“Faith isn't believing without proof – it's trusting without reservation.”
-William Sloane Coffin
What would trust without reservation look like? No conditions, no compromises, no “If…,then…” statements in our prayers…no holding back…what a genuine, beautiful faith that would be, and I have caught a glimpse of it in my recent study of Vietnam and Laos. Many of the people there are being delivered from evil spirits and the sacrifices of idol worship and are finding a new freedom in Christ. Once free, they joyfully share the source of their new found freedom with others, and God responds in an extraordinary way. These Christians are an incredible witness because they have encountered God for themselves, and they now hold nothing back from him. Often times God uses their lives to reach the very people who are persecuting them. Despite what happens to them, they don’t lose sight of the fact that God is still God, no matter what else is going on around them.
The Spirit of God is moving in a mighty way in that part of the world, and amazing testimonies are reaching the West. In the book “Between Two Tigers,” Vietnamese Christians share their stories of healings and incredible provision from God.
*Witch doctors and magicians are vanquished by prayer and the name of Jesus.
*Christians travel through dangerous jungles to share the word of God and pass by tigers unscathed.
*Pastors are put in holes in prisons with their hands and feet bound, while large snakes crawl over them, but they are not bit.
*Mere children persevere in life and in the faith while their parents are thrown in jail for sharing Christ.
*Whole villages are brought to Christ by the bold testimony of a single believer.
*People are delivered from malaria, infections, and debilitating diseases by their faith in Christ.
There are so many stories, I wish I could share them all. The book is in GCC’s library, and I recommend checking it out and reading for yourself how God is working in Vietnam. Also in the library is “Underground Reality: Vietnam.” This video was made in 2007, so it’s truly an amazing glimpse into modern day Vietnam and what life is like for Christians there. Here is the trailer for it.
These teens went to Vietnam expecting it to be like any other mission trip, and they ended up being transformed by the intensity and the genuineness of the faith they witnessed. May it be our prayer this month that we learn to live our lives with ‘reckless abandon’ as we place our trust-without reservation-into the hands of our Father and accept the plans he has for each of our lives.
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Vietnam
Population: About 87,375,000 Prisoners: 2; www.prisoneralert.com click Vietnam.
Religion: Buddhist 54.14%, non-Religious 21.80%, Christian 8.16%, Traditional ethnic 8.10%, Cao Dai/Hoa Hoa 5.60%, Chinese 1.10%, Muslim 0.70%, and Baha’i 0.40%. Although its constitution grants freedom of worship, the reality for Vietnam’s religious minorities contradicts this right. Registration is required for all religious organizations, and churches that do register are tightly controlled by the government. Vietnam is one of the most tightly controlled nations in the world. Those who do not register face the possibility of imprisonment, torture, and death.
Politics: The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a single-party state. A new state constitution was approved in April 1992, replacing the 1975 version. The central role of the Communist Party was reasserted in all parts of government, politics and society. Only political organizations affiliated with or endorsed by the Communist Party are permitted to contest elections. Although the state remains officially committed to socialism as its defining creed, the ideology's importance has substantially diminished since the 1990s. The President of Vietnam is the supposed head of state and the nominal commander in chief of the military of Vietnam. The Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Tan Dung is the head of government, presiding over a council of ministers composed of 3 deputy prime ministers and the heads of 26 ministries and commissions.
Conflict: Since many missionaries came from America and Europe to evangelize Vietnam, Christianity is often seen as a foreign religion that is trying to wipe out the culture and customs of the native people of Vietnam. Many people practice ancestor and spirit worship and offer sacrifices to idols to appease the spirits. Christians who share their testimonies are accused of working with foreigners and being in league with Americans. Those who share the Gospel are seen as a serious threat to the whole nation.
Persecution: Believers are harassed, beaten and imprisoned for illegally preaching or organizing evangelistic activities. Persecution is especially harsh for unregistered and ethnic minority churches. Seeing the role of Christianity in the demise of communism elsewhere, the regime has attempted to either control or wipe out believers. Churches and other buildings used by Christians are frequently dismantled by authorities. Many of the minority groups have tried to flee to Cambodia, but under an agreement with the Vietnamese government, Cambodian authorities have been returning the refugees to collect a bounty. Those who are returned are imprisoned, tortured or killed. Government efforts have intensified as churches respond to persecution with growth and outreach. Believers see church registration as compromise. Failing to register churches is seen as illegal in the eyes of the government, forcing the church underground. In May 2005, the Vietnamese government promised the U.S. it would begin to allow greater religious freedom. But little has changed since the agreement. Only a handful of Christians have been released from prison, and many have been forced to renounce their faith.
Missionary Opportunity: Instead of being weakened by persecution, the faith of Vietnamese Christians is growing, and the Body of Christ is becoming stronger. A large-scale and sustained turning to Christ is taking place in both the registered and underground church, especially among the mountain tribes of Central and Southern Vietnam. Christians use code words, like ‘Hallelujah,’ to identify each other and avoid detection by the police. Bible translation is an ongoing task, especially for the ethnic minorities. Christian literature is in great demand but is strictly monitored.
Laos
Population: Approximately 6,677,534
Basic Info: This landlocked, mountainous nation between Vietnam and Thailand gained its independence from France in 1953. Backed by Vietnamese rebels, the Communist Pathet Lao (Land of Lao) guerrillas then began their quest to topple the monarchy. In 1964, Laos was drawn into the Vietnam War, with North Vietnamese forces operating out of Laos. After the Communists gained control of Vietnam, the Pathet Lao seized power in Laos in 1975, resulting in a one-party Communist state under the Lao People's Revolutionary Party.
Religion: In Laos, the state openly encourages Buddhism and Buddhist organizations. The government has put extensive restrictions on all other religious groups. Christianity is seen as a threat to national unity; it is considered seditious for Christians to refuse to take part in state-organized religious events and some evangelists have been charged with treason. The government recognizes only three churches: the Lao Evangelical Church (LEC), the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and the Roman Catholic Church. Yet, even some of these churches have been oppressed.
Persecution: Laotian Christians have been arrested, forced at gunpoint to renounce their faith and even killed. On July 21, 2008, residents of Katin village in Saravan province killed a Christian man by pouring rice wine down his throat. Eighty local Christians were then arrested by authorities. Four days later, officials rounded up 17 Christian families in the village and detained them in a local school compound, denying them food for three days in an attempt to force the adults to sign documents renouncing their faith. Ten families eventually signed the documents and were allowed to return home. The remaining families were evicted from the village. In early August 2008, Pastor Sompong and two other Christians were arrested in Baulkham village, Savannakhet province for "believing in Jesus and worshipping God." The three men were released on October 16, against the wishes of the village chief, who had threatened to hand Pastor Sompong a life sentence at a maximum-security prison.
This article is licensed under the <"http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html">GNU Free Documentation License. Material from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam" Wikipedia article "Vietnam". Material also taken from VOMC.
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Here is another clip from one of the teens after he came back from Vietnam.
The Overcomers (Vietnam - June 2008)
Christian Song Performed by the Koho Tribe (Montagnard) in Vietnam
The Persecution Report (June 2008) Part two (the Vietnam story is at the end)
Hearts, Minds and Souls - Vietnam (There wasn't an option to link it directly to the blog page, so you'll have to click on the link to see the story. Certainly worth watching though.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcutXxlitwc
Vietnam Christian persecuted
