(Photo from 8Thirty8 on Facebook)
Syria (MNN) — There’s good news coming out of Syria. A Christian on the ground reports ISIS has released 24 more Assyrian Christians. More than 200 were abducted last week as ISIS took Assyrian villages in Syria.
E3 Partners Middle East expert Tom Doyle says, “We don’t exactly know if they escaped, if someone paid a ransom–we really don’t know what happened. We just want to thank the Mission Network News listeners for praying. You’ve been a part of something historic.”
Doyle adds, “Some key Christian leaders were let go. The families were going through some agony.”
Don’t think ISIS is easing up. They continue to spread their message of terror and death. “Now they’re able to do that through social media and announce where they’re going. They had promised to raze 30 Christian villages to the ground. I don’t know if that has happened.”
Many in their path live in fear, similar to the Assyrians in Bible days. “They were the most feared group in the Old Testament. Entire villages, we know from biblical history, killed themselves when they heard [they] were on their way.”
But Doyle doesn’t want us to get discouraged. “Jesus is not on the throne biting His nails because of ISIS. Somehow, He is using this to accomplish His objective.”
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Doyle adds, “If you watch the news at night, you’d have to conclude that the body of Christ is getting ‘creamed.’ That couldn’t be further from the truth. We are seeing faster underground church growth in Syria than we’ve ever known about.”
Some members of ISIS are even showing an interest in Jesus. Doyle says, “We’ve got to pray for them, too. No one is unreachable.”
Doyle is releasing a new book called Killing Christians, and it is available through MNN. This book will introduce you to believers literally on the frontlines of historic church growth.
Jesus is enthroned and we all know it well. I’ve not stopped praying Psalm 83 for the captives and their captors. It’s such an amazing news to know of their release. He who is enthronened will never let the wicked prosper. Let’s continue to prayer this prophetic psalm 83.
We are called to pray for nations and the nations of Syria has been in such turmoil for decades! We are so grateful for the ones who have been released and will continue to lift up those who remain. May they receive God’s comfort, peace, strength and boldness in the face of evil. Daniel 3:16 says: “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods” We stand with our brothers and sisters in our prayers that they might be without any fear, proclaiming the name of Jesus! Pray on!
Your article above was EXCELLENT, especially the reference to the ancient Assyrians and other ancient people’s responses TO them, and the previous poster’s comment re: Daniel and his friends’ response to the Babylonians when facing similar horrific threats of death because of their faith. I’ve also thought about the similarity between what’s happening now and the barbarity of the ancient Assyrians, but you are the first public media that I’ve ever seen or heard to publically state it. Thank you for reporting what you do and do not yet know, as well as possible reasons for the release, and your reporting things that are of relevance to us Christians.
Thank you for this update. I’ve been praying and praying and God has seemed to be silent even though I know He isn’t. While the situation is still so overwhelming it is so good to hear how God is at work.