In the previous three suggestions for Christians taking a stand in the world, or preaching the Gospel in unfriendly surrounds, the primary emphasis is on personal safety, and dealing with civil authorities. We turn here for a brief consideration of when civil disobedience is called for, and when it is an expression of carnality. For the world, 'carnality' means simply things to do with the flesh, particularly substance abuse, sexual sin, or perhaps greed or other 'driven' type sins. The mature Christian though, has a mature understanding of 'carnality'. Even a disciplined Christian can have 'sins of the flesh' which do not show at all on the outside: what few consider, is that with obedience to Christ as central and foremost, even a good desire, or an outwardly righteous work, can and may be in truth carnal. The 'carnality' has to do with wanting our own stubborn will over that which Christ wishes for his purposes in the world and in our lives.
Consider the following example from the Scripture (My daughter pointed this out as a child). At the height of evangelistic activity in Antioch, God calls Philip and asks him to go stand in the Gaza desert, without giving him a purpose for the action or any reason for leaving the thriving ongoing winning of souls in the early church.
[Act 8:26 KJV] 26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
If Philip had fought God, he might very well have reasoned, "Well, here I am, winning souls to Christ, this cannot be wrong, and if I leave and go stand in the Gaza desert, I will be very uncomfortable and encounter wild beasts. Nothing could be accomplished there, so it must not be God speaking." Note the last 'supposed' reasoning: "Nothing could be accomplished there so it must not be God speaking." Is this a reasonable statement? Yes, it certainly is reasonable by human reason alone, but God rarely induces 'human' reason. He turns instead to his own 'divine' reasoning. This is God who stands outside of time, who created time, and man, the universe and life. We are for HIS purposes, not him for ours. When we choose our own reasoning, no matter how skillful, nor seemingly sound and good, we are 'carnal' in that we are choosing a path away from God, away from his will. We are rearing up Adam's sin, provoked by the serpent who cries, 'hath God said' in order to go our own way. Though we may be teetotalers, live stoic lives, fast daily and be chaste and pure, we can still be carnal Christians by the worst form of idolatry: self worship.
What if Philip had not obeyed God back in the first century? What if, reasoning that he was more beneficial to God where he was, he stayed, and failed to go to Gaza. What might have happened? To begin with, he would not have encountered the Ethiopian eunuch, of Candace's court, and secondly, the servant of the Queen would not have been saved. Is that of great importance? Certainly, for though it was an interaction between one disciple, and the man reading Isaiah on his way home, it was not the magnificence of the event that mattered, but what it would lead to, which is the salvation of one man, who then took the gospel down into Northern Africa, which became one of the most productive areas for the gospel in the first 4 centuries! If Philip had stayed, he might have won a few more, with the other apostles and disciples, but his radical obedience led to the introduction of the Gospel a thousand fold to what might have been.
The point is, that even today, the most important point of obedience to the Gospel, to the Lord and Savior, is that we 'trust and obey'. It is easy to facilitate the formation of a crowd these days with social media, to support 'Christian causes' even very good ones: it takes a lot of work, on the one hand, but people like to gather to defend their beliefs. Two errors are commonly made in this regard: one is that it is wrong to protest or become politically active, some seeing that as 'non-spiritual', and the second is to believe that socio-religious political activity in any way substitutes for obedience to Christ. It is not wrong to march for religious freedom----unless God tells you not to. It is not wrong to march on Washington D. C. to protect the lives of children and unborn children: unless for some reason God says 'don't'. Could he? Yes, there could be a dozen reasons: he might see impending danger which if circumvented by a week saves lives and still accomplishes the goal. He might direct us to expend the money in some more immediate issue: walks and marches are great, but they last for a day or two, and then they are over: if we are fortunate, we make our point, and show our numbers. Obedience however, as we all know, is better than sacrifice: both outward shows of faith, and demonstrations of Christian rights, memorials of Christian or others' deaths, are all good things, but first and foremost, is one on one obedience to the Lord.
Sometimes the hardest decision we make, is to follow Christ in a burden he lays on us, rather than do the expedient, and even 'religious' thing. What if you are on your way to church, and God burdens you not to go to church but to turn in another direction and go see a co-worker you don't particularly like? Would you go? Most of us argue to ourselves, that (like Philip) God would always want us to go to Church, and beside, that co-worker was argumentative and hateful towards belief. Most would continue on to church, thinking they are 'doing God a favor'. What if, though, what if that co-worker was lying in pain on the floor with a broken hip, and had just prayed for the first time ever for help? Obedience in that case would both lead the person to Christ, establish your faith, and, well, there's always the 6:30 service and quiet time. The Son of Man is master of the Sabbath!
How does this apply to righteous Christian civil disobedience? The issue at hand is not a simple 'right ' or 'wrong' in dealing with the state or some local power. The issue is to accomplish the will of God, God's way. Did Jewish protests change the attitude of Ahasuerus' court? No, it was the simple, and very brave action of a young Jewish woman in a very difficult position in life: she took her own life in her hands and entered' the King's presence. The result? The Jewish nation was not destroyed, her life and her uncle's life was saved, and the events eventually led the nation in captivity back to Israel. Some will then argue that we should never stand up en masse for our rights: that is an equal error. Jesus called us to be salt and light in the world. Jesus said, 'If you love me keep my commandments'. Jesus taught us to 'render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's' and to 'obey the higher powers'. He was first though to overthrow the moneychangers' tables, and to confront the hypocritical Pharisees, and even Rome. The key is obedience.
We always seek the Lord first when we consider an action. We continue to work 'while the day is light', but we stay in the Word and in prayer. We do not forsake being the salt and light of the earth, nor do we leave off sharing the 'good news' of eternal life, but we "seek first the kingdom of God": that is how we prevail in an ungodly world.
3. Civil Disobedience vs. Uncivil Disobedience If one spends any time in the Word of God, one walks away knowing that most of the time, and for most purposes we are to obey not only God's law (even under grace, they are the commands which Jesus said we would keep if we love him), but man's law as well. Most of the time, Man's law is not that oppressive, and is based upon principles in the Word of God. The Book of Romans, Chapter 13 clearly teaches that we are to obey the 'higher powers', as civil authorities, even when they may not be the best of people, are "ordained of God". God appointed the 'office' of those who keep the law: it has changed over the centuries who exactly that is, but we are to respect and obey the law, and law makers and enforcers. In Jesus' time, Roman soldiers and the temple guard kept the peace, though they were brutal. In feudal times, Princes hired small armies who kept peace in their region and remanded criminals to judgment, and in Europe, a form of 'sherriff' appeared. Later, modern nations, based upon the former small armies model which had degenerated into occasional thuggery, began to hire mercenaries for protection, a concept that led to modern police departments. There have always been those who keep civil order, and who remand criminals to a justice system in societies of any size or nature. This keeps order in God's universe and human society. Most of the time, that is not very hard for a true Christian to do, for they willingly obey the law, would never think of stealing, killing or destroying property, and I have actually met a few that really do drive the speed limit!
The Christian then, for the most part, is admonished in the Scriptures to obey civil law, and most true believing Christians, trying to obey the Lord, try also to be model citizens, not only obeying the law, but contributing to the peace and welfare of the community. What do we do then, as Christians, when the laws become either grossly unjust, or when there is a violation of conscience or the Word of God in a civil law? Two principles apply: 1)the keeping vs. not keeping of the law, and 2)Obedience to the Lord and his Word.
One might argue that keeping vs. not keeping the law is analogous to the second, but there is a point of clarification: the law of man, is ordained, appointed of God, even when mankind does not see it. That means that when a law is passed, and a law enforcer enforces the law, the process is ORDAINED. It means that the transgression of the law has an effect. It means, that the transgression of any particular law set by an ordained system, brings judgment when disobeyed.
The natural and quick argument to that scenario, is 'What about when it violates God's law or ways?' The answer is not as either-or as many people think: we are to obey the law because it is ordained, but if it is against God's law or requires us to do something which would break our covenant with God, then a choice has to be made. A simplistic view is that if man's law is unjust, then all we have to do is disobey and then we are scott -free with God. In a way, there is an element of truth to that: we obey the 'higher' law of God, as when the apostle Paul asks in Galatians, "Who should I obey then, God or Man?" Paul was clearly putting God first as God is sovereign over all. God will eventually vindicate us, and the 'final appeal' will be on our side.
Sometimes, though, we are faced with brutal and unrealistic circumstances, such as being asked to disrobe by an officer, when it is neither legal nor necessary, or asked to do an unspeakable thing : do we obey? Well, the answer is no, of course not, but this is where the ordination of power comes to play: for the moment, the disobedience, if we are truly righteous in our assessment of the situation, results in a consequence. If a person, knowing he is legally preaching the gospel in a park, continues after asking to stop by a police officer, is he doing right or wrong? In God's eyes, one never does wrong to preach the gospel, but what if one does it in the middle of a crowded symphony hall or if one blocks the entrance to a building while doing it? Is it preaching, or disturbing the peace?
Every situation is different. If an unstable person jumps up in the middle of a movie and starts telling people they are all going to hell, they really are disturbing the peace, and not leaving many with a desire for salvation. On the other hand, I recall a minister who went down to the City Center Mall in Columbus, preached at the bottom of 20 or 30 stairsteps that led up to 8 glass doors, and he was charged with obstruction of the entrance to a public place: clearly an unjust charge. We can not give perfect rules for every situation, but our conscience is an internalization of God's loving laws and commandments. We are under grace without doubt, but we do not use it as a license to sin. If we choose to disobey an unjust law, we will have peace and not negate the presence of God in our lives, but we may also suffer unpleasant consequences. We decide each incident ourselves, but should never take the decision lightly.
Civil Disobedience for Christians
In the 1960s, in the southern states in the US, churches regularly boycotted, protested, and even disobeyed court orders which were unconstitutional and illegal, though they were violently locally enforced. Should they have done that? Some will say they should have worked within the system, but the truth is, they did, and they continued to try, though they were often stonewalled. Are a group of Christians guilty of unlawful assembly, if every time they apply for a legal permit they are turned down because they are Christians? These are hard decisions, but one thing is sure, the choice to defy injustice, is often met with persecution and violence. One has to consider that factor.
Does this mean that we should always 'obey the higher powers' even if they ask an unconscionable wrong? Many persons faced this problem in Hitler's Germany: to aid and abet Jewish people leaving the country could result in imprisonment or death, yet at least a few, put their lives on the line, and some were killed and imprisoned. Bonhoeffer rightly calls it the 'cost of discipleship': to have looked the other way would have meant the death of a line of people who are called chosen and who figure greatly in the end time. To be succinct, there are times when we have to choose to disobey civil authority.
'Rules of Engagement' in Civil Disobedience
That being said, we are still to maintain our highest calling of preaching the Gospel and being peaceable people who 'work quietly with our own hands'. It is not wrong ever to stand up for goodness and justice: that is a good thing: but it is the second highest. When we entertain Civil disobedience then, in a good and holy cause, such as freedom of speech, protection of life, or such golden issues, we are to conduct ourselves in an irreproachable way. A fine example is the young woman who climbed the flag post in South Carolina and took down the Confederate flag. A sign of slavery, particularly for black citizens, it had no business flying in front of a capitol that was to represent and make laws for all of its citizens. The incident got a lot of press, but most did not pay attention to what she was saying as she climbed down with the flag and was arrested: she was reciting Psalm 23. This was a point of conscience for the young woman: she knew she would probably be arrested if caught, but she was willing. Her reaction though was a fine example of civil disobedience: she was doing a righteous act, she employed prayer and the Word, and she willfully submitted to a legal but unjust arrest: she did not verbally assault the police, or fight back, or send them to hell in a handbasket. If we choose a point of civil disobedience based upon our faith, we are still servants of God: we represent him on earth, and must conduct ourselves in love.
The following are a few suggestions in obedient disobedience:
1. Like before, try not to go it alone
2. Know the law before you go: know every statute that applies
3. Know what the Word of God says about your actions.
4. Speak softly and civilly to police officers, even if they are acting unjustly. The great movements of the 20th century for freedom were very careful to do this, even to their own hurt.
5. Be in prayer, without ceasing. Remember to PRAISE the Lord.
6. Singing often quells wrath.
7. If arrested, do not resist, but go quietly, with a pre-determined contact, e.g. a pastor or attorney
8. Keep the area where a protest or vigil occurs clean: leave it cleaner than when you came.
9. Think of ways beforehand to 'go the extra mile'.
10. Make them marvel at your lack of hatred or verbose assault.
Numbers impress people, but not if they get violent or are not orderly: then they only look at your cause as criminal. When you act in love, then any arrest is an unjust one if you are obeying God's Word. God will honor that: the bars will crumble. Make sure you are first obedient to him: it is possible to get sidetracked into too many societal causes to the neglect of obedience and faith. Last, count the cost: many civil rights leaders in the US or South Africa were killed trying to bring about a less oppressive society, and judicial equality. Some were maimed and injured. With the blessing of God and in his grace, hopefully this will not occur, but one has to maintain a realistic attitude: they see you as violating the law. These days, though we know we are a peaceful people, bent on faith and good works, authorities do not see it that way. They see potential religious extremists who might riot, and some equate fervent faith in Christ with other religious systems such as radical Islam: we know we are not like that: they do not. We use and walk in the wisdom of Christ.
For some time now I have read, heard from and studied persecution against Christians. It has been remarked that over the past hundred years, more Christians have died for their faith than all other times combined. It makes a great deal of sense, since the world, increasingly thinking itself self-sufficient, has now joined the constant chorus of 'Hath God said...' down through the ages. The modern technological sense makes men feel very self-reliant, very sure of their own ability to handle any and all problems in the human dilemma, though reality contradicts that sense. In our smug complacency, at the same time, the past hundred years has seen a rise in technology to be sure, but also a rise in world wars, genocides, unresolvable climate issues, and the ruin of crops, soils and water supplies. We laugh at God as we sit upon the ruined throne of self-worship: the planet earth.
Christians who preach the gospel then, in the 21st century have come to understand, the preaching of a gospel of the love of God through his only begotten Son, is seen by an unbelieving world as fabled, ancient legends, not relevant to the modern world view. Many of us, as Christians now, were once of that mindset, and we know and understand it well: we also understand the difference in the economy of faith vs. mere human reason: while we may not be able to bear that with which the world assaults, we nevertheless understand their vagaries and reasonings behind their sometimes violent assaults.
Modern times have produced a paradox in modern Christians. We ourselves are given to the same passions and comfort in luxuries as our unbelieving counterparts. At a time when there are many more Christians than at many times in history, the depth and commitment of belief may be in some ways more fervent and free, but paradoxically, lighter weight, especially in expectations of how life will follow after receiving Christ. In this new series, we will begin to address the 'problem in expectations' and offer advice for Christians in persecution. There is an old Buddhist maxim, which I wish had been a Christian one, and sort of is, that "all problems come from expectations.". (I know the Lord will allow me that one off-ramp). Many Christians because of confusion in Christian teaching and the Gospel message start out their Christian life with only one understanding: that Christ died for them, and at the same time or shortly following, that he is sovereign. At the same time, there is an immediate ploy for their divided attention; radio sermons, televangelists, pamphlets, books, movies and other sources compete for the true Gospel: they offer varying doctrine, varying translations of the Bible, various forms of the Gospel such as the 'prosperity' Gospel in which God pays all your bills and solves all your woes just because you are so wonderful, or messages in which a different sort of Christ is encountered, whom you believe in and sign a pledge, and cash it in at the end of your life for a nebulous concept of 'salvation'. The real Christ demands our heart and lives and soul, his purchase on the Cross. Real Christians today, who stay in the Word and obey Christ as much as possible, often find themselves persecuted not only by an unbelieving world, but by a carnal church as well.
Modern Persecutions
I have found in my own experience in my walk (now going on 31 years), that when I encountered persecution for my faith, it was often unexpected, and too often from the pews. I expected to find persecution from the world: I had been a psychology professor at universities and a medical school, and I have even this many years later had to bear their abusive ridicule and disdain. I understand though what they cannot: why they do what they do. It was much more difficult to encounter disdain and ridicule for following Christ from the direction of suburbanite American churches, who found it 'amusing folly' to be concerned with whether a decision or action pleased the Lord. What a contradiction! We write books, preach sermons and hand out tracts telling people to believe and obey, 'Trust and obey, for there's no other way'(1) and then look quizzically at a believer trying to discern God's will. In some ways, the in-house persecution can be horrible and devastate the soul: we do not expect, e.g. our fellow Christians to steal from us, slander us, obstruct our work in the Lord, or cause harm to our family or finances. What we have to remember though, is that it is very likely that the worst of harm inside the church comes from religious people who have never really made a commitment to Christ, who when encountering real faith and the "cost of discipleship"(2) often react in an aggravated and sad way. In a later series, I will address the 'in-house' persecution separately, but for now, we will turn our attention to persecution from the world.
Persecution from the World
As I write this, close to 70 Christians are reported as dying in Pakistan from violent acts. The incident took place at Easter, which only accentuated the criminal behavior. Most likely those Christians were either on their way to or had been recently at worship. So much of the assault against believers leaves us with constant questions about why God did not protect them, and occasionally, on moments such as these, we are left with why it could ever happen in the near vicinity of worship. When we come to the Lord, when we give him our lives, we are still infants in the faith. We have just left a life of sin, felt the burden lift, and feel real 'agape' love for the first time: new Christians can be a little hard to bear in the day to day world, because we feel genuine joy for the first time ever. At the same time, whether we are university professors, rocket scientists, rock stars, or housewives, we at the beginning have very little knowledge of the faith. Even if a theologian of 30 years came to the Lord for real for the first time, with all that academic knowledge of the faith, they would still have much to learn about the lived faith.
The apostle Paul was one such person: a member of the Sanhedrin, a 'Hebrew of Hebrews', a leader in Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, he had studied the Torah since he could first read. He knew the Word of God and the commandments, but he did not know the Lord, the power or the ways of God, save for a rudimentary understanding. The book of Galatians notes that he was 14 years 'in the desert', studying and learning from the disciples, before his significant ministry began. While we can gain knowledge as unbelievers about the Word and ways of God, and our walk in him, we do not begin to gain 'wisdom' until we believe and trust as the Holy Spirit indwells and guides us. As such, new Christians, particularly in the modern era, are often still carnal and worldly, though endowed with a fervent spirit and great love, making for happy babies dancing around bumping into things!
It has been my reward in the past years, to have occasionally produced some writings and other materials that have inspired many Christians in their faith: I have always been very clear that it was the Lord who was behind the uplifting of faith, and not so much anything that I or others have done. On the other hand, one of the things that has prompted me to write this 'advice' series, is that many Christians in the world, and particularly in the West, often have suburban view of the Christian walk: we want to grow close to Christ's love, and we think we wish to obey, until it cut too greatly into our 'flesh', into our own will. We will happily go see a person upon the Lord's prompting, but don't ask us to give up our careers or a loved person in our life. We will gratefully place ten dollars in the collection plate, but do not ask for a 20% commitment. Do not ask us to do what may burden our sense of what we need or who we are.
The point is, that it takes awhile until we understand that there was an exchange at the Cross of our lives for his. We treat God as though he were our 'holy spirit comforter in the closet': we pull him out when we need his direction, comfort, or reward. We make him 'our' servant. As we grow in Christ we begin to understand that past the day of understanding when we accept his gift of salvation, we are their for HIS purposes not our own: this is the point where many try and flee unsuccessfully back into the world. I say unsuccessfully because a Christian who has made a commitment to Christ may seemingly 'flee' back into the world, but never truly can: it is always an ill fit.
Many years ago, I heard a preacher on the radio talking out signing a 'blank contract' with Christ. My children were young, and we entertained this exercise, as I explained what was meant: that because of Christ's love for us and our trust in him, we offer our lives in a blank contract, signing it at the bottom, for which he fills in the terms. He may make us wealthy and comfortable and give us a public ministry, or we may be impoverished and unknown, and die for him when least expected. That is the point of real faith. When nothing matters more than Him and his will. Most of the time, we waver from that height.
When it is our time to be taken to live in his presence, by whatever means, we will go to be with him: no more sorrow, suffering or pain, no more hatred or the unblessed mocking of this world; all in his presence will understand who we are, why we choose the things we choose, and they will share our love for him without explanation. No tears, no night, no crying. No death. No one's work will be in vain, or ruined. We ascend from imperfect joy in an imperfect world to eternal joy in his presence: that is the great hope of the Christian soul. The means of death we leave this world by is not up to us: we are not told at the moment of Salvation whether we will die in a car accident, or be beheaded or stoned, or die from shrapnel in an explosion, cancer in a hospital, or a machete blow or gunshot wound. We are not told. No deaths are completely easy, despite the sensibility of Simone deBeauvoir. All grasp for the last mouthful of air. Some die slowly and painfully and we cannot comprehend why. Some die instantly before a wedding, a birthday party or an Easter Sunday: we do not know why. Death is an uneasy doorway to the way we live life in eternity. It is only a doorway.
Given the above considerations, of the state of Christian belief in the world, and the constant confrontations with the possibility of death in a world that hates its maker, we are to try and protect our lives and that of others. There are two facts of the essence: 1) The first is that our deaths are inevitable and determined by our Lord for a purpose, and that 2) at the same time we must not act foolishly to hasten our deaths before the time. We must, like our Savior, always be ready to lay down our lives: that is the threshold of faith which changes the world. When we, as Martin Luther King remarked, find the thing that is 'worth dying for', then we find the thing that is worth living for. I would never suggest that this is an easy mental or emotional task. It is not mental or emotional at all: it is a spiritual hurdle we must transverse before we understand the depth of Christ's call.
We must always live in a way that protects our own lives an that of others and yet at the same time, we must always live as though our deaths had already occurred: as Paul said, "I die daily". This is the separating line between Christians who find their calling, who 'apprehend that for which they were apprehended for'. At the same time, it must be stressed that this is a mature stance, and we all struggle at first to get there, save for a very few. Too many challenges to faith come when a person of lesser or little faith, beginning faith, is confronted with a challenge that would make mature believers shudder: these can be faith breakers.
What are some of those faith breakers that destroy a person's confidence in Christ or their own faith? There are many: e.g. a Christian woman raped on her way to church, a stillborn baby, born with no malformation or defect, the death of a spouse after 50 years, or the sodomizing of a child. Am I insensitive to use such language and examples: no-this is what much of the world, including in the West is facing or soon to face: abominable horrors because they will not lay down their faith in God.
We have experienced faith challenging incidents, though I will not belabor them out of civility. So have many thousands throughout the world. What I have learned though, is that these incidents are machete blows to the Spirit from the enemy of the soul; they are meant to devour your faith and keep you from your only comfort and aid, which is Christ. These horrible incidents are not Christ inflicting trials of faith per se: they are the hatred of Satan for Christ, fought in a divine battle, intended to devour your faith. There are always casualties in a war: when a soldier steps on a mine, and suffers the indignation of the loss of a limb or life, he does not blame the General: he blames the war, or the enemy.
This post is not to take on the meaning of suffering and loss, nor why bad things happen to 'good people'. What I hope to repair in my own conscience though, is this understanding: that one must be prepared for battle before entering into it. Spiritual warfare is brutal and real: it can and regularly does cost life and limb. One has to go willingly and with preparation. One cannot go into battle half-heartedly, or with uncertainly or doubt. As our lives are encompassed with more material ease, we sometimes think we have faith we do not always have: I would not say this without 'three fingers pointing back': the truth is we sometimes walk in certain faith, and sometimes we waver.
All that being said, though, we will begin to consider some practical advice to confront persecution, and stop to consider events in the world. Our first advice is:
1. Stay in Groups
It is good to witness the Gospel. No ifs,ands , or buts: that is what we are to do: Jesus has commissioned each of us to carry out this great purpose of the salvation and healing of souls. Jesus though sent out his disciples two by two: he never sent them out alone. Why? because two people together (or more) can bolster each other's faith, and not be susceptible to arguments and hardships which might confront only one. Two people are more likely to be safe together, or if suffering occurs the suffering is more bearable shared. When one person goes into the 'agora' or marketplace to share the Gospel, he or she becomes a target of unbelief. Down at the University of Florida and on other campuses, street preachers are allowed to speak because it is a land grant college: it belongs not to a few but to all. They may not cause a riot or other disturbances, but they may speak as students or faculty may speak. However, they are now being confronted not with smirks or sideways glances as in days of old, but with bottle throwing, audacious and lewd mockery, and outright blockading of free speech by those who do not agree. One man dressed up like a Star Wars stormtrooper and copycatted everything the preacher did. One at another U dressed like Hitler, and gay organizations regularly try to shut down those preaching or passing out tracts. Some have resorted to violence: this is less likely to result in injury if there are 2 or more people sharing the Gospel (always in dignity and love).
Groups of Christians will not escape the hatred of a bomb blast. One has to settle that in their hearts and minds. One has to determine when an open meeting or event is going to do good: whether the risk is necessary or unnecessary. There was a time when Paul and another were warned not to go into Macedonia, and a time when they were called there. "Obedience is better than Sacrifice' remains our principle.
2. Always Pray. Pray Without Ceasing
When an event is determined, make sure it is God's will. While we are to be instant in season and out, we are also to be obedient. If you are going out to witness in addition to not going out alone, (and staying always in public view), have the others in your group pray the whole time. Pray for peace, pray for understanding, pray for the willing reception of the Gospel, for the preacher to be given the exact words in love, and for protection. A preacher in India where some pastors have been beaten to death, will prepare in prayer, first. Even in America though, in these days and times, people are afraid of religious speech: prayer changes things and keeps people safe.
Mat 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted (thlipsis), and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
So many Christians are today coming under severe persecution, including in the United States, that their cries cannot go unheard, with the Church in any way declaring the heart of Christ. While several large, well monied ministries exist which make the plight of the persecuted known, it is unfortunate that much of the money collected does not go to persecuted families, and many persecuted believers undergo a scrutiny which only adds additional persecution and affliction. To some degree, affliction and suffering are an expected part of the Christian Experience. Our suffering Lord, suffering more than we will in this life, left us here as 'witnesses', the greek word for which is 'martyria'. The suffering or affliction of Christ is translated from the Greek word, "thlipsis", hence the title of this blog. Most sites which make known the plight of persecuted Christians and others who are persecuted for their religion, are very selective in whom they will feature and in some cases, the persecuted must conform to 'their' form of Christian worship, practice and culture. I am beginning this blog to allow Christian people to publish stories and incidents of people worldwide who are suffering for their faith. We know that as of this writing over the past few years, churches are burned down, buses overturned, persons maimed, blinded and otherwise assaulted, and that others are regularly being consigned to Mental Hospitals or 're-education' centers (in some countries), and prisons. While in the U.S. we say we value free speech, we cannot say that it is equally enforced, online or off, and the strong expression of Christian opinion is being 'sequestered', diminished and otherwise censored 'in the shadows', by making it difficult or impossible to carry out effective and bright defenses of the faith. Even in the U.S. assaults on Christians practicing their faith go often unnoticed, as standard 'tolerance' based organizations often refuse to get involved, considering it 'in-house' i.e. when the persecution occurs from another Christian or organization but has to do with a difference in the depth of faith or doctrine, or they are so innudated with groups they consider targeted that the plight of persecuted Christians is considered out of their venue. Many Christians have turned to such organizations as HSLD, or a variety of Christian Civil liberties organizations such as Rutherford, or American Center for Law and Justice, but again, their dockets are often full, or they hear conflicting information, and suffering goes on with out recourse. The opening of this blog is a request: that anyone may post a true and legitimate incident (if it is not about yourself, please make sure you have permission), with a short description and/or photos of what you know has occurred. Hopefully, this will encourage at the very least prayer which is the best resources, and occasionally may direct people to aid the persecuted and their families DIRECTLY, where they can be sure that any donations go to the source they expect. Please include: 1. The Name or Some reference to the person (with permission), photo if possible 2. The date of the incident 3. The location of the incident 4. Any knowledge of present condition or status 5. If possible an address where they may be reached by permission 6. Knowledge of any group who is helping also 7. Prayer requests 8. Needs of the family While we will occasionally post regarding other faiths, the site is primarily for Christians who adhere to the basic doctrines of the Gospel, and are suffering due to Christian belief, practice, liturgy, worship, free speech or outward show of their faith. No money is asked of this service, but if one feels led to do so, please make certain of the source through the information provided, and make contacts directly. Many Blessings, Elizabeth K. Best, Director
