John Grooters is the director of a new movie portraying the marriage, choice to become Christians and early persecution of VOM’s founders, Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand—told through the eyes of Sabina. SABINA: Tortured For Christ, The Nazi Years will screen in more than 800 theaters in the US for three days only – November 8, 9 and 10. Buy tickets here. Grooters also directed Tortured For Christ – The Movie, which portrayed how the Wurmbrands were persecuted under communists in Romania. SABINA is a prequel to the first film, telling an earlier part of the Wurmbrands’ story, including their persecution—and how they blessed—Nazi forces that occupied their nation. Listen as John talks about the challenge of making a film in the Wurmbrands’ native Romania in the midst of a worldwide Covid-19 pandemic. John will also share how God’s hand was on the production, including filming the scene of Richard’s baptism in the very room where it happened! You’ll hear how Richard and Sabina’s faith has impacted Grooters as he spent five years deeply connected to their story as he created two films, and how he hopes it will impact the faith of viewers around the US and all over the world. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio. Subscribe to the podcast!
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A house church of 1,000 members has been banned from gathering for services by the Cuban government.
Read MorePastors in Central Asia are faithfully teaching the gospel to children even though such action is against the law. In many post-Soviet countries, teaching religion to children under age 18 is illegal. As followers of Christ, however, these pastors know it is important for young people to learn about the Bible and faith in God from a young age.
Read MoreSomali Christians are mourning the loss of an influential Christian woman. A man who served alongside her wrote, “Those of us left behind may grieve because we miss our brothers and sisters, but the believers who die are happy to be with Christ.”
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Naomi glanced at her daughter, Ruth. She was scared, exhausted and thought they were about to be killed. “Convert to Islam or you will die!” one of their kidnappers shouted at them. Masked men carrying assault weapons had abducted Naomi and Ruth from their home in the middle of the night. Judging by the brutality of their abductors, Naomi was sure they were members of Boko Haram, a militant Muslim group trying to take over territory in northern Nigeria and expel all Christians. Boko Haram wants to create a pure Islamic state based on ultra-strict principles. They have attacked government institutions and even mosques that they deemed too liberal. Many Nigerian Muslims don’t meet their standards. Naomi knew that Christians were a primary target of Boko Haram, and she’d heard repeated stories of how they had entered Christian villages and killed everyone. She was afraid that she and Ruth were next. The kidnappers had marched them for hours through the bush until they reached their camp. Then they had raped both Naomi and Ruth. Now their kidnappers were demanding that they convert to Islam. Naomi knew they were serious about killing them. When she and Ruth were taken, she saw
Read MoreJonathan Ekman and Matthew Hanson recently visited persecuted Christians in Central Asia—Christians caught between a growing wave of radical Islam and governments with a communist-style distrust of all religion. Matthew and Jonathan will share stories from believers they met. Listen to hear “the rest of the story” of one of the chapters in When Faith Is Forbidden (VOM Radio host Todd Nettleton’s book), including how God has built on the legacy of a martyred pastor in Tajikistan. They’ll also share the story of a woman who faced intense persecution from her own family, yet has seen God take her suffering and create something “beautiful.” Christians in Central Asia don’t have protection from their governments or from families. Yet the church is growing across the region as more and more people experience the spiritual family of followers of Jesus. You can receive a free copy of When Faith is Forbidden when you make a donation to The Voice of the Martyrs. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast.
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Not a single Christian lived among the 30 families in a remote village in Southeast Asia. So when an evangelist arrived one day to share the gospel, many were eager to hear what he had to say. Police took notice as well. Twenty villagers responded to the evangelist’s message and committed their lives to Christ. They soon made their new faith public and were baptized in a river near their village. For them, there was no turning back to their previous ways. The new Christians began meeting in the home of one of the believers, and they received Bibles printed in their native language. They were also given a few hymnals so they could sing worship songs together. A small wooden structure with a corrugated metal roof became the first house church to exist in their village, and authorities were not pleased. “Police do not like it when Christianity spreads to a village that had no Christians before,” a Christian worker in Southeast Asia said. The nearest Christian outside the village lives 10 kilometers [roughly six miles] away. Less than two months after these villagers placed their faith in Christ, police interrupted a Sunday service and confiscated all 16 Bibles
Read More“Mother Toltu” was raised as a follower of the Oromo traditional religion, but she committed her life to following Christ when she heard the gospel for the first time. She donated a plot of land from her property to be used for a church, and several other believers contributed funds to the construction of a church as well. However, a mob of local Oromo religious groups attacked the believers and tore down the church they had built.
Read MoreYouhanna’s wife and children left him when he placed his faith in Christ several years ago. His extended family beat him severely many times because of his faith, and he was imprisoned in an attempt to force him to return to Islam.
Read MoreThree Indian believers were arrested after sharing the gospel and interrogated by police for more than nine hours. After their arrest and while they were still in custody, one of the wives of the men wrote, “I am feeling at peace knowing God is in control of this situation. I am asking that He would be glorified and the national believers to be encouraged and their faith strengthened. I am starting to feel tired and drained, but still hopeful in Him and all the ways He desires to use this and be glorified.”
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