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died in prison
on March 17 after being severely beaten by
police
officials. Hau and his brother were reportedly arrested
on March 15,
one day after the arrest of Hau’s wife and
sister-in law,
and told to bring bail for their wives’ release.
The reason for
the women’s arrest is unclear, as police
did not present
an arrest warrant. On March 17, Hau’s brother
heard the
sounds of a violent beating coming from Hau’s
cell. As Hau
was removed from his cell, his brother-in-law
saw that he was
“completely limp, as if he was dead,
with purple
marks on his throat.” On March 18,
police claimed
that Hau had died from putting his hand
into an
electric socket. The local church community
described Hau
as a courageous and compassionate
person who
defended the church he helped to build
and refused to
pay bribes to officials.[/quote]
Iran—Pastor Arrested and AOG
Church Raided
Sources: VOM Sources, Farsi Christian News Network
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Pastor Robert Asserian, of the
Assemblies of God church in Tehran,
was arrested and taken to an unknown
location on May 21, after a
large detachment of Islamic Security
agents raided the church and
arrested everyone present. Security
agents first raided Pastor Asserian’s
home, confiscating many of his
belongings. They then searched the
church, seizing books, documents and
some equipment. The arrests
and raid are thought to be in
retaliation for the church’s refusal to close
its doors after Islamic officials
offered to release Pastor Farhad and
is wife (arrested in December 2011) if
the church would close.
A source from the church said, “The
pressure has become
unbearable; the government authorities
constantly threaten the church
leaders and their families with
imprisonment, unexplained accidents,
kidnapping and even with execution. We cannot go on like
this.”
Colombia—VOM Project
Pray for widows and fatherless children who will be ministered to
at the Life Center Safe House during their grieving and healing
process. While at the Life Center, widows are trained to become
the financial provider for their family and children attend school
and church on a regular basis. They also help with chores around
the home and are enrolled in a counseling program to help them deal
with the loss of their fathers.[/quote]
The First Persecution,
Under Nero, A.D. 67
Nero burned the homes and palaces of
Rome.
This dreadful conflagration continued
nine days;
when Nero, finding that is conduct was greatly
blamed,
and a severe odium cast upon him,
determined to lay the whole upon the Christians,
at once to excuse himself, and have an opportunity
of glutting his sight with new cruelties. This was
the occasion of the first persecution; and the
barbarities
exercised on the Christians were such as even
excited
the commiseration of the Romans themselves. Nero
even
refined upon cruelty, and contrived all manner of
punishments
for the Christians that the most infernal
imagination
could design. In particular, he had some sewed up
in skins
of wild beasts, and then worried by dogs until they
expired;
and others dressed in shirts made stiff with wax,
fixed to
axletrees, and set on firein his gardens, in order
to illuminate
them. This persecution was general throughout the
whole
Roman Empire; but it rather increased than
diminished the spirit of Christianity. In the
course of it, St. Paul and
St. Peter were martyred.
To their names may be added, Erastus, chamberlain
of Corinth;
Aristarchus, the Macedonian, and Trophimus, an
Ephesians,
converted by St. Paul, and fellow-laborer with him,
Joseph,
each of the Seventy.
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Praying for the families of these brave men.
ReplyDeleteTamara,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you letting me know of your prayer for them. We feebly struggle, they in glory shine.
Steve