Persecution

[herald]

Around the world, Christians are being persecuted for their faith. My grandparents were missionaries to China. The Communists went to every house in their village and killed all foreigners, except their house. My grandfather was arrested by Mao Tse Tung, put on trial, with a gun held to his head. He was ordered to renounce his faith. Instead, he preached the gospel to thousands of Communist Chinese. They threw him into a dungeon. Meanwhile, my grandmother fled with the three children into the wilderness. My father, a very cerebral Pathologist said, bandits would ride up, slit your clothes and kill you. Out of nowhere, there was a sound of a bugle and it scared them off.My grandfather prayed to the Lord, to take him home, or, set him free. That day, "someone" came and opened the door. He thought he was going to be executed. Instead, he lead him to the Hong Kong Harbor. He found his family and went to Singapore.We are living in the last days, persecution is going to arise. When the church was being persecuted by Saul, the Lord said, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? And he said, who art Thou Lord? And the Lord said I AM Jesus, whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks...Arise and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do." Acts 9:4-6.Jesus said, "Blessed are ye, men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for My sake." Matt 5:11.Jesus said, "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you." Matt 5:44.There are Christians all over the world, that have experienced persecution. Radical Islam and radical Hindus are persecuting Christians in their own countries. But, we hear them say, "Persecution only makes us stronger." Can we say that? Muslims in Iran are having dreams and visions of Jesus and are coming to Him. There are Christian meetings of over 2 million strong in Nigeria. In Israel, there are over 180 Messianic congregations - those who claim Jesus as their Messiah. God is pouring out His Spirit so much in China, that, they do not have enough pastors. Thousands of Christians disappear every year in North Korea. God is pouring out His Spirit in Northern Europe, and in Cuba, and in South America. We are approaching the end of all things.Jesus said, "But he that received the seed in stony places, the same is he that heareth the Word, and anon with joy he receiveth it. Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for awhile: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the Word, by and by he is offended." Matt 13:21.The Apostle Paul said, "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." 2 Cor 12:10.The Apostle Paul wrote, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ, shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written For Thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that 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 creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Rom 8:35-39.The Apostle Paul wrote, "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." 2 Tim 3:12."And I saw under the altar the souls of them that were martyred for the Word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried out with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge, and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" Rev 6:9,10.Are we ready to be persecuted for our Lord Jesus Christ?.

 

[Triumph1300]

Clandestine churches popping up in farm sheds and machine shops in southern Manitoba