10/11/2024 Syria (International Christian Concern) — Jacob, a young man who lives in northeastern Syria, was born into a committed Christian family and has served in his church for most of his life.
After moving to western Syria to study engineering, he commuted weekly to his home city to see his family, meet up with friends, and continue serving in his church.
As Jacob traveled to visit his family one day in 2014, a group of armed, masked Islamic extremists stopped his bus and kidnapped every Christian on board. Desperate to save his life, Jacob tried to deny his Christian faith, but the cross necklace hanging from his neck gave him away.
The gunmen beat Jacob and the other believers, ordering them to denounce their faith in Christ. Jacob, who felt ashamed for attempting to deny Jesus earlier, chose to remain firm. The gunmen sentenced him and the other believers to arduous work until they decided when to execute them. In the meantime, Jacob’s family knew nothing of his whereabouts.
One day, the gunmen told Jacob to dig his own grave with his hands. They ordered him to kneel at the edge of the grave for hours, saying they would kill him if he didn’t deny Christ.
Out of fear, Jacob considered denying his faith so he could escape, but something surprising happened before he could: the police arrived. As the kidnappers exchanged gunfire with the officers, Jacob escaped.
Free from captivity, Jacob felt God’s presence and was filled with gratitude toward Jesus. He knew Christ saved him from the Islamic extremists despite his attempts to deny Him.
Jacob felt a new, clear sense of purpose for his life. He went deeper in his relationship with Christ, served more in his church, and shared his testimony with everyone he could. Although countless martyrs have paid the ultimate price during more than 13 years of conflict in Syria, many Syrian Christians have seen their faith renewed, and one of them is Jacob.
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