Over the last few days I have been getting this prompting to write about christian persecution.
I was not sure why ,today I realise it is the international day of prayer for persecuted christians.
I got a message early this morning about how in a village church some fundamentalists had stopped a church service of simple tribal folks but some unknown people had beaten the fundamentalists black and blue.
Now the organisation was all out to close down the church.I have visited that simple village.The tribals are dirt poor and suffer from depression,mental illnesses,etc.It was a precarious situation for the goodman's family .Just going around with him was frightening enough he lives amongst the majority caste.His little son in all innocence can be quiet vociferous about his belief.This was the place where I saw an old man working alone to build the church brick by brick with his own hands in his land.That poor tribal man had a vision so big that it could very well touch eternity.I was deeply touched even as he bent down to remove grass stuck on my skirt,but I also sensed persecution in the future.
Going back to the Word ,Jesus in several places has mentioned persecution .
John 15-vs 18-20
'If the world hates you......
If they have persecuted me ,they will also persecute you...'
1st Peter 1 vs 7
'The trial of your faith....'
Mathew 5,vs 11
'Blessed are you when people insult you,persecute you......'
Today the bible reading was from ACTS 8 where the chapter starts with the anecdote of the persecution that broke out against the church in Jerusalem.About Saul leading the way ,persecuting christians as he destroyed churches.
This very Saul,aka Paul was a chosen vessel of Christ ,became a means of salvation for the gentiles and the author of most of new testament.
What is this good news that it catches like fire.I heard one of the Jew pastors saying that a person who reads the new testament twice word to word would have no other choice,but to accept Christ as the Lord and savior.
The Word of God is it's own defence.When I was in school I used to have innocent enough classmates who had the fear of the bible.In their superstition filled faith they had been forbidden to touch any form of christian literature.Now they are believers and attend different churches,I hear.
I hear of persecution ,it was foretold by our lord.
I was deeply inspired by the story behind Chris Tomlin's 'Whom shall I fear'where the writer when going through a personal challenge goes back to the anecdote in 2 King's 6 where the King of Aram sends his army to capture Elisha the prophet and when his servant sees the army of the king he is frightened,Elisha tells him,'Don't be afraid ,those who are with us are more than those who are with them.'And he prays that God open his servants eye to see.Then the servant sees the hills full of horses and chariots of fire around Elisha.
We worship the same God.
Persecution is to be expected but at the backdrop of persecution is the larger than life images of revelation where the angel of the Lord writes to different churches and commends those churches who are able to overcome and persist inspite of all odds and most of all the promise Romans 14 :11-'....every knee will bow...'and Revelation 20,21,and 22 that seals it all.
In the mean time may we have very many testimonies of God's faithfullness ....against all odds.
For'the earth will be filled with the knowledge of His glory as the waters cover the sea.'Habakkuk 2:14.
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