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Fortnightly Edition - Volume - 1 Issue - 18 Bhopal 26.07.2017 to 12.08.2017 Title code: RNI:MPENG/2016/70216 `5 /-

PERSECUTION RELIEFAN INTERDENOMINATIONAL INITIATIVE TO PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE

SUPPORT TO THE PERSECUTED CHURCH IN INDIAFor Private Circulation, within the Church

voice of the christiansA BIG THANK YOU TO ALL WHO

PARTICIPATED IN MAKING“INDIAN CHRISTIAN MARTYRDOM DAY” A SUCCESS, FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.

With sincere and deep gratitude, Persecution Relief family and I want to personally thank you for joining hands and collaborating with us to commemorate “Indian Christian Martyrdom Day” on 22nd July 2017.

None of this would have been possible without the guidance and leading of the Holy Spirit and prayer. Working remotely across different time zones, breaking across barriers of denomination with all the Churches in India, Christian Leaders, Bible Colleges, and families, coming together to partner with us, to observe this day, was nothing short of a miracle.We are thankful to all the Churches in India and across the globe, for making time to accommodate and pray for this important event.

There are too many of people to name individually – your willingness to rise up and join hands with us, displaying your commitment to the Christian Com-munity, publicizing and creating aware-ness and every form of involvement to lift up the name of Jesus Christ and His warriors of the cross – my humble thank you.

We now begin planning for our next event on 01st October, a day of ‘Prayer for the Persecuted Church’, uniting all Churches across India. More details on this event will follow and we hope everyone of you will join us again.

The psalmist puts it best, “The Earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.” Let’s humbly pray for divine strength and love, that we at Persecution Relief will continue faithfully and consistently as His army, ministering amongst the persecuted believers.

Asha

1st “IndIan ChrIstIan MartyrdoM day” Greetings in the precious & matchless name of Jesus Christ. Persecution Relief owes it deepest gratitude, first and foremost to Almighty God, for the success of ‘Indian Christian Martyrdom Day’ which was observed on 22 July 2017, across India. Persecution Relief has the distinction of being the 1st organization undertaking such a significant initiative, paying tribute to the Indian Christian Martyrs in India. Here are some images and feedback on the Event.

“We prayed yesterday during our special phone meeting for the event planned by Bro. Shibu Thomas. Many Churches here prayed for this cause today too. Thanks for your burden for this cause.

– Malayalam Christian Network,

Maryland, Philadelphia

To receive a free copy of our News paper ‘Voice of the Christians’, write to us at [email protected]

“The faculty, staff and students of The South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies (SAIACS) honored the martyrs of the gospel in a special prayer session held at the SAIACS chapel on Friday, June 21, 2017. This was in solidarity with Persecution Relief India’s appeal to set apart July 22nd as the Indian Christian Martyrs Day. We remembered those suffering persecution, the comfort of the survivors, the progress of the Gospel and the transformation of the nations” – Dr. Idicheria Ninan, SAIACS, Bangalore

Sub Editor’s Note

2 16 July to 12 August 2017Volume-1 Issue-18

“Thank you for the great work you do for Christ. We are standing with you in prayer and support. This Sunday, we will spend special time praying for the Martyrs’ families and your ministry”

– Pr. Eldose

“Appreciate the effort taken by Persecution Relief”

–Bro. Moncy Mammen, UBS

“Thank you, Pr. Shibu Thomas, for your initiatives for Churches in India. God bless you for this movements.” -Pr.V.D.Babu, Odisha

“According to your appeal, we took time to remember and pray

for the Persecuted Church and Martyrs.

We admire the efforts and pain

you are taking for the disadvantaged

and persecuted. May our good God continue to bestow His supernatural

charisma upon you, your team and your

family, to accomplish the task vividly. Our

sincere prayers are with you” – SEAL Ashram Mumbai.

“We had a prayer meeting for this special matter” – IFGM Church, Maharashtra

316 July to 12 August 2017Volume-1 Issue-18

Executive Summary: Persecution Relief owes it deepest gratitude to Almighty God first and foremost, for the success of ‘Indian Christian Martyrdom Day’ which was observed on 22 July 2017, across India. Persecution Relief has the distinction of being the first organization undertaking such a significant initiative, paying tribute to the Indian Christian Martyrs in India.

Persecution Relief’s objective was:

To host a special event aimed at honoring and remembering the great sacrifice of our martyrs and praying for their families

To inspire and be inspired to lay down our own lives for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ

To create awareness on the plight of the Persecuted Church in India and stir up people to seek the face of God

To motivate people to pray for the Persecutors who are in darkness

To establish Indian Christian Martyrdom Day (ICMD) as an Annual Event

Dissemination:Persecution Relief had appealed to all

Christians, to gather individually, as a family, a Church or as a community, to observe silence

for minimum of 3 minutes, in memory of our Martyrs throughout the Country

Visual reminders like Posters, Press Release, Newspapers and other resources were developed and shared well in advance

Daily WhatsApp posts on Indian Christian Martyrdom Day were shared closer to the onset of the event

Participation:100’s of Churches across India and abroad

fasted, prayed and paid rich tribute to our Christian Martyrs

Most of the major Bible Colleges across India were active participants – UBS, COTR,SAIACS, ATA, INC, NTC to name a few.

Media:Print media –We wish to express our gratitude

to all Newspapers that covered our event

A 12-page, Special Edition on ‘Indian Christian Martyrdom Day, was featured in our in-house newspaper ‘Voice of the Christians’

Harvest TV telecasted a 30-minute episode on Indian Christian Martyrdom Day and the life story of the Martyrs of India

Power Vision Malayalam TV carried an interview of our Founder on Indian Christian Martyrdom Day

There was a Radio broadcast message on ‘24-Hour Boston Prayer Line’on ‘Indian Christian Martyrdom Day’ by our Founder

An inspiring video message in both English and Hindi, from our Founder, exhorting all Christians to ‘rededicate themselves, to uphold the principles of Jesus Christ and live the values of courage, honesty, integrity and devotion, to serve the persecuted and love the Persecutors’, was disseminated

Social media:The event was aimed at driving awareness across social media platforms as well. Over several hundreds of thousands of people were reached creating a great awareness of the event. Several attendees, media outlets and church leaders contributed to the social media buzz surrounding the event. However, the sentiment of the messages was edifying than the volume of messages.

Future: We were honored to have so many Churches both in India and across the globe and renowned Bible Colleges offer up their time and energy for the event. We appreciate every bit of your participation and involvement. As we wrap up this event, we are interested in hearing about things that went well and places we need to improve. Please share any thoughts you have with the us at [email protected].

Day 1Heavenly Father, we pray that the glory of God may unite the whole earth in magnificent chorus of praise, to your Holy name

Day 2Lord, motivate all mankind to look beyond caste, creed and religion and and surrender to your amazing grace

Day 3Lord, we place all nations of the earth at your feet and pray that we all may serve you as a Universe – and pray that Thy will be done

Day 4Loving Lord, we have strayed so far from your principles and practices. Draw the nations of the world to your Word.

Day 5Lord, you have redeemed the nations with your blood. Clothe us in your own garments of righteousness and break every man-made barrier

Day 6Lord, we praise you that seedtime and harvest, day and night, summer and winter never fail as you have promised the nations. Unite us we pray

Day 7Lord, you send showers of refreshing rain on the unjust as well as the upright – may mortal men see your great loving-kindness and be transformed

Day 8Lord, revive and restore your Own Sovereign rule over the Universe. Break every yoke that divides your creation

Day 9Lord, give the Presidents and their advisors the wisdom and grace to turn from the ungodly path and follow your precepts

Day 10Lord, we pray that your gift of grace may be extended to the world of fallen man

Day 11Lord, we pray for all nations that have lost their way by walking away from you and discrediting your Holy Name – forgive us we plead

Day 12Lord, there is no health in our nations. Look down upon us, touch our hearts, convict us and return us to you

Day 13Lord, our nations and its citizens are facing a time of crisis and increasing unrest. Guide our Leaders

Day 14Lord, raise up your leaders to truly be the salt of the earth and agents that will unite the nations of the world giving them grace to govern according to your will

Day 15Lord, judge of all the nations, break every division and strife our great nations have fallen into, in the name of Jesus Christ we pray

Day 16Lord, we pray that you would revive the nations, for we have no help - except in you alone

Day 17Lord we pray that those in leadership positions would be given the wisdom and ability to address all that is looming at this present time

Day 18Lord, we pray that you would give the Leaders grace to govern according to your will and may they not be motivated by self-interest, greed or religious beliefs

Day 19Lord, we pray that you protect all your people from religious fundamentalists. Help your people unite under the banner of your truth

Day 20Lord, we pray that you would guide all nations onto the path of peace and safety that comes from you

Day 21Lord, we pray for your divine protection from the enemy. Help us be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves as we deal with the wolves around us.

Day 22Lord, give your servants the discernment to test every spirit to see if they are from you. Help us recognize the enemy’s disguises and schemes so that we won’t be deceived

Day 23Lord, we lift up the universal Church. Father, we claim the power of your name over us so that we will be one, as you and your Son are one

Day 24Lord, we pray that your people will be agents of change, peace and reconciliation bridging differences of race, language and religion

Day 25Lord, we pray that your peace would stop the hostilities between the ethnic groups in this world

Day 26Lord, we pray for many displaced people caused by communal conflicts. We pray that your order and peace will reign

Day 27Lord, we pray that you would break all bonds of inhumanity, injustice, hatred and disunity caused by communal differen-ces.

Day 28Lord, grant us courage to recognize every person’s human, religious, civil and political rights and create a culture of peace, free from hatred and bitterness

Day 29Lord, we yield the spirit of anti-Christ, doctrine of devils, religious man-made traditions and pray that you strengthen us to stand against the spirit of religion

Day 30Lord, we pray that our Churches will not be a man-motivated, with dead religious works, but filled with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit

Day 31Lord, we pray that aLL people, lan-guages, civilization and values may be saved and come to the knowl-edge of the true and living God.

PERSECUTION RELIEF PRAYER CALENDAR

2017 aUGUST

Pray for all the nations of the world, to break the yoke of religion, caste,

language barriers and to come to the knowledge of the lord of Peace

Persecution Relief will observe 22nd July as the

“Indian Christian Martyrdom Day” which will be an annual event, to honour ‘Bharat ki Beti’ who was

raped and murdered and to salute the martyrdom of Christian soldiers, who lost their lives

defending their faith in Jesus Christ.

www.persecutionrelief.org

Call 9826025767


The son of a church leader shot dead in north-western India on Saturday (15 July) has revealed that his father had received threats that if he continued to preach, he would be killed.

Alisha Masih, 22, who is also training to be a pastor, said his father, Sultan, who was 47, had received threats (from unknown sources) via WhatsApp and Facebook. He added that his father had recently asked a friend to pray for him in light of these threats.

Alisha said that following an anniversary celebration for his church in May – to which local churches had been invited – his father had been approached by a group of men who had asked him where he had found the money to pay for the function (about 800 had turned up), and whether he would give them something if they converted to Christianity.He said that his father told them he would not give them anything and that those who had converted had done so only because they had come to believe in Jesus.Sultan Masih was on the phone when he was shot, standing outside his

Murdered pastor was told: stop preaching or we’ll kill youTemple of God Church in Ludhiana – the largest city in India’s Punjab state.

“We don’t know if the phone call was connected to his murder,” Alisha said, “But the people who killed him were surely monitoring his activities because they waited for the time until he was alone.”

Sultan Masih had been pastor of the church for 20 years and also ran a school for the poor from inside the church. He leaves a wife and four children – two of whom were

grieving and we hope the government will catch the accused. We demand answers and have gone to the Punjab government, but they couldn’t find who did this.

“The state of Punjab is very safe in India for Christians. There are Sikhs living here – they are also a religious minority in India. We are also a minority, but never before have we had any threats. But unfortunately, this has happened and we are all shocked about how this is possible. Nobody knows how this can happen.

“Two people came by bike. Every Saturday, the pastor, after finishing his Sunday-service preparations, at 8.30pm he will come out. As usual, he had been talking with people outside, very casually. Then at 8.45, two people came very near, about 2-3 feet, and they shot his leg, and his face and his chest.”

CCTV cameras recorded footage of the attack, but a police spokesman said it was too dark to make out the attackers’ faces.

Pr. Sultan Masih

Sultan Masih with his wife Sarabjit Sultan Masih’s eldest son, Alisha (22).

Credit- VoTC Correspondent

Sis. Rani (name changed), 26 years of age, survived a brutal and horrific rape by 2 men. Wife of Praveen Kumar who works as a laborer, she is a resident of village Khanpur, Haridwar District, from the state of Uttarakhand. Sis. Rani’s family is the only Christian family in the village.

The incident took place on the 04th of July. Sis Rani was on her way to pay her father a visit. She was to board a Public Service bus from Sultanpur city. While waiting at the bus stop for her ride, 2 men, both named Rahul, stopped her from boarding the bus. They told the driver that she was their Aunt and that she had left the home after a fight. They asked him not to take her in the bus. All through this commotion, Sis. Rani kept insisting that she had nothing to do with these men but it fell on deaf ears. Much to her shock and disappointment, the Conductor made her get off the bus.

She was hastily forced to sit on a motor bike, between the two perpetrators, who drove off with her to a secluded

adopted.

“Our father was a courageous man and he was never afraid to die for Jesus,” Alisha said. “He has put the same zeal in us. Our family will continue to serve God.”

Sultan Masih was killed outside his Temple of God Church, where he had been pastor for 20 years.

Hundreds of Christians took to the streets on Sunday (16 July), blocking off a major national highway (the road

to Jalandhar) for three hours, and only ceasing once they had received assurances from the police that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.

Sultan Masih was buried the next day, after the Christians had received reassurances that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.

Paul Tamizharasan, a close friend of his, told World Watch Monitor following the funeral: “Family members are

Christian Abducted, Brutally Beaten and Raped Because Of Her Faithplace. In this isolated place, they mercilessly beat her, forced her to drink alcohol, all the while, provoking and insulting her faith saying, “We will make you a real Christian”. She was raped multiple times after that, from afternoon until the evening.

After being subject to such a brutal ordeal, Sis. Rani found her way home. The following day, 05th July, she and her husband went to the Laksar Police Station to lodge a complaint. They were made to wait from morning until 5.00 pm, with utter apathy and indifference and no complaint was registered. Police took her back to her village, saying that this matter was to be addressed by the Village Council. She and her husband were then pressurized to come to a compromise and withdraw the complaint.

Yesterday, 06th July, overcoming the stigma, humiliation and the risk of re-living the trauma, Sis. Rani along with her husband and the local Church Pastor, and a local Advocate, met with the Senior Superintendent

of Police (SSP), who was not at all supportive of this case. He blamed the victim for what happened - refusing to move forward with the case. Again, the whole day was spent at the Police station.

The ordeal was far from over. A visit

to the local government hospital and she was denied treatment and only after much pleading with hospital staff was she was admitted and provided basic treatment.

The abject failure of the state mechanism to deliver real justice, the prolonged delays, the constant intimidation and threats, raises the question of accountability, especially if the victim is from the voiceless, uninfluential section of society.

Church, please pray that the God in His infinite mercy and justice, may give Sis. Rani and her husband, the peace to trust Him. Pray also for the healing power of the Holy Spirit to move swiftly through communities fragmented by religious tension.

Credit - World Watch Monitor


A Catholic priest, Father Anthony Fernandes, converted to Hinduism. A Jesuit priest was converted at a public ceremony at Ram Krishna Temple in the ancient Hindu city.

“Today is a day of great joy for me, as I am no more attached to any church; from today, Fr Anthony is no more and Shankar Dev has taken birth,” Anthony told rediff.com just after Hindu priests formally declared him as a member of the community.

The shuddhikaran (purification) of Fr Fernandes was followed by mundan (ceremonial head shaving) carried out under the auspices of the Hindu Sanskar Kendra, a religious body of priests - amid chanting of Vedic hymns and sacred Sanskrit couplets, after which he was given the name Shankar Dev.

After a Dasvidh Snan (holy bath), Fernandes was draped in a saffron robe with sandalwood paste on his forehead. However, it was not the end of the rough ride for Fernandes, who now fears the wrath of his four brothers, who are still staunch Christians. “They may oppose me, but time will certainly tell them what I did was right; after all, I have adopted a religion that was not only the most ancient and practiced by our own ancestors, but also a culture in itself,” he added.

VhP to recruit 5,000 ‘religious soldiers’ in aligarh to control cow smuggling, love jihadPradeep Saxena - Hindustan Times, AligarhThis decision was taken at a VHP meeting held here on July 14-16, in which the outfit’s international president Dr Pravin Togadia was also present.The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) will recruit 5,000 ‘religious soldiers’ in the district who will fight like commandos. They will be selected from among trained Bajrang Dal activists and will be responsible for controlling cow smuggling and love jihad. The enrolment drive will be launched in September.

Shiv Sena and Vishwa Hindu Parisad (VHP) activists take part in the procession of Hindu Samrajya Diwas, in Ranchi.(PTI)

This decision was taken at a VHP meeting held in Aligarh on July 14-16, in which the outfit’s international president Pravin Togadia was also present.

Sectional chief Ram Kumar Arya told HT, “Five thousand religious soldiers will be recruited in Aligarh district for which only those Bajrang Dal activists will be eligible who have completed bravery training. These soldiers will control cow smuggling and love jihad. They will also protect Hindu boys and girls, maths, temples, santsamaj and the country.”

Credit- VoTC Correspondent

Pr Unnimon and Pastor Rahul had recently graduated from NTC, and were serving the Lord with Christian Evangelistic Assemblies Church, Haryana.

As was their regular schedule, they were visiting believers in the village Jundpur in Haryana for a Bible Study. Unexpectedly, religious fundamentalists entered the house when the Bible study was being conducted, which had been in progress for the last several months and beat the 2 brothers. The villagers kept threatening them that they will not be allowed into the village as their agenda is to convert the

Pastors beaten alleging conversion charges

villagers to /Christianity. They were also intimidated with being arrested by the Police.

There are congregations in over 10 villages at present where these Brothers minister. The perpetrators have taken their photographs, ID details etc. Although the Brothers are disturbed by this recent episode, pray that they will be strengthened and would stand faithful in the ministry.

No Cricket, No Cakes: RSS Lessons on How to Lead a ‘Sanskari’ Life - The Quint

Volunteers of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Photo used for representational purpose. (Photo: Reuters)

Eating cake and blowing candles do not suit our sanskriti. While going Om, Nom, Nom – chanting mantras before meals – is good paarivarik-ly. Discussing cricket or politics during meals and family time – oh no nono please!

Ek proper stree ki pehchan hai saree. But backless blouse pehenna, acchi baat nahin hai. According to Hindustan Times, Kutumb Prabodhan, a family counselling programme by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, has undertaken the responsibility

of imparting knowledge to families about what to eat, wear and how to conduct oneself in public.

The campaign is aimed at advocating vegetarianism and getting people to wear Indian attire. A team led by the Vidarbha convener of Kutumb Prabodhan, Ashok Bhatt, is reported to have advised saris for women and kurta pyjama for men, during festivals. Bhatt also told them blowing candles on birthdays and cutting cakes is against Indian culture. Kudos to these guardians of our sanskriti!

horoscope in hospitalsOrissa POst

First Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, with his modern outlook and western education, had laid stress on developing a scientific temper among Indians. Developing such a mindset also meant rising above superstitious beliefs and challenging such practices.

All these would seem to be a thing of the past, if one goes by what has been happening in recent times. In a new development, the BJP led Madhya Pradesh government has decided to open Out-Patient Departments (OPDs) for patients to consult astrologers in hospitals, to know more about the diagnosis and depth of diseases afflicting them.

Soothsayers will provide guidance to patients facing diverse problems. These consultants will be staffed by qualified astrologers under the aegis of the Maharshi Patanjali Sanskrit Sansthan (MPSS), a state government institution. In these OPDs, experts will study

planetary combinations in horoscopes of patients and offer solutions. This, by way of an initial guidance for doctors to follow and act upon.

At a time when advances in science and technology are rapidly taking over the world, India seems to be regress-ing into the dark ages of superstition and religious fanaticism. From astrolo-gers coming in before doctors and gau rakshaks openly brandishing weapons, the message from Hindu fundamental-ists is clear. Fall in line with the hardline or clear out.

Rightly or wrongly, many superstitious beliefs formed part of the Indian way of life. Much of these have been progressively losing steam, but these are revival times for such beliefs, as is seen from the MP government’s new decision.

As reports say, astrologers will now be in place at hospitals, while emphasis is also laid on Vastu, the traditional

Indian system of architecture. The government plans to produce a set of experienced Vastu experts, apart from astrologers and ‘purohits’. Vastu is believed to have a scientific basis, and is seen by many as more of a science than a religious belief.

Even so, the MP government’s decision to set up Astrology OPDs at hospitals from September seems to be a political move, going against scientific and modern thoughts in the world of medicine. The decision is also being seen as a move to create and strengthen a pool of qualified astrologers and Vastu experts across the state. At the same time, many will likely see this as an act bordering on religious lunaticism.

A Catholic priest converts to Hinduism


a persecuted


familya persecutedfamily

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How can you be part of tHis

movement? The courage and conviction of many believers in the persecuted Church of India, is both inspiring and humbling, but comes at a great cost. There are several widows of martyred brothers, orphans, and single parents in persecuted families who do not have the basic sustenance. With the growing persecution of the Christian Church, the Christian community needs to step in to support the future generations.

Jesus said, “For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.” Mark 9:41.

If you wish to learn more and partner with us to sponsor a family, please contact us at

[email protected]

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Publisher: Shibu Thomas 352 9-B, Saketh Nagar, Ward No. 55, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh - 462024, India. Printer’s Name: St. Joseph Printers, 142 Durgesh Vihar, JK Road, Govindpura PO, Bhopal - 462023

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Publisher.

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