International Day of Prayer For the Persecuted Church

We've been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we're not demoralized; we're not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we've been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn't left our side; we've been thrown down, but we haven't broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, He does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus' sake, which makes Jesus' life all the more evident in us. While we're going through the worst, you're getting in on the best!  -2 Corinthians 4, The Message

Tomorrow is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.  Christians all over the world are being persecuted and martyred for their faith, in places as far away as China and as close by as Mexico.  This day (and this subject) is often ignored by the USAmerican church.  There are a number of reasons for this.  The subject of persecution is often sidelined because it is not "seeker-friendly." The trouble with that strategy is "...everyone who wants to lead a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted..." (2 Timothy 3:12).   This scripture should give real pause to those of us who have no idea what it feels like to be persecuted for our beliefs.  Our brothers and sisters in Christ will meet in secret this Sabbath with the real possibly of being arrested or worse.  Many of us will complain if we have to walk too far from the parking lot.  We just don't get it.  Here is an example of what life is like for many Christians around the world, taken from the Voice of the Martyrs website:  
A pastor certified by China's officially sanctioned Three-Self Church (TSPM) was sentenced to five days of administrative detention in September for "fraudulently harming society in the name of religion." Since 2006, Liu Xiuying has served as a preacher in Shandong province at Chazhuang Church, a church approved by the local Three-Self Patriotic Association. In May, police and members of the Religious Affairs bureau seized Liu during a Sunday service. Liu was taken to a police station, where her interrogators slandered her religious beliefs and accused her of believing in cults and heresies. Please pray that Liu will be able to resume her pastoral work freely. Pray that Chinese officials will view Christianity as a positive influence on society and that their hearts will be won to Christ. Pray also for other pastors who have been arrested, whose identities are being kept confidential.


So tomorrow pray for those Christians around the world who will worship under the shadow of persecution, imprisonment and even death.  They will be praying for you...


Because of Jesus,