Good morning and welcome. Thank you so much for joining us here. You're joining Sandra Robson this morning and myself, Reverend Ben Cooper as we gather across the mics today to discuss issues and certain areas of the persecuted church or the suffering Church. You can find us on iHeartRadio and Amazon music and Spotify and so many other platforms that we are pushing these broadcasts out on these podcasts. So thank you so much for sharing everything across the globe. But the title of today's podcast is advocacy. very big, very strong word. Sandra has a lot of information for the 45 minutes or so. We will be in this morning. And we just pray that wherever you are today that this is the day that the Lord has made we shall rejoice and be glad. And as the book of Nehemiah says, May the joy of the Lord be your strength wherever you are across this earth. If you're a missionary, we thank God for your life. If you are standing up for Christ, we thank God for your life, whoever and wherever you are. And the reason I mentioned missionaries, because it's simply just been pressed on my heart this morning for those that are in missional dark, hard areas of the persecuted church delivering and carrying and taking God's Word into areas may be where angels fear to tread. Good morning, and welcome, everybody. Thank you so much, Sandra. Good morning. God bless you. Thank you so much, Sandra, we will get straight in, you've got a lot of info.
Sandra Robson:Yes, just different things. I mean, I was listening to the radio. And like last time we were doing a news roundup on we talked about Pakistan, we did. So after bath tea. And I was thinking about his situation, as I'm reading this book on a see a baby, and the importance of the lawyers in the case and the wisdom that they needed to have. And I was listening to the radio and listening to a Christian station and UCB which is United Christian broadcasters that broadcasts in the United Kingdom. Yes. And they were highlighting the fact that on Monday, on the 22nd, I was listening then 22nd of August, it was the International Day for victims of violence, of religion and belief. Now, I didn't know that there was an actual International Day for this. I knew that, you know, we've we've got somebody looking at this in the UK. But I wasn't aware of this group of lawyers. So they had an interview with a lady and she was from the A D F International. And they are a group of lawyers and others who provide advocacy. And they say their role is protecting from fundamental freedoms and promoting inherent dignity of all people. And if you want to find out more about them, you know, they have a website and I have looked at this, and there's a lot on it. And they are really supporting people across the world. And not just in the places we usually think about. But even in this country, they have supported somebody who has been persecuted. and in Europe as well, freedom of speech, a lot of the cases are to do in Europe are to do with freedom of speech and the right to be able to pray, right, and the places that you are allowed to pray. And you know, at the moment, fortunately, we have laws that say you you can do these things, but some people think you can't. And so those things are now being tested,
Reverend Ben Cooper:and stress tested and taken.
Sandra Robson:So this lady here, she was on a prayer walk, a grandmother arrested for taking a prayer walk during lockdown. So you know you were allowed to go out for a little time. And this lady, she lives in Liverpool. And she went on a prayer walk and at this particular place, she felt the Lord wants to stop and pray outside, you know, different buildings. And one of those buildings happened to be a abortion clinic. And she was arrested somebody said that she was causing disturbance to people for coming, and she was arrested. So she said, I never thought that in a democratic country like the UK, I would be arrested for a simple and solitary prayer walk, what kind of society are we living in when people can be arrested simply for peacefully manifesting their faith in public. So, anyway, she's won her case, good. Just to highlight things like this are going on, you know, that we might not be aware of. And then there was, you know, another thing that they also they supported, was one of the MPs in another country who she said something on Twitter, and she got into an awful lot of trouble for the Twitter that she sent. So, yeah, so, so there's things like that going on. That, you know, perhaps we don't see, but they're the startings of of, you know, people saying what we can and can't do regarding religion and belief. And it should be that everybody is entitled to practice their belief and religion without being harassed or, or persecuted. So, you know, they are looking into different different cases, or they're particularly involved in Pakistan, where we know the last million or causes a lot of, you know, cause a lot of problems because people are falsely accused, particularly Christians and are particularly vulnerable. And there's a really good video on here, if people want to look at it a YouTube video explaining what happened to that couple who were put on death row because of a vastness text. And they were on death row for seven years. And it's, it's terrible. I mean, he's in a wheelchair now, whether he was in a wheelchair at the beginning or not, I don't know. But he's, he says in this footage, that he was hung upside down. And, you know, interrogated. And it's just awful what happened. But anyway, through advocacy, he was acquitted. And now they're living somewhere else. And they're now talking about what happened. So they're very brave to do this. And then they're talking about other cases, and the difficulties that lawyers have in the country and praying and supporting because they can be threatened with death threats and their families, and hence why these cases drag on and drag on and drag on, because so if they're too hot to handle, they're too they're too afraid. And also, what I wasn't aware of was another angle to Nigeria. Okay, what so that? Well, it's that in the areas where the Sharia law, it you can be put on trial for apostasy. So in this case, there were six Christians, they'd all had to flee their homes because of Boko Haram. And they ended up in this in this place where they were taken in by a Muslim. And he seemed to be very kind and caring. And then he turned and wanted to marry the girl. she'd lost her mum and dad, I mean, they'd been killed. And she refused. And he then took her to shoot the court and accused her of apostasy. And there's a couple of other cases as well. Where these Christians that then, you know, tried under Sharia law, which I didn't know about. I didn't realize that
Reverend Ben Cooper:was going very strong as well. There's a lot of things happening. I would say under the table that
Sandra Robson:so and then there's another case that I wasn't aware of as well that in Sudan that's ongoing, a Sudanese couple on trial after conversation to conversion to Christianity, and they have a hashtag this organization ADF International, hashtag and persecution now, and says that they that the wife Naza and her muda the husband a merit of I married Sudanese Christian convert couple are currently on trial facing baseless charges after they converted to Christianity despite the decriminalization of apostasy in Sudan. So we know there has been an uprising. We know there's been a coup, we know that the wants to overturn Yeah, this, but as it stands, you know that that, you know, they they changed the law, didn't they? And they, they decriminalized apostasy before the coup, and that still stands, but they are people are not respecting that. And so they found guilty they may be punished by 100 Last lashes each call and face. The man really faces Yes, the man faces one year of expatriation and we'll be forced to leave Sudan. both international and Sudanese law protect Nadia and harmos right to choose and live out their faith, but converts to Christianity face severe pressure and threats in Sudan. The interplay between Sharia and civil courts in this case shows how those who are hostile to converts can weaponize weaponize the legal system to go after people who have done nothing wrong. And they remind us about Marian Abraham. Like to have a baby. Oh, my goodness. Yeah, she Yes. There's a video on her here. Now she's, you know, in the United States, what
Reverend Ben Cooper:are you looking at what sites that this is the
Sandra Robson:ADF International. But she is giving an account and what she went through, she was also tortured. I mean, you know, I didn't realize that I'd happened to her as well. I mean, she was beaten, and had this baby, you know. And anyway, she is now an advocate herself. And is advocating and, you know, and she's particularly supporting this case, and she talks about what it's like, you know, so she says, yeah, in 2014, she was sentenced to death for apostasy under Sudan's Sharia law, because she was married to a Christian, eight months pregnant, she was flogged and imprisoned while awaiting the death penalty, but it's ultimately released unable to find safety in the United States. Wow. So it's just remembering those things. And as I say, all links up with this the International Day of remembering victims of violence, for religion and belief. And it just opened my eyes to, you know, a different, you know, because I mean, I get a lot from open doors get a lot from release International and the others, but just thought it was good to expose another area that people might not be aware of might be interested in, you know, more advocacy side. This particular organization is purely advocacy, whereas the other people we talk about, they do have an advocacy bit. Open Doors do, and CSW do, but these people are actually lawyers, Christian lawyers, who particularly are, you know, fighting the cases. And, you know, seeing the law used as is it's meant to be used for for good, and for righteousness to prevail. So I felt that the Lord wanted me to highlight it. I just said, okay, father, if that's what you you know, you've brought this to my attention. So I thought I'll look at it and check it out. And it just explains how courts weaponize, you know? Yeah, against the Christians. So it says courts weaponized to persecute converts and how that law is used against them. So that's, that's, that's, that's a couple of the things that they are involved with. And they they also wanted to share they are quite happy. There's quite a few bits on there. And they want us to share it. They want to share these things and make more and more people aware of it. So this one is the the one from I couldn't get it up before but it's now coming up. The converse facing Sharia courts for trials for Christian faith in Nigeria. And that was Hannah, faith, Elijah and Barbara. And I mean, one of them as a teenager. He's just a teenager. And
Reverend Ben Cooper:lots of information. Yeah,
Sandra Robson:No one should live in fear of being harassed, attacked or killed because of their religious belief. Christians should not be tried by Sharia courts, we urge the Nigerian governments to protect converts to all faith. Now, again, I do ask for prayers for Nigeria, because I was looking at release International, my prayer shield diary. And there's a real concern now that, you know, we talked about Deborah, and how Deborah was stoned because she didn't want to go out with a Muslim. Yeah, this has caused great outrage, but not on the way you would think that people who thought it was awful, have been really opposed. And being told that you know, that she career is above everything else. And what they're talking about now is splitting Nigeria, into a Muslim area and a Christian area. That's what they want to happen. There are people now who are actively and they're very concerned that it's going to be civil war. And so they're asking for prayers, because next year is the presidential elections, apparently. And they're concerned that violence, I mean, it the the level of violence, I mean, they're saying, like, on this other sites Help The Persecuted now, I don't know where exactly they're talking about, they're saying that in certain parts of the world, every two hours a Christian is dying. Really, really. So but anyway, Nigeria is very, very, you know, and so released International, particularly asking for prayers to pull this back, that there will not be a split in Nigeria, and praying for the elections and praying that, you know, the extremists, the Islamist extremists, don't get their way to split split Nigeria, and impose Sharia law on the south and make it because it's like a, you know, like Sudan. That's what they want to do that separation that happened, which is now supposed to have come apart, so no real spiritual forces at work, and the Help The Persecuted, really talk about that, the spiritual element. And so I thought that's really, you know, people might want to look at that, because, again, it you know, God is bringing different people to help and support, and they have different angles, but they all work together. And I hope they do, you know, connect in some ways, I mean, Help The Persecuted or a smaller organization. And, you know, as I say, a lot of I was reading the background, and they were talking about, you know, the battle. But yes, if you look on their website, I mean, they say that they identify, they have field team members, and they are embedded into the persecuted church, and support and they want to empower the churches in those areas. And it says, For millions The truth is, is extremely dangerous thing to believe. And they're saying every two hours in some places, a Christian has been killed. So I mean, um, you know, that that's something I was really shocked about one in eight, they're saying now has been persecuted. And they've been able to support 47,000 people this year. You know, so that they're talking about the Middle East and targets of genocide and stories from the field. So there's a lot of things harrassment rejection, torture and even death the stories of a persecuted brothers and sisters will shock challenge and encourage you. And God faithfully allows us together to provide hope, stability and dignity for those standing on faith. And there's an amazing stories I mean, you know, I've read about you know, God meeting people, you know, like we said it in dreams and visions, and you know, I mean, they say, their scripture is carry each other's burdens and in this way you will fill the fill the law of Christ and that's their, their, you know, their main scripture, they say that that's why they do what they do meeting needs and impacting for future generations. Let me see that was that story. From the field. Yeah, this is it. So genius. This powerfully meets a man in a dream. And oh, really? Yeah, so this guy, Guzman used to be a mosque Imam, and a teacher of religion and philosophy, the Arabic language in Iraq. While doing extensive research on the Koran and other Islamic texts, he noticed many contradictions. Around this time, his daughter was suffering from a severe heart problem, which doctors couldn't treat. As worry for his daughter grew, he started experiencing dreams where Jesus would meet him. One night, he woke to a dream where Jesus touched his daughter's heart, his daughter was healed, and the whole family put their faith in Christ. And for a while his faith remained secret, until his son stopped fasting and praying. And it's my found out, and she stabbed her son. And they also arranged through a car to hit this man gas one. And he broke his leg, and he requires a place in his leg. And the wife managed to get a fat word from the Islamic scholars in the town that permits Muslims to loot her husband's belongings and take the women of the family. Oh, no, it said the sons wife, beg pardon is a son's wife who did this, to take the belongings and to take the women of family as slaves and mourn his family eventually divorced, his only daughter was taken away from him. And, as him sold his property and moved his family to Turkey for safety. So as another angle that, you know, just, you know, different, you know, just finding out more and more details of what is going on and what people are going through. And so that's, that's one story. And, you know, there's others, like, you know, the economic crisis in Lebanon. But there's, there's hope, and God is enabling crops to grow and, you know, things like this. And then, yeah, there's, there's this there's this this story. It's all sorts of, you know, just different. Milada was born in a moderate Muslim family used to fast occasionally, but didn't pray regularly. That University was studying English Language and Literature, and he became friends with a great priest. He wants to know more about how this, this guy behaved the way that he did. And he began to ask his friend questions, and the priests answered him, and took him to church. And the guy got married and got a job. And the following year, his father fled to Europe after accumulating a large debt. And so this guy had to pay off that and, and then he he ends up. Meanwhile, he'd stayed in contact with this friend, and he's been attending church and Lennie. The faith became more serious. And he said, however, one day while the pastor was praying for him, Milda felt something happening, a spiritual battle was raging, raging in order. After this experience, Noda confined in his friend that he wants to become a Christian. And one day, mill does father and brothers fire bullets at his house, and Milda fled to a neighbor, a neighboring country for safety. His father had asked the authorities to ban Milda from leaving the country, but the ban had not yet been activated when he fled. Nevertheless, the family found him and beat him up. And, yeah, but now he's somewhere else and they've helped him. So you know, but there's lots and lots of and he says he would always trust Jesus, and he'd like, never go back. Yeah, there's so there's lots on their website, lots of different stories. You know, just amazing, you know, things but as I said, and you were saying about missionaries, that's the other angle that made me think because they there's a story on here about art, because it says about field workers and it asks the question, how, whose field work because in this world, actually, they're part of the persecuted church themselves in these areas, and they manage they are but they coordinate things. And one of these guys was found out in Syria, and they went after him, and he's had to He's had to flee. You know, but and they've they've supported him. And so they were saying about the dangerous work, but it really goes back to Acts. Because they were saying how they need to have wisdom and pray it says about it was the first I was thinking about about being as serpents and doves, isn't it? Why is this?
Reverend Ben Cooper:Why does this happen? Why is this doves and as gentle as doves? Yeah, yes.
Sandra Robson:Yes, anyway, that says scripture they talked about and said, you know, that they really have to listen to the Lord, to know what to do, when to move when not to move. And thinking about Afghanistan as well. I mean, it's a year on from, you know, the Taliban taken over, and they're in a similar situation. But they say that they are believers, because people are so disillusioned since the Taliban took over and asking questions. And they're, you know, managing to get stuff on the phones, but the Taliban are aware of that, and are now searching mobile phones. So they are in great danger. Um, but, you know, again, I mean, our brothers and sisters, as I say, in the days of act to me, and people were being thrown to Lion's Mane, they are being taken to the, you know, the arena and all that, and they were going house to house searching. So we're, you know, it just feels like it's that, you know, that's all that time they put the fish. You know, that symbol, then Christians would know, it's the same as praying and saying, Lord, you know, should I contact this person, because this guy got tripped up, because he was helping somebody who was being persecuted, but then somebody overheard him, and that was over here in the head and praying, head and praying for him. You know, but, you know, God, God is at work. And that's the thing. But he does, he asks us to carry each other's burdens. And this is how we can because we're sharing these stories. And we're, you know, we can, you know, lift these people up in prayer. And in that way, we are fulfilling that law of Christ, because we're loving our brothers and sisters, we maybe can't give them that drink of water, we can't give them the food, we can't put an arm around them, that God can heal, send somebody he'll bring his angel to, you know, in that time, and you know, of need. And we are part of that. And he very graciously enables us to be part of that by bringing these things to our attention, by enabling people to bring this in the news, this news, and that we can share it this time. So I do thank, you know, the Lord for that. And for all of you that are listening, and how you use this information, either, you know, to pray yourselves or to tell others, or to look at these different websites that I mentioned. You know, but we're working together because we are a part of a body and we desire for people to grow in their faith, we want to see more people coming to know the truth, because the truth will set them free. That is the freedom and you know, we're talking about this, you know, violence and about religion and belief. But Jesus says, I have come that you might have life and life abundant, and you will have that freedom. And these people are saying yes, although I'm restricted, and you know, physically, I have freedom. I have freedom because of Jesus, and he's just doing amazing things. I mean, you know, there's so many stories, and I haven't read them all those that I don't know how many are there's quite so at least 10 to 410s Well, 1416 Yeah. Different stories, which I haven't, you know, come across these are new stories to
Reverend Ben Cooper:me. That's right. Yeah, there's so much out there.
Sandra Robson:And what they say as well is important is knowing the person coming to know that person, as an individual. And we said this when we were praying for a car baby, the more we got to know her the more we felt we knew her. And she says that in her book that she was amazed that like all these people around the world knew her and and there was a poster of her but he is you know, this thing of family and being and realizing it's not a number you know, when we hear that so many millions of people are being you know, persecuted, we now know individuals and and they represent, you know those people in those countries. That's what I want to say this morning.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Okay, Sean is really interesting site. You know, I've watched I've been Sandra has been speaking I've been just perusing through what what we've been looking at. And it's ADF International, it's easy to find.org, it is absolutely loaded with information that we haven't found before. It's a real easy, clean site to navigate around. And I would urge you to jump onto that, because it's coming from a very different angle as well. But it comes to the same point about persecution, exploitation of Christianity, and those that are being pushed beyond limits and advocacy and everything, you know, and the root causes. And the leaders are rising up of leaders seeking justice. There's, there's so much on this site as a lot to read. And Sandra has been speaking. And I've tried to just get this over. We are really, really, in critical times across the world, the misuse of
Sandra Robson:its use, and the change of law, very subtle things are happening. And that's why it's so important in India, with what was happening in India, than bringing that you know, that petition to the Supreme Court. You know, that that every, all the things that are embedded in democracies need to be used, and need to be reminded that they're there so that they can protect people. And so I still haven't heard any more about the Indian thing. But as I say, one of those things went through. So God uses all you know, all different things, because many of the laws were set up by Christians in the first place a lot. That's correct. Yeah. The, you know, justice system.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, most definitely. Yeah. So if you feel you feel that you need to be an advocate for something that God is leading you to this, this is a good place to go to. There's a lot on our advocacy and training and funding and about us. There's a lot of information on there. And it's a great read, he got a couple of little videos you can look and defend in global religious freedom talks about 360 million Christians as well. And I've just not coming off the point but obviously carrying on where we are. I heard last night on one of the major news channels. And it was quite interesting how they spoke about my mom and we spoke about a lot about that recently. But they didn't mention Christianity. They did not mention one word.
Sandra Robson:Christianity, Muslims, wasn't it and how they Yeah,
Reverend Ben Cooper:not a single word on the mainstream channels of what's happening to Christianity really interested in what what, what the mainstream news channels are portraying and pushing out. Christianity certainly certainly being pushed under the table. Not even making that type of news especially when of faith are taken priority. So there is prayer needed. We are being persecuted as Christians not even getting the space on the news when when lives have been taken out so much going on. So Sandra, thank you so much for bringing that highly charged information to the table and across the mics today. So it's been on advocacy. And you can find this site that we've been looking at and what Sandra has been bouncing from this morning ADF in international.org loads of information really interesting great, clean, easy site to find your way through. So wherever you are today we thank you so much for joining us and Sandra we thank you thank you for all your time, or your effort or your prayer or you're seeking God for everything that goes on. So Sandra we are there are we we've made it with 35 minutes in we've we've we've reached that point. God bless you wherever you are. You been listened to Sandra Robson and myself sitting in the background today, just as Sandra has been feeding us and bringing lots of info in one particular area today, advocacy is the title so wherever you are, please go and type that in. God bless you have a wonderful day in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. You can find us on Buzzsprout, Spotify, I Heart Radio and so many other social platforms. Never give up our brothers and sisters across the world in the persecuted church. They really need our prayers. We keep praying and we never give up. God is with you. Because this is a glorious day because this is the day that the Lord has made I shall rejoice and be glad. Whatever your stretch is across this world. God is for you and not against you. Have a wonderful day. God bless bye bye.
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