Insights From Cole Richards, President Of The Voice Of The Martyrs, On Loving those who persecute Us The following reflection is written by Cole Richards, President of The Voice of the Martyrs. In this insightful passage, he dives into the power of the gospel to forgive even our worst enemies. Beware of the prevalent “take-it-or- leave-it” mentality. While skepticism may seem understandable among members of our individualistic culture, we must never put ourselves in a place of criticism or judgment toward any of our Lord’s commands. As I minister to persecuted Christians in restricted nations, I am struck by their willingness to suffer in order to obey Christ’s commands — immediately and without qualification. Their example leads me to ask: Have I unwittingly fallen into a trap of obeying only those commands that I understand and with which I agree? In the face of violent attacks by Islamic extremists, our persecuted Christian family members are showing us how to follow Christ. Our Lord has said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:44–45). Since loving our enemies is such a clear command — one
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Choosing the cross comes with risk. Carter Gates, The Voice of the Martyrs’ Asia Pacific Regional Leader, says he is always humbled as he observes and fellowships with persecuted Christians who regularly take up their cross joyfully despite that risk. They know walking with Christ is worth the risk. Listen this week as Carter shares what the church is experiencing in Brunei, China, Laos, and Myanmar, including looking ahead to serving our Christian brothers and sisters in these restricted and hostile nations in 2024. Brunei is now requiring one hour of Islamic instruction per day for children in public and private schools. In China, the Communist Party has intensified efforts to restrict children from attending church. Biblical children’s resources—including Bibles—are needed, and Carter’s team have a passion to inspire the next generation toward gospel boldness. Carter asked one Chinese brother how he was preparing to faithfully stand strong under Christian persecution. The answer he received was challenging: “When I was little, my mother taught me three preparations,” our Chinese brother responded. “Always be ready to preach. Always be ready to pray. Always be ready for martyrdom.” One young teenager, who came to faith in Laos through the ministry of a missionary couple, literally had to hide her Bible by burying it in the ground. She would dig it up late at night to read it without her family’s knowledge. Today she has grown in her faith and is involved in church planting. Pray for our brothers and sisters in Asia Pacific as they experience different forms of persecution for their faith. Pray for Carter and his team as they use creative means to serve our persecuted family in China, Myanmar, Laos, Brunei and other nations in the region. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcastOr you can listen each week—and get daily prayer reminders—in the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.
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In 2019, the Algerian government permanently closed many churches, and several others that closed temporarily during the pandemic have not been allowed to re-open. “Many believers have gone for months or even years without gathering with their brothers and sisters in Christ,” a front-line worker said. While Christians in Algeria are receiving biblical training via the internet and Arabic Christian satellite TV channels, relying on the internet and other media sources can leave them vulnerable to false teaching and manipulation.
Read MoreMr. K, a student in a discipleship program for North Korean defectors, is currently serving time in prison for a murder he committed in South Korea. Mr. K had thought that he could never be forgiven for what he had done, but he was deeply encouraged when Christian friends told him the Lord had forgiven his sin and that he could still be used by the Lord. He began studying the Bible and reading inspiring books like Tortured for Christ in prison.
Read MoreBibles and SD cards that contain Bibles as well as other Christian materials are having a profound impact in India. One recipient, Angira, said, “I received an SD card that would change our lives. As we began listening to its contents, we discovered the teachings of Jesus Christ, which resonated deeply within us. Eventually, we made the decision to embrace our faith and received baptism. Today, we are proud members of the local church, actively engaging with our community by sharing the gospel with others.”
Read More“Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” Loren Cunningham, with his wife Darlene, founded Youth With a Mission (YWAM) in 1960 with a vision to equip and send young people out all over the world to fulfill this God-given command to go and proclaim. Loren passionately continued God’s work even into his final days on earth, preaching and discipling even with lung cancer. When he died last October, he left an amazing, inspired legacy for YWAM. Paul Childers, a long time YWAM worker and member of the ministry’s global eldership team, returns to VOM Radio this week to share how Loren’s legacy is propelling YWAM forward, especially with an emphasis on providing God’s Word to as many as possible through a Bible translation effort called Oral Mother Tongue. He will share the process to rapidly translate the Bible, through spoken word, into many more languages using the local people to help with the process. Paul, founder of Word by Heart, shares the amazing work of Oral Mother Tongue and how they translated the entire New Testament for 30 languages in six months! Even local non-Christians are included in this work, excited by the stories they are helping to translate and the effort to maintain their heart languages. Even a Hindu priest suggested, “The government needs to pay for this translation work! It’s so important to encapsulate our language going forward.” The process also adds credibility to the work in each community as people want to listen to a project to which their family members and friends contributed. Learn more about the work, and how you can support it in prayer, by visiting www.prayomt.org. Please also pray for YWAM in this season of transition as they continue Loren’s legacy impacting the world for Christ and his kingdom. You can listen to previous conversation on VOM Radio with Loren Cunningham and Paul and Susi Childers. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or you can listen each week—and get daily reminders of how to pray for persecuted Christians—in the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.
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Insights From Cole Richards, President Of The Voice Of The Martyrs, On The hope of Christianity in Bangladesh The following reflection is written by Cole Richards, President of The Voice of the Martyrs. In this insightful passage, he dives into the hope the power of the Gospel offers for the nation of Bangladesh. Most people have at least some degree of national pride, but it seems less common in Bangladesh, which is considered one of the world’s most corrupt and dysfunctional nations. During one of my visits, a Muslim man went out of his way to tell me that he did not understand why any foreigner would visit his country. “What are you doing here?” he asked with a look of incredulity. “My country is corrupt, crowded, desperately poor and full of violent extremists!” The fact that a nation can be characterized by both desperate circumstances and historic revival should be instructive for us. God’s eternal purposes will not be thwarted by the flaws or failings of any nation’s government or economy. Cole Richards, President of VOM While the population of Bangladesh is roughly half that of the U.S., this huge populace is crowded into a frequently flooded river delta that
Read MoreSiporn is a faithful Christian and a member of the village council in his community. In August, the president of the council confronted Siporn about his faith, promising that Siporn would succeed him as council president if Siporn would recant. Siporn answered, “I will not stop believing in my God, because I have found the truth and chosen the right path for my life.” The council then met without Siporn and voted to remove him from his position.
Read MoreRenee (22) and Rebecca (19) are half-sisters. Their father has four wives and practices animistic sorcery. Years ago, Renee’s mother was unable to conceive, so she went to a Christian outreach hoping for a miracle. There she placed her faith in Christ and received prayer; later she became pregnant and gave birth to Renee. Renee’s father was not pleased when his wife took Renee to church. Renee’s half-sister, Rebecca, became a Christian while training at a hair salon with someone who sang worship songs.
Read MoreOn Aug. 30, 2023, three churches in one district were attacked in the daytime by groups of 20-25 people each. One Christian leader reported that the groups pelted the buildings with stones and bricks, causing damage to windows, doors and gates. The groups chanted Hindu religious slogans during the attacks.
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