International Headquarter P.O. Box 5607 Johnstown, PA 15904
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November 1st, 2006
Christians Burned Alive in Gojra
Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. --Psalms 116:15
Muslims attacked and burned Christian homes and a church in Gojra, Pakistan on Saturday, August 1, 2009, killing seven family members in one home, who were burned to death in broad daylight. The father of the home was shot in the head and thrown into a room with 13 other members of his family and the house was set afire around them. When the fire was so intense that the muslims could not remain, the attackers fled, which allowed 6 young children to escape, but the remainder of the family perished in the flames.
"Some through the waters,
Some through the flood,
Some through the fire,
But all through the blood;
Some through great sorrows,
But God gives a song,
In the night seasons
And all the day long."
The muslims excuse for such an attack was a false claim of blasphemy, accusing some unknown nameless and non existant "Christian" of desecrating the Koran. But anyone who has read their Bibles knows and understands that it is no great wonder that religious murderers are also religious liars.
"Ye are of your father the devil,
and the lusts of your father ye will do.
He was a murderer from the beginning,
and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.
When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own:
for he is a liar, and the father of it."
-John 8:44
The response to such by the Anabaptists Churches of Pakistan was immediate and open as much as it was Biblical and bold. And though Bishop Andrew Sadiq's announcement of such tragedy carried this flashlight, "my head is just spinning", that young Bishop of the Anabaptists in Pakistan, did not waver as he assembled the Pakistani Presbytery and headed right into the midst of the rubble and conflict. Having met with the American Presbytery concerning the tragedy, the Presbytery authorized Bishop McRae to forward funds to Brother Sadiq for the supply of foodstuff for the effected area, and the church immediately forwarded Bishop Sadiq 20,000 Pakistani rupees. That amount combined with monies raised by the Anabaptists of Pakistan, Bishop Sadiq and the Pakistan Presbytery hired a truck, and purchased sacks of grain and flour to distribute to the homeless saints and to the attackers in that which the scriptures admonish,
"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves,
but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written,
Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him;
if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing
thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
Be not overcome of evil,
but overcome evil with good."
-Romans 12:19-21
It is during such a time, that grace, mercy and strength from God Almighty and Jesus Christ our Lord be manifested to all the saints who have “fought the good fight of faith” and who are now absent from the body, and present with the Lord. It is written that, “Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee” (Isaiah 26:3), which will comfort all those in distress, even to strengthen the feebleminded. We are reminded, that with prayers and supplications to be given to all the faithful in Christ Jesus that you might be delivered from the snare of the devil, “remember(ing) them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body” (Hebrews 13:3). As the Anabaptists churches worldwide we have wept with those that wept and have ministered to the necessity of the saints, knowing that our faith growth exceedingly so that “the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth” and that through patience in all persecutions and tribulations, we stand as one in the power of God. As our brethren, the Anabaptists of Pakistan, stood in the midst of all this ungodliness, where the bands of the wicked first came upon Kasur village, the saints there and in Gojra have faced difficult times, yet their patience and faith in all of their persecutions and tribulations that they have endured, is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, and are counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which they suffer, "seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you” (2 Thessalonians 1:6).
How long, O Lord, holy and true,
dost thou not judge and avenge our blood
on them that dwell on the earth?
--Revelation 6:10
Shown below is the picture story of this tragic event in Gojra, Pakistan as recorded by the Anabaptists Church of Pakistan in a Christian community showing the destruction by those fanatic Muslims. While losing some of the faithful martyrs to this horrific tradegy, the Anabaptists reacted with a fervent spirit in compassion to the hurting numbed by the attacks knowing that the trial of your [their] faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ [1 Peter 1:7]”.
Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. --Revelation 1:2
Bishop Sadiq visited Gojra with Pakistani Anabaptists Presbytery on August 11, 2009 with a desire to comfort the broken hearted by the Holy Scriptures...
As they arrived at Gojra they were shocked by the destruction and inhumanity caused by this attack...
because the magnitude of destruction was much greater than what was reported by the Media...
And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem [Gojra] round about. --2 Kings 25:10
And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire. - Numbers 31:10
As Bishop Sadiq with the Anabaptists Presbytery visited many of the affected houses which were destroyed, looted and torched with deaths numbering more than thirty. He said "that their plight was inexplicable and crying was very high, because they are left with nothing, their homes gutted, loved-ones burnt alive, their jobs shed, their children lost the days of play and that they have nothing to feed themselves".
The Christians of Gojra come before the throne of the Almighty God boldly to find grace and help in the time of need, as Anabaptist Bishop Sadiq gathered them together and prayed knowing that "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16).
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. --Philippians 4:6
Pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. --James 5:16 Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee to day. -- 1 Kings 8:28 This supplication was outside of the home of one of the Christians who was killed during these brutal attack by fanatic extremists that destroyed and ransacked the homes of innocent victims. Bishop Sadiq tells the story of what was told to him as he visited, prayed and fed many of the Christian families who endured a great fight of afflictions because of what they believed: Now we had entered into Hameed’s house and talked to his two sons Akhlak Hameed and Babar Hameed. They were pointing out the pictures of their family members who had been burned alive. Their father Hameed who was shot in the head by the attackers, his elder brother Akhlas, their two sisters-in-laws, two nephews and their sister-in-law’s mother Perveen Victor who had come to see her daughter died on that day. They also pointed out the desecration of Holy Bible. Akhlak told us that the attackers have taken away their new bike whereas their two other bikes were burned. I mentioned that it was the worst tragedy in the history of Pakistan. Anabaptists pastor Waris Pyara prayed for them and said, God will restore it and He will do justice. We all were praying for this family and wanting Jobs patience for them as well called upon Jesus Christ to comfort and bless them, so that they might recover. Restore it! Restore it! was the cry, for He is the God of miracles. Pastor Waris Pyara also prayed for the attackers that they might see their evil one day and knowledge their misdeeds. Akhlak Hameed told us that when the attackers came to their house they hid themselves in a room. It was secured with thirteen members of his family hiding in that room while the attackers were in the other room. They sat the entire house on fire and thirteen people of the same family were in one room. When the fire was so high and it was difficult for the attackers to stand there they ran away. Akhlak Hameed and his elder brother Babar Hameed quickly opened the door and ran out of the room carrying couple of their nephews each to the roof. So when they came back within couple of seconds to save their other family members, they could not enter in the room because the fire was very high and the heat unbearable. They said their loved ones were burning before their very eyes and they heard the screaming of their family members while they were burning in the room. They said to us that they did not inform their nephews at that time, who were in the hospital that their parents had died. -- Bishop Andrew Sadiq,
The saints are gathered together and praying at the home of one of the martyred saints.
Anabaptists Churches of Pakistan
The Ministration of the Saints The churches of North America saw the great trial of afflictions that our brethren endured, and put in remembrance that those who abound ought to give to those who are in need. And it was through this grace, that the churches liberality was sent to the saints in Gojra, through faithful ministers who showed compassion, and were plenteous in mercy and truth, going forth as ambassadors of our Saviour. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? --1 John 3:17 But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus [the Anabaptists saints] for you. -- 2 Corinthians 8:6 The needs of many were met by the The Anabaptists Churches of Pakistan who through their spokesman, Bishop Sadiq, have asked that a judical probe look into the riot in Gojra. He asked that the government take action against the perpetrators of both the Kasur and Gojra incidents so that these do not occur in the future. He further requested that compensation be given to those who have lost everything.
And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women...
These are humbling signs of thanks held by the children and the women in the following picture, for the Bishop of the Anabaptists Church in America, and to the saints who had part in giving because they "know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich" [2 Corinthians 8:9].
and the children. --Gen 33:5
These women were grateful to receive that which was lacking.
church of Jesus Christ...
...who came to receive from his servants.
And they gave unto them provision for the way in rembrance of the biblical days of the past where Joseph gave provender unto his brethren [Genesis 42:25].
And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law. --Ruth 3:17
And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. --Revelation 6:10-11
