Closer to the Fire with Greg Musselman

Eritrea is considered the North Korea of Africa because of its brutal treatment of evangelical Christians. For more than 20 years, the oppressive regime of this small East African nation has resulted in the imprisonment of numerous Christians, subjecting these faithful followers of Jesus to confinement under inhumane conditions and torture. In addition, many churches across the country have been f...

Does advocacy make a difference when addressing the persecution of not only Christians but all religious minorities around the world? Roshini Wickremesinhe – who serves as the Executive Director of the Religious Liberty Partnership (RLP) – joins Greg Musselman to share about the important work of the RLP, a coalition dedicated to the international collaboration of Christian organizations that focu...

Mara's House is a safe home in Nigeria that assists traumatized young women who are recovering from persecution, terrorism, kidnapping, sexual violence, child marriage and socio-economic deprivation. In addition to safe housing, Mara's House provides medical care, education, vocational training and pastoral care so Christian women can rebuild their lives and create opportunities for their future....

Pakistan's notorious blasphemy laws place Christians at constant risk of being falsely accused of speaking against Islam, the Quran or Mohammed – resulting in harsh punishments when accused believers are convicted and death threats if they aren’t. A quarter of all blasphemy accusations in Pakistan target Christians, who make up only 1.8 percent of the population. The number of blasphemy cases is i...

An increasing number of states in India have implemented anti-conversion laws, supposedly in an effort to stop Hindus from being forcibly converted to other religions. In reality, however, these laws are often used as an excuse to harass, arrest, imprison, and intimidate Christians who distribute aid among their communities or hold private church meetings. Additionally, these laws do not seem to p...

The military government in the African nation of Sudan is trying to eliminate all Christian villages, churches, hospitals and schools in an effort to Islamize the country. Although the constitution guarantees religious freedom, Islam remains the de facto state religion, and apostasy is punishable by death under the government's Shariah law. Persecution is especially harsh for followers of Jesus wh...

One of the relevant questions many Christians in Canada and other countries of the West ask is: “How can followers of Jesus cope with today’s eroding religious freedoms, and the world’s increased hostility to the Gospel, while serving as ‘salt’ and ‘light’?” Closer to the Fire host Greg Musselman talks with author and speaker Paul Estabrooks about his latest book, LIVING LIKE A LAMB AMONG 21st-CEN...

In 2022, Christian activities across Russia – including gathering for worship, distributing Bibles and Christian literature, as well as personal evangelism – were investigated by Russian police and punished as crimes by Russian courts of law. Believers were forced to pay fines and, in most cases, those who challenged the court’s decisions lost their appeals. This trend of mounting opposition again...

The persecution of Christians is reportedly intensifying in the Southeast Asian nation of Laos. During this episode, Closer to the Fire host Greg Musselman speaks with Patrick Klein of Vision Beyond Borders, a trusted ministry partner of VOM Canada. Patrick shares about his recent trip to the Communist country and addresses several cases of harassment and opposition against Laotian followers of Je...

The Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, recently described the war in Syria as a humanitarian nightmare for the long-suffering Syrian people and urgently called for a solution to the conflict. While the true number of lives lost may never be known, hundreds of thousands of Syrians have died since 2011. The UN estimates that over six million surviving Syrians have fled to nei...

During this first episode of 2023, the Closer to the Fire podcast highlights three countries of growing concern where the persecution of Christians is expected to rise this year. These countries are Nigeria, India and China. Host Greg Musselman speaks with Andrew Boyd of Release International, a UK-based mission which recently published its annual Persecution Trends Report. Greg and Andrew discuss...

There are over 6,000 people groups in today’s world that consist of a total population representing Christianity by less than two percent. When it comes to hearing the Gospel, approximately 60 percent of these groups is considered “unreached,” for the people live in countries where it’s extremely difficult for evangelical missionaries to enter. Followers of Jesus within these regions are often per...

Northern Nigeria is one of the most dangerous places on earth to be a follower of Jesus. According to Open Doors, more than 4,600 Nigerian Christians were killed for their faith in 2021, and those are only the cases that were reported. Militant Islamic groups are determined to eliminate Christianity from the country. These groups often target Christian women, using kidnapping, forced marriage and...

When Christians in Pakistan are falsely accused of speaking against Islam, Muhammad or the Quran, they risk being charged under the country’s infamous blasphemy laws, which carry harsh punishments – ranging from hefty fines to the death penalty. Even if not convicted, Christians accused of blasphemy remain vulnerable to mob violence. Other believers are tortured or killed for their faith in Christ...

An Interview with Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand: The Founders of The Voice of the Martyrs (International)

Andrew van der Bijl, better known as Brother Andrew, was a Dutch missionary who became famous for smuggling Bibles into Communist countries at the height of the Cold War. He expanded his ministry to persecuted Christians by founding the global organization now known as Open Doors. For his courageous missionary activities, he earned the nickname "God's Smuggler." Brother Andrew passed away on Septe...

There are times when it is appropriate for the followers of Jesus to fight for one’s legal rights. The Apostle Paul did so on several occasions, and it could be argued that he defended his legal rights to further the Kingdom of God. Even Jesus defended Himself at one point during His trial – not to protest His suffering, but as a testimony of His innocence. In this episode of Closer to the Fire, h...

Recent raids on house churches in China have raised concerns, for these incidents could signify a shift in governmental policy. It's estimated that about 80 percent of the persecution presently taking place in China is being directed towards unauthorized house churches. Closer to the Fire host Greg Musselman is joined by Dr. Bob Fu, the president of ChinaAid, to find out why this shift is taking p...

As India’s Hindu population reaches nearly one billion, nationalism within the country is on the rise. Fundamentalist Hindus are calling for the nation to be purged of all non-Hindus, leaving Christians increasingly vulnerable to persecution. Since 2016, the cases of persecution have worsened yearly and, in 2020, India ranked 10th on the list of countries where it is most dangerous to be a Christi...

A year after the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, the promise of a less militant version of the Islamic group has not materialized. This has been the case in spite of promises made to the international community, a source the country relies on for billions of dollars in funding. Life for women, girls, and citizens who are seen as unsupportive of the Taliban’s brand of Islam – including Chris...

Note: For security reasons, the identities of this episode’s podcast guests, and their present residing country, cannot be disclosed. For two years, “Pastor Amir” was brutally tortured while imprisoned in the Middle East. According to his daughter “Sarah,” the former Muslim was arrested for his Christian activities (including distributions of food and Bibles, as well as sharing the Gospel message....

Based on stats of the previous year, human rights experts are predicting a record-setting year of violence against Nigeria’s Christians for 2022. The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project recorded a total of 31 attacks on Nigerian churches and Christians throughout 2021. Yet, so far, about halfway through 2022, there have already been more than 23 separate attacks on believers. The deadly...

For the past 25 years, Ray Thorne has devoted his life to encouraging and helping persecuted believers around the world. Ray joins Closer to the Fire host Greg Musselman to share his experiences in South Sudan, Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as the invaluable lessons he has learned from those who have paid the price for their faith in Jesus. Ray also recounts his first trip with The Voice of th...

Followers of Jesus in Nigeria are constantly vulnerable to deadly attacks from militant Muslims. According to international human rights lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe, the ongoing violence can be described as a “genocide” of Christians. Mr. Ogebe presently lives in Washington, D.C., where he serves as Special Counsel of the Justice for Jos Project. He speaks with Closer to the Fire host Greg Musselman abo...

While Armenia is considered the world’s oldest Christian nation, its very existence is being threatened by the neighbouring country of Azerbaijan. Churches in Armenia continue to be desecrated by the Azeri military, and now the country has been given an ultimatum: If they refuse to surrender its southern border with Iran, there will be war. In this episode of Closer to the Fire, host Greg Musselma...