The Sealed

Increasing violence in Nigeria has only strengthened local Christians’ faith, even sparking a revival at the Deeper Life Bible Church in Gombe, where nine Christians were martyred in a Jan. 5 attack on the church. During a funeral service on Jan. 19 for those killed, many believers rededicated their lives to Christ, and others came to faith in Christ for the first time, according to a VOM worker. Weeping and singing on their knees, a choir...

Three Christian men, Pastor Farhad Sabokrouh, Davood (David) Ali-Jani and Naser Zamen-Dezfuli, remain in detention after their arrest on Dec. 23, 2011, at an Assemblies of God (AOG) church in Ahwaz, Iran. The pastor’s wife, Shahnaz Jizan, was also arrested and held until Jan. 1, when her $200,000 bail was paid. The families have not been told where the men are being held or what condition they are in, and officials have said they know...

Three Christian men, Pastor Farhad Sabokrouh, Davood (David) Ali-Jani and Naser Zamen-Dezfuli, remain in detention after their arrest on Dec. 23, 2011, at an Assemblies of God (AOG) church in Ahwaz, Iran. The pastor’s wife, Shahnaz Jizan, was also arrested and held until Jan. 1, when her $200,000 bail was paid. The families have not been told where the men are being held or what condition they are in, and officials have said they know...

After the conclusion of Egypt’s parliamentary elections last week, many Christians fear that government control by Islamists will lock them into second-class status and increase persecution against Christians. However, some believers rejoice that the recent wave of persecution has prompted many nominal Christians to turn to Christ for solace. The Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party and the Al Nour Party, made up of members...