“I am building my church among the Somali people.”
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Episodes

  • “The Insanity of God”
    Nik and Ruth Ripken went to Africa as missionaries. They experienced great works of God, and also great hardship and loss. Malaria almost killed them. Four Christian friends were killed on one day in Somalia. Their 16-year-old son died suddenly. Amidst such loss and suffering, they wondered, “Is Jesus for the tough places?” Seeking an answer, Nik and Ruth travelled the world to sit down with Christians faithfully enduring persecution. They went not as teachers but as students, asking simply to sit at the feet of persecuted believers and learn from them. Your faith will be challenged as Nik and Ruth share some of the faith lessons they learned from the examples of our persecuted family. Photo courtesy of IMB.
    28 MIN
  • North Korea: “I Simply Trusted the Lord”

    The last two weeks on VOM Radio we’ve heard from John Short, the Australian Christian detained in North Korea in 2014 after leaving gospel tracts outside a Buddhist temple. This week we hear another side of the story, from John’s wife, Karen, who was at home in Hong Kong dealing with the media, praying for her husband and receiving encouragement from all over the world.

    Listen in as Karen shares:

    • How God ministered to her during John’s detention
    • How she and John stayed connected through Scripture—even though they couldn’t communicate at all during his detention
    • How journalists and others responded to Karen’s calm assurance and faith in God
    • How she found out her husband would be coming home
    • The one thing she wishes she’d done differently—it will surprise you!

    The story of Karen’s faithfulness will inspire you to trust more deeply in God and dive deeper into His Word, even if you’re not planning a trip to North Korea.

    If you missed our conversation with John, you can listen here: Part 1 and Part 2.

    Photo credit: “Pyongyang couple, DPRK (North Korea)” by Matt Palsh is licensed under CC BY 2.0 (www.flickr.com/photos/mattpaish/8116231787/)

    28 MIN
  • North Korea: Faith or Fear?

    Australian John Short was detained inside North Korea after leaving gospel tracts near a Buddhist temple. He was facing years in prison—but he wasn’t afraid.

    “Fear and faith cannot exist within my heart at the same time,” he says.

    In this second part of our conversation with Mr. Short, he shares how he prayed—out loud—throughout his captivity, how his captors responded to his faith and how his “letter of confession” and eventual release came about.

    He’ll also share how, upon landing back in China, he learned for the first time that his captivity was international news. He was deeply moved to learn that Christians in many nations were praying for him during his trial, including a group of Chinese house churches that prayed around the clock during his detention.

    Finally, Mr. Short shares specific ways we can pray for the “hermit kingdom” of North Korea.

    Listen to the first part of our conversation with Mr. Short here.

    Photo credit: “Star of the DPRK” by John Pavelka is licensed under CC BY 2.0 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/28705377@N04/4610365613)

    28 MIN
  • Arrested in North Korea

    Australian John Short was taken prisoner in North Korea. He was repeatedly interrogated. He was forced to write a “confession” of his “crimes,” including the offense of wanting more North Koreans to follow Jesus.

    But if God asked him today, Short would happily go back to "the hermit kingdom." Short shares with VOM Radio how God strengthened him during his captivity, the Scriptures and earthly examples that most encouraged him, and how he managed to take a measure of control back from his captors — and even make them nervous.

    Mr. Short agreed to only two media interviews after his release; one with his hometown newspaper back in Australia, and the other with The Voice of the Martyrs Radio Network.

    Hear the rest of the story when you listen also to our interview with Short's wife, Karen.

    28 MIN
  • Turkey: “Prepare Our Hearts”
    “Lance” is a gospel worker in the nation of Turkey, a nation where 99.8% of the almost-80-million people are Muslims. This week on VOM Radio, Lance shares some of the challenges he faced in moving to a Muslim nation, building relationships and reaching out with the gospel. Lance also helps train students and others to impact the Muslim world for Christ, and he’ll share some of the most important qualities needed to work effectively among Muslims. He’ll also encourage listeners with ways we can pray for God to move in Turkey, and invite you to be a part of what God is doing in that nation from wherever you live.
    28 MIN
  • Dale Rhoton: “God Is Able to Triumph”
    How would you respond to the person who betrayed you to the authorities, leading to 14 years in prison? Richard Wurmbrand’s response was simple: “We all make mistakes.” Dale Rhoton, co-founder of Operation Mobilization, joins us again this week on VOM Radio to share about his visits with VOM founders Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, including a walk with Richard when they met the man who had betrayed Richard, leading to his arrest. Dale also shares thoughts and advice for those sensing a call to missions and talks about his own early days ministering in communist and Muslim nations, and fellowshipping with Christians who faced arrest and persecution for serving the Lord. Even in the worst of human circumstances, Dale testifies, God is able to triumph. (Photo courtesy of Operation Mobilization)
    28 MIN
  • Dale Rhoton: “Total Commitment to Jesus”
    As a young man, Dale Rhoton was invited to join a prayer meeting to ask God to move across the nations. The young man that invited him was George Verwer; later the two would help send thousands of young people into gospel work around the world through Operation Mobilization (OM), the ministry they founded. On one trip taking Christian literature from Europe to the Middle East, Dale and his team stopped in to visit a Romanian pastor who’d just been released from prison: Richard Wurmbrand. Dale shares this week on VOM Radio stories of Bible smuggling, what Richard Wurmbrand was like and how Richard inspired Dale and others to live a life of total commitment to Jesus. Photo courtesy of Operation Mobilization.
    28 MIN
  • China: Prison Prayers

    China: Prison Prayers

    January 22, 2016
    For the first few days after Bob Fu was arrested for his Christian work in China, his prayers were pretty simple: “Lord, get me out of here!” He even prayed that God would punish his interrogators for persecuting God’s children! But as days passed, Bob saw that God had a ministry for him in prison, and his prayers changed. Instead of praying only to be released, he asked God to USE HIM while he was in prison. And God answered his prayer. Today Bob is the president of the China Aid Association, a bold advocate for China’s Christians and author of God’s Double Agent. Listen as he shares why the Chinese government is so afraid of the growth of the church, and how persecution is spreading even to government-sanctioned churches. We’ll also talk about the biggest needs of the Chinese church, so that you can pray effectively for our brothers and sisters in China. Get the book “God’s Double Agent” at VOM Books: https://secure.persecution.com/p-5341-gods-double-agent.aspx?source=VOMRADIONT
    28 MIN
  • Earthly Suffering, Eternal Fruit
    Turn on the news and you’ll see upheaval in every corner of the world, including attacks on our Christian brothers and sisters. But Cole Richards, Executive Vice President at The Voice of the Martyrs, reminds us that in the midst of this earthly suffering God is producing eternal fruit every single day. Listen as Cole shares some of the ways God has allowed VOM to help persecuted believers in the past 12 months—especially Christians displaced by ISIS. He’ll also give listeners a preview of an exciting new way YOU can be involved to directly help Christians facing persecution, as well a new book coming soon from The Voice of the Martyrs.
    28 MIN
  • North Korea: “Different Challenges”
    Balloon launches are one of the key ways that VOM is delivering Bibles into North Korea. This week Dr. Eric Foley shares how weather balloon and GPS technology are even allowing us to pinpoint where the Bibles are landing. Recently North Korean government press also confirmed the delivery of these Bibles, and threatened to turn South Korea into a "sea of fire" if the balloon launches continued. Dr. Foley tells how South Korean police tried to stop the balloon launches after the threats...and how God opened a path. We’ll also talk about the best books to read to truly understand the situation for our brothers and sisters in North Korea, and hear from a reader blessed by VOM Radio. Thanks for joining us this week on Voice of the Martyrs Radio.
    28 MIN
  • North Korea: Pillars of the Church
    The North Korean government has built a counterfeit religion to control it s people, a mirror image of Christianity that features their own trinity, their own meeting halls, their own sacred writings and even their own hymns to their god – Kim Il Sung. Following a different deity, like Jesus Christ, is a treasonous act deserving of death. Many describe North Korea as “the worst place in the world to be a Christian.” But Dr. Eric Foley, the leader of VOM Korea, tells us that North Korean Christians don’t say that! Instead they focus on serving Jesus Christ in spite of watchful government eyes and great danger. This week on VOM Radio you’ll hear how North Korean Christians pray—sometimes right out in the open!—and how you can pray for them more effectively.
    28 MIN
  • Best Moments of 2015: Part 2
    Last week we looked back on some of the best moments of VOM Radio during 2015. This week we finish our look back on some of the incredible stories that God has allowed us to tell this year. You’ll hear about an Iranian pastor who called it an “honor” to be tortured for Jesus. A gospel worker in the Muslim world reminds us to love our enemies…even terrorists. A missionary tells the story of a miracle that saved his life: a phone call reporting to police the Al Qaeda attack against him and his exact location, except the phone call came in BEFORE the attack had happened! And finally the story of God’s work in Mongolia, and the terrible sacrifice one missionary couple made to see the gospel advance there. This week we’ll continue with our look back on some of the best moments of this first full year of VOM Radio. Listen to highlights of the program recently named Radio Program of the Year by the National Religious Broadcasters.
    28 MIN
  • Best Moments of 2015: Part 1
    VOM Radio has had the opportunity to share some amazing stories this year! Listeners have heard stories of God’s faithfulness and protection over believers in hostile and restricted nations. We’ve shared stories of enemies of the gospel—even ISIS fighters!—coming to know Jesus Christ personally. We’ve lengthened your prayer list and given ideas about how you can share the gospel with Muslims and others in your sphere of influence. This week we share some of the best moments of this first full year of VOM Radio. Listen now to catch up on highlights of the program recently named Radio Program of the Year by the National Religious Broadcasters.
    28 MIN
  • Mexico: A Price Had to Be Paid
    “Mike” and “Rose” serve the Lord in Mexico, where they planted a secret church in a tribal village hostile to evangelical work. They’d been warned that gospel work in that village was dangerous, but God’s call was clear. Several villagers came to Christ, and they began a secret Bible study. But the Good News didn’t stay secret for long, and Mike and Rose were evicted from their home and kicked out of the village. Listen in as they share how God moved through that difficult time to encourage them and empower local Christians stand strong in their young faith, and draw others into the Kingdom.
    28 MIN
  • Ethiopia: Bringing in a Harvest
    In the past 30 years, evangelical Christians in Ethiopia have grown from 1% of the population to more than 20%. Allan Sherer, the Horn of Africa Director for Front Line Mission, calls that church growth “one of the great gospel stories of our generation.” That growth hasn’t come without challenges and persecution. And now the challenge is to keep up with the demand for trained pastors and leaders. We’ll hear about Front Line’s efforts to meet that need, as well as the amazing ways God is raising up leaders and church planters in Ethiopia and even into the neighboring countries.
    28 MIN
  • “You Will Be My Witnesses”
    In a message recorded at a recent VOM conference (www.VOMEvents.com), VOM Radio host Todd Nettleton shares stories of some of the witnesses (Acts 1:8) for Christ that he’s met during 17 years of service with The Voice of the Martyrs. Todd offers Biblical truths from the lives of these Christians—Biblical truths that Christians who are not persecuted can practice and live by in order to impact those around them for Jesus Christ.
    28 MIN
  • Bible Smuggling: “God Has a Strategy”
    Before Patrick Klein leaves on a trip to deliver Bibles into hostile and restricted nations, he asks God to show him His plan for that trip. Sometimes God closes the eyes of customs officials and ushers the Bibles through without incident. Other times God has a different plan: Patrick is stopped and has opportunities to witness to officials trying to confiscate Bibles and hinder the gospel. After meeting with Christians who have faced imprisonment and beatings for God’s Word, Patrick has learned to see either outcome as a part of God’s plan. This week on VOM Radio you’ll hear more stories of Bible smuggling around the world, as well as how you might join a trip* to personally carry Bibles into hostile and restricted nations. * https://visionbeyondborders.org/get-involved/go/
    28 MIN
  • Confessions of a Bible Smuggler
    Imagine hefting a suitcase with 80 Bibles inside onto the X-ray machine in Iran. 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 to take the Word of God into some of the world’s hardest-to-reach places. He’s seen God close the eyes of customs agents and border guards. And he’s also seen God open the hearts of those most opposed to the Gospel. Listen as Patrick shares stories of the miraculous ways God intervened to allow him and his Vision Beyond Borders smuggling teams safe passage and used them to make a Kingdom impact all over the world.
    28 MIN
  • Iran: The Honor of Being Tortured
    The house church pastor had been arrested and tortured. Now he wanted to talk to his leader. Dr. Hormoz Shariat expected the pastor to ask how a loving God could have allowed him to suffer. The pastor would ask, and how he would answer? Instead, the young man called being tortured for his faith in Christ an honor. It is bold witnesses for Christ like this that God is using to change the nation of Iran. Listen in this week to hear Pastor Hormoz share the stories of these faithful believers and explain how persecution in Iran is different from what Christians in other Muslim nations are facing. Encourage your faith and equip yourself to pray for the church in Iran with this week’s episode of VOM Radio.
    28 MIN
  • Iran: Ready for Some Good News
    The Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979 promised great things for the Iranian people. The mullahs that took over the nation promised an Islamic paradise on earth. More than 35 years later, Iran’s people have lost hope in their government, and in the religion it upholds. Dr. Hormoz Shariat speaks daily to millions of Iranians through satellite television. He shares the hope of Jesus with a nation that has lost hope in their Islamic government, and he sees great waves of people who have rejected Islam now embracing Jesus, the Savior. This week on VOM Radio, Pastor Hormoz shares exciting things God is doing in Iran and challenges Christians in the United States to be as committed to our God as radical Muslims in the Middle East are committed to theirs.
    28 MIN