Meet the Persecuted

Ned and his son Will, who were Christians, had a business, trucking in hay for animal feed, which they sold to the local village inhabitants.  They stored the hay up on the roof of their typical flat roofed house on a narrow street.  They were making a profit, but a local radical Muslim group felt Christians should not make a profit, that was reserved for Muslim merchants.

The radical Muslim group came to Ned's house and burned it.  Some Muslims in the neighborhood supported the radicals while other Muslims and the Christians supported Ned. The argument threatened to expand to the whole village so the police came and took Ned and some of the radicals to jail. 

Ned complained saying "I am the victim", but the police didn't listen.  Instead they let the Muslim radicals go and kept Ned claiming they were keeping him in prison to "protect him".  He was very badly treated in the prison.  Ned went in a fat man, but with the abuse and bad food he became extremely emaciated and eventually died.

Ned’s family, reeling from his death, was soon faced with another problem.  Before Ned died, he had purchased some farm land.  After he died, the radicals approached other Muslims in the area who hate Christians; pooled their resources, built a house on the land and began to farm it. 

Will, Ned's son protested this action and brought a photocopy of the deed to these Muslims to prove ownership, but they disputed his claim.  They said that they have owned the land for a long time.  Will did what he could.  He brought his claim to a judge who ruled in Will's favor, but then ruled that he would have to pay the radicals for the improvements to the property at a huge sum that Will had no chance of obtaining.  So at this point in time, the family has lost Ned and also the land that was to sustain them in the future.

Please pray for this family and other suffering Christians around the world, for their safety and God's provision for them.

On the Front Lines

Vietnam: Massive Easter Celebration Allowed

April 22 (Compass Direct News) – In what religious freedom advocates regarded as a breakthrough in Vietnam, authorities granted rare permission to unregistered house church groups to hold a large, public Easter-related service here last night. More than 15,000 people gathered at Tao Dan Stadium to worship God, proclaim Christ and experience a rare sense of large-scale Christian unity, especially house church members accustomed to meeting in small groups. The only other such event granted to unregistered groups was an open-air meeting during Christmas of 2007 sponsored by the Vietnam Evangelical Fellowship (VEF, a house church umbrella group). At the event last night, the VEF endeavored to include all house churches, not just its own members, sources said. Unregistered groups holding an event that includes worship and evangelism outside a church building violates Vietnam’s restrictive religion laws, and the celebration – in which 1,200 people indicated they had decided to follow Christ – did not happen without struggles. Reluctant to endorse such Christian unity events, authorities demanded and got the removal of one of the organizers as a condition to consider approval. Officials did not grant permission until 4 p.m., just three hours before the event was to begin, though event organizers had requested permission several months prior.

Please praise God for this situation and pray for Christians to remain faithful and continue to minister.

The Word of God

The Risk Involved

Bible deliveries into a Muslim country can be quite complicated.  Once we give Bibles to our coworker for distribution, it is extremely important to keep that person safe.  On one occasion, our coworker, Pastor “G”, was asked by two brothers to provide Bibles for the Sinai Peninsula .  He did not have the necessary Bibles but, he sent the brothers to a trusted woman who also receives Bibles from him.

As soon as the brothers were on their way, Pastor G telephoned the woman to make sure she had enough Bibles to give.  He did not tell her that the brothers were coming to her home as he didn’t want her to associate him with the brothers.

She said that her supply was adequate right now.  Pastor G told her if anyone needs a Bible, she should feel free to give it.  He asked her, however, to never reveal where she gets the Bibles, but simply say they are from the Lord.

The woman was able to give the brothers many Bibles.  They took these Bibles to the Sinai Peninsula and once there they shared the good news about Jesus. The brothers were arrested for their efforts as it is illegal for a Christian to share his faith in a Muslim country.

These dedicated young men spent four months in prison because they chose to share the good news about Jesus Christ and to provide Bibles to those who wanted one. 

Please pray for the Word of God to reach and change the world.