The early Christian theologian Tertulian is quoted as saying: "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church." The Church has rarely had success without someone paying the ultimate price for the cause of Christ. Todd Nettleton of The Voice of the Martyrs tells AFN the ministry has just launched the "Extreme Devotion" podcast.
"Every day on the podcast we will have a verse of scripture, a story from a persecuted Christian – some from relatively recent times, some going all the way back to the founders of the Church – and then a short application point," he describes.
Nettleton is hopeful it will start American Christians thinking about what they would do if their life or possessions were threatened.
"As a football fan, I think if I'm preparing to play the Chiefs this Sunday, I'm going to watch the film of the team that beat the Chiefs last Sunday," he illustrates. "The stories of persecuted Christians really give us a chance to watch the film."
Reports indicate more than 350 million Christians are facing some form of persecution. In 2023, 5,621 were killed for their faith. Nettleton says those who believe the Bible know similar persecution is coming their way at some point. "I don't wish for persecution; I don't want persecution," he shares. "But if persecution comes, I want to be ready."
While 2025 is setting up to be another hard year for Christians around the world, Nettleton expects there will be some good news as well.
"There will be more persecution stories, there will be more Christians arrested, there will be more Christians killed," he acknowledges. "But there will also be some amazing, good news stories that even in the face of persecution God is growing his Church."
Day 1 (Jan. 1, 2025) of "Extreme Devotion" focused on a believer in Turkey. Day 2 (today) focuses on a man in Mauritania. (Click here to listen)
