A Christian's Response to ISIS

As a relatively sheltered Christian (at least for now) living in a relatively free country (at least for now), I've found the unconscionable atrocities against fellow believers—men, women, and children—at the hands of the Islamic State to be literally unthinkable, too horrific to fully contemplate, as I'm sure is the case for many others. We see the headlines as they pop up in our newsfeed, or flash by on our TV screens. But it is impossible to truly absorb the horror of what we're seeing. So, sometimes, we scroll past wearily without trying. It all seems too much. Yet, these atrocities are actually happening to our brothers and sisters in Christ, even as I write this.

So, when confronted with Christians being buried alive or barbarically decapitated...when confronted with the burnt bodies of our little ones...when confronted with the reality that ISIS terrorists are growing in power...how should the Church respond?

Empathize

The Apostle Paul exhorts us to remember those who suffer for the sake of the faith as if we ourselves are suffering in their place (Heb 13:3). He urges us to mourn with those who mourn, and to weep with those who weep (Rom 12:15). So, it's important that we don't emotionally distance or disassociate ourselves from the plight of the suffering Church, because we are all members of the same Body. No matter how far apart we are geographically, culturally, or economically, we are all children of the living God, bound together in the love of Christ. When one member of the Body suffers, the whole Body is affected (1 Cor 12:26).

Encourage

But while we may be perplexed at the suffering of our fellow believers, we must not despair (2 Cor 4:8). And while we empathize, we must not dwell on evil. Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33). Amen! We need not fear men or what they can do to our earthly bodies, for our hope is in Christ, not in this world. God's judgment is coming. And as horrifying as the atrocities in the Middle East are, we can rest in, and encourage others with, the truth that the saints who are dying for their faith look forward to an eternal reward. Their momentary earthly affliction is preparing for them an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison (2 Cor 4:17). For they are victors—not victims—for God's glory! And persecution spreads the gospel.

Pray, Pray, Pray

And so we pray. It is the single-most important thing we can do. We pray for the persecuted, that they won't lose heart. We pray for the oppressor, that they will repent and believe. We pray for the Church, that we will stand firm in our faith. We pray for this broken world, that Jesus will be made known in it. We pray for an end to the suffering, the sin, and the torment. "For He who testifies to these things says, 'Yes, I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus." (Rev 22:20).

Love Our Enemies
Now for the puzzling part. Jesus taught us to love our enemies—to bless and not to curse those who persecute us (Luke 6:20; Rom 12:14). But how can we love an ISIS terrorist who commits such merciless acts of brutality against God's people? Yet Jesus unequivocally said:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matt 5:43-38)

So then, we must pray for ISIS terrorists—and indeed for all Muslims—that they would repent and believe in Jesus as the true Son of God. Loving our enemies does not mean turning a blind eye to their wickedness. Love cannot be separated from truth, or it is no longer love. And loving our enemies shouldn't be confused with a warm, fuzzy emotion or sentimental feeling. (The world has a funny idea of what love actually is). Instead, loving our enemies harnesses the gospel-driven motivation to point them to Christ. It is to intercede for our enemies in prayer, to tell them the truth about their sin and their need for a Savior, to stand firm in our faith before them as a testimony, and—if we are ever called to do so—to die at their hands in Jesus' name for His glory.

The 21 men who were mercilessly beheaded by ISIS terrorists recently was an act of love; dying for their faith was a powerful testimony to Christ. It's important to pray for the ISIS terrorists' eyes to be opened to the truth, just the Apostle Paul's eyes were—for let's never forget that before his conversion, Paul himself was a murderous persecutor of Christians. God can, and does, redeem the lives of even the most depraved and sinful of people by His grace, for His glory, so that no one can boast (Eph 2:8).

In the same vein, showing love towards all Muslims does not mean seeking common ground with, or cozying up to, a false religion that claims wrongful ownership of Jesus as a their prophet. It means reaching out to them in the self-sacrificial love of Christ and sharing the gospel with them—with gentleness and respect.

In showing Christ-centered love to Muslims, we should be careful to distinguish between individual Muslims and the institution of Islam. We should prayerfully reach out to our Muslim friends and neighbors in the love of Christ, as per the Great Commission (Matt 28:16-20, Acts 1:8). Our efforts to relate to Muslims on a one-on-one basis, however, should not be confused with forging friendship and/or unity between the Christian and Islamic faiths. This is to be unequally yoked (2 Cor 6:14-18). Churches should not work corporately with mosques and engage in interfaith partnerships—a common practice that has stemmed from the Interfaith Movement, which seeks to unify mystical elements in all religions and identify the common ground between them. For in the interfaith context, the Bible cannot be treated as the supreme authority on matters of faith.

Today, various—seemingly benign—aspects of the Interfaith Movement have permeated the Church. One of these is the practice of interfaith dialogue. Many churches are engaging in interfaith dialogue as a means to seeking deeper understanding, friendship, and common ground, between religions. Within evangelicalism, the practice of interfaith dialogue for the purpose of "building bridges" between those of different faith-backgrounds has become increasingly popular. The initial motive for evangelical churches in reaching out this way, is usually intended as a starting point for sharing the gospel. Often, however, the rules of engagement involve a prior agreement to refrain from attempting to convert one another—as has been the case with the Christian-Muslim dialogue sessions practiced at Rick Warren's Saddleback Church with neighboring mosques, for example. This can result in the gospel message being obscured, and relativistic compromises being made, in an effort to maintain the amicable relations that have been forged through such sessions. Moreover, the biblical Jesus is obscured, even misrepresented, so as to be compatible with differing religious beliefs. In these dialogues, deal-breakers like the Trinity, for example, are almost always conveniently ignored or downplayed. Interfaith partnerships set up a false peace, brushing important differences under the rug, and essentially attempt to mix lightness with darkness (2 Cor 6:14). Yet Scripture is clearly teaches us to speak the truth in love for God's glory. Interfaith dialogue, then, fuels pluralism not evangelism—it gives rise to lies not love.

Uphold Justice
By faith we are called to be administrators of justice (Heb 11:33) and to correct oppression (Isa 17:1). As Christians, we cannot show authentic Christ-like love to others without also upholding justice on behalf of the weak, the poor, the vulnerable, and the oppressed—regardless of cultural or religious context, race, or social status. Christians are commissioned to be upholders of truth and justice in a deceitful and unjust world, and this means standing up for what is right in the eyes of God, not man.

Upholding justice is not the same thing as seeking revenge. It isn't about spewing bitterness and rage. Upholding justice can, in part, be motivated by righteous anger. But it's main motivation is our love of God and our love of others (Matt 22:37-40). It takes courage, conviction, and careful discernment.

The Hebrew word for “justice,” mishpat, which is used in its various forms over 200 times in the Old Testament, essentially means to treat people equitably; acquitting or punishing every person, without partiality, according to the merits of each case. In other words, mishpat is giving people what they are rightfully due, whether punishment, protection, or provision. Repeatedly throughout Scripture, therefore, mishpat describes taking up the care and cause of widows, orphans, immigrants, the oppressed, and the poor.

And so, as upholders of justice, we cannot passively stand by while our brothers and sisters in Christ are being oppressed. We must actively pray. And we must also speak up on their behalf and be the voice of righteousness in a morally perverted world. As upholders of justice, we should stand against bigotry, hatred, and the demonization of Muslim people. Yet we should also not flinch from addressing the true evil and violence that is at the core of the religion of Islam.

Be Informed

Many Westerners, including Christians, are apathetic towards, or ignorant about, the world-wide political impact of the growth and radicalization of Islam. Many choose to stick their heads in the sand, despite the warning signs of unrest in the Middle East and Africa or the growing problems in Western Europe. Many Westerners essentially have the wool pulled over their eyes.

But in order to uphold justice and be the voice of reason, Christians must be informed about what we're dealing with in ISIS and how it relates to the religion of its origin.

Born from an especially brutal al Qaeda faction, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has grown from relative obscurity in recent years to overshadow its extremist patrons. It now terrorizes large swaths of Syria and Iraq. With the public, cold-blooded execution of multiple Westerners, ISIS now dominates headlines the across the world.

It's important to understand, however, that the actions of ISIS are not contrary to Islamic principles and theology as is commonly claimed. ISIS is, in fact, a necessary outworking of the Islamic faith. Calling Islam a "religion of peace" is a blatant misrepresentation. This may sound like an extreme and/or bigoted statement, especially in light of the myths, lies, and selective quotes from the Qur'an, propagated by liberal imams and perpetuated accordingly by the mainstream Western media. For while it is true that there are certainly peaceful Muslims in the world, it is also true that there is violence, deceit, and evil at the core of Islam. Simply put, it is a religion fueled by the venomous Father of All Lies.

Plenty of politically correct know-it-alls like to scoff at this and tell us that Islam is a peaceful religion, that Muslims love Jesus, that Islam is misunderstood and has much overlap with Christianity. But these are grave and dangerous misconceptions.

While anti-Christian sentiments have steadily risen in the West (including among Christians!) over recent decades, sympathies for Islam have increased accordingly. But befriending, or seeking unity with, Islam, is to ignore the repeated warnings of Jesus (as echoed by the Apostles after Him) that we need to be on watch for, and flee from, false teachers. Let us not forget that Muhammad is one of the most infamous false teachers of all time. The astounding number (1.8 billion) of people who identify as his followers shouldn't intimidate us or cause us to view his teachings any more favorably.

For the fact is, the threat to our nation in mounting. A senior Iranian cleric with close ties to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed on Friday, February 27, 2015, that “we will raise the flag of Islam over the White House” in response to the killing of Hezbollah and Revolutionary Guards operatives on the Golan Heights the month before. But this sentiment is nothing new. It is the same war cry that has been consistently expressed from Islamic leaders in the Middle East, both before and after 9-11, and it should take no one by surprise.

The reality is, however, America is in danger of going down the same treacherous path of capitulation that Britain has paved for itself. Being myself British born, it has been devastatingly hard to watch what is happening to my homeland, where due to pressure from the British Muslim community the country is becoming slowly and subtly Islamized. The government routinely allows foreign jihadis to enter the country, while it bans counter-jihadis solely for the crime of speaking the truth about Islam and jihad. When defenders of free society against Islamization took part in the country's first "anti-Islamisation" rally recently, they were dismissed by fellow Brits as “right-wing nutters” and “fascists.” In fact, the counter-demonstration was over five times larger. By all accounts, it seems that Britain as a free nation is in its last days. But Americans should take heed; America could be close behind.

Christians need to understand what the Qur'an and Hadith actually teach and we need to get to grips with the demonic roots of the religion. For true Islam, Muhammad’s Islam—not the peaceful Islam of liberal Muslims or that which is presented to the West by Imams who are permitted to lie for the furtherance of Islam as under the law of taqiyya—is a religion of the sword. Many injustices against Christians, women, and other minorities living in Muslim-majority countries occur as a direct result of what the Qur'an and Hadith teach about the life of Muhammad.

As per Islamic tradition, Muslims are taught to model their lives on the Sunnah, Muhammad's perfect life example. In other words, Islam is built upon Muhammad's words and deeds. This is deeply unsettling when we consider that Muhammad was a warlord and a polygamist who took many concubines and married a six-year-old girl, consummating the marriage when she was 9 years old and he was 53 (which is the grounds for Iranian constitutional law permitting grown men to marry 9-year-old children).

Here are some important points to know:

1. Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. It is expected to increase by about 35% in the next 20 years, rising from 1.6 billion in 2010 to 2.2 billion by 2030, according to population projections by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life.

2. Islam is a false religion that cannot be syncretized with Christianity. You may hear that there are similarities between Islam and Christianity. This is true. But they are minor when compared to the fundamental, deal-breaking differences between the two faiths. Focusing on common ground between the religions, as is the current trend among many churches and missionaries working with, and engaging in interfaith dialogue with, Muslims, ends up leading to more confusion than it does to conversion. It muddies the waters and gives credibility (inadvertently albeit) to dangerously false religion. One example of this is the use of the Qur'anic verses about Jesus to witness to Muslims (as per the CAMEL method endorsed a few years ago by the Southern Baptist Convention), which gives the false impression that the Qur'an is a dependable source of information about Him. While using our common admiration for Jesus as a starting point to presenting the gospel to Muslims has proven to be an effective means of outreach, the common ground approach has been frequently taken too far, blurring biblical truth about who Jesus is to accommodate amicable Muslim-Christian relations in the name of loving our neighbor.

3. Islam acts as a political institution (in fact it is intrinsically political in nature). This often has dire implications for Christians and other religious minorities living in Muslim-majority countries. Democracy and true Islam are incompatible because Islam runs counter to the basic democratic tenet of freedom of religion, thought, and expression. Islam, more than any other monotheistic religion, invites itself into every aspect of social life. More specifically, Islam is inherently, and by definition inconsistent with, the separation of church and state—an idea that is entirely foreign to Islamic orthodoxy; even Muslim-majority political parties that are secular in name dare not forsake the basic tenets of Islam, which take precedence even over economic advantage.

The political nature of Islam poses a mounting threat to the West that is not being taken with the seriousness it deserves by the current Administration. As the President continues to show weakness and Muslim sympathies, the bellicose rhetoric from those who consider themselves to be at war with the United States continues to heat up.

4. Islam is a religion of the sword by its own interpretation. The Qur'an is unique among religious scriptures in its acceptance of the doctrine of abrogation in which later pronouncements of Muhammad declare null and void his earlier pronouncements. This is significant because the violent verses in the Qur’an from Muhammad’s later warlord years abrogate (nullify) the more peaceable verses from earlier in his life as dictated by Islamic tradition.

5. Muhammad's own life models violent jihad. Muslims are commanded to model their lives on the Sunnah, Muhammad's prefect life example. The violent verses from Muhammad's warlord years command Muslims to “fight and kill [non-Muslims] unless they convert” (Surah 9:5), for example, which is a principle that Muhammad himself practiced, beheading infidels. Violent jihad is at the heart of Islam—it is not just the misinterpretation of a peaceful religion by extremist fringe groups. There are hundreds of Qur’anic verses on the subject of jihad, as well as the "Book of Jihad," which found in all Hadith collections. In sum, the Qur'an and Hadith demand jihad—a holy war, for the furtherance of Islam. 

Do Not Fear

There is a difference between being informed about the serious dangers of Islam and being fearful of it. This is not a call for panic or for obsessive survival prepping to withstand what might be coming. Alternatively, living in denial and sticking our heads in the sand is not an option; the challenge of Islam to the Church calls for a balanced, informed, well-reasoned, and prayerful response—all of which should reflect the hope we have in Christ. The Church must recognize what we are dealing with in Islam, stand firmly in our faith, and set forth the truth of the gospel plainly in order to save ourselves and our hearers (2 Cor 4:2).

None of these facts about Islam or ISIS should strike fear in our hearts. Our God is sovereign and His final judgement is coming. Let us not forget that Jesus has already overcome the world! Let us never lose sight of the fact that as Christians we are children of the promise who believe in GOOD NEWS! Let us remember that we are watching and waiting for His triumphant return! If our eternal Savior is our ultimate focus, we will not be overwhelmed by the temperate evil that swirls around us, nor the fleeting trials we may face. Our hope must remain firmly in Christ.

The Truth About Joy

Should Christians feel a sense of joy when others are suffering in the world? When there is poverty, sickness, and children dying at the hands of ISIS? When our newsfeeds are a constant reminder of all that is wrong with the world?

Who are we to feel joyful when bad things are happening to others all around us? Is it insensitive and selfish to have joy in our hearts when other Christians are being persecuted?

Yes—we are urged to remember those in prison as if we ourselves are in prison (Heb 13:3), for if one part of the Body hurts, the whole Body is affected (1 Cor 12:26). Yes—we are urged to mourn with those who mourn and weep with those who weep. But let us not forget that we are also encouraged to rejoice with those who rejoice (Rom 12:15)!

Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, not a product of the flesh. It is not merely a mindset or an emotion. The joy we receive from the Spirit, like peace, passes understanding and transcends our earthly circumstances. Such joy doesn't just come when something good happens and go away when something bad happens. It is from a constant, unchanging, and divine source that doesn't depend on the world or conform to its patterns.

Joy can co-mingle with grief, for it isn't merely a happy-go-lucky attitude. We can be perplexed by tragedies, earthly circumstances, suffering, and disappointments. We can have empathy and compassion for others. But when we are hard pressed on every side, we are not crushed. We do not despair when we have joy (2 Cor 4:8). Jesus wept (John 11:35). But even so, He was full of a constant joy through the Holy Spirit (Luke 10:21).

Joy is a gift from God. It cannot be sustained in our own strength; it's not attainable through positive thinking, fleshly pleasures, or meditation, for example, which produce only a cheap and fleeting substitute. Joy is a natural outworking of our faith, which comes from God's grace, not from our works, so no one can boast. When the disciples were rejoicing that they had cast out demons, Jesus affirmed them, but also He exhorted them, "However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20). If our joy is in our salvation, it will not be increased by our achievements or reduced by our failures.

Joy rejoices in hope. And it sustains our patient endurance of trials. Paul urges us to “rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation.” (Rom 12:12). For joy preserves us while we wait for our blessed hope—the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13).

Joy glorifies God. Joy revels worshipfully in who God is and what He has done for us. Joy comes from praying to, and praising, God. Joy is most deeply experienced through dying to self and living in Christ for God's glory.

Joy is Christ-centered. Joy looks upward to the Lord, not around us at the world. Joy doesn't come from living in denial (for this is foolishness), but from embracing an eternal perspective. It comes from fixing our eyes on Jesus.

Joy draws others to a faith in Christ. When we rise above earthly trials, rejoice always, and give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thess 5:16-18), this is a powerful testimony to the hope we have in Christ. When we radiate joy as His witnesses, we are shining the light of Christ into a dark world.

Joy is knowing the truth; despair is believing the lie. For joy is found in the blessed assurance of our salvation—it is a foretaste of glory divine! As heirs of salvation, born of His Spirit, washed in His blood, how can we not have joy?

Nothing But Christ Crucified

When you've hit rock-bottom, and are saved into His grace, you really get it. The Apostle Paul was a religiously zealous and learned man before he met Christ on the road to Damascus. But he was a wicked murderer and persecutor of Christians. God had let him hit rock-bottom so he could more powerfully grasp the extent of His great mercy and forgiveness. When Paul was saved, he truly knew what it meant to be born again. And, with humility, he died to self and resolved to know nothing but Christ crucified (1 Cor 2:2). By going in the power of the Holy Spirit, he ultimately became the world's greatest missionary and church planter.

Tommie Scott was a drug-dealer and Crips gang member who earned the nickname, "Hit Man," on the streets of LA. When he heard the gospel in prison and accepted it, his unprecedented transformation was much like that of Paul. Tommie realized how truly amazing God's grace is, when he was saved from a rock-bottom past steeped deeply in sin. Like Paul, he had destroyed the lives of many others. But he had been forgiven through the blood of Christ. And because of this, he couldn't stop sharing the life-changing good news everywhere he went—in prison, at bus stops, on the street, with his girlfriend and kids. He wasn't trained in evangelism or schooled in theology. But when he first believed in prison, he read the Bible through two times in three months. He posted a Proverb every day on the prison wall for all to see. He brought 40 other inmates to Christ. The Word of God is living and active and it lives in Tommie Scott. To this day, he preaches the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit with humility and conviction. See his testimony.

Our churches need to get back to the basics. We need to stop strategizing about how to outreach and start sharing the gospel. We need to stop marketing our faith and start living it. We need to stop peddling religious goods and services and start making disciples. We need to stop finessing and tweaking the Christian message to make it more culturally appealing in a world that has rejected Christ and start teaching the truth plainly (2 Cor 4:2). We need to stop trying to control things and start trusting, and participating, in God's promise that He will build His Church (Matt 16:18). We need to stop trying to get ahead of the cultural curve, and start living counter-cultural lives as foreigners in the world. We need to stop giving lip-service to "loving neighbor" and actually do it by sharing Christ with them.

I have had some rock-bottoms in my life. I know what life is like without God. Now it's time to let God turn our rock-bottoms into a new song of praise for the One who redeems! So then, with humility, let's resolve to know nothing but Christ crucified and let His Kingdom come.

A Prayer for the Persecuted

Asia Bibi, a Pakistani wife and mother of five, used these words to defend her faith against mocking co-workers who tried to make her convert to Islam: "Our Christ sacrificed His life on the cross for our sins....Our Christ is alive.” She was later convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to death, which she currently awaits in prison (as of May 27, 2014, her appeal has been postponed for the fifth time). Asia has given up everything for her faith: her family, her freedom, and her potentially her life. She has been in prison since 2009.

Once-in-a-while, when I lay in bed at night—home and safe with my family—I think of her. I confess that, often, too much time passes by when I forget to think of her. Life gets busy, I get preoccupied. And then, all of a sudden, I remember her. And I'm struck by how much has happened in my life since the last time I thought of her. But she's still there, waiting on death row. So, then, with a heavy-heart, I pray for her. Sometimes, the prayers seem pointless. It has been so long since she was imprisoned and our prayers seem to be going unanswered. But this is to look at Asia's plight through earthly eyes.

Asia once shared this story with a Christian ministry worker who was able to visit her in prison:

"There is a beautiful thing that happens every day in my cell. Two days after they announced my death penalty, I was brought into [death row]. Every morning around 3:30 or 4, a brown bird with a long beak appears and sits on the boundary wall. This bird also comes every evening around 5. He sits there for 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening. Later on he became my friend. I talk to him and he also talks to me."

I pray that the bird still visits her. I pray that Asia is not in despair. I pray that seeing the bird reminds her of Jesus' words, "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" (Matt 6:26). Asia Bibi is so very precious to our great God. She has not been forgotten by the One who loves her, who created her, and gave His life for her. I pray that in the midst of her long-term suffering that she remains encouraged and that she's continually filled with peace that passes understanding and hope that's rooted in Christ.

The Muslim governor of Asia Bibi's home province who fought for her and her family, was brutally murdered by Islamists. Her family lives in fear for their lives and are in hiding. 

Sadly Asia's story is not uncommon. There currently are many Christians being ruthlessly persecuted all over the world. 

In Sudan, a Christian mother and practicing medical doctor, Meriam Yahia Ibrahim (age 27), was recently arbitrarily detained, charged with adultery and apostasy by a Sudanese Public Order Court. She has subsequently been sentenced to death. Because she was born in Sudan, she is considered a Muslim by default, making her marriage to her non-Muslim husband illegal in the eyes of Sudan's Public Order Criminal Code. Adultery and apostasy are each punishable by 100 lashes and death. UPDATE BELOW.

Meriam was heavily pregnant with her second child at the time of her arrest. She gave birth (in a prison clinic with her legs chained) to a baby girl named Maya on May 27, 2014. Her execution has been upheld by the court in Khartoum after she refused to recant her Christian faith, but it will not be carried out until Maya is two-years-old.

The trials of our faithful sisters Asia and Meriam should not be forgotten. Paul urges us to remember those who are in prison as if we ourselves are in prison (Heb 13:3). 

I pray for the release of Asia and Meriam. I pray that they and their families will not lose heart but will be encouraged and have hope. I pray that in their hearts and minds they would echo the words of the Apostle Paul: "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies." (2 Cor 4:8-10). I pray that they will hold on to the truth that "this light momentary affliction is preparing for [them] an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as [they] look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." (2 Cor 4:16-18).

Jesus said, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matt 5:10). And He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! (Rev 22:20).

Sign the petition for Meriam's release here. UPDATE 5/31/14: Due to diplomatic pressure to halt her execution, Sudanese officials announced that they expect to release Meriam soon. Praise God and keep praying!
UPDATE 6/2/14: Now, Sudan is retracting that statement, saying instead that it will wait for a court to rule on her appeal. There is no doubt Sudan is trying to stop the growing wave of international pressure. As her attorneys in Sudan said, "It's a statement to silence the international media. This is what the government does."

International Christian Concern is a great resource to find out how to pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters.