The Dangers facing the Underground Church of the Middle East

Brethren,
I would like to make you all aware of a ministry & a situation going on in the Middle East. Yesterday, on the same day that we Christians around the world rejoiced that Pastor Saeed & 3 others were released from Iran, dozens of other underground church leaders were all arrested. I know Greg does not typically like forum posts to include links, but I feel quite good that an exception in this case will not likely be an issue. This is a short video clip of the brother who leads the Global Catalytic Ministries in the heart of the 10/40 window. He was radically saved at 23 (just as I was), & his pre-Christ testimony is very very similar to mine, except the person who overdosed on drugs just before my conversion in my case was actually me. Anyways, this is a brother Who's ministry is in the "Sheep Among Wolves" documentary on the persecuted church, & whom I have had some correspondence with back & forth. This is a work that I can get behind & I would promote & ask also for the saints to pray & intercede for as well called Global Catalytic Ministries.
God Bless,
Jeff M

http://youtu.be/5JP7kpfiQQw

Wow! What a testimony. He was a hacker and a drug dealer and had a 100k job with a million dollar house and very expensive cars. His job just must have been a cover-up for his illicit activities. What kind of job was he employed in? Was it something to do with computers?

No, I believe the 100k job was after his conversion (obviously he wouldn't be doing illegal illicit activities still as a believer). It happens. A brother here in our fellowship was like a $100k-$150k+ wage earner for years after conversion, when he was an overdosing heroin addict who died on the table at the hospital only to revive when his (then Buddhist) wife cried out to Jesus to save him. But he laid it all down too & left for the mission field in India, Mexico, & now has been brought back in the states. I've never been a $100k/yr earner (& I have my 7th child on the way), but God calls different people to different things for different reasons. In the end, He knows what we all need (& don't need) & what will being Him glory & conform each of us to Christ's image in His timing.

When he talked about leaving everything (cars, million dollar house, 100k job, for the middle East, everything ran together. But it makes sense now. So, after he got saved he still retained all his possessions from being a drug dealer and hacking (if he made any money from that) and then went and got a 100k job? Because, he said he left all those things for the call of God. How long after he got saved did he then leave for the middle East? He must have had a hard time explaining all of his possessions to his fellow 100k a year workers. How do you think he handled those kinds of questions from unbelievers, not to mention believers?

How did he explain that everything he owns came from illegal activities? I am sure people asked and then he would have had to be truthful. Any mention of restitution in his testimony?

100k is not that much anymore. In 1974 dollars, 100k is 20,794 dollars.
Cars, housing, food, gas, insurance has all gone up.

His testimony did not seem to fill in these blanks. How does a 100k job pay for insurance and maintenance for the house and cars along with everything else needed to sustain a couple with lavish possessions?

Brother,
I don't know. You seem to make a lot of assumptions based on what he shared (& even filling in blanks of assumptions based on what he didn't share). It's a short testimony, not a comprehensive auto-biography. Kinda not really the point, to be honest. The point is that he was totally lost & trapped in sin & God reached in and rescued him. And that he left all he had for the sake of the Gospel & the call. I was 23 when I got radically born again in 1999. I am 40 now. With the masked near "hyper-inflation" on food costs alone during this period (it's been slow & sneaky, but someone like me feeding 8-9 people notices more readily since it's such a large part of our total budget), Even 17 years ago $100k was a lot more than it is now (I made $100k every 2-3 months in those days, but it was like water through my fingertips). I didn't have all that stuff, but I did still have a car & stuff. Generally, people don't get all in your business & ask you a bunch of questions about your financial situation & what you own. Not sure his exact details. Analyzing all that actually didn't cross my mind. I would imagine if he was/is the type of radical convert who married the woman he did (she is an amazing testimony ex-Radical Muslim who loves Jesus with all her heart), who left all he had behind to dive into the heart of the enemy at great risk, who didn't just want to play church, etc. he did whatever the Spirit of God led him to do? That's my assumption.
God Bless,
Jeff

For saints who have not seen this resource, this is a free ebook sharing Principles from underground Churches including Iran: http://gfel.org/principlesbook-2/

PRINCIPLES FROM THE UNDERGROUND CHURCH IN IRAN

Principle 56 ”“ Explosive Growth in an Antichrist State.pdf
https://archive.org/download/principlesbook/principle56.pdf

Principle 57 ”“ Sharing the Faith Constantly in All Situations.pdf
https://archive.org/download/principlesbook/principle57.pdf

Principle 58 ”“ New Converts Every Church Meeting.pdf
https://archive.org/download/principlesbook/principle58.pdf

Principle 59 ”“ Networking of Small Groups of Believers.pdf
https://archive.org/download/principlesbook/principle59.pdf

Principle 60 ”“ Martyrs Esteemed in the Church.pdf
https://archive.org/download/principlesbook/principle60.pdf

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Thanks for the reply Jeff. Sorry if my questions seemed to bother you. You can't be too careful these days. You know what I mean? Would love to hear his full testimony if you know where to find it.

I know the brother is very careful about the extent of what all he shares, for good reason. There are radical Muslims who will investigate, research, & lie in wait to stop the Lord's work & the threat is very real. He has to go by an alias as well for security reasons where he is. But I know brethren who have been there embedded with him where he is. Anyways, Here is his wife's testimony ("Padina's" Story). I know I can share it:

http://youtu.be/POU5Is2Qo80