September Newsletter

Richard Wurmbrand was a Romanian Jew who found faith in his Messiah at the age of 27.  He became a pastor and a great Christian leader in Romania.  Ultimately, he suffered three years in solitary confinement, tortured, and 14 years in prison for his faith in Jesus.  The Communist starved him and served him drugs.  His body and mind became very weak.  Despite his difficult conditions, Pastor Wurmbrand would begin each day with the Lord's Prayer.  One day he could only remember the first two words of the Lord's Prayer, "Our Father."  He wept bitterly as he felt that the Communist had stolen his mind.  "How can I be a good pastor now and not remember the sacred prayer of Jesus," he thought.  Suddenly he remembered the greeting of his son Mahai. Each day when he returned home from work at the church,  "Papa!" Mahai would squeal with joy as he ran to his daddy.  Nothing more needed to be said to bring Richard joy at the sound of his son.    At that particular moment in the prison cell, he knew God was pleased to hear only his name.  Peace, joy and love flowed over his body as he repeated the words, "Our Father, my Father, Papa."  

Islam declares that there are 99 holy names of Allah.  "Father" is not one of them.  You cannot find the word for Father to describe Allah in all the Qur'an or Hadith.   Allah is judgmental, distant and unknowing.  

Yet every boy and girl, young and old, yearns to have a loving relationship with their human and divine father. "Like father, like son."  The Scriptures tell us that they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. (John 16:3)  Jesus is referring to the persecution and martyrdom of his children.  Muslims' spiritual father is Allah.  Allah is the god of war and violence.  

Like rejected and angry orphans, fundamental Muslims persecute Christians because they reflect their distant father.  When Muslims become new creations through faith in Jesus Christ they give up the ways of their old father and now bear witness to their perfect Heavenly Father.  

    Jesus declares three verses before 16:3 that His disciples will bear witness or testify to the Son and the Father.  John 15:27 is directly in the middle of Jesus' discourse on the world hating him, the Father and the persecution of the Church. This Greek word for witness is martureō.  The tense is present perfect and is related to the Greek word Martus-modern 

word for martyr. (The inspiration behind the name of Spirit of Martyrdom ministries.)  In other words, Christians are to continually bear an honorable testimony representing our Heavenly Father.  

We all would like to ease and stop the persecution of Christians.  There is a way.  Bear witness of Jesus Christ to our enemies!  If the love of our Heavenly Father will abide inside the hearts of Muslims, persecution will stop.  The God of the Bible loves fundamental Muslims.  Muslims are aching for acceptance and forgiveness of sins from their true Creator- Father.  Please join us in testifying of His love.  You can find testimonies to share with Muslims at www.MuslimEducationCenter.com. 

This month we are highlighting the book, I Dare to Call Him Father.  This book demonstrates the Father heart of God.  It tells the powerful story of a Pakistani Muslim woman finding faith in Jesus Christ and experiencing intimacy with our Heavenly Father.  

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