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
Saturday, December 23, 2006
God For Christ's Sake Hath Forgiven You.
Thanks and praise to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Isn't it great to know a God, the true God, that will forgive us of our sins? Not only forgive us, through Jesus Christ, but is making a place for us in Heaven. How wonderful is that? God is a God of love and compassion. He does not tell us to go forth and lie and do whatever it takes to convert people to Christ. He just tells us to spread the word and He will do the rest. This is the true God, the all powerful, the almighty.
We are to be kind to one another, tenderhearted, and forgive one another as God has forgiven us. If we cannot forgive others then our Father in Heaven will not forgive us. Jesus Christ was born to give us a way to eternal life. To give us the opportunity to never feel the sting of death. So we can be in that place where there will be no more sorrow, no more tears, no more death. Praise His dear name.
There are so many this Christmas that will not have the love of Christ shown to them by their fellow man. A lot of them will see torture and imprisonment for believing in the name of Christ. They are the persecuted Christians throughout the world. Many countries are not tolerant of others beliefs as we are in America. But even here we must be careful of what we say in a particular venue or we will be persecuted ourselves. There is a difference between the persecution here in America and in other third world countries. Here we will not go to jail, in most cases, or be tortured. But there is still an intolerance of our, Christian, beliefs. America, as a nation, has become so worried about alienating any other religions that they have taken away some rights of the Christians.
During this Christmas let us all pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ that will not have a peace filled and love filled Christmas. May they fill the love of God come upon them in there time of tribulation. Let us also pray for the ones that are causing this on our brothers and sisters. That they also will feel the love of God come upon them and unharden their hearts to be able to see the truth. And be able to hear the word of God through our brothers and sisters that they have in prison or are persecuting outside of prison. I pray that God will give those persecuted the strength to show forgiveness to their persecutors and in doing this they would turn from their persecuting.
There may be some that are holding a grudge against someone. It may even be against a family member. Get rid of that hate and bitterness and show the love of Christ that is in us all.
To all of you a Merry Christmas.
Ephesians 4:1-32
1: I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
2: With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3: Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4: There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5: One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6: One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
7: But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
8: Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
9: (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
10: He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
11: And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12: For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:
14: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15: But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
16: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
17: This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
18: Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
19: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20: But ye have not so learned Christ;
21: If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23: And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24: And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
25: Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
26: Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
27: Neither give place to the devil.
28: Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
29: Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
30: And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31: Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Isn't it great to know a God, the true God, that will forgive us of our sins? Not only forgive us, through Jesus Christ, but is making a place for us in Heaven. How wonderful is that? God is a God of love and compassion. He does not tell us to go forth and lie and do whatever it takes to convert people to Christ. He just tells us to spread the word and He will do the rest. This is the true God, the all powerful, the almighty.
We are to be kind to one another, tenderhearted, and forgive one another as God has forgiven us. If we cannot forgive others then our Father in Heaven will not forgive us. Jesus Christ was born to give us a way to eternal life. To give us the opportunity to never feel the sting of death. So we can be in that place where there will be no more sorrow, no more tears, no more death. Praise His dear name.
There are so many this Christmas that will not have the love of Christ shown to them by their fellow man. A lot of them will see torture and imprisonment for believing in the name of Christ. They are the persecuted Christians throughout the world. Many countries are not tolerant of others beliefs as we are in America. But even here we must be careful of what we say in a particular venue or we will be persecuted ourselves. There is a difference between the persecution here in America and in other third world countries. Here we will not go to jail, in most cases, or be tortured. But there is still an intolerance of our, Christian, beliefs. America, as a nation, has become so worried about alienating any other religions that they have taken away some rights of the Christians.
During this Christmas let us all pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ that will not have a peace filled and love filled Christmas. May they fill the love of God come upon them in there time of tribulation. Let us also pray for the ones that are causing this on our brothers and sisters. That they also will feel the love of God come upon them and unharden their hearts to be able to see the truth. And be able to hear the word of God through our brothers and sisters that they have in prison or are persecuting outside of prison. I pray that God will give those persecuted the strength to show forgiveness to their persecutors and in doing this they would turn from their persecuting.
There may be some that are holding a grudge against someone. It may even be against a family member. Get rid of that hate and bitterness and show the love of Christ that is in us all.
To all of you a Merry Christmas.
Ephesians 4:1-32
1: I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
2: With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3: Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4: There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5: One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6: One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
7: But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
8: Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
9: (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
10: He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
11: And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12: For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:
14: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15: But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
16: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
17: This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
18: Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
19: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20: But ye have not so learned Christ;
21: If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23: And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24: And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
25: Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
26: Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
27: Neither give place to the devil.
28: Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
29: Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
30: And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31: Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Labels: charity, Christ Jesus, Christmas, forgiveness, God, Jesus, Jesus Christ, love, persected, persecuted church
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