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2015-04-23

  • Ethiopian Christians Tragically Murdered by Militants

    A group of Christian men, believed to be Ethiopian, were brutally killed recently by members of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Libya. The militant group published a video on April 19th that showed one group of men being beheaded on a beach and another group in a desert area being shot in the head. The video further featured a masked armed militant threatening Christians, demanding that they convert to Islam or pay a special tax.
  • Christian Refugees Thrown Overboard
    Migrants crossing from North Africa to Sicily
    Photo: Vito Manzari via Barnabas Fund

    Militant Muslims, who were among the migrants trying to flee from Libya to Italy in a boat, threw 12 of their fellow passengers overboard. Witnesses of the incident testified that the perpetrators had committed this crime because the victims were followers of Christ. Italian authorities have consequently arrested 15 people on suspicion of murder for those lost at sea.

    The original group of passengers, consisting of 105 people, left Libya on April 14th in a rubber boat. Sometime during the trip north across the Mediterranean Sea, the alleged assailants -- Muslims from the Ivory Coast, Mali and Senegal -- threw the believers overboard.

    According to tearful witnesses, a dispute broke out when a Nigerian Christian man prayed for salvation as the boat moved out to sea. "The Muslims...threw the Christians into the water," explained a believer who was aboard the vessel. "We tried to stop them, but there were more of them than us." Other passengers on the voyage told police that they themselves were spared "because they strongly opposed the drowning attempt and formed a human chain." The murdered Christians were from Nigeria and Ghana.

    Thousands of people each year make the dangerous sea journey from North Africa to Europe's Mediterranean coast, often aboard vessels that are poorly equipped for the trip. Many of them attempt the voyage to flee war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East.

    Please intercede on behalf of the many friends and family members who are now coping with the tragic loss of loved ones due to this incident, asking God to greatly comfort their grieving hearts and strengthen their faith. May the Italian authorities deal justly with the perpetrators, holding them accountable for committing this terrible crime. Pray, too, that the assailants, along with many others of North Africa who do not yet know our Risen Lord Jesus, will come to faith in Him.
  • ''Their God is My God''


    Mathew (centre), touched by the immense
    faith of the Egyptian believers, acknowledged
    Christ just before his death.
    Photo: YouTube

    Following the brutal murder of a group of Coptic Christians by members of the Islamic State (ISIS) this past February, the names of the 21 martyred men were widely shared. Prior to the beheadings, the victims were kidnapped while residing in Sirte, Libya, where they were working in order to support their families.

    Initially, it was believed that all of the men who were slain for their faith were from small impoverished villages in Egypt. However, while the name and background of one of those killed was first unknown, Mathew Ayairga was soon identified by friends who recognized him in the video footage of the killings released by ISIS. According to "Ahram-Canadian News," Mathew, who had been missing since January of 2015, was from the country of Chad.

    The video showed each of the kidnapped men dressed in orange jumpsuits, kneeling on a beach, with their black-clothed attackers standing behind them. Each man was then systematically beheaded. The video clearly captured many of the men praying, "Lord Jesus Christ," in their final moments.

    According to reports, Mathew was not a Christian. However, just moments before his death, when the ISIS militants demanded he follow Islam, Mathew turned them down. After reportedly witnessing the "immense faith" of the Egyptian believers, he decided to become a follower of Christ himself. On camera, one of the terrorists asked Mathew, "Do you reject Christ?" He responded boldly: "Their God is my God." He then became one of the 21 men who laid down their lives for their faith in Christ. (Once again, more information on this attack is available in a previous prayer alert.)

    Let us thank God for the unshakable truth that He will make all things right in His perfect timing, despite the evil onslaughts of the enemy. We can also rejoice in the knowledge that all of these 21 martyred men are now present with our Lord Jesus Christ in heaven (2 Corinthians 5:8). Continue to pray for those who are grieving over this loss, as they understandably miss their dear loved ones. May God's compassionate and comforting presence be experienced in a special way by each one of them, and may His provision meet their every need.

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