I was sickened this morning to read of a Chinese pastor and his wife that tried to stand up against the destruction of the church they had built in their homeland. They had tried to stand in front of the bulldozer that was sent to demolish the church when both the pastor and his wife were deliberately knocked into a ditch by the man driving the dozer and covered with dirt. The pastor was able to crawl out, but his wife died a grisly, terrible death as dirt was piled on her and she was crushed and suffocated.
I ask you to join me in praying for them, their family, and the persecuted church in Communist China that is now facing tribulation with renewed intensity. Satan hates the church and he has many rulers in high places and principalities that are more than willing to exact his murderous plans on those of us who love Jesus. It is happening all over the world while it, (and especially the media) yawns.
The press has buried the story as quickly as the dozer buried the pastor’s wife, and it is difficult to find even one story about it. I mean after all why anyone should care that another Christian was martyred in faraway China? After all there is important news out there such as rock star Prince dying a mysterious death yesterday. Obviously his purple piano and rock star career need coverage far more than the unrelenting persecution and murder of a few more Christians.
In the book of Revelation beginning in 6:9 there is a passage that refers to the martyrs: They called out in a loud voice, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.
So what is up with martyrdom? How is God using it to usher in His divine plan for a mostly lost world, and how many more will die before they will be avenged? Listen to the words of someone who himself was martyred, (the Apostle Paul).
2 Cor. 4:7 – We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you. But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE,” we also believe, therefore we also speak, knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you
For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
So, today as you go about your business perhaps you could think about this subject matter. You have a choice to remain politically correct and avoid mentioning the name of Christ or you can have that spirit of faith, “I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE”, and allow it to manifest itself at every opportunity.
Have a great weekend and go to Honey Lake Church or somewhere this Sunday.
1 Cor. 2:5
. . . so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
April 22, 2016 – Click here to listen