Book Review: Killing Christians (2015)

Killing Christians: Living the Faith Where It's Not Safe To Believe. Tom Doyle. 2015. [March 2015] Thomas Nelson. 240 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Killing Christians is well worth reading. It is intense, emotional, and thought-provoking. Readers will meet men and women living in the Middle East who LOVE Jesus passionately and are willing to die for him. Most, if not all, of these Jesus-believers were former Muslims who have converted to Christianity. Though it's extremely dangerous to share the gospel in these high-risk areas, these are men and women who are reaching out to others with the gospel message.

Table of Contents:

• The Pirates of Somalia
• The Only Empty Graveyard in Syria
• Syrian Refugee, But Not Forgotten
• Get Your Bible at the Mosul Mosque
• The Joy of a Baghdad Beating
• The Bodyguard of Saudi Arabia
• When The Brotherhood Has A Knife At Your Throat
• The Gaza Strip Infiltrators

I'd recommend reading this one slowly, thoughtfully, prayerfully. Allow the stories to perhaps thaw your hardness of heart or indifference. Yes, the book is about persecution. No doubt about it. But for me, a message that came through just as clearly was how deeply and passionately these men and women LOVE Jesus. These aren't lukewarm Christians. They don't need the warning of Revelation 2:4. They're not going through the motions. Their faith is active and vibrant. God is WITH them.

Another thing that stood out for me from reading these stories is how much these believers LOVE the Bible, are hungry for more, more, more. They eagerly read the Scriptures. They keep reading and they keep seeking. And they're eager to share Bibles with others, to share the gospel, to share their knowledge, to share their faith. The Bible is not boring or irrelevant in their eyes.

So. The book is about believers living with the daily threat of persecution. They know that they could be killed because of their faith. But they are not willing to give up their faith, their belief that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

The book ends with an opportunity, an invitation. Will you commit to praying daily for fellow believers at a certain time each day?

Quotes:

There is remarkable freedom in having no expectations, no plans for tomorrow. The question I and many others start every day with is this: "Jesus, what do You have planned for me and my family?" Only today matters. Only how I live for Jesus counts. Everything else is superficial. When I hand over my life to my Lord, knowing each day may be my last one on this earth, I am more at peace than ever before. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible