to death Stephen, a bold and courageous believer in Christ.
“Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him (Stephen) with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not charge them with this sin.’ And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.” (Acts 7:57-8:3)
It is thought that most of the apostles were martyred for proclaiming the Name of Jesus Christ.
Peter was martyred in Rome in 64 a.d. by crucifixion, reportedly upside down, because he said that he was not worthy of dying in the same manner as his Lord.
Andrew, Peter’s brother, was crucified by order of the Roman Governor Aegeas in Greece on an X-shaped cross in 60 a.d.
James, the son of Zebedee, was killed by King Herod Agrippa with a sword.
John, James’ brother, was exiled to the island of Patmos. Though the attempt was made to kill him by throwing him into a vat of boiling oil, he didn’t die as a result of his torture, but of old age in 101 a.d.
Bartholomew, after converting the brother of the King of Armenia to Christianity, was ordered by the king to be beaten with rods, crucified and skinned alive. Because he was still alive after all the torture took place and still continued to exhort everyone to turn to and worship Christ, he was beheaded.
James, the son of Alphaeus, was martyred in 62 a.d. in Jerusalem by being thrown from the top of a temple, then stoned and beaten with clubs, while he reportedly prayed for his attackers.
Thaddaeus, or Judas, the son of James, was beaten to death with a club, then beheaded in Persia.
Philip was martyred in 51 a.d. in Phrygia. Some reports say he was whipped, thrown in prison and then crucified. Other historians say he was tied to a pillar and stoned to death.
Simon the Zealot, whose exact method of martyrdom is uncertain, though it was reportedly by either by crucifixion or by being sawn in half.
Thomas was reportedly martyred in 72 a.d. in India by four soldiers who pierced him with swords.
Matthew was martyred by order of the king of Etheopia. He was arrested while preaching in the church, dragged outside, nailed to the ground with short spears and beheaded.
Paul was beheaded with a sword in Rome in 64 a.d.
In 64 a.d., a fire broke out in Rome. Some believe the fire was set by the Emperor Nero, who then blamed it on the Christians, and then tortured them for it. Afterward Nero, who was quite insane, continued to torture and kill Christians by having them dipped in wax, impaling them on poles around his palace and lighting them on fire, racing his chariot past them and yelling, “Now you truly are the light of the world.” Christians were also killed for sport by being thrown into an arena to be eaten by dogs or lions.
But the persecution only fanned the flame of the Christian faith and the church grew exponentially.
And in 168 a.d., Polycarp, who was a bishop in Smyrna (now Izmar, Turkey) and the last living link to the apostles, was brought into an arena before the Roman proconsul who tried to get him to deny Christ and swear by Ceasar.
Polycarp proclaimed, “Eighty-six years I have served the Lord Jesus Christ, and He never once wronged me. How can I blaspheme my King Who has saved me?”
He was then threatened with beasts and with burning by fire. Polycarp basically said, “Bring it on.” A bonfire was made in the center of the arena and they were about to nail him to a stake. He told them they need not bother. “He who gives me strength to endure the fire will enable me to remain still within the fire.” So they simply tied his hands behind his back.
Polycarp prayed his final prayer: “O Father, I thank You, that You have called me to this day and hour and have counted me worthy to receive my place among the number of the holy martyrs. Amen.”
The fire was then lit, but Polycarp didn’t burn. But rather those who watched said that he “was not as burning flesh but as gold and silver refined in a furnace. And we smelled such a sweet aroma as of incense or some other precious spice.”
Because he wouldn’t burn, the executioner was ordered to stab him with his sword.
If you’d like to find more information on the persecuted church, a good place to start is The Voice of the Martyrs. Another good resource, and one where I gleaned much of the information in this post is the book Jesus Freaks by dc talk and The Voice of the Martyrs. You can find their website here. And please be praying for our repressed, tortured and imprisoned Christian brothers and sisters around the world.
Next month we will look at the persecuted church in Vietnam.
First, a little background on the beginnings of the persecution of the Christian church. (And please know that when I refer to the Christian church, I am not referring to any religious institution, but the body of Christ, which is composed not of brick and mortar, but of each follower in Jesus Christ.)
Subsequent to our first and greatest Martyr, Jesus Christ, Christians have been persecuted since very shortly after the His death and resurrection and the continued dawning of the Christian church as disciples were scattered among the nations. These martyred men, women and children stood by their faith in Jesus Christ through unimaginable threats. I pray we are humbled, motivated and energized to take our trust in the Lord to new levels and put feet to our faith.
Ironically enough, the next recorded martyrdom, which is chronicled in the Bible, took place as Saul, a then future apostle who would be re-named Paul, stood by approvingly, protecting the garments of those who stoned to death Stephen, a bold and courageous believer in Christ.
“Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him (Stephen) with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not charge them with this sin.’ And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.” (Acts 7:57-8:3)
It is thought that most of the apostles were martyred for proclaiming the Name of Jesus Christ.
Peter was martyred in Rome in 64 a.d. by crucifixion, reportedly upside down, because he said that he was not worthy of dying in the same manner as his Lord.
Andrew, Peter’s brother, was crucified by order of the Roman Governor Aegeas in Greece on an X-shaped cross in 60 a.d.
James, the son of Zebedee, was killed by King Herod Agrippa with a sword.
John, James’ brother, was exiled to the island of Patmos. Though the attempt was made to kill him by throwing him into a vat of boiling oil, he didn’t die as a result of his torture, but of old age in 101 a.d.
Bartholomew, after converting the brother of the King of Armenia to Christianity, was ordered by the king to be beaten with rods, crucified and skinned alive. Because he was still alive after all the torture took place and still continued to exhort everyone to turn to and worship Christ, he was beheaded.
James, the son of Alphaeus, was martyred in 62 a.d. in Jerusalem by being thrown from the top of a temple, then stoned and beaten with clubs, while he reportedly prayed for his attackers.
Thaddaeus, or Judas, the son of James, was beaten to death with a club, then beheaded in Persia.
Philip was martyred in 51 a.d. in Phrygia. Some reports say he was whipped, thrown in prison and then crucified. Other historians say he was tied to a pillar and stoned to death.
Simon the Zealot, whose exact method of martyrdom is uncertain, though it was reportedly by either by crucifixion or by being sawn in half.
Thomas was reportedly martyred in 72 a.d. in India by four soldiers who pierced him with swords.
Matthew was martyred by order of the king of Etheopia. He was arrested while preaching in the church, dragged outside, nailed to the ground with short spears and beheaded.
Paul was beheaded with a sword in Rome in 64 a.d.
In 64 a.d., a fire broke out in Rome. Some believe the fire was set by the Emperor Nero, who then blamed it on the Christians, and then tortured them for it. Afterward Nero, who was quite insane, continued to torture and kill Christians by having them dipped in wax, impaling them on poles around his palace and lighting them on fire, racing his chariot past them and yelling, “Now you truly are the light of the world.” Christians were also killed for sport by being thrown into an arena to be eaten by dogs or lions.
But the persecution only fanned the flame of the Christian faith and the church grew exponentially.
And in 168 a.d., Polycarp, who was a bishop in Smyrna (now Izmar, Turkey) and the last living link to the apostles, was brought into an arena before the Roman proconsul who tried to get him to deny Christ and swear by Ceasar.
Polycarp proclaimed, “Eighty-six years I have served the Lord Jesus Christ, and He never once wronged me. How can I blaspheme my King Who has saved me?”
He was then threatened with beasts and with burning by fire. Polycarp basically said, “Bring it on.” A bonfire was made in the center of the arena and they were about to nail him to a stake. He told them they need not bother. “He who gives me strength to endure the fire will enable me to remain still within the fire.” So they simply tied his hands behind his back.
Polycarp prayed his final prayer: “O Father, I thank You, that You have called me to this day and hour and have counted me worthy to receive my place among the number of the holy martyrs. Amen.”
The fire was then lit, but Polycarp didn’t burn. But rather those who watched said that he “was not as burning flesh but as gold and silver refined in a furnace. And we smelled such a sweet aroma as of incense or some other precious spice.”
Because he wouldn’t burn, the executioner was ordered to stab him with his sword.
If you’d like to find more information on the persecuted church, a good place to start is The Voice of the Martyrs. Another good resource, and one where I gleaned much of the information in this post is the book Jesus Freaks by dc talk and The Voice of the Martyrs. You can find their website here. And please be praying for our repressed, tortured and imprisoned Christian brothers and sisters around the world.
Next month we will look at the persecuted church in Vietnam.
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