Showing results by author "The Voice of the Martyrs" in All Categories

On February 29, 1948, Richard Wurmbrand was arrested by the secret police. His crimes? Leading Christian worship and witnessing—both of which were illegal under the atheistic Communist regime of Romania. Richard spent fourteen years in prison. He was tortured, beaten, and locked into a solitary confinement cell. Sabina Wurmbrand spent three years in a labor camp,nearly freezing to death as she and other prisoners worked on the Danube Canal. She was repeatedly told her husband had died behind bars.

Foxe: Voices of the Martyrs unites past Christians with believers today. Building on over fifty years of ministry to persecuted Christians, The Voice of the Martyrs organization shares sixty-seven stories of Christians who have stood faithfully to the death since 2000. Their courage in the face of ISIS and the Taliban, brutal dictatorships, and government crackdowns will inspire you to boldness and remind you that the same Spirit of Christ who strengthened Stephen, Peter, and Paul is at work in you today.

From the young Vietnamese girl who turned down freedom in order to share the gospel in her Communist homeland, to the Australian missionary who spread the message of forgiveness and healing across India after her husband and sons were burned alive, these women overcame Extreme adversity to become leaders and ministers of the underground church in Pakistan, India, Romania, the former Soviet Union, China, Vietnam, Nepal and Indonesia.

Take a 40-day journey to meet brothers and sisters who share in the sufferings of Christ. When Faith Is Forbidden takes you to meet a Chinese Christian woman who called six months in prison "a wonderful time", an Iraqi pastor and his wife just eight days after assassins' bullets ripped into his flesh, and others from our spiritual family who've suffered greatly for wearing the name of Christ. Each stop on this 40-day journey includes inspiration and encouragement through the story of a persecuted believer.

Shortly after Tamara and her husband moved to the city of Isfara, Tajikistan, a delegation of Muslim women paid her a visit. After welcoming the women into her home, Tamara realized their visit was not a friendly one. The women knew she and her husband were sharing the gospel and declared the two needed to leave the city. Christians—especially those who would share their faith with Muslims—were not welcome. While Tamara heard their message, she did not fully understand the danger she and her husband were in.

There has always been a price for following Christ, and many have paid the ultimate price. The Voice of the Martyrs, co-authors of the bestseller Jesus Freaks, brings you a daily devotional filled with inspiring stories of courage, commitment, confession and compassion. In an age of extremes, you can find faith, strength, encouragement and hope through the stories of fellow believers from all over the world and from past centuries up to the present. These men and women, young and old, went to the outer limits of devotion. Each story is extreme. Each story will change your life.

What can we learn from faith-filled brothers and sisters around the world? How can we pray for them? And what do their remarkable stories teach us about a God whose light shines in a dark world? I Am N reminds us that we are each “N”—as radical Muslims in Iraq identify followers of Jesus the Nazarene. Wherever we live, we have camaraderie with those who are persecuted.

I Am N reminds us that we are each “n”, or ن ― the Arabic letter radical Muslims use to identify followers of Jesus the Nazarene. Wherever we live, we have fellowship with those persecuted for their Christian witness — just like the individuals found in this book. So come meet their families. Hear their stories. And deepen your faith in a God who calls us to follow Christ's example of enduring suffering in order to fulfill God's redemptive mission.

Yousef, whose mother threatened to kill him for having a Bible, now smuggles Bibles the way his family once smuggled drugs. After Parveen’s employer beats her for attending church, Parveen begins to help other young Christian women who work in Muslim houses. Abdulmasi kills hundreds of Christians in northern Nigeria with no remorse—until the day he chooses a new life of faith and sacrifices everything for a God of love.

He defended the faith and became Christianity’s first martyr. Stephen lived a life full of faith, performing miracles, boldly telling others about Jesus and even serving with others to help widows in their time of need. Then, his courageous witness was silenced. However, the gospel could not be stopped, as his martyrdom caused the gospel to be pushed outside the city walls of Jerusalem and into the surrounding region.

Buried beneath the sentimental cards and candy hearts lies the story of a man named Valentine who defied an imperial order prohibiting marriage. The emperor, known as Claudius the Cruel, needed all strong young men to enlist in Rome’s military, so he forbade them from getting married. When Valentine was caught marrying couples in secret, he was brought before the emperor. Valentine saw an open door to share the gospel with the emperor. Did the emperor choose to place his trust in Christ?

Featuring testimonies from Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand and other persecuted Christians from throughout history until today, Whom Shall I Fear? invites you to encounter 366 biblical passages that will take you beyond anxiety, doubt, and fear, grounding your faith in God’s character as you live obediently for Christ in the face of any opposition.

Richard Wurmbrand fue arrestado por la policía secreta el 29 de febrero de 1948. ¿Su crimen? Dirigir cultos cristianos y dar testimonio de Cristo, ambas actividades consideradas ilegales bajo el régimen comunista ateo de Rumania. Debido a la fidelidad de Richard a Cristo, soportó 14 años de prisión y tortura, mientras que su esposa, Sabina, sufrió tres años en un campo de trabajo.

Ocho mujeres de diferentes países viven experiencias similares de sufrimiento y persecución a causa de su fe en Cristo. Sin embargo, todas salieron de la adversidad como heroínas.

Welcome to The Voice of the Martyrs Radio Network! Join host Todd Nettleton each week as we share testimonies of brothers and sisters suffering for their faith in Christ. The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) is a nonprofit, interdenominational missions organization that offers practical and spiritual help to persecuted Christians around the world.

When Nicholas was a young boy, both of his parents died, and he used his inheritance to help others. As a grown man, he became a leader in the church. He was later imprisoned under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who imprisoned church leaders in an effort to stop the spread of the gospel. After Nicholas was released, he faced a new challenge: A wrong teaching had infiltrated the church. Nicholas had to stand for truth, but that, too, came with a price. However, it did not deter him from generously giving to those in need until his death.

When Patrick was a young boy, pirates invaded his home and made him a slave on the island known today as Ireland. While there, he recalled the Bible stories that his father had told him and dedicated his life to the Lord. Although he later escaped and returned home, he knew the Lord was calling him back to share the gospel with his captors.

He hunted down the followers of Christ and threw them into prison. However, as he made his way to Damascus to arrest more, Jesus appeared to him in a blinding light. Soon, Saul the persecutor became one of Christ’s boldest apostles, whom we know as Paul. God’s Courageous Apostle highlights some of the dramatic events in the life of the apostle Paul, who founded many of the first "underground" congregations and spent time in prison for his witness. His story will inspire children to share Christ with the lost.

Jesus’ disciple Thomas rightly earned the title "Doubting Thomas" by refusing to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead. He told the disciples, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, I will not believe." Soon after, Jesus appeared to Thomas, shattering his unbelief. Thomas became so convinced of the resurrection of Jesus Christ that he took the gospel to India, where he is believed to have died as a martyr at the hands of Hindu priests.

What do biblical disciples, who possess a heroic faith, value and live out? How can our own faith be more heroic? In Heroic Faith, you will meet and be inspired by biblical disciples who exemplify the foundation of the fruit of a heroic faith. And as you listen to the stories of these persecuted Christian brothers and sisters and realize that we are knit together—united by the blood and lordship of Christ—you will be inspired by how they live with heroic faith.