I Am NShembull

What Is Our Response

Our goal is not to elicit pity for persecuted Jesus followers in hostile Muslim countries. That is not why we share their stories. Our motive is simply to describe their experiences so you’ll stand with them. So you’ll pray for them. So they will know that they are not alone in their efforts to share the love of Jesus when doing so gets them—or their loved ones—beaten, tortured, or killed.

Our desire is for Christians around the world to recognize these persecuted followers of Jesus as their brothers and sisters in the family of God and to embrace them in that intimate unity: “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body” (Hebrews 13:3).

As we get to know these persecuted followers of Jesus, we discover that they are not “super Christians” who have somehow attained a higher level of godliness. They are people just like us. They feel deep anguish when their children are taken away, their husbands are killed, their sons are attacked, their wives are raped, and their daughters are forced into sexual slavery. They face uncertainty and fear when they are kicked out of their families, lose their jobs, or are cast out of their communities because they follow Jesus.

To thrive while enduring such suffering, they pray for courage, faith, and endurance. They tenaciously cling to the Word of God, trusting in the loving, faithful character of God and the certainty of heaven. Having lost everything of value in this world, they learn to trust that God is in control no matter what.

As our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ walk this path, they begin to see their circumstances through God’s eternal perspective. That perspective changes everything. It leads them to view themselves not primarily as the persecuted, but as those who serve on the frontlines as God accomplishes his purposes in the midst of evil and chaos. They don’t focus their attention on their small minority; they focus on the majority of people who are reachable for Christ. Their eyes are opened to see that God’s eternal plan is not being thwarted by ISIS or other Muslim extremists.

The world is not just one big, chaotic mess. God is at work powerfully and strategically. The very suffering of our persecuted brothers and sisters is creating a deep hunger for the truth of Jesus among many moderate Muslims who express deep hurt, regret, and even anger concerning the atrocities in Iraq. Some even say, “We’ve read the Quran and know that Mohammed himself committed such atrocities. Now we want to learn about Christianity—about Jesus, about the Bible. Please tell us more.”

Seizing the opportunity, these precious followers of Jesus boldly proclaim, “I am n.” Counting the cost, they stand firm, faithfully sharing the message of God’s grace to a world that desperately needs Him. How can we let them stand alone or suffer in silence? Will we be instruments of God’s grace and stand with them? Will we say, “Count on me. I am n, too”?

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