The Voice of the Martyrs/1997-Present

“And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O’ Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

Then a white robe was given to each of them: and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were was completed.”

(Revelation 6:10-11)

In 1997, I heard of a magazine called the Voice of the Martyrs. The man who founded this magazine was a Romanian Pastor named Richard Wurmbrand who has since passed away. He wrote a book called, “Tortured for Christ” in 1940. He has written many, many books about his time in a Romanian prison during the time when Communism was strong in Eastern Europe.

I learned there were millions of Christians being persecuted in the world for their faith in Jesus Christ. There are more Christians being persecuted now than ever before. This includes all of the years, right after Christ when the Church was new and Christians were being fed to the lions in the Coliseum, and being set ablaze as torches to light the city of Rome, this also included all the persecution in the Middle Ages, when believers were burned at the stake.

The persecutions of the Christians include the entire Middle East, except for Israel, North Korea, China, Somalia, and Sudan, to name a few countries. There are as many as 50 countries in the world that persecute Christians for their faith. Now that ISIS is on the rise it is even worse.

I remember reading about a lovely young girl from Pakistan named Saleema who was persecuted for her faith. She was imprisoned because she preached the Gospel to her friend Rehka, who was later murdered by her own family. Saleema was imprisoned and charged with the murder of her friend, even though she was not the one who did it. While in prison, Muslim soldiers raped her repeatedly but she never wavered nor ever denied Christ. She was eventually released but only after she suffered. This is how our brethren are suffering overseas.

Another boy from Sudan named James Jeda was burned by Muslim extremists on his way to worship Jesus. His whole family was murdered, burned to death, while he suffered burns and escaped. Another boy from the Sudan named Paul Modi suffered a similar fate. These two boys must be men by now, but they suffered for Jesus.

Most of the Christians in the world suffer this way. The magazine showed pictures of their injuries, and what the V.O.M. was doing in their nations to help them.

It was Pastor Richard Wurmbrand who brought the fate of suffering Christians to the West. He was imprisoned in solitary confinement for 14 years for his faith. He testifies to the Suffering Church, the beauty of the suffering Church, and how their faith is anything but lukewarm the way it is in the West.

Our faith in the West is based on convenience, not for everyone, but for many of us. Our lives are not threatened, though this may soon change, as we still have the freedom to worship Jesus Christ.

This is beginning to change, Christians in this country are labeled “bigots” for standing for the Word of God, for not buckling down to the world’s idea of love which is tolerance for every sin imaginable.

God told us in His word that we would be hated by the world.

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet, because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

(John 15:18-19)

Christians like Saleema, Paul Modi and James Jeda and millions of others are being persecuted for loving and believing in Jesus Christ. The world is intimidated and afraid of God. The world hates the real God, the One True God, so they have created gods of their own making. So, they don’t have to be obedient.

God says in His word.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly being seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

Because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Professing to be wise they became as fools.”

(Romans 1:18-23)

God said there would be martyrs. There are more martyrs than ever before, as we are in the last days, the last hours. They are being murdered because the world cannot stand the righteousness of Jesus. The world rejects God, hates God and chooses to do wicked. They call evil good and good evil.

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil, who put darkness for light, and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”

(Isaiah 5:20)

The martyrs would not be persecuted if they believed in any other faith. It is faith in Jesus Christ that gets people killed. Jesus told us in Scripture the world would hate us. We are not a part of this world, we live in it, but do not belong to it, to its customs, to what the world practices adheres to and even legalizes.

“Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world, and the world is passing away and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

(1John 2:15-17)

I attended a conference a few years ago for the Voice of the Martyrs, the man preaching was Eric Foley.

He had worked in China as a missionary and told us of the suffering of the Church in China. Christians worked in mines, and were given the worst work, were in labor camps where they were starved.

But they called out to the Lord of the universe, “Chu-Yoh” at night. This was their strength their love for Jesus. Their joy was Jesus. Pastor Paul Washer said, “Jesus is all you need, when Jesus is all you have.”

Eric said that they were tortured, they dismembered their limbs and sewed them to other parts of their body, until the limb rotted and they died from gangrene. This is how the Church lives in much of the world. He asked us all to shout “Chu-Yoh”. We all begin shouting, and the room felt intense with praise. I trembled, as I shouted with my brethren in China. My legs were wobbly and my hands outstretched, and I began speaking in tongues, many of us did, there was a Presence in the room. It was the Holy Spirit.

I wondered how awesome their services must be. I heard stories of brethren in the Middle East, China, and other countries, where they hide in forests to worship Jesus for hours. Worship isn’t an hour, they risk their lives to worship, worship is not cheap, so they don’t waste the time they have, and they worship as long as they they can.