Tag Archives: ISIS

Isis Vs. Yeshua Resulting in a Miracle

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Reports: ISIS Jihadist Converts to Christ after Dream

CBNNews.com

Friday, June 12, 2015

According to Youth With a Mission, a missionary in a Middle Eastern country met the former Islamic extremist through a mutual friend.

The man said he had killed a number of Christians and even admitted to enjoying it.

But that all changed when he dreamt of a man in white who brought a sobering message.

To watch a news video of this story, go to http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2015/June/Reports-ISIS-Jihadist-Converts-to-Christ-after-Dream/

 

Isis Vs. Christians Resulting in Miracles

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From http://eaglerising.com/16225/christians-captured-by-isis-terrorists-refuse-to-convert-then-a-miracle-happens/

 

Christians Captured by ISIS Terrorists Refuse to Convert – Then a Miracle Happens

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In late February ISIS cut a swath of destruction across the Syrian countryside, attacking 35 Assyrian villages and taking almost 300 innocent people captive. One of those towns was a small village by the name of Tel Goran, from which 21 Assyrian Christians were captured and carried off into captivity. The ISIS fighters kept these people captive for some five days before finally releasing the lot of them, on the condition that none of them return to their village. The captives agreed.

But that isn’t the full extent of their story. In fact, the rest of the story ends up making the ordeal sound more like an act of God and less like a simple hostage situation.

The Assyrian International News Agency (or AINA) recounted the story through an interview they did with a young man named Robert who was one of the hostages from Tel Goran.

AINA: Tell us how the attack started and how you were captured.

Robert: There usually are guards in the village. On that day the guards left for Hasaka at 4 A.M. ISIS entered the village at 5 A.M. and knocked on our doors and awoke us. They rounded us up, everyone in the village, and placed us in a small room. On the other [north] side of the river there were Kurdish and Assyrian fighters, and we could hear the exchange of fire between them and ISIS.

AINA: How many of you were there?

Robert: 21. 17 men and 4 women.

ISISAINA: What happened when you arrived at Abdul Aziz Mountain?Robert: They placed us in two small rooms. We spent the night there.

AINA: What did they say to you?

Robert: They asked us to convert to Islam.

AINA: That was the first thing they said?

Robert: Yes, that was their idea that we should convert to Islam.

AINA: Who was speaking to you?

Robert: Many bearded people spoke to us, and everyone asked us to convert to Islam.

AINA: How many?

Robert: Very many. Everyone spoke to us, whoever saw us.

AINA: What happened next?

Robert: We spent the night there. In the morning they brought cars and drove us for about 4 hours into the mountains.

AINA: How long did you stay there?

Robert: For 5 days, until we were released.

AINA: When you arrived there what did ISIS say and do?

Robert: They kept pressuring us to convert to Islam, it was their constant focus. But we were not mistreated.

image: http://cdn1.eaglerising.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/ISIS-army-300×184.png

ISIS armyAINA: When ISIS asked you to convert to Islam, what was your answer?Robert: We said we would not convert. They said you must then pay the jizya [a Christian poll tax] or leave the country. That was the option given to us. We said we would pay the jizya but we would not convert.

AINA: How much was the jizya?

Robert: They said this time they would not collect the jizya because we had not fought against them. They said that they would release us on condition that we not return to our village. They said if we returned and they captured us again they would kill us without any other option, they would behead the men and enslave the women.

AINA: Did anything else happen while you were there?

Robert: No. We were provided with all necessities — food, water, bathing facilities. They brought us everything.

AINA: What did they say on the day of your release?

Robert: They again said that we must not stay in the country, if they captured us again they would kill us.

 

ISIS has been raping, robbing, pillaging and murdering as they ransack the Iraqi and Syrian countryside, yet here we have a story where not only were all of the captured Christians released unharmed, they were not even maltreated during their captivity.

I don’t know (and neither do those who were held captive) the reasons why this group was treated with such care, but we can be thankful for small miracles. Yes, they’re still being forced to flee their homes for foreign soil, but at least they do so with their lives intact.

The article mentions that one reason given by ISIS for the group not receiving harsher treatment was the fact that they didn’t fight back. While this may have worked in this instance, we know from other experiences that not fighting back has not always led to better treatment from ISIS.

In fact, many of the dead who have fallen before the horror that is ISIS were innocent victims who never raised a finger to fight back.

Which is why the safe return of the villagers from Tel Goran is no doubt a miracle from God.

Read more at http://eaglerising.com/16225/christians-captured-by-isis-terrorists-refuse-to-convert-then-a-miracle-happens/#46Y1bYsGMi5J08jF.99

 

Ways to Help Persecuted Christians in Syria

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The following article is from Open Door USA (http://www.opendoorsusa.org) — http://www.opendoorsusa.org/newsroom/tag-news-post/syrian-pastors-church-workers-carrying-out-ministry-with-gods-help/

SYRIAN PASTORS, CHURCH WORKERS CARRYING OUT MINISTRY WITH GOD’S HELP

August 31, 2015 by Janelle P in Middle East
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An estimated 700,000 Christians have left Syria, but some pastors and church workers have made the decision to stay in the country torn apart by a civil war and the savage murders and kidnappings carried out by Islamic State (IS) extremists. Life is dangerous for Christians with daily shootings, regular bomb explosions and snipers in the streets. What makes Pastor Samuel* and relief worker Fathi* from Aleppo and Pastor Edward from Damascus stay?

Before the war began, cities such as Aleppo, Damascus and Homs were home to large Christian communities. Many of the Christians who are still in Aleppo are there for two main reasons: 1) they have no money to leave the city, or 2) they feel called to stay to help the remaining people or their congregations. One of them is Pastor Samuel, a pastor of a Protestant church with 250 members attending every Sunday. His wife and children have left the country; for them it was impossible to live under the constant threat of violence. The family endured great sacrifice. They have been separated from each other for a long time.

“Despite everything that has happened, we are all trying to do our best to serve the people who remain and provide God’s hope in a hopeless situation,” says Pastor Samuel. He sees many people coming to his church, mainly people who cannot go to their own churches because of the fighting. “In many situations the only thing we can do is pray. Psalm 91 comforts me and gives me strength.”

Fathi is one of the Syrian Christians who plays a key role in helping refugees through local churches supported by Open Doors.

“No, I never thought of leaving,” he said to an Open Doors worker. “Every day I see how we can help people deal with reality. Of course, on the other side, I think of my family. I am afraid for their lives, but not for my own. Over the last couple of years the Lord had protected me when I was stopped at checkpoints and when I went through certain areas of the city and country. God protected me.

“That keeps me going. I see how we can make a difference through the work we are doing. When bullets hit left and right of you, when buildings crash, and when you fear for your life, the bigger picture helps us to continue. We need to go on. I am happy to see it is a joint effort of different churches and denominations. It is not about me.”

Pastor Edward stays with his wife Ranaa in the Syrian capital of Damascus.

“We don’t want to leave,” he shares. “We are feeling even more responsible now. To be honest, we’re not really concerned about our own safety. We thank God who is helping us day by day. He is giving us a peace that surpasses understanding.”

All of the people leaving have left a large hole in the churches.

“Of course we feel it when people leave,” says Pastor Edward. “It depresses us to see people depart. Though many have left, the church is still full. Many new people are coming to church. That is very encouraging. We see the hand of God at work.”

The three are thankful for the Christians around the world who pray for Syria.

“We thank God for all those who pray for us and who support us,” expresses Pastor Samuel. “The Lord is watching us. He is our fortress, our strength and refuge. He will protect us.”

Syria is ranked #4 on Open Doors’ 2015 World Watch List (www.worldwatchlist.us) of the 50 worst persecutors of Christians.

Open Doors President/CEO David Curry told the Christian Post in a phone interview recently that refugees in northern Iraq and Syria are facing “huge food shortages,” with close to 300,000 Christians having limited means by which to pay for food. With millions of people displaced across the region, Open Doors estimates that $20 million will be needed to provide food for the refugees in the next 18 months. Curry said that one of his biggest concerns is that Christians “will be the last among the refugees to receive vitally needed help,” and called on Christians around the world to partner with Open Doors in order to remind those who are suffering that they are not forgotten.

Help feed an entire family in Syria and Iraq for a month for just $50.

*Real names are protected for security reasons

Compiled by Jerry Dykstra. For media inquiries, contact Christine Cape at 404-545-0085 or Christy Lynn Wilson at 770-401-9842.