What is Martyrdom Anyway? Depends on Who You Are Asking.

Fearless Love--In the Midst of Terror
David Witt and Mujahid El Masih, 2014
Life Sentence Publishing

Martus Publishing
PO Box 101, Clarkdale, AZ 86324

ISBN:  978-0-615-24033-6

What is a martyr?  What qualities make someone a martyr?  Why does it matter anyway?

I recently received a free copy of Fearless Love--In the Midst of Terror from Life Sentence Publishing for review.  I did not and will not receive further compensation for this review.  All opinions expressed herein are my own.  I was not obligated to provide a positive review.

This is probably one of the more thought-provoking books I've read in a long time.  Initially I wondered how and why anyone would compare Christian martyrdom to Islamic martyrdom.  Now it all makes a lot more sense.  Before reading the book I did not understand how to have fearless love when thinking about Islamic jihad.  I know a lot more about the Islamic religious beliefs used to justify Islamic martyrdom.  Perhaps the biggest difference I saw was that one type of martyrdom is based on giving, grace and love, and the other type of martyrdom is based on taking, subduing, hatred and violence.

As the authors suggest, "Fear is the greatest block to the freedom of love and life." I would invite you to think about how love makes fear disappear and encourage you to learn more about why Muslims are in constant jihad, whether it be actively violent or more passive and silent.  Martyrdom and Christian persecution during the many acts of terrorism we've been observing for a number of years are not what most people want to contemplate or comment on, but perhaps this book will decrease your fears while encouraging you.

This powerful book teaches about basic Muslim beliefs, how to reach out to Muslims and share the gospel, how Christian faith helps overcome fear of suffering and death, and how to be involved in the battle against global terrorism.  Fifty true stories of courageous Christians are shared in this book which may be used for individual, church, or small group study.  The authors work with The Voice of the Martyrs.  One of the authors, Dr. Mujahid El Masih, grew up in Pakistan living a double life which included Christianity and Islam until embracing Christianity fully.  He has studied Islam and the Qur'an before becoming a church planter.  The other author, David Witt, is a pastor and founder of Spirit of Martyrdom ministries.

As I mentioned, this is a very thought-provoking book.  It worked best for me to read the book a section at a time with some time for reflection.  The book is divided into seven sections, which are split into 29 chapters, an Appendix, and a Final Note.  Each section ends with Group Discussion and Contemplation.  I think this would be a great book for the topic of a small group study.  The book is designed to be used over eight weeks.

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