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Martyrdom

The Inspiring Faith Of A Martyr’s Wife; “I’m Not Sad At All. I’m Thanking God”

by Christa June 20, 2023

written by Christa

Losing a loved one is hard. But for Mariam, a martyr’s wife, she confessed that she is not sad at all. Instead, she feels very proud to be a Christian.

Libya Martyr’s wife

Sameh Salah was one of the martyrs who lost his life in Libya. The men who were killed because of their faith and proclaimed Jesus Christ even at the moment of their deaths.

Mariam is very proud to have her husband as one of the martyrs. In her inspiring interview, she boldly proclaimed herself as a martyr’s wife.

“I’m thanking God; I’m not sad at all,” she said.

“I knew my Christianity because my husband died as a martyr. He didn’t have an accident.”

Sameh Salah left his wife and two-year-old daughter. But he left them with hope in Christ. Sameh Salah made sure that his family received the salvation of Christ.

“I’m thanking God, and may the Lord keep my daughter safe,” Mariam continued. “I’m thanking God because since we got married, he used to tell me about God, miracles, and everything. So, I love God because of him.”

Mariam confessed that she knows Jesus because of her husband. And because of it, she is proud to be called a follower of Christ.

“Farewell is hard, and it will be remaining hard to the end of my life, but I am not sad,” she said.

Proud of Christianity

“We are so proud of our Christianity. What happened made us all Christians, be proud of our Christianity.”

Furthermore, Mariam is convinced that Christians are also to partake in Christ’s sufferings. “The Lord Christ was crucified, whipped, and tortured for our sake. Can’t we resist a little bit? Can’t we shed few drops of blood for His sake?”

“It’s our responsibility as Christians to keep our faith.”

She added, “If we’re staying at home and wearing black cloths, this is not the end, and we are proud of them.”

Watch her full interview in the video below.

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A post shared by Marnus & Jacques Stadler | Servants of God (@reformedbychrist)

Header Image: Christian Youth Channel, Interview with Sameh’s Family, Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCfsjN_acTU

June 20, 2023 0 comment

Video

Sri Lankan Christians Give Thanks To God After Surviving Terror Attacks

by GOD TV May 10, 2019

written by GOD TV

Last Sunday, May 5th, Sri Lankan Christians gathered where possible to thank God for sparing their lives and all who survived the recent attacks by Islamist militants.

In Batticaloa, at around 9 am at roughly the same time a suicide bomber killed 29 of their fellow parishioners at the evangelical Zion Church two weeks ago, worshippers streamed silently into the hall. Inside, several hundred worshippers knelt on the tiled floor with their arms lifted towards Heaven, beseeching Jesus Christ. Some clutched Bibles, many wiped away tears as they sang and prayed.

Sri Lankan Christians Give Thanks To God After Surviving Terror Attacks

Watch this video on YouTube

In total, more than 250 people were killed and nearly 500 wounded in the attacks by Islamist militants on churches and hotels across the Indian Ocean island on April 21.

Zion Church will need more repairs before the church can be used again. There were no services at St Sebastian’s Church in Negombo, where at least 102 people perished. But a mass was held behind closed doors at St. Anthony’s Church in Colombo, the third church bombed that day

This article incorporates material originally published by Thomson Reuters and is reproduced with their permission.

Also read: We Continue To Pray And Support Sri Lanka As The Nation Grieves – GOD TV brings hope after Sri Lanka terror attacks

May 10, 2019 0 comment

Faith

Persecution Watch: 6 Christians Killed In Terror Attack At Pentecostal Church In Africa

by Joyca Lorriene May 3, 2019

written by Joyca Lorriene

With the current trend towards attacks on places of worship, people of all religions should be on persecution watch. We’ve seen synagogues attacked in the USA; churches in Sri Lanka and mosques in New Zealand. There have also been numerous attacks in Africa especially on churches in Cairo. Now the latest is in Burkina Faso in West Africa.

On Sunday, April 28, in Sirgadji village in the north-eastern province of Soum an Assemblies of God fellowship was attacked by gunmen. They demanded that its leader and five members convert to Islam. When the pastor and the other believers refused, they were executed.

6 Christians martyred for their faith

After their church service Pastor Pierre Ouédraogo (the church leader), 80-years-old, and other members were chatting when a dozen armed men arrived on motorbikes stormed the churchyard at around 1 pm. They raided the church and set it on fire.

The six believers were ordered to gather under a tree, while the gunmen took their Bibles and mobile phones. They were then called, one by one, and shot dead. On that the same day, the six martyrs were buried in a ceremony attended by both Christian and Muslim communities.

Pastor Pierre Ouédraogo

” I would rather die for my faith rather than leave the village I served for 40 years”

Pastor Pierre Ouédraogo had served this community since the 1980s. He already sensed that there was danger coming, but chose to stay and told his family that he preferred to die for his faith rather than leave his village, according to his son-in-law, in a statement.

The church where he served is one of the oldest Protestant congregations in the region and is situated near to the border with the nation of Mali.

Persecution Watch: Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso is known for its peaceful co-existence among religious communities, unlike Mali.

However, since 2016, World Watch Monitor reports of “attacks by Islamist militants, military operations, and waves of inter-communal violence that have cost hundreds of lives and 135,000 displaced and home-grown militant groups.” These extremists linked to al-Qaeda and the so-called Islamic State group, who are present in the country’s arid north (bordering Mali).

This is an urgent wake-up call for Christian to be on persecution watch, to highlight these atrocities to the world and to never stop praying for our brothers and sisters who serve the Lord in places where they are under threat. Share this to encourage other believers!

Reference: WorldWatch Monitor

May 3, 2019 4 comments

Video

Martyr John Chau’s Video Message to Christians Before His Death

by GOD TV December 7, 2018

written by GOD TV

Years ago, John Allen Chau embarked on the journey of being a missionary. He traveled from place-to-place, delivering the Good News to people around the world. But just recently, he was killed by an indigenous tribe known as the Sentinelese. The Sentinelese live on North Sentinel Island in the Bay of Bengal, and are considered one of the world’s last uncontacted peoples.

Read: ‘God, I Don’t Want To Die’- American Missionary Wrote Before Being Buried By Remote Tribe

An old video of John has recently emerged where he implores Christians to be bold in their faith.

“As Christians, we can’t stay the same,” John said.

I totally agree with him. We can’t continue living the life we had before we become Christians. We need to change. We can’t call ourselves Christians while holding hands with the devil. Meaning, we can’t proclaim ourselves to be Christians yet live like the rest of the world.

I don’t mean to say that when we become Christians we become perfect. But rather there should be a transformed life when you accept Jesus us your Lord and Savior. When you invite Him into your life you can be assured that His grace will cover you and it will not be about your works anymore.

“We need to change,” he urged. “We can’t just call ourselves Christians. In John 4:15, Jesus tells us that, ‘if you love Me, you will obey My commands’. If we call ourselves Christians, we need to live our lives for Him and obey these commands. We can’t stay stagnant and lukewarm.”

“So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelations 3:16)

“We need to know what we believe,” John declared, citing 1 Peter 3:15.

“We either change, or we don’t believe. If we call ourselves Christians, we need to live our lives for Him and to obey His commands. By our deeds and actions, people will know that we’re Christians.”

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

He even stressed the importance of knowing what we believe and why we believe it. Because as we go to the world, people will have questions about our faith and so we should know how to defend and demonstrate it.

We can see that even years ago, John’s was laying down his life for the sake of the Kingdom.

This made me think and ponder on how I have lived my life. Too often I stay in my comfort zone forgetting that God entrusted me with the Great Commission and the Holy Spirit resides in me.

Surely, John reflects Paul’s statement in the New Testament when he was imprisoned:

“I want you to know, my friends, that the things that have happened to me have really helped the progress of the gospel. As a result, the whole palace guard and all the others here know that I am in prison because I am a servant of Christ. And my being in prison has given most of the believers more confidence in the Lord, so that they grow bolder all the time to preach the message fearlessly.” (Philippians 1:12-14)

May John’s life and martyrdom give us the courage to give our best and everything we have for His name’s sake.

I declare right now as you read this, that God will give you the courage to go beyond your comfort zone and defeat the fear that the enemy is trying to inject in you. I declare perfect love that casts out fear and boldness for you to become the person God made you to be, in Jesus’ name! AMEN.

This article is written by Le-Jovale Vallejo.

December 7, 2018 0 comment

Faith

Martyrdom – The Most Neglected and Misunderstood Spiritual Gift

by Jared Laskey November 30, 2018

written by Jared Laskey

John Allen Chau and Spiritual Gifts

Missionary John Allen Chau died for what he believed in. Some have hailed him as a hero while others have stated that he was foolish. But it was apparent that he was willing to lay down his life to preach the Gospel to people he didn’t know. Yet he knew God loves them.

As a Christian, chances are you have learned about spiritual gifts. Perhaps you were taught Biblical truths of spiritual gifts in an introductory class at the church you attend. It may very well be that you took a class about “Membership,” then you took a course on “Ministry,” where your spiritual gifts were identified. Then you took a class on “Missions” and somewhere in the mix you learned about “Money.” Courses like these are good and basic, and numerous people filter through them and into the other processes the church offers. But, have you ever taken a class as a new Christian about, “Martyrdom”?

Can you imagine how many would probably not commit to becoming a member of a church if there were a required class on this spiritual gift? Too often this gift is neglected or it is passed over when teaching on spiritual gifts. Or it is listed as, “other gifts.”

Counting the Cost

Jesus said that His disciples are to “count the cost,” (Luke 14:25-33). This wasn’t just for 1st Century saints, but all Christian disciples.

The Apostle Paul alluded to martyrdom when discussing spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians, chapters 12-14. He said, “If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing,” (1 Corinthians 13:3). In this verse Paul was talking about being betrayed. But also the willingness to die for Christ’s cause, being handed over to persecutors and being martyred.

Counting the cost to being a disciple of Jesus is a requirement for all followers of Jesus. Millions of believers around the world make Jesus Lord knowing that their life can be taken for their newfound faith. Many are imprisoned and tortured as new Christians in other countries, considering it a joy to identify with Christ’s wounds. Of these saints Revelation 3:11 says, “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”

Consider This

Have you truly counted the cost of being a disciple of Jesus? If your life were at stake, and a persecutor told you that death was imminent if you refused to deny Jesus as your Lord, what would you say? Many readers may scoff at this because they don’t face persecution or death for their faith where they live. But it can happen anywhere. And if this were the case, we would see who the genuine followers of Jesus are and the many that really aren’t.

If you hesitate, perhaps you haven’t counted the cost yet. But, consider it…spending time in God’s presence. Study more about this neglected spiritual gift and commit wholeheartedly to follow Jesus.

Next Steps

Read the Bible daily and also purchase the all-time classic Foxe’s Book of Martyrs for your spiritual growth. And comment below if you counted the cost and are willing to lay down your life for the Gospel.

November 30, 2018 0 comment

Articles

MLK Day – The Voice Of A Martyr Still Calls for Justice

by Al Gibson January 19, 2018

written by Al Gibson

The world-famous Human rights activist, Martin Luther King was assassinated on 4th April 1968. As we mark Martin Luther King Day on Monday, 21 January 2019 we remember all he did to bring equality to the USA. However we cannot forget that as a believer in Jesus Christ and a minister of the Gospel he was also a Christian martyr.

As with others, who have died for their faith, his voice continues to cry out for justice. And in Dr King’s case, for the causes he cared about so deeply: racism, poverty and war – issues that still challenge us today.

When Dr King died it was as if his life’s work was set in time. He was only 39 and we have no images of him as an old man, only of a youthful, passionate agent for change. That is how we remember him. A never-aging example of love over hate and peaceful resistance over violence that inspires everyone, especially Christians who share his unshakeable belief in God.

“You cannot hear the name Martin Luther King Jr and not think of death,” Michael Eric Dyson wrote in Time Magazine. “For as famous as he may have been in life, it is death that ultimately defined him.” That is true in the sense that we can never forget that he died a martyr’s death, however it was for his dream of a better future that Dr King will be most remembered.

Nobody can forget his oft-quoted ‘I Have a Dream’ speech where he shared his vision for America to be a nation that would “rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed that all men are created equal.” Lesser known is the vision of Heaven Dr King shared the day before he died where he spoke about his vision of the Promised Land.

A Martyr for Christ

There is a Biblical parallel here. Stephen, the first recorded martyr for Christ, also had a vision of Heaven before he was stoned to death.

martyr

“When they heard these things… they gnashed at him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into Heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, ‘Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’ Then they cried out with a loud voice… and ran at him with one accord… and they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit’.” (Acts 7:54-59)

‘I’ve Been to the Mountaintop‘ is the popular name of the last speech delivered by Dr King, at the Church of God in Christ Headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee.

“We’ve got some difficult days ahead,” Dr King said, “but it really doesn’t matter with me now, because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain.

“And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land. So I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”

What a testimony this is to believers today to live their lives without fear, trusting God with their future whatever that may be. In another Biblical parallel, Revelation 6:9-11 talks about the Cry of the Martyrs. “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

Martin Luther King did not die in vain; the American civil rights movement grew from strength to strength to finally achieve equality for all. Although much has been achieved, sadly racism, poverty and war continue to be issues today. And like Dr King we must be prepared to put our lives on the line to make a difference wherever we see injustice.

We must also learn from his example to make a bold stand for our faith, no matter what. For believers in some countries the threat of martyrdom is all too real in the world today, but like Dr King, we have seen the Promised Land and there is no going back.

January 19, 2018 0 comment