Did you ever realise how privileged you are to go to a worship service every Sunday without dreading any threat or danger? If you have been involved in evangelism and any public Christian festival, this is also something to be thankful for, because for millions of Christians in the world, it is a dream yet to come true.
Out of the 200ish countries existing in the world, 50 among them are either closed to Christianity or allow a very restricted practice of it; which works out as one quarter of the world nations. These figures should spur us on to create strategies to tackle the issue, not only to help a Christian in need of support, but also given that Christ entrusted us to spread the much needed good news till the ends of the earth and make the world disciples.
In fact, Christians have strived to fulfil this command for centuries, yet the battle is still on as Christians have been suffering ruthless persecutions over the years. To date, there are still countries completely closed to the gospel of Christ. Even though unrelenting Christians have done the amazing job of translating the Bible into over 2000 languages, yet many countries remain unwelcoming to it, forbidding its entry into their territory and any type of Christian activity. Moreover, those who happen to be Christians in those places know their lives are on the line, as they can be brutalised, tortured, thrown into prisons or even killed if discovered. For instance, in
There are millions of undercover Christians experiencing those conditions and lately, the World Evangelical Alliance reported that over 200 million Christians in at least 60 countries face persecution each day and they are also denied fundamental human rights solely because of their faith. It is estimated that between 150,000 and 165,000 Christians are martyred each year.
For many Christians in liberal countries this is just one more echo of what they’ve heard before, and for others it may be shocking news, but are we going to do something about it? Jesus himself mentioned that his followers would be persecuted but does this mean we shouldn’t care? There are actually serious implications of Christian persecution.
In Colossians 4:2-3 The apostle Paul, one of the most persecuted Christian in history, solicited the church prayers for him and his counterparts so that they would have freedom to spread the Word. He then reminded them of his chains, symbols of the persecutions he endured, to pinpoint that they presented a hindrance for the furtherance of their mission. Today, countless concealed Christians can resonate with Paul. Indeed, Paul’s petition was only a reflection of the heart cry of every persecuted Christian.
Those hostile countries towards Christians are still holding strong onto their forbidding laws. Consequently, millions of people living there are missing out on hearing about Christ while on the other side, Christians hide and suffer in silence. We trust God to keep them strong as they already incredibly are, but maybe are they counting on some external help and intervention?
How can you help a persecuted Christian?
You can help persecuted Christians by:
- Praying constantly for them; Ephesians 6: 18 encourages us to pray for all the Lord’s people
- Getting in touch with them and showing them that we care
- Getting in the know of their needs and providing for them
- Advocating for their human rights to be respected and their freedom to practice their faith
-joining a movement combating Christian persecution
-praying for nations and countries and places where Christianity is prohibited or severely restricted
-praying for organisations involved in helping persecuted Christians
-raising awareness about Christian persecution and creating a movement to fight against it
Challenges:
- What first step have you taken today after reading this information?
- If you belong to a church or a Christian group/community, In case you don’t already, raise the issue there, pray about it and discuss about actions that can be taken.
Facts about persecuted Christians
1. http://theendtimesblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/shocking-facts-about-christian.html
2. http://erlc.com/persecution/
3. http://www.christianpersecution.info/ (Christian Persecution Magazine)
Movements to join:
1. Christian Solidarity Worldwide www.csw.org.uk
2. Christian Freedom International www.christianfreedom.org
3. Voice Of The Martyrs (VOM) www.persecution.com
4. Release International www.releaseinternational.org
5. International Christian Concern (ICC) www.persecution.org
6. OpenDoors
8. Human Rights watch http://www.hrw.org/
