Indonesian Believers Standing Firm in Their Faith
Despite facing threats of violence and death from local Muslims, Christians in Indonesia are standing firm in their faith, taking to heart the words of the Apostle Paul – “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
According to Bruce Allen of Forgotten Missionaries International, a group of believers in an Indonesian village, led by a FMI-supported church planter, was holding a meeting to discuss starting a formal church when about 20 Muslims interrupted.
The Muslims told the believers to disperse and to stop meeting together, threatening them with machetes and taking their pictures for future intimidation. A box of weapons was later discovered outside the church door.
Bruce Allen says “[The] Pastor stayed a while longer with the family who had hosted the church meeting. They just shared their heart with him, wondering, ‘How do we go on from here? We’re nervous, we’re scared, but what do we do next? We still want to be discipled by you.'”
Despite facing possible death, this Pastor, who individually disciples about 15 believers in this village, revealed he plans on returning to the village later this month to continue his ministry.
Allen told Mission Network News, “He’ll hold a meeting with all those Christians again, several different families and parts of families represented in that new congregation, and really encourage them, saying, ‘This is what we face as Christians in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim dominant country.’
“Even though Christians enjoy protection constitutionally, on a local level, practically, they may not enjoy that because of radical elements that like to go from village to village and hunt down Christians.”
Due to the growing opposition to Christianity in Indonesia, Open Doors USA president, David Curry, has called on the Christian community worldwide to unite in prayer for their brothers and sisters in Indonesia.
“Christianity is opposed in Indonesia,” he said. ” It is a very difficult place to work, but we need to be praying, we need to be going, we need to be interacting with and loving Muslims in that culture. I think we keep pressing forward, but we know what we’re dealing with.”
- Pray for Christians in Indonesia, for their protection, for perseverance of faith, and for courage to build bridges of God’s love to their Muslim neighbours and communities.
- Pray for this Pastor as he returns to this Indonesian village. Pray for protection for him, his family, and the believers with whom he meets in this village.
- Pray for the Indonesian government to take seriously their responsibility under the constitution to allow freedom of belief for all people.
- Pray for Indonesia, for a move of the Holy Spirit across this nation, that many will have life changing encounters with Jesus Christ.
Romans 8 vs 38 – 39: “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.“
Source: http://www.gospelherald.com/articles
