For the would-be-or-future martyr of Islam

Today as I read in BBC News about the testimony of a survivor of Lal Masjid (Red Mosque), my heart was torn. The bold writing is from the article:

“A woman who was inside Islamabad's Red Mosque when it was stormed by Pakistani troops on 10 July has given the BBC one of the first accounts of the final hours of the siege. Unwilling to be named, the survivor said she was not held hostage by militants inside.

More than 100 people died in the army operation - she was one of only 30 women to walk out alive after soldiers went in. Following are excerpts from the interview with Rafia Riaz of the BBC's Urdu service.”

She is writing after being in the siege of the mosque for a week. During the final assault she walked out with her hands up in surrender, actually hoping to be shot by the military. She wasn’t shot but instead…

“They took us to another room and gave us food. We were crying a lot because Korans were burning inside the Red Mosque which was on fire.

We pleaded with them to let us take the Koran. We were very sad to see them being burnt in front of our own eyes. At sunset we were told that we were going to be sent home, and at night, we left the area...

After meeting my father, I was overcome by grief as I had hoped to be a martyr and come back alive.

Now they've attacked the Red Mosque and Jamia Hafsa [the seminary attached to it], I hope the whole country will have Red Mosques. I will work for jihad, and open a madrassa and train people for jihad.”

Read the entire article here: BBC NEWS South Asia 'I hoped to be a glorious martyr'


Oh Lord I think about the testimony of the woman at Lal Masjid and I feel sick to my stomach. What could drive someone to carry out suicide attacks on their own countrymen? To eat leaves and honey, to spend sleepless nights, for what? For the straight path? Is that what the One True God would desire of his children? To cry over burning books but not over burning men? To grieve over not being a martyr?

I am willing to die for my faith and so is she. But she is willing to kill, to shed blood of men, women and children. She is willing to blow herself up for jihad. I think of the American missionaries who went into the Amazon to meet the Waodoni, a head hunting tribe that speared their victims. By the time the missionaries went to them, one of out two Waodoni men would be speared and killed by their own tribesmen. But the missionaries would not shoot them even when attacked. Why didn’t the Christians shoot? Because, as they said, they knew they were ready for heaven but the Waodoni were not. They did not have a relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. All of the men who went to share the hope of the gospel with the Waodoni were speared. Due to the love that the missionary’s families had for the tribe, their wives and children moved into the jungle with the head hunting tribe to share the love of Jesus with them.

So what is the difference between this woman at Lal Masjid and myself or the missionaries to the Waodoni? This woman, this Muslim woman, was not only will to die for her faith, but to kill, to steal and to destroy. And what of her intended victims? Her blowing up the unholy, the apostates, the infidels would surely not ensure THEIR eternal salvation, but only HERS. What then is the motivation for her martyrdom? For the sake of Islam, the Quran and the Prophet….no! For her own selfish desire to see paradise. I’m not quite sure what she would do with the 72 voluptuous virgins, but she did desire paradise.

I actually think I do know why she grieves though. Why she grieves over being alive and not being a martyr. She grieves for her eternal salvation. She grieves for her relationship with God. For in Islam, God is not personal. The only assurance of your salvation lies in being killed for your faith. No one can be sure whether he will go to paradise or to hell. As a Muslim, when you die your good deeds and your bad deeds are weighed on a scale. If you’ve done more good deeds and followed the checklist of things a Muslim must do (statement of faith, prayer five times a day, giving to the poor, going to Mecca, fasting during Ramadan every year) then perhaps God will have mercy on you and allow you into heaven. But, if you are to die in holy war, in jihad, you will surely become a shahid – a martyr. This gives you assurance of your salvation, no matter how many bad deeds you have done. In the name of Allah, the Qur’an, and Islam – the click of a detonator, bodies blown to bits, blood shed…Paradise.

But you and I know that this a lie of the enemy – sent to kill, to steal and to destroy. He prowls around like a roaring lion. The click of a detonator, bodies blown to bits, blood shed – end of life. Beginning of hell. Eternity without God. Eternity of pain.

So as this woman, the would-be or future martyr, jihadi, champion of the faith, grieves, so do I. She grieves for her salvation and I grieve with her.

Oh Lord, open the blinders on her eyes. Open her ears that she may hear truth. She is living for a lie. I know your heart grieves for her soul, as you desire all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of you. Jesus, rescue her. Bind the strongman and release her from this lie. May truth and light break forth in her life. May she find true salvation in you – Jesus, the way the truth and the life.

Countering the Enemy with the Word

This afternoon as we struggled to focus in prayer (this seems like the theme recently) I started to write down some adjectives to describe how we were feeling. Then we looked up Bible verses whose truths would counter the feelings that were preventing us from praying. As we read the verses aloud, prayed from them, and meditated on the truths they spoke we were able to focus on the Lord and pray together.

As we know we're not alone in our struggles to focus on prayer, worship and intercession, here is a list of the some of the feelings and the verses we used as we sought the Lord.

Spiritually Dry - "Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. " John 7:38

Tired & Weak - "He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he inceases strength...Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will fly on wings like eages. They will walk and not grow weary, they will run and not be faint. " Isaiah 40

Distracted & Unfocused - "Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to JESUS, the founder and perfector of our faith." Hebrews 12

Disconnected - "Draw near to God and he WILL draw near to you." James 4:8

Hungry - "Man shall not live on bread alone." Luke 4:14 - Jesus himself used this one to counter Satan

Discouraged - "He will not grow faint or be discouraged, til he has established justice in the earth." Isaiah 42 - If our Messiah will never be discouraged, why then should we? May the Lord help us to press in and to cry out for his justice until he comes and establishes his kingdom on the earth

We can also find comfort in what the Lord told Paul regarding his 'thorn in the flesh':

"'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities. For when I am weak, I am strong." 2 Corin 12:9

Teens Reveal Persecution in Vietnam

This week's Top Story from www.persecution.com

American Teens Find Persecution In Vietnam

June 20, 2007

(BARTLESVILLE, Okla.) As Vietnam’s president, Nguyen Minh Triet, comes to the United States this week, his focus will be on advancing trade and technology between his country and the U.S. Nguyen will try to avoid discussing human rights and religious freedom in his country.
But eight teens—six Americans and two Australians—discovered that persecution in Vietnam is real for Christians. The teens interviewed a pastor whose house church has been repeatedly torn down by the police. They were forced to flee from a Christian youth camp when police suddenly arrived.

Their adventure—Underground Reality: Vietnam—was captured on film last year and is now available on DVD from The Voice of the Martyrs, a ministry dedicated to helping persecuted Christians in nations like Vietnam.

“The president of Vietnam calls evangelical Christians law-breakers and says they should be punished,” says Todd Nettleton, spokesperson for VOM. “But the reality is these are simply Christians who want the freedom to worship God according to their conscience. They love their country; they pray for their government leaders. These aren’t trouble-makers or rebels, yet they are arrested, beaten and imprisoned. We’ve received a list of more than 100 Christians currently held in Vietnamese prisons.”

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) listed Vietnam in its May, 2007, report as a “Country of Particular Concern” in regards to religious freedom.
Underground Reality: Vietnam, which was released on DVD this month, documents first hand the reality of persecution in Vietnam as it was encountered by the teens. One teen interviewed a young girl who had been abused by Vietnamese police. The group met with the children of a Vietnamese pastor who has spent years under house arrest because of his Christian activities. A face-to-face interview with a formerly-imprisoned pastor was a highlight for some of the teens.

“We talk a lot today about reality TV,” says Nettleton. “Well, this is the ultimate reality; the reality of life and death for Christians in Vietnam. The reality of how much they are willing to pay in order to live out their convictions and serve God in the way they feel called to serve Him. What could be more real?”

“We are pleased that Vietnam’s president will be visiting the United States,” says Nettleton. “We call on leaders within the U.S. government to ask President Nguyen hard questions about religious freedom and the way our Christian brothers and sisters are being treated in Vietnam. Good trade relations, and high profits, aren’t enough to ignore the mistreatment of people of faith in Vietnam.”

The Power of the Sword

I was encouraged by looking back at an email sent to me from a friend on March 2, 2006. As we have been struggling to persevere in prayer, her words have inspired me yet again to take up my sword and keep fighting.



"As I prayed in the spirit I kept thinking about how you felt like there was a tarp over you. The Lord started to speak to me and I just wrote as I continued praying. I believe He showed me this: For the sword of the Lord is the Word-- His Word. Let the Sword rend the heavens. You carry the Sword the Spirit wields. As He rends the heavens with His sword, so you must also rend with yours. Pray the Bible. Let the Word pour forth from your spirit--- release what has been stored up."



I have remembered her encouraging works since last March when she sent them to me. The other day I was trying to pray and just feeling like I couldn't connect with the spirit. I felt very spiritually dry and my mind felt clouded. Anything I could think of was distracting me from praying, especially things regarding my work. I was trying to write in my journal, but could only get a few sentences out before thinking about something else. My Bible was lying just out of my reach and I knew I needed to grab it and start praying from the Word. It seemed like the air was heavy and it took all my strength and concentration just to grab my Bible and put it on the bed. Then I summoned the same strength, opened it, and started praying. It still wasn't easy, but my thoughts were clearer and I was able to pray in a more focused way from the Word.

Pray for Prayer!

To all of you who keep updated through the blog, we'd appreciate prayers for us - that we would keep praying!

The other day it seemed like the enemy would use anything to keep us from pressing in. We have committed to pray together an hour every day, although we're still having trouble getting back into that groove. Duarte was sick with a fever and a headache, and we knew we needed to pray together despite his health. As soon as we started to pray, the electricity went out. Now that may not seem like a big deal, but as soon as the power goes out the summer heat starts to seep through the walls and attack its intended victims. After ten minutes without AC or the fan we were sweating and having trouble focusing on the Lord.

Then I finally opened up the Bible and started praying from the Word. We still felt weak, but we were able to persevere until the electricity came back on. The hotter it is, the more the electricity goes out because there's just not enough energy produced here.

So please lift us up, that we would pray no matter how hot it is, or how busy we are, or what village we're off in!

Praise & Prayer Update

Praises:

• Praise the Lord for safe travels. We made all of our flights despite chaos at the one airport and being pressed for time at our next connection. It was a stressful day of travel from Europe to here, but when we arrived we were greeted by one of H's friends at the airport.
• We have a place to stay, rent free! We need to pay for our utilities only. The Lord has surely sent us to a man of peace. We stayed one night with H's friend near the main part of the city, and the next day we met a friend of a friend who had the top floor of his house just laying empty. His wife and children are in Russia (He is a doctor born in P who spent most of his life in Russia) and he is waiting for some time to settle his family over here. In the meantime, we can stay at the house without paying any rent. The servants have been very helpful getting us moved in, helping us buy ACs, moving my fridge, and telling us where to buy everything. We were also given food for the first week since we didn't get our stove set up until yesterday.
• Sweet reunions - we have been enjoying connecting with friends, both Muslim and Christian
• Our time in Europe was really a blessing. In D's country we were able to share the gospel and spend time in interession for the islands. In our next stop, I connected with my friend Vera (an exchange student who stayed at my house during high school) and her family. Last time I visited, over three years ago, only her brother was a believer. This time I was able to hear the testimonies of how Vera and her mother had come to know and follow the Lord! God truly draws near to those who draw near to Him.

Prayer:

• That we would finish getting settled (internet hooked up, bank accounts, jobs, etc) and be able to focus on what the Lord has for us here
• That in the light of the recent bloodshed in the capital people's hearts would be open and their eyes would be enlighted to know the one true God
• That we would become a couple who is strong in prayer and in our spiritual gifts so that we may better serve the church here and boldly share the reason for the hope that we have
• That the Lord would guide us to believers in our city who we can fellowship with, partner with, encourage and be encouraged by

Snakes & Dragons

The other night, D had a dream which we believe was a warning from the Lord. Here's what he wrote down:

H and I were at the mountain। We sat down both side to side and had a heartfelt desire to pray over the land in the horizon and for its peoples. However, as we began to intercede and pray we were immediately confronted with many obstacles. These fell under two categories. One being FEAR, and the other OPPRESSION. The first, FEAR, was manifested through snakes. There were many different types of snakes. Some were big, and some were small. Some were red and some were green, while others were yellow. In the dream, they began to appear out of nowhere and headed towards us . Slithering around us, and hissing, they were trying to scare, intimidate and distract us from praying.

All of our attention was no longer on those we had hoped to intercede for, but rather it had turned to these abysmal creatures. I remember both of us praying hard and fervently for them to leave. "In the name of Jesus, leave. I rebuke you" we shouted, but nothing seemed to happened. So, to our disappointment, we were still gripped with fear, and we hadn't yet been able to focus in on those we longed to pray for.

The second obstacle in the dream was under the category of OPPRESSION. While we were attempting to rid ourselves of the snakes we saw in the distance many dragons flying, and breathing fire over the land ahead. They were hovering to and fro, persecuting, tyrannizing, suppressing, and subduing the people.

CONCLUSIONS:

• We must be equipped through the knowledge of the Word, and through experience on how to deal with the fears, and the distractions that will rise up and possibly keep us from praying.
• Along with these hindrances, we must also realize that there are many things that are keeping people in bondage. The oppression over the land is great, and as long as Christians neglect to put on the full armor of God and contend for the downtrodden, the dragons of this world will continue to rule and lead the souls of men and women to the fiery pits of Hell.
• Lastly, we must never forget that God is always with us, helping us in our struggles, and keeping us safe from the enemy, as long as we choose to listen to his warning words. I believe this is relevant to the dream because in it, while my wife and I were confronting the snakes on the mountain, there was behind us someone who was trying to help us and warn us. He was standing only a couple of feet away and was keeping us aware of any incoming snakes. He was in essence, keeping our backs safe, and was not allowing us to be struck down by any unforeseen attack.