HOW
GOD PROTECTED 50 CHRISTIANS BY A SANDSTORM
A massive sandstorm
protected a group of newly baptized Christians as Islamist militants
pursued them, according to the Bibles for Mideast Organization.
About 50 Christians
in the Middle East, returning from a baptismal service, are said to
have witnessed divine protection from the LORD JESUS CHRIST as a
sandstorm arose, protecting them from a group of extremist Islamists
who were chasing them by shooting them.
“About 50 people,
including baptism candidates [Editor's note: 24 former Islamists]
attended the service. After the baptismal and prayer service, we all
took the same bus back to our house church to participate in the
Lord's worship and sacrament. The bus was moving when suddenly, three
cars - or more - of militants arrived behind us and they started
shooting at us with guns,” testifies Rizwan, a newly baptized.
While the baptismal
service had been kept secret, Bibles for Mideast volunteers cannot
explain how Islamist activists learned of it.
A witness continues
the story of their adventure, "Really, we didn't know what to
do, so we began to pray to the Lord for His divine protection. The
young driver was driving the bus faster and faster and the activists
were following us at the same speed. Some thought we were all going
to die there. Suddenly we saw a giant sandstorm forming behind our
bus.”
At first, we were all
afraid of seeing the sandstorm. But, praise the Lord, we all felt that
the Lord Jesus Christ was in the storm. Jesus saved us. He Himself
blocked the route of the militants in the form of a sandstorm. We
heard gunshots again but never saw the vehicles chasing us again.
Once again, we praise and thank our Lord Jesus Christ for showing His
love and concern for His people. Thank You and praise to the Lord."
Let us thank the
Lord for His divine protection over us His children, wherever we are
in the world and whatever difficulties we go through, God is alive.
He watches over us. It's the truth! In difficulty, He listens to us and
comes to our aid if we ask Him for deliverance. The Bible is full of
promises in this direction.
Isaiah 41:10 Fear
you not; for I am with you: be not dismayed; for I am your God: I
will strengthen you; yes, I will help you; yes, I will uphold you
with the right hand of My righteousness.
Philippians 4:6 Be
careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Hebrews 13:5 Let
your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such
things as you have: for He has said, I will never leave you, nor
forsake you.
Psalms 121:1 I will
lift up my eyes to the hills, from where comes my help. 2 My help
comes from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. 3 He will not
suffer your foot to be moved: He that keeps you will not slumber. 4
Behold, He that keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The
LORD is your keeper: the LORD is your shade on your right hand. 6 The
sun shall not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD
shall preserve you from all evil: He shall preserve your soul. 8 The
LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time
forth, and even for evermore.
THE
LORD JESUS APPEARED TO THE EXTREMISTS IN THE SANDSTORM
A Muslim extremist
who converted to Christianity tells how JESUS appeared to him, as
well as the other militants with him, in the dust storm. He had
decided, with the other Islamists, to kill all the Christians who had
come to a baptismal service but GOD changed their plan.
Haroon (name changed
for security reasons) gave his testimony to Bibles for Mideast, an
underground organization that works to spread the gospel in the
Middle East.
Born into an
important Muslim family in the Middle East, Haroon was raised by a
father who, as one of the country's leading religious authorities,
was responsible for upholding Sharia law. He explains how, as a
trained and sharpshooter, he commanded a militant wing to protect
religion and conduct immediate operations against its enemies.
Having had the
information a few weeks ago that a group of Christians would meet for
a baptismal service in the Arabian Sea, he formed a team of 19
activists to go to the site of the ceremony for the purpose of
killing all Christians in the sea while in service.
He explains how,
being an Islamist militant, he wanted to create an electric shock so
that the world will wake up to the news of the murder, and that
Christians would fear the Muslims and stop evangelizing them in their
region.
By the time they got
to the seashore, however, the group of Christians was already leaving
by bus. The militants then pursued them by shooting the vehicle repeatedly.
In a few seconds,
however, a giant sandstorm formed in front of the vehicles of the
extremists who could no longer advance. They then got out of the cars
continuing to shoot through the dust storm.
Suddenly they saw JESUS appear in the storm, as Haroon explains, "Suddenly
we saw JESUS CHRIST appear in the sandstorm. He was angry and
His eyes were like a blazing fire. And with a powerful voice, He said
to us, "Why are you persecuting Me? It will be difficult for you
to fight against the goads."
Oh, it was a
terrible experience! His voice produced a very strong wind and we all
fell on the road. Our cannons were flying away from us. Without
knowing how, we got up from the road, but we could not speak. We had
lost our voices.
JESUS added, "I
came into the world, not to destroy you, but to save you! Go in
peace!"
Haroon explains, as
JESUS disappeared and the dust storm as well, he and the militants
with him experienced terrible fear and a great peace at the same time.
He says he has never had such an experience in his life before.
Then Haroon and the
others regained their voices and began to praise and thank GOD,
except two of them, who remained in disbelief.
Upon arriving home,
Haroon shared his experience with his father. This one warned him not
to talk about it. After this incident, their militant activities
were abandoned.
The miracles do not
end there, since, following a bite of a poisonous snake, Harija,
Haroon's sister who was dying would be healed by JESUS under
extraordinary circumstances. And here's how:
After the sandstorm
(for Haroon) and a dream (for Harija), the brother and sister asked
GOD to reveal themselves to them. Then a Christian pastor was told
in a dream to visit Harija in the hospital.
He went there and
declared to Haroon, "Haroon, as by a dust storm, the Lord JESUS
saved me and my group of your arms after the baptismal service at the
sea, He also came to us as a wonderful mighty Man showing His
beautiful and protective hands with a sweet smile! I was among the
people leading the group to be baptized."
After saying this,
Pastor Paul then invited Haroon and his sister to believe in JESUS as
their LORD and SAVIOR!
Haroon further
relates that he understood that the Lord JESUS CHRIST had appeared
before His own people as a Mighty Protector with a gentle smile but
also like a blazing fire towards His persecutors.
With his sister, he confessed his sins and accepted JESUS as his Lord and
Savior. Pastor Paul then prayed with them and his sister was totally
healed!
Haroon's father,
already touched in his mind when his son told him about the dust
storm experience, also made the decision to believe in JESUS, after
Harija was healed.
All of his family
members, as well as the 17 activists, also accepted the Lord JESUS
CHRIST as their Savior.
Thank you, Lord
Jesus for saving them! AMEN !!!
