From the pulpit to the presidency: Lazarus rises in Malawi!

Malawi’s new president, Lazarus Chakwera, personifies the grace of God. Born to subsistence farmers in a village without running water or electricity, his two elder brothers, sadly, died in infancy. When their new baby was born, his father—also a preacher, evangelist and church planter—had a vision the boy would escape the fate of his two older brothers. So he named him Lazarus, after the biblical character raised from the dead.

As it turns out, young Lazarus would go far beyond simply surviving. He earned degrees in Philosophy and Theology, spent more than 20 years as the head of one of the country’s largest denominations, the Assemblies of God, became a respected professor in theology and studied in the US as well, graduating with a doctorate from Trinity International University in 2000.

But the challenges have been tremendous. The family had no electricity or running water, barely enough food, and young Lazarus seemed almost pathologically shy.  Educators had taken notice of his brilliance, however, and he ended up being chosen to go to a more prestigious secondary school. There, he learned his distinct American accent by mimicking a teacher, he says.

He initially had ambitions to be a doctor so he “wouldn’t have to talk to large numbers of people” (he talks more about that in the short video below). 

During his education he says he met God, and felt Him "began to redirect my life towards ministry.” Then, about a decade into leading the Assemblies of God, Dr. Chakwera sensed a new call. 

“God spoke to my heart. He said, ‘I am not pulling you out of ministry. Instead I am extending your ministry. I want you to get into politics.”

So, in 2013, Dr. Chakwera ran for office and became leader of the Malawi Congress Party. He spent the next six years serving in congress and in the presidential election held last month, after more than a year of political protests, Chakwera won with 58 percent of the vote. It was the first time in Africa that a court-overturned vote resulted in the defeat of an incumbent president.

His first presidential tweet

He officially took office on June 28, and his second week in, called on the African nation to join in three days of prayer and fasting against the spread of COVID-19.

The 85% Christian country has fared remarkably well against the virus so far, bringing in restrictions before even any cases were detected and staying on guard with both precautions and prayer. Still, the pandemic has taken a significant economic toll on one of the world’s poorest countries.

“With your help we will restore faith in having a government that serves, not a government that rules,” the new president pledged in his inauguration speech. “A government that inspires, not a government that infuriates; a government that listens, not a government that shouts; a government that fights for you and not against you.”

He is married to Monica, and the couple have four children. Please pray for him, his family and for Malawi; that the new government would lead wisely and justly, and shine the light of Jesus across the whole of Africa.

Healed of coronavirus and rescued from Islam in Saudi Arabia!

Al-Safar*, a 42-year old Arab Muslim living in Saudi Arabia, seemed to have everything going for him. An Islamic scholar from a well-educated family, he makes a good living as a bank officer and enjoys down time with his wife and children.

After attending a wedding several weeks ago, however, he developed a fever and cough. Then came the dreaded diagnosis: COVID-19.  Within days he was in the Intensive Care Unit of the local hospital as his symptoms continued to worsen. Breathing became increasingly difficult, and soon, he felt certain he would die.

Two nurses on duty in the COVID ward and assigned to his case ‘just happened’ to be members of the ALG underground church of Bibles for Mideast. Like all of the church’s members, they had once been followers of Islam.

Al-Safir had gotten to know some Christians through his education, but had always resisted any interactions with them. The prospect of death has a way of changing one’s perspective however.

So when one of the nurses asked kindly, “May I pray for your relief?” he readily agreed. The room otherwise empty, she felt free to call for her fellow Christian nurse to join her in  prayer. The nurses constantly pray ‘under their breath’ for their patients, but now, with no one else around, they felt bolder. Both placed their hands on his chest, and one prayed loud enough for him to hear what she prayed, and more importantly, to Whom she prayed.

Initially irritated, he then noticed his breathing became easier, and told them.

“Do you know who we prayed would give you relief?” one nurse asked him.

He replied, 'I know you prayed to the prophet Jesus.”

“You think Jesus is only a prophet,” she replied. “But He is the Son of Most High God and the Living Lord. He came to the world to take away sin and death by His own death on the cross of Calvary. On the third day He rose from the dead. He really is the author of life and death.”

Not all who the nurses pray for are healed, of course (one of God’s mysteries we may one day understand). But they felt God moving powerfully now, and His leading to go further.

“By His stripes we were healed and are healed. Al-Safar. If you believe in Him you will be healed from sickness and saved from death. Can you believe in Jesus as your Lord and savior?”

He had no answer, so the nurses returned to their rounds of caring for other patients. Within a few hours, however, his lungs began to give out again, and one of the nurses rushed to his side.  He pleaded with her to put her hands on his chest and pray.

“I will pray and certainly Jesus will give you relief,” she replied. “But if you don't believe in Jesus as your own Lord and Savior, you will not be eternally healed and saved.”

Al-Safar remained silent about accepting Jesus as his Lord and Savior, but begged for her prayers to relieve his distress.

She called for the other nurse and they placed their hands on his chest again and prayed. As they did, Al-Safar suddenly had a vision of Jesus coming in clouds with millions of angels! The Lord then spoke, asking him to believe what the nurses said about Him. Then He added that everything written about Him in the Bible, which is the real word of God, is true.

“There you will learn about and find eternal life. Obey it and follow Me.” Jesus then blessed him and disappeared. Al-Safar clearly saw His nail-pierced hands and felt an amazing peace and relief surge through his body and mind.

When the nurses stopped praying, he opened his eyes and told them what he had experienced. He then readily accepted Jesus as his own Lord and Savior. The miracles continued in that when doctors did further tests, they declared him clear of coronavirus.

Before being discharged from the hospital, he told other patients what had happened to him, and even prayed for them. When he returned back home, he witnessed to his wife and children about Jesus, and within a few days they too believed. He then contacted the pastor of the local underground ALG church and through phone and online conversations, has been in constant touch with him. He has become a diligent student of the word, and with his family, is preparing for eventual baptism. He has not yet been able to attend worship services.

Strolling Saudi women having to cover up even more than usual (REUTERS)

The pastor of the church says that three other Muslim COVID patients prayed for by the nurses have also completely recovered, and two have moved even further into the spiritual healing possible only in Jesus. Like Al-Safar, they have been in touch with the pastor to learn more about Jesus and the church.

Please keep Al-Safar and his witnessing efforts in your prayers. Please also pray for the dear Christian nurses—that countless more of their patients will find both physical and spiritual healing.

We also ask that you pray for the pastor and the other believers who continue to gather secretly. Even with the additional restrictions of coronavirus, they work tirelessly and fearlessly building a strong underground church in the midst of unimaginable constraints on what can ‘legally’ be said, done or shared in a highly restrictive nation of the Middle East.

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* Name changed for security reasons

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.”

________________
* 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.