Proof The Bible Is True

“I take these surveys with a grain of salt since a lot of people who identify themselves as Christian really aren’t but nonetheless it reflects poorly on the state of the Church in America.” Admin Shocking porn consumption statistics released earlier this month show that an almost identical proportion of Christian men report watching smut each month as their non-Christian counterparts. In a survey undertaken by Proven Men Ministries in collaboration with the Barna Group, it was found that 15 percent of self-identified Christian men view pornography several times each month compared to 14 percent of non-Christian men. Additionally, 3 [More]

Fenggang Yang is a sociology professor at Purdue University and author of Religion in China: Survival and Revival Under Communist Rule. He believes that “China is destined to become the largest Christian country in the world very soon.” By his calculations, the number of believers in the People’s Republic of China will rise to 160 million by 2025 and 247 million by 2030. If so, the country would be home to more Christians than any nation on earth. When I visited Beijing a few years ago, I was told that the rate of Christian growth is even higher than Professor [More]

Every church and/or organization has a corporate culture with norms, rules and expectations that pressure participants to conform. Some cultures are good and some bad. That being said, there are particular attributes that characterize false religions or become the norm during religious decline in a true faith such as Christianity. For example, “Every religious system in the world is centered upon a temple (or a sacred place) and has rites and ceremonies, has hierarchies and titles distinguishing men from one another, and has holy days and holy celebrations” (quoted from a teaching I heard from Pastor Tommy Moya several weeks [More]

A few days ago, I spent several hours sitting and talking with Cuban Christians. Some of them lead registered, above-ground churches, others lead unregistered churches and others are simply active church members. All of them talked about the suffering they’ve experienced under communism since 1959 when Cuba became a communist nation. Specifically, they were denied jobs, income, government help, schooling, homes and more, simply because they were known as Christians. One man even spent two years in a forced labor camp in the 1960s, when he was 20 years old. But when he got out, within months, he was leading [More]

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. Acts 1:8 Since Abdullah accepted Jesus, his family had tried very hard to change his mind. After all, his father was a respected man in their village and in all of Bangladesh, having built a mosque right next to their property. When talking didn’t convince Abdullah to return to Islam, they resorted to beating him. When beating didn’t work, they called others in to beat him more severely. Nothing worked; Abdullah tenaciously hung on to his faith in Christ. Finally, in exasperation, his mother stopped feeding him, putting [More]

Those who work with persecuted Christians realize we have a lot to learn from them. One of the lessons recently impressed on my mind by the underground church in China is their tenacity to carry out the task of global evangelism. At a recent gathering of mission leaders, mission teachers, and missionaries I heard a presentation by a Korean missionary who works with the underground church in China to prepare missionaries who will be sent out by the Chinese underground church. His main role is to help train Chinese missionaries who will be sent cross-culturally within China and also into [More]

During a recent trip to train persecuted believers in the Southern part of Mindanao Island, one of the most difficult places to be a Christian in the Philippines, I started the morning by chatting with brother Jun before breakfast. “How was your night, Jun?” (This is about as deep as my questions get before coffee.) With a smile, he said, “It was good.” As I began to stir my gritty instant coffee, I probed further, trying to understand his daily life: “What time do you normally go to bed?” “Around 10:30.” “That’s good,” I said, celebrating the rapport that we [More]

“Please pray for pastor Abedini.”  Admin Imprisoned supporters in Iran of the Muslim terror army Islamic State, formerly known as ISIS, are threatening the life of American pastor Saeed Abedini, who has been detained since September 2012 because of his Christian faith. Abedini has told his family members he fears for his life after he was told the ISIS prisoners plan to murder him because of his Christian faith, according to the American Center for Law and Justice. ISIS, which has grown to an estimated 10,000 fighters, has been sweeping across Iraq, imposing Islamic religious law, killing Christians and other [More]

Actor Jim Caviezel never imagined the physical and spiritual battles he would have to endure when he took the role of the Son of God in Mel Gibson’s 2004 blockbuster “The Passion of the Christ.” Appearing at the Rock Church in San Diego, Caviezel told the congregation he was wounded during a whipping scene and struck by lightning during the final take. “The whip went over, and I had a 14-inch gash on my back. I went right down like in a football game when you get the wind knocked out of you. I saw God,” Caviezel said. Caviezel tried [More]

“A great message in this story. As Jesus said, “Work while it is light for the night comes when no man can work.”  Admin Bill and John were near the docks in southern England when they saw the Romanian flag hanging from the stern of a ship. It was during the years of Romania’s hard-line Communist rule. With little conversation, they recognized the mission field before them, untied their cases of Bibles and went aboard. They stepped into the mess room where the ship’s entire thirty-five-man crew was gathered. Bill and John explained why they had come and began to [More]

Steph Macleod, 33, is a singer songwriter who lives near Edinburgh. Nine years ago he was an alcoholic and a drug addict and sleeping rough on the streets. He now has a wife and three children and is a born-again Christian. He shares his story of how he came to be free of addiction. How did you get into alcohol and drugs? I was a very talented classical guitarist. I went to music school and studied classical guitar at Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. My parents had split up when I was 15, and it was a horrible [More]

I am not an alarmist, nor am I a prophet. But as I listen to and read a cross-section of materials emanating from the Western (primarily American) church I am aware that there are those who recognize a trend toward the persecution of Christians in the West. The form of the persecution will be different perhaps than other parts of the world. At some point it may converge with global persecution and take on more violent forms. In the premier issue of the Journal of Lutheran Mission are papers and responses from a Summit on Lutheran Missions held in San [More]

There is much talk about Christ’s soon Second Coming. But we know that Jesus will not return for a church without spot or wrinkle unless the falling away comes first… I wrote those words about 18 months ago in an article in which I asked the question: “Is the Great Falling Away Already Underway?” I was deeply concerned then that we could be witnessing the first fruits of the Great Falling Away about which the apostle Paul prophesies in 1 Thess. 2:3. I was concerned that we were at least seeing a shadow of the Great Apostasy. A couple of [More]

Shortly after I was healed from a life-threatening disease and baptized in the Holy Spirit, I was asked to minister in a Pentecostal church. There I was introduced to a dimension of worship that I had never experienced before. Sitting on the platform in my studied dignity as a former Methodist professor, observing the worship service that was so different from that to which I was accustomed, I was fascinated by all that was going on around me. Though their worship expression seemed disorderly—almost irreverent—in comparison with Methodist tradition, I could tell these people deeply loved the Lord and were [More]

Sometimes it’s easy to get our battles twisted. What are we really fighting for? What are we really fighting against? Christians in Nepal reminded me of the answer. During the first part of a recent trip to Nepal I helped distribute VOM’s Christmas Care and Village Outreach packs. VOM readers give to provide these packs each year around Christmas time. Nepal was a recipient of these packs last year. Nepal Girl Christmas CareDuring the distributions in the churches I got to meet many Nepali believers. I was astounded by their faith in spite of the odds their society stacks against [More]

“Would our response be the same if we faced such circumstances? Something to ponder.”  Admin The northern shores of Africa teemed with Christians during the second century, but all were at risk. In 180 seven men and five women were captured carrying “the sacred books, and the letters of Paul, a just man.” On July 17, 180 they appeared before the Roman proconsul Saturninus in Carthage. Charges against them were read: “Whereas Speratus, Nartzalus, Cittinus, Donata, Vestia, Secunda, and the rest have confessed they live in accordance with the religious rites of the Christians, and when an opportunity was given [More]

Daily Courage – July 20 from Day by Day with the Persecuted Church, The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand. (Psalm 121:5) Sister Chen Difficulties, as high as mountains, come rushing towards me. Strong waves dash against my heel. When the power of darkness focuses on me to attack my faith, I lift my eyes to the hills and ask the Lord for help. He speaks to me, “My strength is made perfect in the weakness of men.” This is always a wonderful paradox. I therefore worship His way, with tears. The [More]

A federal judge has given a secular organization the green light to distribute more atheistic and anti-Christian materials to Florida public school students, in spite of the materials’ graphic content and offensive language. As previously reported, the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) learned last year that a Christian ministry had made Bibles available to Orlando high school students on “Religious Freedom Day.” To counter the Bible distribution, FFRF sought permission from the school district to give students a variety of atheistic and anti-Christian materials. According to reports, the Orange County School Board permitted FFRF to distribute several books and pamphlets, [More]

“Return to the Hiding Place,” a new film based on a true account of Corrie ten Boom’s secret army of untrained teenagers who rescued Jews from the Nazi Gestapo during the Holocaust, will hit theaters Oct. 24 after outperforming big-budget Hollywood showings in its initial release. Based on Hans Poley’s autobiographical book, the movie highlights themes of endurance, perseverance and faith through Poley’s experiences as a student resistance fighter during World War II. The message echoes the story of Anita Dittman, told in her book “Trapped in Hitler’s Hell.” Published in early May, Dittman’s book was accompanied by a documentary [More]

A number of scientists in recent years have stated that atheists might not actually exist, and that a belief in God is naturally ingrained into all people, prompting a recent article that is stirring discussion around the world. Last week, Nury Vittachi published a story entitled Scientists Discover That Atheists Might Not Exist, And That’s Not a Joke. In the article, Vittachi cites the works of several researchers, such as Graham Lawton and Pascal Boyer, who argue that belief in God is naturally ingrained into every person. “Cognitive scientists are becoming increasingly aware that a metaphysical outlook may be so [More]

Hit reality show creator Mark Burnett has had recent success creating biblical movies and television shows, and predicts that his next project, “A.D.: Beyond the Bible,” will be another goldmine. The NBC television series will begin filming in September, and premiere on Easter Sunday 2015. Burnett said it “could become NBC’s biggest series in many, many years.” “Beyond the Bible” begins after the resurrection of Christ, and follows the lives of King Herod’s family, Roman politicians, temple priests, and the disciples. Burnett said the storylines are powerful. “These disciples, after Jesus dies and resurrects, the Holy Spirit comes upon them [More]

Seven-year-old Priyala rested on her bed so motionless you would think she was dead. A fever, cough and stomach pains had taken over her body. Her mother, Marala, hated to stand idly by, not willing to give up her daughter. Priyala had attended the local Bridge of Hope center, and Marala knew, from everything her precious daughter had told her, that the staff were people who prayed. So she asked them to pray for her daughter. When they came to her home at the end of the day, Priyala’s father, Ganesh, turned them away, telling them he did not believe [More]

Early on, rejection led me to deny who I was. Because I saw women as victims, the last thing I wanted to be was a girl. It started out like any other Sunday morning. Mom was in the kitchen finishing her breakfast before heading off to the golf course. I stopped to chat with her briefly before going to church. Only this time our conversation turned sour. “What do you want from me?” my mom asked abruptly. Without thinking I shot back, “I want a mom!” “I don’t want to be a mom,” she said curtly. “I didn’t plan to [More]

There was a time when someone suffering from a heart attack had little chance of survival because he or she didn’t know what was happening and ignored the symptoms until it was too late. Medical advancements began identifying common warning signs such as discomfort and pressure in the center of the chest, pain on one or both arms, and shortness of breath. Spreading awareness of the warning signs has greatly increased the survival rate for heart attack victims. In a similar manner, many Christians seem to be blindsided by spiritual attacks. When it comes to a spiritual attack, it is [More]

“Would we make the same decision if faced with similar circumstances? Something to think about.”  Admin In a small village in Colombian, 139 indigenous believers had bravely chosen to leave their livelihoods and familiar homes rather than deny Christ. As they sat together, contemplating their situation, the enormous needs facing them were impossible to ignore. Some of them secretly wondered whether or not they had made the right decisions. The indigenous authorities in their village approached them last year with the demand that they sign a document renouncing their beliefs or face the consequences. Overwhelmed by what awaited them if [More]

“How we take for granted the Bibles we possess and for many seldom read, while others consider them a rare treasure worth any hardship to obtain and cherish, quite a contrast.”  Admin We recently recieved this report from Ted, a Christian worker serving in Nepal who connected with one of our VOM workers and participated in a day of VOM ministry outreach: The day began with a monthly prayer meeting for pastors. Approximately 60 pastors traveled the rough roads of Nepal and gathered for a wonderful time of worship, prayer, and fellowship. We prayed not only for Nepal, but also [More]

I picked up a recent copy of the International Bulletin of Missionary Research.  I like to read through the whole issue to keep informed about missions, so I read an article that I thought I would not relate to me or to anything that I do. I was wrong! The article was about East Syrian Monasteries in the Ninth Century! It turned out to be a great article that related to just about everything I do and love. It was about love for God and love for learning. I was struck by one of the author’s statements (Steve Cochrane): “The [More]