"Saed" first heard about Jesus from a Christian friend while living in another Middle Eastern country. When the events of the Arab Spring forced his family to return to Yemen, he lost contact with his Christian friend. Eventually, he discovered a Christian website and soon placed his faith in Christ. “However,” he said, “I felt lost and I was wrestling inside and I was afraid of the society around me.” After writing to another Christian website, he received a call from a Yemeni Christian who lived near him. The Christian gave Saed a Bible and answered his many questions. Today he lives at great risk in an extremely anti-Christian society, but he said he now lives with a great calling: “To save the lost souls and lead them to what is right.”
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Mohammed Hegazy, who went by the Christian name Bishoy Armia Bolous, was recently released from prison after making a public confession on July 29 that he had abandoned the Christian faith and returned to Islam. He had been in prison since December 2013, and his lawyer said he considered himself a Christian as recently as June 2016. Authorities have repeatedly harassed and imprisoned Hegazy, who engaged in a long battle to have his faith and name changed on his government ID card. Please pray that Mohammed Hegazy will know the love and peace of Christ.
Two Christians in Laos were detained in early August for sharing their Christian faith. “Ket” was arrested for distributing Christian materials in his village. And when authorities learned that he received the materials from “Boua,” a Christian woman living in another village, they arrested her the next time she came to visit Ket in jail. Pray for the encouragement of Ket and Boua as they face an uncertain future.
On July 30, a Maoist mob abducted Pastor Yohan from his home in the middle of the night and severely beat him before cutting his throat and dumping his body outside the village. A note left near the body warned, “If you plan to cheat our people by working as a police informer, this will be your punishment.” The pastor had served among a local tribal group for the past 15 years. VOM is helping provide for the immediate needs of his widow and four children. Please pray for the comfort and protection of this family and the local Christian community.
Pray for the Christians of Niger iCommitToPray Pastors and other Christian workers face increasing persecution in this Muslim-majority nation. At the request of local Christian leaders, VOM sponsored 12 conferences throughout Niger in June, providing 120 churches with training and resources to help them respond to persecution and spread the gospel. Please pray for these pastors and Christian workers as they continue to plant churches, evangelize and educate Christians on how to live as Christ followers in an Islamic society.
An Iranian pastor who has been imprisoned repeatedly for his Christian activities was arrested again on July 24 and charged with “acting against national security.” Youcef Nadarkhani was released from custody after being warned that he has no right to evangelize. When he was arrested in 2009 on charges of apostasy, authorities also sentenced his wife to life imprisonment in an attempt to persuade the pastor to convert back to Islam. Youcef’s wife was subsequently released, but he served nearly three years in prison. He and his wife were also briefly jailed in May of this year. Please pray that Pastor Youcef and his family will remain bold in their faith.
Eugenia and her husband have endured a series of hardships over the past few years while leading several house churches in rural Chiapas, Mexico. Their car was stolen at gunpoint, a man attacked Eugenia with a machete as she returned home from a church meeting, and their house was burned to the ground by arsonists trying to run them out of the area. They continue to trust in the Lord for protection and say they have no ill feelings toward those who have tried to hurt them. Please pray for Eugenia and her family as they continue to share the gospel in this difficult and dangerous region.
When Cuba and the United States announced a normalization of relations in December 2014, most did not expect conditions to worsen for churches and Christians. While life for the average Cuban has not changed, according to a VOM worker, Christians have faced increasing persecution because of changes within the Cuban government. Government informants make it difficult for churches to operate, even underground, and pastors and evangelists are routinely arrested and detained for hours or days at a time. Existing churches are forbidden from making improvements to their buildings, and new churches are denied building permits. Some churches are not even allowed to have electricity or other basic utilities in their facilities. Pray that Cuban Christians will persevere despite the obstacles they face in attending church or sharing their faith with others.
Christians who have already faced numerous hardships because of war and Islamic extremists and are now being threatened by a neighboring Muslim village. In the past when Muslims from the nearby village seized the Christians’ property and land, the Iraqi government stepped in to evict the Muslims. But the Muslim villagers are now threatening the Christians again. Pray for the safety of the Christians, who have little means of protection. Pray also that the Christians will love their neighbors and be a testament of Christ’s love and forgiveness.
“James” and other Christian leaders in Bangladesh are under continual threat from Islamic extremists. In one recent incident, extremists beat a Christian man and burned down his store and home. In a separate incident on the same day, extremists interrupted a church service and beat the adult believers who had gathered for worship. Several weeks ago, police arrested an alleged member of the Islamic State who was living in James’s village. Police have asked James to stay at the police station in the evenings for his own protection. Please pray that James and other Christians will find peace and continue to share the gospel amid persecution.
Please read more here: Desecration of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary in Oklahoma City Mary's Be A Good Dog Blog August 14th, 2016 To desecrate Jesus in the Eucharist is a most evil thing. If you believe in mysterious things, supernatural, eternal things, I hope you will never dismiss this as a small thing. Very Sad.
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Utilizes: New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Archives
June 2020
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