I was wondering if we could get a space on the board for the persecuted church? It's not easy to "remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body" when we have so little to remind us of them. I wondered it might help in this way if there were a place on the board where people who receive Voice of the Martyrs and First Response, etc., could post updates, and ways that we can help our persecuted family. Just yesterday I was reading about Pakistan, and how Christians are suffering under the unjust Muslim laws which are supposed to be getting reformed... even the children are being persecuted: many little Christian girls are being raped and tortured by Muslim men-- if this happens with a Muslim girl, people will come to her rescue, but not for a Christian. And those who try to get justice for Christians are themselves persecuted.
A lot of times there are practical things that can be done, though they might not make a lot of difference-- for instance, we can write to the President of Pakistan about this, and perhaps if enough people write they will listen to some extent. But it's most important to have it before us, to remember and to pray. Not only because these are our brothers and sisters, and when they suffer, we suffer as well, but because it encourages me, at least, to be more faithful with all that I have by way of remembering those who are enduring the loss of all things.

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Heidi
Indianapolis, Indiana

After two days, he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.
Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.

I second the motion.

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Andrew Myers
Husband of Jessica, Father of Jackson, Katie and Samuel
Member, Presbyterian Reformed Church of Northern Virginia
Warrenton, VA USA
Editor, The Matthew Poole Project

"Let your Morning Thoughts, and your last Evening Thoughts, be what shall become of you to all Eternity." -- Matthew Poole

Would this include different ACLU/court happenings in the U.S. as well? or are we limiting to the harsher variety of persecutions as is shown in the rest of the world?

I do think this is a good idea.

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Chris Rhoades -33
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church (PCA) Nashville, TN-Under Care

Vera theologia non theoretica, sed practica est; Finis siquidem eius agere est hoc est vitam vivere deiformem. - Martin Bucer
""True theology is not theoretical, but practical. The end of it is living, that is to live a godly life."

Let's limit this to the foreign church and include it in the Missions Forum. If you really want to distinguish it, have

Persecuted Church: xxxxx

in the title.

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Fredrick T. Greco
Senior Pastor, Christ Church PCA (Katy, TX)
Christ Church Blog

"The heart is the main thing in true religion...It is the hinge and turning-point in the condition of man's soul. If the heart is alive to God and quickened by the Spirit, the man is a living Christian. If the heart is dead and has not the Spirit, the man is dead before God." (J.C. Ryle)