2000.11.1.03. Persecution of Christians Created by James3 on 6/28/2019 8:31:34 PM Persecution of Christians
The following was received earlier today and I felt I should forward it to you.
It raises an interesting question: While we should undoubtedly pray for those Christians who are being persecuted, and assist them with Bibles and other materials, including TV, Radio broadcasts, etc, etc, are they more in need of prayer than the Western Church?
In reporting one of a series of five visions in which he was transported to the third heaven, Rick Joyner, in the book "The Final Quest" reports a meeting with the apostle Paul in the presence of the Lord Jesus. I quote verbatim from page 135-136, names in [ ] added for clarity:
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"You must recover the ministry and the message," he [Paul] said emphatically.
"I looked at the Lord [Jesus], and He nodded His affirmation, adding, "It is right that Paul should say this to you. Until this time he has been the most faithful with both of these."
"Please explain," I [Joyner] implored Paul.
"Alright," he replied. "Except for a few small places in the world where there is great persecution or difficulties now, we [those already in heaven] can hardly recognize either the ministry or the message that is being preached today. Therefore, the church is now but a phantom of what it was even in our time, and we were far from all that we were called to be. When we served, being in ministry was the greatest sacrifice one could make, and this reflected the message of the greatest sacrifice that was made -- the cross. The cross is the power of God, and it the centre of all that we are called to live by. You have so little power to transform the minds and hearts of the disciples now because you do not live, and do not preach, the cross. Therefore, we have difficulty seeing much difference between the disciples and the heathen. That is not the gospel or the salvation with which we were entrusted. YOU MUST RETURN TO THE CROSS."
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Consider James 1:2-4
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (NKJ)
Revelation 20:4-6
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. (NKJ)
It is clear that those who are persecuted or die for their faith have a special and more elevated status with God than those who do not. Therefore, why should one pray for those who are persecuted to be spared martyrdom?
Should WE not seek the priviledge to die for our faith and, perhaps, as Steven did, make a major impact on the life of some individual?
Given that widespread tribulation and persecution may be closer than most Christians would like to believe, should we not ALL be seeking God to strengthen our faith and our committment to serving the LORD JESUS CHRIST, no matter what the cost?
Shalom
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The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church will be held on November 12, 2000. More than 300,000 churches in 130 countries will take part in praying for their brothers and sisters in Christ who suffer for their faith.
Will your church be one of them?
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Many of us think of persecution as a modern-day tragedy, but in truth persecution has been a reality for the body of Christ since the days of the apostles.
Hebrews 13:3 states, "Remember.those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering."
Consider the following parallels between the days of the early Church and today:
THEN:
History has placed Stephen as the first Christian martyr. He was stoned to death for his outspoken belief in Christ in the earliest days of the church. And with his last breath, he prayed that God would forgive the mob that killed him.
NOW:
In Ambon, Indonesia nearly 2000 years later, an angry Islamic mob claimed another martyr. Faced with the choice of death or recanting his faith, 15-year-old Roy Pontoh proudly said, "I am a soldier of Christ." It was the only answer he would give as the mob hacked him to death with machetes.
THEN:
The book of Acts recounts how Paul and Silas were thrown in prison because of their faith. Throughout his life, Paul was repeatedly locked behind bars, but his captors could never silence his preaching.
NOW:
Today, in China, Pastor Li De Xian has been thrown in jail more than a dozen times since the fall of 1999. It is rumored that the government has placed a bounty on his head in an effort to silence his message of faith. And yet Pastor Li refuses to stop preaching.
THEN:
Early Christians in Rome were forced to hide in caves, catacombs, and barren deserts to escape arrest. Yet thousands were captured and thrown into the Coliseum to be torn apart by wild beasts, burned at the stake, crucified, or beheaded.
NOW:
Christians in southern Sudan today face starvation, imprisonment, torture, and death at the hands of a government that is determined to destroy them. Bombs fall on towns, schools, and hospitals inhabited by Christians, killing children, ruining the land, and uprooting communities. Yet the church in Sudan continues to grow.
As the body of Christ, we must not forget our brothers and sisters who are mistreated and suffer for their Christian faith. We all have something to contribute to the cause of raising awareness of the persecuted Church. We all have the ability to pray and take action on their behalf. Visit www.persecutedchurch.org.
There you will find ways to pray for the persecuted church as well as resources to learn more. Most importantly, you will find simply ways that you can become involved in the lives of those who share our faith, but not our freedom.
Please forward this message to your email list. We need to do whatever we can to get informed and involved with the "other" part of the body of Christ.
Also, please check out the latest Freedom Report from Worldwide Newsroom at
http://www.newsroom-online.com/fr.
Prayer for the Persecuted Church has partnered with Worldwide Newsroom to produce a monthly electronic publication titled "The Freedom Report". Drawing on Newsroom's worldwide network of correspondents and reporters, The Freedom Report focuses
on issues of religious freedom around the world. Each edition includes a feature story and a summary of current news events.
Once you subscribe to The Freedom Report you may download and print the Report to share with their friends, colleagues or church members.
Visit the sites of the sponsors of the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church:
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Prayer for the Persecuted Church
www.persecutedchurch.org
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Advocates International
http://www.advocatesinternational.org/
The Bible League
http://www.bibleleague.org/
Christian Solidarity International
http://www.csi-int.ch/
Christian Solidarity Worldwide-USA
http://www.cswusa.com/
Christians in Crisis
http://www.shakethenations.com/
Family Research Council
http://www.frc.org/
Frontline Fellowship
http://www.frontlineafrica.com/
International Christian Concern
http://www.persecution.org/
Iranian Christians International
http://www.farsinet.com/ici
Jubilee Campaign
http://www.tidalwave.net/~justlaw/
Open Doors with Brother Andrew
http://www.opendoorsusa.org/
Partners International
http://www.partnersintl.org/
Sudan Relief and Rescue
http://www.petersvoice.com/
The Voice of the Martyrs
http://www.persecution.com/
World Evangelical Fellowship Religious Liberty Commission
http://www.worldevangelical.org/
For information about the IDOP outside the United States, please visit:
www.idop.org
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This email originated from:
Prayer for the Persecuted Church
PO Box 4866
Englewood, CO 80155
www.persecutedchurch.org
idop@xc.org
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