PERSECUTION
PERSECUTION
LB wrote this on the
19th of Dec. 2018
Please
read this article regarding the persecution of Christians in China and mobilize
fervent focus prayer for them, especially those pastors who have signed a
document declaring their steadfast faith in Yeshua Christ and be praying for
our brothers and sisters in Christ in North Korea. “This time, the government
shut down a church in Chengdu and arrested many members of the church. Some of
the members were taken away to the station from their homes including
children. Pastor Wang, the senior pastor, is still missing and his wife is
under house arrest for inciting subversion.”
My response below.
Dear LB,
Interestingly a similar thing happened recently here in India in
Jaunpur UP. The Hindu nationalist state government cracked down on a regular gathering
on an open ground where around 4/5000 believers met to worship on Sundays. The
pastor and few others had been taken into police custody. Any believers going
into that site were thrashed by the police.
As I have been handling a lot of persecutions in the past, they
rang me up and asked what to do. I told them, “Do what Yeshua told you to do.”
They asked me, what did he tell? I said, for a starter - "Rejoice and be
exceedingly glad for great is your reward in heaven." (Matt. 5:11-12).
Secondly, "Love your enemies and pray for them so you will be children of your
heavenly Father." (Matt. 5:44-45)
Then they asked, “What do we pray?” I said pray as the disciples
prayed when they were threatened, "Lord look at their threatening and
stretch forth your hand to do miracles and mighty deeds." and secondly
"Give us courage to boldly preach your word." (Acts 4:29,30)
They said “oh OK. What about meeting at the place they used to?”
I said do what they did. After the 3000 were baptized, they quit the temple.
They met in hundreds of homes, broke bread and shared the whole wisdom of God
from house to house. Acts 20: 20,27. Also when persecution broke out in
Jerusalem, resulting in the martyrdom of Stephen, they were scattered abroad,
and the gospel went ballistic because wherever they went, they preached both to
the Jews and the Gentiles. Acts 8:4; 11:20-21
Result: 1. New believers were added every day (Acts 2:47; 2.
Disciples multiplied (Acts 6:1,7; Ecclesias grew in numbers daily (16:5)
Finally, they asked me then what do we do about the pastor and
others who are in police custody. Again, I said to them to do what Yeshua has told
you, "Do your utmost to settle the matter quickly with your
accusers"; (while still in the police station otherwise you will have to
bail them out and go through a costly, time-wasting and never-ending court case,
with no guarantee of justice) ..." Matt. 5:12
They said, we need to come and spend some time with you. I said
you are welcome.
We know that persecution is guaranteed for true Christians;
"If they persecuted me (Yeshua), they will also persecute you." (John
15:20) However, it is not wisdom to push the panic button and find human
solutions but to rely on biblical precepts. (Luke 10:1-9). First thing - reduce
“visibility and audibility.” The Triplet Church (2/3 gathering) is both, invisible
and inaudible, yet it is the most effective strategy designed by God to reach
the finish line. This is so because Yeshua himself is present. Matt 18:18-20
My casual analysis of persecutions over the years shows that majority
of such cases are self-inflicted. It is gathering large crowds, high decibel
music and preaching, openly baptizing large number of people, building church
buildings where none existed. Next to clergy/layman divide, brick and mortar
has done more harm and continues to do so to the Kingdom of God than anything
else. (Acts 7:48,49), ostentatious and vulgar celebrations of Christmas, large
hoardings of high-profile evangelists making extravagant claims of healing and
deliverance etc. especially so in hostile areas. Another common form of
persecution is from within, often leading to self-destruct, but the worst form
of persecution is "no persecution" because the Devil does not think
it worth his while wasting time on already compromised people.
There are at least five kinds of churches in the Bible, 1. Hot churches
– Fruitful and multiply because they obey the Great Commission; Matt. 28:19; 2.
Luke warm churches – Pew potatoes; 3. Cold – Dead (Rev. 3:15,16); 4. Nicolaitan
churches – (Nicolas=Victorious over Laity), Controlling and dominant leadership
(clergy/layman divide) (Rev. 2:6,14-15; 3 John:9-11) and; 5. Babylonian churches
– Highly structured, man-made ritualistic apostate church (Rev. 17:3-6). Except
for the Hot Churches, Yeshua hates them all because they are delinked from their
mandate to equip believers into a community of Royal Priests that reigns on
earth. 1Pet. 2:9; Rev. 1:6; 5:9,10; Romans 15:16.
Warning: Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from Heaven,
saying, Come out of her, My people, that you may not be partakers of her sins,
and that you may not receive of her plagues. 2 Corinthians 6:17.
Shalom,
V.
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