13 November is International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted. Visit www.idop-africa.orgfor resources to mobilise prayer and action on behalf of those suffering for Christ.
What Have You Learned?
The pastor under whom I was converted and discipled, Rev. Doc Watson, challenged me after my first cross-border Mission to Mozambique in 1982: “Many Missionaries tell us what they have done, I would be more interested to hear what they have learned.” That profound challenge has continually guided me in over 40 years of ministering to the Persecuted Church.
Prayer and Partnership
There is so much that we can learn from the Persecuted Church. Yes, they need our prayers and support. We are commanded: “Remember the prisoners as if chained with them…” Hebrews 13:3 and “In as much as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”Matthew 25:40. But we also need to remember that these precious brothers and sisters in Christ who have gone through the fires of tribulation have much to teach us.
Fear God Not Man
They fear God and therefore are able to stand like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and declare: “Our God whom we serve is able to save us, and He will. However, even if He does not, we will not bow before your idols, neither will we serve your gods!”
Memorise the Word of God
They love the Word of God. As Sabrina, the wife of Romanian Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, testified: Before she went to prison, she was very poor. But once she went to prison, she became very rich. This was because she was poor in the things of the world, but rich in the Word of God. When she came to prison, she had the only currency that was of any value. She had stored up in her heart and mind the Word of God. From her Bible memorization she was able to make many people rich in prison.
Experience Outweighs Theory
After my first night in a filthy, mosquito-ridden jail cell I remembered the words of Richard Wurmbrand in his book Tortured for Christ, and I said to the other Frontline Missionaries with me: “An ounce of experience is worth a tonne of theory!” When we were thrown into an overcrowded prison with an average of 60 prisoners crammed per 15 feet by 20 feet cell, we had the opportunity of conducting Bible studies in our prison cells at night and sharing the Gospel with 1,200 prisoners in the open courtyard by day. However, there was no electricity and no plumbing. Neither, of course, did we have our Bibles or sermon notes. All we could share with our fellow prisoners was what we had memorized of the Scriptures.
Pray For the Persecuted
Sunday, 13 November is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Of course, we should be praying for the Persecuted Church throughout the year. However, this is a wonderful opportunity to join with hundreds-of-thousands of Christian Churches worldwide to pray for the Persecuted Church and with the Persecuted Church.
Resources
Over the years Frontline Fellowship has produced resources that enable us to learn from the Persecuted Church and enrich the lives of our family, friends, church and school. Amongst our books dealing with the Persecuted Church are:
Mozambique
In the Killing Fields of Mozambique (95 pages, 40 pictures). Mozambique was my first Mission field; in this book I share inspiring testimonies of Christians who faced the cruelty and carnage of communism. In the Killing Fields of Mozambique includes vital historical facts and important lessons that we can learn from the scorched earth campaign, man-made famine and abuse of relief aid caused by communist forces in Mozambique. It also includes the story of our capture and prison experience in the war zones of Mozambique in 1989.
Rwanda
Holocaust in Rwanda (65 pages, 17 pictures) examines the events that led to the dreadful campaign of mass murder unleased upon the Protestant Tutsi people of Rwanda in 1994. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda. There is so much that we can learn from what believers went through in those terrible 100 days, just over 20 years ago. Today the victims have become the victors. The Tutsi who were targeted for extermination then run Rwanda today. Last year, our Africa Overland Mission team reported back that, of the 12 countries they travelled across during the Livingstone 200 Africa Overland Mission, Rwanda was the best run, and the most inspiring! Also available as an E-Book. (Holocaust in Rwanda has also been translated into French.)
Sudan
Faith Under Fire in Sudan(320 pages, 200 pictures – available in both hard and soft cover) presents the inspiring testimonies of some of the unforgettable heroes of Sudan and their courage amongst carnage and cruelty in the largest country in Africa, during the longest war of the 20th century. Faith Under Fire in Sudan is one of our all-time best sellers, having gone through three editions. This third edition is three times larger than the first, which was produced in 1996. South Sudan is now free and independent, a tremendous answer to prayer and a major victory over radical Islamic Jihad. Faith Under Fire in Sudan is now available as an E-book.
Eastern Europe
Going Through – Even If the Door is Closed(268 pages, 20 pictures and maps). Rev. Bill Bathman, my Father-in-Law and the Chairman of the Board of Frontline Fellowship, has served the Lord as a Missionary to the Persecuted Church for over 60 years. Going Through contains incredible true stories of Missionary exploits in Europe, East and West, during the dramatic events of the Cold War. Spanning the time of the Berlin War, Going Through includes extraordinary stories of Christian courage and steadfastness under communist persecution in Eastern Europe, behind the Iron Curtain. Going Through – Even If the Door is Closedis available as an E-book through SmashWords.com (50 chapters, 100,690 words with 18 pictures and maps).
Africa and Asia
Going On – With a Nod from God (316 pages and over 150 pictures) is Rev. Bill Bathman’s last book. Going On is the sequel to his previous book: Going Through – Even If the Door is Closed. In Going Through, Bill Bathman focussed on his ministry in Europe, right up to the Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Going On focuses on his Ministry and observations throughout Africa, South America and Asia, throughout the tumultuous events during the height of the Cold War. Going On is also available as an E-book through SmashWords.com.
Understand Islam to Evangelise Muslims
Slavery, Terrorism and Islam – The Historical Roots and Contemporary Threat(290 pages, 200 pictures). No Frontline Fellowship publication has engendered more controversy and been in more demand worldwide than: Slavery, Terrorism and Islam – The Historical Roots and Contemporary Threat. The first four editions, and six printings, sold out so fast that we are almost continually out of stock. The first edition earned me a Muslim death threat Fatwa and Amazon.com began offering second hand copies of the hard-to-find book for hundreds and then even thousands of Dollars! It was clear that we needed to reprint, but I was determined each time, to thoroughly revise, expand and produce better editions. The fourth edition of Slavery, Terrorism and Islam is now available – both in print and as an E-book (60,446 words, 41 pictures). This fourth edition is now three-times the size of the first edition and is one of our most successful publications, both in terms of educating and alerting Christians to the dangers of Islam and mobilising Christians to be effective in Evangelism of Muslims. It is our earnest prayer that the Lord will continue to use this book to alert Christians to the real threats, the urgent needs and the unprecedented opportunities before us, to reach Muslims with the Life Transforming Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
First Hand Eyewitness History
Frontline – Behind Enemy Lines for Christ, is a first hand, eyewitness account of war and persecution during tumultuous events. From the Bush War in Rhodesia to the Border war in South West Africa and Angola, to the killing fields of Mozambique, capture, interrogation, imprisonment, smuggling behind the Iron Curtain, the Seven year Jericho Prayer March that led to the Fall of the Berlin Wall, the collapse of the Iron Curtain, Revolution in Romania, Missions to Albania, the most atheist country in Europe, the Holocaust in Rwanda, under artillery and rocket fire and aerial bombardment in Sudan, to the successful struggle for secession of South Sudan, Frontline – Behind Enemy Lines for Christ covers 40 incredible years of Frontline Fellowship missions throughout 38 countries and eight wars in Africa and Eastern Europe. Find the book here.
It is also available through Print on Demand and as an e-book
Audio Visual Resources
As far as audio visual materials go, our AV Department has produced Two Muslim Evangelism WorkshopMP3s with 20 lectures and PowerPoints and a Slavery, Terrorism and Islamaudio MP3 with 18 lectures paralleling the chapters of the book.
Sudan DVDs
We had the opportunity of taking film crews behind the lines into war torn Sudan to visually document the atrocities of the National Islamic Front government and the tenacious courage of Christians in Sudan. Three of these films are available on one DVD, including: Sudan – The Hidden Holocaust; Terrorism and Persecution – Understanding Islamic Jihad;and Three Days in Sudan. The first two films are by Pat Matriciana of Jeremiah Films and the third by a secular war correspondent, who told us that he had been sent in to “do a hatchet job on Peter Hammond!” As it so happens, his film is quite positive, as he came under artillery and rocket fire with us at a church service, during his second day in Sudan.
Mobilise Prayer and Action for the Persecuted
Over 400 million Christians live in 67 countries of the world which severely restrict, or persecute, believers. You can also join the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted event on the Frontline Fellowship Facebook page. Please like, link and share it with your family and friends.
Please visit www.idop-africa.org and www.frontlinemissionSA.org website for resources, information, Prayer posters and prayer requests for the persecuted.
“And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the Body of Christ, and members individually.” 1 Corinthians 12:26-27.
Learning From Persecuted Christians
