Pray for the People of Queragosh and Erbil

[Larry Lyons]

This came to me via email originally sent by Voni Dill, sister in law of Jerry Dill, VOP singer:

Dear Friend, just a few minutes ago I received the following text message from Sean Malone, who leads Crisis Relief International CRI). We spoke briefly by phone, and I assured him that we would share this urgent prayer need with all our contacts.

"We lost the city of Queragosh. It fell to ISIS and they are beheading children systematically. Theis is the city that we have been smuggling food to. ISIS has pushed back Kurdish forces and are within 10 minutes of where our CRI team is working. Thousands more fled into the city of Erbil last night. The UN evacuated its staff in Erbil. Prayer cover needed.

Please pray sincerely for the deliverance of people of northern Iraq from the terrible advancement of ISIS and its extreme Islamic goals for mass conversion or death for Christians in the area."

Our Father in heaven. You are the only God. You are the God who slew the Egyptian army to save your people. You sent one angel to destroy entire armies. I plead with you to cover your people in Iraq with your protection and deliver them from the wrath of your enemies, to your Glory. In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.

[Mimi]

What unspeakable violence. Kill the children and wipe out a people. I cannot comprehend such evil. May God come to their aid is my prayer! 

[Cop]

O Lord God, be with Thy children who trust in Thee and deliver them. Thy will be done.

Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.  Psalms 37: 1-11

[Mimi]

Amen!

[Richard Myers]

Thanks for sharing, Larry.  It is very sad that the nations of the world stand by and allow this. It has been happening for some time now. Christians are allowed to be persecuted with impunity. Jesus is coming soon!

We know what awaits us,  but our God is our refuge.

psalms
 91:1   He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 
 91:2   I will say of the LORD, [He is] my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 
 91:3   Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, [and] from the noisome pestilence. 
 91:4   He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth [shall be thy] shield and buckler. 
 91:5   Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; [nor] for the arrow [that] flieth by day; 
 91:6   [Nor] for the pestilence [that] walketh in darkness; [nor] for the destruction [that] wasteth at noonday. 
 91:7        A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; [but] it shall not come nigh thee. 
 91:8   Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. 
 91:9   Because thou hast made the LORD, [which is] my refuge, [even] the most High, thy habitation; 
 91:10   There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 
 91:11   For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

Heavenly Father, send your holy angels to protect your children. Give them grace in their hour of need. Reveal yourself in a manner that all might understand you are God. Glorify your Son through your faithful witnesses, we pray in the precious name of Jesus, amen.

[Richard Myers]

Here is some information on Qaragosh, which is a Christian community close to Erbil.

Residents of towns and villages further east of Mosul that were overrun by the IS in the days following 3 August (mostly on 6-7 August) had, by contrast, generally managed to escape ahead of the arrival of the IS. These town and villages are close to Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, with easy access to main roads linking Erbil and Dohuk, another major Iraqi Kurdistan town, and other areas under the firm control of Kurdish Peshmerga forces.

Even in these areas, however, some residents did not manage to leave before the arrival of IS fighters. Among them were several Christian families who were trapped in Qaraqosh (al-Hamdaniya area), one of the area’s main Christian towns. On Friday 22 August, as some of them were finally allowed to leave by the IS, a three-year-old girl, Kristina Khoder ‘Abada, was abducted by one of the fighters. Her distraught mother told Amnesty International:

“One of the armed men took her from me and walked away with her in his arms. She was crying. There was nothing I could do. I pray to God that they will release her soon and let her come back home. I cannot, sleep; all I can think of is my little girl.”

Several other Christians were reportedly also abducted from the area at around the same time and remain unaccounted for.   source

[Richard Myers]

Qaragosh is 32 miles south of Mosul. It is just outside of the Kurdish area.  It is also known as Baghdede.

In July we were getting reports of persecution of Christians and other minorities in Mosul. They were being driven out. Some Christians went to Qaragosh. World Watch Monitor reports that the Al Qaeda splinter group IS invaded the Mar (Saint) Behnam monastery, located near the predominantly Christian town of Qaragosh, just 32 miles southeast of Mosul, on Sunday, July 20." But, since then, there is no driving out, they are killing the men and abducting the women and little children. And, there are reports of killing the little children and raping the women. link

Nearly all of the population of Qaraqosh, 50,000 Assyrians fled the city in June. Many going to Erbil and other Kurdish cities.