The War on the Church
"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body." (2 Corinthians 8-10)
This past weekend as I celebrated our country's independence I was reminded of how blessed I am to be an American. I thought to myself about all the blessings, but the biggest of all is the freedom to follow Jesus Christ! Yet, at the same time, my heart was deeply saddened as I remembered those in other countries who do not have the same privileges as we do. For instance, believers in China are forced to meet in secret rooms and attics to worship Jesus. They know the risk, but they are willing to pay the price. They gather with the knowledge that at any time someone could bust through the doors and kill them, or capture them for torture. Believers in the Sudan face mass genocide at the hands of militant Muslims who claim to kill for oil, but in reality kill for religious purposes only. In Columbia, Christians are forced underground to escape the brutality against them and their families. Whatever the situation may be, we know that God has promised He will be with us. He has given us the ability to endure it, and we will receive a far greater reward than what this earth can offer.
I will never leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6)
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heave, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:11-12)
For some reason God has placed the persecuted church on my heart and I am broken by the atrocity taking place throughout the world. This is a story I read on the internet regarding the persecuted church. Last month in Baghdad several Christians were on their way to work when they were tracked down and killed. Three women were killed in a drive-by shooting and a couple was also killed. The wife was beaten to death and the husband had his throat slit. All of them never expected to die that day, but because of their beliefs in Jesus Christ, people were out to stop the life changing message of the gospel from being shared.
Would we profess Jesus Christ? Would we be willing to die for our beliefs? It is hard to imagine how we would react if placed in a similar situation. It is an incredibly scary thought to even consider, but I believe that Jesus would be with us, giving us sufficient strength and courage to profess the truth. In the book of Acts we read about Stephen who became the first martyr for the gospel. The account reads of Stephen who was being stoned to death as he peered up in the sky and sees Jesus standing at God's right hand (Acts 7:55). Which I believe is proof that Jesus is with us, no matter what kind of persecution we face. Whether mock and ridicule from our friends at school, or torture in a prison in India, Jesus is standing at God's right hand ready to receive our suffering. In fact, He already did. Jesus knows what it is like to endure persecution. He knows what it means to suffer, and He knows if we choose to follow Him, we too must endure persecution.
You do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. (John 15:18&20)
Even the disciples of Jesus understood persecution far too well. Paul especially knew what he must suffer so he could truly live. In fact, he lost everything the world considered important and dear to follow Christ-who was far greater than all other things (Philippians 3:7-11). He understood Jesus' words in Matthew 16:24: If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. We too, must realize that crosses are incredibly hard to bear. They are heavy, uncomfortable, and painful, but there is nothing more worth it. Do not allow fear to rule your life, pick up that cross and get going!
It is possible that in our lifetime that we may not always have the freedom to follow Christ here in the United States. In fact, we are approaching a scary time, where our culture is rapidly changing, and God is being pushed out more and more. The persecution has already begun, with people trying to take God out of everything we do. Many are working tirelessly to ban the pledge of allegiance from our schools, simply because of the reference to God. Others are adamant about taking the phrase In God We Trust off of our currency. It starts small, but persecution is nonetheless evident here in the United States. Will we take a stand? Will we pick up our cross and follow Him, no matter what the cost may be?
Although the persecution we face here is minimal, we must not forget our brothers and sisters in foreign countries who endure far greater suffering than we do. Many of them wonder if they will even make it through the day, just because they serve Jesus Christ. Please remember to help them any way you can, especially through prayer. It is easy to lose sight of what is important when we live in a place like America that offers so many wonderful things, but they need our support through prayers to get them through the trials they face.
Questions:
- Are you grateful for the freedom of living for God in America?
- Would you be willing to die for Christ?
- Will you remember to pray for the persecuted church?
If this devotion opened your eyes to suffering in the world and you would like to find out more about the persecuted church or how you can help, check out www.persecution.org (Voice of the Martyrs), or www.opendoors.org (Open Doors Ministry).
