Lazer Nazir Masih Tragically Martyred May 25th

June 13, 2024
9:33 am

Lazer Nazir Masih is His Name

At 4:04AM on Saturday morning May 25^th I woke up to the most heart wrenching and disturbing video I had ever seen. The shameless beating and torture of Lazer Nazir Masih.

Hi, my name is Daniel, and I serve at Global Catalytic Ministries as a storyteller. My job is to take the untold stories from the underground persecuted church and share them with the world through creative media. From the four corners of the globe and in the darkest of places, in the shadows there is unimaginable light sweeping across these hidden places.

That is the light of the Gospel. That is Christ Himself, the Light of the World, walking the dark streets of cities like Mecca, illuminating His love to the needy and broken. (There are hundreds of stories of the ‘Man in White’ appearing in dreams to Muslims across the Middle East.) It is a remarkable opportunity that I do not take lightly.

What happened to Lazer Nazir Masih?

I am forever marked by the events that took place in Pakistan on May 25^th. That morning, footage started pouring in from our teams in the region. Every few seconds the alert chime would sound off. Dozens of videos and a handful of graphic images capturing the atrocities. What happened to Lazer Nazir Masih? What happened in Pakistan? What happened in the Christian community in Punjab? What follows is a direct report from one of our team members on the ground.

The Report from Punjab
“Hello, my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ. Today I come to you with a heavy heart and a message that demands our attention and our collective voice. Another tragic and heart wrenching incident of violence against our Christian community in Punjab.
A charged mob attacked and vandalized properties in Sargodha Masjid’s colony. An elderly man in his 80s was dragged through the streets, brutally beaten and at one point thrown into a fire. His injuries were so severe that he submitted to them either on the spot or shortly after being rushed to the hospital. This is not an isolated incident. As Christians in Pakistan, we have faced systematic discrimination and violence for years. Our community has been marginalized, our voice is silenced, and our rights trampled upon. We are often targets of false accusation and brutal attacks simply for practicing our faith and striving for a better life.
Today, I stand before you, not just with righteous anger, but with a call for justice and compassion. The death of this elderly man. The suffering of his family and the destruction of their house and livelihood must not be in vain. As Christians, we are called to stand up for the oppressed, to be a voice for voiceless, and to be embody the love and justice of Christ to the international community, especially our brothers and sisters in the rest of the world. We need your support. We need your prayers, your voice, and your advocacy.
Stand with us against these injustices, raise your awareness, speak out against these acts of violence, and urge your governments to take action to protect minority communities in Pakistan.
Let us not be disheartened. Let us be strengthened by our faith and united in our resolve. Together, we can bring out change and ensure that our Christian communities in Pakistan can live with dignity, peace, and security. Thank you and May God bless you all.”

All Hands-On Deck // Honor Lazer Nazir Masih

With great urgency, the Global Catalytic Ministries leadership called the entire creative team along with all staff and volunteers to sound the alarm and raise our voices. It was all hands-on deck, anything, and everything we could do to honor our brother Lazer Nazir Masih and herald his story. The next few hours would be vital and the next 48 hours would be critical.

I cleared the day and communicated with my family I would need to be away. First, I took inventory of all footage and photos. I re-watched video after video. In total there were 24 files: 6 photos, 17 videos and 1 voice memo. While sifting through the footage an immense wave of grief and sorrow overtook me. I was in utter shock and disbelief. There were a million thoughts racing through my mind, and I was completely flooded with profound emotions.

Every image and every video clip I had used up until that point as a creator had been stock footage. It is usually shot in a sterile studio environment, something that a producer scripts and an actor performs. In content creation there are libraries full of sterile studio quality elements available for all creators to implement in their designs. This was different. Heartbreakingly different. Life-altering different. Lazer Nazir Masih transformed me. He changed me. He is still changing me today. He was a real man. He had a family. He was real. He was tangible.

How Do You Process This Violence Against a Brother in Christ, Lazer Nazir Masih?

I was completely overwhelmed and needed help. I reached out to our CEO, Mike Patino, who has become more than a boss but a friend. We are a global team and Mike and his family traveled 1,500 miles (about 2414.02 km) to visit our house church community and sit at my dinner table and share a meal together. He is also a retired firefighter and founder of a successful media company. He has seen violence and tragedy. He gets it.

I knew of no better person to reach out to. I sent him a four-minute voice memo through loud sobs and tears streaming down my face asking for help. How do you process a moment like this? We are not professional journalists. We are a global family of disciple-makers serving alongside each other to see the gospel go forth in the darkest places and beyond. Nothing more and nothing less.

Mike Patino, CEO at Global Catalytic Ministries, Responds to Martyrdom of Lazer Nazir Masih

I am crying with you. Listening to you. Help people feel what you are feeling. Help people feel that. That is the goal in these types of things. If my blood were spilt, I would want that cost paid to make a difference. The story of Stephen being martyred they recorded in a letter, (Acts 6 & 7). For thousands of years that has honored Stephen and the Lord. Stephen’s life was sacrificed unto the Lord. This is the reality of Sheep Among Wolves. We need to help people understand the cost and how the cost is worth it. What is your price?

By telling that story; hearts are moved to pray and support. What you are feeling is what you should be feeling. If this story does not go out, then our heads are in the sand. We live this comfortable life over here with minimal sacrifice. There is a price, and it is worth every penny. That is the message. The message is Jesus and His example to willfully lay down His life. Being a Christian in these countries. You can lose everything. To so many around the world being a follower of Christ cost everything. It is worth every penny.

It is a message of salvation and hope. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, (2 Corinthians 5:8). The mob was recording this on their phones and celebrating his death. From dishonor to honor. We are reminding believers that Jesus is worth it. He is worth that price. Keep that emotion. Do not apologize for that emotion. Countless times I have been editing videos through tears. The bible is filled with these types of stories. They were told in the modern medium of their day. It is going to honor the Lord.

Our heart is to challenge and call believers to the realities of the price for following Christ. It is a call to pray and support but most importantly to wake up. Why? Because He is worthy. Because He removed the sting of death, (1 Corinthians 15:55). The cross is the symbol of victory. That is what we highlight.

Martyrdom in Light of Eternity

I urge you to read the following two passages detailing Stephen’s martyrdom from Acts 7. As you read, remember our brother, Lazer Nazir Masih. Carry him in your heart. May his last moments be a memorial perpetually before us. A pioneer, a forerunner, into eternity his testimony waves like a banner over us. You are not of this world.

As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, “For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (Keep in mind it is believed Paul was an eyewitness to Stephen’s martyrdom.)

Acts 6:8-15 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.
Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.” And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Acts 7:54-60 Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Take the Next Step // What Can You Do? // How can we honor Lazer Nazir Masih?

Now that we know, now that we have seen, what do we do? Should we go back to our normal lives? I cannot go back now. How can we honor the persecuted church? How can we honor Lazer Nazir Masih?

Pray // Intercede

Prayer is our preeminent response. Prayer is like breathing for the believer. Just like we cannot go on without oxygen, we cannot go on without prayer, (Martin Luther). Prayer is our secret weapon. Prayer aligns our heart with God’s will. Post-resurrection Christ has committed himself to on-going intercession, (Hebrews 7:25). “When faith ceases to pray, it ceases to live.” ― E.M. Bounds | We heard a testimony of a dear brother who endured persecution, imprisonment, and torture for many months in a Middle Eastern country. He said many times he was near the point of death, but he would physically feel strength enter his body because of prayers of his wife and community. Those prayers were the fuel that helped him endure the months of agony. He has since been freed and we hope to share his testimony in detail with you soon!
Pray for the Lord would strengthen and comfort the Lazer Nazir Masih family.

Worship // Release A Sound // Songwriting

Write songs that foster faith and encourage our brothers and sisters to persevere in great persecution. Our very own Maranatha Collective took up their guitars to honor our brother Lazer Nasir Masih. Take a listen on our Instagram page.

June 29th is Day of Christian Martyrs. Maranatha Collective with Mark Googins II will be releasing their second single titled, “Martyr’s Anthem!” <-save the date

King David lays out the template for how we can respond in worship amid extreme persecution and rejection. (It is important to note there are many forms of persecution. Some quite literally from enemies of the Gospel. However, at times, like in David’s example, persecution comes from a friend, brother, or father figure. Or in the case of Christ, Judas, a close friend.) There are 55 mentions of the word “enemies” in the book of Psalms. There are 5 mentions of persecution. For example: Psalms 119:84 How long must your servant endure? When will you judge those who persecute me? | Not to mention 30 mentions of “death” in the Psalms and 66 mentions of “life.” David was a man that understood persecution. He wrestled with the concepts of life and death. Most importantly he took to his harp and poured his heart out before the Lord.
One of the greatest ways to endure even the most intense of circumstances is with song. Pain and suffering have a soundtrack that propels humanity forward. I cannot help but think of the iconic protest song, “Strange Fruit,” popularized by Billie Holiday and based on a poem by Abel Meeropol. The lyrics were a protest to the lynching and violence of Black Americans. Jean Sibelius’ Finlandia written in 1899 was a protest to the censorship from Russia. Jose Diaz, Director of Maranatha Collective, the worship, and creative arm of GCM (Global Catalytic Ministries), whom I respect as a musicologist and student of music history, when asked what were the most influential protests songs of all time said, “Blowing in the Wind – Bob Dylan, Revolution – Beatles, and Stars Spangled Banner – Jimi Hendrix. | Songs play a pivotal role in the days ahead. In the Book of Revelation, we see the use of a song as a unique way to bring unity to a bride that is facing intense persecution.
Join Maranatha Collective! Join the collective, an army of believers who are preparing themselves and those around them for the Lord’s return. Help us prepare the way of the Lord. Email [email protected].

Art // Create

Art is one of the ways we commemorate, honor, and memorialize. Not to mention we serve a creating God. He is the creator of the universe. Science reveals an Intelligent Designer. A creation with intent and purpose. This is the first thing we learn about Him in Genesis 1. The 5th word in the English Bible is ‘created’ and it is the 3rd word in the original language, in the Hebrew text it is בָּרָא (bārā’). So, 3 words into the most influential book of all time we are struck with the word: create. That has far-reaching implications for us.

“The earliest identifiably Christian art consists of a few 2nd-century wall and ceiling paintings in the Roman catacombs.” (Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopedia. “Early Christian art.” Encyclopedia Britannica, February 20, 2024.) https://www.britannica.com/art/Early-Christian-art.

Consider the beauty of Old St. Peter’s in Rome or the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. These cathedrals, although at times, can be disputed and controversial. They stand as a testament to a people who creatively and visually wanted to leave a legacy that would testify of God’s majesty and power.
What would it look like to see a protest art piece for Lazer Nazir Masih, all martyrs, or for the unborn? For example, see The War (Der Krieg), then 1924 series by Otto Dix.

Get Trained // Reach Your Family // Advance the Kingdom // Receive the Baton

How can we honor the sacrifice of Lazer Nazir Masih? How can we honor the sacrifice of Jesus Christ? Christ, left us a basic and crucial set of instructions in Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. The most essential way we can honor the example and sacrifice of Jesus Christ is to carry that message to the end… | Get trained in Christ’s disciple-making strategy based out of Matthew 10 and Luke 10. At Global Catalytic Ministries we have a unique opportunity to receive coaching from underground disciple-makers facing persecution every time they set foot outside their homes. Learn how you can reach your lost family members and your neighbors across the street. https://catalyticministries.com/discipling/

Study and Honor the Martyrs in Scripture

Zechariah – Jesus Himself recalls the martyrdom of Abel and Zechariah. Matthew 23:35, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.

John the Baptist – He is the first New Testament martyr. Matthew 14:10 He sent and had John beheaded in the prison, and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. (Read the full story in Matthew 14:1-12).

Stephen – As mentioned earlier in Acts 6 and 7. Acts 7:60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

James – Acts 12:1-2, “About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword…”

Antipas – Jesus refers to the martyrdom of Antipas directly in the Revelation to John. Revelation 2:13 “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.” | Scholars believe Antipas was roasted alive in a brass bull-shaped chamber in 92 AD. (Hieromartyr Antipas, Bishop of Pergamum and Disciple of Saint John the Theologian, oca.org)

Two Witnesses – Some scholars suggest the Two Witness will be the final two martyrs in human history. According to Revelation 6:11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. | They would be the final two martyrs before the last trumpet call and the Second Coming of our Lord. | Revelation 11:7 And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them,

Host of Martyrs in Heaven – The greatest honor in scripture is to those who suffer martyrdom for the cause of Christ. They will be nearest the throne of God. You can just see dramatic parallels from the Levitical sacrificial order. How incense from offerings would rise before the Lord. We know our brother Lazer Nazir Masih has joined this great assembly. Revelation 6:9 “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne.” (Revelation 6:9-11)

Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ – Iēsou Christou – Jesus Christ – Our Lord and Saviour. Our Master. The Great I Am. The Firstborn from the Dead. The Ruler of the Kings of the Earth. The Ancient of Days. The Lion and the Lamb. Messiah Yeshua. The cornerstone of our faith is the story of a martyr. John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. | He is the bedrock of our faith. He defeated death. John 10:17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. John 10:18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

In-Depth Bible Study

100 Bible Verses about Martyrdom
1 Peter 4:14-16 “When people insult you because you follow Christ, you are blessed, because the glorious Spirit, the Spirit of God, is with you. Do not suffer for murder, theft, or any other crime, nor because you trouble other people. But if you suffer because you are a Christian, do not be ashamed. Praise God because you wear that name.”
Matthew 5:11-12 “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

Stay Informed

Lazer Nasir Masih was his name.

Maranatha, Come Lord, Come Quickly