Reuters"/>A "huge warrior angel" protect a group of Christians from Muslim extremists who entered their place of worship shouting "Allahu Akbar," determined to kill them.
The Christians, all converts from Islam, were worshiping at a church in Central Africa when a mob of Muslims, angered by the recent evangelistic efforts of the believers, stormed the church, according to a report from Bibles for Mideast, an underground Christian ministry that distributes Bibles and conducts evangelism in Asia, South Africa and the Middle East.
The mob, brandishing swords and iron bars, shouted "Allahu Akbar" - "Allah is Great" - while destroying the church and ripping off the church roof. Then, they turned to the Christians, determined to kill them for their faith. One man stabbed the pastor's neck with a large sword.
Suddenly, Pastor Musthafa, the leader of the church, felt an invisible person - who he later identified as a "huge warrior angel" - pull him away from the blade.
The attacker, unable to regain his composure or aim, ended up injuring himself with his own sword. Furious, the attackers began beating believers.
Amid the chaos, heavy rain and blustery winds unexpectedly formed with thunder and lightning, swirling around the church and surrounding area. Massive drops of rain fell on the attackers like stones, throwing them into disarray.
Miraculously, the believers stayed dry and protected from the downpour - and suddenly, everyone then became aware of a large cloud overshadowing the church, shielding believers from the rain. The Christians then saw the Lord Jesus in the cloud, and fell to their knees before Him. Terrified, the Muslim extremists fled, fighting to run through the hailstorm.
"Within minutes, the rain ended and the cloud disappeared," reads the report. "Believers could not stop praising and thanking the Lord-for His mighty protection from persecution, from what had seemed certain disaster, and that they had seen Him with their own eyes in that amazing cloud."
Bibles for Mideast continues its underground ministry of distributing Bibles in "highly restricted areas," some of which are very hostile to Christianity. These include Pakistan, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.
Central African Republic is ranked 34th on the World Watch List of 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, according to Open Doors. The organization cites Islamic extremism as the primary source of persecution in CAR, even though Christians make up about 50% of the country's population.
Open Doors reports that at least three Christian places of worship have now been destroyed in the nation's capital since the beginning of the year. Even worse - thousands of Christians have been displaced amid fighting between rebel groups, forcing them to live in refugee camps, where they are exposed to "deplorable" conditions.
Last month, supporters of a notorious Muslim warlord called "Big-Man" stabbed to death Pastor Jean Paul Sankagui of the Eglise du Christ en Centrafrique (ECC) and set his church on fire.
After the initial attack, the Muslims set fire to two other churches in the area, the Apostolic and St Mathias Church, and also destroyed a local school. According to the UN, at least three people were killed and 26 injured, including civilians and combatants.
