Category: Persecution

Persecution

Day of the Christian Martyr 2023

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June 29th is Day of the Christian Martyr, marking the martyrdom of the Apostle Paul. Each year, Voice of the Martyrs honors a martyr by sharing their powerful story. These saints have given their lives to share the gospel in their communities. They are not celebrities, but real heroes. This year Abdiwelli Ahmed was chosen as the latest inductee for Day of the Christian Martyr.

Abdiwelli was a Somalian who came from a long line of Muslims. While in college, he began comparing the Quaran to the Bible. He fell in love with the Bible and gave his life to Jesus. From that point on Abdiwelli’s life was in danger as he was seen as a threat to Muslim students and faculty. He suffered beatings and many other bad things. But that didn’t stop Abdiwelli. 

He and his wife Helen fearlessly shared the gospel to the Somali people while serving them through an agriculture ministry. They received death threats regluarly, yet they kept sharing the gospel. Twenty years after Abdiwelli placed his faith in Jesus Christ, he was gunned down as he was talking on the street with a pastor. Helen knew her husband’s death was not in vain.

“We have a triumphant God. We know God is going to triumph in this situation.” – Helen Ahmed, Abdiwelli’s wife. 

You can learn more about Abdiwelli here https://www.persecution.com/martyr/

Last year, 5621 Christians were murdered for their faith. (Open Doors USA)

More than 360 million Christians suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith. (Open Doors USA)

312 million Christians around the world currently face high or extreme levels of persecution. (Open Doors USA)

 

God bless all those who suffer for the cause of Jesus Christ. We stand with you as your brothers and sisters in Christ. May God continue to strengthen, equip, and protect each and every one of you. Amen.

Love you all,

Meghan

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:18

Voice of the Martyrs serves persecuted Christians in the most dangerous places around the world. 

https://www.persecution.com/

Open Doors USA supports Christians suffering persecution in more than 70 countries.

https://www.opendoorsus.org/en-US/ 

 

P.S. The link to Open Doors USA is not working at the time of this writing. Please just do an internet search for Open Doors USA if the link continues to not work. Thank you!

 

Photo Credit: Meghan E. White 

 

Persecution

Join a Global Prayer Movement

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Sunday, November 7, 2021 is the International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians.

According to Open Doors, in just the last year there have been:

  • Over 340 million Christians living in places where they experience high levels of persecution and discrimination
  • 4,761 Christians killed for their faith
  • 4,488 churches and other Christian buildings attacked
  • 4,277 believers detained without trial, arrested, sentenced or imprisoned

More from Open Doors:

  • 309 Million: In the top 50 World Watch List countries alone, 309 million Christians in the world experience high levels of persecution and discrimination for their choice to follow Christ.
  • 1 in 8: Christians worldwide experience high levels of persecution
  • 4,761: Christians killed for faith-related reasons in the top 50 WWL countries.
  • 4,488: Christians detained without trial, arrested, sentenced and imprisoned in the top 50 WWL countries.
  • 4,277: churches or Christian buildings attacked in the top 50 WWL countries.
  • 2.7 times: the amount the number of Christians killed has risen in sub-Saharan Africa, year over year.
  • 20:Consecutive years North Korea has ranked No. 1 as the world’s most dangerous place for Christians.
 
Every single day our brothers and sisters in Christ are suffering around the world for following Jesus. Many will lose their lives. These are the heroes of the faith. We won’t see them on social media. They probably won’t write books. Yet they are warriors for God. These precious unsung Christians are my personal heroes. Their courage, faith, and love for Jesus is inspirational.
 
To suffer and even die for the name of Jesus Christ is an honor. Jesus himself suffered greatly in his short time on earth. We too will suffer for the cause of Christ. 
 
But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats: do not be frightened. 1 Peter 3:14, NIV 
 
For those of us who live without this intense persecution we have an obligation to pray. To share the Gospel because we can, freely. To talk about Jesus, show His love to others, and be His hands and feet in this hurting world. 
 
Join me, and thousands of Christians around the globe, as we pray for the persecuted church this Sunday November 7th. It’s also encouraged to pray for the persecuted church the entire month of November. 
 
One of the most powerful things we can do is pray. 
 
The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16b, NIV 
 
You can pray by country. You can pray for specific missionaries that you know of, or maybe missionaries that your church supports. Pray that our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ stay encouraged. Pray for their protection. Pray that the Gospel will be spread in these hostile countries. Pray that God is glorified. There are countless ways to pray for the persecuted church. Both The Voice of the Martyrs, and Open Doors have great resources of how to pray, and other ways you can help.
 
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galations 6:2, NIV 
 
 
Let’s lift up our brothers and sisters in Christ every day.
 
Love you all,
Meghan 
 
 

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 2 Corinthians 4:17, NIV 

 
 
The Voice of the Martyrs global prayer guide.

https://www.persecution.com/globalprayerguide/?_source_code=WHPB20C

Open Doors

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Persecution, Trials

The Hiding Place

meghanewhite

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Do you have someone in your life who inspires you? Maybe you are inspired by someone you have never met. I am blessed with many incredible Christians who encourage me and spark my faith. But I also have some people I admire from afar, some who have long ago left the earth. One of these special people is Corrie ten Boom.

Years ago I read The Hiding Place. My mom read the book when I was a teenager so I decided to read it as well. I couldn’t put it down. Corrie’s family hid Jews and Dutch Resistance workers in their home during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. The ten Boom’s had a long tradition of supporting, and regularly praying for the Jews. Exactly one hundred years before her family was arrested by the Gestapo, they began praying for the Jews.

The hiding place was created in Corrie’s bedroom. A brick wall was built creating a hidden room with a secret entrance through a linen closet. The refugees lived in the house but would quickly escape to the hiding place when alerted of a raid by the Gestapo through a bell system. It is estimated that the ten Boom’s helped at least 800 people during WWII. Impressive what ordinary people can do by trusting an extraordinary God.

Eventually the ten Boom’s were betrayed and arrested. Corrie’s sister Betsie, brother Willem, and nephew Kit all died in the concentration camps. Casper ten Boom, Corrie’s father, died after ten days of imprisonment. There are many miraculous stories that Corrie shares in The Hiding Place. If you have never read the book I don’t want to give away too much detail. I highly recommend reading this inspirational story.

After terrible suffering in prison and the concentration camps, watching her sister get sick and die in the camps, losing her father, brother, and nephew, Corrie still loved God. Her faith had been tested by fire and proved worth more than gold. After the war, God used Corrie greatly to spread the Gospel around the world.

God loves to use regular folks like Corrie ten Boom. She loved Jesus and lived a surrendered life to Him. Corrie was a real person, with real struggles. Bitterness had captured Corrie’s heart towards the guards at the concentration camp who had been so cruel to her sister and all the prisoners. God set her free through the power of forgiveness. He can set all of us free of whatever is holding us back if we allow Him to work in our lives.

This amazing woman of faith still inspires people today. Corrie helped me just a few months back. In March, during my husband’s hospitalization, I was struggling. Each evening I would collapse after spending hours in the hospital with Tom. We had no real answers and were told daily the severity of his condition. By the time I would lay down at night, I couldn’t fall asleep.

I would watch anything that was uplifting or encouraging to try and ease my mind. One night I was scrolling through Youtube when a Corrie ten Boom video showed up. That was odd because I hadn’t been searching her out, but God knew that’s what I needed. As soon as I heard her voice it immediately comforted me. I can’t tell you what her message was. I don’t even remember. Corrie encouraged me, and I could fall asleep.

“There is no pit so deep, that God’s love is not deeper still.” Betsie ten Boom said this to Corrie while in the concentration camp and Corrie quoted it the rest of her life.

The Lord is our hiding place. He will hide us when we need protection. He will surround us with His massive wings. He will hold us, comfort us, cover us, and care for us when we are struggling. God is the perfect loving Father. If you are hurting, don’t run from Him, run to Him.

You are my hiding place;
    you will protect me from trouble
    and surround me with songs of deliverance.

Psalm 32:7, NIV

Corrie ten Boom overcame insurmountable suffering and pain because she relied on Jesus Christ. He used her mightily, and he wants to use you too, for the Kingdom.

If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior, today would be a great day to change that. Jesus loves you and died for you. He is waiting for you to invite Him into your heart and life.

Love you all,

Meghan

If you need prayer send your requests to meghanewhiteauthor@gmail.com

Persecution

How to Pray for Afghanistan

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My heart sank as I watched the tarmac filled with Afghan people wanting to leave. Some were desperate enough to cling to the massive C-17 in hopes of rescue. Like many of you, I wanted to do something but felt so helpless being so far away. One of the best things we can do is pray.

According to Open Doors, Afghanistan is the second most persecuted country for Christians. Open Doors is a non-denominational Christian ministry that supports the persecuted church around the world. They keep vital statistics on persecution.

“Open Doors USA is dedicated to the radical idea that every Christian belongs to one Church and one Family“

Another incredible ministry to the persecuted church is The Voice of the Martyrs. I love both of these amazing ministries because they are passionate about prayer, and helping the suffering church all over the world.

Every province in Afghanistan has Christians, according to The Voice of the Martyrs. These are our brothers and sisters in Christ. How can we help? We can pray.

The Voice of the Martyrs has put together a list of ways we can pray.

How to Pray for Afghanistan Today

  1. PRAY FOR GOD’S PROTECTION. The situation on the ground is fluid right now. Pray for God’s protection over His people.
  2. PRAY FOR WISDOM. Ask God to bless our brothers and sisters with discernment as they decide whether to stay or go and even with whom they should talk.
  3. PRAY FOR FELLOWSHIP. Believers in Afghanistan often must keep their faith a secret — even from family members. Pray that God will help each Afghan believer to connect and fellowship with at least one other believer in person, by phone or through some other technology. Pray that God will remind them that they are not alone, but are part of the global body of Christ.
  4. PRAY FOR SAFE PASSAGE. Pray that God will provide safe passage to those who feel led by God to leave Afghanistan and provide for their immediate needs in their new location.
  5. PRAY THAT MUSLIMS WILL MEET CHRIST. The Taliban claim to be “true Muslims,” strictly adhering to Sharia (Islamic law). As Muslims in Afghanistan see this cruel face of Islam, pray that they will be drawn to Jesus Christ, the shepherd Savior who doesn’t oppress but instead chose to lay down His life for His sheep.
  6. PRAY FOR CHRISTIANS TRYING TO HELP. For decades, VOM has provided help and encouragement to Christians in Afghanistan. Pray for the wisdom of front-line workers, and pray that God will open new pathways for them to continue their work under Taliban control. 

THANK YOU for standing with our Afghan brothers and sisters during this volatile time.

Love you all,

Meghan

Home
Click on the above link that says “Home” to access Open Doors.

https://www.persecution.com

Click on the above link to access The Voice of the Martyrs.

Persecution

Day of the Christian Martyr

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June 29th is the anniversary of the Apostle Paul’s martyrdom according to church tradition. To remember the many who have lost their lives for the cause of Christ, Voice of the Martyrs honors a martyr each year by telling their incredible story.

Most of these martyrs will never get talked about on any news media. They aren’t Christian celebrities. Many are missionaries who have laid down their lives because of their love of Jesus.

This year Voice of the Martyrs is honoring Rocio Pino. In 2011 Rocio was gunned down by Marxist Guerrillas on the doorstep of her house. She left behind a husband and two daughters. Rocio’s family lived in Columbia’s Guerrilla controlled Red Zone. Rocio faithfully shared the love of Christ with the Guerrillas.

“All who come here will hear about Christ.” Rocio Pino

Learn more about Rocio’s story and many other honored martyrs at Voice of the Martyrs. Click on the link to register and Voice of the Martyrs will send you all kinds of resources including prayer slides, discussion guides, and short videos all related to Day of the Christian Martyr. https://www.persecution.com/martyr/?_source_code=EM21F8

Around the world, more than 340 million Christians live in places where they experience high levels of persecution, just for following Jesus. That’s 1 in 8 believers, worldwide. (Open Doors USA)

An average of 13 Christians killed every day. That’s nearly 400 Christians dying every month. Just because they follow Jesus. (Open Doors USA)

May we always remember the persecuted church, our brothers and sisters in Christ, in our daily prayers.

Today we honor the martyrs. We are grateful and inspired by their faith, dedication, and love for Jesus and others. God bless their legacy and the families they left behind. God will keep blessing the advancement of the Kingdom until the return of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Love you all,

Meghan

Link to Open Doors USA. They support persecuted believers in more than 60 countries.

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Link to Voice of the Martyrs. They serve persecuted Christians around the world.

https://www.persecution.com