Hello and welcome. Thank you for joining us here on our podcast Elim church you're joining myself Reverend Benjamin Leonard Cooper. And we have a guest with us this morning, as we always do on a Thursday morning, we have Sandra in the studio and you will find us on buzzsprout, Spotify, Apple Music iHeartRadio Google Play, Alexa, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. And we thank you so much all the listeners, wherever you are listening around the globe, we thank you so much for sharing and liking and everything that's going on through us here at elim church as we look into the world of podcasts. And we thank you so much. And we really appreciate you listening and sharing sending your messages in May God bless you and strengthen you wherever you are today. And we are in the world of the persecuted church. And we are just having a quick recap. But before we go into the subject this morning, we just want to welcome Sandra. Morning, Sandra. How you been?
Sandra Robson:Good as I'd like to be but you're getting there. We're getting there.
Reverend Ben Cooper:We've got nice bunch of daffodils on the table.
Sandra Robson:Lovely daffodils. Yeah, spring is on the way ring is on its way. lovely to see the flowers coming up and that half term. And yes, reation.
Reverend Ben Cooper:lovely to see you, Sandra. Thank you for coming in today on Thursday morning. And thank you for your study, all your referencing and all the all the time that you put into to this persecuted church ministry, the suffering church and we're just going to recap, we're going to go back into my mom. And, Sandra, let's have a quick recapturing. Where was where was we last week?
Sandra Robson:Well, we were looking at my mom, we were saying that but it's nationalism is very strong there. We talked about how the military are being controlled for a long time. And then how they have been this democracy had been allowed the the the sanction, I'm sanshou cheese Democratic Party. But sadly, that recently there's been this military coup, and how the Christians were really concerned about that. And that's how it's gonna affect the church, because there had been a limited amount of freedom there had obviously we talked about the oppression from the Buddhists and from you know, and we also talked about now what the concern is that the Buddhist nationalism is, you know, there's a connection between the military and the British nationalism and how they will come against, and the the church, and how a lot of Christians there are a minor minority, and some of them are not a no, from originally from my mom. And then the concern of concern is for our talked about IDPs. That's where we've got to, and what is that? That's the internally displaced people within my ummah. Why is that because there has been this civil war going on, there's been military uprisings in the past, they and how they've been forced into the jungle, and they've been cut off and how they were hoping there would be a ceasefire. And there's certain parts of my mother are particularly affected. And there are 4000 internally displaced Christians in Karen state. And the Christians were concerned that the you know, with what's gone on that they would be fairly alienated from helping aid. And one believers, one person who is a supporter who goes to help, and they are a partner of open doors, and they said, among the displaced the more than 5500 believers, including missionaries checked in kyriaki. I apologize if I say these KYAUKK y i so Chi you key in vango region, the trap believers cannot move forward nor go back to their homes, they need food, medicine, clothes, but access and communication is very difficult. They lost their jobs. Because of the Civil War and pandemic. They were hoping for a ceasefire between the military and the insurgent groups. But the future is uncertain. And we are now in even more depressed situation. They said. But they did they then said that they were trusting in God to provide a solution and they were looking to the leaders for the Holy Spirit to be at work and to show this this way. So they are they are trusting in God to make away as we said, There seems to be no way Now the other people who are very involved in this situation, as far as supporters are CSW and they have also put out some information as well. And this is that firsthand reports of anti coup protests in Burma. And they also are talking about the vulnerable people, as I said, the internally displaced people. So this is from February, the ninth police in Burma have responded to a fourth day of anti coup process with increasing for serious injuring several people after water cannons, tear gas and rubber bullets were deployed. We now know that some people have actually been killed in in this last week, as well. And they seem to be through the UN have asked for safe and unintended humanitarian access for groups to get in to help and support. And so that's the UN saying that that's to happen. And the joint Strategy Team said the military coup is severely affecting the communities in Kachin and North Shan states, mercy have taken positions in in the towns and it's causing issues with the transport. So it's a very, and there's this free Burma Rangers who are also watching the situation. So it's a very difficult situation. And we need to pray for our brothers and sisters and further tenacity. And they say what makes it worse is that, you know, they still got the memories of what happened before a lot of them the older ones, but you know, so. But this time, as the media has has a little bit there has been a little bit in the news about the protests, Christians are being told not to get involved in that. And they're being told as the people are out on the streets to be praying. And this is new to the last time because they would have been with them. And, you know, because they were forced to be porters, and, you know, just slave labor, basically. And they said that, you know, they the military just said, he says here, I was like a, it was like bondage of Israelites, the work was absurd. You know, we were told to build a railway track. And but we had to pay for it and bring our own food and even contribute to the materials and construction. And, you know, the churches were very restricted churches could not secure a permit even to repaint a church or repair a building house churches were often shut down or chased out by landlords the moment they were found out to be Christian. She's a bit like China, isn't it? So what's going on there. But they said this time, because of, you know, again, God prepares doesn't mean, although you might not see it. This time, they've said, you know, through partners, giving them teaching on persecution and how to stand strong and everything. They said that those attending are praying. The said that even as this was happening, they managed to have a training session online, and people were being encouraged at that time to pray instead of protest. They are calling their people to church to hold prayer meetings, instead of going out on the streets. I know, one person said, I never prayed for the military government because they persecuted us. But now we realize it is our duty to pray for them. And that's what I wanted to bring out. And that's what we were saying about how Jesus says, you know, that we will be persecuted as it says in Matthew, doesn't it? Matthew does very,
Reverend Ben Cooper:very clear. Scripture.
Sandra Robson:Yeah.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So what's the scripture reference?
Sandra Robson:Matthews? Well, it goes from verse 43 years ago, it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you. do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you regardless for my my church to that position, but it's Wow. You know, as we said, you know, where, by the grace of God
Reverend Ben Cooper:the military there been such a stronghold for such a long time, they've been a very powerful military. And it's interesting that when they had their elections and the fraud voting that went on, and they used social media got laughing to myself, because Facebook actually switched them off. And the military was using Facebook to get false votes for. Yeah. So it just shows you the strength of social media because Facebook decided to drop, okay, the military page, okay. So it shows you the power, the power of social media, so we have the military that are really heavily controlling my mom, and when that's coming to the votes, and there's a lot of fraud that was going on, Facebook recognized, and they took the action of actually dropping, dropping them off. And I know the military, in my mind has been really studying and keeping a watch on the internet, because we see that a lot everywhere, don't we? So we pray for the Christians, we pray for the Christians in my mind. It's really important. And it's an interesting place what we see what's going on. And we just asked God that it will take care of all our brothers and sisters out there. My mother, formerly known as Burma, and just south east side of Asia, a nation with a ban about things 100 ethnic groups, it's quite an interesting place really never really studied. It never really looked at it. When you look at some of the pictures, it looks nice, it looks very picturesque, but there is a stronghold. And we keep praying. We keep praying. Okay, Sunday, where are we on to now?
Sandra Robson:So we're going to Syria. So I just see, I've seen a few bits and pieces, but recently on Syria and Okay, okay, Lord, there seems to be the next place to go. We sort of looked at Egypt, didn't we? And then I thought, okay, perhaps through them. Look at the Middle East. Syria has gone out of the news a bit. Because you know, that, you know, obviously, some years ago, it was all to the Islamic State. And the violence that occurred, anti christian persecution came about through that. And there's been the Civil War since 2011. So I think that was another thing that I there was a article about, you know, that's 10 years that, you know, since the beginning of that civil war, and it's still ongoing, it's not in a resolve, there's still issues, there's still pockets of violence. And so, yeah, so originally, before all this, it says unusually, this is from Barnabas their overview Barnabas Fund. Yeah, says you unusually for a Muslim majority country, Christians in Syria had enjoyed respect and equality until the rise of Islamist groups during the Civil War. And the other thing that I found that, you know, sad, but again, God, you know, when we look at this number, we know many have died. But the other thing is that it says before the Civil War, around 10% of Christian, those 10% of the population of the 22 million population were Christian. And now it's 3.6%. That's due to death, due to IDPs, the internationally displaced people being in other places that you've got refugees, and many, many Christians fled their lives, and now in different parts of the world.
Reverend Ben Cooper:That's right. So
Sandra Robson:the church has shrunk. But, but we find that it's in like, new places, and God is grew at growing and still continue
Reverend Ben Cooper:to grow as a new church. We understand that we fruit, but there's a lot of problem with inadequate health. It's going to destroy the infrastructure is blown to pieces, you know, it's a war torn difficult. So that's the thing, isn't it? You know, we understood we can see statistically that the church looks like and it sounds like on paper it shrunk. only reason is because people have had to flee. Yeah, that that is the simple fact of the matter. But God is still growing his church in Syria. Yeah. And there's a new chapter is
Sandra Robson:really spoken to the Muslim population. When
Reverend Ben Cooper:you look at when you look at pictures, refugees, just lying on the streets and just huddled in corners who would want to live in a war torn place so you can understand what's going on?
Sandra Robson:Yeah, it's fair. It is very, very difficult. I mean, you know, it says that there's still, you know, targeted kidnappings going on murders at the hands of Islamic rebels. It's a very deep dangerous place to be. But, you know, God has called some to continue to stay there and be a witness and be a ref remnant. Yeah. And they are staying and they are being supported by open doors, and Barnabas and others
Reverend Ben Cooper:this. Yeah, I think it's important we pray for the church to interrupt this debate. I think it's important we pray pray sorry for the children of Syria because they're psychologically affected by the war and everything that they see what they see these little lives, what they see what they experience. Now, they're refugees, they're displaced, their their schools are blown to pieces, the hospitals are ripped into to, you know, why the children are being cared for and looked after there's, there's all sorts of things happening. So I feel it's very important that we, we bring the little people in the little people of Syria for the Lord, you know, malnutrition, sleeping on the streets, the kids are suffering. psychological war affected the way that it's affected their psyche, their emotions, their their thinking, their their understanding of life, you know, they've lost their parents. So there's a lot happening in in Syria, you imagine that senior, your homeland just torn to pieces, just like when you see pictures, it looks like the battle of Armageddon? It's, it's all for just being in there. Yeah,
Sandra Robson:just like, you know, half a block of flats. Just let's just, it's just awful. And all the you know, the bullet? Yeah, it's
Reverend Ben Cooper:really How's it? We've got a price.
Sandra Robson:Yeah, is really, really bad. And of course, with COVID, as well, yeah. You know, they've not had much resistance to that, either. So there's been a high death toll in that. But, um, I do have some, you know, encouraging stories out of the tragedies that have occurred, how God? Yeah, in this case, it is bring in, you know, something beautiful out of the ashes, you know, there is definitely beauty for ashes. And I think, this Pastor George, and he uses that term. So this article I'm going to read bits from is called Making hope visible, standing with the persecuted church in Syria. And this is all about the experiences of Pastor George. Moshi, Moshi. And he leads a church in Kwame shield, and northern Syria. And so these are, these are the some of the things that he has experienced. Okay, so it says, and Pastor George has been supported by open doors. And it's enabled him in his church to support the local community through dark and difficult years. He says the church has started relief work in 2012. It started relatively small, with just a handful of packages. Later, we got more connections. And we we have been helping more people. And then the centers of hope were brought about, and that's, and his church has become a center of hope. And we able to give food and medical help and support for the past eight years, adjusting aid to in the context of what's needed for the people. And he says, people were helped with no conditions attached. But we also always offer the message of Jesus to depending on how open the door is, we don't only want to fill the stomach of the people. So he says, because of this loving outreach, God hasn't only blessed the church with money and food wonderfully despite Christians leaving the area. My churches grow as grown members left, but of course, God did not leave us. A lot of people accepted Jesus and were added to the church. Although the war was so awful. God turned ashes into beauty. Lots of people came to Christ. The war made people think about their life and made them think Where will I go after I die? If I die? I may I made people from it. May people from a Muslim background question their faith. Then they started visiting the church and wanted to understand about God's love. We showed them God's love and that God loves people. People hear the Word of God. And we know that the word of God will not return void, some kind of faith, and now they come to the church. And he says that about 30% of his church is now Muslims who've converted to Christ, but they're very vulnerable to persecution. And he says that Jesus said that in the world, we would have a lot of trouble. When a Muslim becomes a Christian, they face persecution from their family, because Islam forbids them as a Muslim to become a Christian. They know it's very dangerous, but they still choose Jesus, they are not afraid to be killed. A lot of them openly declare their faith. And though they knew they might lose their inheritance, their properties, they might be threatened. They still continue. And it isn't just threats, some were beaten because of their faith. And in one family, the parents threatened to kill the new believer, because of that the person had to flee. But they stayed firm in Jesus, persecution is two believers who abide more in God, and they are ready to die for Jesus. So then I've got two stories, the two ladies who went to the center, and how their lives have changed that they were both Muslims. So we got time to share.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, of course, we have. Yeah, so we got open doors working really hard, you know, with their partners in Syria, strengthened in the church through Bible distribution, discipleship, you know, leadership training, trauma counseling, relief aid rehabilitation programs, there's so much going on, in the work and through the work of open doors in Syria. And we must, we must lift up open doors, as well, you know, the missionaries that are out there that are working with their partners. That's important. When you look at the pictures of Syria, I would urge anyone that's listening today, just to Google pictures of Syria. It looks like it looks like the battle of Armageddon. It's just an but you've got people still living in these structures. Yeah, half the block of flats are torn off, and they're still living in half of the building. So we got to pray. We got we got to pray. So Sandra, let's let's, let's have some stories. But just go on to the open doors website, you will find everything about Pastor George and what is happening in Syria, you know, open doors has got a great, a great site, great, easy to navigate your way around. And it's number 12 on the world watch ranking number 12. They've been
Sandra Robson:doing a campaign hope for the Middle East. And some time ago, I don't know whether I mentioned it on here. I think I did initially about the fact that there was a massive petition petition, and how the Syrians and the Iraqi Christians, you know, they, they came to hear particularly the Iraqi ones, which I'm going to do next next week. And, and yeah, and and, you know, we were part of that. And I was just thinking about when we had those open days open. And we again guided to that. And so, you know, that's it's quite how can I say it is very humbling. It's very,
Reverend Ben Cooper:very humbling. So
Sandra Robson:know, that that those monies that little bit that we gave with parts of God's plan,
Reverend Ben Cooper:it's all part of his will. His purpose, his plan, went directly into the ministry. Yeah, it went in and it fed if the Fed even got aid through, he got Bibles there. But he hit the target. Yeah, that's really, really important. And as you're looking as we're looking at Syria, you know, there's 3.6%, here, percentage of Christians and the main threat is from obviously, Islamic oppression. And we got to pray across that, you know,
Sandra Robson:come on, their eyes be opened
Reverend Ben Cooper:their eyes be open, very public. And it's a very public attack and on their private lives and Christians lives are being exposed and they're being taken out and all sorts of things are happening to them, which we would never ever dream or believe could happen to a human being. And some of the stuff is captured right through to the heartbeat. Keep praying. Yeah, let's have a story. Come on. Let's cheer ourselves up.
Sandra Robson:So this screen and she, she said I hadn't encountered Jesus, but she came to the center of hope, because she needed food. She was in great financial difficulty and before the pandemic and so she I was in desperate Need the moment, she remembers my children had nothing to eat. I was very tired, and I was emotionally exhausted. And she Mets add to fall out a volunteer at the church and asked for a cup of water while she waited for the food package, which the center distributes to vulnerable members of the community whether or not they are Christians. And he pointed out that it was Ramadan and asked if she was fasting. And she said she was not. And he asked her, don't you believe in God? And she said, I have faith in God and feel that is always with me, but not in the way Islam teaches. Abu farda talks, she says then talk to her about Jesus for half an hour. At the end. I said, you talk about Jesus and you said that he came for all people, is it possible that I can become a Christian? And he said, Of course Christ came for the whole world. So she said, I left for the food package. But I also knew there was something else. I met Jesus. Oh, praise God. Far more precious, she says something far more precious. And then she says, It is incredible. Millions of things have happened. Faith gives me strength. I'm not afraid of life anymore. years ago, I even tried to commit suicide. The most important for me now is Jesus in my life. I see also a difference it makes in my son's life, Bashara. He was so nervous in the past. The Bible helps him to become karma. Every time he gets upset, he opens the Bible and calms down. She is now look at that. So she's
Reverend Ben Cooper:smiling. Look at the basic room but wonder
Sandra Robson:that the world see that I love Lord Jesus. I said, Whoever is ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of him in front of my father. So why would I be ashamed of him? He is my refuge and the shelter for my children. Wow,
Reverend Ben Cooper:Syria is a really interesting place. Because obviously, within Syria, we've got Damascus and on the Damascus Road, is where the Apostle Paul had his conversion. So it goes back to millennium. So it's got a lot of historical Christian roots, you know, Syrians, Christians, community, Christian community is one of the oldest in the world. And it goes back 2000 years. So it's always been under attack when you go back to the biblical times, and we see what wouldn't hear what's going on through through the New Testament in which it's, it's, and then we had the jihadist group, we didn't we and you know, they've been doing ISIS. And they've been coming against Christians trying to convert them over and hundreds of Christians have been kidnapped and forced at gunpoint. But Christian is still moving. Christianity is still moving, even though they have fled, which obviously, they will do. So statistically, it looks like it's dropped down. Obviously, it will drop because the Christians have fled for their lives. But we've got to keep praying into it. Hundreds and 1000s of Christians have been displaced. And they're fighting just to live in in this this place, we got to lift the believers up. And also we got to lift up the jihadists of oil and the government and the military, that God will move very, very powerful through these militant groups that are out there. And we just pray that God will microwave but the children, we got to pray for children, that God will give peace to children for the psychological damage that is done through what they've seen with their eyes what they've heard with the sound of war, the visual side of war, they're seeing families torn to pieces that their scores, wrecked and taken down to just rubble and dust and hospitals blown to pieces. We've got to pray, you know, Syria is right up there on the list, right up there on the list. So we need to bring it before the Lord Chandra, sorry to do that. Okay, where are we let's can continue where we are.
Sandra Robson:I mean, this is a very difficult story. I mean, it's got you know, this, you know, this person what they went through what they witnessed, it's, it's really awful. But in again, Jesus comes in, you know, so this is a lady that she fled with her husband with her five children in 2012. Okay, because of Syrian rebels even though she was from Muslim Shia Muslim background and but And she's still terrible things. I mean, I don't know whether you want me to this very graphic. I know you want me to go into
Reverend Ben Cooper:you. I think you can highlight them slightly. You can just just just briefly breathe it
Sandra Robson:was you know, she saw people being beheaded and yeah, yeah. And then she said there was more distressing things her son went missing, it turned out that he'd been killed in a bomb attack. And then she said the tipping point came in 2016, when ISIS soldier came to the house to complain that their daughter had been seen at school without being fully covered in the mandatory black robes. They said that we should bring our daughter to them the next day, said earlier, they would have taken our daughter to one of their men, and they then she would be a slave. So at that point, they fled. And they fled to crumb mush shitty where that chip the church is about. And nearby man notice the family's panic and offer to help. I didn't know whom to trust and so declined, but did take his business card. It read Pastor George mushy. Now, it is that the pastors have been able to move around. There's been lots of travel restrictions, but pastors have been exempt from that.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, wow.
Sandra Robson:A few weeks later, she wasn't coping, and that she was very upset so much. So she had to go to the hospital. And then she remembered the business card. And she found the number on it. Yes, of course I can help was the response she had seen. Pastor George had arranged a house for the family to move into, wow, powerful. When we were in that house, I was in peace earlier and says, I saw the pastor was an honest man, and I wanted to know more about the church. So I went for the first time to the church service. The preacher spoke about forgiveness. It made me cry. Pastor George was preaching from Matthew five, verse 39. Yeah, if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them. The other cheek also, Alia was curious, she went to the midweek Bible study, a Pastor George and his wife explained more about the Bible. And they showed the love of Jesus to her. Without the help of God, and the church, we would have nothing. She says, as they take care of me, the church felt like one big family. And she said, she got an audio Bible, because she couldn't read. Yeah. And she had more about Jesus and started to pray. And she saw God working in her life, I started to see that it wasn't by accident that we came to karma. Surely, Jesus wanted me to be in that place. She became a Christian, she got cut off financially from by her brother. And so the church is supporting her. Now you are responsible for me as your child, I am, oh, I only have you. She says, Jesus Christ is helping us. Without the help of the gods and of the church, we would have nothing but I am so rich, because I have found the real treasure, a treasure I didn't have before. So those are the wonderful stories, amazing things that God is doing amongst all the turmoil and difficulty and the economic. And so yes, we just need to pray and seek the Lord for our brothers and sisters, and thank you for them. And that that one will go and tell another one. And that is just by the actual truth of the gospel and showing that love and compassion, loving your neighbor as yourself and loving their enemies. I know that there have been fighters who've come to the Lord as well. They've rushed into churches, they haven't known why. And thank God that, you know, that he enabled and equipped and some to stay behind and to be that remnants so that he could continue to to grow what he wants to grow. And we just lift up our brothers and sisters now and say, Thank You, Lord, thank you for your work. Thank you that we can be part of that work, you know in prayer and if we can give in any way that we can do that as well that we can find the information to be better informed that we thank you for open doors and the work they're doing. We thank you for Barnabas, and the work they're doing and others though that we might not know of that also work there, Lord, and supporting our brothers and sisters, their Father God, we thank you that we've had this opportunity to just, you know, bring these things out. And I pray that people will be encouraged and, and strengthened to know that so what what you are doing, Lord and wonderful grace? And that? Yes, thank you, Jesus for all this that you are doing. And that Yeah, we pray that more will continue and that things will get more stable their Lord. And I just get this into your hands in Jesus name, amen.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Amen. Sandra, we thank you so much. And there we have it. Just a quick look at Syria, we went back into my mind formerly known as Burma. And we just just gently touched Syria, it's so much going on in Syria, and we thank Sandra for her studying, but you can find all this information very easily online, through open doors. UK is online, it is very simple to find is not complicated. So please, we would urge you to go and to find that and to look into that, and to pray and to go into the world watch list. Assyria is sitting at number 12. And as you look at the pictures and everything if that sits at number 12. That's enough from what Sandra's read out to hear what happens what happens when you start to get to ranking number one and two and three, what else the atrocities can go on. So we thank God for open doors. We thank God for Barnabas CSW Transworld radio and the way that they they they are doing their great ministry work in war torn places around the world may god strengthen you wherever you are today. Even listening to Sandra Marcel for from Benjamin Anna Cooper here in elim church. We thank you so much for sharing these podcasts. Please send your comments in if you need and you would like to speak to Sondra she's easily accessible here. elim church and she will gladly email you and speak to you. Thank you and you can find us on buzzsprout and Spotify, all the usual platforms. Have a great day stay safe. Stay under the Word of God. Stay in the blood of Jesus and take care. God bless