The past two Sundays I’ve been asked to speak\/preach at churches with a focus on global persecution of Christians (last Sunday) and missions emphasis (today). It as a delight in both cases to bring the Word and open the eyes of brothers and sisters to current conditions around the world, and the desperate need to engage in God’s efforts in expanding and strengthening His kingdom globally.<\/p>\n
For this blog, I’ll primarily focus on what I shared a week ago at Hope Community Church related to how God is working through the persecuted church around the world. The week prior to speaking at Hope,\u00a0I was in Uganda training pastors, and knowing that I would be speaking about the persecuted church, I asked them their thoughts about persecution of Christians in Africa. They shared that persecution comes in many forms:<\/p>\n
Political, cultural persecution<\/u> – Much of the persecution that happens is political \u2013 refugees running from South Sudan wars, the 2015 upheaval, many with no home fleeing for their lives, now forced to live in densely populated refugee camps – no work, no money, intense pressures, a recipe for disaster. The persecution may be based targeted toward a tribe or family. The South Sudanese brothers shared that in these refugee camps, if a pastor can find one tarp for people to sit on, or as a cover from rain, they start a church.<\/p>\n
Church persecution<\/u> \u2013 High ranking church leaders in powerful denominations work in collusion with the government to inform on smaller church leaders who don\u2019t have credentials, ordination, or training. These untrained, less powerful pastors are ratted out and the government puts pressure, forcing them out of the church, making life difficult economically, and stopping them from planting churches.<\/p>\n
Spiritual persecution<\/u> \u2013 The Ugandan brothers shared many stories about persecution, even within families. Pastor Moses told me about a family among the Menning people, an unreached people group in Eastern Uganda. Mother and father are deeply involved in witchcraft and animistic practices. Oldest daughter Betty attended Moses\u2019 children\/youth ministry discipleship program called Kidstory, heard the Gospel and placed her faith in Jesus, and was promptly kicked out of the home and family for leaving their witchcraft beliefs. The other brothers and sisters are younger, and attend the Kidstory program, and come home and repeat the Bible stories they hear, singing Christian songs, and as a result they are beaten by their parents. Yet they don\u2019t stop singing and sharing the love of Christ.<\/p>\n
Scripture tells us clearly that we can expect persecution. 2 Timothy 3:12-13 – “12\u00a0<\/sup>Indeed, all who desire to\u00a0live a godly life in Christ Jesus\u00a0will be persecuted,<\/span>\u00a013\u00a0<\/sup>while\u00a0evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and\u00a0being deceived.”\u00a0<\/span>In John 16, Jesus promises troubles, tribulation, and difficulties in this world. But He also proclaims that He has overcome this world. Let\u2019s invite Him to move our focus through the struggle to the One Who overcomes!<\/p>\n On a side note, please keep me in your prayers as I leave for Kenya tomorrow morning. I am in the midst of a very busy schedule, and am leaning on your prayers and the Spirit’s empowerment.<\/p>\n Nov. 15-23<\/strong> \u2013 I will be training a group of Masai pastors in Narok, three hours west of Nairobi (Nov. 17-20 \u2013 refresher training). Then I\u2019ll be preaching in a church (21) and meeting with pastors and ministry leaders (21-22) toward starting a new network near Nairobi. Thank you for your prayers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The past two Sundays I’ve been asked to speak\/preach at churches with a focus on global persecution of Christians (last Sunday) and missions emphasis (today). It as a delight in both cases to bring the Word and open the eyes of brothers and sisters to current conditions around the world, and the desperate need to … Continue reading Persecution and Mission Sundays<\/span>