Thought for the Month - October 2017

"The fiery furnace" by Barry Adair

This month I felt compelled to write about persecution, and specifically persecution in the Christian Church. I should mention at the start that I have no real personal knowledge on what it is like to be persecuted for a personally held belief. Sure, I have been laughed at and had doors closed in my face but I have never experienced the persecution inflicted on many Christians in our world today. We in the West are truly blessed to live under religious freedom, where you are free to believe in the God you chose, or of course, not to believe in any deity. In many parts of the world this is simply not the case.

According to the Open Doors missionary organisation, the following is occurring every month to Christians somewhere in our world today, but mostly within Islamic countries and North Korea…

I was reading some stories emanating from the North Korea prison camps but they are just too cruel to share here. The United Nations recently released its "Report of the commission of inquiry on human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea" and now the world has proof of the North Korea regime's inhumanity to its own people. North Koreans can be imprisoned for seemingly innocuous reasons. And imprisonment can often lead to death by starvation, beatings, and being overworked. Any interest in religion is punished and as an example, those found in possession of a Bible are arrested and imprisoned, and in some cases executed.

We should also all be aware of the dreadful persecution meted out to Christians and to the Yazidi people in Syria by Daesh (so called Islamic State) over the past couple of years. The photograph of the line of Egyptian Christians just prior to their beheading by Daesh will stay with me for many years to come…

Now as Christians, we were told to expect persecution -

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12)

Indeed, persecution of Christians (and many other religious groups) has always been with us and I was reminded of this when reading about Daniel and his Hebrew friends thousands of years ago when Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon. All of us will probably know the story of Daniel in the lion's den and also of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace. These are both Sunday school favourites probably due to the fact that both stories have happy endings.

There were a few things that jumped out to me in re-reading these stories in the book of Daniel and I just wanted to share them here…

Daniel and his Hebrew friends' belief in God was an important part of their daily lives.
Their faith in God was so important to them that they were willing to die for it!
They knew how powerful their God was but still acknowledged that they may die.
God gave them a steely determination to go up against the all-powerful King without fear.
When God saves, He saves to the uttermost. Not even the smell of smoke came from the clothes of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego after being in the fiery furnace!
When 2 or 3 Christians are gathered together in God's name, then truly God is in the midst!
In the end, God's name will always be honoured.

Many more since the days of Daniel and his Hebrew friends will have been thrown to the lions or suffered the awful agony in the flames because of their faith. Of course, God could also have saved these men and women but often their martyrdom was allowed to continue. It is not something that I have a valid reason for but Peter, one of the disciples of Jesus, and also the apostle Paul provide a likely reason…

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed. (1 Peter 4:12)

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. (2 Corinthians 4:8-12)

The sufferings of Jesus prior to His death are recorded for us in the Bible. We know that the mental anguish was so great that capillaries in His forehead burst, where "His sweat was like drops of blood". The One who made the Universe allowed Himself to undergo physical and mental torture, culminating in an excruciating death by crucifixion. And all this was done to provide a way back to our heavenly Father!

As the 'end times' get closer, the Bible tells us that the devil will become more and more active. God's people will increasingly have to endure their own fiery furnace. This may take many forms. But God will be the Victor and if we are His people, then we will endure. In the meantime, let us pray for our Brothers and Sisters who are going through fiery trials. Please also consider sending financial support to those missionary organisations who are helping the persecuted church today.

And they overcame him (the devil) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. (Revelation 12:11, addition mine)

Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you (Isaiah 43:1-2)

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven… (Matthew 5:10)

Until next month (DV)…

Are you SURE that you have your place booked in Heaven? Read this if you're not!