This week on Christian World News: As Israel remembers the Holocaust, Christians make a pledge to the Jewish people, “You won't be left alone again.†Plus, America's National Day of Prayer. In the nation's capital, politicians and spiritual ...
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THIS WEEK AND CHRISTIAN
WORLD NEWS, AS ISRAEL
REMEMBERS THE HOLOCAUST,
CHRISTIANS MAKE A PLEDGE TO
THE JEWISH PEOPLE.
YOU WON'T BE LEFT ALONE
AGAIN.
PLUS, AMERICA'S NATIONAL DAY
OF PRAYER.
IN THE NATION'S CAPITAL,
POLITICIANS AND SPIRITUAL
LEADERS CALL UPON GOD, WHILE
MILLIONS ACROSS THE NATION
TAKE PART IN THEIR
COMMUNITIES AND CHURCHES.
AND MORE THAN 1,000 MEMBERS
OF THIS CHURCH HAVE BEEN
KILLED IN THE LAST FIVE
YEARS, BUT THE PASTOR, AN
ANGLICAN FROM GREAT BRITAIN,
REFUSES TO QUIT SERVING HIS
COMMUNITY.
OUR VISIT WITH THE VICOR OF
BAGHDAD.
AND HELLO, EVERYONE.
WELCOME TO THIS WEEK'S
EDITION OF CHRISTIAN WORLD
NEWS.
I'M GEORGE THOMAS.
MY COLLEAGUE, WENDY
GRIFFITH, IS ON ASSIGNMENT.
EVERY YEAR ALL OF ISRAEL
PAUSES TO REMEMBER THE SIX
MILLION JEWS KILLED IN THE
HOLOCAUST, BUT THE DAY IS
NOT JUST ABOUT HONORING THE
DEAD.
YOU SEE, IT IS ALSO ABOUT
REMINDING THE WORLD OF THAT
HORRIFIC EVENT AND DECLARING
THAT ISRAEL WILL NEVER LET
IT HAPPEN AGAIN.
WELL, IN RECENT YEARS THE
JEWISH PEOPLE HAVE FOUND A
VERY STRONG ALLY IN THE
WORLD'S CHRISTIAN
COMMUNITY.
SCOTT ROSS HAS MORE FROM
JERUSALEM.
Reporter: WALK DOWN ANY
STREET IN ISRAEL, AND
CHANCES ARE YOU'LL MEET A
HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR.
I WAS IN THE WAR.
Reporter: YOU WERE IN
THE WAR?
I WAS IN GERMANY.
AND MY MOTHER COME BACK, AND
MY FATHER NO COME BACK.
I CAME IN 1945 AS A
SURVIVOR OF THE HOLOCAUST.
Reporter: WHAT ABOUT
YOUR PARENTS?
ONLY MY MOTHER SURVIVED.
Reporter: SOME ESTIMATE
125,000 PEOPLE SURVIVED THE
CAMPS, AND THOUSANDS OF
OTHERS WERE IN OTHER
PLACES.
85-YEAR-OLD ASHER UDE IS ONE
OF THEM.
HE OFTEN TALKS TO GROUPS AT
YAD BASHIM AND TELLS HEM HOW
THEM HOW HE SURVIVED.
Reporter: DO YOU THINK
IT IS A MIRACLE YOU
SURVIVED?
A MIRACLE.
Reporter: BECAUSE MANY
OF THE PEOPLE IN THE CAMPS,
ONE OF THEIR CRIES WAS,
WHERE IS GOD?
DID YOU ASK THAT QUESTION?
THROUGH THE WAR, I DIDN'T
ASK QUESTIONS.
I WAS BUSY EVERY SECOND,
EVERY MINUTE, EVERY DAY TO
FIGHT TO STAY ALIVE.
TODAY, IF YOU ASK ME, ASHER,
HOW DID YOU SURVIVE?
I SAID I DIDN'T RUN AWAY.
I DIDN'T FIGHT.
I'M NOT RELIGIOUS, BUT I
BELIEVE IN GOD.
Reporter: IT IS
IMPORTANT TO COMMEMORATE THE
PAST AND ALSO TO EDUCATE
THIS GENERATION TO PREVENT A
SIMILAR TRAGEDY IN THE
FUTURE.
AND THAT'S WHAT YAD BASHIM,
ISRAEL'S MAIN HOLOCAUST
MEMORIAL IN JERUSALEM IS ALL
ABOUT.
IT COMES FROM THE BOOK OF
ISAIAH.
AND WHERE THERE IS A PROMISE
OF GOD, AND IN THE CONTEXT
IN THE HEBREW, IT MEANS IN
THE ETERNAL MEMORIAL.
Reporter: I ASKED HIM
ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST AND
ANTI-SEMITISM THEN AND NOW.
FIRST OF ALL,
ANTI-SEMITISM, WHICH IS AT
THE HEART OF THE HOLOCAUST
BECAUSE THE NAZIS HAVE A
HATEFUL IDEOLOGY THAT IS
RAC RACIST AND
ANTI-SEMITIC, AND THEIR ARCH
ENEMY IS THE JEW, AND THAT'S
PART OF AN UNFOLDING
ANTI-SEMITISM THAT HAS BEEN
WITH US FOR ABOUT 2,000
YEARS.
Reporter: HE SAID HE
DIDN'T THINK A HOLOCAUST
WOULD HAPPEN TODAY IN THE
SAME WAY, BUT JEWISH PEOPLE
MUST BE ON GUARD BECAUSE
SOME ANTI-SEMITISM IS
GENOCIDAL.
DO YOU SEE THERE IS A
CORRELATION BETWEEN ISLAMIC
TERRORISM AND THIS JEW
HATRED THAT OCCURS TODAY,
NOW?
THE RADICAL ISLAM IS
FUNDAMENTALLY VERY
ANTI-SEMITIC.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN, OF
COURSE, THAT ALL ISLAM IS
THAT WAY.
BUT THAT KIND OF ISLAM TALKS
IN GENOCIDAL TERMS.
IF YOU LISTEN TO SOME
LEADERS, THAT IS WHAT THEY
SAY.
Reporter: NOWADAYS, HE
SEES AN IMPROVEMENT IN
JEWISH-CHRISTIAN RELATIONS,
AND EVEN DURING THE
HOLOCAUST, SOME CHRISTIANS
AND OTHERS, LIKE OSCAR SHINDpp
CLESCHINDLER AND OTHERS
WERE WORKING TO SAVE THE
JEWS.
THE RIGHTEOUS AMONG THExx
NATION WERE PEOPLE WHO WERE
NON-JEWS, AND THEY WERE
WILLING TO RISK THEIR LIVES
TO HELP A JEWISH PERSON, BY
HIDING THEM OR GIVING THEM
FOOD.
AND WE HAVE TREES PLANTED
FOR THESE PEOPLE.
SO HERE, FOR EXAMPLE, WE
HAVE THE TREE OF THE TENBALM
FAMILY FROM HOLLAND.
Reporter: CORY TENBALM
AND FATHER, CASPER, AND
SISTER ELIZABETH.
CORY'S TREE ACTUALLY DIED
WHEN CORY DIED, AND THEY HAD
TO PLANT A NEW TREE.
Reporter: THE TREE DIED
WHEN SHE DIED?
THAT'S RIGHT.
AND THIS IS GOING TO BE A
BIG TREE ONE DAY, BUT IT IS
FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.
AND SO WERE THE GOOD DEEDS
OF THESE PEOPLE.
THETHEY MAY HAVE SAVED ONE
PERSON, BUT THAT PERSON WENT
ON TO HAVE A FAMILY.
IT MEANS THEY SAVED THE NEXT
GENERATION.
Reporter: UP TO A
MILLION PEOPLE VISIT HERE
EACH YEAR.
ROSHAN SAYS MANY OF THOSE
PERSONS ARE CHRISTIANS.
IN 2006, THEY DECIDED TO
ESTABLISH AN OUTREACH
PROGRAM, TOWARDS THE
CHRISTIAN WORLD.
Reporter: IS THE
CHRISTIAN CHURCH AWARE OF
THE DEGREE OF THE ATROCITIES
THAT OCCURRED IN THE
HOLOCAUST?
I FEEL THAT ON ONE HAND
THERE ARE SOME CHRISTIANS
AND SOME CHRISTIAN LEADERS
WHO HAVE REALLY STUDIED THAT
PERIOD, AND THEY REALLY WANT
TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, WHY
THE CHRISTIAN WORLD WAS
UNABLE TO SEE THE JEWS AS
THEIR NEIGHBORS.
Reporter: WHERE WAS THE
CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN 1933?
I THINK IF WE LOOK AT
CHRISTIAN LEADERS, WE SEE
THEY WERE UNABLE TO
RECOGNIZE EVIL.
I THINK IT WAS THAT VIRTUAL
BLINDNESS THAT MADE THEM
UNABLE TO SENSE -- YOU COULD
SAY THERE WERE TWO RELIGIONS
IN GERMANY AT THE TIME,
NAZIISM AND CHRISTIANITY.
Reporter: WHAT GIVES
YOU A LOVE FOR JEWS?
I LOVE THE BIBLE.
BUT I ALSO FEEL THAT WHEN
YOU LOOK AT ISRAEL HERE IN
THE SEA OF HOSTILE
COUNTRIES, YOU CAN CLEARLY
SEE WHAT LIGHT IT PRESENTS,
WHAT ISRAEL BRINGS TO THE
WORLD, AND HOW GOD
MIRACULOUSLY BROUGHT THIS
NATION BACK TO THEIR ANCIENT
HOMELAND.
I THINK WE, AS CHRISTIANS,
WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE.
THE BIBLE IS VERY CLEAR.
Reporter: PART OF HER
WORK IS A CHRISTIAN
LEADERSHIP SEMINAR TO
EDUCATE LEADERS FROM AROUND
THE WORLD.
ARE YOU HOPEFUL FOR ISRAEL
AND THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH?
GOD IS SO CLEAR THAT HE
IS ISRAEL'S FUTURE AND HE IS
OUR FUTURE.
SO WE HAVE EVERY REASON TO
BE HOPEFUL.
AND WHATEVER WE WILL HAVE TO
GO THROUGH, HIS IS GOING TO
GIVE US THE STRENGTH.
George: AN EXCELLENT
REPORT BY SCOTT ROSS.
ANTI-SEMITISM, BY THE WAY IS
ON THE RISE IN EUROPE, AMID
A POPULARITY OF EXTREMIST
POLITICAL PARTIES.
THOSE ARE THE FINDINGS
RELEASED BY A GROUP AT TEL
AVIV UNIVERSITY.
THEY LISTED 354 VIOLENT
ATTACKS ON PEOPLE AND JEWISH
INSTITUTIONS.
FRANCE, BY THE WAY, HAD THE
HIGHEST NUMBER OF
INCIDENTS.
THE REPORT WARNS OF
INCREASING POPULARITY OF
FAR-RIGHT PARTIES,
ESPECIALLY IN FRANCE,
HUNGARY, AND GREECE, WHERE
THEY EXPECTED TO MAKE BIG
GAINS IN ELECTIONS LATER
THIS MONTH.
A U.S. GOVERNMENT BODY
DEDICATED TO PROTECTING
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IS
HIGHLIGHTING SOME OF THE
WORST OFFENDERS.
THE U.S. COMMISSION ON
INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS
FREEDOM WARNS THAT RELIGIOUS
MINORITIES ARE INCREASINGLY
UNDER ATTACK IN THE NATIONS
OF EGYPT, IRAQ, PAKISTAN,
SYRIA, VIETNAM, AND
TURKMENISTAN.
RECENTLY I SPOKE WITH A VICE
CHAIR ABOUT THOSE
COUNTRIES.
TELL US WHY PROTECTING
INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS
FREEDOM IS SO IMPORTANT TO
YOU GUYS.
WELL, RELIGIOUS FREEDOM,
FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE AND
BELIEF, REALLY ARE AT THE
FOUNDATION OF THIS COUNTRY.
SOME WOULD SUGGEST THAT A
GREAT DEAL OF THE MOTIVATION
FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE
UNITED STATES WAS CREATED BY
PEOPLE SEEKING RELIGIOUS
FREEDOM.
SO IT REPRESENTS OUR VALUES
IN THE MOST PROFOUND SENSE.
BUT THE SECOND VERY
IMPORTANT REASON IS THAT
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IS REALLY
IMPLICATED IN OUR OWN
NATIONAL SECURITY.
AS WE LOOK AROUND THE WORLD,
THOSE COUNTRIES WHICH DO A
BAD, OR A TERRIBLE JOB, OF
PROTECTING RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
CORRELATE WITH THOSE
COUNTRIES FROM WHICH MANY OF
OUR GREATEST NATIONAL
SECURITY THREATS COME.
George: YOU GUYS ADDED
EGYPT TO THE LIST.
WHY WAS THAT IMPORTANT?
MINORITY COMMUNITIES ARE
UNDER A VERY GRAVE THREAT.
THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF
VIOLENCE DIRECTED AT THE
COPTIC CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY.
AND THERE CONTINUES TO BE
ARRESTS AND PROSECUTIONS FOR
BLASPHEMY AND OTHER SUCH
MATTERS.
AND A FAILURE ON THE PART OF
THE GOVERNMENT TO PROTECT
THE RIGHTS OF RELIGIOUS
MINORITIES IN EGYPT.
George: AND YOU'VE ALSO
RECOMMENDED THAT THE AFRICAN
NATION OF NIGERIA BE ADDED
TO THAT LIST.
WHAT CAN THE U.S. DO TO HELP
CURB THE TERRIBLE VIOLENCE
HAPPENING THERE, MOST
PERPETRATED BY BOKO HARAM.
IT IS AN UNUSUAL
SITUATION IN THAT THE
COUNTRY IS ROUGHLY HALF
MUSLIM AND HALF CHRISTIANS.
THERE IS A GREAT RISK THAT
THE PROBLEMS FACING NIGERIA,
WHICH ARE WIDE-RANGING, WILL
END UP PRESENTING ALONG
SECTARIAN LINES, WHICH WOULD
BE A REAL TRAGEDY FOR THAT
COUNTRY.
AND, OF COURSE, THE
GOVERNMENT NEEDS HELP
BATTLING BOKO HARAM.
George: BACK TO THE
MIDDLE EAST, ONE OTHER
COUNTRY THAT IS IN THE
SPOTLIGHT AND HAS BEEN FOR
THE LAST THREE YEARS IS
SYRIA.
IT IS NOW IN THE
THREE-YEAR-OLD CIVIL WAR.
WHAT CAN BE DONE TO STOP THE
ATROCITIES AGAINST
CHRISTIANS AND MINORITY
MUSLIMS?
THERE ARE ABUSES RELATIVE
TO FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND
CONSCIENCE AND BELIEFS,
FRANKLY, THAT ARE BEING
PERPETRATED ON ALL SIDES.
SO IT IS NOT A CLEAR
SITUATION OF WHERE THE THE
RESPONSIBILITY LIES IN TERMS
OF THE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
STRUGGLES THAT ARE GOING ON
THERE.
George: YOU GUYS ARE
DOING FANTASTIC WORK, A
VERY, VERY IMPORTANT ROLE
FOR PEOPLE OF FAITH AROUND
THE WORLD.
DR. KATRINA LANDROS SWEAT,
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
COME BACK AGAIN, PLEASE.
THANK YOU.
IT HAS BEEN MY PLEASURE.
George: COMING UP,
AMERICA PAUSES TO PRAY.
IN GATHERINGS ACROSS THE
COUNTRY, MILLIONS ASK GOD TO
RENEW THEIR NATION.
George: AND WELCOME
BACK TO THE BROADCAST.
CHRISTIANS ACROSS AMERICA
GATHERED TO PRAY AND SEEK
GOD'S BLESSINGS DURING THE
NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER.
THE 63rd ANNUAL EVENT TOOK
PLACE IN HOMES, CHURCHES,
AND IN THE NATION'S
CAPITAL.
THIS YEAR'S THEME, "ONE
VOICE UNITED IN PRAYER."
AT THIS RALLY IN WASHINGTON,
THEY PRAYED FOR THE
PRESIDENT AND MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS, AND ANN LOTS, THE
DAUGHTER OF BILLY GRAHAM,
SAID THAT THE NATURAL
DISASTERS AND SOCIAL
ECONOMIC PROBLEMS ARE
WARNINGS THAT, QUOTE,"GOD'S
JUDGMENT IS COMING."
IT WILL NOT BE POLITICAL
OR ECONOMIC OR EDUCATION.
THE ANSWER IS TO FALL ON OUR
FACE BEFORE GOD AND CRY OUT
TO HIM IN HUMBLE REPENTANCE
OF SIN.
AMEN.
[APPLAUSE]
JUST BECAUSE THE NATIONAL
DAY OF PRAYER IS ENDING
DOESN'T MEAN WE STOP
PRAYING.
THIS IS THE BEGINNING.
NOW IT IS UP TO YOU.
IT'S UP TO YOU TO CRY OUT TO
GOD.
[APPLAUSE]
George: WASHINGTON
WASN'T THE ONLY PLACE THAT
PEOPLE GATHERED TO PRAY.
MORE THAN 40,000 NATIONAL
DAY OF PRAYER EVENTS WERE
HELD, WITH MILLIONS OF
PEOPLE PARTICIPATING ACROSS
THE UNITED STATES.
LORI JOHNSON TAKES US TO ONE
EVENT IN HAMPTON, VIRGINIA.
*
Reporter: BELIEVERS
ACROSS AMERICA JOINED
TOGETHER ON A DAY SET ASIDE
TO LIFT THEIR VOICES TO GOD
IN PRAISE AND PETITION.
LORD, GIVE US THE
STRENGTH AND THE COURAGE TO
TAKE A STAND AGAINST THOSE
WHO RESIST YOUR KINGDOM'S
ROOTS.
LET THIS GREAT NATION
CONTINUE TO BE A SHINING
LIGHT TO THE NATIONS, NOT
BRINGING DIVISION, BUT TO
WALK IN THE FRUIT OF THE
SPIRIT.
HELP US WALK IN LOVE AS A
UNITED PEOPLE.
Reporter: MORE THAN
40,000 PRAYER GATHERINGS ARE
TAKING PLACE FROM COAST TO
COAST, IN PLACES LIKE
CHURCHES AND GOVERNMENT
BUILDINGS.
THE THIS ONE IS SO BIG THE
ORGANIZERS RENTED A
CONVENTION CENTER.
PASTORS CHRIS HALERAN AND
NEVRIT YARBO BROUGHT
TOGETHER CHRISTIANS FROM
DIFFERENT DENOMINATIONS ON
VIRGINIA'S PENINSULA.
I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT
THAT THE BODY OF CHRIST
WORKS TOGETHER.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT GOD
INTENDED.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT JESUS
WANTED.
Reporter: THEY ASKED
GOD TO LEAD PEOPLE TO
REPENTANCE, AS AN INDIVIDUAL
AND AS A NATION.
WE'RE IN DESPERATE NEED
OF THE AWAKENING OF THE
SPIRIT OF GOD.
A GENUINE REVIVAL THAT WILL
AWAKEN THE CHURCH AND REALLY
SHAKE OUR CULTURE AS WELL.
Reporter: THE FAITHFUL
PRAYED FOR HEALING IN
FAMILIES, SCHOOLS, AND
FINANCES.
I HAVE A LONG PRAYER LIST
OF MANY NEEDS, BUT, OF
COURSE, THE MOST IMPORTANT
IS THE SALVATION OF SOULS.
Reporter: A PRAYER THAT
MANY CHRISTIANS SHARED
NATIONWIDE THURSDAY,
TRUSTING IN THE POWER OF GOD
TO TRANSFORM A NATION.
LORI JOHNSON, CBN NEWS,
HAMPTON, VIRGINIA.
George: AND IN THE DAYS
LEADING UP TO THE NATIONAL
DAY OF PRAYER, PARTICIPANTS
READ THE ENTIRE BIBLE OUT
LOUD ON THE STEPS OF THE
UNITED STATES CAPITAL.
HERE IS A GLIMPSE OF THAT
90-HOUR EVENT.
GOD, STRENGTHEN ME JUST
ONCE MORE AND LET ME, WITH
ONE BLOW, GET REVENGE ON THE
PHILISTINES FOR MY TWO
EYES.
WE ARE HERE AT THE 25th
ANNUAL BIBLE-READING
MARATHON HELD AT THE U.S.
CAPITAL, WHERE VOLUNTEERS
AROUND THE COUNTRY AND THIS
AREA READ THE ENTIRE BIBLE
FOR A PERIOD OF FIVE DAYS.
THEN THEY TOOK WHAT MICAH
HAD MADE AND WENT ON TO
LEASH AGAINST THE PEOPLE AT
PEACE AND SECURE.
WE HAVE ALMOST 100 BIBLES
IN DIFFERENT TRANSLATIONS
BESIDES ENGLISH BECAUSE
THERE ARE CHRISTIANS
LITERALLY FROM AROUND THE
WORLD.
THEY COME TO VISIT THE U.S.
CAPITAL.
THEY COME BY AND SOMETIMES
CAN'T SPEAK IN ENGLISH, AND
THEY POINT TO THE BIBLE,
POINT TO THEIR HEART, AND
POINT UPWARDS TO GOD.
AND WE ALLOW THEM TO READ IN
THEIR OWN LANGUAGE.
THEY'RE READING THE BIBLE
HERE, AT THE U.S. CAPITAL,
AND THAT SPEAKS A LOT ABOUT
OUR COUNTRY.
AND THE REALITY OF WHAT WE
CAN DO IN THIS SPECIFIC
LOCATION.
IT IS AMAZING.
I KNOW IN SOME OTHER PLACES
YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO DO
IT.
DOING IT HERE JUST REFLECTS
THE REALITY THAT WE STILL
LIVE IN A GREAT COUNTRY.
George: FANTASTIC.
2014 MARKED THE 25th YEAR
THE BIBLE HAS BEEN READ
ALOUD AT THE UNITED STATES
CAPITAL.
UP NEXT, THE CHURCH IN IRAQ
UNDER FIRE.
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF
CHRISTIANS HAVE FLED THE
COUNTRY.
SEE WHAT HAPPENED WHEN ONE
MAN CHOSE TO STAY.
WILL RECEIVE THE WILLIAM
WILBUR FORCE AWARD.
THE HONOR IS GIVEN BY THE
CENTER FOR CHRISTIAN WORLD
VIEW.
HE LEADS A CHURCH IN
BAGHDAD, TORN BY SECTARIAN
VIOLENCE.
DESPITE A PHYSICAL HANDICAP,
AND THE FACT THAT 1,000
MEMBERS OF HIS CHURCH HAVE
BEEN KILLED, HE STILL WORKS
TIRELESSLY TO ADMINISTER TO
HIS COMMUNITY.
THE VICOR OF BAGHDAD AND HIS
CHURCH CONTINUE SERVING
THEIR COMMUNITY.
GREG MUSSELMAN, A VOICE OF
THE MARTYRS, BRINGS THIS
REPORT FROM BAGHDAD.
ST. GEORGE'S CHURCH LED
BY CANON ANDREW WHITE, HAS
HAD MORE THAN A THOUSAND
PEOPLE KILLED I FROM THEIR
CHURCH IN THE PAST FIVE
YEARS.
THE VICOR OF BAGHDAD, WHO
WAS DIAGNOSED WITH MULTIPLE
SCLEROSIS 15 YEARS AGO,
WHICH AFFECTS HIS SPEECH AND
MOBILITY, SAYS HE HAS NO
INTENTION OF LEAVING
BAGHDAD, DESPITE OF THE
DANGERS FACING CHRISTIANS.
AND THE ATTACKS AND THE
OPPOSITION ISN'T AVERT AND
ALWAYS OBVIOUS, BUT IT IS
ALWAYS THERE.
JUST UNDER THE SURFACE.
THIT'S AT EVERY LEVEL IN
SOCIETY.
CHRISTIANS ARE CHRISTIANS.
THEY'RE A MINORITY.
THEY'RE TO BE SIDELINED, AND
THEY ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE
CONSIDERED A GREAT RISK
BECAUSE THEY DO NOT FOLLOW
THE WAY OF THE MAJORITY OF
PEOPLE HERE WHO FOLLOW
EITHER SHIIA OR SUNNI
ISLAM.
Reporter: I'M HERE IN
THE WAR-TORN CITY OF
BAGHDAD.
CHRISTIANITY GOES ALL THE
WAY BACK TO THE FIRST
CENTURY IN THIS PART OF THE
WORLD.
IN THE MID-1990s, THERE
WERE MORE THAN 1.2 MILLION
CHRISTIANS HERE.
BUT WITH WAR AND TERRORISM
AND DIRECT ATTACK AGAINST
CHRISTIANS, A MILLION
CHRISTIANS OR MORE HAVE LEFT
THE COUNTRY SINCE THAT TIME,
DECIMATING THE CHURCH.
AND WHERE HAVE THE THEY
GONE?
THEY'VE GONE TO SWEDEN,
DETROIT, CHICAGO, AND
CANADA.
AND WE WANT THEM HERE.
Reporter: ANDREW WHITE
ENCOURAGES THE CHRISTIANS TO
STAY IN IRAQ.
AND I SAY TO THEM, I'M
NOT GOING TO LEAVE YOU.
PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME.
Reporter: BUT IT IS
EASY TO UNDERSTAND WHY
CHRISTIANS STILL IN THE
COUNTRY WANT TO LEAVE.
REBECCA AND OLI HAD BEEN
MARRIED FOR OVER TWO
DECADES, AND WERE RAISING
THEIR THREE CHILDREN IN
MUSUL, LOCATED ON THE WEST
BANK OF THE TIGRES RIVER.
OLI GREW UP IN AN ORTHODOX
FAMILY, BUT JOINED AN
EVANGELICAL CHURCH GROUP IN
2009.
IT WAS DURING THAT TIME HE
BECAME MORE PASSIONATE ABOUT
HIS FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST.
THERE WAS A BIG
DIFFERENCE.
IT WAS LIKE A BOMB.
HE BECAME LIKE A BOMB.
HE PRAYED EVERY DAY FOR
THREE HOURS, FROM MIDNIGHT
UNTIL 3:00.
HE WOULD COME AND WAKE ME
AND SAY, LET'S PRAY
TOGETHER.
HE ASKED THAT WE BE FILLED
WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT.
HE FELT GOD HAD PUT THE
HEALING GIFT IN HIS HANDS.
HE PRAYED FOR SICK PEOPLE.
Reporter: AS A RESULT,
OLI HAD AN INSATIABLE DESIRE
TO LEAD MUSLIMS TO JESUS,
EVEN GOING TO THE MOSQUES TO
TELL THEM ABOUT THE GOSPEL.
IN THIS PHOTO, TAKEN IN
2011, HE WAS PRAYINGORY
MOSUL, WHERE CHRISTIANS ARE
OFTEN SINGLED OUT FOR
ATTACKS BY MILITANT
MUSLIMS.
BETWEEN JANUARY AND MARCH OF
2012, OLI LED SEVEN MUSLIMS
TO CHRIST, AND BROUGHT HIS
FIRST CONVERT FROM ISLAM
HOME WITH HIM TO WASH HIS
FEET.
OLI'S BOLDNESS ALSO DREW THE
ATTENTION OF ISLAMISTS WHO
WANTED TO SILENCE HIM.
SHE BELIEVES HER HUSBAND WAS
WARNED MANY TIMES TO STOP
TELLING MUSLIMS ABOUT
CHRIST.
OLI WAS KIDNAPPED ON MARCH
19th, 2012, AND WAS
TORTURED FOR THREE DAYS
BEFORE BEING SHOT NINE
TIMES.
REBECCA'S PASTOR WARNED HER
NOT TO OPEN THE CASKET TO
SEE HER HUSBAND'S
BULLET-RIDDLED BODY, BUT SHE
DID ANYWAY.
HE TOLD ME THAT THEY SHOT
HIM FIVE TIMES IN THE HEAD.
I SAID, NO, I WANT TO SEE
HIM.
SO THEY OPENED THE CASKET.
WHEN I SAW HIM, I SAW A BIG
SMILE ON HIS FACE.
AFTER THAT, THEY CLOSED IT.
AND WE GOT READY TO TAKE HIM
TO HIS VILLAGE.
WHEN THEY TOOK HIM TO THE
CHURCH, A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE
SAYING BAD THINGS ABOUT
THOSE WHO KILLED HIM.
BUT I DIDN'T ACCEPT THAT
INTO MY HEART.
I WAS PRAYING FOR THOSE
PEOPLE WHO KILLED HIM.
I AM PROUD OF HIM BECAUSE HE
DIED FOR JESUS.
George: AND YOU CAN SEE
MORE OF GREG'S REPORTING
FROM IRAQ AND OTHER PLACES
IN THE WORLD AT THE V.O.M.
CANADA PAGE.
YOU CAN FIND THE LINK AT
CBNNEWS.COM.
WE'LL BE BACK RIGHT AFTER
THIS.
George: TORNADOES SWEPT
THROUGH THE AMERICAN SOUTH
THIS WEEK, KILLING AT LEAST
35 PEOPLE.
CBN'S "OPERATION BLESSING"
IS ON THE GROUND IN TUPELO,
MISSISSIPPI, WHICH TOOK A
DIRECT HIT.
"OPERATION BLESSING" HAS SET
UP A MOBILE COMMAND POST AT
A LOCAL CHURCH.
TEAMS ARE HELPING RESIDENTS
WITH DEBRIS REMOVAL AND
MINISTERING TO SPIRITUAL
NEEDS.
ANGELA'S HOME WAS DESTROYED
IN THE STORM.
SHE SAYS I IT WAS A MIRACLE
SHE AND HER THREE CHILDREN
WOULD NOT OM A HOME AT THE
TIME, AND SHE IS GRATEFUL
FOR "OPERATION BLESSING'S"
HELP.
THERE IS A TUB BEHIND
YOU, AND THAT'S THE TUB FOR
NINE YEARS WE ALWAYS TOOK
SHELTER IN DURING A TORNADO
WARNING.
HAD WE BEEN HERE, THAT'S THE
TUB WE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN.
SO GOD MOVES IN MYSTERIOUS
WAYS, AND I THINK HE WAS
WITH US DURING THIS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE WOULD
DO WITHOUT PEOPLE LIKE YOU
GUYS COMING IN AND
ASSISTING.
George: DEVASTATING AND
INCREDIBLE.
WE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR THE
VICTIMS OF THOSE STORMS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
JOINING US THIS WEEK.
UNTIL NEXT WEEK, GOOD-BYE
AND GOD BLESS YOU.