Story by Todd Nettleton.
Some years ago, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, a Christian boarded a crowded bus.
He carried a forbidden package: Bibles God called him to deliver into Vietnam’s remote interior, spiritual food for fellow believers who had little to no access to Scripture.
He knew the risk if his secret was discovered. The box of Bibles could cost him his freedom. He could be tortured. But he also knew the unstoppable power of God’s Word to change lives. He knew he must answer God’s call. Before the bus departed, he prayed quietly, asking for protection and strength to do what God had called him to.
God answered his prayer in an unexpected way.
Moments before departure, a police captain boarded the bus, his crisp uniform exuding authority. The captain walked down the century aisle, then chose the seat right next to the Bible smuggler.
The officer settled into the seat and quickly fell into a deep sleep. But before drifting off, he took off his police captain’s hat and sat it squarely on top of the box of Bibles.
Over the next 12 hours, the bus passed through multiple police checkpoints. Officers boarded at every one, demanding passengers’ ID and inspecting their luggage and belongings. At every checkpoint, police saw the captain sleeping soundly and decided not to risk his wrath by waking him. They noticed his hat on the box of Bibles, and assumed that box didn’t need to be searched. With his slumbering police escort, the bold Christian and his box of Bibles arrived safely to their destination.
Merv Knight, cofounder of The Voice of the Martyrs Australia, met this bold Vietnamese Christian and shared his story. Stories of bold believers and God’s protection over deliveries of His Word are not uncommon in VOM’s work serving persecuted Christians. In my years at VOM I’ve heard stories of an unaccompanied donkey delivering Bibles across the Syrian border, Iranian police who thumbed through Bibles but somehow only saw blank pages, and airport security officers miraculously distracted from their X-ray screens as suitcases of Bibles inched along the conveyor belt.
For millions of Christians worldwide, access to the Bible is restricted or dangerous. Bold Christian believers often risk everything to share the truth of God’s Word with brothers and sisters who still don’t have access to the Bible.
There are many barriers to Bible access. In some countries, strict laws make it illegal or nearly impossible to print, import, distribute or even own a Bible. In other places, God’s Word has not yet been translated into the local language, or Christians are too poor to purchase their own Bible.
Vietnam is just one example of these challenges. With nearly 10 million Christians (almost 10% of the country’s population), only a minority have their own copy of God’s Word.
“Bible access in Vietnam is shaped by a tightly controlled religious environment under the rule of the Communist Party,” reports the Bible Access List. “On paper, Christians may own Bibles. However, the perception of open availability is misleading. In reality, printing Bibles in many languages is not permitted, while others are subject to strict government quotas.”
In Vietnam, an official, expensive “and extremely difficult to obtain” permit is required to print or distribute any Bible in any language or format, the Bible Access List explains.
But for persecuted Christians, the Bible is not a luxury; it is the lifeline of faith.
In Matthew 4, Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Through VOM’s contacts with networks of frontline workers, more than 850,000 Christians in hostile areas and restricted nations, people known by name, are waiting for a Bible right now. Think about that … a Bible for every believer.
In Vietnam alone, the need could be as high as 1,000,000 Bibles.
Placing a Bible into the hands of every Christian in hostile areas and restricted nations is a goal that the global Body of Christ can achieve in this generation. Right now, courageous men and women are risking arrest, beatings and even death to bring others God’s Word. Maybe on a bus. Maybe strapped to their backs. Maybe prayerfully approaching a checkpoint, knowing what’s in the trunk of their car could get them killed. The incredible faith of these brothers and sisters challenges us — Christians in free nations with unlimited access to God’s Word — to act.
The question is not whether the need exists. The question is how we will respond.
About The Author: Todd Nettleton is Vice President for Message at The Voice of the Martyrs and host of The Voice of the Martyrs Radio. He is the author of When Faith Is Forbidden: 40 Days on the Frontlines with Persecuted Christians.
