12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
2 Timothy 3:12
Sparked by an alleged insult leveled at Islam's Prophet Mohammad, an angry mob of Muslim men march through a predominately Christian section of Lahore, Pakistan's second largest city. The unruly mob begins to burn buildings in the neighborhood around 9:00 a.m., but fire fighters do not arrive on the scene until around 3:00 p.m. The delay is not caused by a poor or inept fire department, as one might suspect -- it is intentional.
Before the violence ends, 170 houses, seven businesses, two churches and hundreds of Bibles go up in flames. There are a number of injuries, but thank God no one is killed.
In Iran, an American pastor visiting family is jailed and ultimately sentenced to eight years in prison. His crime is that he allegedly tried to tell people about Jesus. While his prison sentence seems harsh, it is a great deal better than the death sentence that many had originally expected.
These two examples of persecution of Christians are, of course, by no means isolated or unique. The stories go on and on. In much of the world even being a Christian is illegal, and evangelizing punishable by death.
In February 2012, the cover of Newsweek sounded the alarm with an issue titled "The War on Christians." Not known for its Christian-friendly pages, Newsweek declared: "Christians are being killed in the Islamic world because of their religion. It is a rising genocide that ought to provoke global alarm." Ayaan Hirsi Ali, "The Rise of Global Christophobia From One End of the Muslim World to the Other, Christians are Being Murdered for Their Faith," Newsweek (February 18, 2012). A year later, and I am not at all sure the alarm has been heard.
"Christians are being killed in the Islamic world because of their religion. It is a rising genocide that ought to provoke global alarm."
In fact, I am convinced that the persecution of Christians is really just getting started. The Newsweek article certainly reminds us of the overt hostility that Christians face in much of the world -- and particularly in the Muslim world. But, that doesn't mean that Christians do not, or will not, suffer persecution right here in the United States.
To be sure, the types of persecution that we tend to face currently are less extreme and more subtle than in other parts of the world. At the same time, we are, in my opinion, already seeing shadows of things to come.
There are any number of directions I could take this blog as this point. I cold talk about the responsibility of world leaders -- and particularly our own leaders here in the United States, to intervene. Or, I could talk about the rising persecution of Christians that I see right here at home. But, I thought I would limit myself to the most difficult issue that persecution presents -- which is how God would have us respond to it.
43 You have heard that it was said, "Love your neighbor and hate your enemy."44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:43-48.
I suspect you could have guessed that Matthew 5:43-48 was coming. Even if you did not know exactly where in the Bible to find the particular verse, you knew the concept. These are difficult words. While I understand them intellectually, I will readily confess that living by them in a true state of persecution seems too much to ask. Yet, this is what God asks of us. And, I believe that Jesus would not ask unless, through the power of the Holy Spirit, it could be done.
The bottom line is that we are called to love through the insults -- through the persecution. How are we to respond to someone who belittles us for our faith? With love. How are we to respond to someone who pushes for laws or policies that are at odds with Christianity? With love. How are to respond to someone who strikes us for our faith? With love. With that in mind, I want to return for just a minute to Pastor Saeed and his imprisonment in Iran.
During his imprisonment, this pastor has been subjected to unbearable torture and humiliation. He faces on a daily basis extreme pressure to denounce his Christian faith -- to deny Jesus. In a letter to his family, the 32-year-old pastor reported: “There are those who are enemies of the living Bible and do not want to hear. They are trying to put me under such horrific pressures (that are sometimes unbearable) so that they can show me that my faith is empty and not real. … They are only waiting for one thing … for me to deny Christ.” (The entirely of Pastor Saeed's letter can be found at the end of this blog)
Even in these horrific conditions, however, Pastor Saeed tries his best to shine the light of Christ in the darkness of prison. He continues to worship God and to speak of the hope that we have in Jesus both to his jailers and to fellow inmates. It is odd to think that because of this suffering Pastor Saeed will be blessed. But, he will be.
11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:11-12.
As I was writing this blog and reading Matthew 5 yet again, and particularly the statement of Jesus about persecution, I was struck by the fact that the very next words out of the mouth of God are these:
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."
Matthew 5:13-16.
Isn't it interesting that immediately after telling us about the blessing of persecution, Jesus would remind us of our responsibility to be light in a dark world. The juxtaposition is really startling to me -- and brought home by the plight of an imprisoned pastor in Iran.
China
My Dear Friends,
The conditions here get so very difficult that my eyes get blurry, my body does not have the strength to walk, and my steps become very weak and shaky.
Various (bullying) groups, the psychological warfare, a year of not seeing my family, physical violence, actions committed to humiliate me, insults, being mocked, being confronted with extremists in the prison who create another prison within the prison walls, and the death threats . . .
It is interesting that because I am a Christian pastor, I am carefully watched. I am expected to smile at them despite what is being done and to understand why they are doing all of these things. But, of course, I can clearly see what is going on and because I want to serve God, I see all of these difficulties as golden opportunities and great doors to serve. There are empty containers who are thirsty for a taste of the Living Water and we can quench their thirst by giving them Jesus Christ.
Maybe you are also in such a situation, so pray and seek God that He would use you and direct you in the pressures and difficulties of your lives.
There are those who are enemies of the Living Bible and do not want to hear. They are trying to put me under such horrific pressures (that are sometimes unbearable) so that they can show me that my faith is empty and not real. And after all of these pressures, after all of the nails they have pressed against my hands and feet, they are only waiting for one thing…for me to deny Christ. But they will never get this from me. This is why the Bible is Truth and they are in the way of destruction.
There is another group who does not know the Gospel of Truth. Instead of truly listening and meditating on God's Word, they are just waiting to see how I react to all of their pressures and persecution. What will come out of me during these intense times? But again, this is another golden opportunity for me to shine the light of Christ in this dark world and to let God to use me.
Yesterday when I was singing worship songs, the head of my cell room attacked me in order to stop me from praising but in response I hugged him and showed him love. He was shocked.
It is during these harsh conditions, that I deeply need God's Saving Grace so that I can be the fragrant scent of Christ in the dark house of Evin prison. I have often seen the Shining Morning Star in the darkness of this prison and I have seen His amazing and supernatural works. Oh, how beautiful is seeing the light of the Shining Morning Star of Christ in such evil darkness.
So:
See your golden opportunities in pressures and difficulties.
See the Shining Morning Star in the dark times of your life.
I Love Him! He is Gracious, Merciful, and Righteous to me. I now know that I have not been forgotten and that we are together in this path. God gives me Grace.
This is my message for the Church: Stay Strong for His Glory. He will come back soon! Be with God and give your best efforts for His kingdom.
Pastor Saeed, servant of Jesus Christ in chains for endurance of Gospel. I love you all.
My Dear Friends,
The conditions here get so very difficult that my eyes get blurry, my body does not have the strength to walk, and my steps become very weak and shaky.
Various (bullying) groups, the psychological warfare, a year of not seeing my family, physical violence, actions committed to humiliate me, insults, being mocked, being confronted with extremists in the prison who create another prison within the prison walls, and the death threats . . .
It is interesting that because I am a Christian pastor, I am carefully watched. I am expected to smile at them despite what is being done and to understand why they are doing all of these things. But, of course, I can clearly see what is going on and because I want to serve God, I see all of these difficulties as golden opportunities and great doors to serve. There are empty containers who are thirsty for a taste of the Living Water and we can quench their thirst by giving them Jesus Christ.
Maybe you are also in such a situation, so pray and seek God that He would use you and direct you in the pressures and difficulties of your lives.
There are those who are enemies of the Living Bible and do not want to hear. They are trying to put me under such horrific pressures (that are sometimes unbearable) so that they can show me that my faith is empty and not real. And after all of these pressures, after all of the nails they have pressed against my hands and feet, they are only waiting for one thing…for me to deny Christ. But they will never get this from me. This is why the Bible is Truth and they are in the way of destruction.
There is another group who does not know the Gospel of Truth. Instead of truly listening and meditating on God's Word, they are just waiting to see how I react to all of their pressures and persecution. What will come out of me during these intense times? But again, this is another golden opportunity for me to shine the light of Christ in this dark world and to let God to use me.
Yesterday when I was singing worship songs, the head of my cell room attacked me in order to stop me from praising but in response I hugged him and showed him love. He was shocked.
It is during these harsh conditions, that I deeply need God's Saving Grace so that I can be the fragrant scent of Christ in the dark house of Evin prison. I have often seen the Shining Morning Star in the darkness of this prison and I have seen His amazing and supernatural works. Oh, how beautiful is seeing the light of the Shining Morning Star of Christ in such evil darkness.
So:
See your golden opportunities in pressures and difficulties.
See the Shining Morning Star in the dark times of your life.
I Love Him! He is Gracious, Merciful, and Righteous to me. I now know that I have not been forgotten and that we are together in this path. God gives me Grace.
This is my message for the Church: Stay Strong for His Glory. He will come back soon! Be with God and give your best efforts for His kingdom.
Pastor Saeed, servant of Jesus Christ in chains for endurance of Gospel. I love you all.
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