Pray For The Persecuted Church
This is a simple reminder from Focus On The Family that I saw this morning.
I think it's safe to say that far too many of us take our faith for granted (myself included).
We don't have to worry about "being caught" with a Holy Bible or about meeting secretly at someone's house for fellowship and a study of God's Word.
We often forget the sacrifices that have been made over the years so that we do have free access to God's Word whenever we want it and so that we can openly live out our Christian faith.
We treat our faith as a social status symbol. We treat our Bible as a prop that decorates a bookshelf, coffee table, or nightstand. How truly sad indeed when there are Christians being tortured and killed right now.
My dear friends, we need to pray for the persecuted church, or for our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world who are being violently persecuted -- some unto death -- for their proclamation of faith in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 13:13).
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"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:10).
The U.S. State Department identifies more than 60 countries around the globe where Christians face active, often violent persecution from their governments and/or fellow citizens, solely because of their professed faith in Jesus—reports that are confirmed by numerous Evangelical monitoring groups.
Of course, one of the paradoxes of church history—which has been proven over and over through the centuries—is that the Body of Christ often flourishes under such conditions.
Still, those enduring hostile environments all over the world for the sake of the Gospel certainly need our prayers, and believers shouldn't minimize the importance of caring for and praying for these brothers and sisters in Christ.
"... God has so composed the body ... that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together ..." (1 Corinthians 12:24-26).
We can also educate ourselves about global persecution of Christians, and then raise our voices on behalf of the victims and survivors.
"So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." (Galatians 6:10).
I think it's safe to say that far too many of us take our faith for granted (myself included).
We don't have to worry about "being caught" with a Holy Bible or about meeting secretly at someone's house for fellowship and a study of God's Word.
We often forget the sacrifices that have been made over the years so that we do have free access to God's Word whenever we want it and so that we can openly live out our Christian faith.
We treat our faith as a social status symbol. We treat our Bible as a prop that decorates a bookshelf, coffee table, or nightstand. How truly sad indeed when there are Christians being tortured and killed right now.
My dear friends, we need to pray for the persecuted church, or for our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world who are being violently persecuted -- some unto death -- for their proclamation of faith in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 13:13).
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