persecuted church

My eyes have just recently been opened to the persecuted church. I heard a man named Patrick Sookhdeo speak on a Focus on the Family broadcast. (I didn't get to hear all of it though). It is amazing how isolated we can be even in the midst of all the technology we have.

I guess in the back of my mind I knew that Christians were persecuted for their beliefs, but unfortunately, it was not something I thought or prayed about a great deal... or honestly ... at all. But after hearing him speak I decided to educate myself. ( I have earned several degrees from Google University... hahhaa) So I got on line and googled his name and the words "persecuted christians." I found out so much.

It is just heartbreaking... and convicting. To think.. we as Christians in America can meet together with no fear of being of our church being raided and our bibles being confiscated and yet we opt to lay in bed on Sunday morning and sleep late. We can share the gospel freely and openly with very few restrictions and yet we keep the good news to ourselves.

I talked to some ladies that I meet with on Fridays for prayer and they had no real clue about the persecution that Christians endure in other countries either. I really don't think that we are out of the norm.... sad to say. Even though we have access to the whole world I think that alot of times we don't want to be bothered with anything that isn't happening in our own neighborhood.

It is amazing how God works though. I heard Patrick Sookhdeo on the radio and that very night my son asked me to read to him about what heaven was like. So I turned to Revelations and read to him. After he went to sleep I just decided to read the whole book.. not normally something I would do, but as I was reading. in chapter 6 several verses jumped out at me.....

v9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal. I saw under the alter the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful to in their testimony. They shouted to the Lord and said, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us? Then they were given a white robe and told to rest a while longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters-- their fellow servants in Jesus who were to be martyred--had joined them

Then the next night my son asked me to show him in his bible the verse he currently is memorizing... I Peter 5:6. After reading the verse he randomly pointed to a block of text on the facing page and asked me to read it. It was 1 Peter 4:12-19 which talks about how we shouldn't be surprised at trials and being persecuted for our faith. And how we should keep on doing what is right even in the face of persecution and trust the Lord.

Its funny how the Holy Spirit illuminates what he wants you to see. I have been looking at that page in 1Peter for weeks now trying to help my boys memorize it.... but only at the right time did those other verses stand out.

I feel a burden... as we all should... to pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ that are living with persecution. I have had to ask for forgiveness for my ignorance and apathy and indifference. I hope that this lights a spark in anyone who reads it to do the same. And now that I know this truth I pray that I am faithful in telling others so that they may pray also.

Prayer crosses space and time and distance. Our prayers are heard by our Father in heaven and there is nothing that is out of his reach.

If you are interested in more info here are some great sights I found.

Open Doors USA
International Day of Prayer
Voice of the Martyr