Police Raided a Baptist Fellowship Harvest Dinner in Azerbaijan.

Show of hands, how many of you meet together with your church around a table for fellowship and celebration of how good our Living God is?

I live in the southern area the United States and food and church is part of our culture and traditions. So when I saw this report from our friends at Forum18 about a police raid in Azerbaijan of a Baptist festival, I immediately related to these fellow brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus.

Forum18 reports, AZERBAIJAN: "A religiously tolerant country"?

Around 80 Baptists – including guests from Baku and Sumgait - had gathered on Sunday 31 October for the Harvest Festival in Mamedov's home in Kusar, where the Baptist church meets, when police raided. Police first turned off the gas and electricity to prevent church members from preparing a festive meal. Police Lieutenant Mamedshah Hasanaliev then recorded the names of all those present. "Police officers were present throughout the service, photographing and filming those present," Baptists complained to Forum 18. "The brothers and sisters had gathered to thank God for the harvest."

Azerbaijan is a country in southwestern Asia. Four people were reportedly arrested. One of the men may be facing a twelve year sentence.

One of the reasons that the government is persecuting our brothers and sisters in this country is because they belong to the Council of Churches who have refused to register with the government.

Pray that the Holy Spirit would strive with the authorities here and work upon their hearts in order to bring them to salvation in Christ.

Pray also for strength and peace for our brothers as they stand before the authorities so that Christ could speak through them.