Meditation on the Text of the Week

In Memoriam

And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And when I saw her, I wondered greatly.
Revelation 17: 6

This week we wish to remember three brothers, recently martyred. We have received news that in the recent conflict in Maiduguri, Nigeria our brothers, previously unknown to us, laid down their lives for the sake of the Name and honour of our Lord. We wish to remember them, honour them, and give thanks to our Lord for their lives and testimony.

The Yusufiya group of fundamentalist Islamics was recently attacked and crushed by the Nigerian army. However, amidst the conflict the leader, Mohammed Yusuf ordered the deaths by beheading of three Nigerian pastors. The men had been captured along with others by the insurgents. They were ordered to deny the Lord and convert to Islam.

Corroborating the account of the killing, a Senior pastor with Good News Church, Wulari Maiduguri Rev. Baba Gata Ibrahim told Daily Sun in an interview that a pastor in his church, Pastor George Orjih was beheaded on the instruction of the Boko Haram leader because the clergy man refused to accept Islam.
“An eye witness who was also captured by the Islamic militants gave us details of how the pastor was killed. He told us they were persuading him to accept Islam and he said over his dead body. He was even said to have preached Christ to Mohammed Yusuf and that reportedly angered the sect leader who then as he ordered that the pastor and others be killed immediately,” he disclosed.

The late Pastor George Orjih was said to have arrived Maiduguri last week from Jos where he was doing his Masters programme in Theology. Described as a fearless, hardworking, and intellectually sound, his care for the welfare and well being of his family allegedly contributed to his capture and eventual death.
“He was mindful of his family and their welfare. He was really out of the house but thought to go back again. That was how he was captured by the Boko Haram before he was killed. It was the very week, in fact the following day he returned from school where he was doing his Masters in Theology that he was arrested,” the senior pastor added.

The news reports gave the following account:

The pastors alongside one Ibo man were asked to change their faith to Islam like they did to other people taken as hostages. I think there was an argument by one of the pastors which gave the others some level of confidence to also resist accepting Islam.

The Yusufiya men who were armed on that Tuesday afternoon were not comfortable with the pastors and they took one of them to the sect leader in his inner chamber. They came out later to the courtyard within the compound and cut their heads one after the other and thereafter, shouted allah akbar in wild celebration accompanied with several gun shots,” the eye witness disclosed.

Let us pray for our brethren and sisters in that place. They have been exhorted and challenged with godly counsel at the funeral service for one of the slain:

Also delivering a sermon during the funeral rites for late Rev. Sabo Yakubu, slain COCIN Church pastor, the speaker, Rev Bulus Azi urged Christians to emulate the pastors who were killed because of their refusal to betray their faith. Quoting from the bible in Revelation 7: 9-15, the regional chairman of the church told Christians to prepare to die anytime as their calling demand.

Let us show our solidarity with them by living as those dead to self and this evil world, but alive to God and His Christ who is Lord of all the earth.