Update from Pastor Haneef on the Bibles for Mideast pastor in Pakistan

Glory to the Lord Jesus Christ

Hope this finds you well and with peace in our Lord Jesus Christ. By God's grace, Pastor Ansar* has recovered from COVID-19 and tested negative. So he was discharged from the hospital today and is now back home. We do thank you all for your prayers and help. 

It's true that because he was a Christian he did not get proper treatment and care in the hospital. But certainly he recovered and was discharged so quickly because of our Lord's care, protection and healing possible only by your prayers.  Pastor Ansar, his family and the ALG Church he minsters to all thank you for your kindness.  We praise and thank our wonderful Lord God Jesus for you all.

His family and church members are still under quarantine. We thank the Lord no one else has gotten sick. But they do not contact each other and no locals help them either. At this time they very much need our prayers and support.

Once again, we pray that our Lord will protect you under His mighty wings from every evil and disease. The love and grace of our Lord God be with you always. Amen.

With love and prayers,
Yours in His service,
Pastor Peter Haneef, President
The Assembly of Loving God [umbrella organization for all Bibles for Mideast churches]

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* Name changed for security reasons

Prayers for protection and wisdom most appreciated!
If you are able to help financially in any way, please click here.

Poor Christians continue to suffer; one of our pastors now stricken with COVID-19

The situation with COVID-19 in so much of the world continues dire, and unfortunately the already-disadvantaged often bear the brunt of it. As the severe lockdowns in India began to loosen, cases again surged, and a confused response in Pakistan has meant disaster for many. Suffering has been huge as cases continue to rise in another of the countries served by Bibles for Mideast, Bangladesh.

“By God's grace we have provided family kits of necessary food grains, medicines and safety equipment [masks, etc.] to many of the poor members of our church in India and Bangladesh,” reports ALG president, Pastor Peter Haneef.

“Some families we helped twice,” he adds. “We could have helped certain families in Pakistan, Nepal and Myanmar too.”

Sadly, the mostly-poor Bibles for Mideast church members and their children now face malnutrition and even starvation.

“Only our Lord can help us to overcome this situation,” Pastor Peter acknowledges.

A Bibles for Mideast pastor in Pakistan, Ansar*, had been working tirelessly among Christian COVID-19 patients as a health worker.  Persecution of Christians in Pakistan—considered low-class citizens—means proper care and treatment simply doesn’t happen. Unfortunately Pastor Ansar has gotten sick and been hospitalized and put in isolation. He needs a ventilator but has been told none are available.

He and his wife, both former Muslims, have two small children, a four-year-old son and seven-month-old daughter. They and some of their church members are now in quarantine.

“On behalf of the ALG Church pastors and believers,” says Pastor Peter, “once again I thank you for your generous support and prayers for the evangelism and charity works of the church and the ministry.”

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* Name changed for security reasons

Crowded Pakistani market

Prayers for protection and wisdom most appreciated!
If you are able to help financially in any way, please click here.

The God of abundance! A new church is born, and we meet the most fertile woman in the world

A former Muslim who had been radically healed of cancer through the prayers of Bibles for Mideast believers has helped spearhead the formation of a brand-new Assembly of Loving God (ALG) church in Uganda.

Pastor Mustafa*, already overseeing close to 40 underground churches across Africa, had the privilege of conducting its very first service recently. Holy Spirit moved powerfully, he reports, and the 25 Muslims in attendance all accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

As he traveled back home, Pastor Mustafa and his team decided to visit Mariam Nabatanzi and her 38 children to tell them the wonderful Truth of the gospel. [You may have heard about Miriam, known as the most fertile woman in the world, and just happening to live not far from the new church plant.**]

Born into a Muslim family, Mariam was married off at 12 to a 40-year-old. By the time she was 13, she had her first set of twins and in the years that followed, gave birth 14 more times—including six sets of twins, four sets of triplets and five of quadruplets. Suffering from a rare genetic condition, by the time she was 36 she had given birth to 44 children.

.Mariam Nabatanzi with 21 of her 38 children (Daily Monitor/Colleb Mugume, 2017)

When her husband abandoned her completely four years ago after the birth of her last child (one of twins, the other died), she was left to raise her 38 surviving children alone.

Mariam welcomed the visitors and soon began to open up about her life. She had found marriage to be a hard journey, she admitted. Her mostly-absent husband would beat her violently at any perceived affront on the few occasions he did show up (usually about once a year, according to one of the sons).

“So I grew up in tears,” she explained. Every waking minute she spends looking after her children and working to earn some money.

When she’d already had 23 children, she decided to ask doctors if some procedure could be done to prevent further births. After an extensive examination, they diagnosed her with hyper-ovulation and advised her against taking birth control pills since that would likely cause her health problems. 

Mariam says she has no regrets, and considers having children a blessing from God. The only thing that upsets her is seeing her children grow up without a father; most do not even know what he looks like. The only role he took in raising them had been naming them—and that often by phone.

Still, she doesn't feel sorry for herself.  She has dedicated her life to loving and caring for her children, providing for them as best she can with whatever is available. Food proves of course the largest expense for the family, who live crowded together in four ramshackle buildings. They wear old, tattered clothes and often go barefoot.

One of Mariam Nabatanzi's son's carries a meal at their family home (REUTERS/James Akena)

"Do you know who Mariam was?" Pastor Mustafa asked.

"Yes" she answered. "She was the virgin mother of Prophet Jesus." [Muslims know Jesus’ mother as Mariam or Maryam, and consider her—the only woman mentioned by name in the Koran—to be one of the most important women to have ever lived—Ed.]

"Why was Jesus born of the virgin Maryam?" he asked her. She had no answer.

The pastor went on to tell her how Jesus, Son of the Most High God, was the only person ever to have been born, and to have lived, without sin.

“All others, including you and me, have sin throughout our lives,” he explained.

“And with sin, we cannot go to heaven. A sinful man cannot bear or remove the sin of others. But Jesus, a sinless man, took away the sin of all humanity by His crucifixion on the cross of Calvary. He died and rose from the dead. Jesus redeemed us by His death on the cross. If we believe in Him, we will get salvation.”

Mariam with two of her children (Bibles for Mideast/Pastor Mustafa)

Mariam and the children listened carefully. Pastor Mustafa gave them a sample gospel of St. Luke and urged them to read it. He then prayed for them, and they all sat quietly and seemed to be receiving. While none were open to making decisions to follow Jesus, he feels certain the seed of God’s Word has been sown in their hearts.

Before leaving, he gave them a donation to help with maintaining the family. Please pray that the seed planted by Pastor Mustafa takes root and grows by the Holy Spirit, and that Maryam and all her children come to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  

Please also pray for the new underground ALG church started very near Maryam’s home in Uganda. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if this ‘village within a family’ finds themselves there soon!

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* Pastor Mustafa oversees approximately 40 underground Assembly of Loving God (ALG) house churches all across Africa. You can read more about his powerful but dangerous ministry in these earlier posts: New African church under threat from Islamic extremists and NEW LIFE: from Islam, and from death itself.  
**  An African newspaper ran a story on Miriam several years ago, as did Reuters last year.  

Jesus saves from Islam and despair in coronavirus-stricken family

Altaf*, an Arab orthodox Muslim, has long lived in the beautiful Middle Eastern country of Jordan with his wife and two young children. He and his family faithfully followed the many rituals of Islam in this mostly Islamic nation.

Jordan locked down hard and early when only a few cases of the novel coronavirus struck in March. So while they managed far better than many places, Altaf’s entire family were struck in April and hospitalized.

When they were in the hospital, two of the health workers often visiting and helping them ‘happened to be’ volunteers with Bibles for Mideast.  When they offered to pray for the family, Altaf refused, but they did leave a gospel leaflet behind.

With nothing else to do, Altaf decided to read the gospel tract.  When he got to a section on life in heaven after resurrection, one verse from Matthew particularly bewildered him:  "For in the resurrection they neither marry nor or given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven" (Matt. 22:30).

Altaf had learned from Islamic scholars that glorified men and women, or houris, would receive believers to heaven and offer alcohol and all manner of pleasures beyond anything on earth.  The two stories didn’t fit, so he simply left the gospel tract on the table.

Within a week, his wife became critically ill and sadly, died. Altaf and his children recovered and were released. Due to the strict lockdown measures, fewer than ten of their many family members could attend his wife’s funeral.

The breathtaking reaches of the Wadi Rum of southern Jordan

Perturbed and gloomy, Altaf had no idea what to do with his children. They were so young, barely able to understand what was going on … as if anyone really could. He loved them so much, tried to spend as much time as possible with them, but felt so utterly alone without his wife. At times he would go to her grave site and pray for her soul until grief overwhelmed him.

One day as he sat and prayed, drowsiness set in and he found himself in a dream state. He could somehow see graveyards of other communities as well as the Islamic burial place he sat in. As he gazed at a Christian cemetery, the clouds over it brightened and the colors of the grass and ground beneath, the flowers, all within it intensified like beautiful decorations. He began to feel the Christian cemetery must be expecting a distinguished, honored guest to be so much more beautifully adorned than all the others.

Suddenly, a bright man came down in the clouds with an indescribable mellifluous voice … like water, like thunder? It seemed as though millions of angels accompanied Him. Then, to Altaf’s utter amazement, he saw people rising from the Christian graveyard with transformed and bright bodies. They rose to join with the Man who came in the clouds, then kept rising until he saw … he actually saw … them enter into a glorious place which could be nothing but heaven. He then heard worship he had no adequate words to describe.

He couldn’t help noticing that “people transformed and flew above from the Christian cemetery only.” No one from the Muslim graveyard—not his wife, or any of the many imams and Islamic scholars buried there—rose from their graves to join the bright man. Disturbed, he woke from the dream.

The impressions filled his mind as he walked back home, and he continued restless until bed. Then, as he slept, he had the same dream, from start to finish. He rose from his bed, grabbed the Koran and read a few portions. Peace continued to elude him.

Suddenly, he noticed the gospel leaflet from the missionaries on the table. When he had been discharged, it had been gathered up along with all his papers and medicines and taken to his house, and hence now sat right there on the table.

He read it with full concentration.  A strange and wonderful peace filled his mind as he read, especially when he read: "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus" (1 Thes. 4:14). Could it really be? He dialed the mobile number on the back of the pamphlet, and a man with a comfortable, friendly voice answered.  

As all this had been unfolding, a local Bibles for Mideast pastor along with his underground church members had been praying and fasting for COVID-19 affected patients around the globe. Restrictions had been lifted on some gatherings in their area, so they were able to meet as a church—albeit secretly. Jordan tolerates their Christian minority, but Christian converts from Islam face physical violence, arrest and even death.

As they prayed, the pastor had a vision that someone with a restless mind and spirit was going to contact him for divine guidance. He shared it with the members, and they all held that person up before God and prayed fervently. Within a few minutes, the pastor received Altaf’s call! After a brief discussion, the pastor invited him to their meeting place.

When he arrived, Altaf tearfully related all he had been through. The pastor gently explained to him the way of salvation through Jesus—how he too could meet Jesus Christ in the clouds and enter into heaven. The pastor then shared his own testimony of conversion from Islam, as did some of the others.

Altaf now found it easy to believe that only through salvation in Jesus would anyone enter the glory of heaven … a Glory he had been so privileged to glimpse. He confessed all of his sins before the Lord and accepted Jesus Christ as his personal savior and Lord. For their safety, he and his children now stay in the church.

Just today he, along with seven other former Muslims, was baptized!  Please pray for him and his two young ones. Also please pray for others baptized this morning. They are facing and will face persecution from many directions.

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* Name changed for security reasons

Coronavirus Contentment?

By Leighton Ford

A friend reminded me the other day that when the Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians he was in prison in Rome … his own version of social isolation! He likely had chains on his feet when he dictated or wrote these famous words:

"I have learned to be content with whatever I have ... I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need.  I can do all things through him who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:11-13).

How could he possibly have imagined then, that centuries later what he wrote while stuck in jail would inspire millions around the world!

I don't like the social isolation Jeanie [Leighton’s wife and Billy Graham’s sister—Ed.] and I have to accept for the sake not only of our own health, but for others.  I need to remember what Paul wrote:  that what happened to him helped to spread the Gospel, so that in prison he dared to speak the Word with greater boldness (Phil. 1:12, 14).

Note that he wrote twice that he learned contentment.  It didn't come naturally.

I had the privilege of knowing John Stott, that great teacher and preacher who ministered around the world.  When John was in a retirement home in England, physically limited, one of his former study assistants visited him.

"John," he asked, "Are you happy?"

"No," he answered.  "But I'm learning to be content."

So here's a COVID-19 prayer:  "Lord, I don't like this isolation.  Please teach me to learn the secret of contentment.  And help me to learn that you can use this COVID-19 time to spread your Gospel.  Amen."

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Leighton Ford is president of Leighton Ford Ministries and served for nearly 20 years as chairman of the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization. He has traveled to 40 countries to preach and teach (initially with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association) and now focuses now on mentoring younger Christian leaders.

Leighton and Jean Ford [Photo: Todd Sumlin, Charlotte Observer]

His wife, Jean Graham Ford, has personal experience with pandemics, having been a victim of polio in 1944. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association recently spoke with Jean about facing death at a young age, and asked what she would say to a COVID-19 patient today. Here is how she responded:

"Sometimes it's so difficult to trust our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet to me, there's no option. That happened to be ingrained in me, my trust in what He promises, my trust in who I know Him to be.  To become a child of God means a relationship, and it's a secure relationship that doesn't depend on illness or it doesn't depend on the weather.  It doesn't depend on what we're able to do or where we're able to go.  It's a relationship with God the Father, and that just doesn't change."

I just have to add that ten years ago, I had never heard of Leighton Ford. One night in a vivid dream, I was on a tour bus in Australia with my husband and some friends when a young man got on and sat beside me. As part of our conversation, he asked me if I was "familiar with the writing of Leighton Ford?" I said I wasn't, so he proceeded to quote some wonderful phrases from Ford's writing.

I woke somehow knowing how to spell his unusual name, wrote down a few details of the dream, and the next day was blown away to discover not only that Dr. Ford exists, but who he was and is. Born in Canada (like me), married to Billy Graham’s sister and a world-famous evangelist in his own right. I eventually got in touch with him and we have communicated on and off since, me enjoying and reviewing several of his excellent books. He recently published his memoir, A Life of Listening: Discerning God's Voice and Discovering Our Own.