Here’s a bit of an interesting report from Mission Network News:
| Open Doors’ Brother Andrew says now, more than ever, the belief systems of Islam and Christianity are clashing head-on. “The conflict that we face today is a new one. We’ve never, in the history of the world, faced a situation like this where they (Muslims) have unlimited resources, strong belief and eschatology, their right to be heard, not only by the power of persuasion, but by the power of the sword.”
The resulting tensions have fueled a great deal of persecution against the indigenous church, especially those who’ve converted from Islam. Their plight is behind Brother Andrew’s most recent book Secret Believers: What Happens When Muslims Believe in Christ. In it, he and coauthor Al Janssen tell the stories of Muslims who encounter Christ and determine to become Christians, despite ostracism and death threats. It also shares the reality faced by Christians struggling to become mature in their faith in the midst of a hostile and increasingly violent Muslim society. That is born out in the mass exodus of Christians out of the war-torn Middle East. In many of these areas, the conflict has forged a stronger, more determined remnant church, while in others, the fighting has created a “diaspora” effect, resulting in great change. |
Take this as a call to prayer for these secret believers.