Beheaded for his faith in Jesus

I received very sad news tonight. A good brother from the Philippines contacted me to report that a Christian had been killed and beheaded in a city where we sponsor a pastor.

I am leaving names of people and of the cities out of this blog, because the factions doing the killing could somehow find this blog and take further action against our Christian brothers and sisters.

The killing happened last night, New Year's Eve, and it was carried out by radical Muslims. This murder, which is not uncommon in areas where radical Islamics live, is persecution of the worst form.

As you read this, ask yourself, would I proclaim to be a Christian in this area and others like it around the world? Here in the US it's easy to say we are Christians. There are light forms of persecution, but nothing like many face around the world. When they proclaim to follow Jesus, they really mean it, because it could very well mean their lives.

The church where one of our beloved indigenous brothers is pastor gathered to celebrate the ending of 2015 and the beginning of 2016. They were going to eat together and then pray and worship Jesus.

When this one family arrived, the father told everyone he was going to walk to their nearby house and bring back the duck that would be dinner. He never returned. When they found him, he had been shot in the back, stabbed five times in the back, and beheaded. The killers carried him to a nearby cemetery and dropped him on the ground with a note that read, "We brought him here for easy burial."

One person witnessed the murder and now fears for his life. Justice as we know it usually doesn't happen in areas like this one, so those doing the killing will probably not see any jail time.

The man killed was once a Muslim and persecuted the church that he would later call his church. Though it was hard, the pastor witnessed to him, sharing the love of Jesus and telling him of the salvation that only comes from Jesus. This man surrendered his life to Jesus, and soon his entire family was following Jesus.

Where there is Islamic extremists, there is often a price to be paid for converting from Islam to Christianity. The lesser punishment is banishment from families and friends and treated like a third-rate citizen. The harshest is dying for your faith, or a family member is killed, or both.

My heart breaks. It's senseless, irrational, inhumane, evil. I have friends who don't believe as I do. Some are Muslim, Buddhist, and other religions. Some don't believe in anything. It's never once entered my mind to persecute or hate them. I love them and I pray for them, and yes, I have humbly shared Jesus with them. I would consider myself a bad friend if I didn't. Even more important, I wouldn't be a true follower of Jesus if I didn't share the Gospel with them.

What happened in the Philippines was pure evil, men being used by the devil to intimidate other Christians in that area.

I'm asking you to join with me to pray for the family and everyone at the small church. God knows all of their names. I'm also asking you to join me in praying for the killers. They need Jesus just like you and me. Remember, Saul persecuted the church, even giving the OK to kill Christians, such as Stephen. But, Jesus changed his heart. Saul became Paul and he ended up writing close to three quarters of the New Testament.

The man who died was once with those who persecuted the church. Now, he is with Jesus. If he could speak to us, he would say it was worth it. His family, though, is hurting. They celebrate the fact their father, husband, brother is in Heaven, but they hurt and miss him.

So, would you live for Jesus in this town, even if it meant being killed? I hope we can all answer yes, because Jesus is worth it. He thought we were all worth dying for on the cross.

Thank you for your prayers.