Persecution and Proclamation

Our hearts are broken for our brothers and sisters around the world who are facing persecution. We are particularly aware of their suffering right now as we see on the news and social media what is happening to thousands of believers in Iraq. We sympathize, we mourn for loss of life, and we promote social and political action to stop the slaughtering.

I’m sure that God’s heart is saddened to see His witnesses killed and driven out, too. But as Western Christians, we’ve forgotten something: Jesus called persecution normal. So did Paul. So did Peter. In fact, the early church didn’t just consider it normal, they considered it an honor to be persecuted for the name of Jesus, the Nazarene.

This is the Arabic noon, or N, representing “Nazarene” – the Quranic word for followers of Jesus, the Nazarene. Houses of believers in Mosul, Iraq have been marked with this letter.

God has a purpose in persecution, but we tend to ignore the promises that we don’t like. Jesus said, “Then they will hand you over for persecution, and they will kill you” (Mat. 24:9) and he followed it up by saying, “This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations. And then the end will come” (24:14).

As you pray for persecuted believers, pray that persecution leads to proclamation.

As you pray for persecuted believers, ask yourself: What role must I play in proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom in the nations (people groups) where it has not yet been proclaimed?

Our hearts are broken for persecuted believers who are dying for their faith – though they are inheriting a reward of eternal life. Have our hearts been broken for the thousands who are dying in the meantime and facing the wages of sin (death) because they’ve never had a chance to hear about the free gift of God? Perhaps we are broken to the point of emotion… but are we broken to the point of action?

“I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked person should turn from his way and live.” (Ezekiel 33:11)

I don’t like Hamas because of what they’re doing to Palestinian and Israeli citizens. I don’t like ISIS because of what they’re doing to Shiite and Christian Iraqis. But God takes no pleasure in the death of members of Hamas. He takes no pleasure in the death of members of ISIS. What breaks His heart more – the death of the wicked or the silence of His witnesses? What breaks our hearts more – the physical death of our brothers or the eternal, spiritual death of their persecutors?

In his challenging book The Insanity of Obedience, Nik Ripkin says that “The ultimate goal of persecution is to silence witness. At its worst, persecution denies people access to Jesus.” He goes on to challenge us: Are we – by our silence and our unwillingness to go – denying people access to Jesus? Are we, in fact, siding with the persecutors by not obeying His command to go to all nations and proclaim?

Jesus, break our hearts and soften us to Your call.