Christians have a unique voice in Middle East democracies

Todd Nettleton (Courtesy of VOM)

Middle East (MNN) ― The coup in Egypt, civil war in Syria, uncertainty in Lebanon, and disenfranchisement in Iran. All of these issues in the Middle East spell trouble for citizens of these nations whether they are Muslim or not. While Christians are endangered as well, opportunities for the Gospel abound.

Spokesman for Voice of the Martrys USA Todd Nettleton says Christians are involved in politics across the Middle East, but that's not their top priority. "We know that Christians are involved really across the Middle East, as much as they can be in the political process. But their first priority is not politics. Their first priority is to serve the Lord and spread the Gospel."

The question is: with all the unrest, are people in these nations ready to hear it? Nettleton says "yes." "Ten or 15 years ago we would talk about one Muslim coming to Christ. Today, we're not talking about one Muslim, we're talking about hundreds and even thousands of Muslims coming to Christ."

What about the violence in these nations. Can ministry happen in places like Syria, for example? Nettleton says, "There is ministry that's going on in these situations of great upheaval and sometimes even great suffering. There are Muslims who are coming to see the hopelessness of Islam."

Nettleton says Christians have a platform to share. "Christians can have a great ministry simply by presenting the hope of the Gospel and the hope of eternity with Christ."

Helping to perpetuate this is many of these Islamic governments like Iran. "30+ years of an Islamic government, the people look at the failures of the government,nd they see them as failures of Islam."

Those failures open other doors. Nettleton explains: "If Islam doesn't really work, if it fails, what are other options? That is a great time to say, 'Well, let me tell you about Jesus. There is another option.'"

Now is an important time for Christians to pray. "We are right now in the midst of Ramadan. This is a key time for outreach to the Muslim world. Muslims are thinking about spiritual things, things of eternity. So, this can be a great time for ministry, for Gospel seeds to be planted."

If you'd like to help Voice of the Martyrs work on behalf of persecuted Christians in the Middle East and worldwide, click here.

UN passes more sanctions again North Korea

North Korea (MNN) ― Following last month's nuclear test, North Korea is spewing new threats of a first-strike nuclear attack because it claims the United States is pushing to start a nuclear war against the country. This fiery rhetoric comes on the heels of the United Nation's approval of sweeping sanctions against the isolated nation.

Todd Nettleton with Voice of the Martyrs says, "These sanctions I think do have an effect because they do involve some commercial things and banking things and financial things; yes, they do have an effect. Is it something that's going to really change the direction of North Korea? It's hard to picture that happening."

While the sanctions may be meaningless for real change in North Korea, it does signal some change, says Nettleton. "It shows that China is perhaps losing patience with the North Korean regime. So these sanctions, and the fact that China cooperated with them, may be sending them a message."

Nettleton says Christians continue to face incredible oppression in a nation that's considered the worst place on earth to be a Christian. "Christians are sort of singled out for the worst persecution or the worst situations in North Korea. One of the things I like to tell people is that everyone in North Korea is oppressed, but the Christians are singled out for the very worst oppression."

Nettleton also says, "If they know you're a Christian they've already arrested you. If you're a Christian and the government finds out about it, you are arrested. You're taken to a concentration camp."

About the only thing Christians can do is pray. "Pray for a change in government that treats all of its people better: not only the Christians, but all of the people of North Korea. That's hard to imagine, but obviously we serve a God who can do amazing things."

Voice of the Martyrs is doing everything possible to encourage secret Christians, and they do it in unique ways: "Balloon launches that float over into North Korea and come down. That's a significant way of getting the Gospel message [into North Korea]. Actually, last year we were able to deliver 50,000 New Testaments."

Muslim extremist groups continue to grow violent toward Christians in Indonesia

Indonesia (MNN) ― The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights recently raised concerns over the plight of religious minorities in Indonesia.

Many are Christians who have been noting the rise of violent attacks and forced displacement. This, in addition to other forms of discrimination, such as being denied identification cards. Sources from Open Doors and the Voice of the Martyrs say there have been reports of forced church closures, even where the churches have secured legal permission.

International Christian Concern reported Jakarta police finally taking security measures to protect Christians as they gathered to celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. More than 12,000 police were deployed to roughly 2,000 churches throughout Central Java.

Muslim extremist groups in Indonesia, with suspected ties to al Qaeda, continue to grow more violent towards Christians, with little resistance from authorities.

Voice of the Martyrs noted one incident with a girl named Ribur who was jailed for 60 days for talking about her faith in Jesus. According to the VOM report, she chose to be part of an agricultural mission project in Aceh on the island of Sumatra. Teaching about how to raise crops and livestock often gave the team opportunities to answer questions about their faith.

ICC says Ribur eventually began a community Bible study. She and another teammate had developed a relationship with a local woman, who eventually gave her life to Christ. That’s where Ribur ran into trouble.

Shortly after this, a mob attacked Ribur and the other Christian worker. The beating continued for 45 minutes, eventually ending when the police came and arrested the pair for blaspheming Islam. When officials asked her why she shared about Jesus, Ribur said, "Jesus wants everyone to know about Him."

Eventually, the pair was released. However, Franz Magnis-Suseno of the Driyarkara School of Philosophy says, "The religious situation in Indonesia is marked by a rising number of social conflicts between neighborhoods and villages; conflicts on ethnic and, increasingly, on religious lines."

The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) cited the lack of religious freedom in Indonesia as among the issues that marred the country's human rights record.

Ignorance by the government has obviously encouraged increasing violence against minority groups in other areas, too, all across the country, which could potentially be misused by political interests approaching the 2014 legislative and presidential elections, said Kontras.

Pray for Christians like Ribur who are facing persecution for their faith. Ask God to give those who face persecution the strength to stand strong and testify the truth.

Voice of the Martyrs gives pastor new dignity

(Image courtesy of VOM)

India (MNN) ― In a northern region of India, Pastor Khanna spent 40 days in jail last November for baptizing seven Muslims. While the new believers insisted they weren't offered money to convert, this didn't stop local media from destroying Khanna's reputation in the community.

"You would hang your head in shame at what was written about [the pastor's] family," said a Voice of the Martyrs, USA partner.

The ordeal took a serious toll on Khanna's family and the church's view of his leadership. His wife became sick, as well as deeply disappointed by the church's lack of support. Meanwhile, church leaders hinted that Khanna shouldn't have baptized the converts from Islam.

Although his case was eventually dropped because of a lack of evidence, Khanna was dismissed from church leadership without pension.

But VOM has given the pastor new dignity. When lawyers in Kashmir refused to represent Khanna during his ordeal, VOM's partner in India helped him out. They recently came to the rescue again by offering the former pastor a job in Bangalore.

Pastor Khanna now speaks on behalf of persecuted Christians in churches throughout India. The move has improved both Khanna's confidence and his wife's health. Pray that her health continues to improve.

"I am not bothered by what happened to me, but I glorify the Lord," declared Pastor Khanna.

While Hinduism is India's majority religion, India has the world's third-largest Muslim community. Most people in Kashmir are Muslim. They surround churches during worship services and circulate hate literature with a racial undertone against Christians. Pig blood is highly offensive to Muslims, and the Kashmir media portrays believers as people who use it in their religious practices.

Pastor Khanna held many community-wide events in Kashmir, trying to reconcile Muslims and Christians. The controversial baptism that triggered Pastor Khanna's arrest was recorded at one of these events, and the video was later posted to YouTube.

VOM supports persecuted pastors in restricted nations throughout the world. Click here to learn more about their work. 

You can sponsor Pastor Khanna and write him a letter by contacting VOM directly. Click here to fill out the form and type "Pastor Khanna" in the comments field.

Saudi woman claims Christ in historic video

"Maryam," a Saudi Arbian citizen,
 in this video tells the world she's now a Christian.

Saudi Arabia (MNN) ―Mission Network News hardly ever talks about ministry in Saudi Arabia. It's not because it's not happening. It is. But it's one of the most difficult places to be a Christian, let alone do ministry. That's what makes this next story so profound.

"Maryam" is a Saudi woman, and she's done something so unusual she's taking the internet by storm. According to Mahabat News, she is the first modern day Saudi woman to announce her faith in Jesus Christ on YouTube.

Todd Nettleton with Voice of the Martyrs is amazed. "To see a Saudi woman put her face--even though it's veiled, but to put her face on the internet and say, 'I'm not a Muslim any more. I'm a Christian now.' She basically is signing her own death warrant."

According to reports, this video has made Saudi officials extremely angry. It is to the extent that they called to take necessary measures to deal with Christian evangelism in Saudi Arabia. Nettleton says, "It's being talked about even at the highest levels of the government. [They're saying], 'Hey wait a minute, our young people are leaving Islam. They're following Christianity. We've got to put a stop to it.' And over 1 million people have already watched the video on YouTube."

Nettleton tells about his thoughts when he saw this. "The first thought I had was the incredible courage it took to do that. The second thought is just the excitement that even in Saudi Arabia, which we don't talk about it very often, God is reaching people. Muslims are having dreams and visions. They're seeing Jesus Christ, and they're coming to know Him and believe in Him."

In any western nation, this wouldn't be a big deal. In Saudi Arabia, however, "The Saudi government says Saudis are 100% Muslim. And so, she basically is renouncing that and putting a target, really, on her back."

Why is Saudi Arabia rejecting all other religions? Nettleton suggests, "The Saudi government bills themselves as the guardian of Islam's holy sites--not only to guard those sites in a security sense, but also to guard those sites spiritually and not allow Christianity to even have a foothold on the Arabian Peninsula."

Nettleton is issuing a call to prayer, especially now. "It is the middle of Ramadan. Muslims all over the Arabian Peninsula are fasting and praying and seeking God. Let us pray that they find Him, just as this lady did in a dream when Jesus came to her. Let us pray that many more Muslims will meet Jesus."

While this is a surprising story coming out of Saudi Arabia, it's not the only story in the Middle East. The Mohabat report also indicates that a Kuwaiti prince has given his heart to Christ. Nettleton isn't surprised. "You know, as we see the Gospel coming into some of these countries, it's only natural that it will reach all walks of life. So when we see political leaders or people within the royal family, obviously that's very exciting because they are in positions of influence, and they have a chance to really make a difference. So it's a hopeful sign."

What kind of work is VOM doing in Saudi Arabia? Nettleton says, "VOM is involved in several ways in work on the Arabian Peninsula, but I can't really tell you any more than that."

You can support VOM's work financially. At the very least, $60 provides 10 Bibles to Christians in this area of the world. Support them by clicking here.

Western nations condemn massacre in Syria

Mission Network News: "Syria (MNN) ― Western nations including Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United States announced the expulsions of Syrian diplomats after a massacre in that country over the weekend. The coordinated attacks left more than 100 dead; a little over 30 of them were children. French and Australian leaders called President Assad a murderer and vowed to hold accountable those who were responsible for the atrocities.

Todd Nettleton with Voice of the Martyrs says, "The violence seems to just be escalating.""

Read more...

Pastor's attorney arrested in Iran

Mission Network News: "Iran (MNN/ACLJ) ― Another obstacle has been handed to imprisoned Iranian pastor Youcef Nardarkhani. According to reports, the Iranian government has acted against his attorney in the case.

Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs explains. "His attorney, Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, has now been sentenced to nine years in an Iranian jail for apparently representing people like Pastor Youcef -- people whose human rights have been violated.""

Read more...

Boko Haram strikes again in Nigeria

VOM Medical comes to the aid of
 persecuted believers.

Nigeria (MNN) ― A school, a police station, and banks are the latest targets of the Nigerian terrorist group Boco Haram. More than 300 people have been killed since the beginning of the year. These attacks have Christians fearing for their lives since the terrorist group declared war on Christians.

Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs says, "The Boco Haram is basically attacking everything that they view as western, or everything they view as government controlling, and that includes police stations as well as churches, Christian schools, and other overtly-Christian places."

Why? Nettleton says, "Early this year, they made the announcement that they wanted Northern Nigeria to be completely free of Christians, basically telling the Christians there that you must leave, or you must convert to Islam, or you will die."

The Boco Haram attacks used to be sporadic, Nettleton says. "Now, it's almost coming day after day after day. There's a new target. There's a new attack. It really seems like the Nigerian government is incapable of bringing the situation under control."

Apart from Christ, there doesn't appear to be any answers. The Nigerian government says they want to negotiate with Boko Haram, however. Nettleton isn't thrilled with this decision. "The Boko Haram has really given no indication that they're willing to compromise. They want Sharia law. They want Northern Nigeria to be Islamic. They want everyone there to be Islam. They really have been uncompromising."

Christians have been the targets of many of the attacks, and The Voice of the Martyrs has a program specifically to help them. Nettleton says it's called VOM Medical. "It's basically a medical care project to go in immediately after persecution situations -- whether it be a church bombing, or an attack on a Christian -- to be able to provide medical help in the immediate aftermath."

VOM is raising money because of the increasing number of attacks on Christians worldwide. "The money is given so that we can act immediately when there's an event, when there's a case," Nettleton says.

While you may think that Christians are cowering in fear, that's just not the case. Nettleton observes, "There's a lot about the persecuted church that's just amazing, but that willingness to go back into harms way [is incredible]. The other thing that is amazing is the ability to forgive the people who attacked you."

VOM Medical not only meets physical needs, but they also help spiritually.

If you'd like to help VOM Medical, click here.

Court verdict on Iranian pastor issued soon

Mission Network News: "Iran (MNN) ― The plight of Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani could come as early as today. Nadarkhani was charged and convicted on apostasy charges and could face the death penalty. Some have called Nadarkhani a member of a cult. However, that's irrelevant in this case"

Read more...