I am N - Suffering with the People of YHWH

"By faith Moshe, when he became a man, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. And he chose to be in suffering with the people of Elohim and not to live indulgently in sin for a short season: and he considered the reproach of the Mashiyach a greater treasure than the hoarded riches of Egypt." -Hebrews 11:24-26 Aramaic English New Testament

After filling action packs at our Yom Teruah party I have worked at being intentional about supporting and sticking up for those persecuted for their faith. Yes, in Western society it is easy to turn a blind eye to the violence against believers in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and elsewhere, adopting the attitude of 'God didn't place me there, so that's not my problem.' Moshe had that same choice--the sole Israelite man of his age--he was placed in a lavish and luxurious situation, far above the suffering of his own people. The famous 'Hall of Faith' passage praises his faith that put aside the lifestyle of Egypt, choosing to suffer with the people of YHWH. We have that choice as well.

Voice of the Martyrs was founded in 1967 by a Messianic Jewish couple, Richard and Sabina Wurmbrond who fled Romania, after repeated arrest, and imprisonment, work camp and torture for their faith--first at the hands of the Nazis, then by Communist powers. One of the first acts of the organization was Scripture balloon launches into communist China and North Korea.

Today Voice of the Martyrs carries on great work sending Bibles into restricted nations, offering aid to persecuted Christians in the form of warm clothing, soap, blankets, and sending in front line workers to share the Besorah in nations where truth is restricted and even illegal. 

Recently our congregation got involved with VOM's I am N campaign. In areas occupied by ISIS and Islamic extremists the Arabic letter 'N' is often painted on the homes of believers to indicate that they are Nazarenes or followers of Yeshua of Nazareth. Typically once the 'N' is painted on a home the occupants have very little time to get out or to convert to Islam before their home and often they themselves are destroyed.

When you purchase an I am N wristband or shirt 50% of the proceeds will support believers facing the brutality of Islamic extremism. Wearing the band or shirt is a great conversation starter to share about what is happening to persecuted believers around the world, and an excellent reminder that we need to pray for our brothers and sisters daily who face this kind of terror.

Like Moshe did, we can turn away from some of the comforts and luxuries of our lives so that others can experience the salvation of Yeshua. I don't think we can overstate how important it is to YHWH that we do everything we can to help His people. Voice of the Martyrs has a huge list of ways to get involved--from adopting a front line worker to volunteer positions to filling action packs--please consider the best way for you to stand and support those persecuted for their faith.