I met a pastor from Russia back in the late seventies. This man had been imprisoned, beaten and sorely treated because of his faith.
The man spoke for about an hour, telling those gathered of persecution, school places being refused to the children of Christians, exclusion and prison. He spoke of people taking a (precious) page of Bible and learning it because Bibles were so scarce! Those gathered in that place were inspired when he told us that persecution and hardship aided evangelism and strengthened the Church.
Many in that place prayed then, and during the time that I knew them, for that to come to the Western church. Perhaps God is merely answering prayer.
Advent 2 - The prophets. Reading is John the Baptist (Matt 3:1 - 12) proclaiming the coming of Jesus, the Christ (I know it's his week next week, but hey ho that's the reading!).
Let's take our lead from him - persecution? No!
Opportunity to witness - we'd better believe it!
And if we do, others will believe it too.
Pax
1 comment:
I remember Richard Wurmbrand (before he was 'Americanised') and the persecution that he and his family endured for their faith.
It is true that we don't know what persecution is, but unless we make a stand for our faith now against the secularists and extremely prejudiced secular apologists (like Dawkins and others) we will find that this is where we end up.
Thanks for you comments,
I
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