Bridge of Grace

For years we have been hearing about the persecution that Christians around the globe are suffering at the hands of Jihadists, and despite the ongoing reports, the suffering is continuing uninhibited.  In the nation of Nigeria, Rev. Amos Mohzo, the President of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), revealed that in the past two years Fulani militants & their Jihadist allies have forced the closure of 70 churches in central Nigeria's Plateau state.  Many Christians were drive from their homes and a good number of these churches were burned down.  Many Christians live in camps outside their destroyed communities & cannot return to their homes due to the ever increasing danger of Jihad in the region.  Most have been relying on NGO organizations to survive.   Christian farmers express frustration that the Nigerian government isn't effectively utilizing the military to protect their communities.  Many state that what's happening now is a continuation of the Jihads wag

On July 14th 2024, a car bomb exploded at the Top Coffee shop in Somalia's capital city of Mogadishu.  At that time, crowds of Somalis had gathered at a coffee bar to watch a Euro 24 soccer match between Spain and England.  That at 10:28pm, a car bomb outside the shop exploded without warning.  Thus far nine people are confirmed dead and at least twenty more wounded.  The Jihadist terrorist group al-Shabab took credit for the attack.   Top Coffee Car Bombing Though Al-Shabab had been carrying out bombings & shootings across the country in an attempt to topple the government & seize control for the past 17 years, there had been a period of relative quiet for the past few months, so this attack took many by surprise.  Despite the recent lull, Jihadist violence is considered the norm within the country with the Somali government led by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has declared "total war" on the Jihadist factions & is conducting ongoing campaigns backed by U.S

Musa Baluku: ADF Leader The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a large but unstable nation in the middle of Africa.  The region is home to over 100 million people along with over 100 militant groups, among these groups is the Allied Democratic Front (ADF).  Founded in 1995, the group, like many other militants, began launching their insurgency within the country.  However, as the years passed, the group gradually embraced the Jihadist mentality until a large faction of the ADF united under the leadership who Musa Baluku, who would pledge his allegiance to ISIS in 2018 and begin launching widespread attacks the following year.   Eight-Year Old "Divine Grace" Survives ADF Attack Since this time period, Musa Baluku's faction of the ADF has launched a campaign of ethnic cleansing against Christians and all other non-Islamic religions in the North-Eastern region of the Congo.  Despite the fact that the Congo is over 95% Christian and only 1.5% Muslim, this has not dissuaded t

Mohammed "Yousef" Bhat For over 75 years the region of Kashmir has been a place of armed struggle between Hindus & Muslims.  A conflict that began in 1947 when India and Pakistan were partitioned into separate nations, with conflict between Hindus and Muslims ongoing ever since.  However, it has also a region that has seen a growth in Christianity with evangelical Christians seeking to bring the Good News to the conflicted region and to incorporate the teachings of Jesus to bring peace and reconciliation to the region.  Tragically, many Christians in the region, such as Mohammed "Yousef" Bhat, have paid with their lives for this effort.  This story of persecution began in the 1990's when Jihadist militant groups arose to India out of the region and began gathering recruits to their cause.  Among these recruits was 27-year-old Ahmed.   To Ahmed & some of his fellow Muslims, these men were "freedom fighters," but to others, they were terrorists. 

In one of the most recent Jihadist attacks to strike the nation of Nigeria, three women carried out suicide bombings in Gwoza, located in Borneo State in Northern Nigeria, near the Nigerian border.  Presently, there are 32 confirmed killed and an additional 42 wounded.  Experts stated that they were chosen because women do not arouse the same suspicion as men when preparations are made to carry out this attacks.  Jihadists also place less value on the life of a woman, making them prime choices in carrying out attacks like this.  The suicide bombers struck three locations.  The first bomber targeted a wedding celebration, setting off her explosive belt at 3pm.  The second attack was carried out by a bomber who targeted the funeral for the victims of the first bombing while the third was carried out by a teenage girl who attacked an area near a hospital.  Even more astoundingly, the second female suicide bombers that targeted the funeral had a baby strapped on her back when she set off h

The infamous "Blasphemy Accusation" has claimed the life of another innocent victim in the country of Pakistan.  On Monday June 24th, a 14-year-old Pakistan Sunni murdered 55-year-old Pakistani Nazir Hussain Shah, a Shiite Muslim who resided in the town of Kunjah in the Gujrat District of Pakistan.  The murder was motivated by a blasphemy accusation when the victim made remarks denouncing Muhammad's close companions: name the companions who would become the 1st Caliph (Abu Bakr), the 2nd Caliph (Umar), and the 3rd Caliph (Uthman).  Ali, who became the 4th Caliph, faced opposition from rebel groups led by individuals who remained loyal to Uthman, ultimately leading to the Battle of the Camel in 656.  Shiite Muslims believe that Ali should have been made Caliph from the offset of Muhammad's death and thus often ridicule the previous three Caliphs and their companions.  Sunnis view this ridicule as blasphemy as they feel these were "rightly guided Caliphs."   L

For years the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been a region of great instability & violence with a dozen armed groups and over 100 criminal gangs operating in the Eastern region of the DRC alone.  Among those groups is the Allied Democratic Forces, a Jihadists terrorist organization that pledged allegiance to ISIS in 2018.  During the month of June, the group claimed responsibility for attacks that killed over 150 Christian villagers, 38 killed on the 8th of June alone.  The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) recently released images posted by the Allied Democratic Forces on a Telegram account that detailed some of the recent horrific attacks.   Christian Villagers Slaughtered by the ADF Militants These Jihadists Militants, armed with guns & machetes, attacked soldiers and civilians alike.  Images revealed dozens of victims, some of whom were shot while others had their hands tied behind their backs & their throats slashed, clearly showing that they were exec