Monday, May 14, 2012
Imagine applying for a copy of your marriage certificate at the local government office and& the clerk tells you that your marriage and children are illegitimate all because you were married in a church not officially "recognized" by the government.
That has happened to some members of the First Baptist Church of Bethlehem. While the church has been a part of the Bethlehem community since 1978, recently the Palestinian Authority proclaimed it "illegitimate."
Why is that significant? When former Muslims or Orthodox Christians become members of First Baptist and get married in the church, their marriages are not recoginzed by the P.A., they become "second class" citizens. If they then have children, their kids are considered "non-citizens." They have few rights as Palestinians, they and the church are marginalized in the society.
At the same time in East Jerusalem, some Muslim neighbors of Khoury's Calvary Church have pressured the landlord of the building that houses the church to evict the evangelical congregation within 30 days.
This is not the first eviction for Khoury and his church members. They've been forced to vacate other church buildings in the city. Seems some Muslims think the right to religious assembly only applies to them in the Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem.
Last month, President Obama issued an executive waiver so $192 million in aid could be resumed to the Palestinian Authority. Perhaps his administration should use America's financial leverage to convince the P.A. to ease up on Palestinian Christians. Under threat of losing U.S. financial help, it may force them to re-evaluate that "illegitimate" designation for the First Baptist Church of Bethlehem Christians. Maybe they'd be convinced to help Calvary Church find a suitable building in East Jerusalem.
A web site called Bethlehem Freedom has been established for those who want to help.
Also, for more on the plight of Palestinian Christians, watch my recent interview with Pastor Steve Khoury below.
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
I just received this email from Present Truth Ministries. It's a letter they received from imprisoned Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani. He's the Christian house church pastor facing execution in Iran for leaving Isalm. Pastor Youcef maintains he was never a Muslim and therefore could not be guilty of apostasy.
In the letter, the Iranian pastor says his trial has been so long that he wishes "these days to end."
He praises the support he has received from churches and politicians and says he believes the international human rights campaign to free him "can bring positive results."
However, he suggests Koran burnings like those led by a Florida pastor "cause stress and trouble."
Pastor Youcef asks for our continued prayers and support.
Here's the text of the full letter translated by Present Truth Ministries. A big thanks to Jason DeMars for passing it along:
07 May 2012
Greetings from your servant and younger brother in Christ, Youcef Nadarkhani.
To: All those who are concerned and worried about my current situation.
First, I would like to inform all of my beloved brothers and sisters that I am in perfect health in the flesh and spirit. And I try to have a little different approach from others to these days, and consider it as the day of exam and trial of my faith. And during these days which are hard in order to prove your loyalty and sincerity to God, I am trying to do the best in my power to stay right with what I have learned from God’s commandments.
I need to remind my beloveds, though my trial due has been so long, and as in the flesh I wish these days to end, yet I have surrendered myself to God’s will.
I am neither a political person nor do I know about political complicity, but I know that while there are many things in common between different cultures, there are also differences between these cultures around the world which can result in criticism, which most of the times response to this criticisms will be harsh and as a result will lengthen our problems.
From time to time I am informed about the news which is spreading in the media about my current situation, for instance being supported by various churches and famous politicians who have asked for my release, or campaigns and human rights activities which are going on against the charges which are applied to me. I do believe that these kind of activities can be very helpful in order to reach freedom, and respecting human rights in a right way can bring forth positive results.
I want to appreciate all those are trying to reach this goal. But at the other hand, I’d like to announce my disagreement with the insulting activities which cause stress and trouble, which unfortunately are done with the justification (excuse) of defending human rights and freedom, for the results are so clear and obvious for me.
I try to be humble and obedient to those who are in power, obedience to those in authority which God has granted to the officials of my country, and pray for them to rule the country according to the will of God and be successful in doing this. For I know in this way I have obeyed God’s word. I try to obey along with those whom I see in a common situation with me. They never had any complaint, but just let the power of God be manifested in their lives, and though sometimes we read that they have used this right to defend themselves, for they had this right, I am not an exception as well and have used all possibilities and so forth and am waiting for the final result.
So I ask all the beloved ones to pray for me as the holy word has said. At the end I hope my freedom will be prepared as soon as possible, as the authorities of my country will do with free will according to their law and commandments which are answerable to.
May God’s Grace and Mercy be upon you now and forever. Amen.
Youcef Nadarkhani
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
It seems the closer Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez gets to eternity, the more he talks (and maybe thinks) about Jesus Christ.
Chavez has ruled Venezuela with an iron fist for the past 13 years and is an admitted follower of atheists Karl Marx and Fidel Castro. He is struggling with cancer and has undergone chemotherapy and two surgeries to remove tumors. He is back in Cuba where he is currently undergoing radiation therapy.
Some Venezuelans doubt he will survive the illness to run for re-election in October.
The former Catholic altar boy is attending mass more often these days and he talks more frequently about God and Jesus when he appears on television. Chavez even wept last month during a televised mass and he was overheard praying that Jesus (he calls him the greatest socialist who ever lived) will, "give me life because I still have things to do."
He says his battle with cancer has made him "more Christian."
Linda Aguirre, president of the Council of Christian Public Employees says God has begun a work in the Venezuelan president.
Is this a sincere spiritual awakening, or just another poltiical ploy by Chavez to win over Catholic and Evangelical voters?
Watch the following video clip of Chavez, which includes a comment from him as he holds a crucifix in his hand. He says it's the same one he clutched when he was left to die on the seashore during the April 2002 coup. He says God did a miracle that day and spared his life.
In the video, Chavez kisses the crucifix exclaiming, "I'm sure our Christ will do it again, continuing making the miracle!"
Also in the video clip, nurse Herminda Farfan says she doubts Chavez's sincerity about his Christian faith. She says, "Lucifer did what he (Chavez) does, he kissed Christ, and Jesus said: 'go down, because this is not your kingdom.' That's what Jesus said to Satan and that is what Hugo Chavez is doing. He also cheated the people, saying they are the force. The force is God and God does not want him (Chavez) to continue in power."
CCPE President Aguirre refers to Romans 13 in the video. She says "the president has been put here by God because all authority is placed by God and we will continue praying and support him."
Only God knows if Hugo Chavez will overcome the cancer and continue in power after the October election. Let's pray the Venezuelan president has experienced a true conversion. If he has, both he and Venezuela will never be the same.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Pastor Behnam & Family
When most of us think about an imprisoned pastor in Iran, our thoughts often turn to Youcef Nadarkhani. Viewed as an apostate from Islam, the Iranian government has sentenced him to die because of his Christian faith. He’s been imprisoned now for 1,000 days.
The good news? International pressure is apparently working. He is still alive.
Another Iranian pastor is getting less attention in the West, even though he has endured torture and is in ill health.
Pastor Behnam Irani, 41, is from Kraj, Iran. He was convicted of crimes against national security in January 2011 and is currently serving the remainder of a six-year sentence. He has a wife and two children.
You can learn more about his case and even write a letter to him in the Farsi language by visiting Voice of the Martyrs's Prisoner Alert.
Present Truth Ministries also does an excellent job informing Americans and others about persecution in Iran. In the edited video clip below, Jason DeMars describes Pastor Behnam’s prison experience.
I join DeMars in asking you to please pray for the imprisoned pastor—also Pastor Nadarkhani and other Christians who suffer for their faith in Iran.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
The Voice of the Martyrs has released this letter from VOM President Jim Dau.
I thought I'd share it with you so you would be encouraged to pray for the White family and our friends at VOM:
James E. Dau: Letter from the President
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Dear Friend:
My name may be unfamiliar to you, but I have served VOM as Chief Operating Officer for nearly 13 years and have served as both COO and President for the past five years. In addition, I served as a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter pilot in Vietnam and retired with the rank of Colonel. I am humbled and honored to serve at VOM.
My first overseas trip with VOM was as part of a ministry team delivering Christmas Care packages in Egypt. Since that time, I’ve had the privilege of meeting with and delivering your aid to our persecuted brothers and sisters in many nations where Christians face persecution.
Overseeing an organization with the scope and reach of VOM involves many challenges, but the joy and gratitude expressed on the faces of our courageous persecuted family always remind me of how privileged I am to share in this great work.
God has blessed VOM with a dedicated team of workers and leaders, and I am grateful to be part of this leadership. I’ve never been the “public face” of VOM and probably never will be. We have relied on many others to fulfill that role, including our late Executive Director, Dr. Tom White, which unfortunately brings me to the purpose of this letter.
No day in the history of my work at VOM has been more difficult than Wednesday, April 18th. That morning, we learned that Tom had taken his own life. Like everyone on our team, and probably like you, my first question was, “Why?”
We don’t have all the answers to that question, and we never will this side of eternity. But we do know some of the events that led up to his tragic death.
The day before, allegations were made to authorities that Tom had inappropriate contact with a young girl. I personally believe that rather than face those allegations and the resulting fallout for his family and this ministry, Tom chose to end his life.
No one in leadership at VOM was aware of the allegations at the time of Tom’s death.
There is no doubt that Tom deeply loved his wife, his children and his grandchildren. And there’s no doubt that he was passionate about serving the persecuted church. As one of our directors stated, “He truly was a voice for the martyrs.”
All of us at VOM are deeply saddened by these events. Our hearts are broken. Yet God has called us to continue his work of standing with persecuted Christians around the world.
In serving alongside Tom for more than a decade as a ministry leader and friend, I am honored to have seen the work that God performed through Tom and through VOM. Our friendship and close working relationship make his death and the circumstances very hard. Yet my loss is small compared with the loss Tom’s family is now feeling. Our hearts and our prayers go out to them, and I know that you will want to pray with me that “The God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3) will be their Rock during these difficult days.
The work God has called VOM to fulfill — originally through the vision of Pastor Richard Wurmbrand in a Romanian prison cell — is much bigger than any one person. God has done an amazing work over the past 45 years in establishing this ministry to stand with those who are persecuted for their faith.
None of this could have been accomplished without our faithful friends who, led of the Spirit, encourage us, pray for us and contribute generously to support this work.
VOM has always been a ministry that relies on God moving His people to help the persecuted church. From the beginning, Pastor Wurmbrand traveled widely to spread the stories of the persecuted church, and people gave. We will continue to follow the model he established by freely sharing the stories of persecuted Christians and supporting them in their suffering.
We are continually humbled by the faithfulness of our readers who support this work. In effect, this is your ministry and we are merely God’s facilitators. We thank you for all the encouraging notes we have received in the past week; they have been a blessing beyond measure.
There are many exciting opportunities ahead. With God’s help, we will continue expanding our ministry to serve those who are persecuted and to make their voices heard. We do not know why or when tragedy will fall, but we do know that God is in control and desires us to be in fellowship with His persecuted body (Phil. 3:10).
On behalf of those who are suffering for their faith and my co-workers here at The Voice of the Martyrs, I thank you for standing with us during this difficult time and humbly seek your ongoing prayers.
James E. Dau
President
The Voice of the Martyrs
Saturday, April 21, 2012
I was hurt and greatly saddened to discover this item from The Voice of The Martyrs in my inbox as I checked my email this morning:
The Voice of the Martyrs statement concerning the death of Tom White:
The events of the last week are tragic. On Wednesday we learned that Tom White, VOM’s executive director, had died.
Allegations were made to authorities this week that Tom had inappropriate contact with a young girl. Rather than face those allegations, and all of the resulting fallout for his family and this ministry and himself, Tom appears to have chosen to take his own life.
None of those in leadership at VOM, including our Board of Directors, were aware of these allegations at the time of Tom’s death.
There is no doubt that Tom cared about his wife, his children and his grandchildren. And there’s no doubt that he cared about VOM. We are deeply saddened by these events. Our hearts are broken.
However, the work that God has called VOM to do is bigger than any one of us. There are persecuted Christians who need our help. The legal process will go forward, and we will continue serving with our persecuted brothers and sisters.
We appreciate the many who are praying for our work, and we encourage you to join us in praying for Tom’s family during this difficult time.
A letter from VOM’s president will be posted on our web site, www.Persecution.com, next week.
Please continue to pray for Tom's wife Ofelia, his children, and grandchildren at this time. Prayers for them to be healed of this pain and hurt are needed now more than ever.
Friday, April 20, 2012
“Tears.” That’s how The Voice of the Martyrs co-founder Sabina Wurmbrand responded when a VOM worker detailed his findings about persecution against Christians in Sudan.
“Tears” are what many of my friends at VOM and I are shedding because of the sudden death of VOM Executive Director Tom White.
I worked closely with Tom over the years—laboring with him over the monthly newsletter, discussing Christian persecution in various restricted countries, and strategizing about responses. At times we disagreed, but I could not have asked for a better friend and mentor to help me understand persecution and the suffering church.
Tom’s passion was to bring about a fellowship of suffering, a connection between Christians in the West and our persecuted family members around the world.
He had a special heart for SE Asian Christian ethnics, like the Hmong of Vietnam and the Khmu of Laos, and a determined interest to highlight persecution against them in VOM’s monthly newsletter.
He also traveled extensively to more than 100 countries—risking his own safety-- to meet with persecuted believers where they lived: in jungles, mountain regions, remote and dangerous locations.
I recall joining him in December 2003 on a trip to Baghdad. Kidnappings and attacks against Westerners were increasing in Iraq as the glow of liberation wore off and the insurgency commenced. Tom was overjoyed to meet several evangelists who were imprisoned under Saddam Hussein.
A Christmas play performed by some Christian house church children left an impression on him. One of the young Iraqi performers—a kid wrapped up in toilet paper-- resembled an Egyptian mummy. He portrayed Lazarus brought back to life, emerging from the tomb as Jesus called out, “Lazarus come forth!”
Tom resembled a proud parent, enthralled by the performance. As the former school teacher snapped some photos, he excitedly announced the play would be spotlighted in a forthcoming VOM newsletter about Iraq.
One day while in Baghdad, we heard the deafening sound of continuous, celebratory gunfire erupt. We initially thought someone had just gotten married, but we learned later that Saddam Hussein had been captured in Tikrit and forcibly removed from a hole in the ground.
It was an historic moment. Tom expressed hoped that the Iraqi church would grow and experience greater religious freedom with Saddam gone, yet he knew Christians were likely to experience greater persecution as various Muslim groups battled for control of the country.
Tom also loved quotable quotes. Once after returning from a trip to Bangladesh, I told him about a former Muslim I had met who had “lost everything” for his faith in Christ. When I asked the persecuted believer to share his thoughts about what he had endured, he said, “They can burn my home and all my possessions, but they can’t burn Jesus from my heart!”
Tom’s face lit up as he inquired, “Did he really say that?”
“Yes,” I insisted. He brushed aside the clutter on his desk, found a pencil, and then frantically jotted down what I had just told him on a yellow legal pad.
“Wow! That’s great. They can’t burn Jesus from my heart… I’m going to use that in my editorial!”
He admired persecuted believers who endured hardship and possessed an eternal perspective about their faith. Tom worked tirelessly to share their experiences with the world. He truly was a voice of the martyrs.
He will be greatly missed not only by those who knew him, but also by many persecuted Christians who never had the opportunity to meet him. I doubt they’ll be represented by a more passionate advocate.
Please pray for his dear wife Ofelia, his children, and grandchildren during Tom’s homecoming.
“Well done, good and faithful servant!”
Below you can view a brief CBN News clip from Tom. While his comments were used in a story I did about persecution in China, what he says also applies to VOM’s loss at this time, heaven’s gain.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Is South Sudan Heading for War With Sudan?
Many Sudan observers think it is likely, but I would suggest that after more than three decades, the civil war between the north and south has never really ended.
Hostilities between the predominantly Christian south and Muslim north subsided a bit during the six year period between the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement in January 2005 and South Sudan independence last July.
Still, this war continues. It is unlikely to end until an agreement on borders and the sharing of oil resources is finalized.
Just this week, violence flared up again and South Sudan seized the oil-rich Heglig area of Sudan’s Unity State. South Sudan has claimed the territory as its own and used Sudan’s recent bombing of Heglig as an opportunity to move its troops in to occupy the disputed area.
Seven civilians were killed when a Sudan Antonov aircraft dropped bombs on Mayom town, Unity State on Sunday, April 15. Fourteen people were injured. It was just another in a series of Sudan bombing raids against the people of the disputed north-south border area.
All of this is really about oil—at least $4 billion worth in annual oil revenues.
Most of the oil is now in the newly independent South Sudan (the world’s newest nation), but it needs Sudan’s oil pipeline to transport South Sudan oil to the Red Sea and out to world markets. The problem is Sudan was not sharing the revenues from the transported oil so, South Sudan shut off the oil.
Sudan has now labeled South Sudan an enemy state even though at this point, the two countries need each other for their mutual economic survival. It appears South Sudan’s occupation of Heglig will give it more bargaining power and leverage when negotiations between the two countries eventually resume—possibly again in Addis Ababa--at the urging of the African Union.
In the meantime, more Sudan bombings are likely and more innocent South Sudanese, women and children like those in this video, are likely to die.
Details of the Mayom bombing are given by Nicolas Von Ruben, the director of Missions support for UNMISS.
Monday, April 02, 2012
What a difference two decades make.
Twenty-two years ago, Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy Party won about 80 percent of the seats in parliament. The military regime never allowed the NLD winners to be seated. Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest and remained there off and on (a total of 15 years) until her release in November 2010.
Burmese I've met in Yangon or elsewhere in the country would never say her name in public because they knew just mentioning her name, or carrying her photo, could get them arrested. They referrred to the Nobel Peace Prize winner simply as "The Lady."
Now, "The Lady" has won a seat in Parliament and her NLD Party has won 40 of 45 contested seats.
Was the election perfect? No. The NLD will have only 7 percent of the seats in Parliament.
Will that make a difference? Maybe.
We'll have to wait and see how much influence "The Lady" will have on her fellow parlimentarians until the general election in 2015.
There's still a long way to go before democracy is realized in Burma, but for now, everyone is celebrating "The Lady's" victory--their victory--that's been a long time coming.
Watch the video below to see the celebration outside NLD headquarters in Yangon and the mob surrounding Aung San Suu Kyi. Also, comments from Forum for Democracy spokesman Soe Aung.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Sheikh Wagdi Ghoneim, a member of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and outspoken Islamist says he's happy Coptic Pope Shenouda is dead.
"Egypt is relieved by his death," he said."Let him go to Hell."
Dr. Ghoneim (who has a Ph.D from the University of Indiana) reportedly is banned from England "based on charges related to terrorism." MEMRI TV translated his recent remarks.
Ghoneim calls Shenouda an "accursed criminal." The Pope's crime? He dared to oppose shariah law and was an advocate for Christian rights. Ghoneim said when the Muslim Brothers chanted, "The Koran is our constitution," Shenouda responded by saying, "The New Testament" is the Christians'."
In the video that appears below, the Sheikh says , "Death for the sake of Allah is our (Muslims) highest aspiration."
The Coptic pope replied, "Death for the sake of Christ is our highest aspiration."
Shenouda also professed that Christians, "Don't take Christ and his mother as gods beside Allah. He (Christ) IS God."
In the translated remarks, Ghoneim requests that, "Allah exact revenge from him (Shenouda) and from all those who follow his path."
That means revenge on you, me and 10 million Egyptian Coptics who likely agree with the remarks of Pope Shenouda.
Pray for a Godly and righteous successor to Pope Shenouda. May he be a courageous ambassador for Christ.
Pray for wisdom and guidance by the Holy Spirit.
Ghoneim's comments demonstrate what the new pope will be facing: