FRONTLINE FAITH SHARING THE INSIDE STORY OF THE PERSECUTED CHURCH

Transcription

1 FRONTLINE FAITH SHARING THE INSIDE STORY OF THE PERSECUTED CHURCH LOVE > FEAR Image: Christians return to church to celebrate Palm Sunday in Qaraqosh, Iraq, after two years under Islamic State control ISIS NEXT TARGET Largest Church In Middle East Page 4 GIFTS OF HOPE Christmas Catalogue Page 8 SOLDIER AT SEVEN The Life Of Rubén Page 10 FATHER, FORGIVE THEM Nik Ripken Page 12

2 Love > Fear A LETTER FROM MIKE GORE Love is what made Jesus walk on earth so profound. Instead of inciting fear he challenged people to love, and look how that worked out for Him! Think about the church of that time and how they responded (accepted) Jesus challenge. They were some of his greatest accusers and individuals (people like you and I). They constantly wrestled with the cost of love and what it meant for their family, career and well being disciples included. So, how do we move from fear to love? The only way to make that transition is to start with hope. Because hope is the only thing that overcomes fear and forms a bridge to change, a bridge from fear to love, inaction to action and no commission to Great Commission. We often read this at weddings but have you ever tried reading as though it were a response to fear, discrimination or terror? It becomes some of the most powerful words you ll ever read, and some of the hardest to live by! Can you imagine what a society driven by this kind of love would look like? Love is a process. It takes time, patience, courage and trust. Love IS greater than fear. We hated Jesus and persecuted him, but he didn t wait to be loved. He did something unthinkable. He loved first. Image: The team travelling in Egypt, 2014 Yes And No. Who could have ever imagined the impact those two words would have on our society? To be upfront and clear, this is not a letter about SSM or the gender debate that rages within our country. It s a letter about a rapidly changing culture, standing for Christ, and the cost of following Jesus. The fact is, in so many ways the persecuted church has never been more vital to the survival of the church here in Australia and New Zealand. As a ministry we ve been working tirelessly for more than 60 years to predict shifts in culture, governments and religions trying to stay ahead of the curve and strengthen the worldwide local church to withstand persecution and suffering. Now, for the first time in the history of the ministry we are witnessing the rise of intolerant atheism and a lukewarm church in the West, the impact of which is terrifying. In a culture that is less and less receptive to Jesus, it has never been more important to know why we follow Him, how to follow Him and what it means to stand for Him no matter the cost. This is a way of life which is synonymous with the persecuted church. It reminds me of a conversation I had with a pastor in Egypt in May He told me about evangelising to a Muslim. He said it s like standing opposite someone with a big brick wall separating you. Each brick in that wall represents a question. As you answer those questions a brick can be removed and slowly but surely the wall comes down. Soon it s low enough to see their eyes and you can begin to form a bond. After more questions are answered and bricks are removed, the wall is low enough to get your hands through and you can hug them (but you can t walk with them). As you answer more questions the wall gets low enough that you can get a leg through and begin to walk with them. So how many questions in that brick wall can you answer? Are you ready for when you re faced with issues that challenge your faith, value structures or belief systems? The way I see it there are two responses. Image: Mike s field notes from Egypt Fear Or Love. More often than not our natural tendency is to choose fear. It is by far the easier option and not only that, it feels better too! Fear is characterised by inaction, inflammatory talk, speculation and judgement. Fear often starts with ignorance and a lack of knowledge of someone else. Fear is a spiral, and it only breeds more fear. So what s our other option? Love. The scary thing about love is that it requires, no... it demands a response. Love is characterised by action and that s terrifying for us. What does love look like? In 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NLT) we read: Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. In a culture that is driven by fear, desperately trying to get us to stand for everything and nothing, now is the time to show the world that Jesus is worth everything! Mike Gore NEW OPEN DOORS PODCAST First Episode: December 2017 Open Doors LIVE is a brand new, monthly podcast, hosted by Mike Gore and James Kozina. This podcast brings the persecuted church to life. Each episode contains life changing stories, updates and trends in persecution and biblically based discussion making it a brilliant all in one devotion. You can listen to episodes wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts. CEO Open Doors Australia / New Zealand michaelg@od.org / 2 Open Doors Frontline Faith, 2017 Issue No.6 Love > Fear Frontline Faith, 2017 Issue No.6 Love > Fear Open Doors 3

3 The Largest Church In The Middle East The church in Egypt is the largest evangelical church in the Middle East, and it s currently under attack. The Islamic State have named the Egyptian church as their next target. An order has been sent out that noone is allowed to leave any infidel Christian in Egypt until you have threatened their life. Egypt is the bridge between the Middle East and Africa, where the Islamic State s ideology has begun to spread. AND WHY IT S ISIS NEXT TARGET The church is preparing for an increase in persecution. But instead of fear, many are choosing to respond with forgiveness and love. On 15 February 2015, a group linked to the selfproclaimed Islamic State released a video showing the beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians in Libya. The video was titled, A message signed with blood to the nation of the cross. The men had been abducted in December and January. They were originally from the poorer village of Minya, Egypt and went to Libya for better job opportunities. The armed militants checked what religion was written on their I.D. cards, before taking the Christians hostage and letting the Muslims go free. Photos were released of the handcuffed men wearing orange jumpsuits and marching in single file. They were forced to kneel on the beach as masked men stood behind them and carried out their execution. An Impossible Response A brother of one of the believers who was killed said, We had a hope that they would be released But the will of God was for them to be martyrs of Christ, and that is better than life. They kept the faith until the last moment. We are proud of them. Christians in cities, towns and villages across Egypt rallied together in prayer. Their message to the Islamic State was clear. The day after the video was released, an Egyptian pastor shared, From the Egyptian church to ISIS: we love you and have pity on you, and pray that God may open your eyes so that you can see the true light in Jesus Christ. FROM THE EGYPTIAN CHURCH TO ISIS: WE LOVE YOU AND HAVE PITY ON YOU. We re not intimidated by your threats. Death is a vanquished enemy for us, vanquished by the power of The Christ, in his resurrection from the dead. We are not armed and we re not militant but our prayers are stronger than all your weapons. Another pastor said, I stand in awe before the one who once taught us to love beyond what is reasonable according to human logic. By teaching these words, our Lord Jesus has truly introduced a new hope to humanity that didn t exist before. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5:44 These martyrs refused to deny their faith to stay alive, he continued. The sound of prayers requesting mercy and life, not revenge and destruction, calling on God s name to come and change the hearts of the killers, is loudly heard across Egypt. We pray that God will remove their stone hearts (reflected in their inhumane actions), and give them hearts of flesh and blood, capable of loving. TIMELINE OF EGYPT ATTACKS: NEW YEAR S CHURCH ATTACK GUNMEN OPEN FIRE AT WEDDING COPTIC CHURCH IN CAIRO ATTACKED PALM SUNDAY CHURCH ATTACKS 1 January A midnight New Year s church service was the target of a suicide bomber in Alexandria. 23 people were killed and almost 100 injured. 20 October Gunmen on motorbikes opened fire outside a church as people left a wedding in Cairo. Four people were killed, including two girls aged eight and twelve years old. 1 December An Islamic State bomb exploded in the largest Coptic church in Cairo, which killed at least 29 people (mainly women and children) and left 47 wounded. 9 April Islamic State attacked two churches in Tanta and Alexandria, north of Cairo. At least 44 people were killed, and over 100 injured. CHRISTIAN GIRLS ABDUCTED EGYPTIAN CHRISTIANS KILLED FIVE EGYPTIAN CHRISTIANS KILLED IN TWO WEEKS Around 550 Christian girls were abducted by Muslim men in Many were forced into arranged marriages, to convert to Islam and never heard from again. 15 February 21 Egyptian Christians who were kidnapped between December 2014 and January 2015 were beheaded on a beach in Libya by the Islamic State. 25 January Ishak Ibrahim Fayez Younan at 37, was the 5th Christian found dead in 13 days by his brother in Cairo Open Doors Frontline Faith, 2017 Issue No.6 Love > Fear Frontline Faith, 2017 Issue No.6 Love > Fear Open Doors 5

4 Former terrorists, who used to kill Christians have begun to come to church because God has changed their hearts. They re now preaching the gospel and seeing many people come to Christ. Christians make up about 15% of the the population in Egypt, with the church dating back over 2,000 years. Recent Attacks It was the Easter attacks earlier this year that highlighted how persecution is on the rise for Egyptian Christians. On Palm Sunday, two churches were attacked by suicide bombers. Naseem was a guard at the church in Alexandria. While the bomb killed 16 people, his actions to block the attacker saved hundreds inside the church. His wife was interviewed on a prominent Egyptian talk show. This is what she had this to say: I m not angry at the one who did this. I m telling him, May God forgive you, and we also forgive you. Believe me, we forgive you. The show s host couldn t help but respond. How great is this forgiveness you have! he said. If it were my father, I could never say this. But this is their faith and religious conviction. In a region gripped by instability and fear, the Egyptian church is a shining testimony of the grace of God. They lay down their rights for the sake of the gospel. We will stand with our suffering brothers and sisters. Pray for strength and protection in the days to come. Timeline images sourced from World Watch Monitor and BBC News. TRAVEL 2018 YOUR PRESENCE MAKES A DIFFERENCE Image: The remains of a burnt church in Minya, Egypt CHURCH LEADERS TRIP Do you want to connect your church with the persecuted church? Pastors and church leaders are invited to meet the persecuted church first hand on a trip led by CEO, Mike Gore. This is a life changing experience for anyone in leadership, meeting with underground churches and secret believers. Dates: May 2018 Destination: Secret Location 6 spaces available! TRAVEL WITH THE CEO Do you want to travel with Mike Gore into a secret location in Asia? We are inviting Frontline Partners to travel and see the work of the ministry on the ground. If you ve supported us for a long time or a little, this is your opportunity to meet persecuted Christians and see the impact you are having, supporting the persecuted church. Dates: July 2018 Destination: Asia 11 spaces available! Image: Coptic church community in Egypt Image: Cross in one of Cairo s oldest churches. Register your interest now. Spaces limited! Open Doors Frontline Faith, 2017 Issue No.6 Love > Fear Frontline Faith, 2017 Issue No.6 Love > Fear Open Doors 7

5 Gifts Of Hope CHRISTMAS CATALOGUE GIFTS FOR YOU GIVE A GIFT THIS CHRISTMAS OUR CATALOGUE We ve hand picked 12 of our favourite projects for you. Each of these 12 gifts are linked directly with a project to support persecuted Christians. When you purchase a gift, you are making a donation to that project. Have you thought about giving a Gift Of Hope as a Christmas present? If you order using the order form included with this magazine, you can receive a Christmas Greeting Card so you can share Hope with your friends and family this Christmas! / 1. Bible Delivery 2. Bike Project 3. Evangelism To Muslims 4. Rebuilding The Church In Iraq 5. Job Creation 6. Disciple A Secret Believer $20 $60 $75 $100 $247 $1, Children s Christmas Gift 8. Children s Ministry 9. Provide Trauma Care 10. Empower Persecuted Women 11. Support Local Missionaries 12. Support A Martyr s Family $7 $12 $45 $105 $150 $475 8 Open Doors Frontline Faith, 2017 Issue No.6 Love > Fear Frontline Faith, 2017 Issue No.6 Love > Fear Open Doors 9

6 The Life of Rubén A SOLDIER AT SEVEN AND A PASTOR AT FIFTEEN Image: Rural Colombia Rubén was only seven when he began training as a guerrilla fighter. He grew up in the midst of extreme poverty in rural Colombia. His dysfunctional family life, filled with abuse, led him to search for a way out. You go to the guerrillas because it seems to be the only option, said Rubén. You want respect from people, which is why it is easy to be deceived by guns, uniforms, and camaraderie. You don t realise the deception until it is too late. At the age of 10 Rubén was already well-known for his aggression. He was elevated to a position of leadership and became the commander of more than 80 armed men. The Plan That Went Wrong When Rubén was 12 he was sent as a spy into a neighbouring village. Rubén disguised himself as a peasant and worked during the day. At night he would sneak around gathering intel. On one farm, there was a group of pastors who regularly met together to worship. They d bring guitars, tambourines, and smiles on their faces and they d always give Rubén a hug. These things amazed me, Rubén said. This showed me that not all people were bad and that the guerrillas were not always painting an accurate picture of people. Rubén began to attend the pastors Sunday services. His curiosity about God started to grow and he decided to memorise Psalm 41:1. BLESSED IS HE WHO THINKS OF THE POOR, ON THE DAY OF EVIL THE LORD WILL DELIVER HIM. When the guerrillas formed a plan to kidnap one of the wealthiest men in the region, Rubén agreed to help. But the plan went horribly wrong and they found themselves surrounded by the army, down on their knees. The military began to shoot Rubén s companions. At that moment I knew they were going to kill me, Rubén said. I was last in line and didn t quite understand what all had happened, but I knew I was going to die. In the midst of his anguish, Rubén recalled the words of Psalm 41:1. Suddenly other guerrillas intervened and Rubén was able to escape. My comrades told me that I had been saved by the spirit of the revolution, but I knew that God had saved me because he loves me and wants something different for me. A Radical Conversion Rubén s life changed radically and when he was 13 he gave his life to Christ. After his conversion, he renounced the guerrillas altogether; then, the persecution began. I worked in intelligence and had a lot of information about them. For this reason, they could not let me go easily. From the day of my conversion they wanted to kill me. At the age of 15 Rubén became a pastor. He began to preach the gospel of peace and reconciliation. Many people attended his services, including fellow guerrillas. But there was trouble ahead. The paramilitaries had been following me for a long time, Rubén said. They knew about my past as a communist guerrilla. They believed I was continuing the revolution I knew I had to leave immediately. One afternoon in June he was summoned to court by the Colombian justice system. I knew it was in God s hands, he said. If God wanted me to go to prison for the time I spent breaking the law, I would do it. If I was incarcerated, I planned to continue sharing the Gospel with the people around me. But because his days as a guerrilla took place when he was a child, Rubén wasn t sent to prison. Instead he was prohibited from doing any public work for three years, including working as a pastor. A New Mission After the three years, Pastor Rubén returned to his hometown. He knew there was still much work to be done and many fighters who needed to know God. One Sunday, several young visitors appeared at his church. They were guerrillas who had stumbled across bags hanging on trees on the road and they wanted to know about God. I know the common routes of the guerrillas, Rubén said. I often leave books alongside the road. I want them to know God s heart for them. It is my hope that they will want to seek God and pursue true life. Young people are now refusing to become guerrillas because they have decided to follow Christ. Pastor Rubén s impact has changed many lives in Colombia. But it hasn t come without a cost. Leaders of local armed groups have forbidden anyone from employing or supporting Rubén or his family. Even though I was afraid, God showed me his powerful protection over my family. That is enough to continue His work. I will not leave here because the region needs to know much more about God. Open Doors supports Pastor Rubén and his family. They are finishing off their secondary education in order to have better employment opportunities. They re also attending trauma counselling to stand strong in the face of persecution. Please continue to pray for Rubén. 10 Open Doors Frontline Faith, 2017 Issue No.6 Love > Fear Frontline Faith, 2017 Issue No.6 Love > Fear Open Doors 11

7 How To Pray For ISIS NIK RIPKEN, AUTHOR OF INSANITY OF GOD Image: Burnt church in Karamles, Iraq. Many buildings were destroyed before liberation from Islamic State. In certain streams of the church, it seems acceptable for Christians to say hostile and even hateful things about Muslims. This is a tragic distortion of the gospel. The church s greatness cannot be wrapped up with its nation s greatness. The church is not measured by the size of its country s political, military, or economic power, or its form of government. THE CHURCH S GREATNESS IS MEASURED BY ITS LOVE, WHICH IS THE SACRIFICIAL, DYING ENEMY-LOVE OF CALVARY. (John 13:35; Matthew 5:44; Romans 5:8). To respond to evil with prayers like Jesus and Stephen s requires a devotion to a better country (Hebrews 11:16), and a faith rooted in the promise that even the worst persecution cannot touch our indestructible lives (Luke 21:16 19; John 11:25 26). Father, Glorify Yourself Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you. John 17:1 Father, glorify yourself is what Jesus prayed just hours before the cross. He fully trusted his Father, which made him free and bold to walk full of faith into the jaws of persecution. And when we pray like this, it shows that our faith is not in governments or international human-rights declarations, but in God. Such profound trust in God makes us as free to share Christ in Saudi Arabia as we are in South Dakota. We are as free to share our faith in North Korea as in North Carolina. No one can stop us from stepping out of airplanes, buses, and cars and proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ anywhere. Persecutors can certainly punish us for sharing our faith, but by doing so they end up helping us proclaim it all the more! If we don t shrink back, if we don t exit the fight at the entry-level prayers of God, save me and God, punish them, but press on to seeking our enemies forgiveness and God s glory, we will know the joy of bearing spiritual fruit and seeing the kingdom come. We will live not in political freedom, but gospel freedom (John 8:32; Galatians 5:1). Can we pray with Jesus, Father, whatever it takes, glorify your Son through me today, that the Son and I may glorify you? Grow Into This Grace When ISIS or some other evil force attacks again, we will pray. The question is, what will we pray? When push comes to literal shove, what do we really want? Do we only want deliverance? Or do we want God s glory to be revealed and our enemies to experience God s grace even more than we want to escape from pain? None of us likely can answer those questions as we would like. But let s grow into God s grace, and into these prayers, especially the last three, by praying them now, even if there is no threat of persecution. For evil will attack at some point, and we want to be as ready as possible if the glory of God, the eternal good of others, and the spread of the gospel require our lives or the lives of those we love Copyright by Nik Ripken. Article first appeared at As followers of Jesus, we have chosen the side of good over evil. Nowhere is this clearer than in regions of the world where persecution is the costly price Christians pay for proclaiming the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ places, for instance, where ISIS is ruthlessly executing our brothers and sisters in the faith. WHILE THE BATTLE WITH EVIL CERTAINLY HAS PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS, THE DEEPER AND MORE IMPORTANT WAR IS SPIRITUAL AND INTERNAL. When evil attacks, we cry out in prayer for God to help us. And what we ask God for tells us a lot about what we really want, and in what we hope. God, save me! is a very normal and understandable response to the evil of persecution. We hear it from psalmists and in the first half of Jesus prayer in the garden before his crucifixion. Yet we need to remember that it s only half of what Jesus prayed in Matthew 26:39, because we can quickly move to praying, God, punish them! This is when we must pray the second half of Jesus garden prayer, Not as I will, but as you will (Matthew 26:39). This is important, because calling on God to punish our enemies can easily be our failure to love them as Christ loved us. Followers of Jesus must press beyond these first two prayerful responses and join Jesus and Stephen in praying. Father, Forgive Them Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Luke 23:34 Lord, do not hold this sin against them. Acts 7:60 Father, forgive them recognises that followers of Jesus see themselves both as targets of satanic attack, yet still victorious in their Saviour. Both Jesus, while hanging on the cross, and Stephen, while being crushed by stones, viewed their persecutors as victims in need of forgiveness, as well as individuals responsible for their sinful actions. This response does not come easy, we all know. Seeking forgiveness for one s enemies is counterintuitive, unpopular, and often seen as weakness, even sometimes by Christians. Image: Church meeting in Vietnam. Image: Overpainted Islamic State flag by crosses in now liberated town Bartella, Iraq 12 Open Doors Frontline Faith, 2017 Issue No.6 Love > Fear Frontline Faith, 2017 Issue No.6 Love > Fear Open Doors 13

8 Sixty Second Stories INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER Unite With Churches In Prayer For The Persecuted 5 November 2017 Mosul Meena Syria Refugee Camp FIND OUT MORE PRAY FOR ISIS. NO BOMBS WILL EVER CHANGE THEIR HEARTS. Rahana* met one of our workers in a refugee camp. The Islamic State had come to Mosul and forced all the families on her street to line up. Women and children were on one side. Men on the other. The women were asked if they were Nazarenes (followers of Jesus). Yes, Rahana answered. She answered truthfully because she wanted to give glory to her Saviour. Are you married? they asked. Yes, she said, because she wanted to give honour to her husband. Point him out. When she did, without saying a word, the fighter shot Rahana s husband in the head. She became a widow in a heartbeat. When our worker asked her what he could pray for, Rahana s answer left him speechless. Pray for ISIS, she said. No bombs will ever change their hearts. I THANK THE LORD FOR PERSECUTION. Meena and her sister Sunita first experienced persecution when Hindus blocked their paths and threatened them. You can t draw water from the well, they said, nor can you make use of this road through the village. They became so aggressive the girls had to escape to a hill where they hid until midnight. They could hear Hindus shout, Where are they? Burn them! Burn them! On another occasion Meena and Sunita were beaten for their faith until they thought they were going to die. God had warned us in advance that it would come and that He would take care of us. We were prepared. So thank you for praying and helping us. The gospel was theory for us, but when persecution comes and you don t backslide but witness for the Lord, you know it is for real. You help us stand strong. I AM NOT AFRAID... I HAVE THE MIGHTY GOD WITH ME. A local Christian woman in Syria was living in a rebel controlled area. She was sheltering and caring for women in her house. One day a rebel group tried to force themselves into her home. She stood blocking the door. Aren t you scared that we come and slaughter you? they asked. No, I am not afraid because I have the mighty God with me and He is protecting me. She was surprised when they left. A few days later the men returned to take her to their leader. The leader was surprised by her courage. He asked, Usually when men come to me, they will be shaking. I want to know, who is behind you? Who is the source of your strength? Which country is helping you? She shared about Jesus Christ, the Lord of peace and courage. She spoke uninterrupted for 25 minutes. At the end, the leader was crying. After that meeting, he disappeared; we don t know what happened to him. But we know that God took him out of that place. Letter Writing Campaign WRITING GUIDELINES Print clearly in English Be brief and encouraging Provide your name and country (not your full address) Best To Send: Greeting cards, artwork from children and postcards (send postcards in an envelope, do not write Open Doors' address on the postcard) Do not: Mention Open Doors Send money Criticise a country Make proposals to help Send To: Australia 11/10 Gladstone Road, Castle Hill NSW 2154 New Zealand: PO Box Tawa, Wellington 5249 by 20 December 2017 Jakarta s former governor Ahok is a Christian. He recently was sentenced to two years in prison. During Ahok s three years in office, more than 80% of people were satisfied with his performance. But during this year s elections voters were told not to elect a non-muslim as their leader. Ahok s response included a reference to the Quran. Radical Islamic organisations took to the streets in protest, saying he had blasphemed Islam. On 9 May 2017 after the increased pressure led to Ahok being sentenced to two years in prison, Ahok decided not to appeal his sentence for the sake of his country. For the sake of our people and country, I see that the ongoing rallies and mass demonstrations would cause economic losses to Jakarta citizens, Ahok said. It is then not right to demonstrate against this process I am going through. When he was arrested, his wife reported, We met him in prison... we hugged, we cried. The whole thing happened so fast. Ahok does not have a phone or a television in the police facility, his only book was a Bible. He loves reading his Bible. He has it with him and he can pray whenever he wants. Ahok needs your prayers and encouragement. We will be sending your prayers and letters to him in prison. Former Governor Ahok 14 Open Doors Frontline Faith, 2017 Issue No.6 Love > Fear Frontline Faith, 2017 Issue No.6 Love > Fear Open Doors 15

9 GIFTS OF HOPE Give A Gift Of Hope This Christmas SERVING PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS WORLDWIDE Open Doors Australia PO Box 734 Penrith 2751 (02) odaustralia@od.org Open Doors New Zealand PO Box Tawa 5249 (04) newzealand@od.org