Amen. By Life or by death may Christ Be Magnified in my body.

Love you brother and miss you.

Rich

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RICH

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My brother so good to see your post. Likewise love and miss you and your family. For I remember our sweet times of felliwship in your hone in southwest LR.

Know you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.

Bro Blaine

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My Brothers and Sisters, 

Imagine you are about to join a church. You go to the new members class. Two questions are asked of you.  They are as follows.

1.  Will you suffer for the Lord Jesus Christ.

2.  Will you die for the Lord Jesus Christ.

These are questions that are brothers and sisters in the Middle East face daily. These brothers and sisters are Muslims who had dreams and visions of Jesus. They are willing to follow Hm and be faithful to Him even unto death.  This is the reality of Jesus in the suffering church.

Below is a fascinating interview with Tom Doyle who wrote Dreams and Visions and Killing Christians.  This brother has worked many years in the Middle East. This brother shares what God is doing among the Muslims in the Middle East today. This brother shares how God is building His church. This is Acts 29 being written even now.

I emphasize again these stories are not made up. But this is the actual Holy Spirit working in the hearts of His people today.

May your hearts be blessed and encouraged as you listen to the interview. May we all praise God for what He is doing in bringing in the harvest of souls, from among the Muslims.


https://youtu.be/Db5ZRdql3QY


From the foot of his cross.


Bro Blaine

Thank you brother Blaine,

The Lord is building His church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it!

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William

Indeed, my brother, indeed. Praise God for what He is building.

Bro Blaine

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Below is an incredible story from Tom Doyle's book, Dreams and visions. Again this is not fiction. But the story is true. This is an account of how God is working among the Muslims in the Middle East.

God be praised for what He is doing in bringing forth His Harvest.

https://youtu.be/NqESEIkoZlo

Bro Blaine 

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Yesterday I came across this book entitled, "I Am N".  It is put out by Voice of the Martyrs. When ISIS would invade towns in Iraq and Syria. They would mark those homes and churches that were Christian with the letter N in Arabic. This designated that those homes and churches were Nazarene. That they were followers of the Lord Jesus. As such many of these dear brothers and sisters paid the price of being slaughtered at the hands of ISIS.  

I went to my local Christian bookstore looking for books on the persecuted church.  As I wandered down the book isles my eyes fell on this book. I take this being the Lord wants me to read this book.

Below is a short video from VOM that tells why this book was written. I would encourage all that have an interest in the persecuted church to buy this book. May God open up our eyes to what our brothers and sisters are enduring at the hands of Islamic extremist.

May I point out that this book is not to encourage hatred of Muslims. But if anything to encourage prayer for their salvation. For this is what our persecuted brothers and sisters do. They cry out for the salvation of their persecutors. Even those that are in ISIS and other extremist groups.

https://youtu.be/gEaR6BPSV2c

May we pray for those who are truly at the foot of the cross.

Bro Blaine

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Why does the persecuted church matter to us believers in the West? Why do we need to hear the stories of our persecuted brothers and sisters? What does it matter to us as American Christians?

The passage below from the book, I am N, by Voice of the Martyrs can best answer these questions.


.......Their stories matter is because they are our brothers and sisters in the global family of Jesus Christ and they need us to stand with him. We, in turn, need their example of faithfulness in the face of persecution to encourage us in our walk with the Lord (Hebrews 12:1-2). Their sacrifices are a powerful testimony to our loving God, who's grace reaches us to save every sinner and empower those who receive Jesus as Savior and Lord to live in faithful service to him.......

This is why I keep posting on this thread the stories of our brothers and sisters who are truly in the shadow and at the foot of the cross. Their stories must be told. I cannot be silent regarding our persecuted brothers and sisters.


Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless.
Not to speak is to speak.
Not to act is to act.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

From the foot of His cross.

Bro Blaine

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What does it imply to have "N" spray painted on your door or wall? The word "N" means Nazarene in Arabic.  It signifies one is a follower of Jesus. So what does it mean to say "I am N"? To put it another way what does it mean to say I am a Christian?  What does it mean to say I am a Christ follower? What does it mean to say I follow Jesus Christ?

To say one follows Jesus Christ in a restricted or hostile nation invites persecution and ultimately martyrdom. Yet to a Christ follower in such a nation Jesus is worth it. Those who follow Jesus are willing to suffer the loss of all things so that they might know Him.  In other words our persecuted brothers and sisters understand what it means to suffer the loss of all things that they might gain Christ.  They understand what it means to say, "I am N". They understand what it means to say I follow Jesus. They understand what it means to say I will be faithful to Him even unto death.

Do we in America, as followers of Jesus, understand what it means to say, "I am N"?

Hebrews 13:13

....... So let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.......

Below is an interview by Gary Lane of CBN. He interviews Jason Peters of Voice of the Martyrs.  Though the interview is over a year old. It is very relevant today. In the interview Jason Peters tells what it means to say "I am N" in persecuted nations.

https://youtu.be/2qLYlGqoDfM

May we, as believers in America, say with our persecuted brothers and sisters...I am N.  May we also say with our persecuted brethren, I follow Jesus even unto death.

In the shadow of His cross.

Bro Blaine 

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"Who is this Jesus you speak of? "  Nadia ask.

" He is God - become - man, the maker of all."

"Even me."

"Yes, Nadia, even you."  said Rachel.  "And me. And everyone. He loves us and desires a relationship with us."

"What does he expect of us?"  asked Nadia."  " What must we do to be in his kingdom? What rules must we keep? What rituals must we perform?"

Rachel touched her friend's hand lightly shaking her head. " It is not like that he doesn't want your rituals or your rules. He wants your heart. Your trust. With that you will want to obey."

What kind of God is this? Nadia wondered.

From i am n by VOM


The following dialogue took place between Rachel, a Pakistani Christian and Nadia, a Pakistani Muslim seeker. Nadia's background reveals much what those in Islam must do to please their God. So a Muslim seeker is overwhelmed when they come face-to-face with the love and grace of Jesus. They are so overwhelmed that all Jesus ask of them is their heart to believe and trust in Him.

As I read the above dialogue I thought of these verses out of John 6;28-29,

... Therefore they said to him, "What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent."...

Coming out of a legalistic background it was natural that Nadia would ask the questions she did about how to be accepted by Jesus. All Jesus required of her was that she believe in Him with all of her heart. Out of that obedience we come.

But then what does that say to us coming out of our legalistic backgrounds. Can it really be that simple just to simply trust and believe In Jesus with all of our hearts.

If it be true of the Muslim who seeks Christ. Can it not also be true for those that are seeking Jesus out of various forms of legalism or even sin.  All Jesus ask of us is to believe and trust in him?

This appears to be what our persecuted brothers and sisters do. To believe and trust in Jesus.

In the shadow of His cross.

Bro Blaine