VOMRadio

Pastor “AZ” saw his church in Kazakhstan grow the fastest during a season of intense Christian persecution. The church began with AZ, his wife and one other believer. Two years later there were 250 believers! AZ knew that reaching Kazakh people required communicating and demonstrating the gospel in their heart language. The church also needs to be ready to assist new believers when persecution comes. AZ became a believer in 1992, just as the Soviet Union was collapsing. Soon after repenting of sin and believing in Christ for salvation, AZ experienced persecution from his family. His own experiences help him prepare church members to face persecution, which he teaches them to expect. AZ will share three things needed to prepare a church to advance the gospel no matter the cost. The biggest challenge for church planting in Kazakhstan—the 9th largest country in the world by territory—is distance. The greatest encouragement for AZ is discipling new believers. “Disciples are our crowns;” AZ says, “that’s the greatest reward.” Pray for unity in the Kazakh church and for pastors to be strengthened and encouraged to endure for Christ despite persecution. Pastor AZ encourages us to pray for the next generation of believers as they take on leadership in the Kazakh church. September 2024 marks the ten-year anniversary of VOM Radio. Please share how you’ve been encouraged and inspired by the testimonies and stories of our persecuted Christian family on VOM Radio over the past 10 years. Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the podcast.

How do we start gospel conversations with Hindu or Buddhist friends, neighbors and coworkers? Tim and Dawn have a simple answer: ask questions! Tim and Dawn serve as gospel workers in South Asia, leading an effort to plant gospel seeds in countries like India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and the Maldives—countries where Christian persecution is a common occurrence. Listen as Tim shares about Buddhism and Hinduism—including how followers of those religions may respond to or resist the message of Christ and the gospel. Tim encourages each of us that the best foundation for sharing the gospel is narrowing the gap between the scripture we read and the life we live. You’ll hear how God is at work in the Maldives and Bhutan as gospel workers begin to see the first fruits from those who’ve gone before and Bible translation efforts. Tim will share just how difficult Bible translation has been in getting the gospel to the Maldivian people, and how sections of scripture are now available in the islands. Tim and Dawn ask that we pray for thousands of gospel workers to be raised up to heed the call to go to difficult nations to reach the unreached or least reached there. “Just because a place is difficult,” says Tim, “it does not negate God’s call to go.” Listen to past conversations with Tim & Dawn on VOM Radio and learn how you can pray for Buddhists and Hindus at Change The Map. Learn more about specific ways you can pray for South Asia and other restricted nations and hostile areas by using The Voice of the Martyr’s Global Prayer Guide. September 2024 marks the ten-year anniversary of VOM Radio. We’d like to know how you’ve been encouraged and inspired by the testimonies and stories of our persecuted Christian family on VOM Radio over the past 10 years. Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the podcast.

Brooks Buser, President of Radius International, says the best missionaries smell like the local people they have gone to serve. They focus not just on learning a language but understanding and living the culture, eating local food and joining in the things that fuel human interaction in that place. Buser says just as Christ came as a human baby into this world, missionaries that last become like those they are trying to reach for the sake of the gospel. Before leading Radius, Brooks was a missionary kid in Papua New Guinea. As an adult he went back to PNG as a missionary to the YembiYembi people with New Tribes Mission (now Ethnos360). Listen as he shares the hardest challenges of missions and his own experience immersing himself in the culture of the Yembi people. With the goal of teaching them the Bible, his team first had to learn their language, culture, and integrate into their new clan families. Watch a video here that tells the story of Brooks and his family’s mission work in Papua New Guinea. One of the things new YembiYembi Christians faced early in their faith journey was persecution. But Brooks sees that Christian persecution as a blessing rather than a curse. Today, Brooks leads Radius International as they train mission workers—in multiple languages, to be sent by multiple mission agencies—to go with the gospel to the ends of the earth. Part of that training is a language learning methodology that immerses future missionaries in a local language like Spanish, giving them tools and training to quickly learn the language of the place where God will call them to serve as missionaries. Brooks will also describe the qualities he looks for that point to successful long-term mission service and how he prays for those who commit to gospel work. Pray for future missionaries and Radius International’s training schools as they prepare students to share the gospel in the heart language of the people God calls them to serve. Brooks will be one of the speakers for The Missionary Conference, to be held October 16-18th in Jacksonville, Florida. September 2024 will mark the ten-year anniversary of VOM Radio. Let us know how you’ve been encouraged and inspired by the testimonies and stories of our persecuted Christian family over the past 10 years. And never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast.

Cuban Christians share their harrowing experiences of persecution and resilience under an oppressive regime. David recounts the pressure to spy on his pastor father, while Joshua continues his ministry despite threats to his family. Innovative outreach methods, including sports ministry, highlight their unwavering commitment to spreading the gospel. The discussion emphasizes the power of prayer and community support in a fractured church, shedding light on the sacrifices and endurance of faith in the face of adversity.

“You can help persecuted Christians, but they can help you more.” Richard Wurmbrand, the founder of The Voice of the Martyrs, shared this truth with Steve Cleary and it changed forever his perspective about being in fellowship with our persecuted family. Cleary, founder and president of Revelation Media, was an early staff member at The Voice of the Martyrs, including traveling to churches and other events with Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand. Today, Steve is following God’s call to develop iBible to share Gods Word in animated video form with people all over the world. The iBible app and content is designed to present the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. It’s already impacted people all over the world. “I want to make iBible and give it to the church. So, we’re asking the church to help us,” Cleary says. By 2033, Steve and his team hope to have the whole Bible completed in 300 animated episodes. Listen as Steve shares memories from serving with Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand and what he learned from them about our persecuted family. “Richard taught me that [persecuted Christians] are not victims, but that they are strong in Christ. And they can strengthen us.” Steve will also tell about his role helping bring Wurmbrand’s story to life on film through Tortured For Christ. You can watch completed episodes of the Bible—in multiple languages—on the iBible app, and you can watch Tortured for Christ and the prequel, SABINA: Tortured For Chris, the Nazi Years,  on the VOM app. Pray for Steve and the iBible team as they work with the global church to develop partnerships to build and distribute Biblical content throughout the world. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast.

Ben Barrett and his wife were open to go wherever God wanted them to go. Ultimately, God called them to go on mission to one of the world’s most concentrated areas of lost people – North India and Nepal. It wasn’t always an easy transition, but God instilled a deep love for the people in their heart and a desire to reach them with the gospel. Ben is VOM’s new Regional Leader for work with persecuted Christians in South Asia. Listen as he shares how the rise of Hindu nationalism and Hindutva ideology have affected the church in India. President Narendra Modi’s recent reelection has emboldened radical groups across that country to continue and even expand their Christian persecution efforts.   Ben will share specifics of how our brothers and sisters have been persecuted for their faith by Hindu radicals. Ben recently met with a front-line worker who has served 800 pastors in recent years who’ve been arrested or detained for their Christian faith. Listen as Ben shares how the hope of the gospel drove him and his wife forward in their own mission service and Ben’s advice to those considering cross-cultural gospel work. Pray for God to raise up new leaders in the church and bold courage for persecuted Christians in India, Nepal, and throughout South Asia. Also listen to Part 1 of this conversation with Ben Barrett where he discussed persecution in Israel and how Christians have been affected by the conflict in Israel, including Gaza and the West Bank, since October 7. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or listen each week—and receive daily reminders and specific ways to pray for persecuted Christians—in the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.

October 7th, 2023 is one of those dates that will always be remembered. On that terrible morning, Ben Barrett was working for VOM with persecuted Christians in the Middle East and leading the ministry’s work in Israel, including Gaza and the West Bank. His phone began to light up with messages from both Messianic Jewish believers and Arab Christians—even before the terrible attacks were announced in international news. The messages had a consistent request: “Please pray for us!” Families and individuals like Pauline Ayyad, a previous guest on VOM Radio, asked for prayer as contact with relatives in Gaza was cut off. A messianic Rabbi asked prayers for his daughter who was ordered back to her military base, not knowing when she might return home. Video footage from a pastor in Sderot, the closest settlement to the Gaza Strip, showed him barricaded and lying flat on the floor as trucks full of terrorists shouting “Allahu Akbar!” passed by his home. Listen as Ben shares about his last trip to the Middle East, where he met with pastors from both Jewish and Muslim backgrounds who are taking the gospel to radical areas despite the risk. He’ll also tell the stories of Jewish-background believers in Orthodox or Ethiopian communities who face Christian persecution through shame, excommunication, and job loss. Pray for unity amongst believers in the Middle East. Pray for boldness in the spread of the gospel in spite of the risks. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or listen each week—and receive daily reminders and specific ways to pray for persecuted Christians—in the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.

Pastor Andrew Brunson, author of the book God’s Hostage, was imprisoned two years for his Christian work in Turkey (now called Türkiye). He says every single day was a battle to overcome fear, grief and anxiety. One who inspired him in these battles was Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, the founder of The Voice of the Martyrs. Brunson explains how Wurmbrand inspired him to dance inside his prison cell before the Lord. He says he didn’t feel joy or happiness, but he set his will to act joyfully, in spite of his feelings. Brunson was also inspired by another former prisoner for Christ (and VOM Radio guest), Dan Baumann, to lock away doubts and questions and choose to leave those in God’s hand. Brunson says he told God from his prison cell, “I don’t need answers to have a relationship with You.” Listen as Andrew shares how he came to “embrace my assignment” of being in prison for Christ. “I came out of prison with a deeper intimacy,” says Brunson, “I had the privilege to suffer for Christ.” God birthed a song in Andrew’s soul while locked in prison. He’ll share how his heart changed over the long months of his incarceration to a posture of faithfulness and trust; a change that happened despite not seeing his outward circumstances change at all. That heart change, he says, was his victory over the terrible circumstances and the injustice of Christian persecution he faced in prison. Finally, Brunson will tell the story of a letter he wrote to Norine that clearly demonstrated his changed heart. In the letter he expressed his commitment to drink every drop from “the cup of suffering” that the Lord had ordained for him. Andrew tells the entire story in his book, God’s Hostage, which you can order here (affiliate link). Brunson has also released a teaching series helping Christians Prepare to Stand in the midst of difficulties and suffering. In the eight-session video series, Brunson shares practical insights from his own time in prison. You can also listen to Part 1 of our conversation with Andrew Brunson, and listen to his wife, Norine, on VOM Radio as she shares her side to this story. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or listen each week—and receive daily reminders of specific ways to pray for persecuted Christians—in the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.

After serving many years as a gospel worker in Turkey (now called Türkiye), Pastor Andrew Brunson spent two years in Turkish prison. He was accused, among other “crimes,” of helping plot a coup against President Erdogan’s government and being a leader in the CIA. The reality is that Andrew was in Turkey as a missionary and pastor, working to spread the gospel. Brunson recounts how God was teaching him to stand during dark days of isolation in prison and wondering why God seemed silent in his time of suffering. Listen as he shares how he poured out his frustrations to God, but ultimately chose to lean into God—even though he didn’t feel God’s presence. Through those dark days, Andrew's wife, Norine served as his pastor and encourager, the only Christian he was allowed contact with. She pointed Andrew to truth and sought to give Godly perspective as he was surrounded by constant pressure from Muslim cellmates. Brunson shares how she was “heroic” in standing with him in spite of risks to her own freedom. You can listen to Norine on VOM Radio as she shares her side to this story. Pastor Brunson also drew strength from the stories of other Christians who suffered persecution. One of those was Richard Wurmbrand, founder of The Voice of the Martyrs and the author of Tortured for Christ and other books. Andrew says he “spent a lot of time with Richard Wurmbrand in prison,” through Richard’s writings. Andrew tells the entire story in his book, God’s Hostage, which you can order here (affiliate link). Brunson has also released a teaching series helping Christians Prepare to Stand in the midst of difficulties and Christian persecution. In the eight-session video series, Brunson shares practical insights from his own time in prison. Listen as Andrew expresses his thanks to those who prayed for him while he was in prison – some even waking up in the middle of the night to pray. “It was hard for me to grasp,” Brunson said. “It was a supernatural move of God.” Pray this week for Christians in prison in restricted areas and hostile nations around the world. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or listen each week—and receive daily reminders of specific ways to pray for persecuted Christians—in the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.

Pastor Matthew, a dedicated leader in Vietnam, shares his harrowing journey of faith amidst persecution. After converting through the influence of a missionary, he recounts the challenges of starting a church while facing oppression from authorities who accuse him of being a spy. He highlights the cultural conflict between ancestor worship and Christianity, where young believers must navigate family expectations. Despite rejection, he emphasizes teaching respect for family while encouraging people to find hope and strength in Christ.