UGANDA: We Stand With the Church by The Voice of the Martyrs

The first time “Brother Dan” travelled to India was on a mission trip 25 years ago. With one visit to this vast country, he was hooked! Six years ago, Dan moved to India full time, working to share the gospel and strengthen the church. Listen this week as Dan shares how God is at work in India, including performing miracles that show He is more powerful than any of the millions of gods Hindus follow. Dan will also share some of the challenges our Indian brothers and sisters are facing, and what persecution looks like for an Indian who leaves Hinduism to follow Jesus. Finally, he’ll equip each of us with ways we can pray for Indian Christians, and for their nation.

When “Brother David” told his Tibetan Buddhist family that he had left Buddhism and was following Jesus Christ, they kicked him out of the family. They wouldn’t even let him take his suitcase with him!

But God provided for David, not only to survive but to attend Bible school and become a bold evangelist and church leader. Listen as David shares his story, and how God has allowed him to minister over the years, including sending a Bible to the Dalai Lama.

Hear how he is training evangelists to work all over South Asia and discipling more Christians to spread the gospel message of Jesus’ love. He’ll also share how you can help lead Buddhists to Jesus, and help you pray effectively for Christians in Tibet and the surrounding nations.

(If you missed Part 1 of our conversation with David, listen to it here.)

“Brother David” was born into a Tibetan Buddhist family. He was even chosen for special training by the Dalai Lama.

Yet even as he learned more about Buddhism, he was filled with darkness and says he was a man who “never had peace.” But he saw something different—light—in his roommate, a man he didn’t know at that time was a Christian. David asked him why he was different.

Before that conversation, David had never heard the word Christian, and had no idea who Jesus was. Invited to a Christian meeting, David committed to following Jesus Christ and his life was forever changed.

Listen as David shares his amazing testimony of coming to know Christ, how he grew deeper in his Christian walk, and how his community and even his own family responded to his decision to follow Jesus Christ.

Just weeks after coming to faith in Christ, Pastor Pierre read Richard Wurmbrand’s book, Tortured for Christ. The book helped him understand, even as a young Christian, that following Christ “is not a cheap path.”

Today, Pierre is a pastor and church leader in Lebanon, a nation facing the challenge of caring for two million refugees from neighboring Syria.

Listen as Pastor Pierre shares about his own walk of faith, why he and his wife chose to name their daughter after a martyr, and how Christians in Lebanon are responding to the flood of Muslim refugees in their nation. Pastor Pierre will also talk about witnessing to Muslims, and he’ll share how he has found that blessings come out of persecution.

Learn more about Bonnie Witherall, the martyr for whom Pastor Pierre and his wife named their daughter, in FOXE: Voices of the Martyrs, and in this interview with her husband, Gary.

“Aaron” is living and ministering among Muslims in North Africa. As he has lived and worked among his Muslim friends, many of whom are very religious, God has challenged Aaron to be sure that what he is pointing these Muslims toward is Jesus Christ, and not just a culture or a new list of rules different from the rules they are following under Islam.

Those who answer the call to follow Jesus are often ostracized by their families and unable to find work, yet they willingly sacrifice to follow the Savior they’ve met. Listen to Aaron challenge us as Christians in the United States to point Muslims here to Jesus Christ, and to pray for the advance of God’s Kingdom in North Africa.

Aaron’s path to serving in overseas ministry began very young. As a child Aaron was inspired by stories of Christians standing boldly for Christ in spite of hardship and persecution. You can share inspiring stories with your children through the Torchlighters DVDs from The Voice of the Martyrs.

The Bible distribution team in Pakistan was robbed at gunpoint. A team member was hit with a rifle butt. Their money was stolen, along with their phones and everything else of value. But later, the bandits were arrested and taken to court, facing years in prison. Bible team members were asked to testify, and what they said in open court shocked the judge, the lawyers and the entire courtroom. Listen to VOM Radio this week to hear that story from Faisal and Carrie, who are part of Grace Bible Church of Pakistan.

Pakistan is 98% Muslim, but Faisal and Carrie say it’s “the perfect place” to share the gospel, because the need for the gospel is so great. They are showing the light of Christ in Pakistan through ministry to children in a school and through leadership development training for pastors and church leaders, in addition to Bible distribution work. Learn more about their ministry in Pakistan, and how you can reach out to Muslims in the United States, this week on VOM Radio.

The first part of the story of the Bible team in Pakistan was told in VOM’s April, 2017 newsletter. Sign up to receive VOM’s free monthly newsletter here. Give online to support Bible distribution in Pakistan and other restricted nations here.

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Patrick Klein has carried Bibles into hostile and restricted nations all over the world. He’s been warned many times to STOP. But he continues, answering the call of God and leading teams taking the Word of God into some of the world’s hardest-to-reach places.

Patrick is the founder and president of Vision Beyond Borders, and he’ll inspire you to think about how you value your own Bible as he shares how Christians in hostile and restricted nations treasure the Word of God, sometimes risking their lives to own or keep a copy.

Patrick will also share how God called him into this work—in a bathroom in China—and tell inspiring stories of how God has closed the eyes of customs agents and border guards to make a way for Bibles to get through. What greater gift can we give someone, Patrick asks, than the Word of God?

Visit the Vision Beyond Borders web site.

Give online to support VOM’s Bible distribution efforts through The Bibles to Captive Nations Fund.

Martin and Gracia Burnham were serving as missionaries in the Philippines, where Martin was a pilot with New Tribes Mission. The couple went away for a few days together to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Those few days turned into more than a year in the jungle when they were kidnapped by radical Muslim terrorists. Listen as Gracia tells how she wrestled with God and even with her own faith during those dark days of captivity, and how she experienced the prayers of God’s people, even as Martin was killed during a rescue attempt. Gracia bears witness to God’s faithfulness to the Burnhams and their children, and she gives an update on how God continues to work in the hearts of the terrorists that held them hostage. Her story will inspire you to find ways to glorify God, regardless of what challenges you may be facing. Find a VOM Advance Conference where Gracia will be speaking, and purchase Gracia's book, In the Presence of My Enemies, at VOM Books.

“Dr. Andrew” returns this week to share more about what God is doing in the Middle East, including the openness of Muslims to talk about faith and hear the gospel. He’ll also share the consequences that come to those who leave Islam and follow Christ—including a first-hand story of a wealthy man who gave up everything, including his daughter, to follow Jesus. Dr. Andrew will also update us on the effect on Christians of the upheaval and war in Yemen, and ways we can pray for them. He’ll advise listeners on practical ways to start talking to Muslims in our sphere of influence about Jesus—beginning with a call for Christians to know our Bibles more deeply! You’ll be challenged to reach out and equipped to pray more effectively this week on VOM Radio.

The two resources that Dr. Andrew recommended to help Christians better understand Islam and how to reach out to Muslims are Answering Islam: The Crescent in Light of the Cross and What Every Christian Needs to Know About the Quran. (If you order the books through these affiliate links, a small portion of the purchase price comes to VOM as a referral fee.)

“Dr. Andrew” is working to share the gospel in the Middle East, but he hasn’t always had a heart to share Christ’s love with Muslims. Growing up in a nominal Christian family, Andrew was harassed by Muslims his whole life. But God changed his heart and gave him a passion to share Christ’s love with Muslims. His gospel work has brought him to the attention of secret police, who have detained and questioned him many times. Andrew says each time he is detained, even though he feels fear, he also sees an opportunity to share the gospel. Listen as Andrew talks about how he overcomes the fear by focusing on the reality of Who God is rather than on his immediate surroundings. He’ll also share some of the blessings that can be found in persecution, and help us understand the mindset of Middle Eastern Muslims.

After living and working in Afghanistan for more than a decade, John Weaver is often asked, How many Christians are there in Afghanistan? The answer God has laid on John’s heart is simple: there’s not enough! But God is at work, and Afghans—both inside Afghanistan and scattered throughout the world—are coming to know Jesus Christ personally. Listen to hear how John used his marriage ceremony as a way to represent Christ inside Afghanistan, and how villagers responded to the choice by an American, Christian couple to have their wedding in isolated, Muslim Afghanistan. John also shares ways we can pray and reach out to Muslim friends and coworkers right where we live, and advice for young people feeling God’s wonderful call to overseas missions service. John is the author of two books about his work in Afghanistan: Inside Afghanistan: An American Aide Worker’s Mission of Mercy to a War-Torn People and A Flame on the Front Line. (If you order the books through these affiliate links, a small portion of the purchase price comes to VOM as a referral fee.)

After 9-11, the few Americans living in Afghanistan were encouraged to leave the country, for their own safety. John Weaver stayed, feeling that the ministry God called him to there was not yet completed. Listen this week as John shares about his work in Afghanistan, and the challenge of sharing the gospel and discipling new believers in a country where there is no visible church presence, and where persecution often begins with a believer’s own family members. He’ll also share the challenge of serving God in a place where it could cost your life, and how he makes the daily decision to offer his life—to live or to die—for Christ’s service. John is the author of two books about his work in Afghanistan: Inside Afghanistan: An American Aide Worker’s Mission of Mercy to a War-Torn People and A Flame on the Front Line. (If you order the books through these affiliate links, a small portion of the purchase price comes to VOM as a referral fee.)

“Brother Matthew” is a pastor and church planter in South Asia, working among Muslims to share the gospel. After threats against his life and an attack on his brother, he was encouraged by family members to leave his country. He fled to a safe place, but God clearly called him to go back to his home country, in spite of the danger. Matthew obeyed, and since his return he’s seen explosive growth in his church planting work. Matthew says persecution is something God uses to purify and unify the church, and further it’s something that every Christian should be ready to experience. Let Matthew’s story inspire you to walk boldly with Christ, and remember this week to pray for Christians in South Asia.

As a young man, Dmitry “David” Shestakov was a criminal and a drug user. His mother—an atheist—had tried everything to get her son’s attention and turn his life around. In desperation, she went to church and prayed, “God, if You exist, save my son!” God answered her prayer, and after Jesus saved him David committed to tell others the Good News that had transformed his heart.

God showed David early on that his service would be costly, and it was. He was arrested for his Christian work and sentenced to long years in prison. “Why me?” he asked. But he saw God working even in prison.

One of the things God used to bless—and even protect—David was letters written by VOM readers through www.PrisonerAlert.com. Listen to hear how God used those letters to make David a respected figure in the prison, and help him avoid being beaten by the guards. You’ll also hear how the Uzbek government tried to add years to his sentence, but God miraculously moved and David was released, “like a Scripture came to life.”

Finally, David will share thoughts on how we can pray for Christians in prison right now, and for their family members, whose suffering is sometimes even greater than the prisoner’s. After you listen to how letters blessed David, write a letter to a Christian currently in prison at www.PrisonerAlert.com

David is a gospel worker in Turkey facing deportation by the Turkish government, which has stated in court documents that David’s bold witnessing for Christ “exceeded usual religious rituals,” and is therefore a threat to public safety and order. When we left off David’s story in the first half of our conversation last week, David was locked in a deportation center with others waiting to be kicked out of Turkey—including ISIS fighters. Listen as David picks up the story and shares how not only did God protect him from the ISIS fighters, but He also allowed David to lead an Afghan man he met in jail to Christ. David will also talk about the political upheaval in Turkey and how we can pray for another American, Andrew Brunson, currently imprisoned in Turkey. Finally, David will share ways to pray for our Christian brothers and sisters in Turkey during this pivotal time. You’ll also hear the story of a VOM Radio listener inspired by the stories of gospel workers in hostile and restricted nations to reach out right here in the United States.

David is a bold gospel worker in Turkey, even sharing the gospel openly on busy city streets. Naturally, such activity draws attention from police and others, which has led to David being detained numerous times. But his bold evangelism activity is legal--protected by Turkish law. Listen this week to hear David share some of his experiences seeing God come through with protection and opportunities to witness--even opportunities inside a jail cell. After seeing God answer prayer so consistently, David says he's developed the habit of expecting a miracle. Your faith will be inspired this week as you hear David's story. What door might God be opening to you--perhaps even a doorway through a difficult circumstance--to be a witness for Him?

Aaron Miller oversees VOM’s work in South Asia, and recently travelled to India to meet with Christians there. Listen as Aaron shares some of the amazing testimonies he heard on this trip. Meet a retirement-aged man committed to spend the remainder of his life planting churches and sharing the gospel. Hear the story of a bicycle rickshaw driver and his family whose lives were radically changed by the gospel message. And learn about a woman—more than 100 years old!—who met Jesus after she’d come back from being pronounced dead. You’ll also learn how India’s government is actively working to prevent the growth of the church, and directly persecuting those who share their faith in Christ. But those efforts aren’t working, and we’ll hear a report of how the church is growing in spite of government persecution as God’s Spirit moves in that nation, and learn how we can pray for our brothers and sisters there.

For Christians in Syria and other Middle East nations, human logic is clear: get out! Go someplace safe! In spite of such advice, Tom and JoAnn Doyle tell us many Christians are choosing to STAY and serve the Lord and witness for Christ. These bold brothers and sisters are standing in the fire of war and persecution, and they are finding—just as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did—that God is standing with them. Listen to the story of Jamila, a 12-year-old girl healed from cancer after a Christian man prayed for her in Jesus’ name, leading to hundreds of Druze people coming to faith in Christ. That’s just one of the stories in Tom Doyle’s new book, Standing in the Fire. You’ll be encouraged as you hear what God is doing in the Middle East, and challenged as Tom and JoAnn give insights into how we, Christians in free nations, can emulate the lessons offered by our brothers and sisters standing in the fire. Order “Standing In The Fire” by Tom Doyle (affiliate link http://amzn.to/2ni1lX).

From the first days after his arrest in Sudan, Petr Jasek repeatedly said, “God is the One who holds the key to my cell.”

Jasek, a Czech citizen, is VOM’s Africa regional director and he was just released after 14 months in prison in Sudan. In this third and final part of our conversation with Petr, he shares about how he stopped praying to be released from prison and simply focused on fulfilling the Lord’s purpose for him inside prison walls.

Listen as Petr shares what it was like to hear the judge announce that he was sentenced to life in prison, and the verse he read from Psalms moments before he found out God would be using the key and opening Petr’s cell door.

Petr will also share—from his personal experience—how we should pray for Christians in prison, and for their families who sometimes suffer more than the prisoners. You will be challenged to think about what it means to wait on the Lord as you hear Petr share how, after 445 days, God set this captive free. (Listen to all three parts of our conversation with Petr to hear the full story of God’s work in his life during his time in prison.)