Two more stories of our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ, posted at: http://www.opendoors.org
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STEADFAST TO THE END
The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
–1 Peter 5:10
Christians in northern Nigeria have suffered severely from physical attacks resulting in destruction of Christian churches, houses and shops. Hundreds of believers have been badly injured, many macheted to death, some burnt alive, and even more shot dead.
Despite all that has happened in northern Nigeria, the Body of Christ is not discouraged, declaring instead they are willing to continue carrying the cross. One Christian described their commitment: “We will be steadfast to the end.”
Another leader declared, “They destroyed our church buildings, houses and business centers, but the good Lord is comforting us. The Christians are growing in strength and total submission to God. Our challenge now is how to rebuild our churches and continue with the fellowship to encourage each other.”
The affected families of pastors and church members have gone through unimaginable hardship after all they laboured for, all their lives, was destroyed within minutes. Many families were left unattended while some were able to move to refugee camps. Others are living under trees with their children, gazing at their destroyed houses and life belongings, shedding tears and calling for help in this desperate situation.
A lady who was crying inconsolably told Open Doors, “I have nowhere to go. All I have laboured for is gone, I cannot afford to feed my children, and life is difficult. I almost gave up, but I will continue to wait on God to come to my rescue.”
“It is difficult to fathom the scale of destruction, but we have accepted it in good faith,” said one pastor’s wife who had lost her home. “It is nothing short of the fulfilment of the gospel. We love these Muslims even though they hate us. We so much pray that they change their ways and accept Christ, so that we can rejoice together when we get to heaven.”
The believers in the affected areas are now confronted with the challenge of how to rebuild their churches and lives, while facing the call of sharing love and total forgiveness.
A pastor who lost his church building commented, “We are always ready to pay the price for our faith. This added strength to our faith, no going back. We are going to encourage our people to see this from God’s perspective. Christ was rejected here on earth to the point that they crucified him on the cross for our sins; therefore, no amount of sacrifice for Christ would be too much. All we can do now is pray for the aggressors, because they do not know what they are doing. We will be steadfast to the end.”
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A LITTLE CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
–Romans 12:14
At the early age of eleven, Sam was living a pious Muslim life in the southern Philippines. He prayed at mosques on Fridays and fasted during Ramadan. Sam was the only one of his siblings sent to school where he excelled both in classroom and sports. He was everybody’s favourite, popular and well-loved.
But everything changed one afternoon. After school, Sam passed by his grandfather’s house who happened to be a Christian. He saw a maroon book with ‘Kitab Injil’ (The Gospels) written on the cover. He opened it and started reading. “I was drawn to Jesus because his teachings were so different… Help the needy, obey and respect parents, do not be a false witness… they were not taught in Islam. Before that, I only knew to repay evil with evil.”
So Sam committed his life to following Jesus and His teachings in the Bible. He was just a fifth grader then. Although he was the only Christian in his family, Sam’s parents and siblings respected his new faith. But outside his home, among his friends, it was a different story. “You’re a kafir (infidel)!” they said; “You are not our friend anymore.”
It was very painful for Sam to be deserted by his friends. His classmates at grade school kept a good distance from him. They mocked him and would throw their shoes at him. They bullied him by writing things on his uniform, filling his bag with sand, and punching him.
One day, a friend-turned-enemy yelled at him. “You Christians are filthy! Christians are garbage!” Sam cried and ran home. There were times when he was tempted to fight back, but he remembered the words of Jesus to love the enemies, to bless and not curse. In his heart, he prayed for those who bullied him and repaid them with a kind smile instead.
Sam, now seventeen, has endured physical harassment, insults, and discrimination from friends and school mates for boldly telling them that he is a Christian.
After Sam joined the Open Doors’ discipleship program, he has become even bolder in seizing every opportunity to share his faith in Jesus. Sam knows that doing so might cost him his life someday.
“When I think of my friends, my heart breaks. I lost them, and though they turned out to be my enemies, I don’t hate them. Instead, I pray for them that one day they will meet my Lord Jesus and be changed.”
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Almighty God, you have taught us through your Son Jesus Christ that those who follow Him may be persecuted. Strengthen, comfort, and encourage all those who suffer harassment, violence, imprisonment, and even death for being followers of Jesus. We pray also for those who persecute your people. May their hearts be turned towards you through the faithful witness of those they persecute. Protect members of the families and church communities of those who are persecuted, and bless the work and ministry of the organizations that support them. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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