Their blood cries out

Note: Text enclosed by ‘’ are excerpts from the article ‘When it’s a crime to be a Christian’ which appeared in the publication ‘Record’.

‘More Christians have died through persecution between 1900 and 2000 than in all the previous centuries combined. Freedom house has estimated that one hundred million Christian believers have been killed in the 20th century. In today’s world, Christianity is the most persecuted religion, with its believers experiencing more suffering, harassment, violence, imprisonment and death than ever before.’

‘Several countries vie for the “most oppressive persecutor” title. In Saudi Arabia, for example, there is no religious freedom. The only state-sanctioned faith and worship is Islam, with all other religions expressively forbidden. No other denominations are permitted. Saudi authorities prohibit Jews, Christians and all other non-Muslims from having their own places of worship and even from meeting in private. It is even a crime against the state to read a Bible in the privacy of your own home, or even to utter a prayer in your head to any God but Allah. Persecution by religious police awaits anyone foolhardy enough to contravene the draconian laws against Christian worship. Many thousands of Christians have been imprisoned and tortured, some losing limbs and lives, especially the guest workers from countries like India and the Philippines.’

‘Turkmenistan shot to prominence as a new persecutor of Christians. Under the dictator now running the country, a program has started to confiscate Bibles and literature, refusing permission for worship services, and destroying places of worship – as one Turkmen Christian commented, “This is worse then Soviet communism.” But perhaps the worst is Sudan, where an extremist Islamic government wages a religious war against Christians in the south of the country. In attacks on southern Christian villages, the men are systematically killed and the women raped. Children are ripped from their families and sold into slavery. Boys are taken to re-education camps to be indoctrinated into Islam and then sent to fight in the ongoing war. Girls are sold as sex slaves to whoever will buy them.’

‘Over the past century, the percentage of Christians in a number of nations has fallen. In Syria it has fallen from 40 to 10 per cent of the population; in Iraq from 35 to 5 per cent; in Iran from 15 to 2 per cent; and in Turkey from 32 per cent to just 0.2 per cent.’

‘Christians – as a community of faith, as a worldwide family of believers- must care about what is happening to such brothers and sisters in Christ. When one part of the body suffers, all suffer. Our voice must not be silent against evil. We must speak up and tell the truth, and support those who suffer and die at the demonic hands of the persecutors.’

When persecuted Christians are asked, “What can I do” the most common response is simply “PRAY FOR US”. Please pray earnestly for those who are persecuted.

FOR A LIST OF IDEAS TO HELP STOP CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION AND TO HELP THE PERSECUTED VISIT: http://www.persecution.net/howto/running.htm

Of course Christians are the most persecuted people on earth, because Satan knows Christians and Christianity is the biggest threat to him, so he will send out his demons to persecute Christians when he can.

Satan is just lashing out because he knows his time is short and soon will burn in the lake of fire.

I would gladly die for my Christian beliefs.

Christians know that if they are persecuted because of their faith, it is just that much sooner they will meet their maker and savior.

It will be a great day indeed, when Christ comes back and Satan and his followers are condemned to burn in hell.

There is only one truth and that is the Holy Bible, and the Bible clearly states these things will come to pass, so it is no surprise to me.

May God Bless all us Christians and give us the strength to live in your will until you are ready for us.

Hallelujah!! Praise Jesus!!!! And give us Christians the strength to deal with this persecution!!

Oh, yes. i heard for Don McClure at Calvary Church here in San Jose, Ca. that in the year 2000 that upwards of
one hundred-sixty-eight Thousand Christian martyrs died. That is 168,000 martyrs for Christ and it was expected that some
200,000 would die last year. I have not been able to confirm these numbers yet. If you do, let me know.

Chinese Church Member Martyred

January 9, 2002


NO WORD YET ON TRIAL OF HONG KONG BUSINESSMAN

Word has just been received out of China that authorities there recently martyred a member of the South China
Church. Voice of the Martyrs sources have learned that the Public Security Bureau (PSB) informed family members of sister Zhong Ju Yu last summer that she was beaten to death while imprisoned in Hubei Province.

“Our sources tell us that the PSB invited family members of sister Zhong to a restaurant in the city of Zhong Xiang,” said VOM spokesman Gary Lane.

“The family was given the equivalent of $8,000 and threatened with arrest if any family member shared news of
the death with the public.”

Zhong Ju Yu was arrested during a round up of South China Church members last May. At that time 63 church members were jailed. Another 500 are now being monitored closely by the PSB.

The jailed leader of the 50,000 member South China Church is Pastor Gong Shengliang. Last weekend, the Supreme Court of Hubei province granted his appeal request. If the request had been rejected, Gong would have been executed within days of the denial. He was reportedly sentenced to death last month after a court in Hubei Province declared him guilty of using an “evil cult” to “undermine the enforcement of the law” and of “complicity of rape.”

Sixteen other members of the South China Church received sentences ranging from two years to life.

VOM sources say another South China Church member—Xuequei Gu—was possibly martyred last fall while imprisoned in Hubei Province. Gu was arrested September 20th 2001 and was last seen being taken away in a prison van on October 10th. Family members haven’t heard from him since that day. South China Church leaders say they have received information that Gu was severely beaten and died from injuries sustained during his torture.

“President Bush has asked the State Department to investigate the case of Hong Kong businessman Lai Kwong Keung, but he also needs to inquire about the murder of Zhong Ju Yu and the whereabouts of Xuequei
Gu,” said Lane. “We at VOM hope the president expresses as much concern for these Chinese evangelicals as he has for the Hong Kong businessman, Mr. Lai.”

VOM has yet to receive word on the fate of Lai Kwong Keung. The 38-year old Hong Kong businessman is expected to face trial this week. Mr. Lai is a member of evangelical “Church in Hong Kong,” known elsewhere as the “Little Flock,” said to be the fastest growing church in China, with 500,000 members.

In May 2001, Mr. Lai was one of a group of three arrested by the Chinese authorities for allegedly “using an evil cult to undermine law enforcement.” It is alleged they were caught smuggling more than 30,000 Bibles into China. If convicted, Li faces a death sentence.

While these Bibles were similar to the government-approved version, the PSB reportedly objected to them because the commentary and notes in the Bibles had not received government approval.

VOM is actively involved in printing Bibles and other Christian literature for distribution in China. VOM also provides support to pastors, their families and others who are persecuted for their faith in China

I am praying for them.

There are hundreds of Christians suffering for their faith right this minute. All over the world, there are men, women and even children who will beaten, fired from their jobs, or even die in the next weeks and months because they worship Christ. It is a miserable situation. They wonder why we Americans don't do anything about it, like raising protests and letter-writing campaigns to the leaders of the persecuting nations. They long for relief that would come through our prayers.

There are some great websites about persecution. And there is a free newsletter you can get by writing to lifewords@hotmail.com.

__________________
Carry only love. Hate is a burden that is tremendously heavy.

If you want to live like Jesus, love your enemies and give up your life for them.

lambslove,
Yes, i agree. Father be merciful.

And lets also not to forget to pray for Palestinian Christians, we spend so much time praying for Israel we seem to have forgotton our brothers and sisters who are Palestinine by nationality. I read a book by "Open Doors", who are an advocate for persecuted christians, and they report that there are more Christians in Palestine than in Israel and yet they are overlooked by Western Church and recieve almost no support at all. They are not only persecuted by other Palestinians who are Muslim but also by the Israeli Army, who hate Christians more than Muslims. So send up a prayer for the Palestinian Christians, they need it.

All over the US, POP groups are popping up.

These are "Pray Over Persecution" (POP) prayer groups that meet once a month or so to share news about persecuted Christians and to take action, like writing emails to ambassadors and presidents of countries that either sponsor or allow persecution of Christians. As the number of Christians grows in persecting countries, the incidents of persecution grows, too. The most effective weapon against persecution is our prayers to God for relief for our suffering brothers and sisters.

POP groups can be very informal, just a bunch of people who meet to talk about the news and pray about it. It doesn't need a commitment of much time or preparation. All of the news services are constantly reporting on persecution, and there are special news services, like keston.org or persecution.com that are dedicated to reporting on religious persecution. Just before your group gets together, print off some of the stories and share them to pray over.

Fifteen minutes a month wouldn't kill us, but it would save the lives of our siblings-in-Christ who are suffering.

__________________
Carry only love. Hate is a burden that is tremendously heavy.

If you want to live like Jesus, love your enemies and give up your life for them.

THAT'S AWESOME!! I've heard of the prayer groups springing into existence for Pres. Bush - but this is incredible! And I think that five minutes a day wouldn't kill us either...the people over there, missionaries from the U.S. or missionaries in their own countries, are in unthinkable dangers of the real and supernatual kind....KEEP PRAYING!!

__________________
"So take a new grip with your tired hands and stand firm on your shaky legs. Mark out a straight path with your feet. Then those that follow, though they are weak and lame, will not stumble and fall, but will BECOME STRONG!!" -Hebrews 12:12-13