Tag Archives: persecution

Believers in Venezuela Request Prayer Amidst Crisis

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In Venezuela, the BBC reports that mass protests are expected to arise in the coming days.

Recently, Juan Guaidó declared himself president of the country, after accusing current president Nicolas Maduro of taking power through rigged elections. Then, earlier this week, the revolt against Maduro intensified as an attempted coup was launched to remove him from power.

An Open Doors staff member tells us Maduro’s current regime, which has violently impoverished the country for years, may potentially end. However, the situation on the ground remains very fluid.

In the last 24 hours, President Maduro has publicly claimed that he stopped the attempted coup led by Guaidó. Sources vary over whether this is true or whether things will now stabilize.

Our brothers and sisters in Venezuela are asking us to:

Pray for safety and courage amongst the people of Venezuela.

Pray President Maduro would have wisdom and humility.

Pray Christians would have resilience and grace while offering a sound testimony and have the wisdom to play a God-inspired role in the process.

*Representative names and photos are sometimes used to protect identity.

Pray with Nigerian Believers after Another Deadly Attack

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Friends, Open Doors has just received a call for prayer from Nigeria. During the evening of April 29, a group of armed Boko Haram members invaded the Christian community of Kuda which is in the Madagali area of northeastern Nigeria.

The terrorists surrounded the community around 8pm and went door to door, killing as many as 25 people, according to a VOA report.

When community members and security agents were preparing for the burial of the slain the next day, Boko Haram members were spotted approaching for a second attack on the community. The funeral preparations were abandoned as the bereaved believers, sympathizers from neighboring communities and security agents fled. Since the attack many more villagers have fled the town.

Christian leaders in the area told Open Doors, “We are in danger, we have no one to fight for us to end this killing of our people.”

Field workers with Open Doors asked supporters to:

Please pray for the Lord’s grace to be on the church in Madagali area as they face this renewed instability.

Pray for the Holy Spirit to be at work in the lives of all those affected.

Pray that security will be restored soon.

*Representative names and photos are sometimes used to protect identity.

How Far

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Driving to MN this Easter weekend, I noticed along the way at fuel stops on the Turnpike in PA,IN, & IL that not one person, employed or traveller, none said, mentioned, or even inferred it was Easter. No bunnies, nothing Biblical, nothing but a prevading sense of emptiness emanating from everyone.

I finally asked one cashier if she was allowed to say Happy Easter, her response was they’re not suppose to offend anyone. I gave a snort, shook my head & left.

In St. Cloud, at a minimart, I asked a young lady in her twenties, (I’m assuming), if she is allowed to say happy easter, she replied yes so I wished her such. She smirked, glanced around, looked down & whispered “happy easter”… I grunted, what the crap was that then laughed. She raised her voice with, ” ok HAPPY EASTER,” turned away & said how’s that.

Observing the nuances of how people act & speak can be very revealing about their character, sometimes even their spiritual condition. We read in Matthew 15:18. But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
What is said comes from the heart, what isn’t said can oftentimes be just as revealing.

This age, like every age before it, has its problems. War, hunger, misery, hate, lies, wickedness galore. Today though, what happens in Bangkok is seen instantly in Seattle, information acceleration makes it seem as if our age of iniquity is more profound than ages past. When in fact it may be, but simply put, its warfare. Spiritual war shadowing warfare in our world. Although we may not preceive it the battles of the ages are still being fought for mens souls, good versus evil, right versus wrong; not in how the world veiws the fight, but Biblically, how GOD views the war.

Death was defeated with the resurrection, but battles will happen until our Christ returns to rule. Whether personal, mental, physical or what, Christians are going to have to stand & fight. In prayer, in ministry, in giving, or even if nessary physical confrontations.

We are to put on the whole armor of GOD, for all its spiritual, for others it includes the physical. Whichever it is for you, please be prepared.

God Bless.

Scripture of the Day

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1st Thessalonians 2
9. For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.
10. Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:
11. As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,
12. That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
13. For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
14. For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:
15. Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:
16. Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.
17. But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.
18. Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.
19. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
20. For ye are our glory and joy.

BREAKING: Inquiry Concludes Pastor Koh Abducted by State Agents

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Today, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) released its findings and decisions on the disappearances of Pastor Raymond Koh and others.

The Chairman of the panel, Dato’ Mah Weng Kai, read from the report, “The panel is of the unanimous view that Pastor Raymond Koh is a victim of an enforced disappearance that took place on February 13, 2017, at about 10.45 am. The direct and circumstantial evidence in Pastor Raymond Koh’s case proves, on a balance of probabilities, that he was abducted by State agents, namely, the Special Branch, Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur.”

At the end of the proceedings, Pastor Koh’s wife, Susanna, remarked, “We are glad that the decision has been made that they have been victims of enforced disappearances … We want to see the truth revealed. Until today, we just don’t [didn’t] know why they were taken. Malaysia is a moderate country, there should be the rule of law. There should be freedom of religion to practice one’s faith.”

Please pray for God to lead Susanna and her family in what to do next. Also, pray for His leading and direction for the Kohs’ lawyers and all who are directly involved in the case.

Pray for the families who continue to grieve. Through tears, Susanna recounted her experiences and feelings during the proceedings.

Pray the Malaysian government takes positive steps on the recommendations made by SUHAKAM for freedom of religion as a human right, to enable all Malays to practice their faith without fear of persecution.

*Representative names and photos are sometimes used to protect identity.

Pastor Brutally Beaten in India

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Recently, Pastor Rajendra* was conducting a special meeting for his daughter’s birthday when a group of extremists came into the church. Three men began beating him with sticks and stones and then proceeded to smear chili powder all over his face.

Sadly, the attackers beat Rajendra so badly that he has many internal injuries. He is currently in the hospital.

“I know the place where I live is very dangerous, but I will continue to stay here and serve since God has called me for this place,” Pastor Rajendra told us.

Please pray for Pastor Rajendra’s healing both physically and emotionally.

Pray that Rajendra’s family and church members are filled with courage, peace and love for their enemies.

Pray the attackers would come to know Christ’s love for them.

*Representative names and photos are sometimes used to protect identity.

UPDATE: Susanna Koh Asks for Prayer

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Susanna Koh, wife of abducted Malaysian pastor—Raymond Koh, has informed Open Doors that the Suhakam Inquiry will release its findings on the abduction on April 3rd. The findings of the inquiry will include recommendations to the Malaysian Government on next steps for the case.

According to Susanna, the new Malaysian Government has not reached out to the family to provide any updates on the case thus far.

Susanna sent us the following prayer requests:

Please continue to pray and advocate that the Malaysian Government be involved in solving the abduction case.

Please pray that whatever recommendations the Suhakam Inquiry makes will be taken seriously and acted upon quickly and expediently. Continue to pray for wisdom to know how to move forward from here.

Pray God gives Susanna Koh and her family strength and grace to continue the fight for truth and justice.

*Representative names and photos are sometimes used to protect identity.

New Phase of Sharia Law in Brunei

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Open Doors asks for your prayers as Brunei intensifies their requirements to obey Sharia Law—Islamic regulations that govern Muslim conduct. They are introducing what is called “penal law,” which their Sultan warns will dispense strict punishments.

The first phase of the Penal Code, implemented in 2014, mandated jail terms and fines for failure to attend Friday prayers, “indecent behavior,” and other offenses. Unfortunately, we have recently learned that a second phase of the Penal Code is planned to launch on April 3rd.

“Pending provisions in Brunei’s Penal Code would allow stoning and amputation as punishments – including for children, to name only their most heinous aspects,” said Rachel Chhoa-Howard, Brunei Researcher at Amnesty International.

This code could further endanger Christians in Brunei, as the country already considers it illegal to share Christ with others or to convert away from Islam.

Please pray for the people of Brunei, including Christians, who will be subjected to this law.

Pray for the church to be both wise and bold in living out their Christian faith. Ask God to be present with them and to give them discernment for how to minister to their communities despite these increasingly fearful conditions.

Pray for the Sultan, especially that he would come to know Christ—he has the power to reverse the Penal Code and return Brunei to its former position.

*Representative names and photos are sometimes used to protect identity.

URGENT: Pastor Summoned by Authorities in Laos

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Our brother in Laos, Pastor Xay*, is asking prayers for a meeting with authorities. He was summoned by the village chief who presented written accusations against local Christians.

Please pray Pastor Xay would have wisdom and that God would give him the right words to say.

Pray that he would have sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s leading.

Pray he would represent the believers in the village well and that this meeting wouldn’t be the start of continued harassment.

*Representative names and photos are sometimes used to protect identity.

Chick-fil-A Responds With Perfect Bible Verse After San Antonio Bans Them Over ‘Legacy of Anti-LGBTQ Behavior

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Read it here.

The nonsensical battle against the country’s favorite fast-food restaurant is continuing, with the latest battle taking place in San Antonio.

On Thursday, administrators with the San Antonio City Council rejected a potential Chick-fil-A location at the San Antonio International Airport, citing the Atlanta-based chain’s “legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior,” according to KTSA-FM.

The decision to scrub Chick-fil-A from its list of considerations came when the council inked a seven-year contract with Paradies Lagardère, a travel retailer that operates stores and restaurants in airports. The deal is expected to generate around $2 million in revenue for the city.

Chick-fil-A was presented as an option because of its extreme popularity and the health-conscious menu options the restaurant offers.

Regardless, the eatery won’t be allowed in the airport’s terminals because it just isn’t inclusive enough, a progressive trope dating back to 2012, when Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy expressed his personal belief that marriage is a union between one man and one woman.

Councilman Robert Treviño said providing travelers with the option of eating at Chick-fil-A would make them feel unwelcome.

“With this decision, the City Council reaffirmed the work our city has done to become a champion of equality and inclusion,” Treviño claimed. “San Antonio is a city full of compassion, and we do not have room in our public facilities for a business with a legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior.”

He added, “Everyone has a place here and everyone should feel welcome when they walk through our airport.”

How did Chick-fil-A respond?

A spokesperson for Chick-fil-A responded to the council’s decision, citing the restaurant’s “code of conduct,” which promotes actual tolerance: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

The reference is of course to the Golden Rule found in the Bible, like in Luke 6:31.

“The 140,000 people who serve customers in our restaurants on a daily basis represent and embrace all people, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity,” the spokesperson said, according to Fox News. “Our intent is to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.”

Chick-fil-A even extended an olive branch. The spokesperson revealed the restaurant’s intention to reach out to the San Antonio City Council to have a “thoughtful dialogue” about the matter.

“It’s unfortunate that mischaracterizations of our brand have led to decisions like this,” the statement added. “The sole focus of the Chick-fil-A Foundation is to support causes focused on youth and education. We are proud of the positive impact we are making in communities across America and have been transparent about our giving on our website.”

Why does it matter?

Here’s the truth: Just about everyone in the country — political persuasion aside — really likes Chick-fil-A, because people just want good food.

But that hasn’t stopped a really loud minority from doing their level best to create a conflict where there really isn’t one. Earlier this week, for example, the left-wing blog Think Progress declared Chick-fil-A has continued to donate to “anti-LGBTQ” groups.

After reading the story, it’s revealed the restaurant donated north of $1.6 million to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, $150,000 to Salvation Army and $6,000 to the Paul Anderson Youth Home. Each of those three Christian organizations simply hold to mainstream Christian theology when it comes to marriage.

Christian Mom Receives Backlash for Telling Gay Man on Live TV His Lifestyle ‘Is a Choice’

The irony in all of this is the very people who claim to champion tolerance and pluralism just can’t seem to stomach allowing a restaurant whose CEO they have a personal beef with to continue to exist for other people to enjoy.

Those on the far left have intentionally conflated tolerating something and offering that same thing full-throated endorsement. In reality, those two actions are — by their very definitions — polar opposites.

If Chick-fil-A’s critics were actually concerned about genuine tolerance and not spurring on some nonsensical culture war, they’d concede it’s perfectly acceptable to coexist with Cathy and his mainstream Christian theology on marriage without embracing it as their own worldviews.

The moral of this story should be rather simple: If people tolerate their differences of opinion with Cathy, they can fully embrace his restaurant’s wonderful chicken. And then we all win.

Predominately Christian Town Under Attack in Syria

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According to International Christian Concern, the Jaysh al-Izza faction of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) recently carried out a second attack on Mhardeh—one of the largest Christian-majority towns in Syria. Sadly, the FSA had previously attacked the same town in September 2018, leaving at least 10 Christians killed and 20 wounded. The city has also been frequently targeted by al-Qaeda and their splinter groups.

Henriette Kats, Persecution Analyst at World Watch Research, comments, “Although in this last attack there were no reports of human loses, this news shows that peace is still far off, despite the fact that the levels of fighting in the Syrian civil war are currently not as high as they have been in the past. Fighting continues particularly in areas close to the frontline where government-held territory—like Mhardeh—borders on areas controlled by rebel militias. But according to Syrian Christians these attacks are not just about the strategic position of Mhardeh; they also suspect an anti-Christian element since neighboring Muslim-majority towns have not been attacked.”

Please pray for peace in Mhardeh and for the Christians there to be beacons of Christ’s love to their neighbors in the midst of persecution.

Pray the war in Syria comes to an end completely.

Pray Syrians’ hope is renewed and revived.

*Representative names and photos are sometimes used to protect identity.

Christians living in a Muslim country ‘143 times more likely’ to be killed by a Muslim than vice versa

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Read it here.

Terrorist attacks against Muslims in the Western world, like the one that took place in Christchurch, are extremely rare.
Friday’s carnage in two mosques in New Zealand, with the death toll currently at 50, is the first major event of its kind since the Quebec City mosque shooting over two years ago – which killed six persons, conservative writer Srdja Trifkovic states in Chronicles Magazine.
Nonetheless, this terrible incident will dominate the headlines infinitely more than any comparable carnage involving Christians, notably the 2017 Palm Sunday church bombings in Alexandria, which killed 45 people, and was all but ignored by the Western media and politicians.
If we put Friday’s killings in perspective, that perspective should include the fact that some 30 million Muslims reside in the Western world today, which makes the probability of any one of them falling victim to a deplorable attack in any given year roughly one in ten million.
261 persons have been killed and many more injured, in attacks by Muslims on non-Muslims, in less than four years, in only one country, France (pop. 66 million).
With 66 dead a year on average, Frenchmen are exactly ten times more likely to be murdered by a Muslim than a Muslim being killed by a non-Muslim terrorist anywhere in the Western world.
The score is incomparably worse if we look at the situation of Christians in the Muslim world. It is the most egregious example of human right violations in today’s world: according to “Open Doors”, at least 4,305 Christians known by name were murdered by Muslims because of their faith in 2018.
Aid to the Church in Need, in its latest “Religious Freedom Report”, warned that 300 million Christians, overwhelmingly in the majority-Muslim countries, were subjected to violence, making it “the most persecuted religion in the world.”
This makes the odds of a Christian in a majority-Muslim country being murdered by a Muslim – simply for being what he is – approximately one in 70,000.
Which means that a Christian living in a majority Muslim country is 143 times more likely to be killed by a Muslim for being a Christian than a Muslim is likely to be killed by a non-Muslim in a Western country for being what he is.
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Pray for Family and Church of Murdered Pastor in Myanmar

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Friends, please join us in praying for the family and church of Pastor Tun Nu who was recently kidnapped. Pastor Tun Nu served in Rakine State, Myanmar and was abducted from his home by a local insurgency group.

Sadly, Pastor Tun Nu is now reported to have been killed by the insurgency group. The incident has created an atmosphere of fear amongst other pastors in the area.

Please pray for comfort and strength for Pastor Tun Nu’s wife and three children.

Pray Pastor Tun Nu’s church would have peace and courage.

Pray for the safety of church pastors and believers in Rakine State.

*Representative names and photos are sometimes used to protect identity.

Pray for New Prayer Campaign

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In the near future, Open Doors USA will be launching our Hope for the Middle East Prayer Campaign that will focus on praying for persecuted Christians in countries like Iraq and Syria. We’re asking God to restore entire Christian communities, homes, schools, churches and ministry centers—in the wake of ISIS—and to bring back hope.

You will be able to access monthly prayer requests and other updates on our Hope for the Middle East prayer center on the ODUSA website.

Please pray that God will continue to be in the details of planning and launching the Hope4ME Prayer Campaign.

Pray that Open Doors staff working on the Prayer Campaign would have wisdom and leading from the Lord.

Pray that God will stir the hearts of His church in the U.S.A. to join the movement of prayer alongside our brothers and sisters in the Middle East.

*Representative names and photos are sometimes used to protect identity.