The Spiritual Battle Behind the Physical Battle Reveals the Faith of the Saints and God's Triumph over Man's Evil


"But regardless of which of us end up literally crucified for Christ, the question is: have we not died already? Paul—who was converted right here in Syria—proclaimed, “I am crucified with Christ.” -Farid, Syria (source 8thirty8's Facebook page).





Also from 8thirty8: A Syrian refugee, living in Jordan, met Jesus and was just recently baptized! He shared that his family has completely disowned him (won't even speak to him) and now his wife has divorced him. But he has the biggest smile of joy you have EVER seen! 
*Pray for the strength of this new brother, and that the Lord would use this new brother to draw his family to Him! *

Video about Helen Berhane, a Christian woman who was locked in a metal shipping container in Erirtea for two and half years, for sharing the gospel of Christ.


“We had a hope that they would be released,” the brother said a day after the news of their killing was released. “But the will of God was for them to be martyrs of Christ, and that is better than life. They were martyred in the name of Jesus Christ. They kept the faith until the last moment. They didn’t deny the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are proud of them.” -- a brother and fellow Egyptian Christian concerning the 21 Egyptian Christians beheaded by ISIS in Libya





From the God at Work in Ukraine Facebook page: 

Dima's Story: 10-year-old boy lost leg when his home was shelled in battle last August. The battle still rages but hope prevails!

Donetsk oblast: Dima was home with his 7-year-old sister Valya and their grandmother when his world was shattered. They heard the whistle of mortar shells, then their house was hit and burst into flames. Instantly Dima's leg was torn away, his grandmother also lost a leg, and all three of them suffered multiple shrapnel wounds. Dima's mother had been out buying school supplies to prepare for the usual September 1 start of school. However, all the norms fled their embattled town. Ambulances rushed to move the injured, but the small local hospital was soon overwhelmed. Basic care was given, but they couldn't do the surgery Valya needed, so she can barely walk on her injured legs.

Their house and possessions destroyed, Alla moved her children to a sparsely-furnished two-room apartment, where they share a kitchen with neighbors. Alla's mom moved in with her son, and is not able to get her pension because of the ongoing battle. Alla lost her job, as did most of her neighbors. Her resources bleeding away, she wondered how she was going to feed her children. Then one day a lady knocked at her door and asked if they needed any help. Alla wept as she recounted their story. This kind lady listened and cared. She and friends from her church began bringing groceries and hope to this family suffering from post-traumatic stress. Dima and Valya eagerly embraced the love of Jesus and the hope of heaven. Alla is still hanging on to her bitterness, but is amazed that a Baptist church would care so much for her beleaguered family. Dima dreams of getting an artificial leg some day.

Pastor Pavel and his association of churches, "Light of the Gospel", are helping scores of people who are cold and hungry to survive this season of trauma. The Ukraine Crisis Fund is providing the resources for this. Thank you for your help and prayers!

Please pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters Pray for God to give them boldness in their witness.  May He give them strength through the persecution and pray for their persecutors to respond to the Gospel.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Call to be a Ragamuffin: A Review of the Movie on Rich Mullins' Life

Image
I thought this film was absolutely great.  The acting was good and the story was real.  Shocked and saddened at the ghosts of Rich's childhood, if I may use that terminology, I was drawn into the healthy and unhealthy ways he struggled with his raising.   Like the Bible does with its heroes, Ragamuffin doesn't sugarcoat Rich's life.  He struggled with smoking and with alcohol.  His language wasn't always church language, to put it mildly.  One sees someone seeking to be real.  Tired of the masks Christians often put on and the blindness to the call of Christ to provide for the least of these, Rich gives generously to Christian churches and charities while living humbly.  Seeing the poverty of others and the difference he could make in the lives of those with less, Rich Mullins pours himself wholly into ministry.   Just a few other thoughts in closing.  His tragic death is handled well.  In  the special features section, Dav e, Rich's brother, does a
Read more

What's In a Name?

Image
What’s in a Name?  In 1990, I graduated from Philadelphia College of Bible.  Over the years, PCB changed and with it, its name altered as well.  After achieving university status under President Babb, a new name was chosen, Philadelphia Biblical University, one that does not easily roll off the tongue.  Eventually, students, alumni, the community, etc., got used to it like will eventually happen with the new name change.  However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t reasons to wrestle with the proposal.   The rationale for the name change Dr. Williams, current president of PBU, argues that there is a perception of PBU being a Bible college with “university” in its name, leading people to believe that it has “limited offerings and a narrow vocational focus.”  My thought:  The word narrow sounds familiar to me.   Matthew 7:13-14 Furthermore, market research conducted via focus groups and a survey yielded data that was considered in favor of a name change in gene
Read more

Reproducible Pastoral Training - A Book Review

Image
Reproducible Pastoral Training: Church Planting Guidelines from the Teachings of George Patterson by Patrick O’Connor is a book about missions. However, its insights are also helpful to anyone who is either starting a church or seeking to see it grow. Patrick O’Connor dives into the wisdom of George Patterson and presents it in an intelligent way. Various topics are explained in the text. How does one reach a culture with the Gospel of Jesus Christ? What is better, door-to-door evangelism or another technique? Is it best to begin with a multi-cultural church or to start with one culture? How does one utilize contacts for the sake of the Gospel? Also, how does one prevent establishing a foreign church rather than a native one? Furthermore, the author goes into issues like how leaders are trained and when they should begin serving. I found myself revisiting preconceived notions of what is done in Western churches and thus is considered to be biblical. For instance, the d
Read more