The classic Tortured for Christ by Pastor Richard Wurmbrand — the founder of Voice of the Martyrs https://www.persecution.com — was published over 50 years ago [1]. But this first person account of Wurmbrand’s 14 years of imprisonment and torture at the hands of his Communist captors remains relevant today.
As the voice of the underground church, Wurmbrand tells the story of countless members of the Body of Christ who continued faithful despite unspeakable hardship and trials.
Apart from Wurmbrand’s own fortitude, love of Christ, and passion for the unsaved, three points, in particular, stand out:
- That Communists skillfully seduced church leaders by promising tolerance and peaceful co-existence, before harsh restrictions were imposed.
- That the persecuted church in China, North Korea, the Middle East, Africa, and elsewhere is in desperate need of support from American Christians.
- That the Great Commission — our directive to reach the unsaved for Christ — remains urgent.
I could not recommend Tortured for Christ more highly. Readers will weep from the book’s beginning to end.
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[1] Wikipedia, “Richard Wurmbrand”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Wurmbrand.
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse https://www.avoicereclaimed.com
Bill of Rights: “Article the third” contains the text later ratified as the First Amendment. National Archives and Records Administration (NAID Identified 1408042).
The Washington Examiner recently ran an article recapping the latest infringements on freedom of religion as protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution [1]:
- Walter Reed National Medical Center has terminated its arrangement with the Franciscans who ministered to veterans there for nearly two decades. The secular defense contractor, Mack Global — unable to provide spiritual services — has been substituted.
- The Dept. of Health and Human Services has reintroduced a proposal previously struck down by the courts to require that religious hospitals and physicians perform abortions and gender reassignment surgery [2].
- The Dept. of Education has proposed revisions to Title IX which would ban discrimination on the basis of so called “gender identity” rather than biological sex [3].
- The Dept. of Education has, also, proposed revising the Religious Freedom Rule which currently bans colleges from denying faith based student groups the same benefits afforded secular groups [4].
- Pres. Joseph “Joe” Biden in June of 2022 signed the Executive Order Advancing Equality for LGBTQI+ Individuals [5]. The fear is that an Equality Act paralleling its provisions will pass in Congress, forcing Christian organizations to hire those with lifestyles viewed by the Bible as immoral.
This is the sound of distant jackboots. This is the sound of approaching menace. It does not bode well, either for Christians or the nation.
“…henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart...” (Eph. 4: 17-18).
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[1] Washington Examiner, “First Amendment protections for religion are stuck in a political tug of war” by Nicholas Rowan, 4/28/23, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/justice/first-amendment-protections-for-religion-are-stuck-in-a-political-tug-of-war.
[2] Reuters, “US can’t punish Christian hospitals for refusing to do abortions, gender surgery” by Brendan Pierson, 8/29/22, https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-cant-punish-christian-hospitals-refusing-do-abortions-gender-surgery-2022-08-29/.
[3] US Dept. of Education, “The US Department of Education Releases Proposed Changes to Title IX Regulations, Invites Public Comment”, 6/23/22, https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-releases-proposed-changes-title-ix-regulations-invites-public-comment.
[4] Inside Higher Education (IHE), “Biden Administration to Rescind Part of Religious Freedom Rule” by Katherine Knott, 2/22/23, https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2023/02/23/biden-administration-rescind-part-trumps-free-inquiry-rule.
[5] The White House, “Fact Sheet: President Biden to Sign Historic Executive Order Advancing LGBTQI+ Equality During Pride Month”, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/06/15/fact-sheet-president-biden-to-sign-historic-executive-order-advancing-lgbtqi-equality-during-pride-month/.
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse https://www.avoicereclaimed.com
Relief map of Kenya with Shakahola Forest in southeast corner, near the town of Malindi, Author Uwe Dedering (CC BY- SA 3.0 Unported)
WARNING: Graphic Images
As this world grows darker, the horrors increase.
A purportedly Christian church in Kenya known as Good News International Ministries or the Malindi cult engaged in mass murder by starvation and the illegal — though highly lucrative — sale of body parts, believed to have been forcibly harvested from victims [1A][2].
“Nothing prepares you for shallow mass graves of children,”
–Hussein Khalid, Executive Director of Haki Africa [3A]
A total of 133 bodies have been exhumed since mass graves were uncovered last month [1B]. The majority are those of children. Church members were told that starvation was the only way to God. The cult apparently required that children be starved first.
Though starvation was the primary cause of death, victims of the Shakahola Forest Massacre (as this travesty has been dubbed) were, also, beaten, strangled, or suffocated. Read more…
Messianic Jewish rabbi, Jonathan Cahn, has written another disturbing and controversial book [1][2].
This one — titled The Return of the Gods — makes the case that the same demonic forces are at work in America today as were at work when ancient Israel strayed from the one true God. To do this, Cahn examines the destructive pagan cults of Baal, Ashtoreth, and Molech condemned in the Bible.
“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came…’ ” (Matt. 12: 43-44).
Cahn argues that America has likewise strayed from God, abandoning its Judeo-Christian heritage with dire consequences (Hos. 4: 6). Citing from historic texts, Cahn points out striking parallels between modern culture and the worship of such demons by past civilizations. Those range from prostitution to transgenderism.
But the author does not end on a hopeless note. Rather, he emphasizes the power of God, urging repentance and a return to Him.
I recommend The Return of the Gods to anyone concerned about modern culture, or interested in the connection between the spiritual and physical realms. The book is available from Amazon and other booksellers.
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[1] Wikipedia, “Jonathan Cahn”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Cahn.
[2] Beth Israel Worship Center, “About Jonathan Cahn”, http://bethisraelworshipcenter.org/about%20Us/AboutJC.php.
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse https://www.avoicereclaimed.com
Figure of Jesus Christ as part of the Resurrection group by Germain Pilon (c. 1572), Louvre Museum (Accession No. MR 1592) from St. Paul-St. Louis Church, Source/Photographer Ricardo André Frantz (Wikipedia Commons User:Tetraktys) (CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported).
“…I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11: 25).
Wishing you all a blessed Easter!
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse https://www.avoicereclaimed.com
Image courtesy of Freepik
It is now possible for investors to purchase only a small fraction of a single-family home, rather than the entire property [1].
Online Platforms
An increasing number of online platforms facilitate this, including Arrived Homes sponsored by Jeff Bezos [2][3][4][5]. Some allow investments as low as $100, manage the rental property, and deduct fees from rental income.
A “Stepping Stone” to Wealth
Fractional investment is being positioned as passive income, and a “stepping stone” to wealth for those who would otherwise be closed out of the real estate market. It allows new investors to assess the costs of being a landlord without requiring a significant down payment on their part.
Downside for Renters
There is, however, a downside. Read more…
Satan whispering to the Antichrist from “Deeds of the Antichrist” by Luca Signorelli (c. 1501), (PD-Art, PD-old)
- Isabelle Vaughn-Spruce has been arrested a second time in Britain for the crime of praying silently in the so called “buffer zone” outside an abortion clinic [1A]. Britain has made it illegal for anyone in the buffer zones established around abortion clinics to express disapproval of abortion by verbal or written means. Vaughn-Spruce (who admittedly was situated within the designated zone) was not picketing with photos of bloody fetuses, shouting abuses, chanting slogans, attempting to counsel anyone, or so much as praying aloud at the time of her arrest.
- The House of Commons voted this week to criminalize all manner of “influence” near abortion clinics in England and Wales, including silent prayer [1B].
It was George Orwell who coined the phrase “Thought Police” in his dystopian novel 1984 [2]. But the criminalization of thought is becoming a tragic reality even in the Western world.
Neurotechnology
Perhaps more chilling is the fact that thought control is rapidly becoming a reality, as well. Brainwave activity can now be monitored and modified by neurotechnology [3A]. Read more…
Official ID photo of SS Obersturmbannführer Adolf Eichmann who organized the deportation of Jews to the Auschwitz Concentration Camp during the Holocaust, Sources Blic.rc, Yad Vashem, and US Holocaust Memorial Museum, Author Unknown (PD)
Shortly before the trial of Adolf Eichmann for war crimes related to the Holocaust, the prosecutor Gideon Hausner obtained transcripts of recorded interviews between Eichmann and Nazi journalist Willem Sassen.
Despite his protestations of innocence, these transcripts demonstrated that Eichmann was no mere bureaucrat following orders, but a key figure in the Final Solution — a Nazi euphemism for the mass murder of European Jews [1].
A new documentary by director Yariv Mozer titled “The Devil’s Confession: The Lost Eichmann Tapes” makes the actual tapes of these interviews accessible to the public [2]. The voice of Adolf Eichmann can be heard boasting of his role in this genocide, as actors re-enact the recording sessions.
Chilling though they are, the tapes may at long last put to rest the false claims of Holocaust deniers.
The truth still matters…particularly since yesterday was designated as a “National Day of Hate” by antisemitic groups like the National Socialist Movement [3][4][5].
Men and women of good will everywhere must take a stand against such a travesty. Mankind must not go down this road again.
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[1] Holocaust Encylopedia, “‘Final Solution’: Overview”, https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/final-solution-overview.
[2] CNN, “Long lost recordings reveal war criminal Adolf Eichmann’s boasting of Final Solution”, https://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2022/07/15/amanpour-mozer.cnn.
[3] WGN9 News, “Illinois Police Warn People to be Vigilant on ‘National Day of Hate'” by Andrew Smith, 2/23/23, https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/illinois-police-warn-people-to-be-vigilant-on-national-day-of-hate/.
[4] Newsweek, “Neo-Nazi Groups Organizing Antisemitic ‘Day of Hate’, Police Warn” by Aleks Phillips, 2/24/23, https://www.newsweek.com/neo-nazi-groups-national-day-hate-new-york-chicago-los-angeles-1783608.
[5] Jewish Journal, “Jewish Groups Brace for Possible ‘Day of Hate'” by Aaron Bandler, 2/23/23, https://jewishjournal.com/news/356502/jewish-groups-brace-for-possible-day-of-hate/.
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse https://www.avoicereclaimed.com
As readers familiar with this blog by now know, I was a co-founder of the predecessor to Christian Legal Clinics of Philadelphia https://clcphila.org/.
Volunteer Christian attorneys at CLCP serve the “inner city” poor of Philadelphia, with the assistance of law students and sponsor organizations such as the Salvation Army.
The following is a firsthand account by one such law student, Kelly C.
“The first day of my externship at Christian Legal Clinics of Philadelphia…I was eager to start…but I didn’t know what to expect in terms of how the attorneys at CLCP would incorporate Christianity into legal counsel. One of the first clients I saw was a man who needed help with a custody and divorce issue. This appointment seemed like a standard attorney-client transaction. I assisted him in filling out the required paperwork and took notes of the family law attorney’s advice.
I later found out that the translator…had met this client on the bus. The client was struggling with addiction issues at the time and the translator brought him to the center to get a meal. The client was then connected to the legal clinic…Over the past few months…he finished treatment at an addiction rehabilitation center, stayed clean, got a job, found a running group, joined a Church that the family law attorney suggested, and rekindled his relationship with his children. He told me that God must have been on the bus with him that day to offer help when he needed it most, which I know is true.” Read more…
Image generated by artificial intelligence, Source Craiyon.com, Author Craiyon f/k/a DALL-E Mini Artificial Intelligence (PD)
According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, 10,360 individual cases of human trafficking were reported in the United States in 2021, involving over 16,000 victims [1]. Because trafficking cases are seriously underreported, chances are the true number of cases is far higher.
Not only are foreign victims trafficked into this country for labor and sexual purposes, but our own children are frequently recruited and exploited [2].
Victims can be found both in lawful and unlawful settings, including prostitution and drug rings, massage parlors, sweat shops, farms, hotels, restaurants, and domestic service.
Surely, Christ weeps for these forsaken men, women, and children.
The Christian Legal Society clsnet.org has compiled multiple resources (including webinars) for attorneys interested in preventing human trafficking, and/or defending victims in situations ranging from criminal prosecution to deportation.
These resources can be found at https://www.christianlegalaid.org/anti-human-trafficking-resources?_ga=2.268377806.1970872754.1675446756-1728985229.1675446756 and https://christianlegalsociety.org/Human-Trafficking-Awareness?bblinkid=266586420&bbemailid=45434900&bbejrid=-1691732452.
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[1] National Human Trafficking Hotline, “National Statistics”, https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en/statistics?bblinkid=247763459&bbemailid=28286879&bbejrid=1833710841.
[2] US Dept. of Justice, “Child Sex Trafficking”, 5/28/20, https://www.justice.gov/criminal-ceos/child-sex-trafficking?bblinkid=247763460&bbemailid=28286879&bbejrid=1833710841.
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse https://www.avoicereclaimed.com
A Lawyer's Prayers 