Following Jesus
Jeremy Slough | Thankfulness in Every Situation
This post was written by Jeremy Slough who is a blogger for Thirteen Three.
One thing that strikes me about persecuted Christians is that they always seem to talk about their thankfulness to God for each situation they face - devastating, dangerous or otherwise.
In our culture, it is so easy to lose this sense of gratitude for even the small things in life.
We don’t live in danger of physical persecution every day. Our lives are quite different to those who are persecuted for their faith in Jesus.
But this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t thank God for everything we have. He has blessed us in amazing ways just as He has blessed His persecuted children in bringing them through various trials they have faced.
This is something I struggle with.
Instead of being content and grateful with my life, where my troubles are pretty small, I usually find something to grumble about.
But we can all learn from persecuted Christians and start to be thankful for everything, because joy and peace come from a thankful heart.
Question: What are you thankful for? We’d love to hear from you. Please join the conversation by leaving a comment below.
Posted in 
Jeremy Slough | My Heart for the Persecuted Church
This post was written by Jeremy Slough who is a contributor to Thirteen Three’s blog.
Always Growing
Some things in nature are always growing. The human ear is one of them.
Research has found that the human ear grows at an average of 0.22mm a year. Not much, I know, but my ears are pretty big already. My brother and sister have big ears as well, so it’s in our genes, I guess.
Another thing that is always growing is the human heart.
Perhaps scientifically there is no evidence to suggest physical growth like an ear (apart from in childhood and heart disease, obesity and different diseases), but the spiritual growth a heart can undertake can be enormous.
My heart for the persecuted church
My heart for the persecuted church is always growing.
I find that with each new discovery I make about the trials and tribulations of our persecuted brothers and sisters my heart makes space for the aching, the sorrow, the resolve, the newfound commitment, and the passion to do better for my Lord. Christians who are physically persecuted face life’s most utmost challenges.
Is your heart growing?
God’s Word says that “out of our heart flow the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23) and “what you say flows from what’s in your heart” (Luke 6:45). We are taught by Him to love Him with all our heart.
Our hearts have room to be filled and then keep growing with compassion for our persecuted family!
I pray you would let these emotions in as you are “bound with them” and be changed by them.
We’d love to hear from you! How are you growing spiritually? Are you making room in your heart for our persecuted brothers and sisters?
KYCK 2012 | Lessons from the Persecuted Church: Bold Evangelism
This post was originally given as a presentation by Bec Sparkes at Thirteen Three’s KYCK 2012 seminar.
Voice of Martyrs has collected countless stories of people who are on fire for sharing the Gospel even if that means forfeiting their health, their social standing, their families and friends, their reputation, their livelihoods, their citizenship rights…the list goes on.
Hearing all these stories makes me reflect on what personally stops me from sharing the Gospel and in comparison my reasons suddenly feel trite.
Rasa: Former Witchdoctor Becomes a Christian
I want to share with you one of my favourite stories about a man from Laos. Rasa* was a witchdoctor from Laos who was highly regarded and respected within his community where witchcraft and animism were commonplace.
But Rasa one day came into contact with a Christian pastor who led him to the Lord. He was warned about the dangers of letting others know he was a Christian, so Rasa kept his faith a secret and found himself living a double life.
However, all that changed when the villagers brought to Rasa a man who had a deep cut that was bleeding profusely. Rasa prayed to the Lord in his heart and miraculously the blood flow stopped. Rasa, no longer able to hide Jesus, publicly announced that he was a follower of Jesus and no longer practised witchcraft.
Rasa later experienced interrogation from the local authorities, harassment at his home and he was removed of his citizenship rights. However, Rasa says that even if he has to die for his faith he will not turn away because he knows that God loves him.
Living a Double Life
Do you ever feel like you’re living a double life for Jesus? I know I’ve felt like this.
But Rasa’s story encourages me to look to our powerful and loving God. Jesus tells us not to be afraid of man but to fear God.
My prayer is that God would give His people the courage and the boldness that we need to share the Gospel with our loved ones, with strangers, the people on the trains, bus stops,and people everywhere so they can hear of the amazing news of Jesus Christ!
*name changed
Click here to find out what Bec Sparkes is doing to support persecuted Christians.
KYCK 2012 | Lessons from the Persecuted Church: Perseverance
This post was originally given as a presentation by David Low at Thirteen Three’s KYCK 2012 seminar.
One thing that inspires and challenges me when I hear the stories of persecuted Christians is that so many of them don’t give up or back down in the face of persecution. It’s amazing just how often persecuted Christians face threats, loss of families, torture, imprisonment, or even death, yet they still continue to follow Christ.
Hearing their stories makes me wonder why they keep going.
Not Afraid of Death
One thing I’ve realised is that they are not afraid of death. They know that if they die they will just go straight to Heaven to be with Jesus.
Jack Vinson, a missionary in China, was held up by bandits who threatened to kill him. Jack simply replied, “Kill me, if you wish. I will go straight to God.”
Another reason why persecuted Christians continue to persevere is because Jesus tells us in Matthew 16:24 that we must be willing to give up everything to follow Him.
Make a Stand for Christ in Australia
Finding out why they are willing to go through all the pain and death really challenged me. It’s made me wonder what I would do in their situation.
Even here in Australia, I reckon we need to be willing to make a stand for God.
In Matthew 10:32-33 Jesus says it plainly,
Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
If we really want to follow Jesus and do what He says, then we must be willing to persevere through whatever it takes.
My Passion for the Persecuted Church
My passion is to help support those who face persecution and encourage them to continue to persevere for Christ and His kingdom.
All over the world, persecuted Christians ask us to pray for them. One thing that amazes me is that they don’t ask that the persecution would stop, but that they would stay strong through it.
Persecuted Christians are an inspiration for me to live my life wholeheartedly for God.
Click here to find out what David Low is doing to support persecuted Christians.
Bikes for Burma: Weekend Evangelism
What do you like to do on the weekend?
Maybe you like to sleep in. Watch movies. Play sport. Hang out with friends.
I was recently in Myanmar (Burma) visiting the Bible college students you are helping us support. During the week, they get up before 6AM for morning devotions. Each day is filled with classes, chores, chapel, study, prayer and meals.
On the weekend, the students travel to local villages to run children’s programs and share the Gospel door-to-door.
Bikes for the Gospel
Voice of the Martyrs recently purchased five bicycles to help with the students’ weekend evangelism.
The bicycles help the students to travel further and faster to share the Gospel. It is a welcome relief after a hard week of study and work to ride to local villages instead of travelling by foot.
Stephen, a former student and now lecturer at the Bible College, says that the bikes are a great tool for sharing the Gospel.
Sometimes we go to places where buses cannot go. It is very difficult for us to walk on foot…so it is helpful to go on bicycles and it saves us time.
According to Stephen, this ministry “brings glory and honour to God.”
My Weekends are Off-Limits
I was amazed to see the students’ dedication to God’s Word and the cause of Christ. Some people might consider weekends off-limits for serving God, thinking, “This is my personal time.” But God’s Word says,
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)
These good works aren’t just when we feel like, but God has planned us to live for Him every day! Our whole lives, including our weekends, are to be used for His glory and the advance of the Gospel.
Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossian 3:17)
The students understand this and use even their weekends, holidays and “personal time” for God’s work.
Do you use your weekends and holidays to serve God and bring Him glory? Do you serve at your church, a summer beach mission or some other ministry?
Leave a comment to share what ministries you are involved in and how you are seeing God at work.
Facing Persecution With Unrelenting Joy!
This post was written by Dave Miers on Soulies.net to encourage his youth to pray for persecuted Christians during the International Day of Prayer (IDOP). Thanks for your commitment to prayer for our persecuted family Dave!
One of the things I’m surprised by as I read of the first persecuted Christians in the Bible and then read of contemporary persecuted Christians (through books like Radical and the Voice of the Martyrs newsletter) is that so often persecution is faced with unrelenting joy!
His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. (Acts 5:40-42)
The Apostles keep getting told to shut up about Jesus, they don’t. They get beaten up and told to stop, they don’t! Instead they rejoice that they were considered worthy to suffer for Jesus and then keep telling people about Jesus!!
I recently read of Pastor Wong (in the latest Voice of the Martyrs newsletter). He’s from China. Check out this quote:
Wong was arrested five times in 2010. Each time he was warned to discontinue his Christian activities. “I will not stop my work,” he responded.
Wong’s response is just like that of the Apostles in Acts 5. You can’t shut him up!! He will keep preaching Jesus regardless of what happens to him.
Why would someone do that? This might seem like a pretty bizarre concept for someone who isn’t a Christian, perhaps even for those who are Christian! Eleven of the twelve Apostles eventually died a martyr’s death. Why would they do that? Why would Pastor Wong keep preaching Jesus even though he keeps getting arrested?
I think it’s because following Jesus is worth losing everything for and the Apostles and Pastor Wong probably believe in this verse:
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)
The only way to be saved is by trusting in Jesus. Jesus offers eternal life to those who trust in his death and resurrection. This is the good news people desperately need to hear. And any suffering in this life is light and momentary compared to the glory that awaits those who belong to Jesus.
Pray now for Christians who are persecuted in Jesus’ name. Pray that God would enable them to persevere.
Related Posts
The Happiest People in the World
In August-September 2011, John Piper is in Australia to preach at a number of events hosted by KCC. This blog series, 5 Reasons to Rejoice in Persecution, is taken from his article “Suffering: The Sacrifice of Christian Hedonism” which is featured in Voice of the Martyrs book “The Triumphant Church”.
The Calvary road with Jesus is not a joyless road. It is a painful one, but it is a profoundly happy one.
When we choose the fleeting pleasures of comfort and security over the sacrifices and sufferings of missions and evangelism and ministry and love, we choose against joy. We reject the spring whose waters never fail (Isaiah 58:11).
The happiest people in the world are the people who experience the mystery of “Christ in them, the hope of glory” (Colossian 1:27), satisfying their deep longings and freeing them to extend the afflictions of Christ through their own suffering to the world.
God is calling us to live for the sake of Christ and to do that through suffering. Christ chose suffering; it didn’t just happen to Him. He chose it as the way to create and perfect the church. Now He calls us to choose suffering. That is, He calls us to take up our cross and follow Him on the Calvary road and deny ourselves and make sacrifices for the sake of ministering to the church and presenting His sufferings to the world .
Will You Rejoice?
It’s pretty easy to read about rejoicing in persecution, but it can be tough to live it out and rejoice when we find life difficult. So how can we apply this to our lives? What can we do with what we’ve learned?
Here are two simple things you can do this week:
1. Pray for persecuted Christians, that they will rejoice in persecution.
2. Rejoice: when something doesn’t go as planned this week, when there’s some small (or large) disappointment, when life seems really tough, remember what God has done for you. Remember your great reward in heaven. And rejoice!
Tip: write the word “Rejoice!” somewhere you will see it, and remember to do it this week!
All of John Piper’s sermons, books, articles and other resources are available for free at DesiringGod.com
Related Posts
John Piper | Rejoice in Persecution Because Others See the Worth of Christ
In August-September 2011, John Piper is in Australia to preach at a number of events hosted by KCC. This blog series, 5 Reasons to Rejoice in Persecution, is taken from his article “Suffering: The Sacrifice of Christian Hedonism” which is featured in Voice of the Martyrs book “The Triumphant Church”.
We can rejoice in suffering when we realise that through our suffering others are seeing the worth of Christ and standing firm because of our faith in the fire.
Paul says to the Thessalonians,
Now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?
(1 Thessalonians 3:8-9)
When we suffer to show others the love of Christ and the worth of Christ, it is because every new convert that stands firm in faith is a new unique prism for refracting the all-satisfying glory of Christ. The joy we feel in them is not a different joy than we feel in Christ. The glory of Christ is our “great gain.”
For this we will suffer the loss of anything and everything. And everyone who sees in our suffering the superior worth of Christ, and believes, is another image and evidence of that great worth – and therefore another reason to rejoice .
When we suffer, it’s really easy to hide ourselves away from the world. But our trials are a good opportunity to show our friends and family that Jesus matters more to us than anything in this world.
All of John Piper’s sermons, books, articles and other resources are available for free at DesiringGod.com
Related Posts
John Piper | Persecution Leads to Glory
In August-September 2011, John Piper is in Australia to preach at a number of events hosted by KCC. This blog series, 5 Reasons to Rejoice in Persecution, is taken from his article “Suffering: The Sacrifice of Christian Hedonism” which is featured in Voice of the Martyrs book “The Triumphant Church”.
Joy in suffering comes not only from
- Focusing on our reward, and
- The solidifying effect of suffering on our assurance, but also from
- The promise that joy in suffering will secure eternal joy in the future.
The apostle Peter expressed it like this:
Rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. (1 Peter 4:13).
Joy now in suffering is the appointed pathway to the final rejoicing at the revelation of Christ. Peter is calling us to pursue joy now in suffering (he commands it!) so that we will be found among those who rejoice exceedingly at the coming of Christ .
Life can be really tough and many of us struggle just to keep our heads above water. When you are struggling, remember that “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17).
All of John Piper’s sermons, books, articles and other resources are available for free at DesiringGod.com
Related Posts
John Piper | Persecution Deepens Assurance
In August-September 2011, John Piper is in Australia to preach at a number of events hosted by KCC. This blog series, 5 Reasons to Rejoice in Persecution, is taken from his article “Suffering: The Sacrifice of Christian Hedonism” which is featured in Voice of the Martyrs book “The Triumphant Church”.
Joy in affliction is rooted in the hope of resurrection, but our experience of suffering also deepens the root of that hope.
For example, Paul says:
We exult in our affliction, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance produces proven genuineness, and genuineness produces hope. (Romans 5:3-4)
Here Paul’s joy is not merely rooted in his great reward, but in the effect of suffering to solidify his hope in that reward. Afflictions produce endurance and endurance produces a sense that our faith is real and genuine, and that strengthens our hope that we will indeed gain Christ.
Richard Wurmbrand (founder of Voice of the Martyrs) describes how one may survive the moments of excruciating pain of torture for Christ.
You have been so much tortured, nothing counts any more. If nothing counts any more, my survival doesn’t count either. If nothing counts any more, the fact that I should not have pain also does not count.
Draw this last conclusion at the stage at which you have arrived and you will see that you will overcome this moment of crisis. If you have overcome this one moment of crisis, it gives you an intense inner joy. You feel that Christ has been with you in that decisive moment.
The “intense joy” comes from the sense that you endured with the help of Christ. You have been proven in the fire and you have come through as genuine. You did not recant. Christ is real in your life. He is for you the all-satisfying God that He claims to be.
This is what the apostles seemed to experience according to Acts 5:41 when, after being beaten, “the apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.”
The joy came from the thought that their faith was regarded by God as real and ready to be proved in the fire of affliction.
From your own experience, has suffering deepened your assurance? Pray now that when you suffer trials of many kinds, God will help you to endure and that your faith will grow.
All of John Piper’s sermons, books, articles and other resources are available for free at DesiringGod.com
