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 who have come from Muslim backgrounds.

During this episode of Closer to the Fire, Dr. Yassir Eric – a former Muslim who hated Christians while growing up in Sudan – joins host Greg Musselman to share his powerful testimony and discuss the ongoing persecution being faced by believers in Sudan, as well as in the Middle East. In spite of intense opposition, he also explains how and why the Gospel continues to advance in these hostile regions.

Dr. Yassir is a theologian, author, missiologist, and expert on Islam who networks with Muslim-background believers worldwide. He is also the founder of Communio Messianica, an organization of Christian leaders from Muslim backgrounds.

Length: 41 minutes

Episode Notes

To watch the interview with Dr. Yassir Eric The Voice of the Martyrs Canada | Closer to the Fire - The Persecution of Muslim-Background Believers in Sudan and the Middle East: An Interview with Dr. Yassir Eric (vomcanada.com)

Dr Yassir Eric

www.communiomessianica.org

www.edu.awm-korntal.eu/en/person/1276.html

The Voice of the Martyrs Canada: www.vomcanada.com

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-CENTURY WOLVES: Balancing Grace and Truth. During the interview, they discuss how Christians can engage in a world that has become culturally more antagonistic towards the Bible and those who follow its teachings.

Paul Estabrooks, an author of seven books, has served the persecuted church around the world for more than 40 years.

Length: 39 minutes

Episode Notes

To view the interview with Paul Estabrooks, go to: www.VOMCanada.com/video/LivingLikeALamb

To order a copy of Living Like a Lamb Among 21st-Century Wolves, visit the ministry’s online store: https://store.vomcanada.org/category/all/books/living-like-a-lamb-among-21st-century-wolves

Paul Estabrooks’ website: www.paulestabrooks.com

The Voice of the Martyrs Canada www.vomcanada.com

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 against the country’s Christian population is being closely monitored by The Voice of the Martyrs Korea.

Closer to the Fire host Greg Musselman is joined by Dr. Eric Foley, who serves as the CEO and Co-Founder of VOM Korea, to discuss the heightened persecution of evangelical Christians in Russia. Dr. Foley offers insight into how the invasion of Ukraine is affecting Russian believers and addresses how the church is navigating increased challenges amid the ongoing war. Additionally, he provides an update on the growing underground church in North Korea.

Length: 52 minutes

The Voice of the Martyrs Canada: www.vomcanada.com

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 Jesus – including one incident in which believers were driven from their village in the province of Luang Prabang for refusing to renounce their faith.

During the interview, Patrick also reports of a fatal attack that took place last November, involving a pastor who was murdered for his ministry work. He adds that persecution is even being perpetrated by members of the government-controlled church. Yet, in spite of the many challenges facing our Christian brothers and sisters in Laos, the church continues to grow.

Length: 35:30

Episode Notes

To watch the interview with Patrick Klein: https://www.vomcanada.com/cttf-videos/video/cttf-la-persecution-rise.html

Vision Beyond Borders: www.visionbeyondborders.org

The Voice of the Martyrs Canada: www.vomcanada.com

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 neighbouring countries and overseas nations, including Canada, and that more than seven million refugees are internally displaced. Christians remaining in this war-torn country are vulnerable to attacks from militant Islamic groups like ISIS and must also face the ongoing humanitarian crisis caused by the war and sanctions.

Fayez Youssef, who serves as a pastor and evangelist in the Middle East/North African region, is working to bring practical help and encouragement into Syria. In this latest episode of Closer to the Fire, podcast host Greg Musselman interviews Pastor Fayez of Cairo, Egypt, about the challenges facing followers of Jesus in Syria and other countries of the Middle East.

Length: 35 minutes

Episode Notes

To view the interview with Fayez Youssef https://vomcanada.com/cttf-videos/video/cttf-sy-uncertain-future.html

The Voice of the Martyrs Canada: www.vomcanada.com

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 the concerning trends described in the report, which are based on findings from international ministry partners serving in the world’s most dangerous persecution hot spots.

Length: 62 minutes

Show Notes

To watch the interview with Andrew Boyd The Voice of the Martyrs Canada | Closer to the Fire - Persecution Trends Report for 2023: Nigeria, China and India (vomcanada.com)

Persecution Trends Report for 2023: https://releaseinternational.org/persecution-trends-2023-focus-on-nigeria-india-china/

Release International: www.releaseinternational.org

The Voice of the Martyrs Canada: www.vomcanada.com

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 persecuted for their faith and, as a result, feel isolated from others in their communities.

Thankfully, the message of God’s love – together with the encouragement of fellow Christians – is now being provided to isolated believers and those in need of salvation through radio broadcasts and the provision of audio Bibles.

Tim Whitehead, who serves as the Executive Director of Galcom Canada, joins Closer to the Fire host Greg Musselman to talk about the importance of bringing the Gospel into restricted and dangerous places through radio broadcasts, and why The Voice of the Martyrs Canada is one of Galcom’s key ministry partners.

Length: 34 minutes

Show Notes

To view this interview

https://vomcanada.com/fromvomc/video/vomc-tim-whitehead.html

Galcom International – Canada: www.galcom.org

The Voice of the Martyrs Canada: www.vomcanada.com

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 conversion to Islam as a means of demoralizing believers.

In this edition of the Closer to the Fire podcast, host Greg Musselman will introduce you to four young Christian women who are receiving greatly needed counselling and ministerial care so they can overcome the traumatic attacks of Islamic militants and experience renewed hope for the future.

Greg also shares how you can be a part of their healing journey by supporting Mara’s House, a trauma centre for Nigerian women and girls. Additionally, he examines the reasons behind the horrific levels of violence perpetrated against followers of Jesus in Africa’s most populous nation and what we can do to help many of these innocent victims.

Length: 20 Minutes

Show Notes

To find out more about how you can help, go to: www.crossroads.ca/nigeria.

To view the Mara’s House Special on 100 Huntley Street, go to:

http://www.100huntley.com/watch?videoID=339305

The Voice of the Martyrs Canada www.vomcanada.com