Closer to the Fire with Greg Musselman

A church in India recently suffered an attack that left two people injured, including the pastor’s wife, Raj Rani. Carrying swords and wooden rods, a mob of hard-line Sikhs and Hindus converged on the Evangelical Church of God in the Arniwala area of Punjab and attacked the believers. As VOM Canada’s Greg Musselman reports, the pastor and his family had to flee the area. Greg also leads us in pray...

What does the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan mean for the small but growing church in this troubled nation? According to a recently announced declaration by the militant Islamic group, the country will now follow a strict version of Sharia law, in which Christian converts are considered “apostates” – a crime punishable by death. Even before the Taliban overthrew the government, Afghan followers...

In this episode, we meet the wife and daughter of Dr. K. A. Swamy, a Christian man who was left in a nearly vegetative state after being attacked for distributing Bibles in the Indian city of Hyderabad. Although the attack, which was carried out by Hindu extremists in January of 2017, has devastated his family – not their faith in Jesus! Dr. Swamy’s wife Sujatha shares about the challenges she has...

  The rise of Buddhist nationalism is making life extremely difficult for evangelical Christians living in rural areas of the island nation of Sri Lanka. About 70 percent of the Sri Lankan population is Buddhist, compared to the approximate eight percent representing Christians of all denominations. Host Greg Musselman investigates why these followers of Christ are facing such opposition, while hi...

Will the persecution of Christians intensify in Iran, following the election of hardliner Ebrahim Raisi as the Islamic Republic’s new president? The 2021 election was described by various news sources as being fraudulent because many reformers and moderates were barred from standing for election. Dr. Hormoz Shariat of Iran Alive Ministries joins Greg Musselman to discuss the implications of Iran’s...

How can we be more effective in praying and practically helping our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ? The Voice of the Martyrs Canada CEO Floyd Brobbel discusses that with Pastor Matt Tapley of Lakemount Worship Centre in Grimsby, Ontario. Floyd has been serving at VOM Canada since 2003 and desires to make sure that persecuted believers know they are not forgotten! Length 44 minutes To vi...

Blasphemy laws in Pakistan are often used to falsely accuse Christians of insulting Islam. If convicted, these believers face harsh punishments ranging from life in prison to the death penalty. Even if they are not convicted, the accused frequently become the victims of mob violence. In Pakistan, Christian women and girls are often kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam. In many cases, these wom...

  Imagine taking a journey to various places around the world where having faith in Jesus is forbidden. Along the way, we’re given opportunities to meet bold believers whose powerful testimonies both encourage and challenge us. During this VOMC podcast, our host Greg Musselman interviews author and broadcaster Todd Nettleton, who in turn introduces us to Sister Tong from China, Iman from Iran, and...

A Nigerian pastor, Leviticus  and his toddler son Godsend were recently killed by Islamic militants. The 39-year-old pastor also served as a church planter in Niger State. Fortunately, his wife and daughter escaped, but they are now in a state of shock and grief over the sudden loss of their loved ones. VOM Canada’s Greg Musselman provides more details on this tragic story and invites you to join...

  Pastor Kidane Gebremeskel Gedion says it was a great privilege to suffer for Jesus during the two-and-a-half years he spent in three different Eritrean prisons because of his Christian activities . Pastor Kidane tells VOM Canada’s Greg Musselman that being separated from his wife and children was much worse than the imprisonment itself. He also explains why the Eritrean government continues to p...

The levels of violence against Christians in India from Hindu extremists have significantly intensified. And since the onset of the pandemic, the challenges facing persecuted believers have become even more alarming. VOM Canada’s Greg Musselman spoke with Abihijit Nayak, the Director of Step, a ministry partner of The Voice of the Martyrs Canada, about the rise of persecution in India and the extr...

One of the most violent and dangerous counties in the world to be a follower of Jesus is Africa’s most populous nation of Nigeria. Christians are killed, kidnapped and terrorized by the Militant Islamic groups Boko Haram and Fulani Herdsmen. Last year the number of followers of Jesus who were killed increased by 60 percent. A study from Open Doors says that more than 2,200of the 4,761 believers ki...

Ugandan Pastor Thomas Chikooma was recently invited by local Muslims to participate in an open-air religious debate in the community of Pallisa. After giving his defense of Christianity, he was privileged to lead 14 people to faith in Christ, including six who had been Muslims. While many at that meeting were excited by the response to the Gospel, there were some Muslims who were angry, and they c...

On this program we’ll be hearing from 2 men who were imprisoned for their faith in Jesus and Christian activities. Dan Bauman in Iran and Andrew Brunson in Turkey. Both men began so depressed while in prison they wanted to end their lives. Here how they were rescues and the lessons they learned when their freedom was taken from them.

  On May 11, four Indonesian Christians were beheaded in in the village of Kalimago, Central Sulawesi Province. Five men were seen and identified as members of the terrorist group East Indonesia Mujahidin that morning. Later that day four victims that had been beheaded. All four victims were identified as members of local churches, adults over the age of 40. Length 4:00 www.vomcanada.,com www.open...

  Martyrdom is NOT a special calling from Jesus given only to the apostles or a small number of bold Christians at key moments in history. Dr. Eric Foley of The Voice of the Martyrs Korea says that all Christians are called to be martyrs! In his interview conversation with Greg Musselman, Dr. Foley examines how the Bible defines martyrdom, and the answer may surprise you. Dr. Foley also discusses...

The nation of India is struggling under the weight of a pandemic that has sick people being turned away from hospitals that have run out of beds and oxygen as the numbers of new cases rise to record levels each day and the death toll mounts. The situation in the world’s second most populous nation is heart breaking. Greg Musselman talked with The Voice of the Martyrs Canada partner Ramchand Saranu...

Since the early days of the church, Christians have recognized three distinct modes of martyrdom, each designated by a colour. However, few followers of Jesus today have even heard about this Biblically rooted tradition. Dr. Eric Foley, CEO for The Voice of the Martyrs Korea, joins Greg Musselman to examine the significance behind the red, green and white colours of martyrdom. Dr. Foley also provi...

A mother of seven children in eastern Uganda has suffered serious wounds and, consequently, was forced to flee after her husband and other Muslim relatives attacked her on Easter Sunday for converting to Christianity., 37 year old Salimati Naibira, 37, had recently placed her faith in Christ after being miraculously healed. Story from Persecution and Prayer Alert https://www.vomcanada.com/ug-2021-...

  Trouble on the Way: Persecution in the Christian Life – Part Two Floyd Brobbel, CEO for The Voice of the Martyrs Canada, continues his discussion with Greg Musselman about his new book, Trouble on the Way, in which he looks at the various stages of persecution. In the previous episode, Floyd examined ridicule, harassment, discrimination and defamation, stages that are commonly encountered by our...

  To see the report to the story about Maryam and Navish https://www.vomcanada.com/pk-2021-04-15.htm Pakistan country profile https://www.vomcanada.com/pakistan.htm To view the Pakistan Prayer Alert video  https://vimeo.com/539735734 The Voice of the Martyrs Canada web site www.vomcanada.com

Trouble on the Way: Persecution in the Christian Life While most Christians living in the West have heard about fellow believers around the world suffering for their faith in Jesus, the plight of the persecuted church can often be far removed from one’s daily life. Floyd Brobbel, CEO for The Voice of the Martyrs Canada, joins Greg Musselman to talk about his new book, Trouble on the Way, in which...

Another 35 Christians have been arrested in Eritrea for conducting prayer meetings. The latest arrests dash any hopes of a change of heart towards the followers of Jesus in the East African nation, where many have been imprisoned for their faith since Eritrea closed most churches in 2002. Story from Persecution and Prayer Alert https://www.vomcanada.com/er-2021-04-08.htm Eritrea country profile ht...

In February, it was reported that a Christian man named Hamid had been sentenced to five years in prison for sharing a cartoon on Facebook. On March 22nd, a judge in Oran, Algeria, heard his appeal and upheld the sentence along with a fine of almost $1,000 CAD. News Article: https://vomcanada.com/dz-2021-03-25.htm More about Algeria: https://vomcanada.com/algeria.htm

Please remember to prayerfully uphold Leah and other surviving Christians who were abducted in separate incidences and, to date, are still being held captive by Nigeria's terrorist groups because of their faith in Jesus. Read morehttps://vomcanada.com/ng-2021-03-11.htm