Persecution Fridays: Somalia
January 14, 2011 at 5:35 pm | Posted in VOM Fridays | Leave a commentTags: abortion, America, ateasetees, Bible, Christian, church, compromise, death, evangelism, faith, fellowship, Galgadud, God, gospel, grace, hell, holy, honor killing, hope, Israel, Jesus, judgment, law, life, love, marriage, mercy, money, murder, Nutra Mohamed Farah, pastor, peace, pistol, prayer, protection, repent, salvation, scripture, shot, sin, Somalia, ten commandments, testimony, torture, truth, village
For more news on what’s really happening to Christians around the world go to the Voice of the Martyrs website: www.persecution.com
Somalia: Teenage Girl Shot
A 17-year-old girl who converted to Christianity from Islam was shot to death recently in an apparent “honor killing” in Somalia, according to Compass Direct News. Nurta Mohamed Farah, who had fled her village to live with relatives after her parents tortured her for leaving Islam, died on Nov. 25, according to the Compass Direct report.
“Area sources said they strongly suspected that the two unidentified men in Galgadud Region who shot her in the chest and head with a pistol were relatives or acting on their behest,” Compass reported. Pray that God will use Nurta’s testimony to draw non-believers into fellowship with him, and pray for the protection of all believers in Somalia.
Persecution Fridays: Pakistan
December 10, 2010 at 10:07 am | Posted in VOM Fridays | Leave a commentTags: abortion, alive, America, Asia Bibi, ateasetees, beat, Bible, blasphemy, charge, children, Christ, Christian, church, compromise, court, dead, death, evangelism, extremist, faith, family, God, gospel, grace, hell, holy, hope, Islam, Israel, jail, Jesus, judgment, law, life, love, marriage, martyr, mercy, Mohammed, money, mosque, mulana, mullah, murder, Muslim, Pakistan, pastor, peace, prayer, prison, protection, release, repent, salvation, scripture, sin, ten commandments, truth, Voice of the Martyrs
For more news on what’s really happening to Christians around the world go to the Voice of the Martyrs website: www.persecution.com
Pakistan: Mullah Requests Murder
On Dec. 3, 2010, a mullah in Pakistan offered more than $6,000 (U.S.) to anyone who kills Asia Bibi, according to The Voice of the Martyrs contacts.
VOM contacts are concerned for Asia’s safety. In the past, Christian have been killed in jail, on their way to court, and even after being released from jail. “There is threat that she can be killed even after her releasing from the jail,” VOM contacts said. “It’s not just a statement by mulana, but we have examples of previous blasphemy cases.”
Following the mullah’s statement, Muslims, including representatives from extremist groups, protested against Asia and a proposed amendment of the blasphemy law. Protests were held in many major cities in Pakistan.
Asia was arrested by police in June 2009 following an intense discussion between her and her co-workers about their faith. Asia told the Muslim women about her faith in Christ, explaining that he had died on the cross for our sins. Then she asked them what Mohammed had done for them, according to VOM sources. She told them Jesus is alive, but Mohammed is dead. “Our Christ is the true prophet of God,” she reportedly told them, “and yours is not true.”
Upon hearing this, the Muslim women became angry and began to beat Asia. Then some men took her and locked her in a room. They announced from mosque loudspeakers that she would be punished by having her face blackened and being paraded through the village on a donkey. Local Christians informed the police, who took Asia into custody before the Muslims could carry out their plan.
Asia was charged with blasphemy, and on Nov. 8, 2010, she was sentenced to death. Pray for Asia’s protection during this tense time. Pray for Asia’s release from prison and for her safety after her release. Ask God to minister to her family, especially her children.
Design of the Week 03/19/08 – Lion Tamer
March 19, 2008 at 11:53 am | Posted in Designs of the Week | Leave a commentTags: 03/19/08, 1 Peter 5:8, ateasetees, Christian, design of the week, evangelism, God, Jesus, lion tamer, protection, salvation
This design was born out of family history and the fertile mind of my daughter. My great grandfather was a lion tamer in Czechoslovakia. My family actually found a picture of him with his lions!
In a way, God is our lion tamer. In 1 Peter 5:8, Peter warns believers that the devil roams the earth like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. We also see this in the devil’s response to God in Job. Ephesians 2 says that the devil (the prince of the power of the air) is the spirit that is at work in the sons of disobedience.
The wonderful news is that Jesus made the devil powerless through His death on the cross (Hebrews 2). 1 John 3:8 says that Jesus came and destroyed the works of the devil! It was through the sacrifice Jesus made that we have the opportunity to be free. But, to truly understand the depth of what Jesus did, you have to understand why He did it.
When Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden of Eden, they brought death into the world through that sin. The whole of creation was cursed and all descendants of Adam are born into sin. Because of this, we have a natural tendency to do the things that we want to do and not the things that God wants. When we break God’s laws, we are guilty of sinning against Him. So, if you’ve lied, you’ve broken the 9th commandment, and therefore, have sinned against God. If you’ve ever stolen something (no matter how small or how little it cost or how long ago it was), you’ve broken the 8th commandment and sinned. What about adultery? Most people would be able to say that they haven’t committed adultery, but have you ever looked with lust? Jesus said, in Matthew 5:28, if you look at someone with lust it’s the same as adultery. What about murder? Many of us haven’t murdered anyone, but 1 John 3:15 says that anyone who hates his brother is a murderer. These are four of the Ten Commandments. There are six more that I haven’t brought up. If you’ve broken one of them, you’ve broken them all, have sinned against God, and are guilty. If you’re guilty, the Bible says that you will find yourself in hell because you can’t pay for your sins. There is only one way out of that predicament. To be saved from the eternal punishment of hell, you must REPENT OF YOUR SINS (stop sinning) and trust in Jesus (like you would trust in a parachute). If you do this, the Bible says that you will pass from death into life and find yourself saved from the fires of hell.
Let God be your lion tamer!
Get the Word out! 