Areadymind
Be praying for V.O.M. I won't repeat the news here, nevertheless, they are going to need our prayers seriously.
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V.O.M.
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dougr777
Yes, I will be praying for V.O.M., they will need our prayers.
Doug
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sermonindex
What is going on with VOM? I have googled and find no earth shaking news? Has the ministry been destroyed? Are they closing up shop? Are they denying Christ? What are we praying for? Is the ministry still operating? Someone want to direct me to a website to get some credible info here?
Bearmaster.
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sermonindex
bearmaster, click on the News tab on google and then do your search... you will find out why nobody will type it out.
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mama27
There is a statement on the V.O.M. website.
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sermonindex
Just read the VOM web page. For sure will be praying for VOM.
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sermonindex
WOW! Pretty sure A dear brother wrote him and ask him why he didn't separate out True Believers from Catholics once not too many years ago & he wouldn't listen? Tragic! If this is all true and accurate, it is Like me and some other brothers discussed the other night in prayer and fellowship, judgement always begins in the house of God and those who name the name and minister in His name are the most accountable (& targeted by the enemy)! We should pray for the persecuted believers around the world who are helped/supported by VOM. There is nothing hidden that shall not be exposed, and those who were/are being helped by VOM need our prayer. I'm In shock. Lord help and be with those affected by this.
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sermonindex
Scratch what I said. I found the article.
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dougr777
http://www.persecution.com/public/newsroom.aspx?story_ID=NDkz
this is the link if anybody is looking for it about V.O.M.
Praying...
Doug
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Trekker
Now i understand why he didn't post it. Never saw that one coming. Man.
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Joyful_Heart
Please - everyone before anything gets out of hand here lets stop and pray. Please lets not begin to post anything negative about Tom White or VOM. It is hard enough for most, we dont need to read everyone's opinions and links to this or that about negative things, facts or not.
Just please pray for VOM, the family and all who are mourning and a dear sister said we need to pray the Lord puts in just the right person right now in Tom's place.
So, lets be a godly people here and not pick Tom or VOM apart.
Only asking this because I see what some do without thinking or praying.
May the Lord continue to bless VOM and use them and wrap His loving arms around his family, the persecuted and VOM.
Lord, in Your infinite ways I pray You will turn what satan has meant for evil You will somehow turn it to good. We love You, Praise You and put all this in Your hands Lord, come and intervene and orchestrate events Lord.
Amen and Amen
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MaryJane
In this circumstance I do think we need to be in prayer. GOD knows the needs and those affected. Perhaps this is one of those times we can just pray LORD YOUR will be done. That is my prayer for this situation.
God Bless
mj
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sermonindex
I resonate no matter what we think or how we want to judge a man we must pray for Gods mercy on this situation, if a brother who suffered in jail for his faith for 17 months and also suffered for the Gospel all across the world in 100 countries can be trapped in a sin like this, none of us are able free from this possibility also. We must stand by faith in the Son of God and His blood every hour to not be trapped by sins deceitfulness.
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Memories of Voice of the Martyrs' Tom White
“Tears.” That’s how The Voice of the Martyrs co-founder Sabina Wurmbrand responded when a VOM worker detailed his findings about persecution against Christians in Sudan.
“Tears” are what many of my friends at VOM and I are shedding because of the sudden death of VOM Executive Director Tom White.
I worked closely with Tom over the years—laboring with him over the monthly newsletter, discussing Christian persecution in various restricted countries, and strategizing about responses. At times we disagreed, but I could not have asked for a better friend and mentor to help me understand persecution and the suffering church.
Tom’s passion was to bring about a fellowship of suffering, a connection between Christians in the West and our persecuted family members around the world.
He had a special heart for SE Asian Christian ethnics, like the Hmong of Vietnam and the Khmu of Laos, and a determined interest to highlight persecution against them in VOM’s monthly newsletter.
He also traveled extensively to more than 100 countries—risking his own safety-- to meet with persecuted believers where they lived: in jungles, mountain regions, remote and dangerous locations.
I recall joining him in December 2003 on a trip to Baghdad. Kidnappings and attacks against Westerners were increasing in Iraq as the glow of liberation wore off and the insurgency commenced. Tom was overjoyed to meet several evangelists who were imprisoned under Saddam Hussein.
A Christmas play performed by some Christian house church children left an impression on him. One of the young Iraqi performers—a kid wrapped up in toilet paper-- resembled an Egyptian mummy. He portrayed Lazarus brought back to life, emerging from the tomb as Jesus called out, “Lazarus come forth!”
Tom resembled a proud parent, enthralled by the performance. As the former school teacher snapped some photos, he excitedly announced the play would be spotlighted in a forthcoming VOM newsletter about Iraq.
One day while in Baghdad, we heard the deafening sound of continuous, celebratory gunfire erupt. We initially thought someone had just gotten married, but we learned later that Saddam Hussein had been captured in Tikrit and forcibly removed from a hole in the ground.
It was an historic moment. Tom expressed hoped that the Iraqi church would grow and experience greater religious freedom with Saddam gone, yet he knew Christians were likely to experience greater persecution as various Muslim groups battled for control of the country.
Tom also loved quotable quotes. Once after returning from a trip to Bangladesh, I told him about a former Muslim I had met who had “lost everything” for his faith in Christ. When I asked the persecuted believer to share his thoughts about what he had endured, he said, “They can burn my home and all my possessions, but they can’t burn Jesus from my heart!”
Tom’s face lit up as he inquired, “Did he really say that?”
“Yes,” I insisted. He brushed aside the clutter on his desk, found a pencil, and then frantically jotted down what I had just told him on a yellow legal pad.
“Wow! That’s great. They can’t burn Jesus from my heart… I’m going to use that in my editorial!”
He admired persecuted believers who endured hardship and possessed an eternal perspective about their faith. Tom worked tirelessly to share their experiences with the world. He truly was a voice of the martyrs.
He will be greatly missed not only by those who knew him, but also by many persecuted Christians who never had the opportunity to meet him. I doubt they’ll be represented by a more passionate advocate.
Please pray for his dear wife Ofelia, his children, and grandchildren during Tom’s homecoming.
“Well done, good and faithful servant!”
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sermonindex
I read from the site last night and something just didn't sit right with me. I've seen people 'set up' before. Senators, congressmen, etc.
How to destroy a ministry or whatever ... it happens.
As far a Catholics go - Richard Wurmbrand, in his books, spent time with a few in prison and he felt the ones he wrote about, died for their bottomline, of devotion to not deny Jesus though tortured as he was. We just don't know until we've been through what he and they went through, just Who or What we're serving ... Not until we're drugged, beaten, excreted on, deprived of food, and so forth.
What's truly in us will come out in those EXTREMES. ALL of us.
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ccchhhrrriiisss
Praying.
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pilgrim777
Google "Voice of the Martyrs Tom White"
If this is true, may the Lord help Tom White's family and VOM and may it serve as a warning to all who think they stand.
From Mission Network News
http://mnnonline.org/blogs/2012/04/23/whats-the-message-from-the-vom-tragedy/
Pilgrim
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ADisciple
"Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."
"And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son... The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places; how are the mighty fallen!
Tell it not at Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice...
I am distressed for thee my brother..." 2 Sam. 1.17-20,26).
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DEADn
I am in shock to learn of this. When I sit back and think about the ramifications of it one of the things I think of is this thought. Tom spent some time in prison in Cuba for the Gospel and he spent 30 years doing this ministry but these allegations hit home so hard to him that he felt suicide was better than to reap what may have been sown. I find it to be a very powerful lesson personally. I sit back just stunned over it. VOM will continue, I hope, and its message will continue but I also think that what Tom was apparently hiding should serve all of us notice that sin is such a powerful enemy. What we hide is eventually going to come out with a vengeance.
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sermonindex
what grieves me to the quick is, i see no mention of praying for that precious little 10 year old girl, whose soul has been shattered, instead all i see is a litany of what this man has done, and even a closing accolade,
"Well done, good and faithful servant".
???????
is the sun going to rise in the west tommorrow?, brethern, where are our bearings? i know, Mercy not judgement,but The Lord Jesus spoke about such horrors, and QUITE clearly at that:
"but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea."
Matthew 18:6
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MaryJane
Neil
honestly I did not know about the allegations concerning the ten year old girl. Its all very heartbreaking all I can do is pray for the LORD will be done in this circumstance. I don't know what else one can do...
God bless
mj
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Lordoitagain
I cannot help but resonate the same sentiment that Jesus-is-GOD expressed .... THIS COULD VERY WELL ALL BE A SET-UP!!!! I keep reading in all of my research "apparent suicide" ... Even the V.O.M. website says: "Tom appears to have chosen to take his own life". What witnesses do we have to prove that he actually did so? Paul clearly instructs us: 1Ti 5:19 Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.
What good Christian witnesses saw the "apparent suicide". Are we taking all of our information from the polluted news media that none of us trust?
Several years ago, Our church was earnestly praying for a family of a man who had taken a stand in a town in the USA against the growing acceptance of homosexuality as "OK" and normal. In love, he was preaching to people that it was a sin and that they needed to repent in order to be right with God and go to heaven. He and his wife went to some kind of vacation motel that had an open top roof. Somehow, some people climbed in the top, and went down to murder his wife. The last memories that he had of his wife was that she was screaming for him to flee that they would kill him too. The murderers were gone when the police arrived, and all of the "evidence" said that he had killed his wife. He spent many years in prison after that. I don't know what ever became of the situation, but I do know that set-ups DO HAPPEN!
What better way to hinder a work that some people HATE than to stage a molestation case ... and then write a "suicide note", and then to find him in a position that makes it appear that he took his life?
Perhaps I am "in denial", but I will not receive either accusation (inappropriate behavior nor suicide)against this elder until a true and faithful Christian can back it up with personal witness. After suffering so much for Christ he would have had to have lost his mind to do such thing, although it is possible, it is highly unlikely.
Judgment day will reveal all of the facts.
Judgm
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Areadymind
The reason I stated at the beginning of this thread that we need to pray is for the same reason that some have stated. Neil is right that if all this is true we should most certainly pray for the little girl and her family, but I also am praying that truth will prevail.
Even the elect would be deceived in these days if it were possible. At this point it seems to only be allegations. We must be able to recognize that in our day and age it is very easy to pin men down with sexual harassment charges because society in general is biased against men in this way, it seems to me to be similar in nature to the Salem witch trials. Nothing has changed with human nature. There is a running mentality of suspicion in many peoples minds that all men are perverts and molesters. It is common dogma. I personally know people who have been alleged to have done these things and come to find out they were just simply and purely innocent.
1 Corinthians 13 tells us to "believe all things." I take that to mean we must trust and hope for the best in every situation and assume innocence unless necessity deems that guilt is pure and unassailable.
We need to do unto others as we would have others do unto us. Love covers a multitude of sins. The body of Christ ought to be a place where that occurs. If there is going to be persecution in our western world today, I suspect it will be far more devious and less obvious than was done in days gone by. Smearing reputations is a far more effective means of silencing the witness of martyrs. Fortunately we have the Holy Spirit to "Guide us into all truth."
None of what I am saying is to detract from the very real possibility that these allegations may be true. But I for one, do not want to believe them unless the proof is in the pudding. We have to remember that Jesus was sentenced for a lie. We should not be surprised if the same happens to his followers.
Thank you Neil for pointing out that we should pray for the girl. This is what the Body of Christ ought to be for. Some of us see what others may not.
I also would suggest that we pray for the thousands of impressionable believers who may be weak in the faith who have been followers and supporters of this ministry. They may be disenfranchised in a hard to deal with way.
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Joyful_Heart
I agree, Lordoitagain. And I am going to pray for the family and for the work of the Lord to go forth and healing for all. And that we will keep our hearts right before the Lord. As we dont really know what happened and no one can cast a stone. God help us all.
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sermonindex
As I have prayed with a sad heart over the situation the Spirit said don't judge, pray. Thus I have been praying for God's mercy and comfort on all parties involved. So praying for the minist4y of VOM to continue. Since persecution will increse in these evil days this ministry will be needed more than ever.
We may never know,the dynamics if what transpired for this brother to take his life. But what was spoken to me I would convey to the forum. Pleaded don't judge pray.
Let us realize that what is taking place here is an attack of the enemy. This is the bigger picture. Because of the ministry that VOM is engaged in the demonic forces of bell are coming against it and other ministries that do kingdom work. This the tragedy at VOM should serve as a wake up call to all of us to watch and pray so that we will not fall into temptation.
Saints the devil is not some abstract theogical idea that we type on our key boards. He is real and he hates believers anf he will destroy them is allowed. Though he has been defeated at the cross and is power is limited we must never underestimate him. The early church took the devil seriouky and so must we.
With so many spiritual leaders falling into sin and health afflictions it is more urgent than ever to keep ourselves and our spiritual leaders in prayer. And to keep praying for them.
Also going back to Vince Lombardie. It is time to get back to basics. Believer this is a Bible. I know. I know. This is not marvelous theology. But saints look. If you don't accept it from me take it from one of SI's own Keith Daniels. In his message on the word of God he has said sin will keep you away from the Bible ir the Bible keep you away from sin.
Jesus used scripture to resist the devil and orayer. So this lesson from VOM should drive us to be in orayer and the word so we do not fall.
Bearmaster who is standing down.
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Lordoitagain
bearmaster said:
"We may never know,the dynamics if what transpired for this brother to take his life."
Why do we continue to parrot an accusation that we do not know if it is true or not???
Who saw him take his life? If he was found in a position with a gun in a position of suicide or a noose or whatever, that does not mean that he did it. There are cruel murderers who HATE what V.O.M. is doing. A group of armed men could very well have marched him into that warehouse and put him in that position. Were there cameras?
Again, what good faithful Christian saw him do it?
1Ti 5:19 Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.
Last week, a friend of mine, his wife and son were in church down near Mexico City. 8 armed men entered the sanctuary during the service and robbed everybody and took the sound system and instruments and all, and left unharmed. We are in the days of increased violence. Here in the USA, such criminals know that they have to handle it in a much more sly manner if they will accomplish their mischief.
God saw it all!
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sermonindex
All the mire reason to be faithful in prayer and the word.
Bearmaster.
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sermonindex
To be clear, I was not intending at all to "throw stones". My prayer is this: Lord, if this was just some "set-up", bring it to light so that all may see. Pray for Tom's friends, family, the ministry of VOM, etc. And Lord, if this was as it simply appears to be, let this be a picturesque warning to all in the Body to "beware when they ythink they stand, lest they fall, and be also with this little girl." maybe I shouldn't have started a different thread altogether, but my only point was that IF this happened as it all seems at facie value, it should be a warning to all in the Body to remember our first love, stay in the Spirit's grace in Prayer & His Word, stay accountable in fellowship with a true local Body of believers in NT fashion, and don't lose our intimacy with Christ or we are all subject to all kinds of pitfalls still hiding in the dark corners of our flesh. I know I am, and I know by God's Word we are all no different. One may be more apt to this or that sin, but apart from Grace & intimacy with the Father, that's where we all eviate to: our flesh. That's why we can have preachers on fire for years and later fellowshipping with "preachers" like Rick Warren who water down the Gospel, support a Babylonian system of the great harlot and her daughters, etc. That is how ANYONE can fall into horrible sin. If/when we begin to stray from intimacy with Him and get focused on any/everything else (even "good" things, like ministry). These are perilous days, the devil is beginning to see his time is getting shorter, judgement begins at the house of God, and if it were possible, even the very elect would be deceived. It's not how we start brothers/sisters, but how we finish that counts in eternity. I hope this was a "set-up", but if it wasn't, I hope it wakes some up who are "coasting" spiritually and who's prayer/Word time has long dried up. Either way, may God use what the devil meant for bad for His good!!!!
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sermonindex
I also would suggest that we pray for the thousands of impressionable believers who may be weak in the faith who have been followers and supporters of this ministry. They may be disenfranchised in a hard to deal with way
this is precisely what i find MOST GRIEVOUS about this whole thing.
VOM was a 'gold standard" ministry. Brother Andrew changed the world, to the extent, i myself am stashing Bibles, cases, because of not only his example, but what the Holy Spirit revealed to me.\\
i have sorrow unceasing about this all, becoz VOM was NOT one of those terrible circus's you see on TBN and other media...and now?
just Godly sorrow.
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pilgrim777
VOM said they knew nothing about it and this was the first they heard of the allegations regarding the 10 year old girl. Since they are allegations and they just heard about the investigation, that is probably the reason they did not say they were praying for the family. This is a traumatic thing and we should give VOM a break. They are coming out with a press release this week.
On the other hand, if it is true, and especially if there is a history, let's not whitewash or say the Devil set him up? The Devil sets all of us up everyday, but the final choice to fellowship with darkness is our own.
1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Let us all be warned not to trust in any false security and think we are above falling or turning away from God.
Most of all, we should embrace the truth head on and not make excuses which will further erode the credibility of the Church, today.
Pilgrim
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iceman9
Praying for the girl, Tom's family and the VOM ministry.
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DEADn
Though the story is fairly early there is something that concerns me. Alot of people are calling for prayer for Tom White's family but according to the story there is possibly another victim in this as well. A girl who was 10 years old and who may be alot older by now? She is going to be the forgotten one in this scenerio if you focus too much on the ministry side of this story. Scary to also realize what if there are other victims that have not come forward? Will a call for prayer go to them as well or only for Tom White and family and VOM? Something to think about, Let's not be double minded about this.
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ginnyrose
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QUOTE:
VOM was a 'gold standard" ministry. Brother Andrew changed the world, to the extent, i myself am stashing Bibles, cases, because of not only his example, but what the Holy Spirit revealed to me.\\
i have sorrow unceasing about this all, becoz VOM was NOT one of those terrible circus's you see on TBN and other media...and now?
just Godly sorrow.
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Good point, Neil. My thoughts exactly.
I have also been wondering whether conservative Christians have their own idols they worship? We put too much stock in the work of a man, an organization and relegate God to the sidelines.
In my 65 years of life I have seen it happen so many times: the people I greatly admired will do something to ruin this admiration. God will do this because we can easily displace God with another person who will become the authority in our lives, become an idol. God is jealous for us and he will remove these idols for our own benefit.
Still, I am sad for Tom White and the whole situation there. It is tragic...
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