Think About it Thursday: News That's Never on the News

Today's "Think About it..." post is taken from the missionary organization Frontline Fellowship based out of South Africa.  Take a moment to read this and just think about it, because you won't hear about it anywhere else. To read more about their ministry or to learn more about persecution and violations of human rights in Africa go to their website here. 

Jihad Against Christians in Africa

Pastor Beheaded in Tanzania

Pastor Mathayo Kachili of the Tanzania Assemblies of God in Buseresere was    beheaded by a Muslim mob. The Geita Regional Police Commander's office                 issued a statement that the murder occurred during a confrontation when Muslims demanded the immediate closure of butcheries owned by Christians. Muslim youth      armed with clubs and machetes attacked Christians, injuring several people, some            of whom are in a critical condition.

Meat Monopoly Move by Muslim Minority

Pastor Kachili was murdered on Monday, 11 February, when a Muslim mob attacked       the Assemblies of God Church in Buseresere. This was part of a nation wide         campaign to force all meat industries in Tanzania to be run in accordance with Shari'a law and controlled by the Muslim minority.

Christian Response

ASSIST News Service quoted the General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God in Tanzania, Barnabas Mtokambali: "Our response as a Church is not one of violence and hatred, reflecting the attitude of those committing such crimes, but that of Christ    and reflecting His image, by loving and praying for those who humiliate and persecute us, and not holding such sins against       them." 

Minister Murdered in Tanzania

Father Evarist Mushi, was ambushed by three men and murdered in Zanzibar, Sunday, 17 February. Father Ambrose Mkenda was shot and seriously injured on Christmas Day 2012. He is still in hospital. A group calling itself Muslim Renewal, has claimed responsibility for the assassination of Father Mushi and has vowed to make this Easter season a "disaster" for Christians in Tanzania. 

Church Torched in Egypt

On 15 February, St. Georges Church in Sarsena was torched by a crowd of Muslims who complained that they could hear the sounds of Christian hymns being sung from the church. The attack occurred on a Friday, after Muslims attended their weekly meeting at the mosque.

Lawlessness

In the presence of the Chief of Police, hundreds of Muslims hurled bricks at the church, climbed onto the church dome, demolishing it, setting it on fire. The dome collapsed into the burning church causing much damage. The Muslims then used bricks from the dome, and the Holy Cross, to hurl at the altar inside the church, causing part of it to be demolished. The icons and religious artwork in the church were destroyed. The Muslim mob then attempted to assault Father Domadios, throwing rocks at him. None of the police made any effort to stop the destruction, or apprehend the perpetrators.

Reconciliation Muslim Style

The authorities did not prevent the destruction of the church, but immediately afterwards placed a security guard to prevent the media from filming the church and to prevent local parishioners, or reporters, entering the property. The authorities then organised what they called a "reconciliation meeting", which the Christians described as "unfair and humiliating, like all such previous meetings forced by the Muslim authorities." Even during the "reconciliation meeting" the church was again attacked by Muslims hurtling rocks and Molotov cocktail petrol bombs to destroy the remains of the dome, the pews, the windows, icons and relics.

Compulsion

Those Coptic members who were chosen by the Muslims to attend the so-called reconciliation meeting were forced to sign an"agreement" which would restrict the church from restoring the building to its original height before the attack. The church is to be no higher than 3 metres from the ground. They are also required to build a soundproof wall, so that Muslim neighbours do not hear any sound of hymns emanating from the church. The church is also required to pay for soundproof material and retiling of the roof of the Muslim neighbours, so that they do not have to hear the sound of any prayers, or hymn singing. The agreement also forced the church to agree to not use their property for a kindergarten. Muslims frequently quote from the Quran that there is no compulsion in Islam, yet by their actions show that compulsion is integral to Islam.

Bitter Arab Winter

No one responsible for the assault and arson on the church of St. Georges in Sarsena has been arrested. Christians in Egypt have complained that, in the last two years, attacks on Christians and destruction of church property has exploded throughout Egypt. The so-called Arab Spring has turned out to be a very bitter Winter for Christians.

Ethiopian Christians Arrested in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabian authorities arrested 53 Ethiopian Christians on 8 February, for attending a private worship service in the home of an Ethiopian Believer in Damman, Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The arrests took place on Friday, 8 February at 10am. Damman, a major centre for petroleum and natural gas, has a large number of foreigners working there.

Intolerance and Repression

In December 2011, Saudi authorities arrested 35 Ethiopian Christians at a private prayer gathering in Jeddah. The Religious Liberty Commission of the World Evangelical Alliance, reports: "The Saudi government persists in banning all forms of public religious expression other than that of the government's interpretation of one school of Sunni Islam; prohibits churches, synagogues, temples and other non-Muslim places of worship. In its school state textbooks, and posts online, continue to espouse intolerance and incite violence; and periodically interferes with private religious practice."

Under Sentence of Death for Witnessing in Libya

Four foreigners, a South African, South Korean, Egyptian and Swedish American, were arrested in Benghazi, in Libya on 12 February. The Preventative Security Intelligence Unit of the Libyan Defence Ministry raided a publishing house, where they found 45,000 books about Christianity. The authorities claimed that they had reason to believe that some 25,000 Christian books had already been distributed. Quoting a Gaddafi era law forbidding proselytising under pain of death, security official Hussein Bin Hmeid, stated that Libya was "100% Muslim country and this kind of action affects our national security." The legislation forbidding proselytising provides for the death penalty for Christians who attempt to convert Muslims to Christianity in Libya.

Christian Cemeteries Desecrated, Hospitals and Churches Bombed

The President of the General National Congress, Mohammed El Magariaf, promised that the new constitution will enshrine Islamic Shari'a law as the principle source of all legislation. Salafi Muslim groups have bulldozed Sufi mosques, destroyed allied war cemeteries, bombed Red Cross Hospitals, fired at a Greek Orthodox Church, and bombed a Coptic Christian Church, killing two Egyptian Christians.

Ministers Arrested in Sudan for Baptism

The Coptic Bishop of Khartoum, Bishop Anba Elia, was arrested for refusing to apologise for the actions of two arrested Coptic priests who stand accused of baptising an Arab woman who converted to Christianity. To secure Bishop Elia's release, the Coptic Bishop of Omdurman was placed under duress to "maintain the security and integrity of the State and preserve relations between the Muslims and the Copts", was said to have issued an apology on Bishop Elia's behalf.

Violence Threatened

Violence has also been threatened against Copts in general, unless the Arab convert, who fled Sudan, returns to face the consequences demanded by Shari'a law. According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide, at least 55 Christians, that they know of, have been detained without charge for the last two weeks as part of a wave of repression enforcing Shari'a law in Sudan.

"Remember the prisoners as if chained with them - those who are mistreated - since you yourselves are in the body also."Hebrews 13:3

What should we do when we hear or read things like this? Can we do anything? 

Let us pray for those who are living under threat of persecution. 

Think About It Thursday #3

Advice on Reading by: Richard Baxter (1615-1691)

"Make careful choice of the books which you read: let the holy scriptures ever have the pre-eminence, and, next to them, those solid, lively, heavenly treatises which best expound and apply the scriptures, and next, credible histories, especially of the Church . . . but take heed of false teachers who would corrupt your understandings."

1. As there is a more excellent appearance of the Spirit of God in the holy scripture, than in any other book whatever, so it has more power and fitness to convey the Spirit, and make us spiritual, by imprinting itself upon our hearts. As there is more of God in it, so it will acquaint us more with God, and bring us nearer Him, and make the reader more reverent, serious and divine. Let scripture be first and most in your hearts and hands and other books be used as subservient to it. The endeavours of the devil and papists to keep it from you, doth shew that it is most necessary and desirable to you.

2. The writings of divines are nothing else but a preaching of the gospel to the eye, as the voice preaches it to the ear. Vocal preaching has the pre-eminence in moving the affections, and being diversified according to the state of the congregation which attend it: this way the milk comes warmest from the breast. But books have the advantage in many other respects: you may read an able preacher when you have but a average one to hear. Every congregation cannot hear the most judicious or powerful preachers: but every single person may read the books of the most powerful and judicious; preachers may be silenced or banished, when books may be at hand: books may be kept at a smaller charge than preachers: we may choose books which treat of that, very subject which we desire to hear of; but we cannot choose what subject the preacher shall treat of. Books we may have at hand every day. and hour; when we can have sermons but seldom, and at set times. If sermons be forgotten, they are gone; but a book we may read over and over, till we remember it: and if we forget it, may again peruse it at our pleasure, or at our leisure. So that good books are a very great mercy to the world: the Holy Ghost chose the way of writing, to preserve His doctrine and laws to the 'Church, as knowing how easy and sure a way it is of keeping it safe to all generations, in comparison of mere verbal traditions.

3. You have need of a judicious teacher at hand, to direct you what books to use or to refuse: for among good books there are some very good that are sound and lively; and some good, but mediocre, and weak and somewhat dull; and some are very good in part, but have mixtures of error, or else of incautious, injudicious expressions, fitter to puzzle than edify the weak.

While reading ask oneself:

1. Could I spend this time no better?

2. Are there better books that would edify me more?

3. Are the lovers of such a book as this the greatest lovers of the Book of God and of a    holy life?

4. Does this book increase my love to the Word of God, kill my sin, and prepare me for the life to come?

Think About it Thursday #1

So, I love to read. I mean there are more books in our house than cheerios (or since we don't buy name brands and try to eat organic, toasted oat o's). But that's not the point. The point is we'd rather be reading than doing just about anything, so I'm going to be posting excerpts from books or online articles that really made me think. So, here ya go....

A Masai Warrior Named Joseph

This is an account of a Masai Warrior named Jospeh as told by Michael Card.
"One day Joseph, who was walking along one of these hot, dirty African roads, met someone who shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with him. Then and there he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. The power of the Spirit began transforming his life; he was filled with such excitement and joy that the first thing he wanted to do was return to his own village and share that same Good News with the members of his local tribe.
Joseph began going from door-to-door, telling everyone he met about the Cross of Jesus and the salvation it offered, expecting to see their faces light up the way his had. To his amazement the villagers not only didn't care, they became violent. The men of the village seized him and held him to the ground while the women beat him with strands of barbed wire. He was dragged from the village and left to die alone in the bush.
Joseph somehow managed to crawl to a waterhole,  and there, after days of passing in and out of consciousness, found the strength to get up. He wondered about the hostile reception he had received from people he had known all his life. He decided he must have left something out or told the story of Jesus incorrectly. After rehearsing the message he had first heard, he decided to go back and share his faith once more.
Joseph limped into the circle of huts and began to proclaim Jesus. "He died for you, so that you might find forgiveness and come to know the living God," he pleaded. Again he was grabbed by the men of the village and held while the women beat him, reopening wounds that had just begun to heal. Once more they dragged him unconscious from the village and left him to die.
To have survived the first beating was truly remarkable. To live through the second was a miracle. Again, days later, Joseph awoke in the wilderness, bruised, scarred - and determined to go back.
He returned to the small village and this time, they attacked him before he had a chance to open his mouth. As they flogged him for the third and probably the last time, he again spoke to them of Jesus Christ, the Lord. Before he passed out, the last thing he saw was that the women who were beating him began to weep.
This time he awoke in his own bed. The ones who had so severely beaten him were trying to save his life and nurse him back to health. The entire village had come to Christ."


"Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:"-Colossians 1:24


"Christ's afflictions are not lacking in their atoning sufficiency. They are lacking in that they are not known and felt by people who were not at the cross. Paul dedicates himself not only to carry the message of those sufferings to the nations but also to suffer with Christ and for Christ in such a way so that what people see are "Christ's sufferings." In this way he follows the pattern of Christ by laying down his life for the life of the church." -John Piper, "Let the Nations be Glad: The Supremacy of God in Missions"