This past Sunday our church spent time joining many other churches around the world praying for the Persecuted Church. I was challenged and it seemed to make me consider so many different things about the Church. Here’s just a few things that came to my mind as we reflected on the suffering of the Church around the world…
1. We are crazy blessed… and I really take that for granted.
When I went to church today I had to decide which donut to eat. I didn’t have to worry about whether or not someone would be spying on me to take me to prison or if my home would be there when I got back from worship. We are free to worship. That is an incredible blessing.
2. My Brothers and Sisters are suffering. Truly suffering.
If I thought one of my brothers or one of my nieces and nephews were in danger, I would do whatever I could to help them find safety. And if I couldn’t be there with them, I’d pray for them like crazy. Why is it different for my Christian brothers and sisters?
3. Some Pastors risk their lives just to preach.
One of our slides showed that 13 pastors had been murdered in Central Africa. Pastoring is a wonderful privilege and a huge responsibility. I need to make the most of every day that God allows me to pastor.
4. The church is beautiful.
In the pictures today we saw so many colors, and races and sizes. The children of all cultures are so precious. God’s church truly is world-wide.
5. What can we do to help our church family around the world?
This is the lingering question for me. We should pray. We must pray. But what else can we do to truly minister to those who are suffering so far away. Lord, open our eyes and use us to give hope to those who are hurting.
6. The Gospel is being delivered through many different means and methods.
Bible Translations, Radio, Internet, Tweets and photos. The Gospel is moving around the world in a way that it never has been before. This is such an exciting time to be alive.
7. I’m so easily distracted and my heart is often not pure.
I’m sure that the persecuted have doubts and distractions, but I would imagine that suffering challenges you to really examine your heart. I pray that my heart would continue to grow in grace that I might try desire knowing Christ above all things. Above security, prosperity, health and good fortune.
8. The Power of the Spirit draws persecution, but that same power also conquers Evil.
Preachers are often guilty of saying that when good things happen the devil isn’t far away. But today I was reminded that while the evil is around, God’s Name will be Hallowed. And even in these kinds of situations, he will bring glory to His name.
Here’s the story that I read this morning about God at work in persecution:
Aberra Wata worked with Christian youth in the southern part of Ethiopia during the time of Communist rule (1974-1991). He reported the following story to fellow missionary John Cumbers:
Word came from the commandant that the Party leaders had studied my report about the work among the Christian young people. The authorities decided I had to be executed because of my “treasonous” words. “The only way you can overturn this sentence,” said the commandant, “is for you to deny that you are one of the believers.”
What could I say? I told the commandant, “If they execute me, I will be immediately with the Lord.” The commandant replied, “That’s what I expected you to say.” As I awaited execution in prison, my Savior gave me songs to sing I had never heard before. He turned me into a composer. [My fellow prisoners and I] reveled in the joys of praise to our God. The guards kept trying to silence us, but with the threat of execution hanging over us, why should we keep quiet? Seven men had come to Christ in that prison, and we all sang together. One particular guard took delight in mocking us, yelling at us, and insulting us. He would put filthy words to the tunes we sang. One night he patted his revolver and promised, “Tomorrow morning at this time you won’t be in the land of the living.”
Just after midnight that evening a tremendous storm burst on the town and the prison. Huge hailstones fell, wrecking several roofs, including the one where the insulting guard was sleeping. He became terrified, pulled out his revolver, and shot at random into the darkness, using up all the bullets he had promised would finish us off the next day. One by one the roofs were taken off the commandant’s house, and the offices of the chief judge, the administrator, and his deputy. The prisoners in cells three, four, and five got a soaking from the rain too. We were in cell one and were kept dry. There were a lot of wet and unhappy people in Yavello that night. At nine o’clock the next morning, while expecting the cruel guard to fulfill his promise to shoot us, we observed a remarkable sight. That same guard was pushed into our cell, without his uniform, by the commandant, who was whipping him with his belt.
Other people in the background were yelling, “We told this man to leave the believers alone, but he refused, and so God has sent this terrible punishment on the town and prison. He deserves to be given some of his own medicine.” After some time the guard was released and given back his uniform. He told us, “I know that the Lord was with you. I know the way I should have treated you, but Satan persuaded me otherwise. Please forgive me.” We did, and several more men came to Christ in the prison.
–John Cumbers, SIM missionary in Ethiopia during the communist years