Rami Ayyad: The Blood of the Martyr
October 8, 2007
"The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church." (Tertullian)
On Sunday, 26-year-old Rami Ayyad gave his life for the Gospel. Ayyad served in the Teachers' Bookstore in Gaza for the Palestinian Bible Society. He preached the Good News of Jesus Christ.
According to a close friend of the family, radical Muslims approached Ayyad to convert him to Islam. In the Islamic code, an unbeliever, or "infidel," is first given the opportunity to convert. After a prescribed amount of time, if that person does not convert, he or she can be executed. This appears to be what happened to Ayyad.
Like the martyrs in the time of Tertullian, the prayer of many is that "the blood of the martyrs" will be the "seed of the church." As one Christian worker among Muslims told me, he believes Ayyad's death will be the beginning of a revival. His death will not be in vain.
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress." (James 1:26)
While Ayyad gave his life for the Gospel, he leaves behind a pregnant wife and two small children, ages two and a half and 10 months. The question now is, who will care for them? As James wrote, "pure religion" is to care for widows and orphans. Ayyad leaves behind both a widow and orphans.
To help provide for Ayyad's family, a fund has already been established called the "Martyr's Trust Fund." If you would like to know more about this, log on to www.livingbreadchurch.com.
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