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 I will probably not experience what true persecution is like for my faith.  I always need to remember and appreciate and pray for those who are.

May God be with and Bless them ALL.

With all the attention around the world of christian persecution in places like China, India, North Vietnam and so on, I was taken back to read this article in Voice of the Martyrs of christian persecution in Isreal.  Yet, I was not surprised. 

The United States State Department estimates that there are 10,000 Messianic Jews (a Jew that believes Jesus is the Messiah and who follows the teachings of both the Old and New Testaments) in Isreal and Palestinian territories.  These Messianic Jews have reported incidents of intimidation and harassment from ultra-Orthodox Jewish organizations including Yad L’Achim. (an organization whose stated goal is “fighting Christian missionaries.”)

Persecution in Isreal and the West Bank:

May 15, 2008:  Residents of Or Yehuda publicly burned hundreds of New Testaments in front of a synagogue while students danced around the burning books.

May 1, 2008: Two Chief Rabbis cancelled their Internation al Jewish Bible Quiz after they learned a 15 year old finalist was a Messianic Jew.

March 20, 2008:  Ami Ortiz, a dual American-Isreali citizen and son of a messianic Jewish pastor, was seriously injured when a bomb exploded in his home in the West Band settlement of Ariel.

November 8,2007:  A group of Austrian bishops were barred from the Western Wall, because they refused to remove crosses they wore.  the chief Rabbi said the crosses were ‘insulting and provocative.”

October 23, 2007:  Arsonists firebombed a church in West Jersusalem shared by Baptists and Messianic Jews.

Let us keep this brothers and sisters in Christ in our prayers.

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International Day of Prayer for the Pursecuted Church

The Voice of the Martyrs is calling on Christians worldwide to set aside Nov. 9 to pray for Christians around the world living daily under the threat of persecution as part of the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.

To help you pray effectively, The Voice of the Martyrs offers a Church Resource Kit, including a six minute video presentation to show during IDOP church services.  You can view this at this site:  http//:idop.persecution.com/

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To read these articles and more go to:  www.christianpersecution.info/

* Detained Baptist Pastors Face Uncertainty In Kazakhstan And Azerbaijan

* Eritrea Christian Killed in Military Camp

* Somalia Militants Stone Raped Girl to Death for “Adultery”

* India Terror Blasts Damage Church; 50 Killed, Pastor Injured

* Algerian Court Dismisses Case against Christians Accused of “Blasphemy”

* Ertrean Officials Imprison 20 Members of Underground Church

* Somalia: Christian Aid Workers Beheaded for Converting from Islam

* Pakistan Custody Battle Over Kidnapped Christian Girl

* Detained Uyghur Christians Face Execution and Mistreatment in China

* India: Soldier Protecting Christians Mutilated, Killed in Orissa

* India Attacks Against Christian Missionaries Spreading

* Taliban Kills Christian Aid Worker in Afghanistan

* Christian Missionaries Bring Bibles, Aid to South Ossetia

* Iraq: Church Leaders Plead for Help in Mosul

* Iraqi Christians Worship Amid Worst Violence In Years

* 10,000 Iraqi Christians Flee Mosul As Killings Continue

* Chinese Pastor’s Son Regains Consciousness After Police Beatings

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In a recent VOM report from Ghana tells us of the needs that are faced by our Christian brothers and sisters who face persecution.  It comes from animists and Muslims in the countryside.  VOM workers have had to disguise themselves as they travelled into one  of the regions.  As the local people view strangers with great susupicion.  Those who do believe face being killed by their neighbors.  They live in great poverty and have not nearly enough bibles for the number of Christians.  Bibles and portions of bibles and Christian literature in the local language are smuggled into the area by Ghanaian believers at a very great risk.  Just recently 32 Christians were sent out of the region by pastoral leadership for fear that they might be killed.

Please pray for this country and there persecutors.

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North Korea

North Korea came into existence after WW II, when Korea was partitioned and a communist regime was installed in the North.  It is one of the most repressive and isolated regimes in the world, and denies every kind of human rights to its citizens.  International nuclear inspectors were expelled in 2002, as North Korea reactivated its nuclear development program.  The government is believed to possess several nuclear weapons, and talks aimed at dismantling Pyongyang’s nuclear program were intermittent in 2004, but have resumed during 2005.  this heavily industrialized nation is ruled by a one-man dictatorship with communist influence.  Kim II Sung, the former leader and father of the present dictator, Kim Jong II, founded an ideology called “Juche,” which means self-relience.  This is enforced by the ruling elite in every aspect of the culture. All religions have been harshly repressed.  Many thousands of Christians have been murdered since the Korean War.  Little is known about thday’s underground church since most Christians practice their faith in deep secrecy and constant danger.  The three churches in the capital of Pyongyang are for show only.  It has been estimated that as many as 3 million have died of startvation as famine continues to grip this nation.  The government stockpiles rations for their military only.  There is a huge black market within the ranks of those in power.  Seeking relief from such harsh living conditions, many North Koreans flee to China.  If they are caught they face being returned back home and there is almost certain death.  source is VOM Newsletters.

Wikipedia:

Capital: Pyongyang

Official Language: Korean

Government: Juche Socialist Republic-Single party state-Dictatorship

Currency: North Korean won

Population approx: 23,301,725 (2007)

Please go to Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) for more information and to write prisnors in North Korea and other places.

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CHINA

China continues to arrest, torture and jail Christians associated with illegal house churches as they attempt to control or eliminate all religions.  1.2 billion people inhabit the oldest  Communist republic.  It is estimated that 90 million being Christians.  Christians appear to be the hardest hit by the persection.

Three-Self Patriotic Movement and the The Chinese Catholic Patriotic Society are the government-approved churches where Christians may worship legally.  The loyalty of these groups is first to the government and then the church.  Children under 18 may not legally attand church.   AMAZING!!

Millions of believers choose to worship at illegal house churches rather than register with the government.  This is despite the chance of persecution, torture and prison.  China is presently putting more believers in prison or under detention than any other country.  They also continue to confiscate Bibles and church property.

YET, the Church still continues to expand.  It is extimated that 3000 Chinese are coming to Christ each day.  Praise the Lord!!

You can write to any of the prisoners on their website.  Most of all you can be praying for their faith and strength to stand strong and hold fast for the Lord.

When you watch, think or read about the Olympics-Pray for the brothers and sisters under persecution and the Chinese government.

Check out: PrisonerAlert.com

Thank you.

Pastor Zhang Mingxuan, known as “Pastor Bike,” is known for traveling across China on a bicycle to evangelize.  He was arrested by Chinese police just two days before the Olympics began.  Pastor Bike was the inspiration for the recent partnership between The Voice of the Martyrs and China Aid Association to creat the Olympic Prayer Band.

Pastor Bike is president of the Chinese House Church Alliance.  He rode his bike more than 10,000 miles visiting 24 Chinese provincesto introduce nonbelievers to Jesus Christ.  Armed with a Bible and his Business card which declared “Believe in Jesus, Earn Eternal Life.”  Pastor Bike brought the gospel to thousands of people.  he and other Chinese evangelists have been repeatedly harassed by Chinese official during this Olympic year.  Please pray for the release of Pastor Bike and his wife.

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The Church Triumphs over Terror–Return to Peru-20 Years Later  (part 1 of 5)                    BY DR. TOM WHITE

Twenty years ago Peru was in the grip of a Marxist war led by the Shining Path “Maoists,”who patterned themselves after the Chinese Communist dictator Mao Zedong.  The Shing Path was responsible for the deaths or disappearances of 31,331 people according to Peru’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission 2003 report.  Another source said there were 600,000 to 1 million displaced people.  Many pastors and believers, especially ones from the indigenous Quechua people, were killed because they would not renounce their faith in Jesus.

Throughout this terror which lasted more than a decade, our Peruvian director, Jose Zapata, continued to broadcast on a Christian radio station and supply aid to Christians who were being attacked.  One night while descending some church steps, he was beaten by terrorists in the dark.  they broke his ribs.

In 1991, Pastor Zapata and I traveled in the mountains to Calicanto and Ccano riding in a truck driven by Miguel Quicana.  We carried Quechua Bibles and blankets.  We saw the bodies of dead believers killed hours before our arrival.  In the town of Ccano, 32 Christians were burned to death when the Shining Path threw gasoline into the sanctuary of their church.

During this time we appealed in our newsletter for our VOM friends in the USA to send us blankets and clothes for the orphans in the city of Ayacucho.  Help poured in from our faithful readers.  We packed and shipped 40-foot containers by sea to Lima, which were then trucked up into the mountains for the children of our martyred brothers and sisters.  We also distributed milk and food.  We printed 20,000 booklets, Why Am I a Revolutionary?, to win terrorists to Christ.

Part 2 of 5  STILL WALKING FOR JESUS

What has happened to our brothers and sisters since that time?  One of VOM’s five main purposes, listed on the back of our newsletter, is to help Christians in formerly opressed nations.    Today, they continue to help those coming back to minister up in the mountains after the wave of terror.  Recently, we were led by Miguel Quicana to visit a man with no legs, who excitedly shared how he is “still walking for Jesus.”

When lay pastor Alejandro Gomez was 28 years old, he ran to help the people in his village who were under attack by the Shining Path.  As he ran, his legs were shattered by a mine or grenade.  His youg wife, Victoria and their baby, due to be born the next day, were killed.  with his useless legs amputated, Alejandro would lie outside a church in Ayacucho and pray.

He sat in his first-floor shoe repair shop and told me, “When I worked shining shoes, I told the businessmen, “Christ love you.  Christ loves you.’  These words came out of my mouth.  Before God changed me, I never used to say that.  I was too embarrassed.  Some of the people came to Christ.  Some did not have money.  I told them ‘Don’t wrorry.’  Since then I have moved up a bit.  I am a shoe repairman now.”

“God has blessed me.  He has given me wisdom to pray for the brothers from other countries which I have never known: the United States, Europe, Palestine, Isreal, Saudi Arabia.  I never know where my prayers are going to take me.  I pray for our country, the authorities, for missionaries, for those preaching.  God has answered my prayers.”

Twice a week, Pastor Alejandro walks several kilometers above Ayacucho up into the mountains to preach and witnessfor Jesus.  His orginal prosthetics were worn out, so we provided new legs for him.

Alejandro is typical of the heroic faith of many believers who are now returning to the mountains.  We will not let them down.  We are supplying them with DVD projectors and thousands of Bibles in 2008.  Whether we live or die, Christ Jesus is our triumph through terror and over terror-our 20 years in Peru have not been in vain.  We are grateful for our readers and donors who all keep walking for Jesus.

 Part 3 of 5 The church begins to grow

Another Quechua brother told us, “When I was 7 years old, we began hearing about the guerrillas.  Then they came to our village and began talking to us about the Marxist ideology.  The Marxist ideology was that our lives were worth nothing, that our lives belonged to the Communist party and that we had to sacrifice them to the party.  They started assassinating our leaders.  How could they kill our own people is these marxists were fighting for us?  My grandmother told us, ‘Death has arrived.  We must go.’  We went into the forest, taking our cattle.  We could hear the bullets, the bombs and see the houses burning.  Houses were burning around the whole countryside.  There were dead bodies in the river, along the roads.  the guerrillas told us, ‘leave with the clothes on your back.  Leave everything to the party, everything.’  My father was a member of the Assemblies of God.  They beat and tortured him, then killed him by shooting him in the head.”  These Christians suffered tremendously, but they remained faithful.  Pastor K’sopio told us, “I was a deacon in the church.  The terrorists hated us because we did not want to participate with the terrorism.  The Bible tells us to separate from those things.  When I became a pastor, our worship service was in a cave.  Even there they caught us and put a gun to my head.  But the gun did not fire.  A lady spoke up for me, and they killed her.”  Cresenciana, A Quechua sister, related, “Ond day the guerrillas came to our church,  They took over our building and stood in our pulpit putting a red flag over it.  After a few months, they would no longer let us enter the church.  They ate our livestock and slaughtered animals in our sanctuary.”  Maximo Aquino told us, “Actually, the church began to grow for fear of death, and because of all the problems.  I was a little bit undecided.  finally I said, ‘My life is in the hands of the Lord.  If it is His will, I will die even if I am not shot.  But if it is not His will, not even 1.000 bullets can kill me.’  The majority of the people had this type of confidence.’  One young women confirmed the same point of courage.  “Faith does not mean that I am not fearful, that I don’t cry or that I won’t want to escape.  faith is also to cry, to tremble, but the a strength that keeps you in peace.”