YOU Brothers Need Your Prayers

One of my teammates and his wife have been meeting and corresponding with a group of YOU men interested in the gospel. A couple of months ago, at our team meeting, they joyfully reported the very encouraging news of at least eight of these men coming to faith in Christ and being baptized.

To us, this is wonderful news; but to the families of these men, it is a horrific act of turning their backs on their traditions and the religious teaching of the Islamic faith. Muslm leaders from the main Mosques were visiting them in their homes, pressuring them to return. One man named Yas faced enormous backlash.  What has happened to him is the equivalent of having his wife recalled and his marriage rendered void. When senior Islamic leaders in Yas' community went to his home and determined that he had indeed left Islam and become a follower of Christ, citing one of the hadiths, they pronounced that his marriage was annulled and that his in-laws must come and take back his wife lest they themselves should risk going to hell for failing to do so. This has brought intense turmoil and pain. Yas is a peaceful and soft-spoken man and has enjoyed a good relationship with both his own family and his wife's. They have given him two conditions. If he will just put his hand upon the Qur'an and recite the creed to declare himself a Muslm again and redo his Muslm marriage ceremony, all of this can be forgotten.  Please be praying for Yas and for all your YOU brothers and sisters in Christ. The cost of following Christ is great for them but, as we know, so are the rewards of a personal relationship when living in the grace of our Lord.