CUBA: Pastors Willing to Pay a Price
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CUBA: Pastors Willing to Pay a Price
March 16, 2024
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Episodes

  • “We Were Martyred On That Day”

    Gary Witherall and his wife, Bonnie, heard God’s call to tell people in the Middle East about Jesus. They answered that call by moving to Lebanon, where they served with Operation Mobilization, building relationships with Lebanese people and Palestinian refugees—until the day Bonnie was martyred in the clinic where she served refugee women.

    Listen as Gary shares about how God called them to the Middle East, what their work there was like and how each day of their ministry was unique. He’ll also share how things changed on 9-11, when Gary and Bonnie saw people all around them celebrating the murder of more than 3,000 Americans.

    After the attacks, they found their life and ministry more difficult, but they never considered leaving. In fact, it was after 9-11 that Gary and Bonnie determined they would stay and serve the Lord—no matter the cost. “I think we were martyred on that day,” Gary says. You’ll be challenged as Gary asks the question: what do you love so much you’d be willing to die for it?

    Be sure to join us next week on VOM Radio as Gary tells about the day Bonnie gave her life for Christ. You can learn more about Gary’s story by reading his book, Total Abandon (affiliate link).

    24 MIN
  • CHINA: Increased Persecution

    There have been significant changes in China this year, changes that greatly affect our Christian brothers and sisters and how they live out their faith. First, new “regulations on religion” took effect, attempting to give China’s communist government more control over church activities. Secondly, term limits were abolished for China’s President, allowing current leader Xi Jinping to lead the country for many more years.

    Listen this week as Brother Blake and Brother Joel share what these changes mean for churches in China, and how Christians are responding to the changes to continue serving Christ in the face of communist oppression. Blake and Joel will also equip you to pray for China’s Christians during these days of increasing pressure.

    24 MIN
  • Tell Jesus Stories

    Tell Jesus Stories

    July 14, 2018

    Bryson Vogeltanz works with Passion Ministries to call 18-25 year olds to a deeper walk with Christ, and to be involved with the work of God around the world. Listen as he shares how young people at a Passion Conference were challenged to help VOM deliver Scripture Balloons into North Korea, and how they overwhelmingly responded.

    He’ll also talk about putting on a Passion event inside a predominantly-Muslim country, and how seeing young people answer Christ’s call has inspired his own faith and his pastoral work right here in the United States.

    Finally, Bryson will challenge each of us to “tell Jesus stories” to those around us in order to draw others to Christ.

    You can learn more about Passion events and register for Passion 2019 here.

    24 MIN
  • Knowing That People Were Praying

    Ben Foley is the president of Serve Now, a ministry empowering churches and Christian leaders in many different countries to serve the Lord and to reach out with the Bible in one hand and a cup of cold water in the other.

    Listen in as Ben shares about the work of Serve Now, and how God very specifically guided him into the ministry. He'll also share the first prayer request of Christians under threat of persecution in countries where Serve Now works, and it's not the one you're likely expecting.

    Ben will also share how God gave him an opportunity for a very brief taste of persecution, and how he found God's grace sufficient, moment-by-moment, through that experience. The experience also showed him first-hand the difference it makes when the Body of Christ is praying for those facing persecution.

    24 MIN
  • SAUDI ARABIA: "That's Impossible!"

    Al Fadi is a former Wahabbi Muslim from Saudi Arabia. He says when he tells Saudi friends that he’s now a Christian, they say, “That’s impossible!” They don’t believe a Saudi Muslim would ever leave their religion to follow another faith.

    But Al Fadi did leave Islam behind when he encountered followers of Christ during university studies in the United States. Listen as Al Fadi shares how his heart was changed as he met and watched true followers of Christ. “If their holy book is corrupted,” he asked himself, “how is it that the followers of that book are so different?”

    He’ll also share about how his family responded to the “shame” of having a family member choose to follow Christ. You’ll be encouraged by Al Fadi’s testimony, and inspired and equipped to reach out to Muslims you know with the love of Jesus.

    Connect with Al Fadi's ministry online.

    24 MIN
  • In the Deepest Wells

    Rebecca George is the principal writer for VOM’s new book: WURMBRAND: Tortured For Christ the Complete Story. Listen this week as she shares how she went about researching the lives of Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, the founders of The Voice of the Martyrs. Rebecca will tell us what her writing process is like, and why she felt the need to start the story by telling about the Wurmbrand’s life before Christ—to show the difference that Christ made. She’ll talk about wrestling with how many details of the Wurmbrands’ terrible suffering to include, and how her own walk with Christ was impacted by the example of Richard and Sabina. Finally, Rebecca will give us a preview of the project she’s working on now: the story of another imprisoned Christian. Order your copy of WURMBRAND here.

    32 MIN
  • It’s WONDERFUL to Serve the Lord!

    This weekend marks Father’s Day, and our guest is Phil Nettleton, long-time missionary and father of VOM Radio host, Todd Nettleton. Listen as Phil shares about how God called him into missionary service, about the challenges missionaries face on the field and specific ways that you can pray for missionaries that you know or that your church is sending. He’ll also share how God makes each place a Christian serves and each season of ministry a “favorite.” Phil will talk about learning the power of going into a different culture as a learner instead of an expert. Finally, Phil will talk about serving the Lord in the seasons of life after “retirement”—a word he reminds us is not mentioned in the Bible.

    24 MIN
  • Wise as Serpents, Harmless as Doves
    Scott Brawner leads Concilium, an organization which provides safety, security and crisis-management training to missions, churches and ministries working in the U.S. and around the world. Listen this week as he shares thoughts on answering the need for those called to be gospel workers to be aware and intelligent about security and safety while still honoring the higher call of Jesus to take the gospel message to every nation—even the dangerous ones. Scott will talk about first steps if you are feeling called into mission service, and also share how he is involved in training and inspiring young people into missions through the Fusion Program, which includes both US training and overseas deployment and offers students college credits for the experience.
    24 MIN
  • Ambassador Sam Brownback: "Don't Give Up"

    Sam Brownback serves as the United States Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, leading the State Department’s efforts to promote religious freedom and the protection of religious minorities around the world.

    Listen this week as he shares about how religious freedom serves as a foundation for many other freedoms, and which countries he sees moving the wrong direction on the issue. He’ll also share how his own faith motivates his work, and stories of both success and failure in his decades of work on behalf of persecuted religious minorities.

    Finally, Ambassador Brownback shares how we can pray for him and other of our government officials working on behalf of persecuted Christians around the world, and reminds us that our prayers and our actions really do make a difference.

    24 MIN
  • Willing to Stand Up

    Manfred Mueller leads Hilfsaktion Martyrerkirche (HMK), The Voice of the Martyrs’ sister mission in Germany. Listen as he shares about the early days of HMK’s work in Germany, including the rejection of the message of Richard Wurmbrand when he first came out from behind the Iron Curtain.

    Manfred also recalls his own childhood, when his parents and grandparents were involved in delivering Bibles into communist nations. Manfred will also share inspiring stories from persecuted Christians he has met during his years of service at HMK and how those stories are impacting the way he lives out his own faith in Christ.

    Finally, Manfred will discuss how having hundreds of thousands of Muslim immigrants and refugees has impacted life in Europe, and how the church there is responding to “the biggest opportunity for missions our country has seen in decades.”

    24 MIN
  • TIBET “The Lord Just Held My Heart”
    Sister Amber spent more than a decade in Tibet, providing vocational training to the people and sharing the gospel message of Christ’s love. She felt God's call especially to work among Tibet's nomadic tribal people, who jokingly call themselves "the roof on the roof of the world." Amber watched as God brought about a great ministry breakthrough: people who'd been totally closed to her message were now asking to learn more about Jesus. But just days after the breakthrough Amber experienced persecution as police came pounding on her door. Listen as she tells the story. You'll hear how God ministered to her in the hardest moments of her suffering. You'll hear how she was eventually released, and the way God showed her that her persecution wasn't the end of the story. You'll also hear how God laid on the hearts of people around the world to pray for Amber, including one who drew a picture of Amber surrounded by policemen in the interrogation room. Months later, when Amber saw the picture, it matched exactly the setting of her interrogation, but also offered a ray of spiritual hope. Your faith will be challenged as you hear Amber's thoughts on what the New Testament calls the "honor" of being persecuted, and she’ll give first-hand advice on how we can pray for Christians in prison right now.
    48 MIN
  • UGANDA: Challenges for the Church
    “Brother Steven” is a church leader from the nation of Uganda, a country where more than 80% of the people identify themselves as Christians but where some areas are almost entirely Muslim and even pushing for Sharia law. Steven says Muslims in the country have an aggressive strategy to recruit Christians to convert to Islam, and he’ll share how Christians are responding. Church leaders are working to strengthen and deepen the faith of Uganda’s Christians, while also seeking to reach out to Muslims with the gospel message of Christ’s love. Listen to become more informed and learn how you can pray for the church in Uganda this week on VOM Radio.
    24 MIN
  • MISSIONS: To Give Everything
    Brother Harold has lived and ministered in Central Asia more than 15 years, serving among Muslims and seeing the challenges faced by those who choose to leave Islam and follow Christ. Listen this week as he challenges American believers to be more committed and more involved in gospel efforts to reach the unreached. Harold will share some of the challenges mission workers are facing around the world, including the sometimes-discouraging work of planting seeds of the gospel into hard, rocky soil where Jesus’ name has never been preached. Harold will equip us to pray better for the people of Central Asia, and for gospel workers serving in missions around the world.
    24 MIN
  • SAUDI ARABIA: They See The Difference
    Sister Sahar was born into a Muslim family in Saudi Arabia. When she came to the U.S. to attend university, a Christian friend shared the love of Christ and a Bible with her, and Sahar came to realize that Jesus was more than a prophet—He is the Son of God. But choosing to follow Christ came with a price: Sahar’s mom refused to speak to her for months after finding out that she was a Christian. Today, Sahar works to share Jesus’ love with other Muslim women in the Middle East through a ministry called Unveiling Beauty (www.UnveilingBeauty.org), and the joy in her life is one of the things God uses to show Muslim women how following Jesus is so very different from following Muhammed. Sahar will encourage listeners to reach out with love to Muslims right around us, and instruct on specific ways to pray for the nation of Saudi Arabia.
    24 MIN
  • IRAN: Even if They Torture Us
    Brother Hamid from Iran is back on VOM Radio to finish telling the story of his conversion to Christ, and the persecution he faced in Iran after choosing to leave Islam. Hamid shares that, even as military officials were persecuting and beating him, the Holy Spirit reminded him to love them and care for their eternal souls. Hamid will also discuss how open Iranian people are to the love of Christ—both Iranians in Iran and those in other nations around the world, and how American Christians can participate in sharing the gospel with Muslims. If you missed Part 1 of Hamid’s story, listen to it here. Tune in also to hear thoughts from Dan Baumann, who shared the story of his arrest in Iran last month on VOM Radio, about reaching out to Muslims here in the United States, and his thoughts and advice for those feeling a call into missions.
    24 MIN
  • TURKEY: Pray as Brunson Trial Begins
    On Monday, April 16, American pastor Andrew Brunson will begin his trial in a Turkish court room. He’s charged with espionage and terrorism, and a guilty verdict could carry a 35 year prison sentence. Andrew and Norine Brunson have served the people of Turkey for 23 years. This week on VOM Radio, their daughter Jacqueline shares about her dad’s arrest and how he’s doing as he awaits the opening of the trial. Jacqueline and her siblings were raised in Turkey and consider it home. Listen as she shares about her parents’ love for the Turkish people and culture, and how the family has seen God’s sovereign hand at work, even in the midst of this challenging ordeal. Finally, Jacqueline will give us specific ways to pray for Andrew, Norine and others involved as the trial begins Monday, and how we can pray for the wider Body of Christ in Turkey. Please share this conversation with other Christian friends to encourage them to pray as Andrew’s trial begins on Monday.
    24 MIN
  • IRAN: “Just Give Me a Sign”
    Hamid was born into a Muslim family in Iran. As a computer science student, he regularly visited different online chat rooms. One day he saw a chat room called “God is Love.” Hamid was intrigued, because the god he knew in Islam was not love. Christians in the chat room encouraged Hamid to read the Bible, and he began to do so. Soon he was convinced that the God of the Bible is the true God, and that Jesus was the Son of God. But following Jesus in Iran comes with a cost. First, Hamid’s own family turned against him. Then, during his mandatory military service, officers pressured him daily to denounce his faith. But Hamid refused to compromise or deny Christ, even as he was sent far from home. His attitude was simple: If God allowed me to be sent here, there must be someone here He wants me to share Jesus with! Be inspired by Hamid’s faith and faithfulness this week on VOM Radio.
    25 MIN
  • North Korea: Remembering Christ
    One of the countries that most dominates our U.S. news cycle is North Korea. “Mrs. Kim” was born and raised in the “Hermit Kingdom.” Listen as she shares how she learned that hers was a Christian family, and how she had to keep that secret to avoid government pressure and even arrest. She’ll share how she committed her life to Christ, how she escaped from North Korea—multiple times—and paid the price when she was recaptured and sent back. You’ll also hear how Mrs. Kim’s son was recaptured, and her heartbreak as she doesn’t know today if he’s alive or dead. Be inspired to pray for North Korea this week as you hear Mrs. Kim’s amazing story.
    24 MIN
  • IRAN: Better Than I Thought
    Listen this week to the second half of our conversation with Dan Baumann, who was imprisoned on a trip to Iran and regularly beaten by guards. You’ll hear how Dan saw the heart of his tormentor changed by the love of God, and how he found out he’d be released—exactly on the schedule God had revealed to him on the day of his arrest. Dan will also share how God gave him experiences that have kept his heart soft towards the Iranian people, and practical advice on how we can pray for Christians in prison for their faith today. Dan will also talk about the unique prayer that his mother prayed right after his arrest in Iran. If you missed Part I of our interview with Dan, you can listen to it here. After you listen to this week’s episode, order a copy of the book which tells the story of Dan’s experiences in Iran, Cell 58 (affiliate link), and learn more about his ministry, YWAM.
    24 MIN
  • IRAN: When God Changes the Subject

    Dan Baumann was living in Central Asia when he and a friend decided to make a Christmas-break visit to Iran. They experienced the warm welcome of the Persian people and culture, right up to the point where they tried to cross the border and exit the country. Passports were confiscated, and Dan found himself in a jail cell, interrogated harshly and beaten regularly.

    Dan experienced the depth of depression in prison, even making a plan to “escape” a long prison sentence by taking his own life. But God was still there, and Dan found Him to be faithful to show His amazing love, even in prison.

    God also taught Dan a great deal about loving our enemies, a difficult challenge when your enemies are literally beating you each day. Hear about that life-changing lesson this week on VOM Radio, and be back next week to hear the conclusion of our interview with Dan Baumann.

    After you listen to this week’s episode, order a copy of the book which tells the story of Dan’s experiences in Iran, Cell 58 (affiliate link), and learn more about his ministry, YWAM.

    24 MIN