Hindu woman monk becomes part of the bride of Christ!

Chandrika, dedicated to Hinduism from a young age, had led in the singing of devotional Hindu songs (bhajan) since a girl.

At the age of 17, a bright being she believed must be the Hindu Lord Sun appeared to her in her bedroom, calling her to follow him. From that day onwards she devoted herself to the many Hindu deities, performed the ritual home worship ceremonies called poojas and other traditional Hindu rites. Eventually she became a monk, turning her home into a monastery. She declared herself to be Chandra Devi, ‘goddess of the Moon’ (its literal meaning) and wife of the Lord Sun.

One day she happened to meet some evangelists working with Bibles for Mideast. When they attempted to share the Gospel with her, she didn’t deny Jesus, but argued that Jesus was simply one of many thousands of gods and certainly not a savior!

The evangelists gently told her that no one, no being, but Jesus had come down from heaven to earth with the mission to save all humanity from sin and death. He did this through his love, his crucifixion on the cross of Calvary and his resurrection from the dead. Those who believe in Him will be saved and enter the Kingdom of Heaven, they assured her. But she refused to take them seriously.

Then, at the age of 33, Chandra had another dramatic vision. This time she saw heaven and the Lord Jesus sitting on the throne. He appeared as bright as thousands and tens of thousands of suns all shining together, she says. She then saw Jesus as Bridegroom, and His church as the ever-beautiful Bride sitting at His right and worshipping Him with great joy. She had never witnessed such joy!

Chandra Devi recieving her new Bible

Not long afterwards, she says an angel visited her and told her that when she was young, Jesus had been the one who appeared to her and called her to be His bride.

“He is the Sun of Righteousness and you are His bride,” the angel said.

Her doubts about Jesus as savior vanished. The very next day she attended a gospel crusade being led by Pastor Paul and afterwards, telling him her story, she asked for a Bible. Several days later she received water baptism and the Lord Himself anointed her with the Holy Spirit.

Working alongside Bibles for Mideast, Chandra now conveys the Gospel to many unsaved people in her area. Please pray for her and the continuing work of the ministry.

Terrorists who abducted Catholic Priest Tom Uzhunnalil arrested

Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil (left) and the attacked seniors' home (right)

Report: Bibles for Mideast

Three terrorists belonging to the gang that abducted Indian priest Father Tom Uzhunnalil  and killed 16 people at a seniors' home of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in Aden in Yemen have been reportedly arrested in the war-torn nation. Father Tom is an Indian Salesian missionary priest of the Catholic Church.

India's External Affairs Ministry has confirmed the arrest of militants, Bibles for Mideast missionaries reported today, on Friday, 29 July.  However, it is still not known where the priest is and when he can be safely brought back to India.

The terrorists were caught in Saila, near Aden in Yemen and reportedly said that they belong to Al-Qaeda.  It was earlier said that they belonged to ISIS, but this has not been confirmed.

It was on 4th of March that armed terrorists barged into a seniors' home run by the Missionaries of Charity and shot dead 16 people, including four Indian nuns. These militants later whisked away Father Uzhunnalil and said they would crucify him on Good Friday. A spokesperson with External Affairs has reported he is safe.

The gang which announced that they were behind the attack did not reveal any details about Father Tom, whose whereabouts are still not clear.

They had recently posted pictures of the priest on his Facebook account. It is not known whether these are true or not, or how they accessed his account.

Muslim father kills daughter; Jesus raises her from the dead

Report: Ramza, for Bibles for Mideast

I was born in an orthodox and fanatic Muslim family in the Muslim month of Ramzan [also known as Ramadan—Ed.] in a Middle Eastern Kingdom. So my parents named me Ramza. Now I have been born again by accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior, and have become a citizen of the Kingdom of God.

I was a religious girl from my childhood. I was always at the front of the line for Islamic practices such as reciting the Koran, doing namaz [prayer] five times a day, and fasting in the month of Ramzan. I also always kept the tradition of wearing the ‘abaya’ with full head and face covering. [Typically black, the abaya is constructed like a loose robe or caftan and covers everything but the face, hands and feet—Ed.]

My family is a big one, with a father, three mothers and thirteen children including myself. My father has a huge income from several trading and contracting agencies, being their local Arab sponsor.

One of my friends who studied with me in school tried to convey to me the message of Jesus Christ, who was crucified, died and, she said, resurrected. She was the daughter of a pastor ministering with Bibles for Mideast, and gave me a gospel tract. But I never accepted her message and arguments.

After my school education, my father wanted to get me married to an old and rich man who already had three wives and several children. I would have been younger than his youngest child.

One evening, I went to meet my father in his room, where he was talking with one of my step mothers. I pleaded with them not to arrange my marriage now, but send me for further studies. My father denied my request. I argued with him, for I simply could not imagine such a marriage. He refused to listen, so I finally announced I would leave home before the marriage.

My father, enraged, grabbed a chair and hit me over the head with its legs. The blows cracked open my skull, and he and my stepmother were certain I’d been killed.

This seemed to waken their criminal minds. Hiding my death from others, they put my body into a plastic bag, tied it up, and drove a long distance by car through the desert and all the way to a deep well in the middle of a date plantation. The well had no water. (Other family members may well have thought I’d left home because of the marriage plans.)

When they threw my body down the waterless well, I felt my soul going through a terrible darkness to hell. I thirsted deeply for even a drop of water. Yet I knew my soul desired not earthly water, but the Water of Life. I then saw the gospel my school friend had given me in front of me, and it consoled me some. When I tried to grab hold of it, it seemed out of reach.  Still though, it somehow led me to an amazing experience.

A strong, healthy and beautiful man stood inside the well. He caught the sack holding my dead body, untied it, and began rubbing my head and body. I opened my eyes like waking up from a dream. I saw nail marks in His hands.  He was my Lord Jesus. He then carried me up and out of the well.  He said to me, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, though dead, will live” (John 11:25).

Lying prostrate before Him, I said with tears of joy, “Lord Jesus, you are my Lord and Savior! You were crucified and you died for me. You are risen indeed. I am yours. I believe in you.”

When I raised my head to look at Him, He had disappeared.

I didn’t know what to do. But I was so happy. I praised and thanked my Lord Jesus. Within a few minutes, a husband and wife from Bibles for Mideast came to me. They introduced themselves as Christians, and explained that Jesus had guided them to me. I shared my experiences with them. They gave me a bible and brought me to a house where five women laborers of an agricultural and cattle farm stay together.

They are all born again, and I now live with them.  They teach me more about the Word of God and we worship Jesus together in our house church. I also work with them on the farm as well as in ministry for the Lord. I don’t want go back to my parents unless they accept the Lord Jesus Christ.

Please pray for my family members and all the people of the Middle East to be saved.

Update on 18 baptized in Middle East

By Pastor Paul, Director, Bibles for Mideast

July 18, 2016:   Yesterday evening the gospel team of Bibles for Mideast left the house we'd been staying in [as prophetically warned to do by several worshiping with them; see original story—Ed.]. A believer helped us move to a new place a long distance away.  We instructed the believers and volunteer ministers in the area where the baptismal service had been held to conduct regular services and undertake further ministries. We promised that by God’s grace we would return to do follow-up ministries often and whenever they need our help. Please pray for them. 

Just an hour ago, we heard the shocking news that some fanatics under a religious leader came to the house we had vacated with bombs and guns late last night. They used gunfire to break down the door and went in intending to kill everyone inside. But they found no one. So they angrily destroyed the whole house. 

We praise and thank our Lord Jesus Christ for caring for His servants as a hen protects her chicks under her wings. We praise and thank our Lord for His unspeakable gifts and mighty protection (2 Cor. 9:15). We praise and thank our Lord for not being ashamed of us before unbelievers and scoffers.

“Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s." (Psalm 103: 1-5)

We are now in a new area. Pray for us and the people here and in the surrounding areas, that they would experience the salvation of Jesus Christ by God’s grace and God’s protection.

Original story: Eighteen former Muslims baptized in the Middle East

Eighteen former Muslims baptized in the Middle East

By Pastor Paul, Director, Bibles for Mideast

July 17, 2016:  By God’s grace, Bibles for Mideast conducted a baptismal service in the Middle East early this morning according to our Lord's great commission (Matt. 28:18-20). Eighteen new converts from Islam witnessed to their faith in Jesus Christ in the waters of the Arabian Sea (Acts 2:38, 8:16-17, 19:5).

They all personally requested baptism, wanting to be purified in the Spirit and the water to be ready to meet Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom, who will one day come in the clouds to take His Bride.  Our Lord’s return is imminent, they all believe.

When Gentiles received the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Peter declared to the disciples: “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” (Acts 10:47) So we prayed and decided to baptise them.

After the baptismal service we all worshiped together along with celebrating our Lord’s Supper.

During the worship service, two women and a man from among the believers prophesied in the Spirit that we must leave our current shelter soon and move to another place. We do not know where the Holy Spirit is leading us to go. But in obedience to the Lord we are preparing to move. LET HIS WILL BE DONE.

Please pray for the believers, members of the gospel teams and the Board of Directors.

READ: Update on 18 baptized in Middle East