Persecution Blog

Top 8 in 16: #2

In the remaining days of 2016 we'll look back on the most-viewed posts on Persecution Blog in 2016, including a post that is more than 10 years old but is still one of the most-read posts on the blog! Today we look at #2, a post that goes all the way back to 2006, but continues to generate traffic and readers today. The story it tells goes back even further, to the Apostle John:

Boiled In Oil But Remains Alive

Hebrews  9:27 tells us that, "... it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment," and I love this passage because it gives me confidence in knowing that the Lord will not take me home to be with Him until that appointed time.  So the story of John is inspiring and also draws us back to worship the One who made us.  Be encouraged as you read this excerpt from Extreme Devotion (order your copy of the book here, or download VOM's Pray Today app to read a new devotional from Extreme Devotion each day on your phone or other device).

What do you do with someone who is boiled in oil but doesn’t die?

It is said that Roman emperor Domitian commanded that the apostle John be boiled to death in oil, but John only continued to preach from within the pot. Another time, John was forced to drink poison, but, as promised in Mark 16:18, it did not hurt him. Thus John, the head of the church in Ephesus at the time, was banished to Patmos in A.D. 97.

John survived all of this because God had not finished with him yet. A “revelation” still had to come. While he was in a cave on the island of Patmos, John received a vision. This vision became the book of Revelation—the book that would act as the driving force for evangelism in the church age. It prophesied the events that surround the return of Christ. John wrote of Christ’s second coming and welcomed his arrival. Even today his writings inspire believers to anticipate the glorious return of Christ.  

Two years after John’s exile, the emperor Domitian died, and John returned to the church in Ephesus. The youngest of the disciples lived also to be the oldest, dying in peace in Ephesus at the age of eighty after over half a century of resilient service to Jesus’ church.

Hebrews  9:27 tells us that, "... it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment," and I love this passage because it gives me confidence in knowing that the Lord will not take me home to be with Him until that appointed time.  So the story of John is inspiring and also draws us back to worship the One who made us.  Be encouraged as you read this excerpt from Extreme Devotion (order your copy of the book here, or download VOM's Pray Today app to read a new devotional from Extreme Devotion each day on your phone or other device).

What do you do with someone who is boiled in oil but doesn’t die?

It is said that Roman emperor Domitian commanded that the apostle John be boiled to death in oil, but John only continued to preach from within the pot. Another time, John was forced to drink poison, but, as promised in Mark 16:18, it did not hurt him. Thus John, the head of the church in Ephesus at the time, was banished to Patmos in A.D. 97.

John survived all of this because God had not finished with him yet. A “revelation” still had to come. While he was in a cave on the island of Patmos, John received a vision. This vision became the book of Revelation—the book that would act as the driving force for evangelism in the church age. It prophesied the events that surround the return of Christ. John wrote of Christ’s second coming and welcomed his arrival. Even today his writings inspire believers to anticipate the glorious return of Christ.  

Two years after John’s exile, the emperor Domitian died, and John returned to the church in Ephesus. The youngest of the disciples lived also to be the oldest, dying in peace in Ephesus at the age of eighty after over half a century of resilient service to Jesus’ church.

Give Thanks to the Lord!

Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
Remember His marvelous works which He has done,
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
O seed of Abraham His servant,
You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!

Psalm 105:1-6

The Bitter Gospel

It took a horrific attack on her church for Emily to realize that her understanding of God was wrong. Three years ago, her bishop asked her to move to a new church plant near Mombasa, Kenya. The Joy in Jesus Church in Likoni was struggling, and the bishop thought Emily could help. Over the next several months, the church grew to 60 people.

On Sunday morning, March 23, 2014, most of the faithful were scattered throughout the pews. Assistant Pastor Philip Ambesta was speaking that morning, and Emily was in the front row. In the middle of his sermon, there was a loud bang outside and heads turned to look, but Pastor Philip told everyone, “Ignore what is going on outside these walls and listen to what God has to say to you.” He continued to preach.

Moments later, two gunmen burst through the back door. One, armed with a machine gun, sprayed the congregation with bullets. From her seat at the front, Emily turned and saw the other gunman aim a hand gun straight at the platform. He fired, and Pastor Philip fell, dead.

It was chaos. The gunmen fled. Everyone was screaming. Blood was everywhere and people were running. Emily moved among the members, reassuring everyone and offering first aid. She made sure an ambulance and police were called. The ambulance couldn’t carry all the injured, so Emily helped them prioritize which victims needed the most urgent help.

Six people died that day, including Pastor Philip. 24 others were injured, and VOM has helped four of the most severely injured with their ongoing medical care for the past two years. Emily herself wasn’t injured, but she was left with deep scars on her soul.

She struggled to understand why God would have allowed the church to be attacked. She believed that God must have been punishing them for their sin. Emily returned to her home church in Mombasa, discouraged.

But she continued to read God’s Word. As she did, she realized God wasn’t punishing them. In the Bible, she read how Jesus promised His followers they would be persecuted for His sake. She saw that sin compels evil men to commit evil acts, especially against those who follow the God in whom there is no darkness. She realized that God’s promises to work for our good and to bless us mean not financial good, but spiritual good. Persecution is a promise, not a punishment.

Today, Emily describes the gospel as a “bitter gospel.” She says, “I teach the bitter gospel of the cross and the blood. You have to accept taking up the cross.”

Dory P. recently spent a week in Kenya, meeting with the believers who VOM serves alongside. While many people think of Kenya in terms of safaris and mission trips, in the northeast and along the coast, Christians face severe persecution by al-Shabaab affiliated Islamists. She was encouraged how Kenyan Christians are supporting persecuted believers and sharing the gospel in their own country.

Extreme Statements

ROME: THE APOSTLE PAUL

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me— the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.  Acts 20:24

Paul wrote to Timothy, “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you have been called” (1 Timothy 6:12). He was familiar with the fight.

He described some of his experiences to the Corinthians: “In great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger . . . dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything” (2 Corinthians 6:4–5; 9–10).

While in jail with a death sentence, Paul wrote to the Philippians, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me . . . I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith” (Philippians 1:21–25).

Some years later, however, he wrote Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). In Rome at the age of sixty-four, Paul was beheaded by the order of Emperor Nero and went to be with Jesus.

If ever we need inspiration to continue on in the face of suffering, we need look no further than the life of Paul. Paul’s endurance race began with trouble from the get-go. He coursed through a myriad of hair-raising experiences recorded in the book of Acts. Yet he considered all that he endured nothing compared to knowing Jesus and making him known. Are you able to say the same thing as Paul when it comes to suffering? Is nothing able to deter you from your goal of knowing Christ and making him known? If you fear you are on you last lap of faithful service, take heed of Paul’s encouraging words and get your second wind.

This is one of the readings from the book, Extreme Devotion, available from VOM’s online bookstore. You can also receive devotional thoughts daily via email or read them each day in VOM’s Pray Today App for your smart phone or tablet.

Wonderful!

“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? ....If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,’ even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.” – Psalm 139: 7, 11-12

“Isn’t it wonderful?” The chapel speaker’s enthusiasm was infectious as he moved from one side of the stage to the other. He was excited about the work in his country, passionate about reaching the lost, and beaming with the joy of the Lord. If we did not hear his words, we might completely miss that he was talking about our persecuted brothers and sisters.

As we interns prepare to leave VOM, I worry that I will lose the enthusiasm I’ve picked up from being around believers who as fervent about serving the Lord as the chapel speaker. If my enthusiasm is for ministry itself, grounded on people with and for whom I work, then yes, it will fade. People will disappoint me and forget me. I will fail them and forget them. The positive outlook on life that this internship has helped me develop will die when I am separated from the people I have met at VOM. That is, it will if I base my enthusiasm on them.

If, however, I base my focus, energy, and confidence on Jesus, my enthusiasm may wane, but it will never die, as Christ never dies. The hope of a living Savior dispels fear of losing the intimacy with Him and the passion for Him that He has blessed me with this summer. Although I will leave VOM, my Savior is always with me. Since the only proximity and interaction necessary to continue my enthusiasm for Jesus comes from Jesus Himself, I will never lose it so long as I cling to Him.

We interns will return to our colleges after a summer that surpassed our expectations and hopes. We’ll leave the VOM office, but we will continue to approach the throne of God. The nearer we come, the greater He becomes. The joy of knowing Him increases as He draws us closer. Firmly grounded in Jesus Christ, we take with us the stories of our persecuted brothers and sisters, awe-inspiring evidence of the Lord dwelling among His people, to share who our God, Creator, Sustainer, Savior, and Friend truly is: He is our hope and He is our love.

And isn’t He wonderful?

–Soli Deo Gloria: glory to God alone.

J.G. Spires is a college student studying English and Broadcast Media on the east coast. She grew up in a Christian family and came into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ while in middle school. Over the years, the Lord has developed in her a passion for His people and His Word. Her goal is to write for the edification of the Church and the evangelization of the lost. She loves being outside, writing fictional short stories and serving the Church.

If You Aren’t Ready, Then Run

Poor Elijah. We’re always kind of down on Elijah, aren’t we? After his stunning victory on Mount Carmel, he flees Jezebel when she threatens to kill him after he put to death her 300 prophets of Baal.

Jonah also finds his way into the “Hall of Shame” for deciding a sea voyage over the Mediterranean sounded better than bringing the word of the Lord to the Ninevites.

In comfortable Christendom, we often hear things like, “the safest place you can be is the center of God’s will,” and “the will of God won’t lead you where the grace of God can’t keep you,” and other snappy sayings. I think such trite phrases can warp the lens we read these Bible accounts through.

Would God have Elijah call down fire from heaven, lick up every water-soaked piece of the altar, and then let him be slayed by the evil queen of Israel? Surely God wouldn’t ask Jonah to be impaled on an Assyrian spike in Nineveh if the Ninevites didn’t like his message.

But maybe God would.

Cynics ask, “If God is good and loving, why would He let bad things happen to His people?” The inevitable answer is, “Sometimes He does.”

Sometimes He allows evil people to have their way, but that doesn’t negate His goodness or His loving-kindness. In the end, there are two things we can rely on: God’s ways are not our ways, and Jesus Christ is ultimately worth whatever happens to us in this life.

Maybe the reason Jonah and Elijah ran wasn’t that they didn’t have enough faith in God. Maybe they knew, more than I ever will, the cost of that faith.

Maybe our sermons on Elijah shouldn’t focus on the reasons why he ran, but instead on why we should.

Yes, that’s right. For once, I’d like to see a pastor stand up in the service, open the text to 2 Kings 2 and say, “Elijah ran. And if you think God’s ‘will’ will keep you from harm, you’d better run too.”

There is, within what seems like His capricious harshness, a great love and kindness. “For it was fitting that he [God], for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation [Jesus] perfect through suffering.” (Hebrews 2:10 ESV).

Jesus suffered in order to bring about God’s will. We could ask ourselves why Elijah and Jonah would run from God’s calling. More importantly, though, is the question for us: are we willing to follow God’s will, even if it means suffering?

Leah Grant has worked at The Voice of the Martyrs for the past year and is drawn to helping those that cannot help themselves. She has done missions work in the Dominican Republic and Colombia, but believes her main purpose is to glorify the Word, Jesus Christ, through the written word. She is a word nerd, a history geek, and enjoys discussing theology with anyone willing to listen to her long-winded ramblings. She ties those three together as often as she can in the stories that she writes in her spare time.

Surrender for a Greater Reward

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” – Matthew 25:23 (ESV)

When the man of Matthew 25 left, he did not promise his servants a reward for increasing the talents he entrusted to them. He gave according to ability, then allowed them to respond through their care of those talents. Today we often use this passage to exhort Christians to devote their abilities to the One who gave them. “Use your talents for God,” I’ve heard many times. My response: why?

What gain is in forfeiting the opportunity to show others my abilities and knowledge? In the worldly sense, nothing. Living for Christ means surrendering the chance to be a person the world admires. If I truly follow Jesus, like He was, so I will be: mocked and disregarded, for obedience to Christ makes us the refuse of the world, not its victors. The lives of our persecuted brothers and sisters demonstrate the fact that the world hates us because of the One whom we obey. Their school records are destroyed, houses blown up, and families torn apart because they live faithfully for the King of kings, rather than cave under pressure from the world.

I do not want to feel the world’s pressure. I want to be accepted, appreciated, and loved. If I could use my talents to gain these things, why surrender them to Christ? Unlike the faithful servants in Matthew 25, I have His Word that promises good things will follow my surrender to Christ; however, I do not give only because of those promises. Not just because the things of Christ are better. Not just because He will grant me a place in heaven. Not just because He will give me what I so desire.

The greater reward of surrender to the Lord is knowing the Person of God, who owns our talents, which He has entrusted to us, and who deserves our devotion. As we come to know Him and wonder at His gracious, powerful, holy nature, we can come to full surrender. What could be greater than a relationship with the God who is perfect and loves so much that He give His everything for us?

J.G. Spires is a college student studying English and Broadcast Media on the east coast. She grew up in a Christian family and came into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ while in middle school. Over the years, the Lord has developed in her a passion for His people and His Word. Her goal is to write for the edification of the Church and the evangelization of the lost. She loves being outside, writing fictional short stories and serving the Church.

First Loved

“We love because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 (ESV)

Why do I love Jesus? As we interns volunteered at a VOM Advance conference this past weekend, an idea struck me that has become one more reason why I love the Savior.

What does “first loved” that John discusses look like? During the first session of the conference, a story about Muslim who heard the gospel especially caught my attention. Not knowing Christian expressions like hallelujah, the man proclaimed, “Allahu akbar! [God is great]” He startled the congregation, as the Arabic phrase is used by suicide bombers just before detonation. But the Lord startled me with a thought: regardless of the man’s limited knowledge, Jesus knew and loved his heart.

Jesus knows the hearts of His people and the hearts hardened against Him. He is not threatened by human ferocity or resistance. Humans fight Him, curse Him, mock Him, hate Him, and butcher His children with actions and words, yet He loves us. The man who can forgive one who persecutes His children certain does love. Though I’d just get angry at evil people, Jesus is so merciful and loving that He woos them.

His mercy and forgiveness don’t come from a lack of caring for His children. In fact, out of the extravagance of His care does He deliver justice while showing mercy by being the payment for all who call on His Name.

At the conference, I realized that I love Jesus Christ because He loves sinners—not sin, but the people He created. From His broken body pours the precious substance all so desperately need: God's eternal love. As I love Him, I, a sinner, simply return what He has given me through the cross. The love I have for Jesus is a droplet from the deluge of His own love. That is how Jesus “first loved” me.

J.G. Spires is a college student studying English and Broadcast Media on the east coast. She grew up in a Christian family and came into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ while in middle school. Over the years, the Lord has developed in her a passion for His people and His Word. Her goal is to write for the edification of the Church and the evangelization of the lost. She loves being outside, writing fictional short stories and serving the Church.

The Cause for Conflict

There is no question that the New Testament writers believed Jesus to be the Lord. He alone is supreme and to Him alone we owe ultimate allegiance. What Jesus Christ teaches and commands has priority over all other teaching and authority, both in heaven and on earth. Contemporary followers of Jesus believe this as well.

Therefore, Christ’s command to preach and teach salvation in and through Him should be our highest priority. By obeying this mandate, Christ’s disciples can expect to face opposition. Teaching salvation through Christ alone is the most serious threat to the powers of darkness, directly confronting anything or anyone that would try to usurp Christ’s ultimate authority. Authorities and powers that submit to Christ’s authority (or at the very least don’t claim superiority over it) generally accommodate Christ’s mandate without interference. However, certain ideologies that control some human governments see freedom as a threat to their power. God’s people will seek to fulfill their calling whether governments concur with them or resist them. In reality, the resistance is against God rather than his people or the message. He is the One being rejected.

A common theme in the stories of faithful martyrs is that they die due to their allegiance to Jesus Christ. Those who are loyal to Him are seen as a threat to earthly kings and kingdoms. The early church father Tertullian testifies to this fact in The Apology: “It becomes evident that the crime laid to our charge consists not of any sinful conduct, but lies wholly in our name. If, indeed, any real crimes were clearly adducible against us, their very names would condemn us, if found applicable, so that distinct sentences would be pronounced against us in this wise: Let that murderer, or that … criminal, or whatever it be that we are charged with, be led to execution, be crucified, or be thrown to the beasts. Your sentences, however, import only that one has confessed himself a Christian. … Surely, surely, names are not things which deserve punishment by the sword, or the cross, or the beasts.”

While acknowledging the authority of governments, Christians look to a higher authority that ultimately requires us to obey God rather than man when the two are in conflict (Acts 5:29). The Christian continues to witness even if it is illegal to witness and will continue taking Bibles to believers even if Bibles are banned. It is a matter of priorities. God’s priorities.

Roy Stults, PhD, is the Online Workshop Coordinator and Educational Services Coordinator for The Voice of the Martyrs. He graduated from Olivet Nazarene University (BA and MA), Nazarene Theological Seminary (M.Div.), Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Doctor of Missiology), and The University of Manchester (England) with a PhD (theology). A Vietnam veteran, Dr. Stults served as a missionary for 19 years and pastored U.S. churches for eight years. Prior to joining VOM, he was a Professor of Religion at Oklahoma Wesleyan University.

Image credit: "The Christian Martyrs' Last Prayer" by Jean-Leon Gerome. Public domain.

 

Vessels of God's Mercy

“By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:3b-4 (ESV)

Forgiveness isn’t a natural response. That idea stood out to me as we interns went through the I-Am-N material. When someone hurts me or I witness wrongdoing, my initial reaction is anger. I want the injurer to realize the pain he has caused. Wouldn’t that be just? An eye for an eye, a life for a life — justice. But because our lives belong to Christ, because we are His children, we are not the ones attacked. When Christians are persecuted, Christ is the target.

Pain we feel is real, sometimes unbearable, but we only experience traces of the actual hurt. Christ Jesus receives the full impact, for in sin His precious creation acts against Him. As a man, Jesus sacrificed everything for mankind’s sin. In the midst of physical pain, He also endured the emotional and spiritual weight of His Father’s apparent absence. He was the innocent Lamb slaughtered not for His own salvation. He, of all people, had a right to demand justice.

Jesus satisfied the wrath of God, which was directed toward sinful man, by completing justice’s demands. But His action also displayed the most magnificent array of mercy as He took our deserved punishment. His sacrifice established a foundation for forgiveness, a policy of mercy for those who would accept His offer of life.

What astounds me when I read about persecuted believers is that through them God works to spread news of His forgiveness. He has paid the price to justify us and made forgiveness possible. He also enables us to be like Him, vessels of God’s mercy to share the light of His goodness with those in darkness.

J.G. Spires is a college student studying English and Broadcast Media on the east coast. She grew up in a Christian family and came into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ while in middle school. Over the years, the Lord has developed in her a passion for His people and His Word. Her goal is to write for the edification of the Church and the evangelization of the lost. She loves being outside, writing fictional short stories and serving the Church.