Pastor Nadarkhani re-arrested on Christmas Day

Many of you prayed for the release of Brother Yousef Nadarkhani and as God would have it, he was released on bail September 8, 2012. We shared the joy here.

He has been re-arrested on Christmas Day and taken back to prison to serve the remaining 45 days of a three-year sentence for evangelizing Moslems. Over the years, the Iranian Government has charged him with many things including apostasy, banditry and extortion, and later acquitted him of all the charges. Remember his wife was once arrested in 2010 in their bid to put pressure on him to recant his faith but was later released.

Foxnews reports that since Nadarkhani's release, his attorney, Mohammed Ali Dadkhan has been imprisoned and remains in Iran's notoriously brutal Evin Prison where his health is rapidly deteriorating and is being denied proper dental care, according to his family. He has been incarcerated for advocating Nadarkhani's case and other human rights cases.

It's like the Iranian Government is just determined to hurt Brother Yousef. Please pray for him and his family that the plans of their persecutors shall not prosper.  Also, pray that the Iranian government does not decide to bring additional charges against him and keep him in prison for additional time.

For more information, please go here.

Boko Haram's Plot to end Christian Presence in Northern Nigeria

The al-Qaeda linked Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram has declared it is plotting to "end the Christian presence" in much of northern Nigeria. According to a spokesman, the group is preparing to launch a campaign of terror against Christians through kidnapping Christian women and coordinated bombings. The women reportedly will be held for ransom and returned only to Christian families who leave the region.

The goal is to eradicate Christians completely so that a "proper Islamic state" might be established. The authorities say Boko Haram is well armed with sophisticated weaponry and munitions.

This new threat against Christians is very direct and indicates very dangerous days lie ahead.

Christians need to be watchful and work together prayerfully to see this plot of the devil brought to naught. Our God frustrates the tokens of liars and makes their diviners mad.

Please pray the Lord will protect and deliver believers in northern Nigeria. Pray He will frustrate the plans of the enemy and through His mercy bring many to repentance. Pray that Christians in Nigeria will not be fearful but trust God (Revelation 2:10).

(Source: VOM as reported by Australian Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission)

Muslim Extremists in Uganda Throw Acid on Bishop

KAMPALA, Uganda, December 28 (Compass Direct News) – Islamic extremists threw acid on a church leader on Christmas Eve shortly after a seven-day revival at his church, leaving him with severe burns that have blinded one eye and threaten sight in the other.

Bishop Umar Mulinde, 37, a sheikh (Islamic teacher) before his conversion to Christianity, was attacked on Saturday night (Dec. 24) outside his Gospel Life Church International building in Namasuba, about 10 kilometers (six miles) outside of Kampala. From his hospital bed in Kampala, he told Compass that he was on his way back to the site for a party with the entire congregation and hundreds of new converts to Christianity when a man who claimed to be a Christian approached him.

“I heard him say in a loud voice, ‘Pastor, pastor,’ and as I made a turn and looked at him, he poured the liquid onto my face as others poured more liquid on my back and then fled away shouting, ‘Allahu akbar [Allah is greater],’” Mulinde said, still visibly traumatized two days after the assault.

A neighbor and church members rushed him to a hospital in the Mengo area of Kampala, and he was then transferred to International Hospital Kampala...........

When Mulinde converted from Islam to Christianity, his family drove him away with clubs and machetes. Since then, he has suffered numerous life-threatening attacks. In 1995 at Mbiji, he was attacked with clubs but managed to escape. In 1998 he was attacked at Kangulomila near Jinja town. In 2000 in Masaka, Muslims bribed the area district commissioner to declare Mulinde’s meetings illegal; Muslims stormed into one of the meetings and dragged him out, beating him till he lost consciousness. Police saved him.

In 2001 in Busia, while addressing another meeting, a Muslim extremist narrowly missed killing him with a sword. In 1994, he survived a gun attack at Natete, near Kampala, when a bullet narrowly missed him. He said that as he fell into muddy waters, his Muslim attackers, thinking they had killed him, said, “Allah akbar.”

Because of the threats against him – in October Muslim extremists sent him text messages threatening to assassinate him – Mulinde had relocated to another area in Uganda.

He has vowed to continue fighting for the rights of the former Muslims haunted by radical Islamists.

Please read it all here!

Please pray for the Rev Chander Mani Khanna

A few months ago, the Rev Chander Mani Khanna of the All Saints Church, Kashmir India,baptized 7 converts from Islam. Since then, there have been fireworks of persecution against him.

He was arrested and put in jail in November. The Jammu and Kashmir Bar Association has called on its members not to provide Rev Khanna with legal counsel. Though the court has granted him bail, there is great fear that his life may be at risk even after his release.

A few days ago, the pastor’s wife, Kanta Khanna, spoke with her husband by phone. “I was concerned about his health,” she told AsiaNews. “He’s diabetic and his eyesight is deteriorating. Nevertheless, his thoughts are for our children and me. He continued to reassure us, saying that God is with us. He told me to find strength in the Scriptures, to read Chapter 10 in the Gospel of Matthew and the Act of the Apostles. He is frail in body but firm in his faith.”

Pray for the Underground Church. Christianity preaches Life that is irresistible to any hungry soul. It's not just a religion. Because their powerless message cannot match the Life Christ offers, they resort to violence and intimidation, and it's happening all over the world. But thank God for a lot of testimonies of what God is doing in Islamic world.

Please thank God for the Bishop of the Diocese of Amritsar, bishop P.K. Samantha Roy, and Sajan K George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) for their support for the Rev. Khanna. Pray for courage for him stand firm till the end and that he may be released. Pray for his family that God may protect them and keep them. God bless!

Join us for the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Join us for the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Prayer has an eternal impact on the lives of men and women throughout the world. As we pray, closed doors are opened, resistant people are made receptive, leaders are put down and raised up, and the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ is extended.

Join thousands of believers around the world in praying for the estimated 200 million Christians who face persecution for their faith. The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) is on Sunday, November 13.

For more information, and for downloadable resources you can use with your small group or congregation, visit IDOP International.

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." -- Ephesians 6:12.

Please pray in your churches, talk to your prayer coordinators etc. God is really doing amazing things in these Last Days. May the knowledge of the Lord spread all over the earth as waters cover the sea. Amen.

Please pray for Pastor Youcef Nardarkhani! What a faith!

Any time from now, this brother will be executed, except a miracle happens. Bro Youcef Nardarkhani was arrested in October 12th 2009 and charged for apostasy, evangelism and working against the state. Of course, we know that working against the state means that he became a Christian and is evangelizing.

What encouraged me is his response to the judge on Tuesday who gave him the opportunity to recant his faith and be released. "When asked to “repent” by the judges, Youcef stated, “Repent means to return. What should I return to? To the blasphemy that I had before my faith in Christ?” The judges replied , “To the religion of your ancestors, Islam.” To which he replied, “I cannot.”"

What a challenge to us to live for God. Serving God is serious business. People are dying for this faith right now in some parts of the world. You can read his letter from prison to Christian friends last year, 2010 here.

The point is that our Brother needs prayers. "Pray that Youcef will not be declared an apostate. Pray that he will remain firm in his faith and know the presence and peace of Jesus each day. Pray that his wife, Fatemeh, and their two sons will know the comfort and hope of Jesus, and that the family will be reunited soon. Pray that all officials involved will act justly in this case." Pray the he will remain faithful till the end no matter what.Equally pray for yourself that you may stay faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ to the end.

You can read more on this story
Washington Post

Voice of Martyrs

Present Truth

Pray for the Christians in Sudan

"The Bishop of Kadugli is calling upon Christians worldwide to pray and fast ahead of South Sudan’s secession next month.

Bishop Andudu Adam Elnail has warned of a possible “genocide” in the Nuba Mountains region, where violence has broken out in recent weeks.
The region, home to many Christians, will remain under the control of Khartoum and the Muslim North when South Sudan gains its independence on July 9.

As Sudanese tanks and artillery move in, hundreds of thousands of Nuba are fleeing their homes and development agencies have withdrawn their staff.

UN officials and eyewitnesses escaping the bloodshed tell of elders being executed by the Sudanese Army and bombing campaigns that have destroyed churches and homes.

With Khartoum ordering the UN peacekeeping mission out, there are serious concerns that atrocities will spiral unchecked across the state of South Kordofan.

“Once again we are facing the nightmare of genocide of our people in a final attempt to erase our culture and society from the face of the earth,” said Bishop Elnail".

We have to change the kind of prayer points we concentrate on in our churches. Please pray for the Church in Sudan. They are passing through difficult times. May your voice be heard. If you are in a position to influence the prayer meetings in your church, please remember these brethren.
God bless you!

To read more go here!

A celebration of life: Glenn Penner passes on to glory

I have read materials from this great man of God and his balanced views on persecution and Christian suffering for some years now since I came in contact with The Voice of the Martyrs. His ministry was like swimming against the tide.
In a generation where suffering is viewed as ungodly and Christians are pressured to pursue the world and its pleasures. Glenn tried to present the Scriptures, the way it is. Indeed, thank God for his life.
May God help us to finish strong also.

The report is here.

Please pray. These persecutions are real.

Many of us that live in places where there are no much religious crises may not understand what these brethren are going through. But put yourself in their shoes for once and please pray!

Seven people killed in Egypt

At least seven people were killed in the town of Nag Hamadi in Quena province, Egypt on January 6 when gunmen opened fire on churchgoers exiting a Christmas Eve midnight mass service. Christian Copts in Egypt observe Christmas on January 7. At least nine people were also injured in the attack, three of whom are in critical condition. The shooting was reportedly in retaliation for the alleged rape of a Muslim girl by a Christian man, which sparked violence in November (click here for the story). The lead shooter has allegedly been identified but at last report had not been arrested. (Sources: AP, AFP)

Pray for peace and stability in this area. Pray that Christians will respond to this violence with Christ-like love. Ask God to comfort those mourning the loss of loved ones. Pray for healing for those injured.

For more on Egypt's suffering Christians, click here.

Also in Nigeria:
More violence have continued after some moslems attacked Christians as they were coming out of the Church after a church service. Just look at this story here. And here.

Please let continue to pray for the families of those who lost thier lives and fast recovery of those injured.

Pastors beheaded in Borno state, Nigeria

Twelve Christians were killed, including three pastors, in northern Nigeria after members of the Islamic militant group Boko Haram launched attacks on police and government bases on July 26. The violence, which began in Bauchi state, spread to the states of Borno, Kano and Yobe. Churches were set ablaze and several people were abducted, including Christians. Many believers were threatened with death if they refused to convert to Islam. According to an August 6 report from The Daily Sun, three pastors -- Pastor Sabo Yukubu, Pastor Sylvester Akpan and Pastor George Orji -- were brutally beheaded by assailants who were reportedly acting on the instruction of the militant group's leader, Mohammed Yusuf, who was later killed by authorities. The militants attempted to force the pastors to convert to Islam, but they refused to abandon their faith. They were then beheaded by guards who shouted "Allah Akbar" and fired several gunshots into the air in celebration.

Pray that God will comfort the families of those killed in these attacks. Pray that the peace of Christ will rule the hearts and minds of Nigerian Christians in the face of ongoing threats and danger (Philippians 4:7).

To find out more about how Christians suffer in Nigeria, click here.

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Pray For Us... This is the plea of persecuted Christians around the world. Today 200 million people are suffering for their faith in Jesus Christ, and over 165 thousand will be killed this year for their witness or identification with Jesus. On November 9, Canadians will join with Christians in over 130 countries to stand in prayer with our suffering sisters and brothers for the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP). The theme this year is "Pray for the Persecutors," based on Romans 12:9-21. To get your church, Bible Study or small group involved in IDOP, go to www.idop.ca, where you can download a free resource kit.

If you are a Pastor or Christian leader, especially those who lead prayer groups, please organize your prayer group to observe this day. You can change your prayer programme to accommodate this IDOP.

Remain blessed!

Pray for our persecuted brethren in India.

India has been a relatively calm place until recently. All the anti-conversion laws being passed in India and other Islamic countries are giving the persecution of christian a legal covering. But why the jittery among these other religions? Why should men fight for their gods. Why are they afraid of Christianity? Is it that they don't have strong argument to withstand the reality that Christianity presents?
Brethren, let us continue to pray for our brethren.

http://www.persecution.net/images/countries/india/india1.jpg
Specific instances of personal attacks can be named all across India. In May 2005, the death sentence for the man convicted of murdering Australian missionary Graham Staines and his boys in 1999 was commuted from the death sentence to life imprisonment. Seeing this as leniency for those who kill Christians, a Hindu militant and at least two others entrapped and murdered two pastors on the outskirts of Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh.

Reports of village churches being destroyed and church leaders being threatened by local Hindus continue to be a daily reality in India. Other persecution faced by Christians is more subtle, as converts to Christianity are often cast out of their families and face poverty and ostracism.

Prayer Requests

* Pray that militant influences in the government will continue to decrease and that freedom of religion will be recognized throughout India.
* Pray for protection for pastors, evangelists and other Christian workers as they share the Good News of Jesus.
* Pray for that those who turn to Christ will find the means to have their needs met.
* Pray that those who seek to hinder the work of the Church in India will see the love and grace of Jesus in the lives of Indian Christians.

See more here

A Christian killed in Kano

This is a prayer issue, let us keep praying for the persecuted saints all around the world. The only thing the Main Stream Media heard about this case was that there were riots in some parts of Kano State after the polls without knowing that Christians have been targeted again.

Religious motives underlie voter tensions; Christian’s lead at polls triggers attack.

Danyaro Bala

KANO, Nigeria, November 26 (Compass Direct News) – Christians said violence over elections in the Sumaila area this month included a strong religious element, with Muslims killing one Christian in an attack on a Christian settlement.

Eyewitnesses said violence broke out in the Gani electoral ward of Sumaila on November 17 after news reports showed that the Christian candidate for councillor for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Zara Gambo, was ahead in the polls, signifying the first ever victory for a Christian in the area.

As a result, they said, Muslims attacked Christians in Gani town and in Gani Mission, a Christian settlement in the area, injuring several of them, destroying their houses and shops and killing elementary school teacher Danyaro Bala. He is survived by a wife and 11 children.

Sani Duma, Bala’s younger brother, told Compass that he believes Muslims killed the local church elder in order to cow area Christians into submitting to Islam.

“Religion is at the center of this attack on us and the killing of my brother,” Duma said. “The selection of only houses of Christians and their shops for destruction shows clearly that Muslims were out to force us into submitting to their hold on political leadership.”

Duma said that area voters are all Hausas who speak the same language.

“We are of one tribe, Hausa,” he said. “The only thing that divides them and us is religion. While we in Gani Mission are Christians, they in Gani town are Muslims. Religion is therefore the prime motive behind the attack on us, as only houses of Christians were burned.”

Read more of the story here and here.

Two Christians murdered in Kaduna

Brethren we need to pray. This is not a good story at all. Will the authorities make sure these perpetrators are brought to justice. We are yet to see. The church will continue to march on and the gates of hell will never prevail against it.

KADUNA, Nigeria, October 22 (Compass Direct News) – One man has been killed with a sword and another bludgeoned to death in this city in central northern Nigeria following Muslim leaders’ appeal to wage violent jihad against youthful Christians. Muslim extremists on October 12 murdered Henry Emmanuel Ogbaje, a 24-year-old Christian, at an area known as Gamji Gate. The following day, church leaders said, a young Christian identified only as Basil was beaten to death with wooden clubs in the same area. Ogbaje was a Sunday school teacher with the Military Protestant Church at Kotoko Barracks in Kaduna, while Basil, church leaders said, was a member of the Our Lady of Apostles Catholic Church. He was from Kagarko Local Government Area. Elder Saidu Dogo, secretary of the northern Nigeria chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), told Compass that Islamic leader Sheik Gumi had urged Muslims to wage jihad against Christians during Tafsir, the reading and interpretation of the Quran, in televised broadcasts during the Islamic month-long observance of Ramadan. “I saw Sheik Gumi on the television, NTA [Nigeria Television Authority], during that period preaching this inciting sermon – in fact, the same sermon was again broadcast by NTA Kaduna, on September 21 and 22,” Dogo told Compass. “He specifically called for a jihad, and that when they go killing they should not kill the elderly people, because the elderly have spent their years already, but that Muslims should kill young Christians.” Dogo said that Sheik Gumi justified his call for jihad by saying in the same way Muhammad captured the Arabian peninsula, and Usman dan Fodio influenced northern Nigeria. Sheik Gumi concluded that because the British took northern Nigeria from the Islamic reformer (1754-1817) by force, Muslims “should fight to take over Nigeria by going to war against Christians.” “With these kinds of statements coming from Muslim leaders, why would the followers of Islam not attack Christians?” Dogo asked. “We believe that the killing of Henry Ogbaje and Basil are the result of such sermons of these Muslim leaders.” Dogo expressed dismay that the NTA, an agency of the Nigerian government, could be used to air such inflammatory messages. Nor is the Nigerian government making any efforts, he said, to curb such manipulation of the media. Left for Dead Henry Ogbaje’s father, Sgt. Emmanuel Ogbaje, told Compass that his daughter phoned him in Abuja on October 12 with news that Muslims had beaten his son to death with wooden clubs. “She said they attacked him around the hours of five and six in the evening in the Gamji gate area, where they left him unconscious believing they had killed him,” Ogbaje said. “Henry was left in that state for about three hours with no one helping him.” The rest of the story is here.

ERITREA: CHRISTIAN DIES IN MILITARY JAIL

Many have died and yet more are suffering because of their faith. This is a story from here Rev 7:14 14 "And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (KJV)
	Torture, illness claim life of believer denied medical treatment unless he recanted. LOS ANGELES, February 22 (Compass Direct News) – An Eritrean Christian died in prison last week, four and a half years after the Eritrean regime jailed him for worshipping in a banned Protestant church. From the southern port city of Assab, local Christians confirmed the death of Magos Solomon Semere on Thursday (February 15) at the Adi-Nefase Military Confinement facility just outside Assab. According to one source, Semere, 30, died “due to physical torture and persistent pneumonia, for which he was forbidden proper medical treatment.” He had reportedly endured a long period of severe illness in the months prior to his death.
Read it all and keep praying for the persecuted saints around the world.