Beaten In India - 5 by VOM NZ

Christianity Is A Very Bad Religion! - 2 by VOM NZ

Rana Beaten In Nepal - 4 by VOM NZ

Christians Watched In China - 3 by VOM NZ

Pakistan Christmas Church Bombing In Quetta by VOM NZ

Ps. Jeremiah In Sudan - 1 by VOM NZ

Christmas Blessing Packs -6 by VOM NZ

Do you wonder what Christmas is like for Christians living in hostile or restricted nations? Usually, it’s very much different to the celebrations we are accustomed to as followers of Christ here in New Zealand! The Christmas season can be a time of intense and increasing persecution for Christians in many nations. Because it’s the most well-known Christian holiday, it means that those who celebrate it become a target by the authorities and other groups who would seek to stop any recognition of Christ in their countries. And it goes far beyond replacing “Merry Christmas” with “Happy Holidays” in corporate greeting cards... When Christians are found acting out their Christian faith, even celebrating holidays like Christmas, they can become a target. Churches can be burned and bombed, even on Christmas Day itself. How you can Pray for the Persecuted this Christmas • Pray for believers in hostile and restricted nations to know the presence and peace of the Lord this Christmas. • Pray that God will comfort all those who were bereaved or injured in attacks in this past year. • And Pray that 2018 will bring peace and security to their families. Download a list of these and more prayer points for the Persecuted Church at www.voiceofthemartyrs.org.nz

Gao Zhisheng is a Christian human rights lawyer who has spoken up in the defence of other Christians and minority groups in China. Because of his work, he has had his legal practice shut down, and has faced arrest, torture, and long stretches of time in prison. Gao is known as an unyielding advocate for justice in the Chinese courts, and has been nominated twice for the Nobel Peace Prize. In August this year, Gao went missing from his home, and his whereabouts remain unknown, however, it’s feared that he has been arrested and imprisoned at a secret site away from supporters and family again. You can help. Raise your voice in prayer for Gao, and also consider writing to the government on his behalf. Visit https://www.vom.org.nz/jesus-freak-stories/ to help

When the boy in the hotel finally spotted the visiting “businessman,” he ran to him and grabbed his hand. The startled visitor tried to pull away but soon realized that the boy was making the sign of the cross on his palm silently with his finger. The man, actually a missionary who had prayed to make contact with the Church, looked down into the face of the thin boy and immediately understood the message: “The Church is alive in North Korea!” The next day, the missionary met secretly with the boy. He learned that his father was a Christian who had been imprisoned years before. The boy’s family had suffered greatly under the brutal government and had to beg for food to survive. When the missionary asked what he could do, he thought the boy would simply request food for his family. But the boy asked him for four different things: to take his tithe that he had saved up, to baptize him, to give him Communion, and to give him a better Bible. The man was moved to tears as he realized the boy’s wisdom and hunger for God. Visit https://www.vom.org.nz/jesus-freak-stories/ to learn more.

In Pakistan, speaking against the majority religion can earn you a death sentence. These are called “Blasphemy Laws” and right now, dozens of Christians are in prison after being falsely accused of breaking these laws. One of these is Zhafar Bhatti. He established a small charity called “Jesus World Mission” with the purpose of helping the poor, but in 2012 he was accused of sending blasphemous text messages from a mobile phone. Zhafar and his wife left their village to avoid a riot, but police arrested him soon after, charging him under the blasphemy laws. Other prisoners have beaten Zhafar many times and tried to poison his food, and he faces continual pressure to embrace Islam. Learn more at https://www.vom.org.nz/jesus-freak-stories/