The Pakistani Christian community is on fire, in both a glorious and tragic way. I have several Pakistani Facebook friends who regularly post videos, images and written reports about revival – blind people seeing, deaf people hearing, and many receiving Christ as their Lord and Saviour. For example, my friend Ayoub Khawar posted this healing report the other day:

This girl had mucus coming from her ear from childhood, but after prayer she testified she is healed! Praise the Lord !!
Share about Jesus with someone today! Someone who really needs it, today!!

A month ago, he posted:

People are hungry for the Word of God !!
Over 300 people gave their lives to the Lord and we only had 70 Bibles to give to them.
They were so happy and thankful as they received this treasure !

However, yesterday he contacted me personally to share less joyful news. News about another fire that is burning i the Pakistani Christian community, the fire of persecution. He wrote:

2 Bomb Blasts in Churches in Yohanaabad (our neighboring town), Lahore. Need your urgent prayers !  the situation is so bad about 14 died and more than 68 injured, our neighbors whole family died, husband wife with a baby to be delievered and there little girl died

Both a Catholic and Protestant church were attacked by suicide bombers that a Taliban group claims belong to them. “We promise that until an Islamic system is put into place in Pakistan such attacks will continue”, a Taliban spokesperson has said.

Anna Hayat, another Facebook friend of mine who is really passionate about both evangelism and helping the poor (it is she who is handing out food to children in the Holy Spirit Activism banner above), is devastated by the attacks:

Today 2 bomb blasts in 2 Churches in Lahore . , more then 25 died and more then 100 injured, its 20 to 25 min away from our home . please pray for our nation Pakistan and Christian’s all over the world 😦

Tragically, some Pakistani Christians have chosen to respond to the attacks by using violence. The Washington Post reports: “After the bombings, angry Christians began smashing windows and blocking traffic in Lahore. The mob beat two people suspected of involvement in the attacks and then set their bodies on fire.”

This is not how Christians should respond, brothers and sisters. Remember what our Lord Jesus said:

I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Mt 5:44-45)

And the blessed apostle Paul wrote:

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse… Do not repay anyone evil for evil… Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Rom 12:14, 17, 21)

And the apostle Peter:

Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. (1 Pet 3:9)

Terrorists won’t repent if we behave like terrorists. They will repent if we behave like Jesus; loving them, praying for them and show compassion to them. I will pray that God comforts Pakistani Christians while also giving them the strength to love and bless those who persecute them, and to continue to spread revival over the nation of Pakistan.