GroshLink

Attempt on life of Bishop Ben Kwashi of Jos greeted me in my email box this morning. The author shared some stories of the Anglican Bishop who received his DMin from Trinity Episcopal School of Ministry: [Bishop Ben Kwashi] is a great brother in the Lord, and has stood up for the Gospel not only in his Muslim-Christian conflicted country of Nigeria but our country as well. My three favorite stories about him are:

1) One time going to a wall street church in NYC, they asked him “Bishop, why should we give you our money over other requests?” “Oh, I’m sorry.” He replied. “Had I known it was your money I would not have bothered to come. I thought this was God’s money I was asking for. I only want God’s money for God’s work.” He got the grant.
2) A number of years ago he and his relative were put before an open grave. His relative was shot and fell in. Kwashi said “before you kill me let me pray.” “Why”, said the militia gunman. “Do you think your God can save you now?” “Why not?!” shot back Kwashi. He prayed, and when he looked up the gunman was stooping on the ground, the ak-47 on his knees. “You are right. Your God has saved you. Now get out of here quickly.”
3) At a conference here in the USA -- “I don’t care if I’m accused of being a fundamentalist…. Look, you Westerners taught us to believe in the Bible 150 years ago. Now we believe in it and you don’t…. the liberals say they’ll stop giving us money if we keep taking a stand. What, we’re going to sell out the gospel for money? We’re already poor; what’s new about that?”

Join me in praising the Good Shepherd for the sparing of the lives of the members of the Kwashi family. Pray for the Father's Presence and the Spirit's confidence to continue to be known in powerful way in Ben Kwashi's life, ministry, and family.  May he (and his family) continue to be a witness in Nigeria and in the Anglican Communion, to the glory of God:

They told Bishop Ben, they were going to kill him. Then, inexplicably the men changed their minds, gave up that plan, took him back inside and ransacked the house for valuables. They beat up his teenage son Rinji. Help came after about half an hour.

“I have seen a miracle”, Bishop Kwashi said to me this morning. “Join me in thanking God that my life has been spared again. This is the second time in 18 months that an attempt has been made on my life.” (In February 2006 a gang came in search of him to the house, but he was away. They beat up his wife Gloria and left her blinded for a while. Read here. “This is now the second time that Gloria has seen all this. It is worse for her. Please pray for her” . . . more at Attempt on life of Bishop Ben Kwashi of Jos.