We Are Proclaimers, Not Concealers

On a rooftop in Cairo recently, I sat down with Dick Brogden to learn more about how God is at work in the Middle East. Dick oversees workers in many countries in the region and has unique insights into the miraculous, history-shaping wave of ministry happening there now.

Dick has witnessed persecution on many fronts and has helped our persecuted family members stand strong against intense opposition. He noted that workers will continue to be killed for this “glorious thread” of redemption.

In the video below, Dick shares that “men and women are coming to Jesus all across the Arab world. They are getting baptized, they are suffering, they are being persecuted, but the Holy Spirit is upon them and they are witnessing.” He ask us to rejoice because “God is at work in history, and God is at work in the Arab world.”

As an influential speaker and author, Dick has mobilized and mentored many aspiring cross-cultural ministers. He has chosen to live in the heart of the region and to demonstrate his own personal commitment to sharing the love of Christ to those who have never heard.

He asked for our continued prayer as his team wrestles with spiritual battles and the reality of human depravity and a fallen world. He also challenged us to boldly fulfill our vocation as witnesses for Christ — wherever we have been called!

He said, “We are proclaimers, not concealers.” The commission that God gave us does not involve hiding our light. We are to ascend the heights and to shine brightly for Christ!

Frequently, this is when The Voice of the Martyrs steps in to help. As Front-line workers boldly proclaim God’s redemptive story, they may encounter persecution. As Jesus said, “’A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.” (John 15:20)

Our family has been reading Dick’s daily devotional, “Live Dead Joy,” at the breakfast table each day. His daily challenge and request to pray for unreached people groups has helped our five children broaden their understanding of the vast opportunities to share God’s grace around the world.

May we all be willing to be “proclaimers” instead of “concealers” in the unique places God has called us. And, may we be willing to stand firm amid the persecution that inevitably follows bold proclamation!

Dr. Jason Peters serves as Associate Vice President of Connection for The Voice of the Martyrs and travels frequently to meet with our persecuted sisters and brothers. He has ministered in 40 countries, as diverse as Cuba, India, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Burma, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Colombia, Kyrgyzstan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Indonesia and Nigeria. Jason ministered as a military chaplain for more than 18 years, with assignments at the Pentagon, the US Air Force Academy and as a faculty member of the Air Force Chaplain Corps College, where he directed Crisis and Trauma training. Jason and his wife Kimberly lived overseas for several years, where two of their five children were born.

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