Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Christians attacked in Pakistan-VOM
Thanks and praise to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
Christians attacked in Pakistan; VOM staff providing help
Dear VOM Friends:
It was just a rumor. But among the radical Muslims in Pakistan's Gojra village, a rumor was enough of an excuse to kill.
When the rumor was broadcast from the loudspeakers on the minarets of local mosques, it became fact. As part of a wedding ceremony, the loudspeaker shouted, Christians tore pages from a Quran. Then they compounded the disrespect by walking on the shredded pages.
"Defend Islam!" The loudspeaker called. Muslims answered, rampaging through a Christian section of Gojra on Aug. 1. Eight Christians were killed, including women and children. More than 100 Christian homes were burned by a mob. The mob, which was estimated to be more than 20,000 people, also burned a church.
Five Hours Without Help
Emergency personnel did not reach Gojra for more than five hours. Christians were forced to use vegetable carts to move their dead and wounded to the hospital.
Responding to an international outcry, Pakistani government officials have now said no Quran was desecrated. The government promised to help rebuild the burned homes of Christian families.
Even before the government acted, contacts of The Voice of the Martyrs were in Gojra, offering comfort to the wounded and praying with the families of the dead. They continue to aid the village, including helping with some medical expenses, offering encouragement and pressing for a forceful government response.
Pray Blasphemy Laws Are Overturned
Christians in Pakistan hope these attacks can be a turning point. They are praying to God and pressing their government to overturn unjust blasphemy laws that are often a pretext to attack Christians.
They are also asking us to pray with them. Pray for Christians in Pakistan to be bold witnesses for Christ, despite threats. Pray for those wounded and left homeless by the brutal Gojra attacks. Pray for Muslims to come to know Jesus Christ in a personal way.
Send Help to Pakistan's Christians
For just $7 you can send an Action Pack to a Christian in Pakistan. If you would like to request and fill an Action Pack bag for Pakistan, you can do so by CLICKING HERE. We will deliver Action Packs to Gojra village in the coming months to help Christians rebuild their lives.
Please pray today for our Christian brothers and sisters in Pakistan. For the latest news on persecution of Christians in Pakistan and other restricted nations, visit VOM's online newsroom.
Matthew Chapter 24
Look especially at verses 8-10
1: And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
2: And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
3: And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4: And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5: For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6: And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7: For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8: All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9: Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
10: And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11: And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12: And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13: But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
14: And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
15: When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
16: Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
17: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
18: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
19: And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
20: But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
21: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22: And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
23: Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24: For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25: Behold, I have told you before.
26: Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
27: For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
28: For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
29: Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31: And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
32: Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
33: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34: Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35: Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
36: But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37: But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38: For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39: And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40: Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41: Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42: Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43: But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44: Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
45: Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46: Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47: Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48: But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49: And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50: The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51: And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth
Labels: Christian persecution, Matthew, Muslim, PAKISTAN, persecuted, persecuted church, prophecy, The Voice of the Martyrs, VOM
Monday, May 21, 2007
Prayers for May 15, 2007, From The Voice of the Martyrs
Thanks and praise to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Let us all come into agreement for the prayers listed below.
Let us all come into agreement for the prayers listed below.
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"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil."(Ecclesiastes 12:13-14) |
| Prayers for May 15, 2007 From The Voice of the Martyrs |  |
 CUBA  UPDATE: Pastor Summoned to Court – VOM SourcesPastor Carlos Lamelas has been summoned to appear in court on Tuesday, May 15, 2007. Even though he does not know why, he thinks it is because he needs to be given his "innocent verdict" in person. At the same time, he feels this could be the Cuban communist government's ploy to send him back to prison. Pray God will intervene in this situation. Ask him to encourage Pastor Lamelas and his family. Pray Christians in Cuba remain steadfast in their faith in Jesus. Psalm 51:10, Isaiah 26:3-4  CHINA UPDATE: House Church Leader and Mother Still in Prison – China Aid AssociationPastor Hua Huiqi and his elderly mother Shuang Shuying are still in prison. According to China Aid Association (CAA), Pastor Hua's trial will likely open in two weeks and his mother Shuang Shuying is being held in a medical center. "She is seriously sick and has been treated in that medical center since her sentencing. She is held in the kitchen hall in a one bedroom apartment-like prison cell with two other female prisoners. There are two PSB female police officers observing her 24/7. The doctor said she is too weak to be put in a formal prison because of her heart problem, diabetes and other medical problems," CAA said. Pray for healing for Shuang Shuying. Ask God to encourage Pastor Hua and his family as he prepares to go to trial. 2 Corinthians 1:3-7  PAKISTAN Muslim Radicals Introduce Anti-Christian Law; Christians Receive Threatening Letters – VOM Sources
 INDIA UPDATE: Pastor Released After One Year in Prison – VOM SourcesIn Orissa state on May 2, 2007, Pastor Jeremiah Mahji was released after spending a year in prison. The Voice of the Martyrs contacts report that since Pastor Jeremiah's release, there have been repeated phone calls threatening that his son, Pastor Nehusena, will be killed. Thank God for the release of Pastor Jeremiah. Pray God protects their family and believers in India. Ask that their testimony will bring others into the knowledge of God. Romans 15:1-6  TURKMENISTAN Pastor Jailed in Labor Camp for Three Years – Forum 18 NewsOn May 14, 2007, Baptist preacher Vyacheslav Kalataevsky was jailed for three years in a labor camp for illegally crossing the border in 2001, establishing a prayer house and organizing meetings for Christian Baptists. According to Forum 18 News, his family insists the sentence was imposed to punish him for his activity with the unregistered Baptist congregation in the city. Vyacheslav told the court today in his closing statement that officials have a hostile attitude to him because of his faith. "This is backed up by the fact that as soon as he was arrested in March, the questions were all about his religious activity, not about crossing the border," the family told Forum News. Pray for this pastor and his family. Pray his testimony will draw non-believers into the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Psalm 10:17, 2 Corinthians 7:4  www.persecution.com | |
Labels: CHINA, CUBA, INDIA, PAKISTAN, persecuted, persecuted church, prayers, The Voice of the Martyrs, TURKMENISTAN, VOM
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
VOM-USA News & Prayer Update (January 30, 2007)
Thanks and praise to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
"Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."(2 Timothy 3:12-15)
"Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."(2 Timothy 3:12-15)
| Prayers for January 30, 2007 From The Voice of the Martyrs | |
| PAKISTAN Evangelists Beaten at Muslim Festival - VOM SourcesA team of Pakistani Christian evangelists supported by The Voice of the Martyrs was attacked and beaten Friday, January 26th, after handing out more than 13,000 Christian tracts at a Muslim festival in Pakpattan, Pakistan. Three members of the four-member team were roughed up by radical Muslims then taken to the police station where they were detained and questioned before being released. However, the fourth evangelist, the leader of the team, was badly beaten by a mob of more than 100 angry Muslims, who then dragged him through the crowd before taking him to the police station. He was beaten so severely that he reported blood in his urine and his stool. VOM contacts are taking him to a hospital for medical care. Pray for God's protection for these courageous believers. Ask God to heal their injuries and for the Holy Spirit to comfort their families during this difficult time. Hebrews 12:1-3, Psalm 107:20  VIETNAM Four Church Leaders Arrested - VOM SourcesFour church leaders from Tuyen Quang province were arrested by border patrol police at the border between China and Vietnam in Ha Giang province. They were on their way home from collecting books and funds for the Pastor Support Program in Vietnam. There is no further information on their arrest. Pray God will protect them in prison and open a door for them in prison so they can share the gospel for which they suffer. Ask Him to encourage their families and for the Vietnamese government to release them. Colossians 4:2-3  ERITREA Sixty-eight Christians Arrested - Compass Direct News/VOM SourcesPolice and military authorities in Eritrea jailed 68 Christians in three official round-up operations conducted the first week of January.
INDIA Worship Service Disrupted In Madhya Pradesh - VOM SourcesA worship service in Kanpur was disrupted when Hindu extremists stormed the meeting. According to the Global Council of Indian Christians the militants were targeting foreign missionaries from Japan, present at the meeting. The pulpit and sound system were destroyed and those attending the meeting were pushed and abused for two hours before police arrived. Thank God no one was seriously hurt in this attack. Pray Christians will remain bold and continue to proclaim the gospel in India. Hebrews 10:32-39 p UPDATE - Christian Released from Prison after Six YearsOn Friday, January 19, 2007, Shahbaz Kaka, was released from prison after serving six years of a life sentence. According to a statement issued by Justice Ejah Ahmad Chaudry (High Court Lahore), Shahbaz will spend a month under medical care and then return home. Shahbaz was arrested in June 2001, after he used the bathroom at a mosque. "Qari Rafique, the head of the mosque, asked him why he was using the toilet that was adjacent to the mosque. He quizzed Shahbaz on whether he was a Christian because he was wearing a cross around his neck," a VOM source said. The source added that after the conversation, Rafique initiated false allegations against Shahbaz. A complaint was made to the authorities stating Shahbaz disgraced the Quran by tearing pages out, cutting them into pieces and trampling them under his feet. Shahbaz was arrested and later charged with blasphemy. He was sentenced to life in prison in 2004. VOM rejoices with Shahbaz Kaka and his family at his release. Pray his testimony will cause Muslims in Pakistan to follow Christ. Ask God to protect and comfort Christians in Pakistan who face persecution. | |
Labels: Christ Jesus, Christian persecution, ERITREA, Faith, INDIA, PAKISTAN, persected, persecuted, persecuted church, prayer, The Voice of the Martyrs, VIETNAM, VOM
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