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Had a good reminder of just HOW spoiled.
A friend spoke this past Sunday -- a man who works in a Muslim country. He spoke on 2 Timothy, particularly the idea of enduring hardship for the Lord, and being a good soldier.
As an illustration, he used the persecution that the Christians there accept as part of their daily lives ... and it was sobering. There are threats from outside, and betrayals and woundings from inside. It just ripped my heart out to think about it ... it would be SO hard to live in a society that hated you. But how much harder to see brothers & sisters fall away, make public denunciations, etc.
Any time I'm tempted towards disunity, or gossip, or lack of love for another Christian, I need to remember this! And if someone treats me badly ... well ... it's not really THAT badly, is it?
Pray for these folks!
Trinka
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2 comments:
That reminds me of a guy from Sudan who spoke to our church about what it means to be a witness for Jesus there. He said he was talking to a North American pastor who was lamenting the lack of support from his church, his struggle with finances, his concerns for his family. This Sudan missionary actually told this pastor "You little pansy Christian. Get out there and just do the work of the Lord!" Very sobering indeed.
We had a leader of the persecuted House Church in China speaking with our congregation about a year ago who described indescribable tortures that he and many others have suffered simply because of a desire to hold fast to their belief in Christ. This body of believers has been forced underground, and those who are looked to as leaders in the House Church of China are considered by the government as posing the greatest threat to national security and are the most wanted criminals in all of China.
And their only crime is in preaching the glorious Gospel as it is from the Bible. There is a Christian church which is allowed in China, and this is how the Chinese government justifies its claims that there is freedom in China for Christians to worship the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The catch that they don't report is this: only the messages the communist government sanctions may be preached from these pulpits. There is a list of messages and stories straight from the Bible which may not be preached or taught, and all every message preached in the government-sanctioned church must include government propaganda.
One woman is old now and has been imprisoned in China for many years. Every day she is given an opportunity to be released from jail. And all she has to do is do utter a simple "repeat after me" pro-communist government spiel something along the lines of: "The People's Republic of China is great." Each day she is given this opportunity, she will most happily submit to the wishes of the ruling authorities and say these words so as to not be rebellious - just as the Bible teaches her - but will also add at the end: "But Jesus Christ is greater!" With that addition, she is banished back to her cell. Her brothers and sisters report that she goes rejoicing with great joy for the opportunity to suffer for the cause of the Gospel of Christ.
It has been said that freedoms not exercised are destined to be lost. We here in the US used to have the liberty to pray in school. As a young girl, I remember standing each morning with my right hand over my heart as I said the Pledge of Allegiance, which ended with: One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all" in unison with the principal who led us in this pledge over the loudspeaker system. Now this practice is banned.
What might it take for us to stand up and fight once again as our forefathers did for the freedom to worship the God who fought beside them for the freedoms afforded in the Declaration of Independence? I don't know, but I do know the One who knows what it takes and who has the power to empower us to do whatever it takes. So, I'll simply just keep my eyes on Him (He's so beautiful, I can't seem to take my eyes off Him anyway, LOL!).
Love ya,
Carol :)
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