Suffering Persecution
Acts 5:27, 29; 39b, 41, 42 TPT
27 Didn’t we strictly warn you that you were to never again teach in this name? 29 Peter and the apostles replied, “We must listen to and obey God more than pleasing religious leaders. 39b So they brought the apostles back in and had them severely beaten. They ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus and then let them go. 41 The apostles left there rejoicing, thrilled that God had considered them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. 42 And nothing stopped them. They kept preaching every day.
Every day as part of our worship together, we thank God for our freedom to worship Him and tell others the good news about Jesus. We’re not spied on or maligned for not being a part of another religion or group who do not serve the Lord. I have heard stories and read about those who live every day under this kind of persecution. We have quite a few Pakistanis in our congregation who, when living in Pakistan, would gather nightly for worship and prayer together just to help pray for their protection and cover each other in prayer and worship. My first devotional, “Time Alone With God,” has been translated into Urdu and distributed in Pakistan. One Christian brother had to go to court over a land issue and happened to have a copy of this book with him. When the court business was done, the judge called him over to him and asked what that book was that he had with him. He told him what it was, and the judge asked if he would give it to him to read. He was interested to know more about this God. This was a dangerous exchange, yet God was in it. I have heard of countries where they meet in secret and have to ask and seek the Lord to be able to get the next secret place where they are going to meet from the Lord. Talk about being prayed up before you come together! In China, when Bibles are brought into the country in secret and given out to the underground church, it is said that they openly weep and hug the Bible to their chests in heartfelt thanks to the Lord for being allowed to have His Word in their hands. And then each Bible is carefully separated page by page, and given out to as many as possible. Here’s the amazing thing that happens next. Each page is taken by the individual and literally memorized, word for word. The Word of God is that precious to them. You can start reading a page out loud and that person can finish it verbatim. In other nations, when someone becomes a Christian and are baptized, they know they very well may be killed in two to three weeks for their choice to become a Christian. This is very serious business, serving the Lord in certain nations who are not Christian. Let’s always remember the price that was paid for our freedom and let’s pray daily for those who live under intense regimes that do not allow the freedom to worship as our hearts desire. They, each one, are precious in His sight.
What about you? Are you afraid to tell others about Jesus and the price that was paid on the cross for all of our sins? Are you afraid to pray with others for their needs, healing, sorrow, loss, etc.? Do you remember to lift this part of the Body of Christ up in daily prayer that God would answer their prayers, and protect them? Let’s seek the Lord on their behalf, for their freedom and that they may be true witnesses of all Christ has done for the world.
