When Pastor Ranjan of Naula, Sri Lanka, approached local authorities for a permit to build a worship place, they refused. He then built an extension on his house to serve as a place of Christian worship. Under the influence of local Buddhist monks, police and government officials have declared the space an illegal worship place.
Read MoreTara Rai, 36, placed her trust in Jesus Christ in 2020, and she took her eldest daughter, Khushi, now 16, with her to church. Tara Rai’s husband then beat her because of her faith in Jesus and demanded that she give it up. She left for Dubai to work as a housekeeper, hoping to earn money to support her children on her own.
Read MoreOn January 11, 2023, local officials notified the pastor of a 400-member congregation to vacate their building immediately. The worship center had stood for more than 15 years on land legally purchased in a Muslim-majority region. But five years ago, Muslims who were unhappy that a large Christian church stood in their community filed a legal case against the church.
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Today Hanna Massad, former pastor of Gaza Baptist Church, assists persecuted Christians and refugees across the Middle East. He knows what they are facing. He’s had his own first-hand experiences of Christian persecution, living and pastoring a church in a Muslim context. His wife led the Gaza Bible Society during a time when it was bombed twice. Their coworker and friend, Rami Ayyad, was kidnapped and murdered. In these difficult moments, Hanna and his family had to completely rely on God’s Word. When Gaza police told him they couldn’t protect his family, Hanna thought of Psalm 46:1, “The Lord is my refuge.” He and his family knew God could protect them, even if local authorities could not or would not. In the face of threats of further attacks, they decided to leave Gaza, at least temporarily. They planned to be away for a few weeks, long enough that the situation could settle down again. Instead, their departure became long-term. While the doors have never re-opened for the Massad family to return permanently to Gaza, that doesn’t mean their ministry in Gaza ceased. Massad, author of the book Pastor From Gaza (affiliate link), continues ministering to Christians in Gaza through the church, online connections, the Bible Society library and regular visits back to his homeland. Listen as he shares an update on the current ministry of Pauline Ayyad, Rami’s widow and a recent guest on VOM Radio. He’ll also share what it means to be a true disciple and he’ll challenge every listener to keep our eyes on Jesus. Hanna is the founder and president of Christian Ministry to Gaza, blessing and serving widows, orphans, and refugees in multiple nations of the Middle East, helping provide for spiritual and physical needs. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast.
Read MoreAnu Dani earned money by predicting people’s future as a seer. When her young daughter grew very ill and no other efforts healed her, she took the girl to a Christian church. The pastor prayed, her daughter was healed and Anu immediately put her faith in Christ, turning away from her occult practices.
Read MoreLebanese church leaders request prayers as they minister to refugees. More than 1 million Syrian refugees have entered the country since 2012, increasing Lebanon’s population by nearly one-fourth. Despite hardship, many evangelical churches in Lebanon not only welcomed but also cared for Christian and Muslim refugees with limited resources and few rights in the country.
Read MoreOn the day after Christmas in 2022, suspected Islamic militants attacked a Christian family in the village of Obire in Burkina Faso. The attackers shot into the house, killing four young people inside and injuring two others.
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