Friday, April 18, 2008

In memoriam: 4/18/07

One year ago today my brothers in the faith Necati Aydın, Uğur Yüksel, and Tilmann Geske were bound to chairs and had their throats slit in Malatya, Turkey, by a band of young men (teenagers, really) who saw them as threats to the stability of the Turkish national identity.

Good soldiers of Jesus Christ, you have kept the faith, run the race with endurance, and fought the good fight. You did not love your lives so as to shrink from death. For that our
Shepherd has given you rest, and our King holds out for your heads a crown of love, honor, and exaltation. May we love our Master and others as you did.

Good Lord, keep the testimony of these men's lives burning brightly in Turkey. May their memory and the outcome of their lives spur others there on to cling to you and share their faith openly as you lead others to see the light of the stark reality of your resurrection and kingdom. And may their loved ones find healing in you as their forgiveness of the murderers bears witness to your mercy found only at the Cross. Amen.

Here is my post from this date last year.

3 comments:

Halfmom, AKA, Susan said...

I know this also makes you miss Turkey very much. I hope it brings back some good memories too!

Ted M. Gossard said...

Amen.

(I need to link to to VOM- Voice of the Martyrs- on my blog. Richard Wurmbrand who founded them, once came to Lima, Ohio at my invitation and stayed at my aunt's house. I need to get back to seeing and understanding and praying for our brothers and sisters who are suffering for their faith in Christ.)

Halfmom, AKA, Susan said...

Drew, I must disagree. Promises unseen are not the same things as unanswered prayer.

Just because they died without inheriting the earthly promises does not mean their prayers went unanswered. Prayers are answered on God's timetable, not ours.

I draw your attention to Rom 15:8 where it clearly states that their promises have been received.

For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers.