[Today's Prayer] Pakistan Muslim Leaves a Threat Note in Front of a Church and Commit Arson

The church building caught fire on the 16th (local time), a month after a threatening letter was delivered to the saints, saying that the pastor's voice was too loud at a church worshipping in Lahore, Pakistan.

"The fire destroyed the church's altar, cupboards containing Bibles and other Christian books, two air conditioners and furniture," said Samuel Massey, who leads the Gulberg Presbyterian Church.

The church, which has 60 families in attendance, was trying to soundproof itself ahead of Christmas after local Muslims complained that the worship sound system was too loud.

According to Pastor Massey, an elder in the church opened the church doors at 9:30 AM on November 16 and within 20 minutes of leaving to meet a carpenter nearby, someone had set the building on fire.

"The fire was neither accidental nor caused by a short circuit," the pastor told Morningstar News. "We suspect that someone entered the church when Elder Zubair went to see a carpenter. After the crime, the intruders locked the gate from outside, and people saw smoke rising from the church building, and neighbors passing by had to break the lock and open it," he said. According to Britain's Christian Today (CT), thousands of Christians live with Muslims near the church building in the Makkah Colony, and no church has been targeted in the area before.

"Both communities live in harmony and respect each other's faith," Pastor Massey said. "However, two years ago, a Muslim family who moved into a nearby house filed a complaint with the church against the church to stop using sound facilities during the service. We told the police, "We have only used the sound facility for two hours on Fridays and Sundays, and we will be careful not to disturb our neighbors."

It is said that the church soon stopped Friday services to avoid religious conflicts. However, on October 14, an Islamic group left a letter by the main gate threatening serious consequences for the church if it did not comply with its order to turn down the volume of the sound system for Sunday worship.

The letter also mentioned a police complaint filed two years ago, and stated that the matter had now been notified to the police because the church did not comply with the previous warning. Pastor Massey said, "I did not notify the police or disclose these threats to the saints because I did not want to cause fear or anxiety in the community."

(Omit)

Source: Christian Today

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Peter 1:6-7)

Lord, we are hearing news of this arson and threats because of a complaint against a church whose worship was loud.

Christians and Muslims live together near churches in Lahore, Pakistan, however there is no way to hide our sorrow seeing the news of this church in the region that is being threatened.

May the problem of church sound insulation be solved as soon as possible, and let all the schemes of Satan that is creeping in through the cracks of this problem to destroy the church and disrupt worship be shattered.

Would you have mercy on the Muslims of this land that they may break free from their blind faith in the laws of Islam and come before Jesus in repentance and believe in Jesus who is the Savior and Truth.

May the church members and leaders not be worried or afraid by this threatening letter and arson problem, and let them rise boldly as the church that overcomes the power of death planted on the rock of faith.

Although the persecution against Christians and the Church is intensifying in these end times, may the Church, the body of Christ be strengthened and refined in their faith like gold that when You, Jesus come, may they be commended.