FRONTLINE FAITH. Sharing The Inside Story Of The Persecuted Church. The Muslim World. A Muslim Finds Peace In Jesus

Transcription

1 FRONTLINE FAITH Sharing The Inside Story Of The Persecuted Church The Muslim World Love Your Enemies Nik Ripken Why Should Christians Care About Ramadan? A Muslim Finds Peace In Jesus How To Get A Bible Into An Iranian Prison

2 Issue 03 / The Muslim World A Letter From Mike This edition of Frontline Faith is all about how Muslims are coming to know Jesus. I remember standing outside a church in North Africa that was full of new believers who had left Islam to follow Jesus. Just around the corner a suicide bomber had blown himself up a week or so before. I ll never forget seeing the sheer scale of damage one man with a bomb and some ball bearings strapped to him could achieve. Little did I know; the next few hours would change my life forever. At the conclusion of the two hour service a Christian brother began to tell me his story. He used to be a wealthy Muslim businessman, until one day he prayed, God if you re real you need to come and see me. That afternoon he came home from work and found a man standing in his house. When he asked who he was, the man said Jesus. They spoke for an hour. When his wife came home, he told her he was now a Christian. She was furious because it could cost them their home, money, family and possibly their lives. The man said to his wife, Well, you ask Jesus to come and He will come. The next day, the man found a letter nailed to the tree in their front yard. It was from his wife and it simply read: Dear Jesus, my husband says you are real and you will come, so please come. OPEN DOORS LIVE PODCAST Hear the persecuted church brought to life. Life changing stories, updates and trends in persecution, and biblically based discussion. Find episodes wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts. A couple of days later the man came home from work and found his wife sobbing on the floor. When he asked her what was wrong she said, Jesus came and visited me, we spoke for an hour. We are now Christian. The couple now lead a house church. Because of their decision to follow Jesus they have lost their status, esteem, safety and wealth. We hear stories of Muslims discovering Jesus almost everyday. The question for us is: what happens next? How do these new believers develop the foundation in their faith to not fall away when persecution comes? As the church grows, so does the need for discipleship. I believe the ongoing discipleship of believers is going to be one of the most important areas of focus for our ministry. Your support will ensure people continue to boldly follow Jesus in some of the most conflicted countries on the planet. Thank you for all your support and I hope you enjoy this powerful edition of Frontline Faith. Mike Gore CEO Open Doors Australia and New Zealand michaelg@od.org Zebras in Kenya Love Your Enemies Nik Ripken, author of The Insanity Of God, has had over 25 years of missions experience. He has travelled to over 60 countries and met with more than 600 persecuted believers, to ask the question Is Jesus Worth It? He Died On Easter We buried a son in Nairobi, Kenya. He died about a week after his 16th birthday of an asthma attack. And ironically, he died on Easter morning. That makes Easter very different for my family. I don t have to tell you how hard it was to walk through that, with our other two sons, and how much that my wife and I had to walk together through that. But I ve never seen the body of Christ show up in a more magnificent way. Our son died in March, we left Kenya and were kicked out of Somalia by June. From March to June we never cooked a meal. The body of Christ did that for us. 2 3

3 Issue 03 / The Muslim World Every night [the church] came to our house and they prayed for us. And then they sat in the living room of our house and they sang us to sleep for a week. I remember holding my wife and weeping and having the peace of God fill my heart as our church sang us to sleep in our home. A Muslim From Mogadishu The next day, I went to the office, got on the radio and called my chief of staff in Mogadishu (Somalia), a Muslim friend. I wanted to tell Hussein that I can t come in now - here s what happened to our son. He knew our sons and loved them. He has such a lively soul in him. And until he met us, he had never heard the name of Jesus. As I told him about our son s death he didn t even say sorry, he didn t say anything. Just silence. I thought, Oh there s a problem with the connection on the shortwave radio. I just laid it down and went to do whatever else I had to do. This was on that Easter Sunday morning. People brought food on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday Thursday, and Friday. They bought food to our house, prayers to our house, gifts, money to our house. Mostly love and songs, kisses and hugs, tears and laughter and joy in the moment. So, when there was a knock on the door I thought more people, more neighbors, more food or kids from the local schools. I opened it up, and there standing dirty, ragged, almost starved, filthy (and smelling like a goat!) is my Chief of Staff from Mogadishu, Somalia. Hussein where in the world did you come from? I said to him. I have walked all the way from Mogadishu to Nairobi, Kenya, he said. And I have come to bury our son Timothy. He watched our oldest son get up and sing in honour of his brother who had died. He listened to my wife s brother s message and heard the message of the gospel so clearly and what it means to actually, physically die and be in Christ. And he watched 20- something people come to Christ at our son s funeral. And the Spirit of God was falling in that moment. And this Muslim, sunburnt, Somali man of the desert reaches over and I see him inappropriately take my wife s hand, and he reaches over and takes my hand, and puts our hands together. Then he wraps his calloused hands around ours... and cried with us. He wept with us. He grieved with us. And he experienced the resurrection with us. Death And Resurrection A few weeks later I went back to Mogadishu for the last time, to say goodbye to our 10 or 15 staff members and to this man. I was able to get him back into Somalia through the United Nations so he didn t have to walk five days back. Part of the culture was to thank the staff for sending Hussein as a representative at our son s funeral. I wasn t surprised when he stood up and told them all the details of his five days of travel how thirsty, how hungry, how he had to crawl, how he did all of this. And then I thought, Oh no you need to shut up, because he began to talk about our son s funeral. And he looked at our Muslim staff and he said: Why is it that when we die we don t know where we are going? Why is that when Somalis, when Muslims die, we have to wait in paradise to see have we been 51% good? Why is it that while they were crying over their son and broken by his death, they were laughing and they were celebrating? Because the Ripkens knew, they were broken and their son had died, but he is with Jesus and he is in the paradise. And I thought, Oh my, they re going to kill you. Why do Christians get to know where they go when they die and Muslims don t? He looked at me and went on to say: Why have you Christians kept Jesus to yourself? I thought my staff were going to hang him. The entire staff looked at me. Why have you done this? they said. Why if there s this truth about eternal life, and this truth about being in Christ, and this truth about loving your enemies and turning the other cheek - and if you had this - why have you kept Jesus to yourself? Our brothers and sisters are persecuted all over the world. Why? They ve done two things. One, they ve picked up Jesus. And two, they refuse to keep Him to themselves. I went too late and I said too little. I pray that you will take Jesus to the places we have refused to go. And while culture says, go and kill you ll be willing to go and die for the kingdom of God. Please hear the words of the Lord. It has been said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you love your enemies. Excerpt from message, Nik Ripken, Liberty University He had walked through minefields. He had ridden camels and ridden on the back of goat trucks thus the smell. He had crawled around where clans were fighting. And this Muslim man came five days without food and water. When I said to him our son has died, he laid the radio down and walked out the door of his office and walked to Kenya for five days. He doesn t know how un-cultural it was that at our son s funeral he sat between me and my wife. Mosque in North Eastern Province Kenya 4 5

4 A Dedicated Faith A Dedicated Faith /adf A Dedicated Faith Muslims gathering together for Ramadan in China Why We Care About Ramadan In 1978 Brother Andrew wrote: May I state here that in my opinion, the Muslim threat to the worldwide Church of Jesus Christ may, in one decade from now, be greater than the Communist threat has ever been. In 2018, the World Watch List, which lists the 50 most dangerous countries to follow Jesus, identifies 33 countries where the main source of persecution is from Islamic oppression. The word Islam triggers panic and fear in many Christians, but when we re honest, often we don t know much about their religion, worldview or lives. To truly reach Muslims with the gospel, we must first understand who they are and what they follow. What Does Islam Mean? The word Islam means to submit. To be a follower of Islam, or a Muslim, is to submit to the will of god, known in Islam as Allah. The Quran is the holy book of Islam, written by Muhammad who is considered to be the ideal man and final prophet. The Quran teaches that there is only one god, Allah. What Is Ramadan? Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar during which Muslims fast and pray to get closer to Allah. Muslims believe that the first revelations of the Quran were made to Muhammad during Ramadan. During Ramadan, Muslims often become more devoted and passionate towards their religion. As a result, extremist expressions of Islam become more violent. Persecution towards Christians living in Islamic countries intensifies during the month of Ramadan. What Muslims Believe About Jesus While Christians believe that Jesus is God, Muslims do not. Jesus appears 25 times in the Quran and is given special status, but He is only ever referred to as a prophet. The Quran states that Jesus never died on the cross but agrees that He will return to earth to usher in the end of time. Muslim Background Believers The number of believers from a Muslim background is growing. When Muslims convert to Christianity, they face intense persecution. The consequences of converting depends enormously on the country. Many are cast out by family and close friends, lose jobs, the benefits of citizenship, or are even killed. Nearly all believers from a Muslim background must keep their Christian faith secret. 15 MAY 14 JUN A DEDICATED FAITH This is a great individual or small group experience. We re asking you to choose one day during Ramadan to fast, pray, and raise funds to grow the church in the Muslim world. Small group leaders are encouraged to gather and enjoy a meal and discussion at the day s end. /adf Muslim man in Qom, Iran A Christian Response To Ramadan Over 1.8 billion people around the world identify as being Muslim. During Ramadan, Muslims are earnestly seeking to get closer to god. In Matthew 5:44, Christ commands us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us. During Ramadan we are inviting Christians to not only pray for Christians who face persecution, but to pray that the 1.8 billion Muslims will find the one true God. /adf A Dedicated Faith 15 May 14 6 June 15 May 14 June 7

5 A Dedicated Faith A Dedicated Faith /adf A Dedicated Faith Training Disciples In The Muslim World God is revealing himself to Muslims through dreams, visions and local believers. But what happens next? We want to strengthen new believers before persecution comes. In Asia, Africa and the Middle East, Open Doors is involved in trauma counselling, discipleship, job skills and training. This project is part of A Dedicated Faith, a Christian response to Ramadan, but you can give to it too. Your donation will go to projects like these. $35 $213 Train Pastors $35 could empower a church leader to attend a seminar. They will learn how to prepare their church for persecution, and how to respond to their persecutors biblically. In us the beating heart of Jesus and the cross are still alive We live in difficulty every day, but every day we are more sure than the day before that He is the one to follow. Believer in a closed country Discipleship $213 could train a church leader on how to disciple Muslim background believers. I couldn t read or write, but now I can read the Bible for myself. Every day I see more of the Truth that has been hidden from me all these years in Islam. Muslim background believer Find out more about A Dedicated Faith, /adf $1,060 Children s Ministry $1,060 could run a training seminar for Sunday school teachers in a closed country. You can help them disciple the next generation. When I see a child, I see a servant of God. When I see a child, I see today s church. It is like David: God has placed something inside him and a nation was saved. That is what I see when I see a child. Sunday school teacher /adf A Dedicated Faith 15 May 14 8 June 15 May 14 June 9

6 Issue 03 / The Muslim World Sixty Second Stories Short Stories You Can Share Kenya Uganda Secret Location I was determined to forgive the person who had shot me before I died. Denis Nicholas sat at the front of his church in Kenya, when al-shabaab gunmen entered the service and opened fire on the congregation. Denis was shot three times. I could feel life draining from me, but I was determined to forgive the person who had shot me before I died. I remember whispering or thinking, Lord, I forgive them, I forgive them please forgive them, also, then I lost consciousness. Denis was critically wounded and rushed to hospital. They declared me dead, Denis said, and I was covered with the white sheet awaiting removal to the mortuary, but on the way there, I sneezed! They rushed me back and reattached the oxygen. I am alive because of God. Denis was also able to lead a man in hospital to the Lord. His wound was refusing to close up and the man had given up hope. But after he received Jesus into his life, his wound healed. If it was just for him that I was shot then it was worth it. Denis said. I kept it a secret for ten years. I kept it a secret for ten years, but in I formally declared myself to be a Christian. The news quickly spread and I immediately started getting threats. Hussein is 68 and from Uganda. He s been a Muslim shiekh and leader of a mosque for most of his adult life. But in 2006 the questions he had about his faith came to a head. After hearing teaching about Jesus at a Muslim / Christian dialogue meeting, he chose to secretly become a Christian. In 2016, after 10 years, he revealed his secret faith. Since doing so he s faced death threats, kidnapping attempts and more. No matter what I am going through now, I know God is in control. Although my life may be in danger, I know my life is secure in God s hands. Although I am old and have lost everything after clan leaders took my land, I have hope. I also know that the best gift I will ever give my Muslim family and friends is the Bible... Please Christian brothers in the Lord Jesus Christ, remember me in your prayers. Hussein is being cared for by a pastor who has received training in discipleship from Open Doors. I knew that I had found God. I felt very empty and distant from the God I prayed to every day. Mushir devoted his entire life to living as a devout Muslim. He did everything required by the law, but he desired more. One year, during Ramadan, Mushir was fasting and praying. He was in a room in his home, crying out to God and asking to really know Him. Suddenly a picture fell from the wall and smashed into pieces. It was an old, traditional painting that had been on the wall for years. As he picked up the pieces of the broken frame, to his shock, he discovered behind the painting was a picture of Jesus Christ on the cross. I was speechless, shocked, and in my heart, I knew this was the answer to what I asked for. Mushir said. I knew that I had found God. God had shown me who He was. Jesus Christ was His answer. Mushir has now lived as a secret believer for over 24 years. Stories like his are common during Ramadan. Pray that Jesus reveals himself to those who seek Him. Saved From Death A Muslim Finds Peace In Jesus Traveling home from an Open Doors seminar in East Africa, Christian students saw a young Muslim man tying a rope around a tree. They stopped, and asked what he was doing. I want to kill myself, he replied. I say my prayers five times a day, and I read the Quran. I have money, a wife and children, but I have no peace. I want peace. That is my one big wish. I have money, a wife and children, but I have no peace. I want peace. The students witnessed to the man named Keder, telling him that even though the Quran teaches that Jesus is a prophet, He is also the Prince of Peace. Keder followed the students to church where they prayed together. East Africa The next day Keder came along to the Open Doors seminar. In this dangerous country, the course leader was a little nervous about the Muslim intruding on their meeting, until the man stood up and gave his testimony. I ve found the peace I was seeking, Keder said after. Until now, Islam was the only genuine religion for me because it was straightforward. I studied the Quran for five years, and I did my rituals daily, but none of that gave me peace, so I decided to kill myself. Then I met Christians yesterday, and everything changed. Muslims are hurting without the knowledge of the Scriptures, therefore pray for them. Keder is now secretly studying the Bible, and attending church. He is the first Muslim in his area to accept Christ. The peace of Jesus has made Keder unafraid and wanting to witness to his Muslim brothers. He is even prepared to die for Jesus

7 Issue 03 / The Muslim World Mojtaba from Iran How To Get A Bible Into An Iranian Prison When all certainties were taken away from him, Mojtaba once again realised his dependency on God. So, I prayed; that was all I could do. At first they were prayers of repentance. I thought God was punishing me for my mistakes by putting me into prison. Then the Lord spoke to him. He said: Stop being selfish Mojtaba, it s not about you, it s about Me. Look around you. For the first time Mojtaba started looking around with God s eyes. I saw poor people, people who had committed the worst crimes. People that felt so alone. And God spoke again to me, saying: It is time that you share My word with them, that you share Me with them. They need Me. A Light In The Prison It is funny how God works sometimes. It would have been absolutely impossible for us to pass the big gates of prison to bring the gospel to those who needed him so badly inside. But God just placed me and other Christians inside the prison, among them to shine His light. Mojtaba started sharing the gospel with his fellow prisoners. Some came to faith, others were just very happy he wanted to pray with them in Jesus name. But there was one thing missing. I asked the guards for a Bible many times, but I didn t get one. None of the Christians did. This time God intervened in a special way. Something really strange happened. The prison Imam, who came in every day to pray with the Muslim prisoners, offered to help us. He was impressed by our commitment to our God. I think it was God who filled his heart with kindness for us. Bringing in a real Bible is impossible, but the Imam had an idea he brought in printouts of the Bible in English as an English lesson. One of my friends was good at English, so he translated these Bible parts into Farsi. Then I copied these texts and gave them to the prisoners who had requested them because they were curious about our faith and to those who had already given their heart to Jesus. The Word Spreads Soon it became known among the prisoners that Bible verses were circulating. We even got requests from other wards, where the verses also had ended up. People were asking us for more. And the best thing was that prisoners were giving their lives to the Jesus of the Bible. I never prayed for God to release me from prison, Mojtaba said, reflecting on his time behind bars. I can serve God anywhere, inside or outside of prison. It doesn t matter what situation I m in, I can work in God s kingdom wherever God places me. And at that time God placed me among the prisoners. In 2015, Mojtaba was released. He urged us to pray for his country and for those who are in prison for their faith now. My prayer for all Iranians is that they hear the good message of Christ. And for the Christians who are under pressure, I hope and pray that they can experience the big contrast that I felt, that they might not be in a good situation but that they feel an inner peace and joy because they know Jesus. Mojtaba is 30-years-old. He was one of the leaders of a quickly growing house church movement in Iran. He was imprisoned for three years in God was with Mojtaba during his prison time. But this didn t make prison life comfortable. He slept surrounded by murderers and robbers and ate with drug dealers. No one could be trusted. When he would be released was unclear to him. I felt a deep fear inside of me, he said. And often, even though the Lord was close, I was sad about my situation. That is the moment I realised that I was nothing. My hands were tied, my voice wouldn t be heard by human beings. Countryside of Iran 12 13

8 Issue 03 / The Muslim World Counting The Cost One Kilometre At A Time Justin is a 17 year old high school graduate, who is passionate about photography, cycling and the persecuted church. These passions combined have inspired him to cycle from Perth to Sydney to raise money for the work of Open Doors. We spoke to Justin when he was in Adelaide, past halfway in his ride across the country. How have you dealt with the challenges? There s few things more demoralising in cycling than a headwind, or as some call it, a Dutch hill. Now imagine headwinds that last for thousands of kilometres. This challenge has forced me to have an acceptance of circumstance, to work with that which is beyond my control. This lesson was learned through harsh psychological defeat and I try to remember it each time I throw my leg over that bike. Why did you choose Open Doors? Open Doors mission to assist the persecuted church has impacted the way many approach prayer (myself included) and to that they have my utmost respect to support them in any small way is worth it. My danger and suffering on this ride is incomparable to that of the persecuted church which is far greater, and Open Doors continue to offer relief. Is there a Bible passage or Open Doors story that challenges you? In 2 Corinthians 11:16-33 Paul lists a bunch of his sufferings, though he concludes his list with his continual concerns for the church. I think Paul s sufferings can be related to by the persecuted church, and Paul s concerns to grow the church is a core part of Open Door s mission. Paul s life of suffering is reflective of the great sufferings of Christ. It challenges me to not only confront that the life of a Christian is not easy, but to also strive to serve the church in a selfless manner. Open Doors North Korea Project from last year is something so radical and daring, and is reflective of this selfless service and desire to grow the church. In addition, Open Doors World Watch List has given me a knowledge of parts of the church that face very real physical dangers, and has shaped the way I approach prayer. Letter Writing Campaign Zita From Cameroon Cameroon village Do: Print clearly in English Be brief and encouraging Provide your name and country only Send greeting cards, artwork from children and postcards Do not: Mention Open Doors Send money Criticise a country Make proposals to help Upcoming Events SEP TEM BER Zita had a Muslim father and a Christian mother. There was a lot of pressure from her Muslim relatives and Zita s mother was eventually forced to give her up. Not long after, Zita s mother died. A year later her father also passed away. From then on Zita was passed back and forth between Christian and Muslim relatives. When she decided to follow Jesus at the age of 12, Zita experienced severe persecution. Her Muslim family regularly beat her and threatened to kill Zita if she didn t convert to Islam. Zita is now 15, and living in the care of a Christian family. She is still too afraid to go out after dark, and battles with recurring stomach aches. Doctors are yet to pin point the cause. Your support helped us provide relief aid for Zita. Temptation and persecution will come, Zita said. But God will give me the strength and I will never leave His way. We want to invite you to write a note of encouragement to Zita. Please send postcards by 30 June 2018 Australia: 11/10 Gladstone Road, Castle Hill NSW 2154 New Zealand: PO Box Tawa, Wellington 5249 OPEN DOORS LIVE Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Wellington A radical Hindu group has put an end date on Christianity in India. Come and hear a special international speaker share how in the midst of persecution, God is growing His church. /odl /odl Justin riding his bike at Nullarbor OCT MUSKATHLON 4-14 October 2018 Challenge yourself to run, walk or cycle across Lebanon to raise funds for the persecuted. Register your interest today. /muskathlon /muskathlon 14 15

9 A DEDICATED FAITH A Christian Response To Ramadan 15 May 14 June Register Your Interest /adf SERVING PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS WORLDWIDE Open Doors Australia PO Box 734 Penrith 2751 (02) (07) (03) odaustralia@od.org Open Doors New Zealand PO Box Tawa 5249 (04) newzealand@od.org