The story of Christianah

I just read a very disturbing story. I have heard about it on the radio,but reading it was worse. A Christian teacher named, Christianah Oluwasein worked at a government run school in the Northern part of Nigeria,Africa. Before giving a final exam to her class of girls, she took up book bags so there could be no cheating. This upset one girl to the point of tears,then rage. She was upset because the teacher had "desecrated" the Quran that was inside of her bag, by touching the bag. The whole class became outraged. They started shouting "Allahu Akbar" meaning God is great. Another teacher got Christianah out of the classroom and took her to the Principal's office. Soon Radical Muslims nearby heard the outrage and came to see what was going on. They were told what Christianah had "done". So they dragged Christianah out of the school,clubbed her to death,and set her body on fire. She left behind a husband,Femi,and 2 children,a son and daughter. I was saddened and angered by this. Her husband spoke with VOM and told them it was very hard,but he still had his children.

This just shook me. She wasn't witnessing to anyone. She wasn't trying to win anyone over to Christ. She simply was being a teacher and for that she was murdered. Wow. I am holding my tongue.

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. - II Corinthians 12:9

When I read the stories of the persecuted Christians, I think of this verse. Wow. I know most of them know it by heart. They live by it. Lord, forgive me when I complain of my problems. He cares about my problems too,I know,but I do not have it as bad as some do. I think Americans should really realize that sometimes. I mean, we aren't having to die for our faith,that is yet.

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: - I Peter 4:12

I think of this verse too. I cannot imagine going through what some of these people go through. Your house being burned,you or your family being beaten or even killed,simply because you are a Christian. Wow. I cannot empathize with them,but I can sympathize.

If you would like to know more about persecuted Christians go to Voice of Martyrs and to write a letter to the imprisoned go to Prisoner Alert.

Blessings!

Remember our persecuted brother and sisters

Nguyen Van Dai





I recieved an email from prisoneralert.com the other day,I'm just now getting around to posting it. Click on the link to read more about the site and "prisoner". I am burdened for the persecuted church and twice monthly I blog about them,maybe more. Below is about this man and where you can go to write him. It's so sad that Christians are done this way! We all should have the right to speak the name of Jesus without persecution. But in reality not all of us can. Jesus even tells us in scripture we will be hated for his name sake. I just wonder sometimes will that type of persecution come to America? Will it be through radical Islam? The hate-crime laws? or what? Anyone else ever wonder that? We all know our nation has not been going up hill,but down hill,which is very sad. Check out Voice of the Martyrs and prisoneralert. It will be well worth your time.


Dear Friends of the Persecuted Church ...

Nguyen Van Dai, a Vietnamese Protestant church leader and lawyer, was sentenced to five years in prison followed by four years of house arrest, in May 2008. We encourage you to write a letter of encouragement to Nguyen and let him know you are praying for him and other persecuted believers in Vietnam. Let your friends know about suffering Christians in Vietnam and encourage them to pray and write as well. Your letters make a difference, sometimes resulting in shorter prison sentences. Write to Nguyen Van Dai today and let him know you are praying for him.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Matthew 5:10-12

North Korean Christians

North Korea is one of the most evil countries on earth. They are probably the most hostile towards Christians. I got my VOM magazine in the mail this week and started reading it this morning as I was eating breakfast. The magazine this month is focusing on North Korea and our brothers and sisters there. I was reading a story about Choi Yong Jin (not her real name). She was a worshipper of the leader there until a man gave her a Bible. She begin to read it and realized where life really came from,Jesus Christ. Of course the authorities found out about her "spy" endeavor,as they call it. She was taken to prison and beaten brutally. She then had a trial and was found not guilty,but of course things are never what they seem. She had a second trial and was so brutally beaten that her face was paralyzed and she couldn't talk,so they sentenced her 15 years in prison. She prayed and prayed there. She was beaten everyday badly. Her husband finally got enough money to "bail" her out. She escaped to China and now volunteers for VOM. She said that she hasn't forgotten her people. Continue to pray her for and the Christians in North Korea. Also pray for the non-Christians because they are so deceived by the authorities there.

As I read this and looked at the pictures of North Korean Christians, I asked God this question. 'Why them Lord? Why not us?' But I didn't get a response. I mean I'm no better than these people,we are equal,but I am the one who isn't persecuted as they are. I can say Jesus,have a Bible,and go to church with no problem. I then asked, 'Why aren't they free,but we are?' I got an answer this time. God spoke to me and said 'They are free,more so than you are.' I stopped what I was doing and I knew what He meant. What He said is very true. It's sad,but true. I looked at the picture of believers secretly takin communion. It shouldn't be that way! We take communion like once a year and we think it's wonderful and we're holy. But do we even really know what it means? We face little to no persecution here in the United States. Are we truly ready if something that like came here? We are so free physically to do as we please,but I don't think we are free spiritually like we should be. Ah, I crave to be like them! Those Christians who literally will DIE to have one ripped page from the Bible! They will worship Jesus at no cost! In contrast it does costs them something. It costs them their family sometimes. It costs them their belongings sometimes. It costs them their life most of the time. But to them nothing is more important than their Lord Jesus Christ. Why don't the American Christians get it? Why are we so much like the Israelites? We love the Lord one day and the next we don't. I'm not talking in general here,I'm talking to myself and everyone who reads this blog. We worry so much about our homes,our cars,our make-up,our clothes,our t.v.'s,and so on. We truly do not crave Jesus like those Christians who are persecuted do. My heart still burns for the persecuted and those who do not know the Lord. But I've hardened my heart towards America in many ways. They do not want the Gospel of Jesus or anything to do with God. They have enough things to "fill" them up. I get so angry because we are so selfish,self-absorbed,and spoiled! Even myself! When I came back from Honduras, I was changed. I did not want to be how I was. I did not want to just forget the hunger I saw in the Hondurian people for Jesus. They didn't even know who he was,but when they found out that he died on a cross for them they were overjoyed! They craved him. What happend to me? Why have I went back to what I was and how I was? It took a few years to get there,but I'm here. I'm the epitomy of the American people. Oh,but wait! I read my Bible,I pray,I go to church,I bless my food,I don't cuss,I don't smoke,hey I don't even drink alcohol! Is that good enough? Is that truly the only thing God wants from me? I know the answer is no. I don't have to pray 24/7,but why can't I be more thankful? Why can't I be more gracious to others? Why can't I be more kind? Why can't I look more like Jesus did?

Not only do I have myself to worry about now,I have a son. I have a precious little boy who does not know what t.v. is,does not know about clothes,or his appearance. I do not want Daniel to be self-absorbed. I do not want Daniel to even care about cartoons! I want Daniel to crave God's Word from the time he can really talk and understand what I am saying. I want him to love God and want to worship Him with his lifestyle! I want Daniel to be so bold for Christ that he is not afraid to do things different from other boys,youth,or young men! I want him to know about the persecuted church and how free physically we are. I want Daniel to be like Jeremiah when he said the Word was like a fire in his bones! I want Daniel to proclaim the Word of God to the brokenhearted,the blind,the prisoner! I want Daniel to see how blessed he is,not because he has a t.v. or toys,but because he can speak the name of Jesus in public and that he can take his Bible where he wants. I want Daniel to be empowered with the Word of God at a very young age,unlike my husband and I. I don't want Daniel to be 15 or 19 and just figuring out he has power over the enemy through the blood of Jesus or that God can heal him because it says in Isaiah 53:5 by your strips I am healed! No, I want Daniel to be like the Old Testament Daniel,hence why we picked the name. Our children are so precious and important! I can't wait to have a little girl who cares nothing about Hannah Montana or Barbies,but craves the Word of God. Who wants to be like Queen Esther or Ruth. Oh God, have mercy on our children! Grant them desires that we do not have! Give them the eyes to see what we do not!

Father, please forgive me for I do know what I do. I am sorry! I am selfish and ungrateful! I am self-absorbed! I am spoiled and I am not grateful! I say I am! But I'm NOT! I am no better than those who hung you on the cross and spat in your face! I am wretched and I need YOU! Not once,but every day,every mintue,every second, I need you,Jesus!

The Persecuted Church

Many of you are aware of my passion for the persecuted church and missions. I want to talk some about the VOM representative that came out to a friends house in June.

First I want to list the hostile and restricted nations for ya'll.


Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
Psalm 2:8

Resticted countries- this includes countries where government policy or practice prevents Christians from obtaining Bibles or other Christian literature. Also included are countries with government-sanctioned circumstances or anti-Christian laws that lead to Christians being harassed,imprisoned,killed or deprived of possessions or liberties because of their witness.

1. Cuba
2. Mauritania
3. Morocco
4. Algeria
5. Belarus
6. Libya
7. Egypt
8. Sudan
9. Tunisia
10. Syria
11. Somalia
12. Coromos
13. Eritrea
14. Yemen
15. Oman
16. United Arab Emirates
17. Qatar
18. Kuwait
19. Iraq
20. Saudi Arabia
21. Iran
22. Uzbekistan
23. Turkenistan
24. Tajikistand
25. Afganistan
26. Pakistan
27. Nepal
28. Bhutan
29. Laos
30. China
31. Bangladesh
32. North Korea
33. Vietnam
34. Myanmar (Burma)
35. Malaysia
36. Brunei
37. Azerbaijan
38. Maldives
39. Nigeria
40. Tibet

Hostile Countries- this includes large areas in nations where governments consistently attempt to provide protection for the Christian population,but Christians are victims of violence because of their witness.

1. Chiapas (Mexico)
2. Columbia
3. Turkey
4. Ethiopia
5. Souther Sudan
6. India
7. Indonesia
8. Sri Lanka
9. Mindanao (Philippines)
10. Cyprus (Turkey Republic of Northern Cyprus)
11. Lebanon
12. West Bank (Gaza)
13. Chechnya (Russia)
14. Jordan (Due to increased hostilities and persecution in Jordan, we have included it as a hostile nation this year)

Sometimes when I think about this I'm speechless. I had no idea people were imprisoned for their faith. I was introduced to Voice of the Martyr's by a friend. I subscribed to their magazine and I was just shocked. BTW- here's the site to VOM http://www.persecution.com/ You can subscribe to their magazine and they have a children's magazine. Since I've been getting the magazines I know how free we really are in America. It is unreal.

I had the privilege to meet a VOM representative June 14th of this year. Her and her husband were at a friends to speak. She told us some of her stories and it was reality to hear her talk about it. My heart burned for those people! They're my brothers and sisters in Christ and my heart is burdened for them. Afterwards, I talked to her about my passion for missions and the persecuted church. I told her I have mixed emotions sometimes about them. Sometimes I feel sorrow for them and I just want them to be able to worship without persecution. Then other times I am jealous because they get to be so radical for Jesus. They literally risk their lives daily to just worship the Living God. She said something to me that really I had never thought about. She said, 'Heather, do you think they enjoy being persecuted with intensity?' I didn't answer because out of my foolishness I thought they may. She then said, 'They want to be able to worship freely just as you do,but they can't. They long to be where you are and they are jealous of you guys.' Wow. I never looked at it that way. In my small thinking I thought they took joy in the fact they were being beat,raped,robbed,cursed,and so on because they wouldn't deny Jesus. She said the best thing you can do is pray for their strength and that they stay diligent. She shared many things with us. I was honored to meet her and her husband. She even said God told her she would be a martyr for the faith,but she couldn't stop going to these countries simply because she will die. Oh. But I love that! I love that those people are willing to die for Jesus. It intrigues me. They have that much love for him and his Word. Oh Lord help me to have that much love and passion for You.

I also know a couple who are in China and they do a lot of "illegal" work there. I can't mention their names because it could be danger to them. The man has been imprisoned twice for converting Chinese people to the Lord. I have another friend who left last year to go to China to do "illegal" work too. It really hits home when people you know go to these restricted and hostile countries. I urge you to pray for the persecuted Christians. They need our prayers to endure the agony. If you aren't subscribed to VOM magazine,I encourage you to do so. The kid's magazines are great too! Remember the Christians in China during the Olympics. I am wearing my prayer band and praying for them. I haven't watched any of the Olmypics,I just have mixed feelings about watching them....

Lord, make us aware of our freedoms. Let us not forget there are those who are not free physically,but they are free spiritually. Let us never forget a body can be bound,but the Spirit is free in You.