Finding Jesus (and trouble) in Saudi Arabia

After one of our Bibles for Mideast missionary couples shared some sample Gospel literature with the daughter of a Saudi Arabian Mutawa (religious police officer), the girl began arguing with the couple. Her and her family’s belief that Allah is only one God, and Islam the only religion leading the way to heaven was all there was to it, she insisted.

The kindly couple explained how Jesus alone saves from sin and death, and gives eternal life to those believing in him. They shared their own powerful testimony of receiving Jesus Christ from Islam.

The young woman, ultimately convinced they must be telling the Truth, received Jesus as her personal Savior and Lord. The couple gave her a Bible and very secretly, she began attending worship services with them, and soon was baptized.

As any of us would do with wonderful, life-changing news, she shared what she had experienced with her mother, two sisters and brother. They all believed her and now trust in Jesus.

Unfortunately for them, however, Ramadan had just begun. So for the first time, this mother and her four children refused to ‘follow the rules’: they didn’t fast; they partook of none of the ritual prayers. Instead, they spent time reading and meditating on Bible verses and praying in the Spirit, Truth and Name of Jesus.

Word of their salvation and ‘misbehavior’ spread. When one of the official’s other wives heard the news, she let her husband and others in the household know (the man has four other wives and many other children, and is considered a leader among the numerous Mutawa in the country).

When community leaders found out, they insisted the woman and her children deny Jesus. But they refused, continuing to read their Bible and pray in Spirit and in Truth.

Enraged, the Mutawa along with others in the house brutally beat the wife and children, then locked them in a dark room without food or water.

As the days went on, they all tried desperately to get the Mutawa’s first wife, her three daughters and son back into the Islamic fold. Though the new Christians remained locked up in the dark room without food or water and often brutally beaten, they kept strong in their new faith.

Five days later, the Mutawa brought his ‘infidel’ wife and children before the Sharia Court (Religious Court of Islam). The judge demanded they deny Jesus and return to Islam.

“We experienced the salvation of Jesus,” the woman replied confidently.

“We are absolutely convinced he was crucified for our sins on the cross of Calvary, died for us and rose from the dead. He lives now in our hearts!

“When we were locked up in a dark room for five days, we felt the presence of Jesus Christ; we didn’t feel darkness at all! Though my husband, co-sisters and their children refused to give us food or water, we never even felt hunger or thirst. Through the Word of God, our Lord fed us heavenly food. So because of Him, we are still strong. Whatever happens, we will never return to Islam. Jesus is our everlasting Life now and forever.” 

Her children all responded similarly.

The court ultimately ordered that each be sent to a separate prison cell and be assigned an Islamic scholar to teach them properly about Islam, the Koran and the Hadith (teachings of the prophet Muhammad). In two months they are set to appear again before the court for a final judgement. 

PLEASE PRAY for this imprisoned mother and her four children. Our Lord is a mighty and wonderful protector. May He make them Godly weapons in His Kingdom.

Can you help? BLESSING  BIBLES  FOR  MIDEAST

Finding healing and salvation in Bhutan

Many have never even heard of beautiful Bhutan. I certainly hadn’t, until my husband and I had a new tenant, an international student from Bhutan, want to rent an apartment from us. We were thrilled and have enjoyed getting to know her, but as a Christian, she is a rarity in her nation: a tiny, landlocked, mostly Buddhist country in South Asia nestled in the Eastern Himalayas with China to its north and India to its south.

Buddhism has been deeply ingrained in Bhutanese society for centuries, playing an integral role in shaping the country’s traditions and beliefs.

The vast majority of the population are Buddhist, a smaller segment are Hindu, and only a tiny minority (about 0.5%) have even heard of, yet alone follow, Christ. There are strict laws against proselytizing, and converts from Buddhism face extreme difficulties from both their loved ones and the surrounding community.

Christianity was first brought to Bhutan in the late 17th century by Portuguese Jesuits, but the teachings failed to gain much traction among the devout Bhutanese Buddhists.

Less than a decade ago, a pastoral couple working with Bibles for Mideast felt the call to Bhutan. They began by distributing tracts and Bibles in a small village. While the villagers accepted them initially, when the missionary couple began worship services (secretly of course), someone reported them as trying to convert Buddhists and Hindus to Christianity. Even while anger grew and distraught villagers tried to attack them, the couple stayed to pray and fast for the locals. 

More and more people began to attend the services of prayer and fasting, which further provoked those who couldn’t accept the new teachings and practices. The couple’s home was pelted with stones at night, yet they remained and kept praying.

One night, as they slept, some youngsters set their home ablaze with the hope of burning the couple alive. Their home engulfed in flames, the couple had absolutely no way to escape. Until our Lord Jesus Himself rescued  them with His mighty nail-pierced hands, and brought them out and safely far away from the fire.

The missionary couple then fled Bhutan, focusing their energies in other places, but their prayers for Bhutan and its people continued.

Seven years later the same dear couple returned to another part of Bhutan, their burden for the evangelization and salvation of the  Bhutanese even deeper. They set about their evangelism activities, with prayer and fasting, and began visiting sick people in their homes and praying for them.

They had heard of one particular woman who desperately needed healing prayers. Sonam had suffered  with skin cancer for two years.  Her entire body itched unbearably, causing her to scratch herself fiercely with her nails and sometimes even with knives. Pus and stench oozed from her many wounds. She screamed in agony but doctors treating her gave up their efforts. Nothing was working. Someone suggested the household seriously consider mercy killing to relieve her agony.

Right about this time, the missionary couple ‘happened’ to visit! While Sonam’s family members did not want prayers for her in the name of Jesus, Sonam asked them to pray for her.

The couple not only prayed, they shared about Jesus and His mighty healing and salvation. They explained how Jesus shed His innocent blood to give us total healing, salvation, victory, and even freedom from death.

Sonam noticed how much better she felt after the prayers, and asked that they come every day and pray for her. The couple of course agreed, and advised her to recite “ye shu'i sku khrag nga yi rgyal kha” whenever the itching and pain returned. The phrase is Bhutanese for:  “The blood of Jesus is my victory”. She agreed.

That whole day and night, Sonam kept up her assignment, rubbing her body and exclaiming: “ye shu'i sku khrag nga yi rgyal kha.”

The very next day the missionary couple visited Sonam again, and you can likely guess what they found. Her wounds and scratches had dried up and she was both pain-free and happy. When she saw the couple, she practically jumped from her bed with joy. And within three days, she had utterly recovered.

The good news naturally spread quickly within the village, and soon the missionaries had many requests for home visits with prayer. 

A young Bhutanese girl and her brother

At their next fasting and prayer meeting for the village, it seemed like the entire village attended! Many hundreds accepted the Lord Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior,

Please be in prayer for this missionary couple and the villagers they minister to and live among. The Buddhist and Hindu fundamentalists will make trouble for them for certain, but your prayers will be a great fortress for them.

No slowing of persecution against Christians in India

Two more of our missionary pastors have been attacked and imprisoned for proclaiming the truth of Jesus in east-central India. Please pray for Pastor Jose Pappachan and his wife Sheeja.

Sheeja and Jose Pappachan

After Hindu militants had ransacked and defaced the Pappachans’ ALG Church in Raipur in Chhattisgarh last month, the pastor declared a time of prayer and fasting. As a result, more villagers from neighboring Hindu communities attended the church services, and many received Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour. They all received baptism and continued attending the worship services. This further provoked the Hindu militants who again attacked the church, this time seriously injuring the pastor, his wife and seven members of their church. The injured were initially admitted to hospital, but the attackers convinced hospital authorities to immediately discharge them. They then filed a case against the Christians (converting Hindus to Christianity being a crime in many predominantly Hindu regions), which prompted their arrest. Now, the judgement of the court has come that the missionary couple will be imprisoned for five years and must pay fines of 25,000 rupees each.

Although the Constitution of India declares that all are free to practice their own religion, circumstances and attitudes certainly prove otherwise. Policies of the ruling party, under Narendra Modi, adhere to Hindutva, a Hindu nationalist ideology. Anyone NOT Hindu faces unpleasant repercussions on all sides.

Last year 264 Christian churches were attacked in Chhattisgarh State alone. Authorities take no action against the attackers, but instead join in the persecution. Please pray for all churches, especially the ALG (umbrella) Church and Bibles for Mideast churches, ministries, and people.

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UPDATE

Bibles for Mideast has appointed a team of advocates for Pastor Jose and Sheeja Pappachan’s legal proceedings. As reported a few days ago (see above), both were imprisoned in North India, accused of converting people to Christianity.

They applied for bail in the country’s High Court, with Sheeja being granted bail but with strict commands not to leave the jurisdiction. Her husband, Pastor Jose Pappachan, unfortunately did not receive bail.

Please pray for their soon release from this case against them, as well as for the needed resources to meet the expenses of the legal proceedings, advocates’ fees and related expenses.

Even while imprisoned, the couple have kept up witnessing to the Truth of Jesus! We know of at least one female police officer from a Hindu background who has approached Sheeja and asked to learn more about Jesus.

May our Lord give the pastoral couple more strength, courage and power in the Holy Spirit to witness Jesus Christ  even more.  Please continue your prayers!

Awesome notes of healing and salvation to end the year!

Pastor Paul and team have just wrapped up a week of prayer, fasting and evangelism in an area of India devastated by landslides earlier this year (the deadliest in Kerala's history). BBC News covered it here: The scenic  Indian villages devastated by deadly landslides.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel carrying the body of a victim at the site of a landslide in Wayanad district [Handout/National Disaster Response Force via AFP]

As usual, our Bibles for Mideast ministry leader has an exciting report to share as the week wrapped up.

“By God’s grace, our ministry’s seven days of prayer, fasting and evangelism was a huge success,” Pastor Paul reports. “Hundreds of people attended and experienced the love of our Lord. The Holy Spirit moved throughout the services, with more people attending each day. We also visited houses in the evenings and conducted corner meetings. Many experienced the salvation of Jesus Christ.”

On the fourth day, some of the attendees brought a paralysed Hindu woman, about 26 years old, and placed her in the middle of the prayer meeting. The young woman had been the only of her many immediate family members who had survived the disaster, which she had done, barely, by grabbing onto the branch of a tree for two long, wet, muddy days. More than half of her body had been held fast beneath the heavy mud and water as more mud and mess cascaded down, taking all and everyone with it.  

When rescuers finally found her, badly paralyzed and barely alive, they rushed her to hospital. When released, the young woman, still paralyzed, spent the next four months bedridden at a relative’s home.

This ‘just happened’ to be around the same time Bibles for Mideast had arranged for the seven days of prayer, fasting and evangelism in the devastated area.

So on that fateful fourth day, the young paralyzed woman ended up smack in the middle of the praying people.

“I asked everybody to pray for her,” Pastor Paul recounts. “I saw the Holy Spirit was moving throughout the service.

“When all were praying for her, I held her hand and commanded in the mighty name of Jesus our Lord and Savior that she get up from the floor. Immediately I could see her whole body was shaking violently. And I could actually see blood flowing through her veins.

“Then she stood up from the floor, praising and thanking Jesus! I asked her to walk, then run. She did both, right in the midst of all the prayerful people.

“She then stayed with us and attended the rest of the services and prepared herself for baptism.

“May our Lord’s Name be glorified! She has no house and no land, for it was all wiped out. We pray for her to have a house and a life partner who must be a faithful believer of Jesus Christ.”

The believers held a final worship service Sunday morning, then on Monday the new believers—137 in all—received baptism. Among them were 46 former Muslims and several former Hindus—including of course the formerly paralyzed young woman!

Please pray for all of the new believers: for their spiritual growth, divine guidance, boldness and protection in witnessing to our Lord of lords.

All of us here at Bibles for Mideast pray with Director Pastor Paul that “you have a joyful and faithful season for our Lord’s glory, and a prosperous new year.

“May our Lord be with you, hold you in His nail-pierced hands, and keep you as the apple of His eyes throughout the year and until the end of your life,” he continues. “Amen and hallelujah!”

Another look at Joseph: the non-speaker who speaks volumes

As our guest writer Jeeva Sam points out below, Mary’s husband Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father, gets short shrift in our yearly Christmas songs and stories. Even scripture doesn’t provide much about him. Yet he did play a crucial role, and as Jeeva elaborates so well, we can learn from his restrained manner. Enjoy and be edified.

By Jeeva Edward Sam

Quick, now, name one well-known carol that mentions Joseph. Better still, take your time, search on Google, Yahoo, MSN, Bing and Ask—the result is the same!  Not one, nada, nil.

Contrast this with repeated references to Mary, as in: “Mary’s boy child”, “Gentle Mary laid her child”, “On Mary’s lap is sleeping”, “Round yon virgin, MOTHER and child”, “For Christ is born of Mary”, “Mary was that mother mild”, and so forth. Even cattle, sheep and assorted members of the animal kingdom get more press at Christmas!

Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. (Matt. 1:19)

Point me to one word of dialogue Joseph is permitted to utter in the script of the Nativity as found in Holy Scripture, or in most traditional Christmas pageants for that matter. Need I say more?

Yet, it would seem that this unheralded man is undeniably part of God’s plan for the early part of Jesus’ earthly life. I find it instructive to examine the brief exposure to his character in Matthew 1:19 (Amplified Version): “… Joseph, being a just and upright man and not willing to expose her publicly and to shame and disgrace her, decided to repudiate and dismiss (divorce) her quietly and secretly.”

When Mary is found to be with child without an assist from her betrothed, a “just and upright man” could have ensured that justice was done by having her put to death or at least by issuing a certificate of divorce. Either action would have been kosher, but Joseph adds mercy to justice as he opts for a divorce with dignity.

Years later, when Jesus was asked by some what he would do with a woman who was caught in adultery (as if it is possible to catch only one partner in the act of adultery, hello?) he would stonewall their bid to stone her to death with the words: “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” (John 8:7) Like father, like son, perhaps?

I cannot help but contrast Joseph’s choice with the way I am tempted to respond when someone hurts me. Ever hear the expression: ‘Hurt people hurt people?’ Out of my hurt, I want to make sure that justice is done and you’re hurt too—at least as much as you hurt me.

I could use any platform available to me—Facebook, newspaper columns, TV, blog, pulpit—to at least shame, if not disgrace or downright destroy you. Or it could be a family gathering over the holidays where amid the toasts, treats, eats and greets, some dormant hostility, buried bruise or interred insult rears its ugly head again, or a fresh missile calls for a decidedly unchristian strike-back.

I could opt to leave lash-marks on the offender, or leave quietly with bite-marks on my tongue instead.

May I, like Joseph, be glad to let my non-speaking role speak volumes.

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Pastor Jeeva Sam and his wife of 41 years, Sulojana Sam (both originally from India) are marriage mentors and authors of The Unbreakable Marriage, where they share details of the process God showed them to "guarantee breakthrough for married couples facing breakdown, often in as little as twelve weeks." (https://thesams.ca/). Jeeva served as a pastor for over thirty-five years (ordained by the United Church of Canada in 1982). The Sams are parents of three married children, grandparents of an adorable baby boy and live in St. Catharines, Ontario. Jeeva welcomes your feedback at theunbreakablemarriage@gmail.com.