Jean-Paul Sankaqui: Day of the Christian Martyr

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  Rocio Pino: Day of the Christian Martyr

  Rocio Pino was known for sharing the gospel wherever she went. “All who come here will hear about Christ,” she once said of her work in an area contro... more

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  Rocio Pino: Day of the Christian Martyr

  Rocio Pino was known for sharing the gospel wherever she went. “All who come here will hear about Christ,” she once said of her work in an area controlled by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Understanding the risks, Rocio and her family chose to live and share the gospel in a dangerous area of Colombia because they took Jesus’ Great Commission seriously. Though it cost Rocio her life, her Christian witness amid Marxist oppression and violence was worthy of Christ and advanced His kingdom.

  

  

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  John Chau: Day of the Christian Martyr

  On Nov. 15, 2018, John made first contact with the islanders in a kayak. A Sentinelese boy fired an arrow at John that lodged in his Bible. John retre... more

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  John Chau: Day of the Christian Martyr

  On Nov. 15, 2018, John made first contact with the islanders in a kayak. A Sentinelese boy fired an arrow at John that lodged in his Bible. John retreated. "God, I don't want to die," John wrote in his journal. "WHO WILL TAKE MY PLACE IF I DO? Forgive any of the people on this island who try to kill me, and especially forgive them if they succeed." Watch this video to see the rest of John's story.

  

  

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  Abdiwelli: Day of the Christian Martyr

  Abdiwelli Ahmed descended from a long line of devout Muslims from Somalia, where “to be Somali means to be Muslim.” He was taught that Islam was in hi... more

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  Abdiwelli: Day of the Christian Martyr

  Abdiwelli Ahmed descended from a long line of devout Muslims from Somalia, where “to be Somali means to be Muslim.” He was taught that Islam was in his blood. But in 1993, while in college, he began questioning Islam and comparing the Quran to the Bible. The more Abdiwelli read the Bible, the more he fell in love with it. After many discussions with a Christian friend, he put his trust in Jesus Christ. When other students and faculty learned that he had left Islam, they considered Abdiwelli dangerous to their faith. “I was beaten up,” Abdiwelli said. “All sorts of bad things were done to me. My life was in danger.” Eventually, he sought guidance from a relative, Pastor Ibrahim, who had years of experience sharing the gospel with Somali Muslims. Ibrahim took Abdiwelli to a campus ministry center, where he met a woman from Nigeria named Helen. “When I first met Abdiwelli,” Helen said, “he told me, ‘I love the Lord and I’m ready to die for Christ.’” Eventually, the two married and served the Somali people through an agriculture-development ministry and boldly shared the gospel with them. “When we received death threats,” his wife Helen would say later, “We’d pray together and that would give us peace, because God said he would be with us.” At noon on Feb. 7, 2013, 20 years after Abdiwelli placed his faith in Christ, three assassins shot him to death as he talked with a pastor in the center of town. Despite her great loss and sadness, Helen said she knew God would use her husband’s martyrdom to advance his kingdom. “We have a triumphant God,” she said. “We know God is going to triumph in this situation.”

  

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  Mosul: Day of the Christian Martyr

  In the summer of 2014, militants from the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS) advanced across Syria and northern Iraq. As they entered each village, ... more

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  Mosul: Day of the Christian Martyr

  In the summer of 2014, militants from the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS) advanced across Syria and northern Iraq. As they entered each village, they marked Christians’ homes and businesses with the Arabic letter “N,” or ن, for “Nazarene.” This symbol served to identify and threaten Christians, who then had a difficult decision to make: Convert to Islam, leave the area or be killed. More than 100,000 Christians were forced to flee in the stifling heat. Most escaped with only the clothes on their backs, and many died on the road or were taken by ISIS. Separated from their loved ones, these bold Christians refused to deny Christ. They were willing to give everything for the Savior who had given his life for them. May we be inspired by their examples, confidently proclaiming Christ at any cost.

  

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  Jean-Paul Sankaqui: Day of the Christian Martyr

  Pastor Jean-Paul Sankagui planted a church in a Muslim neighborhood outside Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, in 1993. He maintained go... more

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  Jean-Paul Sankaqui: Day of the Christian Martyr

  Pastor Jean-Paul Sankagui planted a church in a Muslim neighborhood outside Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, in 1993. He maintained good relations with the community for years. But civil war between Seleka rebels, government forces and anti-balaka militias changed everything. Most of the pastor’s church members fled the area as hostility increased toward Christians. And even the pastor’s wife, Mary, urged him to leave the area and work someplace safer. But Pastor Jean-Paul stayed in obedience to what he believed God had called him to do. On Feb. 7, 2017, Islamists shot Pastor Jean-Paul to death outside his church in Ramandji before looting and burning his house and church. Mary said they killed her husband because the community no longer wanted Christians in the area. She and Pastor Sankagui had been married 48 years and had 11 children and 17 grandchildren. After losing not only her husband but also her home and all her possessions, Mary had no choice but to leave the area. Five other evangelical pastors in the region also were killed in the first five weeks of 2017. Pastor Jean-Paul knew the risks, counted the cost and willingly stayed to shepherd his small congregation and serve as a witness for Christ in the neighborhood.

  

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