Imagine – you’re sitting in your living room with a group of fellow church members, having a Bible study. Someone is about to lead the group in a prayer when suddenly you hear heavy pounding on the door.

Seconds later, a SWAT team kicks down the door and barges into your living room. One of them raises his AK-47 and orders everyone to drop to their knees and put their hands above their heads. People are screaming, and the SWAT troopers confiscate all the Bibles. The troopers pour gasoline all over your living room and then light it on fire, then drag everyone outside and shove them in the back of a van. Your only crime? Hosting a Bible study. You have no idea where the troopers are taking you; all you know is that your family may never see or hear from you again.

Although a scene like this is unthinkable in America, the sad truth is that for Christians in other countries, this sort of terror and persecution is all too real. According to Voice of the Martyrs – an organization dedicated to helping and raising awareness about the persecuted church – about 50 nations, most of them in the Eastern Hemisphere, restrict the practice of Christianity. Christians face prison, torture, and even death, all because they are unwilling to deny Christ.

Every month, the VOM newsletter reports heartbreaking stories of persecuted Christians across the globe. In Egypt, two believers named ?Naasir? and ?Hoda? have been kicked out of their home more than ten times because they converted to Christianity from Islam. Pastor Yang Xuan and his wife Yang Caizhen were arrested for leading a Chinese megachurch that was ?illegal? simply because it was not registered with the communist, state-run Three Self Patriotic Movement. Monica Dra in Northern Nigeria was  forced to watch as Islamic militants murdered her husband, then one of them slashed at her neck with a machete because she was wearing a cross necklace. Six surgeries were needed to repair her neck, and she still has difficulty talking.

Many Americans may find it hard to picture horrific persecution like this. After all, the worst persecution most American Christians experience because of their faith is occasional ridicule from nonbelieving co-workers and family members. We don’t have to fear for our lives on a daily basis, and we don’t have to wake up wondering if today we will be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Although one person cannot put an end to all persecution and injustice, we can pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ overseas, asking that God will give them strength, courage, comfort, and protection. Pray also that God will turn the hearts of leaders currently persecuting Christians, that He would touch their lives and make them more receptive to the Gospel. Thank God that we live in a nation where we can worship freely. And the next time you hesitate to witness to someone, for fear that they might mock you, remember that this is the worst you will likely have to suffer. Some foreign Christians who dare to take a bold stand for Christ have to pay for it with their lives.

If you’d like to learn more about the persecuted church and the challenges they are facing, the Voice of the Martyrs ministry is a good place to start. Their monthly newsletter is free, and you can find out more about it and their ministry by visiting http://www.persecution.com/ or calling (918) 337-8015.