Light in the Dark of Night
“Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labour pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.”
Nigeria boasts a population of over 155 million people, approximately 51 percent of whom are Christian. However, northern Nigeria is one of the most dangerous places in the world for Christians to live and practise their faith. As reported on the main page of our online Nigeria country report, here is a brief description of this particular hostile nation (www.persecution.net/nigeria.htm):
“Nigeria is constitutionally a secular state with freedom of religion. While the northern ruling elite give preferential treatment to Muslims, there is tremendous discrimination against Christians. Little has been done to stem the growth of violent Islamist groups or stop the persecution of Christians in the north, resulting in hundreds of churches having been burned and many Christians tragically killed. The scale of persecution of Christians by Muslims has accelerated in Nigeria’s northern states and as far south as the central Plateau.”
A Nigerian Christian businessman by the name of Habila understands the cost of following Jesus. He is quoted as saying, “When God says, ‘Yes,’ it doesn’t matter who says, ‘No.’” This faithful Christian husband and father is fervent and diligent to walk in the light of his faith as one of God’s “children of the day,” though he stands ready for Christ’s triumphant return at any time. The following account of Habila’s testimony provides us with yet another truth – one that’s in sharp contrast to the brilliant and sustaining ‘light of God.’ It demonstrates how darkness masks so much evil. For it was among the darkest shadows that Habila and his family experienced the unimaginable one fateful night.
While sleeping peacefully in their humble home, Habila and his family were abruptly awakened. Reportedly, like evil thieves in the night, Islamic extremists crashed through the garden gates and front door, forcing their way into the living room, causing all inside to spring to an extremely heightened alertness. While Habila’s wife and daughters huddled in fear near a wall in full view of their captured husband and father, one of several heavily armed perpetrators pointed an automatic rifle at his head – commanding him to renounce his faith in Jesus.
No one can prepare fully for such a moment. As I’ve written in previous editorials, it’s at that moment of truth – even when our human abilities fail us – that God faithfully intercedes through His Holy Spirit in giving the right words and the strong faith necessary to overcome the darkness with God’s pure and holy light.
As Habila pronounced his undying faith in Christ, a shot rang out that echoed in the precious hearts of his wife and children and, undoubtedly, throughout heaven. He slumped lifeless into his wife’s arms, and the “thieves of life” snuck away into the murky darkness. More than half of the right side of Habila’s face was blown off, including a large section of his jaw bone. The resulting blood loss was substantial and rapidly life-threatening. Neighbours, after hearing the shot, helped to get Habila quickly to a hospital, where beyond life support, he endured multiple reconstructive surgical procedures.
In this case, God clearly intended Habila’s life witness to be used for His continuing purposes. After interceding a second time, the Lord miraculously maintained the Nigerian believer’s life, defying all logic and natural reason. As time passed, VOM’s mobile medical services were also of great help to Habila and his family. In October, the leaders representing our various international and independently operated Voice of the Martyrs missions, under the umbrella association of the International Christian Association (ICA), assembled in Colorado Springs for an annual conference. While there, I had the privilege of praying for our dear brother Habila (by then referred to as “a walking miracle”), and was greatly moved and humbled to embrace and lift him up in prayer, along with the attending members of our sister missions.
Jesus will come again as promised. Those of us, standing with our brothers and sisters on the front lines of our faith in readiness for His return, must honour Him and His eternal sacrifice by bringing His salvation to all who would hear, including those who are presently captive and subservient to the power of evil. Please pray for Habila and his family…that God would continue to protect them and use their testimony to draw many people out of the darkness and into God’s heavenly light, in preparation for His anticipated return.
- Doug
