"But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear"
(Philippians 1:12-14).
The persecution of our brothers and sisters not only drives us to pray on their behalf, but also challenges us to take a greater stand in our own walk with Christ. Thank you for joining us in prayer and for making the persecution that these dear brethren endure known to others.
We would love to know how you share this e-mail update with others! Please take a moment to complete a quick survey concerning our News and Prayer Update.
God bless!
VOM Web Team
http://www.persecution.com/
CHINA (China Aid Association)
On April 5th, with previous agreement from both the Commission Secretary's Office and the UN security guards, Rev. Bob Fu spoke to the general assembly of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) at their assembly in Geneva. He made the intervention speech highlighting the imprisonment and torture of Pastor Cai Zhuohua, Pastor Gong Shengliang and Mr. Chen Jingmao. However, when Rev. Fu displayed and demonstrated an electric-shock baton, which was smuggled out of China and had been used by the Chinese police and interrogators to torture religious victims, the Chinese delegate immediately registered a complaint that the electric baton made them "feel threatened." Both Rev. Fu's UN badge and the electric baton were taken away by the UN security officials without giving any explanation, and he was ordered to leave the UN complex immediately. China has demanded an apology from Rev. Fu and A Woman's Voice International, the organization that sponsored the meeting.
Pray the Lord will strengthen those in China who are imprisoned for their faith, especially 74-year-old Chen Jingmao, who was sentenced in October 2002 to four years in prison. Give thanks to God that information about the treatment of Christian imprisoned for Christ is being made known worldwide. Pray publicity regarding the treatment of Rev. Fu will cause the Chinese government to "lose face" and bring about the release of those imprisoned for their faith in Jesus.
INDIA (AsiaNews)
On Easter Eve, in Chalakud Taluna, 25 militants from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)—the paramilitary wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party—disrupted the viewing of The Passion of the Christ inside the Kanai Church, the oldest church in the state of Kerala in southwestern India. One Christian was wounded, and scores of others were beaten and injured, including women and children. There is also concern among Christians in Maharashtra, the most secular Indian state, where the State Home Affairs Minister presented an anti-conversion law. Should it become law, anyone changing religions would be required to submit an affidavit to the authorities. In Tamil Nadu, the anti-conversion bill has been withdrawn after a prolonged campaign by opponents.
Pray those injured in the Easter Eve attack will remain bold in their faith and loving in their attitude toward their Hindu neighbors, leading to opportunities to share the gospel. Pray God will not allow the anti-conversion bill to become law in Maharashtra. Praise Him that the passage of an anti-conversion bill in Tamil Nadu was defeated.
IRAN (Compass Direct)
Iranian Christian Hamid Pourmand must appear before the Islamic (Shariah) court of Iran between April 11th and 14th to face charges of apostasy from Islam and proselytizing Muslims to the Christian faith. Both "crimes" are punishable by death. Arrested last September when security police raided a church conference he was attending, the Assemblies of God lay pastor is the only one of more than 80 church leaders arrested at the conference who was not released. An army colonel, Pourmand was automatically cut off from his regular income when he was arrested, eliminating nearly 20 years of military pension and forcing his wife and two children to vacate their home in military lodgings. Pourmand converted from Islam to Christianity nearly 25 years ago.
Pray fervently that God will work a miracle of His grace and power to allow Pourmand to be exonerated of both these charges and be released. Pray the Lord will give him great peace and will give him His love toward his enemies. Pray the Muslims who see Pourmand will long to know the Christ whose name he bears.
LAOS (Christian Aid/Missions Insider)
A government crackdown on Christians in Phin district, Savannakhet province, in southern Laos has led to the arrest and torture of 17 men, some of whom were church leaders. On March 27th, 10 believers were arrested after refusing to heed a police warning not to evangelize. While the first two were taken directly to the district prison, the other eight were bound with rope and left in a rice field in the hot sun for two days with no food or water. On March 30th, Phin district authorities imprisoned seven more Christian men. According to Christian Aid's contacts in Laos, their treatment in prison begins with being stripped naked and bound hand and foot for a week with only water to drink, then being untied and lowered into a dark hole in the ground where they are kept for a month in darkness and filth. Though the guards' goals in their treatment of Christians are to break them down and force them to deny their faith, often believers' presence in prison leads to the spread of the gospel as they share their daily ration of a handful of rotten rice with other prisoners.
Pray God will strengthen the imprisoned believers to keep their faith in Jesus and the witness of His love. Pray God will surprise the guards with a sudden sense of compassion toward the prisoners and will give them a hunger to know Christ. Pray any non-Christians who leave prison will seek out believers and ask to know more about their Savior.
SUDAN (ASSIST News Service)
Three aid workers abducted on December 16, 2004, in Labado, on their way from Khartoum to West Darfur, have been released and are back home with their families. The three men, all Sudanese nationals working for the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), were held in the Darfur region along with the equipment and supplies they were taking to West Darfur to construct water wells to benefit 80,000 internally displaced people and host community members. Most of the project equipment has also been returned to ADRA's office in Sudan.
Give thanks to God for the release of these men. Pray the Lord will bless those responsible for their freedom. Pray for the abductors' salvation. Pray the work the ADRA staff started in the Darfur region will continue to the glory of God. :help:
(Philippians 1:12-14).
The persecution of our brothers and sisters not only drives us to pray on their behalf, but also challenges us to take a greater stand in our own walk with Christ. Thank you for joining us in prayer and for making the persecution that these dear brethren endure known to others.
We would love to know how you share this e-mail update with others! Please take a moment to complete a quick survey concerning our News and Prayer Update.
God bless!
VOM Web Team
http://www.persecution.com/
CHINA (China Aid Association)
On April 5th, with previous agreement from both the Commission Secretary's Office and the UN security guards, Rev. Bob Fu spoke to the general assembly of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) at their assembly in Geneva. He made the intervention speech highlighting the imprisonment and torture of Pastor Cai Zhuohua, Pastor Gong Shengliang and Mr. Chen Jingmao. However, when Rev. Fu displayed and demonstrated an electric-shock baton, which was smuggled out of China and had been used by the Chinese police and interrogators to torture religious victims, the Chinese delegate immediately registered a complaint that the electric baton made them "feel threatened." Both Rev. Fu's UN badge and the electric baton were taken away by the UN security officials without giving any explanation, and he was ordered to leave the UN complex immediately. China has demanded an apology from Rev. Fu and A Woman's Voice International, the organization that sponsored the meeting.
Pray the Lord will strengthen those in China who are imprisoned for their faith, especially 74-year-old Chen Jingmao, who was sentenced in October 2002 to four years in prison. Give thanks to God that information about the treatment of Christian imprisoned for Christ is being made known worldwide. Pray publicity regarding the treatment of Rev. Fu will cause the Chinese government to "lose face" and bring about the release of those imprisoned for their faith in Jesus.
INDIA (AsiaNews)
On Easter Eve, in Chalakud Taluna, 25 militants from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)—the paramilitary wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party—disrupted the viewing of The Passion of the Christ inside the Kanai Church, the oldest church in the state of Kerala in southwestern India. One Christian was wounded, and scores of others were beaten and injured, including women and children. There is also concern among Christians in Maharashtra, the most secular Indian state, where the State Home Affairs Minister presented an anti-conversion law. Should it become law, anyone changing religions would be required to submit an affidavit to the authorities. In Tamil Nadu, the anti-conversion bill has been withdrawn after a prolonged campaign by opponents.
Pray those injured in the Easter Eve attack will remain bold in their faith and loving in their attitude toward their Hindu neighbors, leading to opportunities to share the gospel. Pray God will not allow the anti-conversion bill to become law in Maharashtra. Praise Him that the passage of an anti-conversion bill in Tamil Nadu was defeated.
IRAN (Compass Direct)
Iranian Christian Hamid Pourmand must appear before the Islamic (Shariah) court of Iran between April 11th and 14th to face charges of apostasy from Islam and proselytizing Muslims to the Christian faith. Both "crimes" are punishable by death. Arrested last September when security police raided a church conference he was attending, the Assemblies of God lay pastor is the only one of more than 80 church leaders arrested at the conference who was not released. An army colonel, Pourmand was automatically cut off from his regular income when he was arrested, eliminating nearly 20 years of military pension and forcing his wife and two children to vacate their home in military lodgings. Pourmand converted from Islam to Christianity nearly 25 years ago.
Pray fervently that God will work a miracle of His grace and power to allow Pourmand to be exonerated of both these charges and be released. Pray the Lord will give him great peace and will give him His love toward his enemies. Pray the Muslims who see Pourmand will long to know the Christ whose name he bears.
LAOS (Christian Aid/Missions Insider)
A government crackdown on Christians in Phin district, Savannakhet province, in southern Laos has led to the arrest and torture of 17 men, some of whom were church leaders. On March 27th, 10 believers were arrested after refusing to heed a police warning not to evangelize. While the first two were taken directly to the district prison, the other eight were bound with rope and left in a rice field in the hot sun for two days with no food or water. On March 30th, Phin district authorities imprisoned seven more Christian men. According to Christian Aid's contacts in Laos, their treatment in prison begins with being stripped naked and bound hand and foot for a week with only water to drink, then being untied and lowered into a dark hole in the ground where they are kept for a month in darkness and filth. Though the guards' goals in their treatment of Christians are to break them down and force them to deny their faith, often believers' presence in prison leads to the spread of the gospel as they share their daily ration of a handful of rotten rice with other prisoners.
Pray God will strengthen the imprisoned believers to keep their faith in Jesus and the witness of His love. Pray God will surprise the guards with a sudden sense of compassion toward the prisoners and will give them a hunger to know Christ. Pray any non-Christians who leave prison will seek out believers and ask to know more about their Savior.
SUDAN (ASSIST News Service)
Three aid workers abducted on December 16, 2004, in Labado, on their way from Khartoum to West Darfur, have been released and are back home with their families. The three men, all Sudanese nationals working for the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), were held in the Darfur region along with the equipment and supplies they were taking to West Darfur to construct water wells to benefit 80,000 internally displaced people and host community members. Most of the project equipment has also been returned to ADRA's office in Sudan.
Give thanks to God for the release of these men. Pray the Lord will bless those responsible for their freedom. Pray for the abductors' salvation. Pray the work the ADRA staff started in the Darfur region will continue to the glory of God. :help: