It’s extraordinary how God uses the persecution of the Christian Church to expand His kingdom. It never fails. When Satan wages war against God’s people the church always grows. It not only grows, the growth is explosive. It’s been that way since the beginning. The New Testament shines with the accounts of God’s triumph in the midst of terrific warfare against believers.
In Acts 4 the priests throw Peter and John in prison for preaching the gospel and healing the sick but as they do five thousand believe and the church in Jerusalem rapidly grows. Then a great persecution arises in Jerusalem following the stoning of Stephen (Acts 8:1-4) and the gospel quickly moves northward. In Acts 9 Saul of Tarsus, a violent persecutor of the church, dramatically encounters the Living Christ and his ministry will eventually flood Asia and Europe, with tens of thousands saved and church’s planted everywhere.
In Acts 12, Herod kills the Apostle James and what happens? “The word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied.” (Acts 12:24) Then from Acts chapters 13 through the rest of the book, the more Paul and his traveling companions preach Christ the more they are persecuted but all the persecution does is bring huge increase to the Body of Christ.
Today, believers in Iran are fiercely persecuted to snuff out the faith. The result? There is a major revival taking place with thousands coming to Christ, including many Muslims. And in China, the more the communist government persecutes the underground church, the faster the church is growing. It is estimated there are a staggering 234 million born-again Christians in China.
Chinese believers praying for the imprisoned leaders of the underground Church.
Just recently a new wave of Christian persecution has targeted the Chinese Church. Many pastors have been jailed including Pastor Wang Li. Below is a message posted on Facebook after he was arrested:
“I hope God uses me, by means of first losing my personal freedom, to tell those who have deprived me of this personal freedom that there is an authority higher than their authority, and there is a freedom that they cannot restrain, a freedom that fills the church of the crucified and risen Jesus Christ.”
“Regardless of what crime the government charges me with, whatever filth they fling at me, as long as this charge is related to my faith, to my writings, my comments, and my teachings, it is merely a lie and temptation of demons. I categorically deny it. I will serve my sentence, but I will not serve the law. I will be executed, but I will not plead guilty.”
“Those who lock me up will one day be locked up by angels. Those who interrogate me will finally be questioned and judged by Christ. When I think of this, the Lord fills me with a natural compassion and grief toward those who are actively imprisoning me. Pray that the Lord would use me, that he would grant me patience and wisdom, that I might take the gospel to them.”
“Separate me from my wife and children, ruin my reputation, destroy my life – the authorities are capable of doing all of these things. However, no one in this world can force me to renounce my faith; no one can make me change my life.”
“Jesus is the Christ, Son of the eternal, living God. He died for sinners and rose to life for us. He is my king and the king of the whole earth, yesterday, today, and forever. I am his servant, and I am imprisoned because of this. I will resist in meekness those who resist God, and I will joyfully violate all laws that violate God’s laws.”
Prayer Focus This Week – Let us pray for the persecuted church in the world, that God will be strong in those believers who stand for Christ. We bless them. Pray for them. Stand in the gap for them. We are united with them in Christ Jesus. We remember believers in especially dangerous countries – North Korea, Nigeria, India, China, Pakistan, Sudan, Somalia.
Help us all Lord, to stay faithful to you even when it is difficult.
Pastor Jay