Vietnam's Most Wanted

Pastor Hong
Quang
Nguyen.

On Dec. 14, 2010, the bulldozer moved in to destroy the Mennonite Bible School in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam. The Communist government mobilized 100 policemen to for a half-kilometer-wide ring around the area, adding a few hundred more inside the area. Two policemen used an electric cattle prod on the back of the school's director, Pastor Hong Quang Nguyen, after tying his hands behind him.

A few weeks before the school's destruction, 28 students had graduated, becoming the first graduating class of the three-year curriculum. Two-thirds of these students are from the Jorai, Bahnar, Hre, Kor, Steing, and Homng trible groups.

The police have arrested the Bible students many times as well for sharing about Jesus and passing out tracts. Pastor Quang goes to the police station to secure their release. In one series of arrests, police held 50 adults and 40 Bible students for 24 hours at the police station.

The state permits only a few Bible schools in Vietnam, equal to one per 30 million Vietnamese. Other groups, meeting in apartments or houses, either bribe local police to leave them alone or remain very small, with 10 or 15 students totally "underground."

Pastor Quang's churches and Bible school are different. They are out in the open, and they are growing. They will not be muzzled like many churches that, tired of the harassment, compromise by seeking registration and stopping or slowing their evangelism outside their church walls.

(from Voice of the Martyrs, April 2011)

(To receive new uMarko posts via a daily email, please click Subscribe)
(On Twitter: FOLLOW uMarko or http://www.twitter.com/uMarko)

Happy Birthday, Kings James

The most influential translation of God’s Word has been none other than the King James Version, first brought to life in 1611. the KJV has been carefully reworked over the last four centuries to ensure that English-speaking people everywhere could read and understand the Bible. Even with numerous up-to-date English translations available today for Christians to read, the KJV is by far the most popular translation of the Bible in history.

There is no doubt that God providentially used King James to initiate what is likely the greatest translation project in history—one that brought the Word of God to multiplied millions of English-speaking people around the world.

Thomas Nelson, the premiere Bible publisher in the world, has recently launched a website to honor the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible: www.kjv400celebration.com. On it are interesting facts about the Bible, videos describing the making of the KJV, and other resources to help Christians appreciate the rich blessing this English translation has been for four centuries.

(for more, see Lawrence E. Ford, Celebrating 400 Years of Influence, Acts & Facts April 2011, Institute for Creation Research)

(To receive new uMarko posts via a daily email, please click Subscribe)
(On Twitter: FOLLOW uMarko or http://www.twitter.com/uMarko)

Turkish Muslims touched by radio stories of persecuted Christians

In Turkey, Voice of the Martyrs worked with a local radio station to produce stories about Christians from history. Turkey is an overwhelmingly Muslim country. 52 half-hour programs were broadcast in 2009-10 throughout the capital city of Ankara and surrounding areas. Each episode tells the story of a persecuted believer who overcomes through the strength God provides.

The radio station had more responses to these programs than any others they have produced. The tiny number of believers in the area were encouraged by the programs.

But most surprising was the reaction of Muslims who were listening! They called and wrote to tell the radio station how touched they were by the stories of bold believers.

Please pray that many Muslims in Turkey would open their hearts and minds and turn to Christ.

Also pray that these stories of suffering Christians from history would bring Muslims in Turkey to repent - and to stop persecuting Christians that are sprinkled in their midst.

(from Voice of the Martyrs, April 2011)

(To receive new uMarko posts via a daily email, please click Subscribe)
(On Twitter: FOLLOW uMarko or http://www.twitter.com/uMarko)

Bibles for Rural China

The Chinese brother was arrested for the sake of the gospel in the 1990's. During his time in prison, his family continued to keep their home open as a meeting place for believers. When he was released, he came back to a hungry and growing house church. But the Bible that he had was in tatters and barely held together, it was not really even usable any longer. He often prayed for a new one. God answered his prayer - he received a new Bible through Voice of the Martyr's Bibles Unbound project, and was overjoyed!

Many Bible school students in China also receive Bibles through Bibles Unbound. These young people in their are in their 20s, and have no Bibles of their own, a common situation in China.

One young woman from a Chinese minority group was very excited to get a Bible, because in her church, only leaders have the chance to have a Bible.

Another person from a house church thanked the Lord. "God prepared us to receive you gift. His timing is always perfect. The last time we came together we discussed how we could possibly get Bibles. We had been praying a now we can see that God answered our prayer. We can see God's amazing Power."

(from Voice of the Martyrs, April 2011)

Please consider donating to Voice of the Martyrs, to help persecuted believers around the world with Bibles Unbound and other project.

(To receive new uMarko posts via a daily email, please click Subscribe)
(On Twitter: FOLLOW uMarko or http://www.twitter.com/uMarko)

Fasting - from bondage to things ... to better love for God

The goal of fasting is simple. We fast so that we may better love, know, reveal, and enjoy God. It is crucial that even in fasting our focus be on the perfect good at which we aim, and not on the evils and partial goods that we deny.

Fasting is primarily affirmative, but it does have a negative aspect. The purpose of its denials is to free us from our bondage to finite things, which detract from our love of God:

(1) Compulsive desire for finite, created things.

(2) Compulsive fear of finite, created things.

(3) Definition of oneself primarily by relations to finite, created things, or one’s place in the world.

(4) Delusion concerning one’s power over finite, created things, and delight in this delusional power.

(taken from Richard McCombs, Fasting and Feasting: Balanced Diets, Balanced Souls, Ukrainian Orthodox Word, March-April 2011)

(To receive new uMarko posts via a daily email, please click Subscribe)
(On Twitter: FOLLOW uMarko or http://www.twitter.com/uMarko)