Read I Thessalonians 2:1-3:13
“You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those
churches suffered from the Jews, who killed the Lord Jesus
and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God
and are hostile to all men in their effort to keep us from
speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved.”
(I Thessalonians 2:14-15)
Thoughts… Mostly likely, you and I have never suffered for our faith—really suffered. We suffer when the doughnuts don’t show up for church, or the sermon goes to long, but for the most part, we don’t really pay a heavy price for our faith.
Other believers do, however. Even as you are reading this blog, Christians are being persecuted in other parts of the world simply for believing in Jesus Christ as their Savior and for sharing the Good News. I was recently in Ethiopia, and spoke with a young man whose uncle had been recently martyred for his faith. Here is how it happen:
A preacher named Tesfy (not his real name—he is still under scrutiny and even in the remote villages of Ethiopia, Internet postings can still be read and the information used against the believers) brought the Gospel to this young man’s village, a community dominated by Islam. A Muslim man named Bekele (the young man’s uncle), Bekele’s wife and 8 children, along with several of his extended family, all joyfully received Jesus Christ as their personal savior.
The Muslim leaders of the village were angered by Bekele’s conversion. They came to his house the following week to demand that Bekele renounce his faith in Jesus and return to the mosque by week’s end. To make their point, they beat Bekele, but this new convert remained strong in his infant faith. The transformation in his life was so profound that even though he was just days old in the Lord, he began to witness to these Muslim persecutors. He told them that they, too, needed to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.
Ignoring the Muslim leaders’ demands, Bekele didn’t return to the mosque as demanded, so the following evening, several men armed with clubs and knives came to his house. After beating his wife, they turned their anger on Bekele, but he remained strong. They were so enraged at his refusal to recant his faith in Jesus that they slit his throat. Bekele, less than a week old in the Christian faith, and having received very little instruction in the way of Christ, remained true to Jesus. On that day, Bekele bled to death, the first Christian martyr in this newly evangelized area.
This led to a wave of persecution in the region. Homes were burned and harvests destroyed, leaving believers with no means of support. Many churches were torched and both pastors and parishioners were beaten.
Yet in the face of such severe trial, the new converts in this area have tenaciously clung to their faith. In fact, Bekele’s nephew now pastors the church in this village, and it is growing. Some of the very people who have persecuted the Christians are now Christians themselves. Throughout this region, revival has broken out. Truly, the blood of this martyrs has become the seed of the church.
This story reminds us that just because the suffering Paul speaks of is rare in our country, it is certainly not rare for our Christian brothers and sisters around the world. In fact, I would venture to say that when you consider the panorama of church history, the believer who doesn’t suffer for Christ is the exception rather than the rule. As Paul taught in I Thessalonians 3:4, “we warned you troubles would come.” In Philippians 1:29, Paul said, “It has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him.”
Since the beginning of the church, Christians have suffered. They have been rejected, beaten, imprisoned, and killed. That’s what they do best. Within three hundred years of the birth of the church, beginning with only a ragtag band of twelve disciples, Christ’s church overtook the once hostile Roman Empire, converting it to Christianity. How did they do it? Not by fielding an army or gaining political power or suiing for their rights. All they did was to suffer and die. That’s what Christians seem to do best. And that’s what makes them-that’s what makes us so powerful. Tertullian, a brilliant Christian apologist, said in the third century, “The blood of the martrys is the seed of the church.”
Of course, that doesn’t negate the reality of the pain and devastation suffering brings. So could I encourage you to take a moment to pray for the persecuted church today. Perhaps you might even pray for Bekele’s nephew who is now pastoring this church full of new converts.
While you are at it, say thanks to God for the country you live in where freedom of religion is still possible. And if you are called upon to suffer today-suffer in a way that brings glory to Jesus.
Prayer… Dear Father, I pray for all the believers around the world who are undergoing persecution, hardship and suffering. Strengthen them for the battle, encourage them in spirit, give them boldness to speak for Christ, and use their hardship as the seeds of revival in their community. Lord, hold them close to your heart.
One More Thing… “When you suffer and lose, that does not mean you are being disobedient to God. In fact, it might mean you’re right in the center of His will. The path of obedience is often marked by times of suffering and loss.” —Charles Swindoll