Our Father in Heaven;
You have said in your word that all who live Godly in Christ will suffer persecution.
Forgive us Lord for the many times we have avoided persecution by our lack of words and actions.
We bring before your throne of mercy and grace those who daily suffer for your kingdoms sake.
Thank you father for the many promises in your word to these brothers and sisters. Therefore we pray that they may be kept by your power to continue strongly in the faith. May each one hold fast to the hope of their calling.
Graciously grant them the ability to return blessing for the evil inflicted on them.
In doing this, may those who inflict suffering, turn from their wicked ways, to the salvation that is found only through Jesus.
Father hold near to your heart, faithful followers who have lost family and friends by taking a stand for Jesus Christ. Comfort the many separated from their families by death, imprisonment, and displacement, for you are the God of all comfort.
May you work in the hearts of national leaders to grant asylum to those who flee persecution at home by torture or even death. Father may you provide a way of escape.
We commit them into your hands, asking that you may give the increase to the fruits of their suffering. Through their testimony may many be brought to your salvation for the praise of your glory!
In Jesus name we pray,
Amen
by Pat H.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Persecuted for our faith.
Paul wrote to his young son in the faith, “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” 2 Timothy 3:12. Do we in the western church really understand what it means to be persecuted for our faith?
Sometimes we think that having to live in a sinful world is the persecution we have to bear but throughout history many Christians were persecuted by the religious leaders of their day. Most westerners are not aware that Christianity is the most persecuted religion on the planet. It is illegal or severely restricted in 51 different countries. Fundamentalist Muslim nations, fanatical Hindu countries and hard-line Communist regimes are not shy about their hatred for Christianity.
Consider the following facts:
* It has been estimated that more Christians were martyred in the 20th Century than in the previous 1,900 years combined.
* There were more than 26 million documented cases of martyrdom in the 20th century alone.
* More than 200 million Christians in over 60 nations face persecution each day, and it is estimated that over half of these are children.
* It is estimated that between 150,000 and 165,000 Christians are martyred each year.
So what can we do? Take time to read about the persecuted church and then pray for them. Take time to pray Pat’s prayer for the persecuted church.
Sometimes we think that having to live in a sinful world is the persecution we have to bear but throughout history many Christians were persecuted by the religious leaders of their day. Most westerners are not aware that Christianity is the most persecuted religion on the planet. It is illegal or severely restricted in 51 different countries. Fundamentalist Muslim nations, fanatical Hindu countries and hard-line Communist regimes are not shy about their hatred for Christianity.
Consider the following facts:
* It has been estimated that more Christians were martyred in the 20th Century than in the previous 1,900 years combined.
* There were more than 26 million documented cases of martyrdom in the 20th century alone.
* More than 200 million Christians in over 60 nations face persecution each day, and it is estimated that over half of these are children.
* It is estimated that between 150,000 and 165,000 Christians are martyred each year.
So what can we do? Take time to read about the persecuted church and then pray for them. Take time to pray Pat’s prayer for the persecuted church.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Hugo's Story
The following is an excerpt from a letter that I received from a former student of mine. I have tried to copy his letter the way that he wrote it to me. The wording is awkward as English is not his first language.
He wrote…
Before I came to Canada I was an eye-witness of the genocide of my wife Maria Teresa, two siblings, cousins, relatives and I was saved only by the divining miracle. It was during the apocalyptic civil war without ending and the scapegoat people were the persons who were weak.
It was on Saturday December 8, 1991 about 6:00 pm in my country time. Every night we gathered in our sitting room to pray together. Our door was closed. Someone knocked on our door. I went to ask who were there and one of them answered we are people of God who need help. I opened the door. There were two people who had in their hands the modern and automatic weapons. Both opened without mercy their guns to fire all and to kill all. They tried to kill me but they supposed to have no bullets in their guns. I cried and asked them to kill me. When they went out of my home they tried and they had the last bullets.
Immediately the members of the International Red Cross and the Doctors without Frontiers came to help me for digging only one place to bury all of them. They told me to leave the building and to go with them to save myself.
Furthermore they gave me clothing and the meals of support and sent the fax through their satellite phone. They recommended the Kenya Red Cross to give the humanitarian assistance. The day after I arrived via helicopter to Kisimayo-samalia to leave by way of sea to Mombasa, Kenya.
There was a lady French doctor who was previously a Catholic nun. She gave me the next night that God was trying my faith. In this delicate moment in was necessary to put my soul in His hands to be saved.
During that sad night we two were asking and praying together until the morning. We recited the Holy Rosary and its litany. We also did the Holy Spiritual prayer. It was amazing and what happened that we found the reading of the Sacred Scriptures the comfortable words that seemed to our God was speaking to me. First, the finding of Ecclesiastes 3 that there is something that can happen any time; a time to be born and to die. In our second reading we found the patient prophet Job in Job 1 and he said that he was born naked and he will return to it. Why do we not thank God in the bad situation? The last reading was from the Holy Gospel according to Saint John 11 about the death and resurrection of Lazarus.
That is the story he wrote to me in October 2005. Christians are being persecuted today. What are we doing about it?
He wrote…
Before I came to Canada I was an eye-witness of the genocide of my wife Maria Teresa, two siblings, cousins, relatives and I was saved only by the divining miracle. It was during the apocalyptic civil war without ending and the scapegoat people were the persons who were weak.
It was on Saturday December 8, 1991 about 6:00 pm in my country time. Every night we gathered in our sitting room to pray together. Our door was closed. Someone knocked on our door. I went to ask who were there and one of them answered we are people of God who need help. I opened the door. There were two people who had in their hands the modern and automatic weapons. Both opened without mercy their guns to fire all and to kill all. They tried to kill me but they supposed to have no bullets in their guns. I cried and asked them to kill me. When they went out of my home they tried and they had the last bullets.
Immediately the members of the International Red Cross and the Doctors without Frontiers came to help me for digging only one place to bury all of them. They told me to leave the building and to go with them to save myself.
Furthermore they gave me clothing and the meals of support and sent the fax through their satellite phone. They recommended the Kenya Red Cross to give the humanitarian assistance. The day after I arrived via helicopter to Kisimayo-samalia to leave by way of sea to Mombasa, Kenya.
There was a lady French doctor who was previously a Catholic nun. She gave me the next night that God was trying my faith. In this delicate moment in was necessary to put my soul in His hands to be saved.
During that sad night we two were asking and praying together until the morning. We recited the Holy Rosary and its litany. We also did the Holy Spiritual prayer. It was amazing and what happened that we found the reading of the Sacred Scriptures the comfortable words that seemed to our God was speaking to me. First, the finding of Ecclesiastes 3 that there is something that can happen any time; a time to be born and to die. In our second reading we found the patient prophet Job in Job 1 and he said that he was born naked and he will return to it. Why do we not thank God in the bad situation? The last reading was from the Holy Gospel according to Saint John 11 about the death and resurrection of Lazarus.
That is the story he wrote to me in October 2005. Christians are being persecuted today. What are we doing about it?
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Abel, Enoch and Noah
What do these three men teach us about living by faith?
Abel teaches us that to live by faith is to worship God. True worship is not a proper offering but a sincere heart.
Enoch teaches us to live by faith is day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. We don't have an area where we live by faith and another area where we don't. Enoch walked with God.
Noah teaches us that to live by faith is to work by faith. Noah did not see the outcome of his work until the Lord revealed it to him. He was faithful even when it did not make sense.
There is no part of our lives where we do not live by faith.
Abel teaches us that to live by faith is to worship God. True worship is not a proper offering but a sincere heart.
Enoch teaches us to live by faith is day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. We don't have an area where we live by faith and another area where we don't. Enoch walked with God.
Noah teaches us that to live by faith is to work by faith. Noah did not see the outcome of his work until the Lord revealed it to him. He was faithful even when it did not make sense.
There is no part of our lives where we do not live by faith.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Hebrews 11:6
Hebrews 11:6 is one of the profound verses of Scripture which we need to consider prayerfully. It says, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."
Now most of us want to please God but do we? In order to please God we must live by faith and respond in faith. The author uses three examples to show this, Abel, Enoch and Noah. We will return to these.
The second profound thought is that we must believe that God exists. To do that we must affirm Him as Creator. Now if He is the creator then we are the creature, the created. We know that what we believe about God defines us and if we believe that He created us then we are His creatures. Everything that is created belongs to the Creator and He created all.
There are two lies that plague our society. The first is that we are autonomous and the second is that we are self-sufficient. As created beings we are neither.
To believe that God exists is also to believe that He is sovereign. The doctrine of the sovereignty of God is not to help us make sense of life but to live our lives when it doesn't make sense. God sovereignty doesn't mean that He is a far away God but that He is a God near by.
Finally to believe that God exists we must believe in the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
I mentioned Abel, Enoch and Noah. Let me leave those for another post.
Now most of us want to please God but do we? In order to please God we must live by faith and respond in faith. The author uses three examples to show this, Abel, Enoch and Noah. We will return to these.
The second profound thought is that we must believe that God exists. To do that we must affirm Him as Creator. Now if He is the creator then we are the creature, the created. We know that what we believe about God defines us and if we believe that He created us then we are His creatures. Everything that is created belongs to the Creator and He created all.
There are two lies that plague our society. The first is that we are autonomous and the second is that we are self-sufficient. As created beings we are neither.
To believe that God exists is also to believe that He is sovereign. The doctrine of the sovereignty of God is not to help us make sense of life but to live our lives when it doesn't make sense. God sovereignty doesn't mean that He is a far away God but that He is a God near by.
Finally to believe that God exists we must believe in the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
I mentioned Abel, Enoch and Noah. Let me leave those for another post.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Is Faith the Victory?
There is an old hymn that goes;
Faith is the victory,
Faith is the victory,
Faith is the victory
That overcomes the world.
Is this true? It could be argued that in one way it is true but it is also misleading. Our faith is never the victory, even our faith in Jesus Christ is not the victory but rather it is Jesus and Jesus alone that is the victory.
Now scripture says in 1 John 5:4 "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." When you read this in its context you know that it is faith in Jesus Christ and you must believe that He is the Son of God.
Overcoming the world is different than signs and wonders. Overcoming the world is overcoming the world's influence on our lives and having a new world view, one that is shaped by the Gospel.
Faith is the victory,
Faith is the victory,
Faith is the victory
That overcomes the world.
Is this true? It could be argued that in one way it is true but it is also misleading. Our faith is never the victory, even our faith in Jesus Christ is not the victory but rather it is Jesus and Jesus alone that is the victory.
Now scripture says in 1 John 5:4 "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." When you read this in its context you know that it is faith in Jesus Christ and you must believe that He is the Son of God.
Overcoming the world is different than signs and wonders. Overcoming the world is overcoming the world's influence on our lives and having a new world view, one that is shaped by the Gospel.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Mabel's Legacy
My mother was a woman of faith. She raised eight children without ever raising her voice. Her children all honour her. Her legacy consists of five of the eight children who have been long term or short term missionaries. She has 26 grandchildren of which ten serve as missionaries, pastors or in other ministry. Our family was poor but we were taught well by our parents. Having material possessions were not important but following God was and that was passed on to us, their children. She has been gone for almost twenty years but her legacy lives on.
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