Funeral of a persecuted believer.
Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way, they persecuted the prophets who were before you.". This is directly linked to blessing number 8. The fact that Jesus would repeat the statement concerning persecution His followers would face, pretty much confirms that we who name as Lord, Jesus Christ, will be persecuted and hated because of His name. It is a certainty, a promise, that such a situation will occur. How does Jesus say that are we to respond? “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way, they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Have you ever been lied on or taunted because someone thought you were being “goody two shoes”? Have you ever been lied on/taunted because you were honest and kind, and held in high esteem by others? Most of the time such behavior will come from persons who do not know or love Jesus. However, sometimes it may come from persons who may be in your own family, friends, or who may attend church. (also see: 2 Timothy 3:1-7; Galatians 2:4) Because we belong to Jesus, He has asked His Father to protect us while we live out our faith here on earth. God’s protection can be a “snatching out of the fire”, that is, delivering our bodies out of a persecution activity so that we may flee to physical safety. God’s ultimate protection is that of enabling our faith to persevere the persecution, so that we can endure to the end of our earthly life – however long God determines it to be. He will protect us for eternity. Websites like Christianity Today, and Open Doors track the ongoing persecutions of God’s people around the world; some survive the persecution physically, and others go to their death praising God and glorifying their Savior. The “statistics” are staggering; these are not just data, these are faithful followers of Christ who are encountering some of the utmost physical and emotional assaults that can befall a human. And these followers do not fight back! They do not go to war with those who hate them and persecute them! And followers pray for their persecutors! Only a child of God could behave in such a way under such trauma! An organization called "The Voice of Martyrs," tracks, lends aid to, prays for, reports on, provides accommodations for, etc. those persecuted in the many places of the world. They collect the stories of the persecuted (warning: the reports may be hard to watch or read) to identify with their brothers and sisters who are also being persecuted. They also ask for donations to support the work of support they physically and materially provide to the thousands of Christians who have been driving from their homes and otherwise have suffered.
This reward is multifaceted (look up if you don’t know what this means): It is a reward of intimate relationship with the God and Sovereign over all the universe, the owner, Creator of all things seen and unseen. It is the reward of knowing that God is alongside you in your trial and does not take His focus from you for even a millisecond. It is the reward of being Christ to others who see our faithfulness – particularly those who are persecuting us, and who by God’s will may be drawn unto Christ by your steadfastness. (example: the thief on the cross next to Jesus; also see Matthew 27:44; ). It is the reward of a “gold crown” (it is called gold because it is priceless!) when we stand at the throne of Christ; we will enjoy a special welcome and intimacy unlike anything we’ve ever known. We will be in the presence of the Lamb and all of His faithful people, united as one Body, and who worship Him day and night!
View this video
about how Corrie Ten Boom, a Dutch Christian who survived Nazi death camps and
who suffered dearly for Christ, reacted when she met one of her persecutors
years later. View this as a family or with friends and have a discussion about it.
Explore
·
Why are Christians persecuted? What do you
think makes their situation different (not better!) from other groups of people
who get persecuted? As you look at the websites that address the persecutions of our brothers and sisters in Christ, what kind of feeling or emotion comes over you? Do you have friends or relatives who live in those countries where persecution is nonstop? If so, how do you support them?
·
Share your thoughts on the Corrie Ten Boom video – how it
made you feel and think about your faith.
·
How easily did her forgiveness come? How does
her example look like the scriptures you read above?
· Can you write a prayer for those who persecute/harass you? Is it easy to do or are you experiencing a challenge to write a prayer for them? Why or why not?
· Can you write a letter to a person who is suffering for Christ? Is it easy to do or are you feeling unsure of how to write it? What would you want someone to write to you if you were undergoing persecution?
Bonus: "Praise You in The Storm", Casting Crowns; "Find My Peace," Naomi Raine; "My God Fights For Me," feat. Micah Tyler, Kaden Slay, Charity Gayle; "A Mighty Fortress is Our God." Virtual Choir #4; "Precious Lord, Take My Hand." sung by the Aeolians of Oakwood University; "Not Afraid." Pentecostals of Alexandria
[1] 10/26/2022 Nigeria (International Christian Concern) – 70
Christians martyred in a village in central Nigeria; relatives bury their dead.
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