Brothers and Sisters

Wow! This week so far (three days) I have heard three stories of our brothers and sisters in need of prayer, and a little more.

First there’s Sakineh in Iran. Sham accusations and sham trials are putting her up to be executed; her son and some lawyers are trying to save her, but have been resisted by the government. You can go here to learn more and here to sign an online petition to save her.

Then I learned that Asia Bibi in Pakistan has been sentenced to be executed, because of “blasphemy.” What she did was share the Gospel with her Muslim women neighbors, and told them that Jesus is alive, but Mohammed is dead.

Then just today I learned that a missionary, the friend of another missionary whose blog I follow, drowned this last Sunday. Ben Uskert had gone to save two teenage orphans who were overtaken by a strong undertow. This man left behind his wife and small son, as well as a legacy. Please read his friend’s Tripp’s article as well as this report from Mission Aviation Fellowship, the organization Ben was a part of. And please pray for those hurting from his loss! The light of Christ obviously shone from Ben during his lifetime; even folks who didn’t know him well saw it.

So please remember to lift these circumstances up before the throne; things are rough for these folks right now, just as they have been for us all. There are those times to rejoice with our brethren, and times to weep with them. There are times when nothing we say can make a difference for a suffering friend; all we can do is weep with them and lift them up to God. And these brothers and sisters covet our prayers! There is a time for sorrow, a time to weep, but this too will pass. For now, let’s remember them and ask the Lord to surround them with comfort and renew their strength, and thank Him that He is working in all of this!