Persecution and Politics

Ok, so I feel the need to apologize (again!) for not blogging. It has been more than the week or two that I said I was going to take to get some thoughts in order, etc.

So lets get down to it! Over the last six months or so, I have noticed a growing trend within the persecution watchdog circles to employ the use of politicians and political systems in trying to stop persecution of Christians. Now you may be thinking, "What's wrong with that? We have governments to keep order and to stand up against injustice." Well, that is true, but are there any examples of Christians doing this in the Bible?

When the apostle Peter was unjustly held in prison in Acts, do we see the believers decrying the corrupt authorities and seeking relief through political means? No, and in fact, it says, "but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him." (12:5) The modern church many times marginalizes the power of prayer. Oh we would never say that it wouldn't help or work on behalf of an imprisoned believer, but the way we run to men is very telling about where trust really lies. As a whole, do you think the church has ceased praying without ceasing for the persecuted believers?

"Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body." (Heb. 13:3) We are to remember in prayer those Christians who are in prison as if we were there as well. I don't know about you, but I'd want my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to petition the Highest Power (God) for me if I was in jail for my faith. As believers, we are one body and need to, not only feel the joy, but also the pain of Christ's body of believers.

In closing, I'd like to re-quote a passage from Brother Yun's book, The Heavenly Man,

"Whenever I hear a house church Christian has been imprisoned for Christ in China I don't advise people to pray for his or her release unless the Lord clearly reveals we should pray this way.

Before a chicken is hatched it is vital it is kept in the warm protection of the shell for 21 days. If you take the chick out of that environment one day too early, it will die. similarly, ducks need to remain confined in their shell for 28 days before they are hatched. If you take a duck out on the 27th day, it will die.

There is always a purpose behind why God allows his children to go to prison. Perhaps it's so they can witness to the other prisoners, perhaps God wants to develop more character in their lives. But if we use our own efforts to get them out of prison earlier than God intended, we can thwart his plans, and the believers may come out not as fully formed as God wanted them to be." (p. 313)

When we run to politicians seeking the release of a Christian without knowing it's God's will for that believer to be released, we run the risk of working against god's plan for the person. Who knows what God can do in and through a believer while in jail? As one who hasn't had to face imprisonment in my life yet, that may seem easy to say. However, anyone who knows Brother Yun's story knows that he speaks from experience. God can work miracles, even in a jail cell!

Amazed...

I'm amazed... but not really in a good way. The Persecution Blog reported that today, the Pakistani Christian Association in America and other organizations, held a protest outside the Pakistani Consulate. Why, you might ask? To demand the release of Asia Bibi and repeal of blasphemy law.

As many may know, Asia Bibi has been in the news quite a lot lately. She supposedly blasphemed the "prophet" Mohammed when she stated to some Muslim women harassing her about her faith, “Our Christ is the true prophet of God and yours is not true.”

Asia is in need of much prayer. My question, however, is should those who claim the name of Christ be protesting against the persecution? Do we see this exemplified in the Bible?

When looking at the Bible as a whole and the book of Acts in particular, I think we see the answer. It is a resounding no! When the apostle Peter was imprisoned (Acts 12), did the early believers stage protests decrying the evil government? No, they simply went to the Lord in prayer. When Paul was taken to Rome, did Christians riot and demand his immediate release and equal religious status? My guess is you probably know the answer to that question. No, they didn't.

Christians today have turned to the wrong means for gaining release or reprieve from hard situations and persecution (both for themselves and other believers). Many within the body of Christ don't wait for God to do something great, but instead, seek to change the circumstances by political (or other) means.

Who knows, but if the early Christians had held protests in the book of Acts, things may have turned out different for Peter. However, one thing is sure, they wouldn't have been able to see God work in a miraculous way on their behalf.

These are just some thoughts I have been pondering the last twenty-four hours or so. I grieve to think that instead of turning to the Lord, we have sought help from other places and as a result, lost out on seeing God work wonders.

Yun's Advice on Praying for the Persecuted

Brother Yun is an amazing man! I had read his book, The Heavenly Man, about seven years ago when I first became a Christian. Going back through it now that I've walked with the Lord for several years made it even better. God gave Yun much wisdom and his advice on praying for Christians that are being persecuted is phenomenal. I'm going to share an excerpt on praying below.

"Whenever I hear a house church Christian has been imprisoned for Christ in China I don't advise people to pray for his or her release unless the Lord clearly reveals we should pray this way.

Before a chicken is hatched it is vital it is kept in the warm protection of the shell for 21 days. If you take the chick out of that environment one day too early, it will die. similarly, ducks need to remain confined in their shell for 28 days before they are hatched. If you take a duck out on the 27th day, it will day.

There is always a purpose behind why God allows his children to go to prison. Perhaps it's so they can witness to the other prisoners, perhaps God wants to develop more character in their lives. But if we use our own efforts to get them out of prison earlier than God intended, we can thwart his plans, and the believers may come out not as fully formed as God wanted them to be." (The Heavenly Man, p. 313)

Brother Yun did not say this lightly or without experience of his own. He spent many years in Chinese prisons for his witness for Christ. He endured many beatings and times of torture for his role as an illegal (in the government of China's eyes) house church leader. He knows the how the Lord can work in a believer's heart while in prison.

For those of us who are believers in the West, this goes against everything we've been taught and experienced. Western believers like comfort and anything that causes discomfort we try to remove as quickly as possible. However, many times the hard, uncomfortable things are what God uses to refine us and make us more Christ-like.

So, instead of praying for the immediate removal of the trials, pray that God's will would be accomplished and that He would be glorified in His children's suffering.

Day 308: Gao Not Doing Well

In an email update I received about Gao Zhisheng, VOM and ChinaAid say he is not doing well. Quoting from the email: "ChinaAid recently received another report from inside sources in China that Gao Zhisheng has been severely beaten by authorities. The report stated his current living condition is worse than death and that Gao is crying daily in pain and desperation."

China has responded to pressure, but not in a good way. They refuse to release Gao and the Chinese government has also cut off communication with two of Mr. Zhisheng's siblings.

Gao's older brother, Gao Zhiyi, said, "For every question, there are three unknowns. No one knows anything. They won't talk to us and they won't meet with us... Even if Gao Zhisheng had committed a terrible crime, his family would still have the right to know what had happened to him!"

If you have not already done so, please sign the petition at FreeGao.com and ask that they release Gao Zhisheng. This is an awesome way for Christians to ask for the release of a hurting brother. Add your voice to the 117,196 people that are speaking out for Gao already.

Also, please pray. This is a Christian's greatest "weapon" in this world. Ultimately, we are not struggling against humans, but we are struggling against dark spiritual forces that want to destroy Christians and keep people in bondage.

Last Reminder

This Sunday (Nov. 8) is IDOP. Please join in with thousands of other Christians as we lift the persecuted believers to the Lord.

Pray for the Persecuted

The month of October is flying by very quickly. Before you know it, we'll be right into November. If you haven't already marked your calenders for Nov. 8, you should. November 8 is the International Day of Prayer (IDOP) for the persecuted church.

You will be praying along with thousands of other believers worldwide for those are suffering for the sake of Christ. Please consider ordering the 2009 IDOP kit and sharing it at your church or maybe with a group of friends. Go to VOM's IDOP web page, here, and get prepaired to spread the news!

"Night of Power"

Laylat al-Qadr is tonight. This is what the Muslims call the "Night of Power" in Ramadan and they seek forgiveness for their sins. Please pray that as Muslims around the world seek forgiveness that they'll find it in Jesus Christ. What an awesome opportunity for us to pray for these seeking people!

IDOP 2009

Mark your calenders! November 8th is the International Day of Prayer (IDOP) for the persecuted church. Please get the word out about it. If your church doesn't know about it, consider getting an IDOP kit that will help you spread the news. You can get a free kit from Open Doors, which includes items like a banner, two compelling short videos, and many other things.

"Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them..." (Heb. 13:3)

Prayer Bulletin

Open Doors USA sends out a two month prayer bulletin with their news letters. I find it extremely helpful in praying for the persecuted church.

Today's request is for the country of Maldives:

"Maldivians enjoy a high literacy rate, but the Bible is not yet translated into their language. Pray for God to open opportunities for His word to be translated into the local language."

Don't Forget!

Don't Forget! Tomorrow, the Christian pastors in Pakistan have asked us to join them in prayer for their nation. To know more, read this post from a couple of days ago. Then go tell others about it and get on your knees in prayer!

Thanks for praying, I know it means much to our persecuted brethren.

Take It Away!

It's day 168 after Gao Zhisheng's kidnapping and ChinaAid did deliver our petitions (over 10, 000!) to the Chinese Embassy. Sadly, when the embassy staff saw what it was, she said, "I'm sorry, sir, I'm sorry! Take it away!"

David E. Taylor, who is the American attorney who tried to deliver the petition, left it at the front door saying, "The Chinese Embassy was legally served with the petition even though they tried to avoid it."

Don't give up, God can do miracles! Keep praying that God Almighty will move on the hearts of the Chinese officials. Also, pray for Gao and his family, that the Lord will provide for their every need.

Day of Prayer in Pakistan

A day of prayer has been called for Pakistan on July 26, 2009. More than 316 Pakistani pastors have agreed to pray for persecuted believers. There is also a petition out aimed at repealing the blasphemy laws that have lead to the arrests of many Christians.

Please pray for Christian believers in Pakistan. In recent weeks, the persecution has intensified greatly.

Here is just one example:

"On June 26, more than 150 Muslim extremists attacked more than 150 Christian families, poured kerosene on a believer and tried to burn her, burned 16 homes, damaged 60, two donkey carts and destroyed 25 electricity meters, in Kasur, Pakistan." (Quote taken from here)

So, join in prayer our Christian brother and sisters in Christ for the Persecuted in Pakistan. Pray that many Muslims will come to know Jesus and His love for them.

Love

God will not judge us according to how much we endured, but how much we could love. The Christians who suffer for their faith in prisons could love. I am a witness that they could love both God and men. -Former underground church pastor who was imprisoned for his faith

"Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." (Matt. 5:43-44 KJV)

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (Jn. 13:34-35 KJV)

Pray for persecuted Christians that they would be empowered by the Holy Spirit to love their enemies.

The Growing Number of Muslims in the World...

Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world today. After watching this video I see why. There is no need to fear however, God is totally in control and able to help us in these times. Think of the opportunities and of the persecution. Pray for Muslims and pray for believers that will be having to face this tidal wave of Islam.

Country Profile: North Korea

It's hard to imagine a country so brutal to people that when they escape, they feel free in China. Well, that's how some people have felt when escaping from North Korea. To read an interesting story about this, buy the book, Escape From North Korea.

The current dictator, Kim Jong-Il, supports very harsh policies towards anyone who is against the Communist party and does not recognize him as supreme authority. The government actively seeks to suppress public and private religious activities.

North Korea is known as the "hermit nation" because it is so closed to contact with the outside world. Due to this and many other things, there are extreme problems with food shortages and as many as three millions people have died of starvation since 1994.

Pray that Christians will be able to be salt and light in the harsh environment of North Korea. Pray that they will not deny their Lord and that no matter what comes, they will be able to stand up against the pressure.

The following links will provide you with more information about the country and leaders of NK:

http://www.persecution.net/northkorea.htm

http://www.persecution.org/suffering/countryinfodetail.php?countrycode=29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Jong-il

Iranian Christian Released

Hossein Karimi, age 27, was released on February 25. The Iranian secret police arrested him January 30 and held him for 27 days in an unknown place. Presently, Hossein is waiting to receive a date so he can present his case in court.

Pray that this Christian brother would have peace as he waits to appear in court. Pray also that the Lord will give him the words to speak when presenting his case.

To read the complete story, follow this link.

Coming Soon!

Lord willing, I will be starting a series of posts on country profiles soon. This will give some information about countries (like North Korea, China, Pakistan) the consistently persecute Christians.

This may help you to understand some of the reasons Christians are persecuted and oppressed and help you in praying for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. ( Hebrews 13:3)

Open Doors World Watch List 2009

The ministry of Open Doors USA puts together a list of the top 50 countries that persecute Christians. Once again, the list is out and North Korea is at the top for the sixth year in a row. NK has been the lead country in persecuting Christians. It treats it's Christian citizens very severely.

Please check it out here. Look over it, download it, share it with friends, and most of all, pray over the countries on it.

Encouragement to Keep Praying for the Persecuted

I had the physical sense of being prayed for. even when I knew nothing and received no letters, I felt warmth as if sitting near a fire. Sometimes this happened in punishment cells, which are very cold. It was like hearing someone pray for me and think about me. This supported me so much. It is difficult to explain....I felt and knew I was not forgotten. This was sufficient to make me resist the most difficult moments. - Irina Ratushinsk, Christian poet imprisoned in the former Soviet Union until 1987

Quote taken from Extreme Devotion

Christians at the Gaza Strip

As many of you know, there has/is fighting going on over the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army has recently sent around 10,000 troops into the Strip and there have been many clashes between the two sides.

As has been seen many times in the past, numerous people suffer because of theses raging attacks. Many times it is the Christians who pay the highest price.

To read about how the Church in the Middle East is being caught in the middle of such turmoil, read Light Force by Brother Andrew.

Also, please pray for the peace of Jerusalem! (Psalm 122:6)