Hundreds of thousands of Christians across India are faced with a sobering ultimatum: hide their faith, or risk harassment, intimidation, and even death. Threats against churches, arson attacks on Christian property, and the harassment and violent abuse of new converts to Christianity are all on the rise in India, where just 2.3 per cent of the population identifies with the faith. Two young women who have experienced such persecution are Meena, 32, and her 25-year-old sister, Sunita (names have been changed to protect identity). They were severely beaten by a group of men from their village in
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I think the United States of America is standing at a crossroads. We have never been in worse shape morally. Crime continues to explode. Families continue to splinter. The fabric of society continues to unravel. What we need in America today, and for that matter, around the globe, is a far-reaching, heaven-sent revival. Revival is a…
In a recent op-ed, writer Matthew Archbold decries the modern tendency to avoid religious language in public, promising “good thoughts” rather than prayers for people, in a bow to a secular environment where Christianity is seen as “the new secondhand smoke.” Archbold relates a series of instances where even religious people are cowed into offering a “good thought” rather than a prayer for people in need, for fear of appearing to “impose their values” on others, anathema in today’s social climate. In an effort to explain the underlying suppositions behind the new trend, Archbold offers three hypotheses as to why
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Something wonderful in the Christian sense is happening in Tibet, a region in China considered as the highest in the world and the home of Mount Everest, earth’s highest mountain rising more than 29,009 feet above sea level. Tibetans are mostly Buddhist, but there are also some Muslims and Christians, according to sources. Last year, one Tibetan Buddhist priest embraced Jesus Christ and became a Christian pastor after seeing the love of Christ shown by a group of Christian workers who helped out and provided relief goods to the people of the region when a major earthquake struck the area,
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The Bible continues to be the world’s most-read book of all time with more than 5 billion copies sold, but the latest research shows that Americans’ skepticism and interest in Christianity’s holy book continues to drop drastically — even with its increased access through Bible apps and other electronic means. “The steady rise of skepticism is creating a cultural atmosphere that is becoming unfriendly to claims of faith; the adoption of self-ful?llment as our culture’s ultimate measure of good is re-orienting moral authority; and the explosive growth of digital tools such as Bible apps, daily reading plans, study resources and
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Andrews Site Have you settled for less than God’s best? If you have, you’ll never receive it always looking for a miracle. It’s time you learned how to walk in the blessing of God. Listen Here
Andrews Site Happiness is a goal many people long to achieve. Why are some people happy and others seem miserable? In this powerful series, you will learn the secrets of being happy. Andrew shares that it is God’s will for us to be happy. We are instructed to rejoice in the Lord always. Learn how to be happy despite your circumstances. Paul’s joy was independent of his circumstances. Discover his secret. The Lord is always with you; once you acknowledge this truth, your joy will abound. Listen Here
Andrews Site Our approach to God under the New Covenant is completely different than under the Old. Most believers haven’t understood that; they still mix the old with the new, and it’s the reason they aren’t victorious. Hebrews was written to address this issue. Listen Here
Yesterday VOM’s Todd Nettleton was a guest on In the Market with Janet Parshall, aired nationwide on the Moody Radio Network. In the 30-minute interview with Parshall, Nettleton shared highlights from his recent visit with VOM contacts and Christian workers in the Middle East. Listen: Persecution Blog: Middle East Update on Moody Radio
Having experienced the presence and forgiveness of God prepares a person to forgive others and be a gracious influence in their lives. Gracia Burnham, along with her husband Martin, were abducted and held by Marxist guerillas in the Philippines. They were in captivity for a year. Martin lost his life in a rescue attempt by government forces. Gracia described Martin’s attitude and spirit during those days in the following terms: Read More: Persecution Blog: Being Christ to Our Enemies
“Hurry, get into the closet. Do not make a sound unless you hear my voice. Do you understand?” Rose heard the two small voices of her preschool children say, “Yes, Mommy,” then she bolted out the door and headed toward her daughter’s school, praying that it was not too late. At the proclamation of Sharia, or Islamic law, by the Nigerian government, pockets of violence broke out against Christian groups because they had opposed the laws. Rose’s oldest daughter was still at school during the rioting, and Rose was sure she would not be safe there. Read More: Persecution Blog:
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“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
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I grew up believing that Christmas was a time when strange and wonderful things happened, when wise and royal visitors came riding, when at midnight the barnyard animals talked to one another, and in the light of a fabulous star God came down to us as a little Child. Christmas to me has always been a time of enchantment, and never more so than the year that my son Marty was eight. That was the year that my children and I moved into a cozy trailer home in a forested area just outside of Redmond, Washington. As the
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The phone rang as I was pulling my elf hat out of the closet. Every December my husband, Jerry, and I help the Lions Club deliver presents to the 40 students of a nearby residential school, Green Chimneys , for kids with special needs. Tomorrow everyone would gather at the local firehouse, and in addition to “Santa” and his “elf,” there’d be a magic show and a buffet lunch. The kids would even get a firehouse tour. I couldn’t wait. But on the other end of the phone was a distressed volunteer. “Peggy, we’ve got a big
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Call Karyn. Those words startled me from a sound sleep. I sat straight up, rubbed my eyes and looked at the clock: just after three in the morning. My younger sister Karyn was a senior at Eastern Michigan University and was used to pulling long hours studying in her tiny on-campus apartment… but she had to be asleep by now. My alarm wasn’t set to go off for another two and a half hours. There was so much to do tomorrow. Get my two little girls to school, work a 10-hour day at the office, take the
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“Dot, you’ll know God’s voice when you hear it,” Mama always told me. I needed to hear it now. It was an unusually cold evening in Jacksonville, Florida, but that wasn’t what made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. I hurried down a dark, deserted street, eager to get to my Auntie’s place and escape the menacing hum of an old engine. The pale blue sedan was back. It had circled the block to pass me again—for the third time—slow, deliberate. Whatever the driver wanted from me, I didn’t want to find out. I wasn’t
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I sat on the bed and gently rocked my nine-month-old Gary Jr. in my arms, watching my husband dress for work. Gary Sr. looked well-rested, ready to start the day. I was still exhausted from what had happened last night. After three kids—Gary Jr. was my fourth—I thought I’d experienced every parenting nightmare there was. But last night had terrified me. “Go check the baby.” Those words jarred me awake at one in the morning, like they had for so many nights since Gary Jr. was born. Before bed, as usual, I swaddled the baby and put him
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Have you ever thought about the value of your time? Somehow—and I’m not sure how it happened—the years zoomed by, and I went straight from being a young bride to becoming a grandmother. It felt like those pages on the calendar whipped by like an expert shuffling a deck of cards at warp speed. That’s led me to realize something important: Time is one of our most precious commodities. It’s like each of us has a bank account of days, hours, minutes and seconds to spend instead of dollars and coins. On the day we were born,
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My hairdo and I have a complicated relationship. Most mornings I walk out of my apartment, and it looks just fine. But by the time I get to work? It’s a completely different story. My hair will pick up on the slightest hint of humidity in the air. It gets progressively messier throughout the day. Sometimes I glance at it mid-afternoon in the bathroom mirror at work and all I can say is, “Oh, my goodness.” It’s a lost cause! Well, last week, I looked into the bathroom mirror at work and started laughing. Not because of my hair. No,
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Every family has its own folklore and superstitions. In our big Italian Catholic family, it’s said that the souls of the dead come back to visit us in the form of a moth. Crazy, huh? “That could be Aunt Ray!” Mom would say when one flew inside, and my younger brother, Charles, and I would laugh. We were 12 years apart, but close. He always wore black and white. I teased him that they were the only colors he knew how to match. At 23, Charles passed away suddenly in his sleep. Part of my world died too. I yearned
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Heading to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in June had become an annual tradition for a group of camping friends and me. That’s the only time the species of firefly Photinus carolinus, the only known synchronous fireflies in the western hemisphere, puts on a not-to-be-missed show. The darker the night, the more spectacular the experience. On this particular evening, we were in luck. The new moon was just a pale sliver in the eastern sky as my friends and I crossed the footbridge that leads across Jake’s Creek from Elkmont campground. We made our way up
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If you’ve never read any of Harold Hills books (How To Live Like A Kings Kid, How To Be A Winner, How To Live In High Victory and others) then you’re in for a treat, if you have read them read them again as a refresher. Using examples from his own life experiences he shows how living like a kings kid can be bring blessings and deliverance by being a doer of the Word and not a hearer only. In his books, written in an easy reading and even humorous style, he brings to life Bible verses by showing how
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International (MNN) – “We believe prayer is powerful, prayer is effective, and that people’s prayers here in the United States make a difference in the lives of children around the world.” Ask Matt Parker of Kids Alive International what he believes is vital to their ministry efforts in 15 countries around the world, and he’ll respond with one word: Prayer. “We believe that it is God alone who transforms lives forever. And so we are committed as an organization to keeping Jesus Christ right at the heart of everything that we do – every children’s home that we run,
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Do you have an extra Bible you’re not using? How about a Bible study or maybe a book on spiritual growth you’ve just finished. That Bible, study and book are welcomed resources to thousands of people around the world. Here’s an opportunity to send your Bible or books as missionaries through Christian Resources International. Read More: Become a book missionary through Christian Resources International – Mission Network News
“Interesting survey. Later in the article the Pres. of Barna lists what he believes are the 6 tenets of this new moral code.” Admin A major nationwide study has revealed that biblical morality in America is b eing escorted out of all facets of society, while a new moral code has been ushered in to take its place. Research recently conducted by the Barna Group surveying 1,000 participants across the nation shows that the broader culture in the United States is confused between the difference of right and wrong, with many Americans showing an increasing concern over the declining moral
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VOM’s Dr. Jason Peters recently shared stories of Christians facing Islamic extremists with Andrew Hess of ChurchLeader’s Podcast. They discussed the current state of persecution around the world, and specific ways that we can pray and support those who are experiencing persecution. Peters noted that in ISIS-controlled areas of the Middle East, Christians can “either convert to Islam or they can stand for Christ and lose everything they own, or maybe even their life.” When asked about the graphic photos and testimonies that often accompany persecution stories, Peters responded, “This is our family. We need to know their stories; we
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Have you ever received an encouraging note while you were going through a difficult time? It is refreshing to know that someone cares enough to send a card. Now you can write directly to families of Christian imprisoned for their faith to let them know they are not alone. Add your personal note to VOM’s new “Never Alone” cards, which include Genesis 39:20–21 in Arabic, Farsi and Chinese. VOM workers will then deliver these notes to the families of prisoners. The “Never Alone” cards are offered in sets of 25 or 100 at low cost. It’s a great project for
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