Secret Church

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Pray for the Persecuted Posted: 30 Aug 2012 11:00 PM PDT Each week, we will post some specific ways that we can be praying together for our brothers and sisters around the world who are actively sharing in Christ's suffering through persecution.  Take some time to lift the believers in each of these regions before our Father in heaven.  At the same time, pray for those enacting the persecution to be kindly drawn to repentance and to experience new life through faith in Jesus. Pray for Rimsha Masih in Pakistan  Rimsha has now been in jail for 15 days.  She was taken there after an angry mob surrounded a police station and accused her of burning pages from an Islamic holy book.  ”Fearing violence, the police filed blasphemy charges against Ms. Masih,” The New York Times reported.  According to their report, blasphemy laws in Pakistan “date from the British colonial era the and are frequently abused by powerful Muslim clerics to persecute religious minorities or to pursue grudges against fellow Muslims.”  The thing that makes this particular story outrage human rights groups (such as Amnesty International) even more than others like it, is that 14-year-old Rimsha (originally reported to be 11 by the local police) is believed to have Down’s syndrome.  Many believe that this will help in either getting her charges dropped or her case dismissed. In the meantime, the predominately Christian neighborhood that the impoverished Masih family is from has become an area of much unrest, and many Christian families have been forced to flee to temporary housing in safer locations.  The families that are returning are facing discrimination from local shop owners who are refusing to sell them food.  Without question, if Rimsha is acquitted or freed from jail, though she is not guaranteed safety even there, the Masih family will not be able to return to their home. People gather outside the Masih household after 14-year-old Rimsha was arrested by local police. Pray that Christians will know how to act in wisdom and love as they face persecution in the wake of Rimsha’s arrest and trial. Pray for the courts and authorities in Pakistan to act justly, fearing God and not man. Pray that, by God’s grace, Christians will remain faithful and true, and that the Lord will use them in this time to be a strong witness for Him. Pray that God will bring salvation to Muslims. Pray for Rimsha and her family to be encouraged, comforted, strengthened, and guided as God graciously leads them through every part of this tough time. Information for this post was gathered from The New York Times and Voice of the Martyrs.

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Weekly Prayer Updates Update 08/31/2012

vom groups weekly prayer updates "Prayer is the pulse of life; by it the doctor can tell what is the condition of the heart. The sin of prayerlessness is a proof for the ordinary Christian or minister that the life of God in the soul is in deadly sickness and weakness." - Andrew Murray "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 August 31, 2012 On Thu. Aug 30 2012 at 04:27 PM Moderator wrote: Nepal--Believers Receive Free Bibles Source: VOM Contacts Philippians 4:13 Christians in rural parts of Nepal received 2,000 Bibles in August. For many, it was the first Bible they ever owned. "Every member of our church now has the Bible," wrote one pastor in a thank you note. "As a pastor, it is very good to see all the believers carrying the Bible on Sunday and reading it at home every day." Another pastor had only 35 Bibles for his church of more than 669 people. When VOM delivered 634 Bibles to him, he was amazed when he didn't have to pay anything for them. One church member who received a Bible, Saramaya, described how her family now sits down together to study the word of God. "My son has been changed after reading the Bible. He loved Philippians 4:13." Praise God for his provision through those who sponsored the Bibles and carried out the distribution. Pakistan--Young Man Tortured by Taliban for his Christian Faith Source: VOM Contacts Psalm 41:2-4 Members of the Taliban kidnapped a young low-caste Christian man and held him captive for nine months. During that time, "Yousef's" captors asked him over and over to give in and deny Christ. Though he isn't bold by nature, Yousef, 28, never gave in, even after his cousin said he was interested in Islam and was released. At first, the Taliban members accused Yousef, a poor man of being a foreign spy. From August until October, he was beaten every few days. He was also tortured with simulated drowning. Finally, his captors realized he would not yield, so they released him near his hometown near the Afghan border. Dirty, smelly and barely able to walk, Yousef made his way back to his family. VOM's Pakistan team visited his family last week, and Yousef "is in rough shape," wrote our field worker. Pray for his recovery and for protection for his family. Laos--Update: Young Woman Yields to Family Pressure Source: VOM Contacts Hebrews 10:23 A young Khmu woman has given in to pressure from her family to stop going to church and to stop talking to Christians. Seventeen-year-old "Phum" became a Christian after attending church with a friend in Oudomxay province. Knowing that her family would disapprove — especially her older brother, who works for the Lao Patriotic party — she tried to hide where she went each Sunday. After about two months, Phum's family noticed her weekly disappearances. When they asked where she was going, she told them she had become a Christian. They tried to dissuade her from practicing her faith by giving her chores to do on Sunday, trapping her in the house and even beating her. They also burned her Bible and hymnbook. Phum resisted for several months, trying to sneak out of the house. Recently, however, she hasn't been to church in several weeks and hasn't spoken to believers. Please pray that her faith will remain intact as she goes through this difficult trial. Israel--VOM Project Pray for a VOM-supported evangelist who is reaching out to Muslims. Pray the support he receives will enable him to reach those who are seeking Christ. ************* • Printer-Friendly Format • Add the PrisonerAlert application on Facebook • Download the prayer application on the iTunes Store or the Android Marketplace • Download the photo issue application on the iTunes Store or the Android Marketplace • Digital versions of our books are available on the Amazon.com Kindle and Barnes & Noble NOOK bookstores: search for Living Sacrifice Book Company Suggested Links Persecution.com The Voice of the Martyrs official homepage. Find links to our programs, read news about recent events, and learn more about the organization. VOMBooks.com Order books, videos, and other materials related to the persecuted church through our secure online store. Like us on Facebook Become a fan of VOM on Facebook! Connect with other fans and discuss recent events. PrisonerAlert.com Write to a Christian Prisoner in their own language! Use our letter-writing template online to build your letter, and send it by mail to a needy Christian. Follow us on Twitter Follow VOM-USA on Twitter for updates and prayer requests. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to the Weekly Prayer Updates topic at www.vomgroups.com. If you have received this email in error or if you wish to unsubscribe, click here.

Secret Church

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Pray for the Persecuted Posted: 27 Aug 2012 08:06 AM PDT Each week, we will post some specific ways that we can be praying together for our brothers and sisters around the world who are actively sharing in Christ's suffering through persecution.  Take some time to lift the believers in each of these regions before our Father in heaven.  At the same time, pray for those enacting the persecution to be kindly drawn to repentance and to experience new life through faith in Jesus. North Korea “North Korea is the worst perpetrator of persecution against Christians in the world. Christians are tortured, imprisoned and murdered. Private, non-state-sanctioned religious activity is prohibited. Anyone discovered engaging in clandestine religious activity is subject to arrest, torture or even public execution, but the NorthKorean government is careful to maintain its facade of religious freedom. When Christians are executed, they are typically charged with being spies or being involved in illegal activities. “As many as 100,000 believers are thought to worship secretly. Experts estimate that of the hundreds of thousands incarcerated in labor and concentrationcamps, about 30,000 are Christians. Religious prisoners are typically treated worse than any of the other inmates. Many North Korean Christians have fled to China, where there are an estimated 100,000 to 200,000 North Koreans. When these refugees are caught by the Chinese government, they are repatriated to North Korea, where they face torture, imprisonment and often death. As a result, North Korean refugees flee to a number of other places around Southeast Asia. The North Korean defectors are often considered to be ignorant and are unwanted in many countries.” – Voice of the Martyrs Pray Pray for those believers to unite, patiently endure, and depend on the God as they are strengthened, comforted, and faithful in the face of the harsh, anti-Christian government that oppresses them. Ranked 1 on Open Doors World Watch List, ranking “50 countries according to the intensity of persecution Christians face for their faith,” pray for the non-believers there.  In an environment that forces people who wish follow Christ to count the cost, which is very high, pray that people would miraculously hear the gospel and turn to Christ in complete dependence, surrender, and self-abandon. Pray that the North Korean officials overseeing their labor camps, corrupt law-enforcement, and all other forms of persecution will be softened toward Christians as they see their strength and joy.  Pray the the Lord would convict them, draw them, and give them the grace of Christian faith and repentance. Pray for the ongoing effort to drop Bibles into North Korea via large balloons.  Voice of the Martyrs reports that “more than 7,900 New Testaments have been sent to North Korea this year alone” (VOM story).  Pray that these Bibles would fall into the right hands and be used to unveil the hearts and minds of nonbelievers while at the same time propelling believers into deeper communion with the Lord.

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Multiply Gatherings This Fall Posted: 23 Aug 2012 02:32 PM PDT We’ve mentioned it before but haven’t been able to give many details—until now. We are excited to let you know about a new initiative—led by David Platt and Francis Chan—called MULTIPLY. What Is Multiply? The purpose of Multiply is to awaken churches and all followers of Christ to the priority of disciple-making in the church's mission. We seek to make disciples, who make disciples, who make disciples… Multiply was created to come alongside local churches by emphasizing the glorious and much-neglected call given to all followers of Christ to make disciples. We want to help encourage disciple-making by providing resources and materials that introduce foundational biblical truths for those seeking to learn God's Word with the intent to disciple others. Multiply does this in several ways: The Multiply Gathering: The Gathering is a once-a-year simulcast with Francis Chan and David Platt that fuels the purpose of Multiply. We want to gather together with other followers of Christ in their local churches and homes and encourage one another in the disciple-making process. The Multiply Material: The Multiply Material is a 24-session discipleship experience where one person helps another understand what it means to follow Jesus, study Scripture, and be part of Christ's mission for the church. This material is available online and includes coaching videos and additional resources to assist you as you work through the course. The Multiply Website: The website is a central hub for everything related to Multiply. Currently you can access the Multiply Blog, informational videos, and registration for the Multiply Gatherings. In the future we’ll be adding additional resources that will be helpful as you make disciples. We are still developing the site and adding new information, so check back often for updates. Join Us This Fall We would like to invite you to participate in the very first Multiply Gathering that will take place this fall with Francis Chan and David Platt. This year we will have two Multiply Gatherings in the same weekend. The content will be the same at each Gathering, but it will be presented uniquely at each location. Each Gathering will be available for free by webcast. Friday, Nov 9 Gathering: Multiply will be webcast from Birmingham, AL from 7-10pm (central). Saturday, Nov 10 Gathering: Multiply will be webcast from San Francisco, CA from 6-9pm (pacific). Registration for the Gathering Registration is simple and easy. Anyone who would like to join us for the webcast will need to register online at the Multiply Movement website. Learn More You can learn more about Multiply at MultiplyMovement.com, on Twitter, on Facebook, and the new Multiply blog. We hope you will be able to join us for Multiply on November 9 & 10! Note: Because we are having two Multiply Gatherings in November, we will not be having Secret Church this fall. The next Secret Church will be on Good Friday, March 29. Mark your calendars. We hope to see you there!

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Weekly Prayer Updates Update 08/24/2012

vom groups weekly prayer updates "Prayer is the pulse of life; by it the doctor can tell what is the condition of the heart. The sin of prayerlessness is a proof for the ordinary Christian or minister that the life of God in the soul is in deadly sickness and weakness." - Andrew Murray "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 August 24, 2012 On Thu. Aug 23 2012 at 03:22 PM Moderator wrote: India -- Family Attacked for Playing Christian Music Source: www.persecution.in Proverbs 18:10 A pastor and his family were attacked recently in Nalgonda district, Andhra Pradesh, after showing kindness to a stranger. Pastor P. Anjenayulu, of the Prayer Power Church, and his family were traveling between villages when a stranger asked them for a ride, which Anjenayulu readily offered. The pastor and his family were playing Christian songs and testimonies in the car, which upset their guest. The passenger made several phone calls to religious extremists in the village they were approaching, and when they arrived, a mob of at least 350 people attacked their van. The mob broke the car's windows and windshield, and demanded the audio containing the Christian songs and testimonies. Ethiopia -- Children Grow in Faith, Despite Danger Source: VOM Contacts 2 Chronicles 7:14 A VOM partner visiting Ethiopia distributed clothing to nearly 900 children this month. Many of the children, all of whom are orphans, had never before received new clothes. The clothing was sponsored by Christians in the United States. Persecution against Christians is increasing in the Horn of Africa, according to VOM partners, but Biblical training continues despite the danger. These children continue to seek God, worship and study the Bible. Please pray for their steadfast faith and protection. Nigeria -- Family Escapes Death as House and Church Burn Source: VOM Contacts Matthew 5:10 A pastor supported by VOM survived an attack by Muslim extremists on Friday, Aug. 10. According to VOM contacts, at least seven gunmen entered Pastor Audu D. Gadzama's church, intending to kill the pastor, his wife and his three children. One gunman entered the room of Pastor Audu's 24-year-old son, Thomas, but "God gave him the courage and strength to push the man down," VOM contacts report. Thomas was shot in the leg and fell to the ground as he fled his attacker. Pastor Audu ran outside when he heard the gunshot, and although he was not hit, he also fell to the ground when gunmen fired at him. Thinking both men were dead, the gunmen entered the house to search for the church key. They forced Pastor Audu's wife and other two children to lie on the ground as they set fire to the house and church. The family finally escaped and hid in the bushes as the gunmen fired into the air and shouted, "Allahu Akbar!" Pastor Audu and his family remained hidden throughout the night, and the next morning they took Thomas to a hospital in Maiduguri. Thomas has been released from the hospital, and the family is now living with another pastor in the area. Please pray for their safety. Georgia -- VOM Project Pray for the printing and distribution of Tortured for Christ in the Georgian language. Pray that it will be a blessing and will encourage the Church to stand strong. ************* • Printer-Friendly Format • Add the PrisonerAlert application on Facebook • Download the prayer application on the iTunes Store or the Android Marketplace • Download the photo issue application on the iTunes Store or the Android Marketplace • Digital versions of our books are available on the Amazon.com Kindle and Barnes & Noble NOOK bookstores: search for Living Sacrifice Book Company Suggested Links Persecution.com The Voice of the Martyrs official homepage. Find links to our programs, read news about recent events, and learn more about the organization. VOMBooks.com Order books, videos, and other materials related to the persecuted church through our secure online store. Like us on Facebook Become a fan of VOM on Facebook! Connect with other fans and discuss recent events. PrisonerAlert.com Write to a Christian Prisoner in their own language! Use our letter-writing template online to build your letter, and send it by mail to a needy Christian. Follow us on Twitter Follow VOM-USA on Twitter for updates and prayer requests. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to the Weekly Prayer Updates topic at www.vomgroups.com. If you have received this email in error or if you wish to unsubscribe, click here.

Secret Church

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Pray During Ramadan Posted: 17 Aug 2012 12:00 AM PDT Until August 18, when Ramadan ends, we will be specifically and intentionally praying for the 1.56 billion Muslims around the world.  We will not neglect the persecuted church during this time, but continue to intercede for them, especially focusing on those who live in predominately Islamic contexts around the world. Muslims are even more religiously fervent during these last 10 days of Ramadan because they believe them to be especially blessed. IN NIGERIA For Muslims: While more Nigerians adhere to Christianity than any other religion, the majority of northern Nigeria’s population is Muslim.  Nigeria is home to the radical Islamist group, Boko Haram, specifically opposed to Western education.  They are unashamedly devoted to ridding the nation of Christians, and an Associated Press count puts the number killed by Boko Haram this year at 660, including Christians, moderate Muslims, and police. They have carried out numerous attacks on Christians in churches this year.  You can read more about them at Open Doors, Voice of the Martyrs, 30-Days Prayer Network, and some mainstream news sources. Pray for Muslims in Nigeria to see the witness of Christians undergoing persecution while living out a persevering faith in Jesus Christ.  Pray for moderate Muslims to find hope and rest in Jesus.  Pray for members of Boko Haram to be convicted and kindly draw to repentance and faith in Jesus.  You can pray for 15 of the major Muslim people groups in Nigeria by name at the end of this 30-Days Prayer Network post. For Christians: In the last year, an estimated total of 1,000 Christians have died in persecution.  To date, Boko Haram  has destroyed over 50 churches and killed approximately 10 pastors. Pray that these suffering Christians would be guarded against hate for their persecutors, loving and praying for them instead.  Pray that they would receive comfort from the God of all comfort and that they would persevere in the power of His Spirit.  Pray for Nigeria’s Christian president to have wisdom to know what course of action to take, along with the rest of the Christian population there.  Above all, pray that they glorify Christ in this hard time. This information was gathered from 30-Days Prayer Network’s Prayer Guide, Open Doors, Voice of the Martyrs, and the Joshua Project.

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Weekly Prayer Updates Update 08/17/2012

vom groups weekly prayer updates "Prayer is the pulse of life; by it the doctor can tell what is the condition of the heart. The sin of prayerlessness is a proof for the ordinary Christian or minister that the life of God in the soul is in deadly sickness and weakness." - Andrew Murray "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 August 17, 2012 On Wed. Aug 15 2012 at 02:39 PM Moderator wrote: Nigeria--Gunmen Kill 19 in Kogi State Sources: Release International, BBC News Philippians 4:19-20 Gunmen attacked an evangelical church in central Nigeria on Monday, Aug. 6, killing at least 19 people, including the pastor. The attackers cut off power to the Deeper Life Bible Church in Otite, near the town of Okene, Kogi state, and surrounded the building to block the congregation's escape. They then entered the building and fired at worshipers for about 20 minutes. At least 15 people died at the scene, four died later from gunshot wounds and many others were wounded. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but many believe the Islamist group Boko Haram was involved. Kogi state, which is south of Abuja, had not previously suffered attacks by Muslim extremists. Pray that Christians in Nigeria will respond to their persecutors in a way that glorifies God and that they will see God meet their needs. Tanzania--Christian Teen Sentenced to Two Years in Prison Source: VOM Contacts 2 Peter 1:2-4 A teenager in Tanzania was sentenced to two years in prison recently after being accused of desecrating the Quran. Eva Abdullah, 17, converted from Islam to Christianity three years ago. Her parents disowned her after her conversion, and a group of radicals in her hometown of Bagamoyo tried to persuade her to renounce her Christian faith. When she refused, they falsely accused her of urinating on a Quran. Many Christian leaders were afraid to defend Eva because of Muslim dominance in the district. On July 26, Eva was sentenced to two years in prison by a judge who was allegedly bribed by the Islamic militants. Although Tanzania is not on VOM's list of hostile and restricted areas, our contacts report increased hostility toward Christians because of radical Islamic influences. Pray that God will strengthen Eva's faith no matter the circumstances. Azerbaijan--Update: Church's Appeal Rejected Source: Forum 18 News John 14:27 The Baku Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court's decision to liquidate the Greater Grace Protestant Church and ban its activity. A panel of three judges rejected the church's appeal on July 31, and church members are already preparing an appeal to Azerbaijan's Supreme Court. Although Greater Grace has been registered with the Justice Ministry since 1993, the State Committee lodged a liquidation suit against the church in December 2011, arguing that the church had failed to re-register after changes to the religion law in 2009. Only six registration applications have been approved by the State Committee in Baku in 2012. In addition, Azerbaijan's parliament has passed an amendment requiring religious materials to have a state-issued verification mark before the materials can be sold. Those selling religious materials -- whether electronic or hard copy print, audio or video products -- without the verification mark may face fines and confiscation of the materials. Pray that the members of Greater Grace will find a way to worship no matter what the court decides. Myanmar (Burma) VOM Project Pray for those involved in training a group of indigenous missionaries who are working in difficult tribal areas. The missionaries will be trained in evangelism, church planting and discipleship. ************* • Printer-Friendly Format • Add the PrisonerAlert application on Facebook • Download the prayer application on the iTunes Store or the Android Marketplace • Download the photo issue application on the iTunes Store or the Android Marketplace • Digital versions of our books are available on the Amazon.com Kindle and Barnes & Noble NOOK bookstores: search for Living Sacrifice Book Company Suggested Links Persecution.com The Voice of the Martyrs official homepage. Find links to our programs, read news about recent events, and learn more about the organization. VOMBooks.com Order books, videos, and other materials related to the persecuted church through our secure online store. Like us on Facebook Become a fan of VOM on Facebook! Connect with other fans and discuss recent events. PrisonerAlert.com Write to a Christian Prisoner in their own language! Use our letter-writing template online to build your letter, and send it by mail to a needy Christian. Follow us on Twitter Follow VOM-USA on Twitter for updates and prayer requests. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to the Weekly Prayer Updates topic at www.vomgroups.com. If you have received this email in error or if you wish to unsubscribe, click here.