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Would you like to sign up for our monthly e-letter? It is completely confidential and a piece on persecution is usually in every month's letter. Either email me bloemsteve@yahoo.com or go to our contact us form and telll us you want to the Eletter. There is no charge for this eletter. Contact Us Would you like to pray for the persecuted church. Here is a good place to start. Go to http://www.persecution.com/public/pray.aspx?clickfrom=bWFpbl9tZW51
"praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" - Ephesians 6:18
|  | VOM-USA Prayer Update for February 3, 2012
On Thu. Feb 02 2012 at 12:08 PM Moderator wrote:
Vietnam--Four Christian Prisoners Released on "Vietnam Day"
Sources: VOM Contacts, Human Rights Watch
Psalm 146:6-8
Who made heaven and earth,
The sea, and all that is in them;
Who keeps truth forever,
Who executes justice for the oppressed,
Who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners.
The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord raises those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous.
Within the next few weeks, VOM will provide medical checkups and any necessary treatment to four recently released Christian prisoners. The four men, who had been serving sentences of nine to 10 years each, were among 10,244 prisoners released in celebration of Vietnam's National Day on Sept. 2, 2011. One prisoner who was not released was 65-year-old Father Nguyen Van Ly. Father Nguyen received an eight-year prison sentence in 2007 but was released in March 2010 on medical parole after suffering three strokes. One year later, the government insisted that Father Nguyen return to prison, and on July 25, 2011, he returned to complete the remaining five years. Father Nguyen requires ongoing treatment for his health problems, which include a brain tumor and carotid atherosclerosis. Thank God for the release of the four Christians, and pray for their successful return to church and family life. Pray also for Father Nguyen's release and health |
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Colombia--FARC Impedes Evangelism in La Macarena
Source: VOM Contacts
Joshua 10:25
Then Joshua said to them, "Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight."
Members of the leftist FARC guerrillas have prevented VOM evangelist "Rolo" from entering La Macarena region with items such as radios, Bibles and Christian books, as violence in the area increases. "Aside from closing churches, they are burning buses" that try to come to the region, a VOM worker in the region said. "There are other towns that have the same problem right now," our worker added. Please pray for believers in the region around La Macarena, that God will preserve their lives and give them courage.
Sudan--Evangelist Beaten and Arrested
Source: Compass Direct News
Psalm 121
I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.
Police beat and arrested a church leader in Khartoum recently, amid increasing harassment of Christians in Sudan following the 2011 secession of the largely Christian South Sudan. Evangelist James Kat of the Evangelical Church of Sudan was arrested Jan. 17 on charges of using church property as his home. He was released on bail the same day. In a Jan. 3 letter to leaders of the Sudanese Presbyterian Evangelical Church, Sudan's Ministry of Guidance and Religious Endowments threatened to arrest all pastors who carry out evangelistic activities and fail to provide contact information for church leaders. About 350,000 people, most of them Christians, fled to South Sudan after its secession, and Christianity is now regarded as a foreign religion in Sudan. Pray for the few remaining believers in the north.
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Matthew 16:13-18 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." "But what about you, he asked.?" "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will say something about the persecuted church, basically drawing from the Great Puritan Theologian, John Owens. He tells us two important things about the above text in Matthew. (1) The person of Christ, the Son of the Living God became through His human nature, the anointed Messiah/Savior, holding and executing the duties of three offices, Prophet, Priest, and King. These foundational truths are the Rock, (Peter’s confession not Peter himself) that Matthew speaks about above. (2) The power and policy of hell will be always engaged in opposing this foundation, and the building of Christ’s church, which He is the head.
The gates of hell, as all agree are the power and policy of it, or the acting’s of Satan, both as a lion and as a serpent, by rage and by subtlety. He does not act in a visible manner, in his own person, but by his agents. His always has two sorts of them, that work for him. He uses one class of demons and through them carries out his intention,which is his rage.and by the other his craft; which is his seductions, he now is acting like a lion and then acting like a serpent. The Satanic work of this kind is of a double nature; --- the one, an effect of his power and rage, acted by the world in persecution--- the other, of his policy and craft, acted by heretics in seduction. By both means he works so as to separate the church from its foundation. Christ our Leader was treated by contempt, insults, slanders, false accusations, blasphemy of his doctrine, reviling of His person and the like. Christ has made it clear to His followers that for the most part that persecution will be their lot in life. Please visit http://www.persecution.org/suffering/index.php I Peter 4:12-19 - Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER? Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. This quote is from the New American Standard Bible, Lockman Foundation. The Cost of Following Christ Jesus the Lord.
“A man who gave Himself to Christ in those days was put out of the synagogue if he was a Jew; He was cast out of society if he happened to be a heathen. He was dragged up before the tribunals; He was frequently cast in prison; As frequently he was beaten with many stripes, and very often he was put to death by fire or by the sword. But these early Christians knew what was to happen, and knowing it, yet deliberately gave themselves up to the Lord.
Oh! Dear professors here present, has your gift of yourselves to Christ been as sincere as that, or did you merely come and make a profession because others did, and have you stuck to that profession, lie though it was, because you did not like the shame of confessing that you had made a mistake? Oh! Is it sincere or not? If it is not God make it so, for it is only that which is of the heart that will stand the last great trial-day. Lord, deliver us from having any religion in which the heart is not found!”
Spurgeon, Charles. Spurgeons Expository Encyclopedia, Volume 5 Grand Rapids: Baker, p. 106
Your brothers and sisters in Christ are depending on you prayers. Their suffering is overwhelming. Here is a help to be able to pray withk http:www.persecution.com/public/pray.aspxclickfrom=bWFpbl9tZW The spacing problem below is being addressed. Thank you for your patience. |
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The gates of hell, as all agree, are the power and policy of it, or the acting’s of Satan, both as a lion and as a serpent, by rage and by subtlety. He does not act in a visible manner, in his own person, but by his agents. His always has two sorts of them, that work for him. He uses one class of demons and through them carries out his intention,which is his rage.and by the other his craft; which is his seductions, he now is acting like a lion and then acting like a serpent. The Satanic work of this kind is of a double nature; --- the one, an effect of his power and rage, acted by the world in persecution--- the other, of his policy and craft, acted by heretics in seduction. By both means he works so as to separate the church from its foundation. Christ our Leader was treated by contempt, insults, slanders, false accusations, blasphemy of his doctrine, reviling of His person and the like. Christ has made it clear to His followers that for the most part that persecution will be their lot in life. . Please visit http://www.persecution.org/suffering/index.php I Peter 4:12-19--12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; 13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. 14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; 16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify 0God in this name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER? 19 Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. |
<span style="font-family:times new roman;">I will say something about the persecuted church, basically drawing from the Great Puritan Theologian, John Owens. He tells us two important things about the above text in Matthew. (1) The person of Christ, the Son of the Living God became through His human nature, the anointed Messiah/Savior, holding It is illegal iIran
http://www.persecution.com/public/pray.aspx?viewallbulletins=Y
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