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William Tyndale, English Bible Smuggler

Published on April 6th, 2015

Why Smuggle Bibles?
Jesus said, “Go into all the world and spread the gospel.” (See Mark 16:15.) He knew some places in the world would have laws against obeying his command. When officials told Peter and the other apostles not to teach people about Jesus, the apostles said, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

Bible smugglers through the centuries have agreed with the apostles. They have taken Bibles into countries where officials do not approve of their activity.

William Tyndale
A long time ago, nobody in England could read the Bible in English. Bibles were written in Greek, Hebrew, and Latin, but not English. Church leaders could read the Bible, because they had studied different languages in school. But few others knew what God’s Word really said.

The king of England and the church leaders did not want just anybody reading the Bible. “If anyone teaches the Bible in English, they must be punished!” the leaders said.

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Bibles in Difficult Places: A Challenge We Accept

Published on April 1st, 2015

Newsletter

Parents and Teachers: The April 2015 issue of The Voice of the Martyrs magazine features stories about bold believers who distribute Bibles in difficult places and unbelievers whose lives have been changed by the Scriptures they received.

“Bibles are illegal in many nations where Christians are persecuted for their faith, and in other nations they are often hard to find and expensive. As more people come to faith in Christ in Asia and the Middle East, it’s a challenge to keep up with the demand for Bibles, but it’s a challenge we gladly accept.”

— The Voice of the Martyrs’ President
April 2015 VOM magazine

Last year VOM distributed more than one million Scriptures in areas where Christians are persecuted.

Upcoming Kids of Courage posts about Scripture distribution and smuggling will include stories about the following:

  • William Tyndale, Bible translator and smuggler
  • Scriptures floated by balloons into North Korea on USB devices
  • An Iraqi Muslim transformed by the Bible
  • A Bible smuggled out of Iran
  • A Christian doctor who distributes out Bibles in Syria

To subscribe to the free monthly magazine, visit the subscription signup page. As you read the magazines, you may want to share stories from this site about the featured Christians with your children. Then pray together for the people in the stories.

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Torchlighters DVD Guides and Student Handouts

Published on March 27th, 2013

Torchlighters

Torchlighters DVDs tell the stories of real-life Christian heroes who faced obstacles and stood up to persecution. (Read more about the DVDs in the Resource section of this site.) Leaders guides and student handouts for each DVD are available free from the Downloads section.

The leaders guides include a synopsis of the life of the hero, lesson plans for teaching children about the featured Christian, descriptions of key people who influenced the hero, historical background about the period of history when the hero lived, and a timeline.

Student handouts include coloring pages from scenes in the DVD, numerous games and activities, craft ideas, interview suggestions, story questions, and discussion starters.

For further information, check Torchlighters.org.

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The John Bunyan Story

Published on July 30th, 2012

Torchlighters

Nine-year-old John Bunyan lived in England in the 1600s. He was a troublemaker. He lied, stole, cursed, and got into fights. Secretly John worried that he was not living a life pleasing to God. But he could not seem to stop his bad behavior. As he grew older, his behavior did not get any better, and he had no peace.

John decided to try to be good, hoping his good works would make him feel better. He married, went to church, and got a job as a tinker. (A tinker repaired pots, pans, and kettles.) Then he met some women who seemed to have joy and peace in the Lord. The women and their pastor encouraged him to trust in Jesus, who save those who cannot save themselves. John listened to them and gave his life to the Lord!

John began preaching to others about the truths in the Bible. But preaching outside of the official government church was against the law. John was arrested, and he went to jail.

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Tipcat

Published on July 30th, 2012

Torchlighters

As a boy, John Bunyan enjoyed playing tipcat and other popular games of the time. During one tipcat game, God led him to understand that life was not all play, and he began to seek God’s will for his life.

Tipcat has been played in various forms around the world for hundreds of years. Today, players can buy tipcat equipment on the Internet. Equipment includes one large stick and a smaller stick about 3 to 6 inches long and sometimes pointed on both ends.

The smaller stick is placed on the ground. Using the larger stick, a player hits one end of the smaller stick, flipping it up in the air. As the smaller stick rises, the player hits it with the long stick. Points are awarded based on how far the stick goes after it is hit. Some versions of the game include fielders chasing the stick.

To play your own version of tipcat, put an inflated balloon on the floor and use a long-handled cooking spoon to tap in gently so it rises, then hit the balloon with the spoon while it is in the air. It may take some practice to tap the balloon so that it rises before you hit it.

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