Dear Sisters and Brothers,Micah 6:8 He has showed you ,O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
I am writing this not because I am suffering, I am concerned about the type of teaching that believers talk, and how it affects our brethren even I have read things some things on this list which I find sad (Lots I find very good, thankyou!). I am not trying to have a go at anyone in particular, but more trying to expose the limits of particular types of teaching to the church as a whole, those in comfort and those who are suffering for the sake of our Lord and Saviour, Yeshua. As the days of this age draw to a close and the unfolding of the days ahead approach us I thought it timely to consider things closely. The examples I give are from people I know personally, and love and are not to judge in a condemning way but for weighing against scripture.
This "constant deliverance", word-faith and prosperity teaching popular and is prevalent in many western churches, but how do you feel for your brothers and sisters in the Lord who are suffering persecution in countries around the globe? Do you tell them they just need a bit more faith when Yeshua himself said if you have the faith of a mustard seed it is enough to move a mountain? You were born in a place that has had remarkable comfort, your brothers and sisters were born into strife, through no fault of their own. Do you consider it a blessing, and them cursed?
My heart aches when I hear Christians who love the Lord at times bragging that they are so blessed. Very rarely do they give God the glory, rarely do they give without expecting to receive. When they talk of being blessed it seems to be more about glorifying themselves in it, no sign of true humility. They appear to consider themselves above Christians who have not come to their level of so called faith and level of prosperity. I have seen these Christians hurt a person who is suffering cancer in extreme pain tell them they need more faith..."So and so was healed because she had strong faith."
I'm sorry, but I have seen many great believers full of faith die from disease, some through their own wrong choices of living, others through no fault of their own, and not for lack of faith or prayer. People die, people get sick, people suffer. If you are so blessed why is that? Have you been more faithful than your sisters and brothers, do you have more faith? Do you give more money than they? Do you preach the gospel and give to the poor, or is it that you give to ministries that promise you blessings and constant deliverance? Are you more spiritual than the apostle Paul, who himself suffered even unto death? I have seen people healed too (me one of them), but why does He heal one and not another? Surely, we cannot understand why.I cannot explain why westerners have thus far lived in so much comfort compared to other countries, certainly some more comfortable than others, and why we have had so much religious freedom....It cannot be that we have done anything better than our sisters and brothers in the Lord who live in countries that they are not free and are under severe persecution. Many of our forefathers were not professing Christians, some were free masons etc, some were convicts and did atrocities to the people who were living in the lands before whites arrived. In the last hundred years more Christians have suffered, even martyred than all the other centuries since the time of Christ. Just because you are comfortable, does not mean our beloved brethren are not suffering.
Perhaps you have some words of encouragement for our little sisters in Sudan who are stolen from their Christian families and sold for $15 to a Muslim family as a slave or concubine? The husbands and even young sons are rounded up and taken away, many shot, hacked to death, burned and killed, limbs hacked off, even little babies, their mothers and sisters raped. Their houses burned, and little boys are retrained brainwashed in jihad and sent back to their towns to kill their own families. The world just stands back and doesn't even do anything, it barely gets a mention on the news, and rarely does like for our sisters in brothers in Indonesia, where their churches are bombed and burned. Our brothers and sisters in China who have to "mouth" the words of praise to our Lord because if they were to shout or sing to the Lord they would be imprisoned. People hate Christians because of Yeshua. Christians on many lands around the globe are suffering this moment. I worked with an Egyptian who had fled Egypt when his brother and his wife were hacked to death in front of their own children inside their shop because they were Christians, they left that country and arrived here with nothing. Now in Cairo a man is in a mental hospital until he renounces his faith in Jesus Christ, put there by his family. In Nigeria, the suffering is terrible.
So many people are suffering, and dying, trials and tribulations,many of them our brethren who love the Lord with all that they have. While so many Christians think they are so blessed in their comfort and relative peace and safety. We live in a wicked dark world, where no one is immune to the effects of that wickedness, but then again...I know lots of people who simply are unaware of anything that doesn't affect them personally, they are "blissfully blessed", and the blessing does not overflow those who are suffering or in need.
Our dear Saviour purchased your freedom from the wages of our sin. He did not promise we would never suffer, but we might for a little while, that little while can be many years. Be faithful even unto death, and you will receive a crown of life.
2 Timothy 3:12 Infact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
Perhaps this verse is saying if we have not suffered is not because we are so blessed, but perhaps we are not living a truly godly life?
Matt5:11,12 Blessed are you when people insult you, and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
The other mistake Christians sometimes make is that if they are suffering the consequences of their own choices they call that persecution or spiritual attack. Sometimes Christians can be insensitive to unbelievers and reap trouble, but not because of Christ, but because of themselves. We need to be careful about falsely claiming persecution, when it is nothing more than troubles of life. I think that is insulting people who really suffer for Christ's sake, and to those who suffer the same problems and are not even Christians. Trouble isn't always sent either, sometimes you have circumstances beyond your control, or even because of the sin of others. Think of someone who is beaten or raped, or robbed, these things happen to Christians and non Christians too.
I know of a family very close to me, the mother deeply loves the Lord and was beaten kicked out of the house by her husband many times if she couldn't pay the bills with her lowpaying job (one day her bag was stolen from her desk at work ) that her husband couldn't pay the bills either because he was in over his head with business debt that he kept growing in his quest for millions. The woman honoured her husband, and submitted to him more than any lady I have known before. Why does God sometimes allow that sort of suffering, and yet some Christians are so harsh and uncaring, when they have somehow gone through life without much suffering at all? Beats me. But, I don't think it is because they lacked faith, or didn't claim a better life. Our days are numbered in His hands, but does that mean we will never be sad, or desperate for a way out?
Christians often die or suffer in accidents, illness, poverty etc, it happens...and claiming anything else would be, of course- a lie! If you have not suffered, wonderful! It is lovely if you can sleep in peace and comfort every night, but what about those poor people who cannot? Don't think it is because you have learned the secret of protecting your life, and because you can "name it- and claim it", and that you live in perfect deliverance. If you think you have a message that would help our sisters and brothers who are persecuted and relieve them from their "unnecessary" pain, then you had better go and tell them. Do you really believe so much in that message that there should be no suffering at all for believers and that if they believe this wor-faith stuff they too will become little gods and escape persecution and be blessed with fancy houses cars and money and beautiful clothes? Is this the sort of thing Christians should look for?
I have a dear friend she is a strong believer and full of faith, she gives so much physically, financially, prayerfully. One morning with her other friend my dear friend couldn't breathe...she was suffering a severe asthma attack, she pleaded with her friend to help her, and her friend refused to believe that she was having an asthma attack...and said"you need more faith, you don't have asthma, don't say that you do, you are well now breathe!". My friend almost died and she was terrified. She still has asthma, and has done everything to eliminate allergens changed her diet, everything in addition to faith and seeking healing. Sometimes God allows it for a purpose for what we do not understand. That isn't always comfort to a sufferer either, so what should our attitude be? We need to pray for those suffering and help them in whatever way we are able, with the leading of the Holy Spirit. Bear their burdens and share in their pain, listen and weep and mourn with them, or just pray.
I have a dear sister in law who is a Christian and very much into Word-faith teaching. One day the car broke down and she was so angry at her husband because he didn't remember to take the tithe the Sunday before, and she assumed that God was punishing them because of that. I'm sure God understood.
Some people can be so arrogant in thinking they live in this "untouchable zone", like a force field. You may suffer emotionally physically and you may feel abandoned in seemingly unbearable circumstances like our poor imprisoned brothers and sisters, practically rotting away in gaols, hungry, cold, hot, wet. They cannot provide for their families, who bears their burden for them? Even if someone wants to help they have to do it in secret and they themselves have to go without, or may be imprisoned and beaten and tortured, smeared with excrement.
Tortured for Christ, Richard Wurmbrand pg 137,
We must provide help for the families of Christian martyrs. Tens of thousands of such families are suffering in an indescribably tragic way. When a member of a Underground church is arrested a terrible drama strikes his family. It is highly illegal for anyone to help them. This is very well planned by the communists to increase he suffering of the wife and children left behind. When a Christian goes to prison -and often death and torture- the suffering only begins. His family suffers endlessly. I can tell for a fact, that if rank-and-file Christians in the free world had not sent me and my family help, we would never have survived and lived to be with you and write these words!
We might escape the Great tribulation, but do not forget our sisters and brothers who are suffering greatly in trials and tribulations beyond what you can imagine right now. So if you are in a position that is of comfort and safety, how can we help our sisters and brothers? Perhaps we will be surprised who is raptured after all. Maybe, some of us will have to wash our robes through the great tribulation, because we did not do more to help and were like the Laodecians who said they were rich (blessed) and were in need of nothing, oblivious and hard and cold to those we have forgotten about who are suffering for Christ's sake. Do you stop to consider what you buy? Do you really need that thing or that holiday, could you send the money to someone who could need it more than you. I think we bear a responsibility when we have more than we really need. Could you sell your house, and get something smaller, less fancy or rent? Could you drive a cheaper, older car? Could you eat a more simple meal or go without? Could you go without the excesses that we take for granted for the sake of a sister or brother?
Do not forget your sisters and brothers, pray for them, support missions that help them, but do not forget or abandon them in your comfort. The days are short and we will be called to account for what we did with what we have been given....does that scare you? It does me, because I have made many selfish choices without regard for my sisters and brothers in the Lord! Personally, I think I have a long way to go before I think I would be found worthy to escape all the things to come, and I would not be surprised if many prisons, towns and villages, refugee camps are emptied in the rapture, and many churches will still have every pew filled. Many churches will be empty for apostasy...not rapture.
We are living in days when our freedoms are fast becoming uncertain, we cannot guarantee that none of us will not suffer, when we see our brethren suffering. I still believe in miracles, and that our Lord and Saviour is coming soon for a Bride who is dressed and ready, with her lamp trimmed and full of oil.
http://www.persecution.com/members/prayerroom/index.cfm read some prayer requests and pray.
Well, this probably was not the encouraging word that you would have liked to read, but I pray that whatever is of the Lord will sink deeply into your heart, and anything of me will be forgotten.
Even so, come Lord Jesus.
Elisa
"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these,you did not do for me.' Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." Matt 25:45,46