Pray for the Persecuted Church

This time of year, many evangelical churches turn their attention to the international mission fields. There are several reasons for this renewal of missions awareness. Southern Baptists begin to promote and receive donations for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and send every penny of it to their international missionaries. This is also the time of year that US citizens begin to think of charitable donations on their annual tax returns and giving to missionaries before the year ends. In addition, November 8 is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church and we remember that some people are truly suffering for Christ today.

The Southern Church is growing and as it does so, light is shining into some dark places. The devil hates the advance of the gospel into areas that he has kept blinded for so long and so he fights hard to resist it. Yet, the gates of hell cannot prevail against the onslaughts of those who storm them in Jesus’ name. But, the hard-won advance comes at a high price. A missionary who serves in North Africa told me that as far as he knows, every Muslim he has won to the Lord has been martyred. He also told me that in one North African country the life expectancy of a new believer is forty-five days. This is not news to the new believers; they know that this is a possible outcome when they pray to receive Christ.

We hear such reports and we are sobered. We shake our heads in wonder and horror that such could be the case. Our mission agencies seek strategies and methodologies to protect their missionaries and the new converts. We do so because we live in such luxury, security, and ease that suffering for Jesus sake is virtually inconceivable. We react with grief to news of martyrdom as if it were an unforeseen, unimaginable tragedy.

We apparently have forgotten that Paul told Timothy, “In fact everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Or that Jesus Himself said, “In the world you will have tribulation.” We haven’t time to rehearse all the passages that describe how God’s people throughout the Bible suffered for being His. Yet our lives are so isolated from the New Testament expectations for Christianity that when we see others faithfully serving and suffering for it, we tend to think that they brought it on themselves for being so radical. Hebrews 10 commends those who stood with the suffering believers during their hour of persecution. May we join the ranks of the suffering – or the ranks of those who identify with those who do – however the Lord chooses.

There is a great tragedy in suffering, tribulation, and persecution for Christ’s sake. However, the tragedy is not what we normally think it is. The greatest tragedy of suffering, tribulation, and persecution for Christ is that we are strangers to it. “In fact everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”