When I talk about praying for the persecuted church, I'm talking general, but also very specific: the martyrs beheaded by ISIS last week. Can you imagine what it's like to be one who was left behind? To be that guy's sibling, spouse, parent, cousin, uncle, aunt, neighbor, coworker or pastor? How many of them saw their loved one die for believing the same things they believe?
I've been immersed in Luke, and have been praying its promises for those people; I never noticed how often it talks about persecution.
Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. Luke 6:22-23
I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgive. And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.
Luke 12:4-12
But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name's sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives. Luke 21:12-18
This morning, I prayed in remembrance of Malak Ibrahim Sinweet, leaning heavily on Hebrews 12:1-2 to guide my prayers.
Jesus, I can't imagine what it must be like for Malak's and other martyrs' families. They know for a fact that persecution is real, and that by trusting and worshiping You, they could be the next to lose their lives. They saw this man beheaded for his faith and now that faith is what they have to live by. Keep them, close, Jesus. Help them run this race with the endurance by which they will gain their lives.
And Lord, I pray that I would take this testimony by so great a cloud of witnesses seriously, and by Your grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, lay aside every weight and sin which clings and run with endurance the race You've set before me. Let me look to You, Jesus, as the founder and perfecter of my faith, who for the joy that was set before You endured the cross, despising the shame and is seated at the right hand of the house of God. Rip me from my idols, Jesus and let me see You more clearly. Amen.
When you start your day with a prayer like that, you never know what might happen.
Today at work, while I was supervising our indoor playground, I started to think about the men in black behind the martyrs in orange. I started to think about what it's like to be those guys, to have killed men who would rather die for their God than live in opposition to Him. I think about the centurion from Mark 15:39 who assisted in Christ's death and as he watched Jesus died, proclaimed His deity. So church, yes, we need to pray for the martyrs' families, for their churches, for their communities, for our world. But we need to pray our guts our for their killers. They saw a fierce testimony that Jesus is better than anything this world has to offer. They can be saved to life as much as anyone else.
So, dear friends, if you would, think about it: be up and on your knees at 7:03 every morning until Easter. And pour out your soul like water before the Lord.
And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, "If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you" 1 Samuel 7:3
But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name's sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives. Luke 21:12-18
This morning, I prayed in remembrance of Malak Ibrahim Sinweet, leaning heavily on Hebrews 12:1-2 to guide my prayers.
Jesus, I can't imagine what it must be like for Malak's and other martyrs' families. They know for a fact that persecution is real, and that by trusting and worshiping You, they could be the next to lose their lives. They saw this man beheaded for his faith and now that faith is what they have to live by. Keep them, close, Jesus. Help them run this race with the endurance by which they will gain their lives.
And Lord, I pray that I would take this testimony by so great a cloud of witnesses seriously, and by Your grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, lay aside every weight and sin which clings and run with endurance the race You've set before me. Let me look to You, Jesus, as the founder and perfecter of my faith, who for the joy that was set before You endured the cross, despising the shame and is seated at the right hand of the house of God. Rip me from my idols, Jesus and let me see You more clearly. Amen.
When you start your day with a prayer like that, you never know what might happen.
Today at work, while I was supervising our indoor playground, I started to think about the men in black behind the martyrs in orange. I started to think about what it's like to be those guys, to have killed men who would rather die for their God than live in opposition to Him. I think about the centurion from Mark 15:39 who assisted in Christ's death and as he watched Jesus died, proclaimed His deity. So church, yes, we need to pray for the martyrs' families, for their churches, for their communities, for our world. But we need to pray our guts our for their killers. They saw a fierce testimony that Jesus is better than anything this world has to offer. They can be saved to life as much as anyone else.
So, dear friends, if you would, think about it: be up and on your knees at 7:03 every morning until Easter. And pour out your soul like water before the Lord.
And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, "If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you" 1 Samuel 7:3
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