By Ray and Denice Thorne
In recent history, there have been news reports of many nations going through turmoil in epic proportions. There is reporting on the chaos of wars, governmental breakdown due to corruption, natural disasters, and the list goes on.... But there is very little, if any, news about the persecution of the faithful followers of Jesus Christ.
All too often, when we travel to troubled nations, we find in the background that this particular group of people have been targets of militant Islamic aggression, communism, and opposition by members of other religious sects. In Syria, one believer told us, "Before the war, we had total religious freedom. Now, during this conflict, many of our churches have been destroyed and we live in fear for our lives. So, really, what is the purpose of this war?" The same scenario was expressed in Iraq after the fall of Saddam.
We thank God for the vision of Rev. Richard Wurmbrand. He gave us the mandate to not only be a 'voice of the martyrs,' but to also seek out our persecuted family members, minister to them and equip them – no matter how restrictive or closed their nation is.
The Apostle Paul said to the saints in Rome, "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world.... I long to see you...that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine" (Romans 1:8,11-12 NASB).
Paul was confident that there would be mutual encouragement by spending time with other believers; he would encourage them and they would encourage him. This is true for us today as we reach out to our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ. In fact, this is the essence of our global ministry. As members of the same body, each of us is on a set course, navigating to heaven's shores where we will collectively be with our Saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ. Until we arrive, every one of us must press on, remaining encouraged and strengthened by the faith of our fellow sojourners. This is accomplished through a mutual exchange of care, comfort and courage.
As VOMC partners, during our times with persecuted Christians in hostile environments, we seek to encourage them by bringing spiritual refreshment (2 Timothy 1:16-18), meeting tangible needs (2 Timothy 4:9-14), and sharing "family news" (Colossians 4:7). Occasionally, there may be moments of correction as well (3 John 9-13).
Join us at the Momentum conference where we will be discussing the realities, difficulties and blessings of working in restricted nations, and together we will be encouraged and strengthened!
