-The Weekly Persecution & Prayer Alert-

[Pastor Dale Morgan]

-The Weekly Persecution & Prayer Alert-

The Voice of the Martyrs, Canada

Thursday, March 15, 2012

"The true calling of a Christian is not to do extraordinary things,
but to do ordinary things in an extraordinary way."
A. P. Stanley

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In this week's edition: reports from Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iran and Turkey
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1. Update: Saudi Arabian Christian attacked on social networks
(Source: American Thinker)

Muslim social network users are calling for the arrest and even for the death of a Saudi Arabian Christian convert they say has insulted the Muslim prophet Muhammad via Twitter.

Hamoud Bin Saleh, who has been imprisoned three times in eight years, was first arrested for "attacks against Islam" in 2004 and spent nine months in jail after blogging about his conversion from Islam to Christianity. In 2008, he was again arrested after writing about religious matters and his conversion. He was detained for a month and during that time he was tortured with sleep deprivation, solitary confinement and physical and psychological abuse. His most recent arrest was in 2009. He was released on the condition that he not travel outside the country or appear in the media

Please pray that Hamoud's voice for Christ will not be silenced by the authorities or by those who oppose his Christian faith. Please pray that Hamoud will not fear despite his past suffering (1 Peter 3:14).

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2. Church buildings vandalized in Israel
(Source: VOM-USA)

Anti-Christian graffiti and slurs against Jesus were spray-painted onto a Jerusalem church late last February. The words "Death to Christianity" were written on the wall of the Baptist Narkis Street Congregation church building along with the words "Price Tag" -- a slogan used by Jewish extremists. "Price tag" attacks are occurring all over Israel, and these targeted acts of destruction are meant to suggest that vandalism is the "price" that must be paid by non-Jews for the evacuation and demolition of Jewish settlements. The tires of several cars parked on church property were also slashed. The vandalism was similar to property damage which occurred two weeks previous on the 11th-century Monastery of the Cross, which is also in west Jerusalem.

When asked to comment on the attack by a local reporter, a VOM contact in the region said, "Jesus told us persecution would happen, and he told us to forgive when it does happen."

Pray that the Lord will soften the perpetrators' hearts and lead them to seek forgiveness. Please pray that the Christians affected by these attacks will be patient in affliction (Romans 12:12).

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3. Update: Imprisoned Iranian pastor suffering ill health
(Source: VOM-USA)

Behnam Irani, an imprisoned 41-year-old pastor from Iran, is unwell with an intestinal disorder and a serious foot injury. There are more than four years left in his sentence. The husband and father of two was convicted of crimes against national security in January 2011 and was sentenced to one year in prison. After voluntarily surrendering to authorities last spring, he learned that he would be forced to serve five years in connection with a previous conviction

Behnam's family is very concerned over reports of his ill health as his brother died from intestinal cancer. For the first few months of his sentence, Behnam was held in solitary confinement in a very small cell, and although he was moved to another cell with other prisoners, the room was so cramped that prisoners were not even able to lie down and had to sit all day and night in the stifling cell. The pastor is now in a normal cell, but authorities have asked for him to be beaten regularly. His hair has turned white, and there are fears he could lose the use of his foot due to a severe foot injury.

Please pray that the Divine Healer will restore Behnam to full health. Please pray that he will have the opportunity to share the lifesaving gospel message with his fellow prisoners. Pray that his family will be given peace and strength during his incarceration.

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4. Visa restrictions impede missionaries in Turkey
(Source: VOM-USA)

Missionaries will have to leave Turkey every three months and will be forced to remain outside the country for three months before returning, now that the Turkish government has tightened its visa regulations. The new policy, which came into effect on February 1, allows 180-day multiple-entry visas, but visitors can only spend 90 days in the country and then must wait another 90 days to re-enter the country. This will significantly hamper the work of foreign missionaries. Since early February, the Turkish government has expelled a number of missionaries who held resident permits, and other missionaries who have left the country and have tried to re-enter have been turned away at the border under the new visa regulations.

Please pray that these new restrictions will only encourage missionaries rather than discourage them as they rest in the knowledge that no man can thwart God's purposes  (Job 42:2). Pray that the gospel will continue to spread and grow in Turkey.

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