Proof The Bible Is True

The United States is facing crucial crossroads as a nation with the impending leadership change this November and with traditional Christian values being challenged. With so much changes confronting the U.S., American Christian leaders have decided to unite and gather together to pray for their nation next week in a solemn ecumenical assembly that will be called “The Gathering.” Thousands of Christians are expected to troop to the Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas on the night of Sept. 21 to pray in one voice and ask God for forgiveness and His wisdom to lead the U.S. towards spiritual transformation. Read [More]

Four young missionary brothers describe life with a Southeast Asian tribal group.  cbn.com

“Yes, there is indeed a steep price to be paid in converting from Islam to Christianity. We need to ask ourselves, would we be willing to pay such a price if in the future strong persecution comes our way?”  Admin All over the Middle East and North Africa, Muslims who have converted to Christianity struggle with their new identity in Christ. Islam is not just a part of their lives, it is their entire life. From praying in a set direction 5 times a day, to setting aside an entire month to fast, the actions required to be a Muslim [More]

The love of Christ and hearing the truth of the Gospel are drawing more and more Muslim refugees in Switzerland and Germany to Christianity, the Gospel Herald reports. Since 2014, more than 2,000 Muslims have turned to Christ, and the number keeps rising, according to Switzerland’s Counselling Centre for Integration and Religious Affairs. Speaking to the Swiss edition of “20 Minutes,” coordinator Kathrin Anliker said some of the refugees embrace Christianity after witnessing the brutality of extremist groups like ISIS, which have been carrying out horrific acts in the name of Allah. Others who have come out to embrace Christ [More]

PERSECUTION Russia law ensnares Baptist ministerFriday, September 2, 2016 |  Bill Bumpas A U.S. citizen has been charged under Russia’s controversial new anti-missionary law, confirming the fears of religious freedom advocates. Donald Ossewaarde, a Baptist minister, was fined 40,000 Rubles in an August 14 court hearing after he was caught conducting a worship service in his home. Under the guise of trying to prevent terrorism, the law makes it illegal to share religious beliefs without proper authorization from the Russian government. “Certainly our biggest fears have been realized,” says Nate Lance of International Christian Concern. Read More: Russia law ensnares Baptist [More]

When was the last time you picked up your Bible and spent time reading more than a couple of verses? If it’s been a while, you’re not alone. An unfamiliar crisis Today, the average American adult’s attention span lasts for about 12 minutes. But, this isn’t a long enough time to really suck the marrow of life from Scripture’s bones. Chief Executive Officer at Biblica, Carl Moeller shares some insight. Read More: Western Christians’ reading crisis – Mission Network News

When Pope Francis visited Cuba in September 2015, many thought the milestone event could signal a breakthrough in the campaign to promote religious freedom in the Caribbean island nation. But now the memory of that papal visit seems to have been forgotten as Cuba’s communist regime has launched a renewed crackdown on the Christian faith with reports of churches destroyed, pastors imprisoned, religious leaders’ personal property seized and Christians violently stopped from worshipping. In its latest report, the Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) says the Cuban regime has launched a major crackdown against churches and has seized and demolished at least 1,400 church [More]

VOM’s Dr. Jason Peters appeared this week as a guest on The Dr. Meg Meeker Show on Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk. The discussion involved VOM’s book project, I Am N, and how Christians facing Islamic extremism are serving Christ boldly in hostile and restricted nations around the world. Here is part 2 of their discussion: Listen: Persecution Blog: VOM’s Jason Peters on National Radio Program – Part 2

VOM’s Dr. Jason Peters appeared this week as a guest on The Dr. Meg Meeker Show on Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk. The discussion involved VOM’s book project, I Am N, and how Christians facing Islamic extremism are serving Christ boldly in hostile and restricted nations around the world. Here is part 1 of their discussion Listen: Persecution Blog: VOM’s Jason Peters on National Radio Program – Part 1

Her husband was the village police chief, the man responsible to make sure no more people in the village became Christians. And now she had chosen to follow Christ! Her husband pressured her to renounce her faith; then he beat her. Then he threatened her life. “I’m willing to die,” she answered. That’s just one of the stories you’ll hear this week from Brother Sionh, the voice of the Khmu Christian radio broadcast in Southeast Asia. He’ll also share the great need for leaders within the rapidly-growing Khmu church and how VOM is helping equip and train new leaders to [More]

More than 1,600 churches have been targeted by authorities in Cuba this year as a crackdown on religious freedom continues. Between January and July 2016, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) recorded 1,606 violations of religious freedom. These included the demolition and confiscation of church buildings, the destruction of church property and arbitrary detention. In March, prominent pastor and religious freedom activist Rev Mario Felix Lleonart Barroso was arrested just hours before President Barack Obama arrived in the country for his official state visit. Religious leaders have also had their personal belongings confiscated, and more than 1,000 churches are still considered ‘illegal’ [More]

Front-line workers accept persecution as part of sharing about Jesus and planting churches. Many have been beaten and arrested for showing the Jesus film or distributing Christian literature. You can encourage them in God’s work through prayer. Adopting a front-line worker is a promise to pray. You will receive a card with a worker’s name and photo. Your daily prayers will encourage and empower their local ministry. Read More: Persecution Blog: Front Line Workers Need Your Prayer

Julia and Sam are two of the college students who served as interns this summer at VOM. Listen in as they share some of their experiences, and what they’ve learned—both professionally and spiritually—during their two months of service. How will they be different when they go back to their college campuses? What have their duties been at VOM, and what did they learn about VOM’s ministry that surprised them? We’ll also share details about VOM’s intern program for next year, and how to apply if God is nudging you toward service as an intern at VOM. Listen: Persecution Blog: VOM [More]

What does it mean to be an I Am N Christian in the Middle East right now? How should their stories inspire us as Western Christians? I have had the privilege of meeting and hearing the incredible stories of some of these sisters and brothers during recent visits to Iraq and neighboring countries where The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) is serving them in their time of great need. There are six themes that emerge from the testimonies of these Christians that every Christian can benefit from. These are themes that we have witnessed repeatedly in hundreds of interviews with [More]

Dr. Berhane spent 11 months in prison for his Christian work; he watched friends and fellow prisoners led away to execution. But he also saw God’s hand at work as fellow prisoners accepted the gospel message and turned their hearts toward Christ. Dr. Berhane tells us this week on VOM Radio some of the things God taught him through days of dark suffering and how he prepared to face persecution. Finally he offers listeners an updat on the current persecution of Christians in Eritrea and how we can pray for that nation. Listen: Persecution Blog: ERITREA: How Do We Understand The [More]

The Holy Spirit is raining down on Latin America with tens of thousands of people either laying prostrate on the ground or standing with hands raised as tears stream down their faces. Jennifer LeClaire, senior editor of Charisma, says she personally witnessed one such astounding revival during a Sunday service led by Pastors Ricardo and Patricia Rodríguez, founders of Central Mundial de Avivamiento (World Headquarters of Revival) in Bogotá, Colombia. “It was as if I stepped into a river of Holy Ghost fire,” she writes. “In one accord, over 25,000 people worshipped Jesus with all that was within them.” She [More]

I have just returned to the United States from a two-month personal fact-finding tour to assess the state of Christian civilization in the West, visiting 16 countries, including especially Austria, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria in Eastern Europe as well as London for the Brexit vote. I also met with Christian social activists and conservative-minded citizens of…

The damned tormented by demons in Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgment” (This is the second of three-part series. Read Part I, “Psychiatrist goes demon hunting with exorcists.”) WASHINGTON – She was the world’s only fat and ugly fashion model. Or so she thought. The mirror said otherwise. But no one could convince her. In reality, she was…

The government’s continued crackdown on Christianity in China is now forcing seminary students to deny God and put the Communist Party first by living under “absolute obedience” to the state. Evidence of the state-run church being controlled by the government has been witnessed through a video mentioned by a Christian persecution watchdog organization, which tells of students being recorded while singing the Chinese anthem at Zhejiang Theological Seminary’s graduation ceremony. “It is obvious the seminary has degenerated into absolute obedience to the Communist Party’s so-called Christian pastors’ education base, becoming a Communist Party school dressed in the cloak of Christianity,” [More]

It was difficult to know what to expect as we met with the family of Yklas Kabduakasov, a Christian convert from Islam who is serving two years in a prison labor camp in Kazakhstan for sharing his Christian faith with Muslims. I hoped to both find out how his wife, Karlygash, and their children have been coping in his absence and to convey God’s love and our support.   Karlygash welcomed us into her pristine home, and I was impressed by her hospitality and warm spirit. This is the home where she and Yklas are raising their four youngest children. [More]

Technology and tradition are two valuable aspects of society. But in some situations, what is modern and commonplace can keep us from recognizing solutions that have been with us since the beginning of time. Orality method for sharing the Gospel is growing, but many people have yet to understand how versatile the applications are. Orality was first recognized as a valuable option for sharing the Gospel with people groups who had no written Scripture in their heart language. But more and more non-missionary individuals have now incorporated it into ministry efforts of discipleship and outreach in communities, immigrant populations, and prison ministries, [More]

Did you know that, according to The Joshua Project, 95 percent of India’s population is considered unreached with the Gospel? On top of that, 37 percent of Indian people are illiterate. So when we say there’s a need for audio Bibles in India, it’s a serious need. JP Sundararajan, Audio Scripture Ministries’ India-Asia Director, has an exciting update about their work on an audio Bible in India’s Bodo language. “We’re thrilled to report that the recording is almost done. It’s slowed down a little bit in the last few days because the main reader has developed a throat infection. So we [More]

Sometimes I get an attack of the “I’m not worthy” moments:   I look in the mirror and some pudgy old gal with wrinkles looks back. (The nerve of her!) Yes, that’s the “I’m so not pretty!” moment. Sigh. I meet some of my friends for lunch, I look at their fashionable beautiful selves and whisper, “I’m not ever going to look like that! Ever.” I start some tasks like cleaning out the storage room or scraping off old wallpaper, and it doesn’t take long for the “I’m not young anymore!” reality to set in. I read books and articles [More]

Have you ever thought about the fact that the word “focus” ends in “us?” When difficult circumstances come into our lives, it’s so easy to focus on “us,” to dwell on the negative things rather than the blessings God’s supplied.   Yeah, guilty as charged—and I suspect I’m not the only one.   I was reminded of that this week. I have a health problem that causes ear issues, lightheadedness, fatigue and weakness. I had the worst flare-up that I’d experienced in more than a year, and it’s hung around like overnight guests who outstay their welcome. I’ll be honest [More]

Sometimes I think our SUV’s GPS has a mind of its own—and not a very good mind in my opinion. That thing has taken us on some crazy trips! On one occasion, it was for an extra three-hour journey of all the back roads in South Carolina. I suspect we repeated some of them at least two or three times. Maybe four.   In other instances when we’ve been near our home, our GPS has suggested a route that we know isn’t the best way. And once when I was in a big city, the skyscrapers blocked out the signal [More]

Maryam Rostampour and Marziyeh Amirizadeh were bold evangelists in Iran, sharing their faith and distributing Bibles in that Islamic nation. Their evangelism work caught the attention of the authorities, and the two women ended up in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison, where they spent 259 days. But even in prison, Maryam and Marziyeh saw God’s hand at work, providing for them and allowing them to be witnesses for Him. “We experienced in prison how we should trust God and how we should trust His plans,” Maryam says. This week on VOM Radio they share how they began their ministry, what happened [More]

How can I help? I wondered while scrolling through pages of prayer requests for health, conversions, Bibles, spiritual growth, as well as praises for healing and bravery during persecution. The quantity of needs is overwhelming. Countries desperate for encouragement and assistance are often too dangerous for someone like me to enter. I am powerless against governments and militant opposition. I am not a doctor, lawyer, or representative who can help. I am not rich. I have no experience or wisdom to share. All I have is compassion and love to give out of gratitude for what my Savior has given [More]