I Will Carry You...

As I prepared this post on the Persecution of Believers around the world, I found myself having two definite reactions to what I was reading.  One is an overwhelming sense of grief for those who are suffering so deeply for the Cause of Christ.  Second is a deepening awareness that we who are not touched by persecution in our homeland must be moved to compassion and pray, pray, pray for those who are suffering and dying around the world.  We must be aroused from our complacency and answer the call of Christ to get on our knees and 'carry them to Jesus'.

Especially as we prepare to celebrate the joyous birth of our Savior, let's remember those who cannot celebrate openly; those who will be targeted, especially because it is Christmas and Christ is hated for being born; those who will pay the ultimate price and will die a martyr's death this Christmas.

Let us weep with the widow and the orphan and pray for the persecuted wherever they are found around the world.  May God strengthen them for what He calls them to and may God be glorified in the blood of the martyrs.  And may we be found faithful to the call of Christ.  May we be found faithful...

Scripture Reference: Psalm 44:22   NKJV

"Yet for Your sake we are killed all day long;

We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."

Suffer the Children...

Among the most heartbreaking victims of persecution throughout the world are innocent children.  Some are kidnapped, some used for the sexual pleasure of their captors, 

some are witnesses to the most cruel atrocities imaginable, 

including the murder of their parents and siblings. 

How can we turn our backs on these innocent victims of persecution?  

Please remember to bring them before the Father in your prayers this week. 

May God surround them with His healing love, comfort them, strengthen them, 

and raise them up to be mighty witnesses to the power of God to rescue, 

redeem and transform lives against all odds.

Scripture Reference:  Matthew 18:6  NKJV

"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depth of the sea..."

More Than Conquerors...

Tomorrow is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.

We have the great privilege of joining in prayer with our brothers and sisters all across the world for those believers who are suffering for the cause of Christ.

There are so many for whom we are summoned into the inner chamber by God, Himself, to pray.

Tonight, I especially ask you to remember Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, a young pastor, separated from his wife and children while waiting in the cruel isolation of an Iran prison waiting to hear if he will live or die.

Please take a minute to watch the attached video, which is a letter Pastor Youcef sent to you and to me, requesting our prayers. We must stand, or better yet, kneel, before our God and cry out for this young, courageous believer, and for his family. May God turn the hearts of his captors and spare his life.

The verdict on Pastor Youcef's life is expected to be announced at Christmas time, which many believe is not a good sign. The powers that rule in Iran may be hoping that the rest of the world will be preoccupied and distracted by the pageantry of Christmas. May we prove them wrong...

Here is Pastor Youcef, in his own words.

Scripture Reference: Romans 8: 37-39 NKJV

“Yet in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life,

Nor angels nor principalities nor powers,

Nor things present, nor things to come,

Nor height nor depth,

Nor any other created thing,

Shall be able to separate us

From the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, Our Lord.”

Into the Fire...

One of the amazing things about looking at the world from my 'virtual front porch' is that I can see not just across the street, but all the way around the world. I can see the little girl in Africa dying from starvation. I can see the family in Japan, desperately searching for comfort after the loss of their home and loved ones. I can see men losing the battle to provide for their families because of poverty that we cannot even imagine. I can see mothers weeping for children who have died before they saw their first birthday. I can see children abandoned to the streets to fend for themselves, never having had the opportunity to go to a Sunday School class to learn about Jesus. I can see missionaries who have left it all for the love of Jesus Christ.

I can see innocent believers, suffering for their faith; little girls kidnapped and raped because of their christian beliefs; mothers and fathers beaten, tortured and imprisoned – even murdered, simply because of their faith in Jesus Christ. I can see believers like you and me coming together for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This is amazing technology. In less than a month of writing this blog, I have been connected to people who live well beyond the borders of 'my front porch', and amazingly, well beyond the geographical boundaries of my country.

I believe God is doing something far beyond anything you or I could ever imagine. I believe He wants to use every means available to reach the lost, while there is yet time, for the hour is late, indeed.

Today, I am posting a video of persecuted believers around the globe. For many of us, reading about persecution from the safety of our living rooms, it is hard to believe what is happening to people simply because of their faith. But for those who are living through the horrors of persecution, let there be no illusion – persecution is real. As members of the Body of Christ, bound together with our suffering brothers and sisters around the world, we are called to 'remember those in chains' for the sake of the Gospel. It is our great privilege to stand with them in their hour of need. I believe God is calling us to take our place at the wailing wall and cry out to Him for mercy on us and on this broken and bruised world that needs Him desperately.

Once a week, I will be highlighting a different area of the world where believers are suffering for the cause of Christ. If you have suffered for the Gospel, or if you know someone who has, please leave a comment so we can pray for you. Let's not hesitate to use every tool God gives us to connect to one another. The world is His and He is ours. All to the Glory of God.

Please remember to pray for those who are tortured, burned alive, beaten and murdered for the sake of the Gospel. May God comfort them in their trials and strengthen them for the fire. May He give them the grace to endure. And may we be faithful to stand with them in prayer. For the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ...

Scripture Reference: Hebrews 13:2

“Remember the prisoners as if chained with them – those who are mistreated – since you yourselves are in the Body also...”