It is Good Friday of Holy Week.
Glory be to your sufferings, O Christ. Show us your glorious resurrection.
The Christian communities in Lebanon celebrated Good Friday, despite the tense security situation and the difficult and unstable economic situation in the country.
Come quickly, all you nations from every side,
and assemble there. Bring down your warriors, Lord!. Book of Joel (3:11)
Good Friday is a great day that the Lebanese wait for every year to cry over the Lord and embody the stages of the path of suffering and the crucifixion of Christ.
What was remarkable this year was the percentage of young people from the rising generation, the generation that clings to their faith, calling out to the Lord Jesus, carrying crosses. The presence of the “Soldiers of God” group was very remarkable with popular marches that started from Ashrafieh and covered all Lebanese regions. Yes, the “soldiers of God” are in every Christian home.
This group, which was founded in 2020, had a major role in tightening the spiritual nerve, educating the youth, and urging them to open the Bible, read it, and return to the church.
And all this is thanks to our brother “Joseph Mansour” who did not tire or get bored, but devoted all his time and did not spend a day without giving the daily allowance and a detailed explanation of the Bible and the words of the Lord.
“For if I preach the gospel, I have no glory, for necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not gospel.” (1 Corinthians 9:16).
He has all our respect and appreciation for his message, awareness and guidance to the youth.
Today we see that the group “Soldiers of God” is the loud voice in the wilderness and will remain, no matter how hard they try to weaken us, silence us or intimidate us through fabricating stories and lies against us.
We are continuing, with the permission and strength of the Lord of powers, on the march year after year, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against us.
From God alone we derive strength. “If God is with us, then who is against us?” (Romans 8:31).
This group, “Soldiers of God,” is a ray of hope and light in this “Middle East”, and it is a spiritual safety valve for the Christians who decided to stay in Lebanon.
We , the “Soldiers of God” call on our people to open and read the Bible, to guide and educate our children, to persevere in prayer, and to adhere to the teachings and principles of our Church.
Because prayer is our only weapon to defeat the descendants of Satan.
And the cross is our symbol ,pride, strength and our unity, and it will remain placed on our highest mountains in and raised on our hills, no matter how roaring the demons of the earth, we are staying and continuing.
“For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).
Nemer G. Haddad
