Following Jesus

Forced Out For My Faith in Christ

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From persecution.org

By Sameer Patel 

On Saturday, Sept. 27, my mother came to me with a troubled expression. Her voice trembled as she spoke to me. 

“You must leave the village!” she urged. “I heard it with my own ears — the villagers are plotting to kill you and attack your family. You need to go now to save your life!” 

I was shocked but remained calm.  

“I believe in God, the same God who healed my wife from her sickness and gave us peace and hope,” I told her. “No one can take my life without his will.” 

A few minutes later, my younger brother came to me, tears rolling down his face.  

“Please, leave. If you stay, we may never see you again,” he pleaded. “They are planning to kill you. If you go, at least we’ll know you’re safe somewhere.” 

The concern in his voice moved me deeply. I turned to my wife and told her about the situation. I said I would leave for now and return once things settled down. That evening, I quietly left my village in Central India. 

The next morning, around 9 a.m., I received a phone call from my brother.  

“The entire village is at your house,” he said. “They’re demanding to know — will you deny Jesus or let your house be destroyed?” 

I told him with a firm heart, “When my wife was on her deathbed and we had no hope, Jesus healed her. He gave us life. How can I deny him now? Even if I must give my life, I will not deny Christ and his rule in my life.” 

The Hindu nationalist mob ridiculed my wife and mocked her. 

“Leave this village and don’t look back,” one of them screamed at her. “Go to your God, let him protect you!”  

“I have experienced God’s love,” my wife replied. “He healed my deadly sickness. My God will save me and my family.” With that, she too left the village. 

Soon after, the mob destroyed our house. They damaged everything we owned and declared that I was excommunicated from the village — all because I follow Jesus and attend church. 

My wife, our children, and I fled our village, traveling nearly 80 kilometres (50 miles) to find safety. We are now staying with fellow believers, Christians we got to know through church. 

I accepted Jesus three years ago. A friend had introduced me to the church and prayer when my wife was seriously ill, almost at the point of death. I had taken her to many hospitals, spent all I could, but nothing helped. She couldn’t even move without my help. 

But through the prayers of a pastor and the faith we had in Jesus, she was miraculously healed. That day, we knew the love and power of God, and we gave our lives to Christ. 

Since then, the persecution started. From the day I accepted Jesus, I have faced opposition. But through it all, the Lord has been faithful.  

I will continue to follow Jesus, no matter what. It may be difficult to return to my village because the people there have vowed to make the entire village Christian-free. But I know God is with me. I need to start my life from scratch; I know God will help me as I trust in him for love and care. 

*Name changed for security reasons 

To read more news stories, visit the ICC Newsroom. For interviews, please email press@persecution.org. To support ICC’s work around the world, please give to our Where Most Needed Fund.

God Is Always With You

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Back in August, I had the opportunity of going for a holiday in Tasmania, somewhere I have never visited before. We had a wonderful 11 day self-drive tour of the island with our accommodation and car rental organised and pre-paid through a travel agent.

One of the highlights of the holiday was a cruise along the Gordon River, which is a truly amazing place. The cruise included a stop at Sarah Island where a guide led us through the ruins of what had been one of the most severe convict settlements in the colony.

There were very few escapes from Sarah Island, because if you got across the water to the mainland, where would you go? One convict did escape, and walked through the rugged highlands all the way to Hobart. This was a marvel of bushcraft, when you consider there were no tracks, signposts or maps. He was captured on the edge of the town and assigned to a survey team that was tasked with exploring the very country he had just passed through.

For a while, Sarah Island became a centre of boat building because of the natural properties of the Huon Pine. After this enterprise wound down, a group of convicts stole the last boat and sailed it as far as Chile. Eventually the British caught up with them and returned them to Tasmania. Again, this episode represented amazing skills for these men to navigate a small vessel that far.

Although these men were in very isolated places, they were never alone. In Psalm 139 we read:

Where can I go from your Spirit?

    Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

    if I settle on the far side of the sea,

 even there your hand will guide me,

    your right hand will hold me fast.

Whenever you feel isolated or alone, know that God is always with you. Even in the loneliest places, He is there with you. He will never leave you.

How One Man Changed His World

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Back in Ancient Rome the gladiators were a major source of public entertainment. They were often required to fight to their very last breath.

There were professional gladiators who were idolised as much as any professional athlete today. Sometimes slaves were forced to fight. At other times they might be required to fight wild beasts such as bears or lions.

People were not fussed as long as there was lots of blood.

In 404 B.C. a lowly monk from the East of the Empire walked into the Coliseum, and onto the arena. He shouted, “In the name of God, stop this!” The details of what followed are murky. In some accounts the spectators were enraged and stoned Telemachus to death. Others say it was the gladiators who killed him. Some accounts say that after the death of Telemachus, the spectators filed out silently, ashamed of what had happened.

The Emperor was Honorius who was a Christian. He ordered that the killing games of Rome be stopped forever.

Having observed the fall out of the murder of Charlie Kirk last week, I feel that we are at a Telemachus moment. People at the political centre, on both sides of the divide, are asking “What have we become that a man is killed for debating ideas in a university?” Thousands of people have announced they are going back to church after decades, or reading their Bible for the first time since childhood.

To a lesser extent, this is happening in the UK and Australia also. We see the trends, and we might be a few years behind the US but we are heading down a similar path.

There has never been a more critical time than this. We stand at a crossroads where we allow our civilisation to crumble, or we turn and return to the Lord.

Papua New Guinea Observes National Repentance Day

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9/5/2025 Papua New Guinea (International Christian Concern) — Every August since 2007, Papua New Guinea has observed a national holiday called the National Repentance Day.

The purpose of the day is to encourage citizens to remember Papua New Guinea’s Christian heritage and focus on the repentance of sins for the more than 14 million people living on hundreds of islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Christian leaders from numerous denominations urge, especially within the government, honesty, stronger ethics, morals, and values, and more courage to confront corruption and violence in their nation.

In March, Papua New Guinea passed a constitutional amendment declaring itself a Christian nation. As it seeks to live up to the way of Christ, it also has high rates of corruption, bribery, crime, and gender-based violence. Additionally, there are frequent cases of tribal and village-based violence, which affects locals, Christians, and missionaries, particularly in rural and highland areas.

In West Papua, now an Indonesian territory, there is an intensifying Islamification of traditionally Christian areas and ongoing persecution of believers.

Amid its current challenges, National Repentance Day provides Papua New Guinea with a unique opportunity for renewed spiritual focus. The hope is that the nation will move closer to Christ and, over time, better represent God’s kingdom.

“Repentance is a way of life, acknowledging God as the source of our life, our country, and our very existence,” Dr. Jack Urame, head of the Lutheran Evangelical Church in Papua New Guinea, said during the recent National Repentance Day. “Yet, the way we live as a nation does not reflect that we have truly repented or changed our way of life.”

Read more here

Forgiving Your Enemy

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On August 17th the Channel 7 program “Spotlight” screened a feature on a most remarkable man Danny Abdallah from Sydney. You might remember the terrible incident from February 2020, when Abdallah’s three children, Antony (13), Angelina (12), and Sienna (8), along with their cousin Veronique Sakr (11), were killed when an out of control vehicle ran onto the footpath. The driver, Samuel William Davidson, 35, was three times over the legal alcohol limit and on drugs.

Shortly after this tragic crash, Danny and his wife Leila went to the media and publicly offered their forgiveness to Davidson.

In the “Spotlight” program, Danny and Davidson met together and talked about their experience. While the Abdallah’s were committed christians at the time of the tragedy, Davidson has converted since being in prison.

As a parent I can think of no greater loss than to have your young children killed so senselessly.

To forgive the perpetrator of such severe suffering seems almost saintly or superhuman.

Jesus commands us not only to forgive but to love our enemies. “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (Luke 6:27-28).

In an age where there is so much anger, vengeance and desire to punish others, forgiveness as a way of life seems odd, even impossible. In human terms it is very hard to forgive our enemies. But as the Abdallah family have shown us, Jesus gives us grace so that we can love those who hurt us.

Maybe you have hurt that you need to let go of.

It might seem too much for you to let the hurt go and forgive what was done to you. Ask Jesus to give you the power and the desire to forgive.

Avoid This At Any Cost!

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There are many English translations of the Bible available, for which I am very thankful. They cover a range of reading styles, translation philosophies and so on. Usually they are written by teams of scholars who have devoted their lives to studying the Bible in the original languages.

The Mirror Bible is not one of these. It is written to push a particular theological viewpoint, imposing that idea on the text rather than letting the Scriptures lead us into correct understanding.

The author, Francois du Toit is from South Africa and has a three year theology degree (same as me, but I don’t laim to be a biblical scholar). He believes a number of twisted doctrines including

  • Universalism- the belief that every body will be saved
  • Sin is not real but is rather our inability to see the divine in us
  • Inclusivism- the belief that the gospel is meant to include everyone, regardless of their interest in God
  • The Bible is meant to help us to hold a mirror to ourselves so that we can see God in us, as opposed to the traditional view that the Bible is a mirror that revels our sin nature.

These beliefs are at the core of so-called Progressive Christianity (a mixture of christianity and left-wing political beliefs) and the Global Grace Ministries. What is strange, though, is that it is also popping up in hypercharismatic circles such as Kenneth Copeland’s Word of Faith movement and Bethel Church, Redding. Preachers such as Creflo Dollar, Jerry Savelle and others have been promoting it.

In her video on this subject, Melissa Dougherty compares some passages from the ESV Bible with The Missor Bible. The first one is John 14:6

Can you see how, instead of pointing the reader to Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the Life, The Mirror Bible points us back to ourselves?

John 14:12 tells us we must receive Jesus, but The Mirror Bible tells us that we already have Him.

Finally we have Romans 1:28.

Romans 1:20 says that people can see God in nature , but they choose not to acknowledge God, and so He gives them over to their sinful desires. The Mirror says they didn’t care about their own divine nature and so they could not see God.

This is such a terrible perversion of the teaching of Scripture that nobody who wants to draw close to God should look at this book.

The most trustworthy Bibles are the ones that have been translated by a team of scholars, where a thoughtful consensus of opinions prevents individuals from running off with their own pet ideologies.

I recommend that Bibles and paraphrases that have been written by a single person, such as The Passion Translation (Brian Simmons) and The Message (Eugene Peterson) should not be read as your main Bible. Use them as an addition to the NIV or the NLT, but not as your main source of godly inspiration.

And never, ever read The Mirror Bible.

If you want more information about this, I strongly recommend Melissa Dougherty’s video on this. It is long but it is thorough.

Navigating the Seasons

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The frosty mornings of last week were a strong reminder of the passage of the seasons of the year.

We complain a bit about the extremes of weather, but we have nothing on other parts of the world. In parts of Alberta, Canada, they have 40 feet of snow every year. In parts of Siberia their winter temperatures get well below -40 and in summer soar to over +40. That amounts to a different season every month!

In the areas of the globe close to the poles, the amount of sunlight goes from close to zero in winter to almost 24 hours per day in summer. The long dull winters sometimes lead people to become extremely depressed in a condition called Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD.

Our lives go through definite seasons also.

We start off as babies, totally dependent on other people to provide every need- physical, relational and emotional. As we grow and learn, we gradually become less dependent and more self-directed.

In the next season, we learn to stand on our own two feet, providing for many of our own needs while recognising we have a role to play in a community. We set off on a career and establish a permanent coupled relationship.

Another season is when we become parents, and take on the awesome responsibility for caring and moulding children.

The last season sees us retire from paid work, slow down and, for many people, we become more dependent on others again.

Each season comes with its challenges and joys. There are times of excitement and times of grief. But in all of these seasons God is with us and using all of these events to shape our character and to teach us to trust Him.

In Romans 8:28, we are told “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Wherever we are in life we can trust that God is with us, He knows us and He is leading us.

The Blood-Stained Path of the True Servant

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THE BLOOD-STAINED PATH OF THE TRUE SERVANT

Steve Porter

Before you take on the mantle of Prophet,

Before you call yourself an Apostle,

Before you are quick to wear the titles of Bishop, Pastor, or Evangelist,

Pause—

And remember the trail of blood that paved the way.

Isaiah was sawn in two for the Gospel you now freely preach.

John was plunged into boiling oil, surviving only by a miracle.

Peter was crucified upside down—feeling unworthy to die as his Savior did.

James was thrown from the pinnacle of the Temple and beaten with a club.

Bartholomew was skinned alive.

Andrew embraced the cross with joy, preaching until his last breath.

Thomas was pierced by a spear in India.

Paul was beheaded by Nero after enduring years of chains and torture.

None of these heroes built mega churches.

None sold merchandise.

None launched branding campaigns.

They didn’t seek fame or fortune—they sought souls.

They were poor in the eyes of the world, but rich in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Today, titles can be self-appointed.

Men and women launch themselves into ministry with business cards, websites, and speaking tours—

but know nothing of the altar,

nothing of the wilderness,

nothing of the crushing that births the oil.

Do we still tremble at the call of God?

Do we weep over the lost, or have we become intoxicated with platforms and applause?

Beloved, the call of God is not a career path.

It is a death sentence to the flesh.

It is a daily cross,

a living sacrifice,

a surrender that costs everything.

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.’” —Matthew 16:24 NKJV

Where are the ones who will die for the Gospel?

Not just physically—though some are called to that—

but the dying to comfort, to self, to ego, to agenda?

The Apostles did not count their lives dear.

They did not minister for personal gain.

They laid down everything—for love.

For a Savior they could not deny.

And yet, many today want the title without the tears,

the glory without the groaning,

the pulpit without the pressing.

God is raising up a remnant.

A people not seeking to be seen, but to see Him.

A generation who would rather pray than promote, weep than be worshipped, serve than be celebrated.

Yes, the greater Church is asleep.

We can binge movies for hours but cannot pray for ten minutes.

We scroll endlessly but never touch the pages of God’s Word.

We exalt celebrities, but barely whisper the name of Jesus.

“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” —Matthew 15:8 NLT

But there is hope.

The Spirit is still stirring hearts.

He is still calling the unknown, the unqualified, the overlooked to rise and burn with holy fire.

He is awakening a holy hunger.

He is restoring the fear of the Lord.

He is calling you—not to be famous, but faithful.

Not to climb platforms, but to descend into prayer.

Not to build empires, but to advance His Kingdom.

So let us fall on our faces again.

Let us count the cost.

Let us wear no title greater than servant.

And if need be, let us suffer gladly—knowing we do so in the company of those who have gone before us.

“And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.” —Matthew 10:22 NKJV

You may never be applauded.

You may never fill a stadium.

But if you are faithful to your post—

If you love well, serve quietly, and win souls with tears—

Heaven will know your name.

And in the end, when you stand before the King,

He will not ask, “Did you build something big?”

He will ask, “Did you love Me enough to give it all?”

“Well done, good and faithful servant…

Enter into the joy of your Lord.”

With Love,

Steve Porter

Apostolic Summit 2025. Session 8

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The final session of the Apostolic Summit was the Sunday morning church service. These are always joyful times as we join the Peace Church to celebrate what God has done for us n Christ.

I have been to over 20 Summits and I think that this was the most joyful and peaceful of them all. I think there is a maturity in the movement now, and it feels solid, but not heavy.

A special visitor to this year’s Summit was Pastor Suresh and his will Jonthi from Hyderabad in India. I visited them some years ago and have maintained a friendship since then.

Another special visitor was our very own Evelyn who brought her family along with her.

After this session, some of us moved on to the Sons’ Retreat, a day and a half of more informal sharing and encouragement.

John Alley encouraged us to get a higher vision of our calling as followers of Jesus.

Two important ideas

  1. Christ has an inheritance.
  2. Trinity indwelling one another. Perichoresis.

Shared life of Trinity dwells in us. This is an extraordinary salvation. We are not simply saved to a better life.

“No eye has seen no ear has heard what God has prepared for us.” 1 Cor 2:19

This oneness with God is our inheritance

What is Christ’s inheritance? People!
Revelation 7…a great multitude no one can number. An eternal relationship.

John 17. “Father make them one as you and I are one.”
V. 9. All mine are yours.

We are called to something special… Unity with the Lord and each other, the same unity that Father, Son and Holy Spirit have.