Christian, Love Your Lost Family by Paul Washer

VIDEO by SermonIndex.net

Laos: Former Soldier, Bounchan Kanthavong, Jailed for Christian Witness (Video)

Many Americans have more than one Bible in our homes. But in countries like Laos, believers risk their lives to get a copy of God’s word.

Bounchan Kanthavong, a Khmu Christian, was imprisoned for his Christian witness in the communist nation.

Prior to finding Christ, he served as a soldier and later as assistant district governor.

His job took him to Christian villages, where he became intrigued by the villagers worship. Eventually he became a believer and couldn’t stop sharing his new-found faith.

„I went back to my home church and talked about God,” Kanthavong told Voice of the Martyrs during an interview. „Many people would come; they wanted to become Christians. Soon, the whole village would come.”

The government, however, was not so receptive to Kanthavong’s conversion and imprisoned him for 15 years.

But instead of food or freedom, what Kanthavong wanted more than anything was to read the scriptures.

This eye-opening documentary features the inspiring testimony of Bounchan who was imprisoned and tortured for his Christian witness in the Southeast Asian nation of Laos. Instead of food, what he wanted more than anything was a Bible. Prior to finding Christ, Bounchan served his communist country as a soldier and later as Assistant District Governor. The following powerful re-enactment demonstrates his overcoming faith and perseverance in the midst of persecution, while highlighting the importance of writing letters to those imprisoned for the sake of Christ!

Length 5:30 minutes. From The Voice of the Martyrs USA VOM C.

7-Year-Old Boy Tortured, Killed for Being Christian

Anmol is pictured above, the photo is about 2 years old. In the other photos, Anmol’s mother, father Harish, brother and sister, and Harish’s brothers. Next photo- the burial service for Anmol. Map of northern India Photo from socioecohistory.wordpress.com. All remaining photos from Gospel for Asia

Gospel for Asia reports on this case here- http://www.gfa.org/persecution/child-murdered/

November 26, 2013

Seven-year-old Anmol laughed and played; he sang songs and learned Bible stories at Sunday school—and later, he was cruelly tortured and killed for being a Christian.

The last time Anmol’s parents saw their son alive was right before he left for Sunday school November 17. Anmol never returned home that day. His mother and his father, Harish, assumed he had gone to play with his friends, like he had done in the past. But when he didn’t come home, they began to worry.

Harish filed a missing persons report with the local police Monday, November 18. That same evening, police received a call about a child’s body seen floating in a nearby pond. When Anmol’s parents heard the news, they rushed to the hospital, where the body was taken, and identified the dead child as their son.

“It was very clear he was brutally murdered,” reported field correspondent, Jayana. “[The murderer] had tortured the child in such an inhuman way. . .”

Evidence suggests Anmol’s neck was cut, toes were broken and hands were slashed and burned. His face was burned, as well, while hot fragments of coal or firewood were placed on Anmol’s stomach, burning his abdomen. His mouth was also found tied. Autopsy reports came back indicating Anmol’s final cause of death was drowning.

Details identifying the murderer are unconfirmed while investigations take place.

“It’s unthinkable that this would happen to a little child like this,” said K.P. Yohannan, founder and international director of Gospel for Asia. “Persecution against Christians is an ongoing matter that we see happening every week. In fact, it’s increased by 400 percent in the last several years, but the killing of a little child like this is unheard of. Our people are already there to comfort and meet the needs of the family.”

Harish with his wife, daughter, remaining son and two of his brothers. Pastor Ruben continues to minister to the family during this time.

Harish held Anmol’s funeral Tuesday, November 19. Around 200 believers gathered for the ceremony, including the local GFA pastor, Ruben.

“The wail of the people and the parents was truly heartbreaking to see,” Jayana said. “It was truly a painful and intolerable incident.”

Anmol’s family has been a main target for persecution since 2003, when Harish made the decision to live for Jesus Christ after witnessing the miraculous healing of his older brother who had been sick for a long time. Along with Harish, 45 other people came to know the saving grace of Jesus and were added to the church because of this healing. Later, Harish’s distant relatives also believed in the power of Christ through Harish’s witness. Today, Harish is considered “one of the strong believers of our church,” Jayana said.

Because of the large number of people coming to know Christ as their Savior, persecution has since broken out in this community.

Around 200 believers gathered for Anmol’s funeral.

Please pray for:

• Comfort and peace for Anmol’s family as they grieve his death. Anmol leaves behind a father, mother, older brother and younger sister.
• God to strengthen and protect His children from further persecution.
• Anmol’s murderer to repent and come to know the saving and forgiving grace of the Savior.
• Pastor Ruben as he ministers to his congregation during this time.

CITESTE articolul in LIMBA ROMANA 

How does Voice of the Martyrs serve the Persecuted Church?

Hebrews 13:3 

Remember those who are in prison,
as though in prison with them,
and those who are mistreated,
since you also are in the body.

The Voice of the Martyrs is a non-profit, inter-denominational Christian organization dedicated to assisting the persecuted church worldwide. VOM was founded in 1967 by Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, who was imprisoned 14 years in Communist Romania for his faith in Christ. His wife, Sabina, was imprisoned for three years. In the 1960s, Richard, Sabina, and their son, Mihai, were ransomed out of Romania and came to the United States. Through their travels, the Wurmbrands spread the message of the atrocities that Christians face in restricted nations, while establishing a network of offices dedicated to assisting the persecuted church. The Voice of the Martyrs continues in this mission around the world today through the following main purposes:

Our ministry is based on Hebrews 13:3:

Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.

VOM’s Five Main Purposes

1. To encourage and empower Christians to fulfill the Great Commission in areas of the world where they are persecuted for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
2. To provide practical relief and spiritual support to the families of Christian martyrs.
3. To equip persecuted Christians to love and win to Christ those who are opposed to the gospel in their part of the world.
4. To undertake projects of encouragement, helping believers rebuild their lives and Christian witness in countries where they have formerly suffered oppression.
5. To promote the fellowship of all believers by informing the world of the faith and courage of persecuted Christians, thereby inspiring believers to a deeper level of commitment to Christ and involvement in His Great Commission.

VOM’s Mission Statement

“Serving the persecuted church through practical and spiritual assistance while leading Christians in the free world into fellowship with them.”

Voice of the Martyrs  https://www.persecution.com/‎
VIDEO by VOM C

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Creștinii Uciși in Sadad, Syria (noi detalii si video) – Individual Stories of Persecution: The UNSPEAKABLE crimes committed against the Christians of Sadad, Syria (News Report Video)

Funeral – Family of 6 executed in Sadad – The bodies of six family members were found in a well in Sadad: Matanios El Sheikh, 85, his wife, Habsah, 75, their daughter, Njala, 45, their grandsons Ranim, 18, and Fadi, 16, and the boys’ paternal grandmother, Mariam, 90. The city of Sadad lies between Damascus and Homs and is mentioned in the books of Numbers and Ezekiel in the Bible.

Inmormântarea familiei creștină- toti cei 6 membri ai familiei au fost impușcati in cap in Sadad. Vezi numele lor si vârsta sub poză. Orașul Sadad, unde a fost savârșit masacrul este așezat intre Damasc și Homs și este mentionat in Biblie in cartile Ezekiel si Numeri.

ROMANIAN:

In acest video, jurnaliștii sirieni raportează din orașul Sadad, după masacrul din 21 Octombrie. Sadad este un oras unde majoritatea locuitorilor sunt creștini.  Intr-una din case, toti cei 6 membri ai familiei au fost legați si impușcați in cap, iar apoi aruncați in fântâna din curtea domiciliului. O alta femeie a ales și ea sa nu fugă din Sadad, deși putea sa plece cu cei doi fii ai ei. Motivul de a  rămâne in Sadad? Avea o soacră handicapată și astfel au rămas și  cei doi părinți ai femeii cu ea. Toți 4 au fost omorâti și aruncati in fântâna. In total, 45 de civili au fost martirizați, inclusiv femei, copii și bărbați.

Stirea: Masacru asupra creștinilor din Sadad- 21 octombrie 2013 a fost o zi neagră pentru creștinii din Sadad (Siria). Orașul a fost asediat de islamiști, care au ucis orbește zeci de creștini, aruncându-i apoi în gropi comune. Arhiepiscopul ortodox sirian Selwanos Boutros Alnemeh a calificat atacul drept „cel mai grav și cel mai mare masacru al creștinilor din Siria, din ultimii doi ani și jumătate.”

Selwanos Boutros Alnemeh, care slujește ca mitropolit de Homs și Hama relata pentru presă că numai pe 21 octombrie, la Sadad, „peste 45 de civili nevinovați, printre care copii și femei, au fost martirizați fără niciun motiv, mulți fiind apoi aruncați în gropi comune.”

Orașul Sadad, o așezare mică situată la circa 100 de kilometri de Damasc, a fost timp de o săptămână scena unor lupte de o cruzime fără precedent. „Timp de o săptămână, 1.500 de familii, cu copii şi persoane în vârstă, au fost luate ostatice şi folosite ca scuturi umane. Aproximativ 2.500 de familii au reuşit să fugă din Sadad, în prezent fiind refugiaţi la Damasc, Homs, Fayrouza, Zaydal, Maskane şi Al- Fhayle,” relata arhiepiscopul sirian, pentru theorthodoxchurch.info. Orașul cu circa 15.000 de locuitori a fost aproape complet distrus. Jafurile nu au ocolit nici măcar bisericile, școlile sau clădirile publice. Inclusiv spitalul local a fost o țintă a atacatorilor.

Declarația arhiepiscopului continuă tulburător bilanțul: „3.000 de oameni au fost luați ostatici iar noi am strigat pentru ajutor și nimeni nu ne-a auzit, cu excepția minorităților care ne-au ajutat și care au fost solidare. Unde este conștiința creștină? Unde este conștiința Siriană? Unde este conștiința umană? Unde sunt frații noștri, mitropoliții, preoții și prietenii? Unde?! Unde? Și niciun răspuns… Cu câteva excepții. Am un nod un gât și inima îmi arde pentru toate câte s-au petrecut în eparhia mea și bieții oameni care au căutat refugiu, plecând apoi cu mâinile goale… Unde vor merge de acolo, nu știu…. Rugați-vă pentru noi!”

Procentul creștinilor din Siria a scăzut în prezent la 10%, pe fondul persecuțiilor intense la care sunt supuși. Citeste mai mult aici – Semnele Timpului

ENGLISH:

Syrian News Report, closed-captioned in English. Some disturbing bits from the video:

-a family of 6 members, Sadad city in the countryside of Homs, terrorists carried out against them the ugliest methods of killing. After tying their hands and gagging their mouths, they shot them in the head. Then, they threw their bodies in an old well, beside the house to hide their hatred for humanity and for life.

-one martyred woman was (would have been) able to flee with her two sons, but she refused to leave her old handicapped mother in law, and her own parents, they were not able to go to a secure place. Man to reporter: After a couple of days of ‘the attack’, we found traces of blood on the well. We were shocked. They were killed and dropped into the well and covered with dirt. With the help of civil defense, we were able to remove the dirt thrown over them (their bodies), we were shocked to find (uncover) this big massacre. They threw over them stuff, to cover their ugly crime.

-reporter: words fail to describe…

-a woman to the reporter: ‘An ugly massacre before the eyes of the whole (of) humanity. Where is the humanity in (of) the world? Does (the) humanity of the world accept this crime?

-warning, please use discretion: In the first minute, there is some graphic footage of a dead body being pulled out of one well.

45 Syrian Christians massacred

The „most serious and biggest massacre of Christians in Syria” in which 45 people were killed and 1,500 families held hostage has been reported by the Syrian Orthodox Metropolitan of Homs and Hama.

It happened during the week following 21 October in the ancient Christian town of Sadad, which lies about 100 miles north-east of Damascus, after it was invaded by anti-Assad Islamist militias and before the Syrian army retook the town. Archbishop Selwanos Boutros Alnemeh said: „Forty-five innocent civilians were martyred for no reason, and among them several women and children, and many were thrown into mass graves.” Thirty more civilians were wounded and 10 are still missing. Around 1,500 families were held as hostages and human shields against the incoming government forces, and 2,500 others fled the town at gunpoint with only the clothes they were wearing.
The archbishop, who conducted the funeral services last week amid grief and outrage, lamented that the outside world has done little to help suffering Syrians. „We have shouted ‘help us’ to the world but no one has listened to us. Where is the Christian conscience? Where is human consciousness? Where are my brothers?”

Church sources told the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that civilians unable to escape – including the elderly, disabled, women and children – were subjected to torture such as strangulation.

The bodies of six family members were found in a well in Sadad: Matanios El Sheikh, 85, his wife, Habsah, 75, their daughter, Njala, 45, their grandsons Ranim, 18, and Fadi, 16, and the boys’ paternal grandmother, Mariam, 90. The Damascus-based Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch Gregory III said to ACN: „How can somebody do such inhumane and bestial things to an elderly couple and their family?” He added: „I do not understand why the world does not raise its voice against such acts of brutality.”

Sadad lies between Damascus and Homs and is mentioned in the books of Numbers and Ezekiel in the Bible. Most of its population of 15,000 people are Syriac Orthodox and it is home to 14 churches, a monastery, temples, historic landmarks and archaeological sites.

Most of these have been destroyed and looted, especially the Syriac Orthodox Church of St Theodore which the Wahhabi terrorists from al-Qaeda’s Jabhat al-Nusra (Nusra Front) used as a base.

The archbishop said houses have been looted „and schools, government buildings, municipal buildings have been destroyed, along with the post office, the hospital and the clinic”.

Early yesterday morning in Damascus the Holy See’s nunciature was hit by mortar fire, causing slight structural damage to its roof. Archbishop Mario Zenario, the papal nuncio, confirmed that the 6.35 a.m. blast did not cause any injuries. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the attack or if the building had been specifically targeted. The Syrian Government, the UN and many other nations pledged their solidarity with the Pope’s envoy.

Source http://www.thetablet.co.uk/

Related articles

• SYRIA – „In Sadad, The largest Massacre Of Christians In Syria” (voiceofthepersecuted.wordpress.com)
• Syria’s Christian Community Cries Out For Help – OpEd (eurasiareview.com)
• Exploiting Christian persecution to demonize Israel (humanevents.com)
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Trinity Symposia Livestream November 13 – The Un(der)told Story: The Muslim Brotherhood’s Jihad Against the Coptic Church

Open to the public. Livestream here.

WHEN
November 13
7:00 – 8:30 P.M.
Respondent: Maher Matiewh

WHERE
Hinkson Hall

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
2065 Half Day Road, Deerfield, IL 60015
Get driving directions here:
http://www.campusexplorer.com/colleges

(Photo credit Trinity Evangelical Divinity School Facebook Page)

Our political emissaries and Western media generally have presented the recent unrest in Egypt as a military coup that threatens to undo democracy. This narrative, however, stands on a false presentation of the Muslim Brotherhood.

In this lecture, foreign policy expert and long time Egyptian resident Raymond Stock will offer the untold story: The Muslim Brotherhood is a fanatical group born in Egypt in 1928, which is dedicated to subjugating all Christians, killing all Jews and conquering the earth for Islam. Radical Islamists have been “cleansing” Christians from most of the Middle East for the past decade, and this has intensified, in scale and force, in Egypt since the July removal of President Mohamed Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood leader. The group and its Salafi allies are waging jihad against the Copts, the world’s oldest Christian community. Learn more about how this has happened and how Christians can respond.

Egypt: Christians Still Threatened by Islamic Insurgency

An Islamic-led insurgency threatens one of the world’s oldest Christian communities. Even though it’s been several months after Egypt’s president has been ousted out of office, militant Muslims are still blaming neighbouring Christians for the uprising. Now believers are facing almost daily attacks against them, like the one that claimed the life of a 10-year-old girl by the name of Jessi. Length 5:45 From Christian World News.

VIDEO by VOM

Is Christianity really rational? by R.C. Sproul

Have you ever had a nonbeliever say that your argument is not rational? Or that Christianity is not rational? Here’s R  C Sproul answering this very same question in a post from August 2013 on the ligonier.org website:

By all means! It is intensely rational. Now, I’ve had the question asked of me, “Is it true that you are a Christian rationalist?” I said, “By no means! That’s a contradiction in terms. A rationalist is somebody who embraces a philosophy that sets itself over and against Christianity.” And so, while a true Christian is not a rationalist, the Christian faith is certainly rational.

Is Christianity coherent? Is it intelligible? Does it makes sense? Does it fit together in a consistent pattern of truth, or is it the opposite of rational—is it irrational? Does it indulge in superstition and embrace Christians who believe that Christianity is manifestly irrational? I think that’s a great tragedy. The God of Christianity addresses people’s minds. He speaks to us. We have a Book that is written for our understanding.

When I say that Christianity is rational, I do not mean that the truth of Christianity in all of its majesty can be deduced from a few logical principles by a speculative philosopher. There is much information about the nature of God that we can find only because God himself chooses to reveal it to us. He reveals these things through his prophets, through history, through the Bible, and through his only begotten Son, Jesus.

But what he reveals is intelligible; we can understand it with our intellect. He doesn’t ask us to throw away our minds in order to become Christians. There are people who think that to become a Christian, one must leave one’s brain somewhere in the parking lot. The only leap that the New Testament calls us to make is not into the darkness but out of the darkness into the light, into that which we can indeed understand. That is not to say that everything the Christian faith speaks of is manifestly clear with respect to rational categories. I can’t understand, for example, how a person can have a divine nature and a human nature at the same time, which is what we believe about Jesus. That’s a mystery—but mysterious is not the same as irrational.

Mystery doesn’t apply only to religion. I don’t understand the ultimate force of gravity. These things are mysterious to us, but they’re not irrational. It’s one thing to say, “I don’t understand from my finite mind how these things work out,” and it’s another thing to say, “They’re blatantly contradictory and irrational, but I’m going to believe them anyway.” That’s not what Christianity does. Christianity says that there are mysteries, but those mysteries cannot be articulated in terms of the irrational; if that were so, then we have moved away from Christian truth.

Read more questions (about 100 of them) and R C Sproul’s detailed, 1 page answers, here – http://www.ligonier.org

☆ Stories of Persecution in North Korea – Student Testimony // The 3rd Lausanne Congress CapeTown South Africa 2010

An inspiring testimony from a North Korean Student who was orphaned and now wants to live her life for the Lord. From The Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelism.
For more inspiring testimonies, visit http://WitnessHK.com
(English Subtitles – click the „CC” button to show subtitles)
VIDEO by WitnessHK

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☆ Stories of Persecution in North Korea -The story of Hea Woo

http://www.worldwatchlist.us
http://www.opendoorsusa.org
http://www.persecution.net
For more information on Christian persecution in North Korea, please visit http://www.worldwatchlist.us/world-wa… VIDEO by Open Doors USA

North Korea: Hea-Woo

Still the most hostile country in which to live and practise the Christian faith, there are reports of many Christians arrested, with at least 25 per cent of Christians believed to be languishing in labour camps for their refusal to worship founder Kim Il-Sung’s cult. Half the population lives in the north, close to China, where family-based networks of house churches exist in significant numbers. Roughly ten million inhabitants are malnourished, with thousands eating only grass and bark. VIDEO by Open Doors UK & Ireland

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• North Korea #1 Most Difficult Country for Christians to live in (Open Doors video)
• An estimated 40,000 to 70,000 Christians housed in internment camps in North Korea
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‘i commit to pray’ new website launched by Voice of the Martyrs

A place to gather and pray for the persecuted church. Read prayer requests from around the world and post your own prayers specifically for your brothers and sisters who are being persecuted.

Photo credit www.persecution.com

click here for the WEBSITE –

icommittopray.com

a website of Voice of the Martyrs USA

Launched on Sunday, the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP), www.iCommitToPray.com invites Christians around the world to commit to pray for those who are persecuted simply for believing in Christ.

Todd Nettleton with Voice of the Martyrs USA says, “The first request of our persecuted family, when we go and visit them, is that we pray for them.”

This new Web site grew out of the desire to fulfill this request.

“The idea for this site really grew out of activity we already saw on the VOM Facebook page,” Nettleton said. “We often post prayer requests, and we began to see people comment on the post and type in their prayers for those currently being persecuted. And others would be encouraged by that, and add their own prayer in the next comment, and so on.

„At times we could even print out those prayers and show them to the Christians in hostile and restricted nations, and they were incredibly blessed to see very tangibly that Christians around the world hadn’t forgotten them and were lifting them up in prayer. We want iCommitToPray.com to be a site dedicated to that kind of prayer and encouragement.”

Users of the new Web site can post their written prayers and then invite friends to join with them in praying. Having this connection to other believers through social media provides awareness, information, and opportunities to encourage and uphold those who suffer for bearing the name of Christ.

„What we envision for iCommitToPray.com is a great prayer meeting for persecuted Christians. But instead of gathering in a church or someone’s living room, Christians will gather online to pray for the persecuted church,” explain Nettleton.

Pray that this Web site will motivate believers worldwide to pray for their persecuted brothers and sisters. (Source mnnonline.org)

North Korea Through the Eyes of Witnesses (Video with secret footage)

The video presents women, children and political prison camp issues in North Korea. Seven victims decribe their experiences of horror. The video is intertwined with secret footages shot in North Korea. The documentary was produced in 2011 by the Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights. http://www.nkhumanrights.or.kr, http://www.facebook.com/NKhumanrights http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/….
VIDEO by Citizens’ Alliance North Korean Human Rights

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• North Korea’s Underground University
• Two Killed for their faith in Christ in North Korea
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Shin, the only person to escape a North Korean Camp, from Journeyman Pictures (viewer discretion advised)

The only escapee of North Koreas most brutal prison camp has lived to tell us a story of unspeakable horror. Starved of food and common humanity, Shin proves that gulags are still a tragic reality.
We were always hungry. Shins most vivid memory of his life in the camp is the constant hunger he felt, food made me escape, even if it was going to cost me my life. The only thing that interested me was the food. Before his escape three years ago, he didnt even know that a world existed beyond the barbed wires. Until then, his life had been one of torture, hard labour and complete isolation.

My mother was supposed to inform on me and me on her. He believed she deserved her fate as he witnessed her execution. I blamed her. I had no real feelings as a kid. Shin didnt know love, only violence. Once the guards beat a little girl on the head so hard, she died the next day.

He eventually escaped through a gap in a high-voltage fence. His charred legs still bear the scars. As horrible as it is, Shins story is not unique. Wang, himself a former prisoner, is a prominent writer on the subject.

He believes that oppression in North Korea will keep increasing: The brutality of the system has grown to the point where Kim Jong Il now fears that he will suffer the same fate as Ceausescu of Romania. He simply wants to kill all his enemies.

VIDEO by Journeyman Pictures See more here – Journeyman Pictures- a list of films (links) about North Korea

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• North Korean leader pays tribute to predecessors (euronews.com)

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• Open Doors USA releases its world ranking of persecution by country – North Korea still #1, Mali newcomer to list #7
• North Korea #1 Most Difficult Country for Christians to live in (Open Doors video)
• An estimated 40,000 to 70,000 Christians housed in internment camps in North Korea
  • North Korea has the deadliest level of Christian persecution in the world
  • BORN AND RAISED IN A CONCENTRATION CAMP in North Korea (video from Google Talks)
  • Behind the wall of secrecy: Escape from Camp 14 in North Korea
  • from Journeyman Pictures- a list of films (links) about North Korea
  • North Korean Camps, from Journeyman Pictures (viewer discretion advised)
• Inside NK – The true picture of North Korea
• North Korea’s Underground University
• Two Killed for their faith in Christ in North Korea
• North Korea’s Christians: Please pray (wnd.com)
• North Korean Church Leaders Ask For Prayer Amid War Preparations (praisedc.com)North Korea Through the Eyes of Witnesses

• US Christian Kenneth Bae Begins 15-Year Sentence in ‘Special Prison’ in North Korea
• Kenneth Bae’s mother travels to North Korea to visit son (cbsnews.com
• ☆ Stories of Persecution in North Korea -The story of Hea Woo
• ☆ Stories of Persecution in North Korea – Student Testimony // The 3rd Lausanne Congress CapeTown South Africa 2010

Open Doors USA 2013 world ranking of persecution by country – North Korea still #1, Mali newcomer to list #7

Information and watch list from the non denominational group http://www.OpenDoorsUSA.org. Rankings released January 8,2013

North Korea – For the eleventh year running, this is the most difficult place on earth to be a Christian. In a country of 24.5 million, there are just 400,000 Christians. North Korea is one of the remaining Communist states, and it is vehemently opposed to religion of any kind. Christians are classified as hostile and face arrest, detention, torture, even public execution. There is a system of labor camps including the renowned prison No. 15, which reportedly houses 6,000 Christians alone. But despite severe oppression, there is a growing underground church movement of an estimated 400,000 Christians. We have written on North Korea several times in the past year. At the bottom are some noteworthy articles you can read in order to become more familiar with the brutal hardship that is endured by the Christians of North Korea. You can also read about North Korea’s hidden gulag, below all of the links, and visit the website that published The Hidden Gulag Report.

African countries surge – Open Doors reports that persecution of Christians in Africa vastly increased in 2012. Mali is a newcomer on the list and holds the No. 7 position. Tanzania (No. 24), Kenya (No. 40), Uganda (47) and Niger (No. 50) also moved onto the World Watch List and Ethiopia is one of the strongest risers (from No. 38 to No. 15) on the list. In addition, the small African country of Eritrea made the Top 10 for the first time at No. 10. Libya climbed from No. 26 to No. 17.

Syria made the largest jump on the World Watch List. The country is No. 11 on the list, compared to No. 36 in 2012.

Christians are persecuted in at least 60 countries for their faith. They suffer interrogation, arrest and even death in some of the most dangerous and restrictive countries in the world. For 58 years Open Doors has supported and strengthened believers worldwide through Bible and Christian literature distribution, leadership training and assistance, Christian community development and prayer and presence ministry. To partner with Open Doors USA, call toll free at 888-5-BIBLE-5 (888-524-2535) or go to our Website at http://www.OpenDoorsUSA.org.

Related articles

• (1) An estimated 40,000 to 70,000 Christians housed in internment camps in North Korea
• North Korea’s Hidden Gulag – Google earth satellite imagery proves the internment camps exist and imprison tens of thousands of Christians
• IN ROMANIAN – Koreea de Nord – crestinul prins in posesia unei Biblii e condamnat la inchisoare cu intreaga familie si urmatoarele 3 generatii
• How to pray for the persecuted church
  

From around the web

• Persecuted Christians Have New Allies: World Watch Monitor and Morning Star News (christianitytoday.com)
• New Civitas Study Says Christians Are The Most Persecuted In The World. Muslims Are The Most Oppresive (genomega1.wordpress.com)
• Mideast Christians persecuted (ynetnews.com)
• About 100 mln Christians persecuted around the world (dailystar.com.lb)

The Hidden Gulag

Second Edition

The Lives and Voices of
“Those Who are Sent to the Mountains”

David Hawk

Description: Based on extensive interviews with over 60 defectors and more than 40 satellite photos of North Korean political prisoner camps, the report calls for the dismantlement of the vast North Korean gulag system in which 150,000 to 200,000 are incarcerated.

From Page 158: In the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, crimes against humanity are committed against persons sent to the political penal labor colonies. Evidence shows that:

1. Perceived or suspected “wrong-doers” or “wrong-thinkers,” or in some instances, persons with“wrong-knowledge,”123 and/or their family from the DPRK State Security Agency,124 which refuses to acknowledge the deprivation of freedom and refuses to provide information on the fate or whereabouts of those persons with the intent of removing those persons from the “protection of law” for a prolonged period of time.

2. The abducted persons are subjected to deportation or forcible transfer from the area in which they were lawfully present without grounds permitted under international law.

3. The abducted and deported persons are deposited at distant, remote, penal labor colonies or encampments, where they are subjected to “imprisonment or severe deprivation of physi- cal liberty in violation of fundamental rules of international law.”129 These abductions, deporta- tions and the subsequent imprisonments all take place without any judicial process. There is no arrest, charge, trial, conviction or sentence, as provided in the DPRK Criminal Code and the DPRK Criminal Procedures Code.

4.The prolonged, indefinite detention of family members is a violation of Article 26 of the ICCPR, “…the law shall prohibit any discrimi- nation and guarantee to all persons equal and effective protection against discrimination on any ground such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.” The imprisonment of family members amounts to what the ICC Statute terms as “persecu- tion.” Most family members of suspected wrong-doers or wrong-thinkers are detained for the rest of their lives in sections of the prison camps termed “total control zones.”

5. Once cut off from any contact with the coun- try or world outside of the prison camp, including former family and friends, the imprisoned persons are subjected, usually for a lifetime, to arduous forced labor under extremely severe circumstances. This begins with the provision of below subsistence level food rations.

7. Prisoners are regularly subjected to beatings and sometimes more systematic torture for infractions of prison camp regulations and during interrogations.

8.On numerous occasions, prisoners compelled to observe executions (which are carried out publicly to demonstrate to other prisoners the severe consequences of escape attempts and/or non-compliance with camp regulations) …

9. Prison camp officials and guards are regularly able to exact sexual relations with female prison- ers under circumstances that have been judged to constitute rape or sexual violence …

These are just a few excerpts from the CONCLUSIONS in the Hidden Gulag Report. You can read the entire report here – http://www.hrnk.org/uploads/pdfs/HRNK_HiddenGulag2_Web_5-18.pdf

Photo via Google satellite via stormfront.org –

the rear of a secret Gulag (internment camp for Christians)

Where Christian Persecution is Worst

World Watch List 2013

Created by Open Doors, the World Watch List (WWL) is a ranking of 50 countries where persecution of Christians for religious reasons is worst. The list covers persecution of Christians of all denominations in an entire country and focuses on persecution for their faith, not persecution for political, economic, social, ethnic or accidental reasons. VIDEO by Open Doors USA

Open Doors World Watch List 2012

The top 10 countries where the persecution of Christians is most severe… The church around the world is facing times which are unprecedented in many ways. For the tenth year in succession, the Open Doors World Watch List is topped by North Korea, and in places as diverse as Libya, North Korea, Pakistan and Burma, significant events are shaping society. But despite the many hardships, the body of Christ continues to grow.

Find out more about our World Watch List by visiting the Open Doors website: http://www.opendoorsuk.org/countries VIDEO by Open Doors UK & Ireland

North Korea has the deadliest level of Christian persecution in the world

The only worship that is allowed is that of the „dear leader” Kim Jong-Il and his father Kim Il-Sung. In North Korea, every other religious activity is labeled an act of insurrection against North Korean … (Rescue Christians.org)
VIDEO by rescuechristians

In spite of the intense and deadly persecution, our brothers and sisters in North Korea, they ask us not to pray for their deliverance, but that they stand strong during the persecution. This report is from Mission News Network:

North Korea (MNN) ― As people gather to pray this Sunday (November 3) during the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP), they should remember Christians in the world’s most persecuted country.

Rev. Eric Foley, CEO of Seoul USA, says instead of praying FOR members of the North Korean underground church, people should pray WITH them. “They don’t ask God to deliver them from persecution. They pray they’ll remain strong and faithful in the midst of their suffering.” North Korea is the world’s biggest Gospel opponent and persecutor of Christ-followers. It tops the Open Doors USA World Watch List, a ranking of the 50 countries where persecution of Christians is most severe.

Officials routinely put believers in modern-day concentration camps and worse. The government has tried repeatedly to extirpate Christianity from the country, but the underground Church has survived and has overcome severe suffering.

“The NK Christian’s example may help Americans better prepare for the persecution that may be coming soon to the USA,” explains Foley. “Their experience reminds us that a commitment to the four pillars of worship is integral to the Christian life.” The four pillars are featured in Seoul USA’s 100 Days of Worship campaign that runs through December 31.  Foley says Americans may be surprised to learn that North Korean Christians often pray for people of the USA and South Korea. “They pray for us because they feel we are persecuted by our prosperity and it distances us from God,” he explains. „They pray that we will remain faithful to the Lord.”

In an August blog, Foley shares the following comment from an underground NK believer:

“American and South Korean Christians have a strong sense that most problems can eventually be fixed with a combination of money, freedom, and effort. They have a hard time accepting that many situations can only be solved by God’s direct intervention. And God often waits to intervene until we run out of money, freedom, and effort and turn at last to Him, because only then can we really see what it means that He is God.”

Seoul USA recently obtained exclusive new video of faithful North Korean Christians worshipping inside a North Korean home. The rare video may appear shocking because the underground Christians shown are not poor. “It means the Gospel is spreading among those in the higher classes,” says Foley. China has recently joined NK government efforts to prevent the Gospel from spreading inside North Korea by jamming Seoul USA’s Christian shortwave radio broadcasts. “The cooperation of the Chinese government suggests the North Korean regime feels threatened by these broadcasts,” says Foley.

Pray that the eyes of Western believers will be opened to persecution. Pray that they will lift up their oppressed brothers and sisters in prayer.

Related articles

• North Korea’s Hidden Gulag – Google earth satellite imagery proves the internment camps exist and imprison tens of thousands of Christians + the Hidden Gulag Report (Online Book)
• Open Doors USA releases its world ranking of persecution by country – North Korea still #1, Mali newcomer to list #7
• North Korea #1 Most Difficult Country for Christians to live in (Open Doors video)
• An estimated 40,000 to 70,000 Christians housed in internment camps in North Korea
  • North Korea has the deadliest level of Christian persecution in the world
  • BORN AND RAISED IN A CONCENTRATION CAMP in North Korea (video from Google Talks)
  • Behind the wall of secrecy: Escape from Camp 14 in North Korea
  • from Journeyman Pictures- a list of films (links) about North Korea
  • North Korean Camps, from Journeyman Pictures (viewer discretion advised)
• Inside NK – The true picture of North Korea
• North Korea’s Underground University
• Two Killed for their faith in Christ in North Korea
• North Korea’s Christians: Please pray (wnd.com)
• North Korean Church Leaders Ask For Prayer Amid War Preparations (praisedc.com)North Korea Through the Eyes of Witnesses

• US Christian Kenneth Bae Begins 15-Year Sentence in ‘Special Prison’ in North Korea
• Kenneth Bae’s mother travels to North Korea to visit son (cbsnews.com
• ☆ Stories of Persecution in North Korea -The story of Hea Woo
• ☆ Stories of Persecution in North Korea – Student Testimony // The 3rd Lausanne Congress CapeTown South Africa 2010

• North Korea Replaces Hard-Line Military Chief (ivoter.com)

Iran – Appeals Court Upholds 6 Christian Prisoners’ 20 Year Sentence

reporting from http://www.mohabatnews.com (Photo credit ezzatgoushegir.blogspot.com)

An appeals court upheld prison sentences for six Christian prisoners in Shiraz. An initial court had sentenced them to 20 years in total.

According to Mohabat News, Shiraz appeals court upheld sentences for six Christians totaling 20 years of imprisonment. These prisoners are currently being held in „Ebrat” ward of Adel-abad prison.

The initial court, which was held on June 10 in Branch 3 of the Revolutionary Court in Shiraz, convicted these Christian men for attending a house-church, spreading Christianity, having contact with foreign ministries, propaganda against the regime and disrupting national security. They had each been sentenced to three years and eight months in prison.

The trial was held in Branch 15 of Shiraz Judicial Courts, and chaired by Judges Hosseini and Barati.

An initial court had sentenced Misters Mojtaba Seyyed Alaedin Hossein, Mohammad-Reza Partoei (Koroush), Vahid Hakkani, and Homayoun Shokouhi to prison.

The decision of the appeals court was delivered orally to their lawyer. This verdict is final and cannot be appealed.

Read the entire article here- http://www.mohabatnews.com

And please pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Iran!

Related articles

• The stresses of Evin Prison and the Christian women imprisoned there

John Piper – Advice to the newly married (audio) and Sexual Relations in Marriage (video)

In a recent “Ask Pastor John” episode, John Piper gave Christ-centered advice to newly-wed husbands. The renowned Christian author and former pastor relayed key guidance that he would have given a younger version of himself when entering into the life-long covenant with his wife, Noel. “Behold the mystery of this amazing, God-wrought union,” he would have said.

Piper reminded listeners that Mark 10:9 calls marriage an act of God which joins man and wife together – it is not a man-made union. Marriage was instituted long before Christ had come into the world, and was created by God to point to His Son’s future redemptive work on the cross. While many may look at Jesus’ covenant with His bride, the church, and describe marriage as it relates to Christ, Piper says that it should be the other way around; God used the picture of marriage to hint at a future relationship for Christ and His church. Marriage came first so that the body of believers could better understand their intimate, covenanted relationship with Christ – one that is given to them by grace through faith (see Ephesians 2:1-9).

A “bottomless ocean of wisdom” is found when a husband loves his wife like Christ loves the church – “You love her to make her lovely,” Piper said. Though we are sinners saved by His grace, Jesus loves His redeemed people and helps us to become more holy as we fix our eyes on Him. We are sanctified more and more as we journey with our God, eternally clothed in Christ’s righteousness. “You don’t love her merely because she is lovely – she’s not going to be as 20-something lovely at 70-something, so you had better love her into loveliness,” said Piper. He also advised husbands to draw their strength to love their wives well from Christ’s love for them.

The former pastor also encouraged husbands to bring hope and strength to their families, welling up in them from the power of Christ. He warned against idolatry – viewing their wives or their children as their means to find happiness. He also steered husbands away from returning hurt for hurt in an argument – “a soft answer may restore her soul,” he said, paraphrasing Proverbs 15:1.

In closing, Piper encouraged married couples to savor the intimacy and friendship that is unique to marriage; ultimately, though, he wants to remind newly-weds marriage is a “parable” which points to Christ. Source: http://www.gospelherald.com PHOTOGRAPH by http://rebekahwestover.blogspot.com

Click here for the link to the AUDIO

And here is another great resource from John Piper, theJohnPiperchannel:

Marital sex is a great joy that also proves to be a fearsome weapon against our ancient foe.
-uploaded in HD at http://www.TunesToTube.com

Sexual Relations in Marriage

February 15, 1981 by John Piper

The Malaysian court rules that the word ‘Allah’ is to be used exclusively by muslims

Photo credit http://www.bbc.co.uk

Source: http://www.mnnonline.org

Malaysia ― „Allah” is the word for „God,” unless you’re a Malaysian Christian.

A Malaysian court ruled that the word Allah can only be used by Muslims to refer to God, overturning a 2009 lower court ruling. Paul Estabrooks, a minister-at-large for Open Doors, says, „In 2009, there was a court case by a Roman Catholic newspaper (called ‘The Herald’) about this. It was a civil court, and it happened to be a Christian judge. She ruled that it was okay for Christians to use the word ‘Allah.'”

The Home Ministry filed an appeal against the decision on Jan. 4, 2010. Estabrooks explains that the upper court was made up of Islamic judges. As a result, „Monday, they issued their ruling that you cannot use the word ‘Allah’ unless you are a Muslim.”

The court also claims banning the word in non-Muslim contexts was „no infringement of any constitutional rights,” but the decision furthered the debate on whether Malaysia is a secular state or an Islamic state.

Despite alleged constitutional freedoms, discriminatory legislation and actions against minorities seem to be creeping in. Sharia law–applicable for Muslims only–actually supersedes constitutional law on some issues.

Malaysia’s Christian, Buddhist, and Hindu minorities have often complained that the government infringes their constitutional right to practice religion freely. Christians make up more than 9% of Malaysia’s nearly 28 million people, according to Operation World.

On a positive note, Estabrooks notes that the exclusivity issue does not seem to pose the same problem in other Muslim-dominated countries. „Ironically, it’s not an issue in Indonesia, which is the largest Muslim nation population in the world. It has the same basic characteristics as the Arabic-speaking world.”

Although it’s unlikely another appeal will follow, the issue is anything but closed. Since the 2009 decision was followed by attacks on churches, there are expectations that tensions could explode anyway. The Christian Federation of Malaysia issued a statement on the decision, expressing disappointment over the decision and noting the further erosion of unity among Malaysians.

The impact of the decision could be devastating to Gospel outreach. „What it means, of course, is that there won’t be any Bibles distributed for a while until this is resolved because the current Bibles do have the word ‘Allah’ whenever God is mentioned in the Bible. So now, these Bibles will not be allowed to be distributed.” What’s more, says Estabrooks, „The Bible translators are going to have the biggest challenge here. How do you come up with a substitute word [for God] and make the Bible available in the country?”

If it is true that other Arabic countries and Muslim nations do not have an issue with the „Allah” usage, why is it such a prevalent issue in Malaysia? Estabrooks hazards, „There is a general knowledge that the Church is growing. Muslims are accusing the Christians of using the word ‘Allah’ in order to open a door for them to evangelize. This is the real reason, I believe, why they’ve made that decision.”

Now what? During his visit last month, Estabrooks noted that the „Allah” issue was the „water cooler” topic of the moment because the outcome would affect many aspects of Gospel work. He remarks, „If you’re a Christian, you have a tremendous opportunity to share your faith with others just because of this current event.”

Pray that Christians will stand firm in their faith, despite opposition. Pray that Malaysian Christians will be free to practice their faith in Jesus Christ. Pray that all Christians in Malaysia will be able to freely access the Bible.

Analysys from Jennifer Pak – BBC News, Kuala Lumpur

The verdict does not come as a surprise to the two million Christians in Malaysia. Many of them believe that the case stems from a tight race between the governing Malay-Muslim party, UMNO, and the opposition Islamic party, PAS.

The Allah ban is seen as an attempt by UMNO to boost its Islamic credentials and win back votes. It’s an issue that crops up in the government-linked media ahead of an election and promptly dwindles after the vote.

Christians are so convinced that this issue is about political posturing that most followers say they will continue to use the offending Bibles and use the word Allah in their worship.

Not all Muslims back the ban. But one of the most outspoken supporters is an influential group called Perkasa, which is backed by former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad – a champion of Malay-Muslim rights.