Summary

Summaryβ€œI was a pastor on the Burmese border in Thailand, and seven times they arrested me for sharing Christ. They strapped me in a chair, dripped water on my head for hours, and threatened my life if I returned. My wife joined me in prison for three months, trusting God’s presence to sustain us. Even with no Bible, the verses I taught would come back to me and give me peace. Today, I continue to love my persecutors and press on, convinced that God’s Word is my anchor and that prayer unites and strengthens His Church across every trial. πŸ™πŸ”₯”

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Pastor Mele was detained in Laos after police found copies of God’s Word. Now, police attend his church services every week, looking for reasons to detain him or close the church. β€œAs a human,” he says, β€œI have fear. But I trust the Lord to protect me and guide me.”

Pastor Mele became a Christian in 2003 when a school friend shared the gospel with him and his classmates. Everyone ignored his Christian friend but Mele, trying to escape constant spiritual oppression, prayed and accepted Christ. From that day on, the spirits no longer tormented him.

Mele immediately felt a burden to share the gospel with others. Within two months his bold witness brought Christian persecution. Teachers ordered him to renounce his newfound faith in the β€œforeign religion” of Christianity or lose all opportunities for further education.

Their threat didn’t discourage Mele but actually it encouraged him! He had read in the Bible that all Christians will face persecution for their faith (2 Timothy 3:12), and he was encouraged to know that what the Bible says is true. Mele says he was never tempted to renounce his faith. β€œI was so focused on my soul, my salvation, because I need to be with the Lord. Nothing is solid or permanent in this world…but my salvation in Christ, that’s what is firm and solid.”

Mele was accepted to Bible college and there he met his wife. Mele went on to be an associate pastor at his home church and began to evangelize other villages. As his ministry expanded, God gave Mele a heart to share the love of Christ with everyone, not just his own tribal people.

His ministry hasn’t been easy, and the pressure against him is constant. Listen as Mele shares about a time when three police officers sat right next to him as he was getting ready to preach.

Pray for Pastor Mele’s safety as he continues to be active in ministry and pray for 14 new churches that they may faithfully endure persecution, and for Christians facing pressure and trials in Southeast Asia.

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Time Chapters
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00:02 Intro: Faith Moves Mountains
03:15 Understanding Ridicule as Persecution
07:30 Following Christ’s Example
11:47 Advocacy vs. Evangelism Challenges
15:22 Burmese Pastor’s Imprisonment Story
20:19 Sustaining Faith Through Scripture
23:55 Equipping Prayer for the Persecuted
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Voice of the Martyrs USA
The Voice of the Martyrs serves persecuted Christians in the world’s most difficult and dangerous places to follow Christ. Β 
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