The Persecuted Church

By the way, today, Nov.1st is pray for the persecuted day. I'm making this page about the persecuted church in order to raise awareness of the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world. By "church," of course, I don't mean a particular group or denomination, but rather, the body of true believers in Jesus Christ which makes up the family of God.

Since we have it so easy here in this great country of America, it is easy to forget that our fellow Christians--our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world--are suffering for their faith. I didn't think about it myself, until we had a guest speaker at our church from the "Voice of the Martyrs."

So, I'm making this page to encourage prayer for these poor suffering saints, even though I admit I am at a loss as to actually know how to pray. Check out some of the links in the link list below. Then read my comments in the module entitled "Why?" Although it's hard to know exactly what God has in mind in all of this suffering (See my related hub below), we should pray for fellow believers, especially those suffering for their faith. If you will commit to pray daily for the suffering church, please so indicate in the comments module. Thanks.

NOTE: Any proceeds from this site will go to "Voice of the Martyrs."

Map compiled by World Evangelical Alliance and taken from the Evangelical Baptist site. COLOR KEY:

LIGHT GREY = Life can be difficult for Christians and harsh for converts.

DARK GREY = Christian minorities suffer systematic discrimination and persecution.

BLACK = Persecution of Christian minorities is pervasive and severe.

RED = Historically Christian minorites at risk of genocide

Do you wonder why these poor brothers and sisters in Christ have to suffer so, when Jesus suffered enough for everyone in the world to be saved? I did until I read part 2 of the book, "The Triumphant Church." There, Piper, using the scripture in Corinthians where Paul says that he must fulfill that which is behind of the sufferings of Christ, points out that it is not in order to complete the payment for our sins and earn our salvation, since Jesus completely accomplished that on the cross, but rather, it is in order to show forth Christ's suffering to those who have never heard of it. Thus the suffering of our fellow believers is evangelistic rather than redemptive in nature. (So, perhaps, we should be praying that those watching, especially the tormentors would become convicted and say as did the Roman soldier at the cross, "Surely this [Jesus whom they worship] is the son of God," or ask as did the Philippian jailor, "What must I do to be saved.")

For a better understanding of this point, be sure to purchase this book (via the link below) and read part 2. Also check out my lens on "The Problem of Suffering" below.

Part 1 by Wurmbrand details instructions to the suffering church on how to endure and not give up. Part 2 by Piper explains the reason for the suffering and Part 3 is a Bible study outline on the purpose of suffering.

The Iranian government has sentenced Pastor Saeed Abedini, a U.S. citizen, to 8 YEARS IN PRISON for starting house churches in Iran.

Pastor Saeed has been beaten and forcibly released from the hospital. The latest is that he is in much need of surgery due to the injuries sustained from his beatings.

More Christians were martyred in the twentieth century than all previous centuries combined, and this onslaught has continued unabated into the new century. As Christians living in the twenty-first century, it is our duty to be knowledgeable and be compelled to take action on behalf of those who are persecuted. One of the most essential actions we can take is to stand in the gap for them through prayer. The Devotional below lists over sixty countries that are in desperate need of prayer. It describes the past and present situation in each country and the challenges and opportunities for the future. Prayer points help the reader focus on specific areas of intercession once he or she is well informed. This excellent source of prayer for the persecuted church will be beneficial for churches, mission supporters, and mission agencies as a way to become informed and involved with the global church.

In view of all that has gone before, here, you may well wonder how to pray aright for the persecuted Christians around the world. Here is a list of 10 things you can pray for, with scripture references, provided by the Voice of the Martyrs, PO Box 443 Bartlesville, OK 740031-918-337-8015 www.persecution.com:

PRAY:

1. that they will sense God's presence (Heb.13:5)

2. that they will feel connected to he greater body of Christ (I Cor.12:20-26)

3. that they will be comforted by God when their family members are killed, injured or imprisoned for their witness (II Cor.1:3-5)

4 that they will have more opportunities to share the gospel (Col.4:3)

5. for their boldness to make Christ known (Phil.1:14).

6. that they will forgive and love their persecutors (Matt,5:44).

7 that their ministry activities remain undetected by authorities or others who wish to silence them (Acts 9:25).

8. that they will rejoice in suffering (Acts 5:41).

9, that they will be refreshed through God's Word and grow in their faith (Eph.6:17).

10. that they will be strengthened through the prayers of fellow believers (Jude 20-25).

Christ Centered Web - Directory