The government views Cuba’s people as sheep who will blindly follow rules and restrictions communist leaders force on them.

There is another group the Bible compares to sheep: followers of Jesus. Romans 8:36 says, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

This week on VOM Radio we’ll hear from two Cuban Christians, each with different experiences of Christian persecution. David faced persecution as the son of a pastor in Cuba; authorities even demanded that he secretly report to them his father’s ministry activities. Eventually the pressure and persecution forced David to leave the island.

Brother Joshua is still serving as a church leader in Cuba. He will share about the different ways Cuba’s government has put pressure on him to stop his ministry. They’ve shut his electricity off. They’ve denied him permission to hold services or events. They’ve put pressure on his children and kept them from academic and extracurricular opportunities. They’ve mockingly reminded Joshua he could die in a car “accident” at any time.

Despite the pressure and threats, Joshua continues gospel outreach to children and young people, reaching and discipling the next generation for Christ. One of the tools he uses is sports ministry.

Pray for Brother Joshua and Brother David and for the church in Cuba this week. Pray for boldness and encouragement for persecuted Christians there. Pray for pastors and their families who face so much pressure to stop their ministry activities.

September 2024 will mark the ten-year anniversary of VOM Radio. Let us know how you’ve been encouraged and inspired by the testimonies and stories of our persecuted Christian family over the past 10 years.

Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or listen each week—and receive daily reminders and specific ways to pray for persecuted Christians—in the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.

Jesus told his followers, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).

As a leader involved in discipleship in the Middle East, Mamdouh Lawendy sees many Muslims repenting of sin and putting their faith in Christ. Often this is happening through the witness and example of believers around them. Muslims ask questions. They are curious why Christians can serve them when they hate Christians. They want to know how Christians can still show love, even when Muslims persecute them.

Local churches have an influential role in reaching the community for Christ. Mamdouh says that godly, biblical leaders need to be raised up in order for the church to stand amidst Christian persecution.

Pastor Mamdouh, who was born in Egypt, is the founder and CEO of Together Network. Listen as he tells how he came to faith in Christ and how God called him to gospel work. He will also explain how his group works to disciple new believers. Mamdouh will encourage listeners to pursue gospel conversations with Muslims even when they can’t answer every question.

“Muslim background believers are sincerely searching,” he says. “Jesus himself will replace us in answering their questions.”

Pray for Pastor Mamdouh, his family and the ministry of Together Network training disciples in the Middle East.

September 2024 will mark the ten-year anniversary of VOM Radio. Let us know how you’ve been encouraged and inspired by the testimonies and stories of our persecuted Christian family over the past 10 years.

Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or you can listen each week—and get daily reminders to pray for persecuted Christians—in the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.

“You can help persecuted Christians, but they can help you more.”

Richard Wurmbrand, the founder of The Voice of the Martyrs, shared this truth with Steve Cleary and it changed forever his perspective about being in fellowship with our persecuted family. Cleary, founder and president of Revelation Media, was an early staff member at The Voice of the Martyrs, including traveling to churches and other events with Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand.

Today, Steve is following God’s call to develop iBible to share Gods Word in animated video form with people all over the world. The iBible app and content is designed to present the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. It’s already impacted people all over the world.

“I want to make iBible and give it to the church. So, we’re asking the church to help us,” Cleary says. By 2033, Steve and his team hope to have the whole Bible completed in 300 animated episodes.

Listen as Steve shares memories from serving with Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand and what he learned from them about our persecuted family. “Richard taught me that [persecuted Christians] are not victims, but that they are strong in Christ. And they can strengthen us.”

Steve will also tell about his role helping bring Wurmbrand’s story to life on film through Tortured For Christ.

You can watch completed episodes of the Bible—in multiple languages—on the iBible app, and you can watch Tortured for Christ and the prequel, SABINA: Tortured For Chris, the Nazi Years, on the VOM app. Pray for Steve and the iBible team as they work with the global church to develop partnerships to build and distribute Biblical content throughout the world.

Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast.