May 2017 Persecution Magazine (1 of 4)

President’s Letter
THE REAL MARTYRS
Of course, the real martyrs are not the killers, but the victims, especially
Akash and Sikander. When Akash was killed, his soul was immediately
taken to heaven where he received the crown of life, an eternal
reward that will never perish, spoil, or fade. Akash’s mother spoke with
ICC some time after the bombing and spoke to this point.
“We [have] two feelings,” she said. “We are depressed because we
have lost our son. But we are also proud of his sacrifice. He saved hundreds.
I am happy that God has given him the crown of martyrdom.”
Akash wasn’t a pastor, missionary, or saint. He was like you and me.
He aspired to live like Jesus but probably failed miserably on a day-today
basis. Yet, by laying down his life for others, he became Jesus to
the many in St. John’s Church who lived that day because one deceived
follower of Satan couldn’t get to them. Because of Akash’s sacrifice
and death, they lived.
Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life
for one’s friends” (John 15:13 NIV). While the suicide bombers died
in the fire and violence of hate, Akash and the other security guard laid
down their lives in one supreme act of selflessness and sacrifice.
A FLAWED STRATEGY
There’s a lot of propaganda coming from our government and echoed
by uninformed sheep that Islam is a religion of peace. Most in the
leadership of our government involved in fighting Islam know this isn’t
true. Muhammad wasn’t peaceful. He personally led 35-70 raids where
many were killed. He was preaching and evangelizing for a decade with
only a few followers to show for it when he said that Allah gave him a
new revelation. This revelation would radically change his religion and
would cause the number of his followers to explode.
What was this new revelation? He said Allah showed him that he
could kill those who opposed him. He could also take their gold, their
homes, their wives and their children and do anything he wished with
them. He could make them his “wives” or sell them as slaves. This was
Allah’s will that had just been revealed to him.
Muhammad even had to urge his followers to attack and kill others
since your average person doesn’t want to be involved in this
kind of “worship.”
“Fighting is ordained for you (Muslims) though you dislike it, and it
may be that you dislike [something] that is good for you. Allah [knows
best]” (Quran 2:216).
THE CONUNDRUM
The conundrum our leaders face is that they fear if they tell the
truth and openly condemn Islam, it will only become more violent
and millions more young Muslim men around the globe will stand
up to defend their religion and flow into the ranks of Islamic terror.
So they have come up with a very flawed and increasingly incongruous
campaign to put a wedge between the moderates and radicals
of Islam through sloganeering (“Islam is a religion of peace”).
The only problem is that they are fighting against the holy books
of Islam, Muhammad, as well as the Saudi and other Gulf states that
have spent 200 billion dollars or more in the last 40 years radicalizing
the world’s Muslims.
When I get weary of the resulting massive flowing sewer of
Islam’s victims, when the countless stories of planned mass
and individual murder and violence weigh me down (and
they do), I take refuge in the fact that those who died for
Christ have stood before our Father and cried out to Him.
PERSECU ION.org
INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN
“And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their
testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God.”
- Revelation 20:4 (NLT)
“ 9 I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred
for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony.
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They shouted to the Lord and said, “O Sovereign Lord, holy
and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to
this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?
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Then a white robe was given to each of them. And they were
told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers
and sisters—their fellow servants of Jesus who were to be martyred—had
joined them.”
- Revelation 6:9-11 (NLT)
These are the last words of the martyrs we see in the Word and if this
was the end of the story, I would take some comfort in the fact that they
were heard and were to be rewarded from the ultimate source of justice
but I would still be naturally left wanting.
Our souls are wired to desire justice and we have been left wanting in
our culture. One day, justice will be delivered completely and in full by
our hero. He will save the day and all evil will be defeated and judged.
All tears will be wiped away and death and evil will be swallowed up
(Revelation 21:4).
The most important last words for martyrs like Abishey, Akash, and
Sikander, though, will not be the words they speak but rather the ones
they will hear. . .
“Well done, good and faithful servant … Come and share your
master’s happiness!”
- Matthew 25:23 (NIV).
Jeff King
President
International Christian Concern
www.persecution.org
Jeff King, President
International Christian Concern
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