Jesus winning Bangladesh

The ongoing Bibles for Mideast ministry in Bangladesh (Pastor Peter Haneef is there now with a team) is progressing amazingly and fruitfully, Pastor Paul reports. The team has covered 550 miles and established 11 churches in just 25 days!

Last Sunday, all eleven of the new churches joined for a worship service in a village community hall. Attendees included women, men and children, all from the Muslim religion. Many shared wonderful testimonies. One middle-aged woman asked the team to visit her house in a jungle area to pray for her husband. For the last 15 years, the husband had been bedridden after being viciously attacked by a jungle animal. Team leader Pastor Hussain shared the message of salvation with him, and also explained how he, formerly Muslim, now followed Jesus.

“Do you believe Jesus can be both Savior and mighty healer?” he asked the man. The fellow affirmed his belief immediately … which is all it took for the pastor and team to begin praying for him. And THAT was all it took for him to be filled with the Holy Spirit! He immediately felt a new, refreshing flow through his veins, and standing up, began praising and thanking Lord Jesus. His witness alone brought many people from that area to the Christian gatherings.

While a corner meeting was going on in another place, an angry Imam and several others from a local mosque tried to stop the gathering, brandishing weapons and threatening to kill the people and burn their van.

In response, Pastor Hussain and the team simply knelt down, closed their eyes, and started praying. A sudden wind gust arose and blew a chili-powder-like red dust over the attackers. The would-be assailants fled immediately, while the gospel team calmly carried on. Each and every villager in attendance accepted Lord Jesus as their Lord and Savior!

The team members have been out each day visiting people in their homes, inviting them to attend corner meetings and distributing bibles.

Just last week, we packaged and sent out another 2,000 bibles to the team.  In the time remaining on their mission trip, the team prays and hopes to distribute at least 10,000 bibles and establish 50 churches. Once again thank you for your prayers and kind support; please keep it up!

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Bibles for Mideast pastor and family hospitalized after brutal attack

Pastor Surcaf, the missionary pastor with Bibles for Mideast who played a key role in our last post now desperately, along with his family, needs the prayers of God’s people.

As we told you in that last post, Pastor Surcaf had prayed for the healing and deliverance of a Muslim man named Bachu, with miraculous results (you can read the story here: Freedom and recovery from both a brain tumor and Islam!).

Bachu had been a key leader in his local mosque, but after his healing and conversion, had quit that position. A few days later, he and his family had taken part in three days of prayer and fasting at the ALG Church of Bibles for Mideast under the leadership of Pastor Surcaf. Then, last Sunday, Bachu and his wife received baptism and attended the church’s Sunday service.

A cross is captured through some ornamental railings in the Fort Kochi area in the state of Kerala in South India. | Getty Images

That, however, proved just too much for the congregation of the local mosque, who considered it a tremendous attack towards the mosque and Muslims in general. So they intended to finish off Pastor Surcaf, his family and his home. The night before last, a group of a dozen or more angry Muslim fundamentalists brutally attacked Pastor Surcaf, his wife and four children, as well as set their house ablaze. The family members are now all in hospital with serious injuries, their home a burnt wreck.

Pastor Surcaf’s tiny congregation are praying and doing what they can to assist the hospitalized family. Please join us in prayer for all of them.

A beyond-astonishing story of God’s redemption!

A tale of the truly awesome nature of our Lord’s redemptive power has been unfolding over the last several months in an area of India along the border with Nepal.

One of our Bibles for Mideast leaders, Pastor Riyaz*, had been brutally attacked while ministering among Muslims and Hindus in East Champaran, India. A mob of Muslim fundamentalists threw his seemingly lifeless body into a ditch after attacking him, leaving him for dead.

But God! Some Christian believers found him lying in the ditch and, noticing signs of life, rushed him to the local hospital. That was two months ago. Barely alive and with one knee damaged beyond repair, once he was stabilized somewhat, doctors replaced his knee.

We have been sending out prayer requests to our subscribers (sign up at the bottom of our CONTACT US page, in the Subscribe section, if you’d like to be one of them) for Pastor Riyaz, his wife, four children, his church, and for his deaf and mute sister who lives with the family.

‘May God be glorified through this horror!’ has been our constant prayer. But, just a couple of weeks ago, the horror got worse.

Many of Pastor Riyaz’s* congregation gathered for prayer

Pastor Riyaz had been recovering slowly but well, learning to walk with a walker, and was expecting to be released soon. Then, in the middle of the night, three thugs somehow made their way into the hospital and into his room. One used the pillow he had been propping his leg up with in an attempt to strangle him, while the other two masked men held tightly onto his arms and legs so he couldn’t move.

The pastor’s wife, sleeping in a bed beside him, woke suddenly from a dream where her husband was in mortal danger. Her loud screams alerted hospital staff, who rushed to the room. The attackers, who clearly had hoped to kill the pastor, fled. Pastor Riyaz’s re-injured leg was bleeding profusely by this time, so he was rushed to emergency surgery.

As he recovered in the ICU, his congregation and many others prayed and fasted, often on-site, for his recovery and safety. And soon, answers to prayer began to be more apparent.

The pastor’s health continued to improve, and hospital management both apologised for the attack and provided far tighter security for him. 

Then the hospital staff—all 250 of them, and mostly non-Christians—began visiting Pastor Riyaz and his wife. They wanted to encourage them after the horrible attack, then would stay to listen intently to the couple’s testimony of turning from Islam to Jesus. Many accepted Lord Jesus as their Savior!

When the doctor came for rounds this past Sunday, Pastor Riyaz asked him a special favor. Could he have a worship and prayer service in his room for four people, to include singing and clapping? The doctor said he would look into it, and half-an-hour later returned with official permission.

So at about 11 a.m. yesterday, Pastor Riyaz and those with him began their little worship service. Ten minutes later, the same doctor and a few nurses came to the room and sat with them for prayers. Pastor Riyaz’s wife put a mat on the floor for them to be seated.

A little while later, a few other staff wandered into the quickly-filling room. A doctor who had just arrived announced that even more were on their way, so he asked that the hallway be arranged for prayer.

Soon about 200 people had gathered in the hall, with Pastor Riyaz joining in a wheelchair. For most of the doctors and other staff, it was their very first Christian worship service. Pastor Riyaz shared some of his story of converting to Christianity from Islam, then his wife both shared her testimony and the Word of God. She relied entirely on the Holy Spirit for the words since it was her fist time giving a ‘message’!

As the service wrapped up, many in attendance shared how meaningful and impactful it all had been for them, and before the closing prayer, each and every one joyfully dedicated themselves to Jesus! Worship continued well into the afternoon.

We are also grateful that hospital authorities have reduced the pastor’s hospital bill by half, and will not charge for his second surgery (done after the murder attempt in the hospital). Yet, as Bibles for Mideast Director Pastor Paul explains, we still need a fair amount to settle the rest of the hospital bills.

If you would like more information on what we do, or how to support us (prayer is most important, and you can submit a request for your own needs), please visit our CONTACT US page.
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*Name changed for security reasons

Urgent prayer request for pastors and believers in northern Bangladesh

Two pastors and about 20 members of a Bibles for Mideast underground church in northern Bangladesh were brutally attacked by radical Muslims this morning and desperately need the prayers of God’s people. Pastor Masood is now in coma in hospital with serious head injuries; many others were hurt, and two had to be rushed to hospital.

While observing all Covid-19 protocols, the small group of believers were planning to hold five days of prayer and fasting in the church. On this their third day, an angry mob of some 40 terrorists smashed their way into and through the church wielding iron pipes and wooden sticks. They attacked men and women and destroyed furniture and musical instruments.

All the believers, including the pastors, had converted to Christ from Islam. A secret baptismal ceremony for several of the newest Christians had been held just two weeks ago. Unfortunately, word of the baptisms leaked to the local imam and community leaders last Friday, and plans for the attack began formulating.

Just two weeks ago, roughly 50-60 armed Muslims attacked a nearby Christian village over a land dispute.  One person was injured and a Catholic chapel, a grocery store and several homes were ransacked.

Attack on CHristian village in northern Bangladesh

PLEASE join us in prayer for these believers: for their recovery, and future safety. We treasure and need your help as we work to further God’s Kingdom no matter the challenges and hardships.

[With reporting by Pastor Peter Haneef, President, Assembly of Loving God (ALG) Church]

Miraculous healing, deliverance and salvations in restrictive Middle Eastern kingdom

Report: Bibles for Mideast and the Assembly of Loving God (ALG) Church in the Middle East

Pastor M, married with two young boys, four and six, works tirelessly and fearlessly building a strong underground church in the midst of unimaginable constraints on what he can ‘legally’ say, do, share, or be in a highly restrictive nation of the Middle East. A former Muslim working with Bibles for Mideast and the ALG, he has an amazing story of his own healing and salvation but we’ll have to leave that for another time.  

Two weeks ago, he completely disappeared. Religious police, after finding a gospel tract with his phone number on it, had tricked him into meeting with them. When he agreed and they met up, they brutally beat him before hauling him off to ‘religious court’.  

"Why did you leave Islam and become a Christian minister?" the judge demanded at his trial.

"I was a sinner and got into all kinds of trouble,” Pastor M. replied. “I also contracted a serious disease and became a dying patient. But the Lord Jesus Christ saved my life. He healed me, and also rescued me from sin and death by His crucifixion and death on the cross of Calvary. He rose from the dead and still lives. I believed in Him and received salvation. Then, the Lord Jesus Himself called me to His ministry. So I am now trying to help my fellow brethren find salvation as well."

ISIS burns hundreds of Christian books in MosuL

The court ordered he be imprisoned for 15 days. He was told that if he returned to Islam, he would remain in jail for two more years and then be in service to the religious authorities in their fight against Christianity. Should he decide not to renounce Christianity, he would be beheaded. It was as simple as that.

The young husband and pastor refused their demand so was sent to prison to await execution, and the horrible torture began.

The judge of the court had two sons of his own, plus five daughters. Sadly, he lost his older son at 21 last year to testicular cancer. Now his second son faced the same diagnosis. Doctors had given up both hope and treatment for the younger boy, so he lay in bed at home in excruciating pain, waiting to die.

A week after the sentencing, the judge woke in the middle of the night to a mighty voice sounding in the bedroom.

“Release the pastor from jail!” it boomed. “Ask him to pray for your son to be healed.”

Not liking what he heard, the magistrate ignored the plea.

The next day, his son’s sufferings increased to almost beyond what the boy could bear. That night, the judge dreamt a ball of light, somehow encasing powerful words, headed toward him. The words seemed to flow from the light as it approached.

"Release my servant from the prison and ask him to pray for your son!” he heard echo through the room. “With his prayers, your boy may be cured and healed."

Surely this had to be the work of Satan trying to misguide his faith in Islam! He got up, read some portions from the Koran, and did a Sunnah Namaz (ritual prayer done in special circumstances). 

The third night, the Lord Himself appeared before the judge.

"I am Jesus, the Son of the Most High,” the man in white proclaimed. “I did die on the cross and now live forevermore  [interestingly, Muslims do believe Jesus was raised bodily to heaven by God, but do not believe he died on the cross—Ed.]. You are needlessly persecuting my servant! Release him from prison. Your son will be healed. And, accept Me as your Lord and Savior. This is the only way you and your household can be saved from hell."

Jesus then disappeared. The judge rose from his bed to the sounds of his son screaming out in pain. Rushing to the room, he saw his wife and daughters standing by the bed, weeping. Overcome, he disclosed the details of his dream. They listened in amazement. Without hesitation, his wife and daughters begged him to release the minister and get him over to their house to pray for the boy. The son urged him to as well.

When prison officials got the unexpected order from the judge, they immediately freed the pastor and had him sent to the family’s home.  

The judge poured out all he had heard and seen, and asked forgiveness for the prison sentence and execution order. Pastor M of course agreed, and was led to the young man’s room.

He began by sharing the Truth of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.

“Will you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior?” he asked.

The sick young man agreed straightaway. The others followed, kneeling down and inviting Jesus into their hearts and lives.

The atmosphere now thickening with holiness, Pastor M began to pray. As he did, all were filled with the Holy Spirit. The boy jumped from his bed and began to dance, praising and thanking Jesus for his total healing! Everyone rejoiced in the Lord, the family bursting with a joy they’d never known.

The next day, the judge took the minister back to his court, this time to release him according to court law. For the following three days, Pastor M stayed in the magistrate's home, praying, fasting, teaching from the Bible and preparing the new believers for baptism. On the fourth day, the whole family were baptized. 

As all this was going on, the pastor’s church knew only that he had been beaten and taken away. They hadn’t heard anything from or about him since his disappearance—when they had immediately launched into a time of concerted prayer and fasting.

At one point, his wife—overwhelmed with the strain of continuous prayer, fasting, and understandable concern—became critically ill. Believers rushed her to hospital where doctors began treating her, and discovered she is carrying the couple’s third child.

She remains in hospital, recovering, but with her husband now by her side. Please pray for them, the church, the believers, and Bibles for Mideast ministry in the Middle East. Further exciting news is that the judge’s son has joined our Lord’s ministry and will be working alongside Bibles for Mideast after more extensive training.

Religious police on patrol in Saudi Arabia

Pastor M thanks all who joined the orchestra of prayer for his release and his wife's recovery.

Please also pray for the next baptism service which he had been planning for his church before being ‘sidelined’. Local fundamentalists may well cause problems and resume persecution of this pastor and the church he loves and leads.