Friday, July 17, 2009

Untold Persecution

You won't read about this in the mainstream media. Unless you make efforts to be kept aware of events outside your comfortable existence, you will never know that our brothers and sisters in other nations suffer greatly for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I feel it is my responsibility as a Christian to help you obtain that awareness and to encourage you to be in constant prayer for those who are persecuted in ways that seem beyond comprehension to us. If I can play but a small part in remembering those who faithfully continue in spite of the hatred, I am content that I am serving the Lord in the best way I know how.

My prayers for this part of our family are in response to Paul's request to the Ephesians: "Pray also for [them], that whenever [they] open [their] mouth, words may be given [them] so that [they] will fearlessly make known the mystery of the Gospel, for which [they are] an ambassador in chains. Pray that [they] may declare it fearlessly, as [they - and even I] should." Ephesians 6:19-20

The Voice of the Martyrs Prayer Update
On Tue. Jul 14 2009 at 01:43 PM Moderator wrote:
SOMALIA - Sons of Christian Beheaded – Compass Direct News

Islamic extremists have beheaded two boys in Somalia because their Christian father, 55 year-old Musa Mohammed Yusuf, refused to give them information about an underground church leader, according to Compass Direct News. The extremists from the group al shabaab killed 11-year-old Abdi Rahaman Musa Yusuf and 12-year-old Hussein Musa Yusuf, after abducting them in front of their mother. The terrorists are currently looking for Yusuf in Kenyan refugee camps. Yusuf was a leader of an underground church in Yonday village, 19 miles from Kismayo, Somalia. On February 20, the extremists interrogated Yusuf about his relationship with Salat Mberwa, the Christian leader who discipled him in the faith and led an underground fellowship with 66 believers. When Yusuf told them he did not have any connection to him and knew nothing about him, they left and vowed to return the next day. Yusuf fled immediately and the next day the extremists killed his sons. Yusuf’s wife and 7-year-old son have joined him in the refugee camp in Kenya where Mberwa and other believers are helping them. VOM encourages you to pray for Yusuf and his family as they have lost their sons. Pray God comforts them during this difficult time, and provides the family with other believers who can encourage them with scriptures and songs.

1 Thessalonians 2:2