I would like to take a moment to wish all of our readers a happy, healthy and Christ-centered new year.
I am so thankful that so many of you care so much about Christian persecution and my hope and prayer is that in 2009 we can stir your love for our brethren ever deeper.
Tell us if you have any resolutions regarding your walk with the Lord in our comments. I love hearing from you!
Stacy
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When I read this piece today I had to share it with you because it shows that people are genuinely curious as to why Paul suffered for his faith and ended up in jail.
Billy Graham answers the question in It Takes Strength to Live a Christian Life.
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Recently I was reading in the Old Testament about beheadings that had taken place back in Old Testament times. And as I read the scriptures, I kept thinking about all the news I read regularly on the subject of beheading. Today as just one example, I've read six different stories that discussed beheading in some form or another. But this story is the one I have to share with you.
GULU, 17 November 2008 (IRIN) - Children abducted by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) during its decades-long insurgency in the north have to live with the trauma and psychological scars long after their rescue and return to civilian life. One such is Alice*, abducted in 2005 when she was only 12. She told IRIN about her escape from rebel captivity in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo:
“Rebels emerged from the bush as I was helping my mother harvest groundnuts and abducted me; one of the rebel commanders, called Pope, said he would kill me if I escaped.
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"Although I was put under tight security, I decided to escape one day while going to fetch water. I walked in the forest for two weeks, looking for any place where UN peace-keeping forces could be. I was scared and thought the wild animals would kill me in the jungle.
"Another boy who had also escaped the rebels joined me but he was killed by civilians in Congo. His head was cut off and the people carried his head, saying rebels were killing people in Congo.
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"I know that other children in the rebel camp want to escape but they are scared of people in Congo. I cry a lot when I imagine how my friend was beheaded and other parts of his body cut up; why do people kill children? We were all abducted and did not want to be with the rebels.
Will you pray for Alice? Leave us a comment.
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Today I wanted to offer you a different perspective on how we need to remember the persecuted church. As I was reading an entry written by Glenn Penner over at his blog for The Voice of the Marytrs Canada, I just HAD to tell you about it because I think that we all may be able to identify with the fact that we exalt persecuted believers sometimes too much, and we forget they are human and have struggles. Here's the beginning of Glenn's post:
One of the dangers that I have noticed in our work with persecuted Christians is the danger of putting these brothers and sisters on a pedestal, bestowing them with special spiritual fervour, maturity, and grace. We call them spiritual heroes with extreme faith exhibiting extraordinary courage. And certainly this is not without merit on occasion. And perhaps those of us who minister to our persecuted family members are guilty of portraying them in this fashion, even
with the best of intents. But as I have experienced even today, persecuted Christians are prone to the same temptations and failures as those of us who live in religiously free countries. Some persecuted Christians commit adultery, lie, are dishonest, slander other believers, and abandon their faith in the face of violence.
And leave us a comment. Have you exalted our brothers and sisters?
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Sometimes I find truth stranger than fiction. Take this recent story found on CNSNEWS.com...
Islamic Nations’ Push to Outlaw Religious Defamation Faces Hurdles
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
By Patrick Goodenough, International Editor
(CNSNews.com) – Amid growing opposition, a campaign by the world’s Islamic nations to have international bodies outlaw the “defamation” of religion may be facing an uphill battle. The drive by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), led by members including Pakistan, Iran and Egypt, has sparked concern that the right to freedom of expression is being undermined by a group of countries, including some that enforce blasphemy laws and punish “apostasy.”
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But the OIC campaign has hit a hurdle, with a new report by a United Nations expert recommending that the focus shift away from the religious defamation concept, towards one of incitement to religious hatred, which is covered by existing laws.
Governments critical of the OIC push welcomed the recommendation, but also insisted that a distinction be made between inciting religious hatred and legitimate criticism of religious beliefs and practices.
Finish the article here.
And consider this as you're reading the rest of the article. Consider how Islamic countries persecute Christians and see if what they are asking for in this article is something you agree with. Leave your comments below.
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Today I would like to talk to you a little bit about why The Voice of the Martyrs would like you to be an advocate for the persecuted church and specifically for persecuted prisoners. First, let's look at some passages of scripture.
Hebrews 13:3 says, "Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.
This passage alone is extremely powerful. Since we who call ourselves followers of Jesus Christ are apart of His body - we have part of our body in prison, when another brother in Christ is in prison. We are called to REMEMBER the prisoners - as if we are there with them.
How do we do that? How do we remember when most of us live with the attitude "Out of sight, out of mind"? - Write it down in your prayer journal, your calendar, on a post it note in your car, or mirror. Do whatever you can to REMEMBER.
Next we have Matthew 25:34-40 which teaches us...
34"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, (A)inherit the kingdom prepared for you (B)from the foundation of the world.
35'For (C)I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; (D)I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;
36(E)naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you (F)visited Me; (G)I was in prison, and you came to Me.'
37"Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?
38'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?
39'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'
40"(H)The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, (I)to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'
Now if you're like me, the first thing that comes to mind when you read this passage of scripture is the very old song by Keith Green called The Sheep and the Goats. Watch it below...
The point of this is clear - what you do for the least of these, you do unto Christ.
The next reason is by becoming an advocate you can enter into the world of intercession for our persecuted family. Prayer is the most important thing we can do. Never underestimate your prayers and the collective prayers of righteous people accomplish much!
When you become an advocate you are also showing the unconditional love of Christ - not only to the prisoners you may write a letter on behalf, but also to the watching world who may be holding that prisoner unjustly.
And finally, another great reason to be an advocate for the prisoners is because of your help, prisoners often are treated better, and let out early. If YOU were that prisoner, I'm sure you'd want someone to advocate for you.
So why not join The Voice of the Martyrs today and be an Advocate for the prisoners. Visit http://www.prisoneralert.com to participate today and please tell a friend or two!
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