Pakistan (MNN) — A hospital in
Quetta, Pakistan was attacked by a suicide bomber yesterday. The
latest report from Monday evening says the explosion left at least 74
people dead, and 50 wounded. That death toll is expected to rise.
The group of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar
has claimed responsibility for the blast. They are a branch group of the
Pakistani Taliban and have declared support for Islamic State.
Quetta is known as the ‘fruit garden’ of Pakistan and is the country’s ninth-largest city.
Jonathan Shibley with Global
Advance says their mission organization is in touch with a network pastor in Quetta where the attack took place.
“We were able to get in touch with
[him] just this morning and got [his] perspective. The city is on
lockdown right now. He just asked if believers would just pray for their
city, for their nation, for the believers there.”
Global Advance had met with this pastor earlier in the year and talked about the threats Pakistani Christians face.
“It was interesting,” Shibley
remarks, “he said, ‘It’s the love of God that penetrates hard men’s
hearts and that’s the only weapon we have to fight against this
onslaught of the enemy.’”
Two Bombers, Different Endings
While one extremist suicide bomber made
the devastating decision yesterday to blowup a hospital, Shibley shares
the story of another suicide bomber earlier this year in the same city
of Quetta with a different ending.
“[In] this very city, there was a Christian man who had a bookstore
that was selling Bibles earlier in the year and some folks found out
about that, they weren’t happy about it, and sent a bomber into the
store to blow it up.
“The bomber said, ‘Do you have one final request? I’m going to blow
up your store because you’re selling Bibles.’ And the man at the counter
just said, ‘Yes, will you please read this plaque on my wall?’ It was a
plaque of 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter — love is patient, love is kind, etc.
“This bomber reads this Scripture passage, closes his jacket, and
says, ‘I’ll be back,’ and he runs out. That very week, in his dreams he
had a vision of Jesus appearing to him, and he came back to this very
store that he was going to blow up just a few days earlier and sought
out this man. He said, ‘How do I know this Jesus? How can I become a
follower of Jesus? How can I know the love that I’ve read about on your
wall?’”
This is just one of many stories coming out of Pakistan as God’s Church is growing in the midst of persecution.
“God is working, even through what
seems to be the darkest scenarios, and we just need to remember that He
has His men and women positioned in cities like Quetta and regions like
that all over the world who are shining the light. We need to pray for
them that they can be encouraged, that they’ll be strengthened, that God
would protect them, that the Church would advance and flourish in the
midst of this.”
Friendship Evangelism
(Photo courtesy of Forgotten Missionaries International)
In a country where schools teach children that Christians and minority religions are inferior human beings, the presence of extremist groups in Pakistan isn’t surprising, although the government denies it.
With this type environment, how can Pakistani believers even get a foot in the door to share Christ?
Shibley explains, “Practically, at
street level, the only thing that works is love and good deeds, and
believers being examples of that. It’s impossible to refute that type of
a life that shows love, shows good deeds, and believe it or not,
friendship evangelism still is effective in many of these environments.”
Believers in Pakistan aren’t naive to
the potential consequences of sharing their faith. “Many of them have
counted the cost. This brother, this pastor that we work with [in
Pakistan] has counted the cost. He knows that his time may be short, but
he’s not afraid and he continues to do what God has called him to do.”
Safe Houses Fund
Global Advance has an ‘urgent needs’
fund set up to support Pakistan safe houses for Christians through their
pastor contact on the ground. The fund is with Alpha Relief, a ministry
partner of Global Advance.
(Photo courtesy of Open Doors USA)
Click here to contribute to this urgent need and be an encouragement to our Christian brothers and sisters in Pakistan.
You can also be a spiritual encouragement by remembering Pakistan in your prayers today.
“Pray that they will be encouraged.
Pray that they will find courage to live out on a daily basis their
faith and that they’ll have opportunities to show Christ’s love through
good deeds and through kindness, and that God would protect them.”
Source: Mission Network
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