Persecution

Thou therefore endure hardness,
as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 
II Timothy 2:3

Both history as well as current events show us that the true church, which is composed of all born again believers in Jesus Christ, flourishes in times of persecution and hardship, but usually becomes weak, lazy and careless during periods of prosperity and ease...

Earlier this evening, during a service in the chapel which was conducted by a small Hispanic ministry group from the Bronx, I was asked by their leader to say a few words to the congregation. So I spoke about a news report I had heard this morning on National Public Radio (NPR) about the deaths of three German women who had been kidnapped while on a mission trip to the country of Yemen. According to the NPR report, they were part of a nine member missionary team who belonged to a Baptist church in Germany. They had traveled to Yemen, an almost exclusively Muslim nation, to open and operate a small medical hospital in a remote part of the country. They had hoped to provide medical care while demonstrating the love of God to a people who are economically poor, and who get almost no medical care of any kind. For this they paid with their precious lives.

According to the news report, members possibly affiliated with Al Qaeda or another Jihadist-type group who are opposed to Christianity, may have killed the women. I then went on to say, that for now, at least, such open persecution hasn't happened in the United States of America. However, I added, this may change one day. But whether we have open persecution against the church, or if it be the more frequent "hidden behind the scenes" kind, as it is today, we must remain strong in our faith. I told the congregation that we're to love our enemies and to pray for those who, in ignorance, come against us. I said, as well, that as believers in Christ, we should always be ready to suffer persecution. And, if it so happens, we should be prepared to die.

D.B.