Subscribe<\/a>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\n\n\nThe burns are the price Solomon paid for refusing to deny Jesus as Lord. It\u2019s a price he humbly accepts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cChrist, Himself, suffered,\u201d he said. \u201cThe salvation that I have in Christ was not free, but paid with a price to save me. So I equally feel I am prepared to suffer in persecution for the salvation I have in Christ. I won\u2019t turn back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Attacked by Neighbors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The attack on Solomon\u2019s village wasn\u2019t carried out by Boko Haram insurgents from the north or by Muslim Fulani herdsmen, who also attack Christian villages. It was carried out by Solomon\u2019s own Muslim neighbors, some of whom he recognized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Solomon\u2019s story is tragically familiar. He heard gunfire and attempted to flee the village with his father, but they soon found themselves surrounded by an angry mob.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He and his father were then given the standard ultimatum. \u201cThey said, \u2018You are Christian. Where are you going? This is the end of the road. You have only one choice left: follow Islam,\u2019\u201d Solomon recalled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A man from the crowd then attacked Solomon\u2019s father, slashing his chest, neck and both arms with a machete, killing him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen they told me, \u2018We will not cut you if [you become Muslim],\u2019\u201d Solomon said. \u201cI said, \u2018I will not deny Christ.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Members of the mob then doused Solomon with gasoline before giving him one more opportunity to deny Christ and accept Islam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI won\u2019t deny,\u201d Solomon proclaimed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Solomon was knocked to the ground by a machete blow to the back of his head. An attacker then rode a motorcycle onto his back and laid it down on top of him. The still-running engine ignited his gasoline-soaked shirt, while the weight of the motorcycle kept him pinned face down on the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Solomon does not know how long he was unconscious, but he said he regained consciousness as the fire scorched his back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI pushed the motorbike from behind me, and I rolled into a gutter and lay there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
About 30 minutes later, he heard the voices of police officers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI lifted my hand from the gutter where I was lying and waved at the officers,\u201d he said. \u201cAfter they poured water on me to put out the fire, they moved me into their vehicle and took me to the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Stronger Relationship with God<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Even though Solomon lost his father and suffered horrible physical wounds, he said there is no way he could ever think of denying Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe position of Christ in my life is so important to me, that to whatever extent I will defend my faith,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In many ways, he sees the attack on his faith as a gift because it has brought him closer to God. He now sees God working in his life even more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe persecution has strengthened my relationship with God because I know, based on what happened to me, it is a miracle that I survived,\u201d he said. \u201cI know that my life is in God\u2019s hands, so it has strengthened my relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through God\u2019s grace, Solomon has no anger toward those who tried to kill him and also murdered his father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf I have the opportunity of meeting them now, I would say the same thing Jesus said on the cross \u2014 \u2018Lord, forgive them,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cI have forgiven them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A carpenter by trade, Solomon is finding it difficult to use tools and perform his work; the burns on his back have caused some loss of mobility in his arms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI desire prayer that other Christians pray earnestly to God so I regain my strength to be able to work with my hands and fend for myself and my family,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Solomon is overwhelmed by the knowledge that his brothers and sisters in Christ around the world are supporting him and his medical care through VOM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know how I can give that love of Christ that has been extended to me,\u201d he said. \u201cThat is what I feel. I am actually short of words. I don\u2019t know how to express it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Many of the attack victims being cared for at a Christian-run rehabilitation hospital in Gboko, Benue state, Nigeria, cannot hide their wounds. Casts and crutches clearly identify which limbs have been hacked at \u2014 or cut off \u2014 by a Muslim extremist\u2019s machete. But the wounds that 25-year-old Solomon Samaila received in a December 2013 attack on his village in Taraba state, Nigeria, are less apparent. He has to show you. After quietly and patiently sharing his story of the attack, he takes off his T-shirt and turns toward the wall. The scars and blistering on his back show that he has suffered severe burns. The burns are the price Solomon paid for refusing to deny Jesus as Lord. It\u2019s a price he humbly accepts. \u201cChrist, Himself, suffered,\u201d he said. \u201cThe salvation that I have in Christ was not free, but paid with a price to save me. So I equally feel I am prepared to suffer in persecution for the salvation I have in Christ. I won\u2019t turn back.\u201d Attacked by Neighbors The attack on Solomon\u2019s village wasn\u2019t carried out by Boko Haram insurgents from the north or by Muslim Fulani herdsmen, who also attack Christian villages. It was<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1193,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[43],"class_list":["post-1190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-field-stories","tag-nigeria","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\n
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\r\n\t\t<\/figure>\r\n\t\t