Persecution Bible Study

      As I'm asking God to soften my heart and cause me to grieve over what grieves Him, love what He loves and hate what He hates, I find my heart being rent again by the plight of the persecuted church. My heart was soft like this in my college days. Last night I read about the situation of the North Korean Christians. After I finished I felt hopeless because it seems like we're not winning against Satan. He kills the Christians constantly. It never kills the church, I know, but countless people are being terribly abused every minute of the day. It seems like there is nothing to save them from the untold atrocities. Yet they ask for prayer anyway. I was at a loss as to what to pray for. You can't pray for their safety because they know they're going to get killed. It's just a matter of time. I also remembered reading in the Bible that God sees the death of His saints as precious. If he loves their conviction unto death then I thought I really can't pray that they don't die. So, I wanted to know what the Bible says about persecution. I started at the Beatitudes and saw this:

     "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

                                                                   Matthew 5:10 (KJV)

     So if God considers them blessed, we should be happy for them, right? People are always asking God to bless them. Our leaders and other patriots always say, "God bless America." If someone is blessed, then we should be happy for them. Growing up in America I don't hear anybody say they're happy for those that are persecuted. In America we try to fight for our rights as much as we can (I've long since believed I Cor. 6:19, 20. I don't believe we have as many rights as we Americans think we do. I believe our right is to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God). We think the rights of others should be respected too. Jesus says we should be happy for those that are persecuted because we're looking to the eternal treasure. Jesus says they will have the kingdom of heaven. So we should see them as really fortunate and not to be pitied as though there was no hope. That's how the world sees it. It seems the kingdom of God is quite opposite to the world.

     The first reference for this scripture is 2 Timothy 2:12, 13, which says:

     "If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him: if we deny Him, He also will deny us: If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself."

     So this is the conviction of those that are persecuted. No matter what threatens them or how much their captors want them to deny Christ, they just can't. He's the best thing they've found. They're looking forward to their inheritence in God...

     I'll be back with more on my study...

11:04 AM - Sep. 2, 2005 - comments {0} - post comment

Such suffering

     I just read the main article in my September issue of Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) and was blown away. The issue was focusing on the persecuted Christians of North Korea which seems to be the meanest nation towards Christians. They do some horrible things to Christians...yet there are still Christians to misuse. What I mean is people are getting saved everyday. That's just amazing to me. Amid all the suffering that's bond to come to them, they're willing to give up their lives for Jesus even if it means dying in a very scary way (scary to me is being burned to death. That must hurt a lot). My husband reminded me of a scripture that speaks about how these precious souls carry on in such situations. It's found in Revelation 12:11 and it says:

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."

     That's these people exactlly. One thing surprised me, though, as I was reading the account of an American in North Korea visiting a safe house for the Christians. The man had a martyrs cross and wanted to give it to one of the Korean Christians. Everybody hesitated because they said if they get caught with that it's sure death. If they're already hiding out what does one chain matter? Aren't they dead already? All the torture and murder seems so random and it looks like there's no end to it. If they're being rebellious against the government by accepting Christ already, what's one more outward sign going to add? One guy ended up taking it though. I guess I'm just trying to figure out the level of preservation of life they have. I'm trying to understand their mentality. It's so different from the way we live (we're making things like Segways and getting botox injections which seems like total vanity compared to what the North Korean Christians face everyday)....

     At the end of the article they give you pointers as to how to pray. I was wondering because it seems so hopeless when you hear so many stories and how horrible it is. It's nothing for those police to torture and kill an "enemy of the state". How could you pray for them? All they seem to need is Jesus and they're getting as much of Him as they can (as they read their Bibles by candlelight) before they leave this earth. VOM suggested these prayer focuses:

1. Pray God will give them creative ways to meet for fellowship and remain unseen by authorities and others who would bring them harm.
2. Ask the Lord to give His people wisdom as they share the gospel and minister in North Korea.
3. Pray for God's hand of protection on the safe houses helping North Korean escapees.
4. Pray escapees will find Christ in the safe houses.
5. Pray God will draw Kim Jong Il into a relationship with Him.

11:03 AM - Sep. 1, 2005 - comments {0} - post comment

How my heart has grown cold...

"And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."

                                                      Matthew 24:12

     How my heart has grown cold over the years. I remember times in college when I used to just place my hand over the Voice of the Martyrs persecution prayer map and God would cause my heart to lactch on to a certain country. I knew I was to start praying for that country. My eyes would start to water and before long my prayers of intercession would be joined by heaving sobs. I would pour out my heart and lay my burden at the altar as I petitioned heaven to intervene on the behalf of those being persecuted for His name's sake in that country. I'd never watch the clock and count the minutes so I have no idea how long it took. It would never fail to move me deeply.

     I also remember at a conference for Christian college students a time was set aside for praying for the soul harvest of other countries. It was asked of the intercessors to come forth and pray. I went up and received a country and started praying with a team of other intercessors from various ministries. Again, time passed with no recognition as we poured out our collective hearts for those lost souls in that country. I really felt like I was in the throne room of heaven letting out and spilling forth all of my petitions and concerns for this country at the feet of God.

     As I look back on those times I can only lament and repent for the hardness that has come over my heart. Repent for the busyness that has crowded out the necessary time an intercessor needs to appropriate to the call to prayer that Jesus places on their hearts and minds each day. Repent for all the times I've said, "I'm praying for you." and didn't make time during the day or days following to actually get on my knees and pray for that person.

     As I sit here, typing this all out, I wonder...what's holding me back. Jesus has set me free from the chains that so easily seek to ensnare me. Truly, what is holding me back. Excuse me as I go before the Lord in prayer....

11:01 AM - Sep. 1, 2005 - comments {0} - post comment

Voice of the Martyrs Blogosphere Program

      I just joined the Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) Blogosphere Program! It's just one more thing I can do to help those that are persecuted for believing in Christ. This program is meant to get the word out to as many people as possible about the persecuted church. I strongly believe that we as Christians need to bear our brothers' burdens. Many in other countries are suffering because they believe in Christ. It's a far stretch for us Americans to comprehend right now, but I do believe a day is coming when we too will know of persecution where our lives will be offered up as an ultimate sacrifice for confessing Jesus as Lord of all.

     The most important thing we can do is pray. Pray (along with Jesus who interceeds for us night and day) that the faith of those suffering persecution will not fail (Lk. 22:32).

     Next we can offer our money and resources to those in need. Many new converts in countries hostile to the Gospel end up losing everything. They need to start all over again. They are disowned by their families and ostracized from their communities and villages. Bibles, clothes and food are only some of the necessities these dear Christians need. Voice of the Martyrs has been faithfully meeting these needs. If you would like to help by sending them a monetary gift just click the VOM link in the previous sentence.

     Yet another way to help is to write to those imprisoned for believing in Jesus and preaching the Gospel to all that are lost. VOM has a site where you can translate your English letter into the language of the prisoner of your choosing. You simply print out the letter and send it to the address where that prisoner is being held. You can click here for more information.

     Lastly, joining the blogosphere program can bring much needed attention to these often forgotten people and their struggles. I hope you will join me to do as much as you can right where you are for the body of Christ.

~"Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them"~

                                                         Hebrews 13:3 (KJV)

11:00 AM - Aug. 30, 2005 - comments {0} - post comment

Missionaries

Persecution