Minister’s Message – September 2010
Pakistan Floods

The following news report of late August describes the situation caused by the terrible flood in Pakistan.

SUKKUR: Angry flood survivors in Pakistan blocked a highway to protest slow delivery of aid and heavy rain lashed makeshift housing Monday as a forecast of more flooding increased the urgency of the massive international relief effort.

Pakistan's worst floods in recorded history began more than two weeks ago in the mountainous northwest and have spread throughout the country. Some 20 million people and 160,000 square kilometers of land – about 1/5 of the country – have been affected.

Hundreds of victims blocked a major highway with stones and rubbish near the hard-hit Sukkur area, complaining they were being treated like animals. Protester Kalu Mangiani said government officials only came to hand out food when media were present.

"They are throwing packets of food to us like we are dogs. They are making people fight for these packets," he said.

While reading this news I also read another news report coming out of this place called Sukkur.

SUKKUR, Pakistan, July 29 (CDN) — A dozen masked men shot five Christians to death as they came out of their church building here on July 15, two months after a banned Islamic extremist group sent church leaders a threatening letter, relatives said.

Pastor Aaron John and church members Rohail Bhatti, Salman John, Abid Gill and Shamin Mall of Full Gospel Church were leaving the church building after meeting to discuss security in light of the threats they had received, said the pastor’s son, Shahid John. “As we came out of the church, a group of a dozen armed gunmen came and opened fire at us,” said Shahid John, who survived a bullet in his arm.

The website <compassdirect.org> lists numerous other recent attacks on Christians in Pakistan, including the rape of teenage girls, and numerous murders on the convenient charge of ‘blasphemy’ against the prophet Mohammed.

In the Bible we read of the martyrs crying out in heaven, How long O Lord, holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth. They were told to wait a little while, until the number of their fellow servants who would be killed as they were, was completed (Revelation 6:10).

The Sovereign God is in control of all things. He is the Judge of all people. It is for us who believe in Jesus Christ to remember this, and also to remember that Jesus came into the world to save sinners. It is for us to pray ‘your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven’. It is for us to declare His name in the midst of the darkness in this world. It us for us to do good to all, as we have opportunity, especially those who belong to the household of faith (Galatians 6:10). It is for us to preach the good news of the kingdom of God as Jesus did – until he was put to death by wicked men. Let the Light of the world shine into the darkness of the land of Pakistan and every land where sin and evil are rampart.

Rev. Dr. Dennis K. Muldoon
(02) 9724-0877