Sheikh Ashim Hussein, 41 and father to nine children, grew up as a devout Muslim. Zealous for Islamic teachings, he sought to destroy Christianity and once mobilized his students to set fire to a church. But when the church members gathered at the sight of their burned church and prayed aloud for the forgiveness of those responsible, their witness bewildered Sheikh Ashim and shook his spiritual foundations.
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Aaron Miller leads VOM’s work in the Middle East. Recently he spoke in a college chapel, including telling the story of an experience of persecution he endured in India. Aaron says even though the Bible promises Christians will face persecution, in that moment of suffering as he was punched and kicked he was surprised. But something else happened as well: he experienced God’s presence and grace in a significant and sacred way. “In a way that I never dreamed of, I had a fellowship with Christ that I did not have before,” he says of that day. Aaron also shares stories of persecuted Christians in Colombia, Bangladesh and the Middle East. Aaron Miller has previously appeared on VOM Radio; you can hear some of those conversations here, here and here. Our thanks to Reformation Bible College for permission to share Aaron’s chapel presentation with VOM Radio listeners. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio. Subscribe to the podcast.
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Rebekah and her family climbed into the small vehicle that VOM had given her two years earlier after her husband was martyred for his Christian witness. Under cover of darkness, the family turned their backs on their home and began driving up the road to Kurdistan. Thousands of others had fled along that same road, many walking for 10 to 14 hours to escape the horrors of the Islamist militia known as the Islamic State (ISIS). After capturing the city of Mosul, Iraq, in June 2014, the militants gave all Christians until July 19 to convert to Islam, pay a high tax, leave the city or be killed. Thousands chose to flee, leaving everything they owned behind. Along the way, families encountered roadblock after roadblock of ISIS soldiers guarding their recently conquered territory. The soldiers robbed them of everything, taking wedding rings and ripping passports in half before the horrified owners’ eyes. In some cases, soldiers told people to strip, and then robbed them of even their clothing. Flight from Mosul By God’s grace, Rebekah’s family made the journey safely. They had fled to Erbil, in Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of Iraq that ISIS had not yet penetrated. But Rebekah
Read MoreNine Christian leaders caring for and serving persecuted believers in Uganda recently received new motorbikes to increase the effectiveness of their ministry outreach. Some of these workers faced difficult terrain on foot in order to minister, and their range had been limited because of traveling challenges.
Read MoreFront-line workers report that Christians in Plateau State and Southern Kaduna are battling fear, anger, bitterness and unrest after Muslim Fulani herdsman attacked and killed many in these predominantly Christian areas over the last few months.
Read MoreA Christian father and his adult son were attacked by villagers while pumping water in Rajasthan state. The two men went to the village water pump one evening for their nightly needs. A group of villagers were near the pump partying and drinking. They began yelling at the Christian men, saying, “You are Christians and have no right to have water!”
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Beginning in 2011, Islamist groups like the Islamic State (ISIS) and al-Nusra Front have been fighting Syrian government forces for control of the country. Christian villages have been overrun and church leaders forced out, leaving Christians without a shepherd. One church leader who was kidnapped and held hostage by the militants had his beard skinned off by his captors. Some have paid the ultimate price. Despite these horrors and the possibility of repeat attacks, some Christians have chosen to return to their villages. They view it as a special opportunity to reach fellow Syrians for Christ and encourage believers who remain in their village. Destroyed Buildings, Unbroken Body Our field workers received a firsthand account of a Syrian village that was overrun by al-Nusra in 2014. Militants entered the church buildings and destroyed everything in sight. They burned Bibles, hymnals and prayer books and vandalized a painting of John the Baptist in one church. They placed sandbags in the windows, tore down crosses on the steeples and used the churches as sniper positions. They pushed pews together to use as beds and destroyed large church bells that have been in the churches for hundreds of years. The Muslim militants believe
Read MoreJoin us this week for a podcast concert of prayer on behalf of persecuted Christians around the world in commemoration of the International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians (IDOP). Leaders from among VOM’s international ministry regions will talk about specific prayer needs in their region of the world, then lead in prayer for persecuted brothers and sisters in those regions. Author John Weaver will lead a special time of prayer for Afghanistan and Christians there in light of the upheaval and transition that took place in that nation this year. Former prisoner for Christ Petr Jasek will lead in prayer specifically for Sudan in light of the recent coup. Join in prayer for persecuted Christians this week on VOM Radio, then pray throughout the year with help from VOM’s Global Prayer Guide, iCommitToPray.com or the 2022 VOM Prayer Calendar. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast.
Read MoreChaltu Abdalla was born and raised in a Muslim family, but she found faith in Christ when she was young. She later married a Christian man and started a family. Earlier this year, her husband was killed by gunmen, and their home, crops and possession were burned to the ground in violent ethnic-based conflicts that targeted evangelical Christians.
Read MoreA front-line worker who spent years living in Afghanistan says it is a dangerous time for believers in the country but that God is working in spite of the Taliban advance. The front-line worker said believers inside the country are making different choices: some have fled the country, some are in hiding and some are choosing to stay in order to be a light.
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