Hammer on Anvil '

"Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated. The world was not worthy of them" (Hebrews 11:36-38).

What a sobering passage -- and how starkly different we Christians in America live! Is our behavior as Christ followers so like our Lord's that people can truthfully say, "The world was not worthy of them"? For me personally, the answer is a resounding NO.

I much prefer to be surrounded by comfort. I have a precious family -- a wonderful husband, sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren, as well as extended family that is very dear to me. Can't I just focus on all the good things in my life and not think about suffering and persecution?

No, I can't. Hebrews 13:3 exhorts us: "Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering." I am to REMEMBER them -- not put it out of my mind because it's uncomfortable to think about.

Saeed Abedini is an American pastor who has been imprisoned in Iran since 2012. In September, he wrote a beautiful letter to his daughter on her eighth birthday. In it, he addresses questions we all have asked of God at one time or another:

God is in control of the whole world and everything that is happening in it is for His good purpose, for His glory, and will be worked out for our good (Romans 8:28). Jesus allows me to be kept here for His glory. He is doing something inside each of us and also outside in the world. People die and suffer for their Christian faith all over the world and some may wonder why? But you should know the answer of WHY is WHO. It is for Jesus. He is worth the price. And He has a plan to be glorified through our lives...The confusion of “WHY has all of this happened?” and “WHY your prayers are not answered yet” is resolved with understanding WHO is in control…LORD JESUS CHRIST, our GOD!

"The answer of why is WHO." Saeed stressed this more than once in his letter. I think the point he is trying to make is that our focus should not be on circumstances and why they are happening, but on Who is in control.

Our pastor is currently preaching a series of sermons on Revelation, and recently talked about the fifth seal:

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”

This is the cry of my heart as I pray for pastors like Saeed, who has a wife and two children. It is the cry of my heart for dear friends who are currently in one of the biggest battles of their lives, assailed by what Scripture calls "fiery darts" of the enemy -- but in their case those darts seem more like javelins piercing their hearts. They are waging a major spiritual battle, and my husband and I are in it with them. As our pastor asked, "How long, Sovereign Lord?", I suddenly began to weep. I had no control over it -- the Holy Spirit came upon me and I began to weep quietly for all those who are being tormented and harassed by the one who comes to steal, kill and destroy.

It is wonderful to have blessings -- and I have far too many to count. But as you gather with family and friends this Christmas, take time to pray for those less fortunate. Remember Pastor Saeed and his wife and kids. Remember Hannelie Groenewald, a physician whose husband and two children were killed just last week by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Werner Groenewald was a South African aid worker who had been helping Afghans through education and development projects since 2002. Remember men, women and children who are victims of human  trafficking. Remember the families left behind when their loved ones are senselessly killed, victims of police brutality.

I don't intend to be morbid, but it's so easy to get lost in the frivolity of the holiday season that we almost forget -- in my case I WANT to forget -- that fellow believers are dying out there. Take time to educate yourself by visiting Voice of the Martyrs or Open Doors. Dare to sign up for their e-mail updates, so you can be equipped to pray more intentionally and effectively. 

Our intercession may be the lifeline our brothers and sisters need to hang on and endure.

They called the apostles in, beat them, and told them not to speak in the name of Jesus again. Then they let them go free. The apostles left the meeting full of joy because they were given the honor of suffering disgrace for Jesus (Acts 5:40,41, NCV).

I have never been able to wrap my brain around this passage of Scripture. The disciples were merely doing what Jesus commissioned them to do, and they were imprisoned, beaten, and threatened with worse. That part I understand; we are not to be greater than our Master, and since He suffered, we will suffer.

Their response is what baffles and humiliates me -- they rejoiced! When I insert myself into this passage and try to imagine what my own response would be, I confess it would not be nearly so noble. I enjoy my comfort way too much to be imprisoned and beaten. And I would complain loudly that I did nothing to deserve such treatment!

How about you? Does the thought of being "worthy to suffer shame for His name" cause you to rejoice? Or are you of the "all things in moderation" persuasion -- where faith is private and tidily compartmentalized and so shallow that it could never possibly get you into any trouble?

I doubt any of us has had to endure what the disciples did. To some of us, "persecution" might mean a coworker ribbing us about our faith, or one of our children being teased at school for reading their Bible in the cafeteria. Perhaps you experience chronic health problems, and bemoan that you are suffering persecution. But none of our everyday annoyances comes even close to what our brothers and sisters around the world are suffering. We don't have to meet in secret to hold a church service. Our church affiliation does not make us targets to be thrown into prison, tortured or killed.

Sometimes harassment comes from your own "camp" -- well-meaning Christian brothers and sisters who don't understand your zeal and passion for God, and encourage you to "cool it" when you get "out of control." A precious friend of mine is undergoing some of this right now -- God has put her in a place where gay people are drawn to her, and she loves them with the love of Jesus. Does she try to change them? No -- she knows that is not her job. She is a free-flowing conduit through which Jesus can touch others, because her heart is surrendered to Him. And she gets lambasted by the Pharisees who think she should judge the gay people and convince them they are headed for hell.

When my husband was fired from his job as a reporter at a small-town newspaper because he started a local right-to-life group, a well-meaning friend said that was the closest thing to persecution that he had ever witnessed. But John was quick to assure him that losing his job was a far cry from being persecuted for his faith. He merely took a stand for his religious convictions, and was fired.

I guess the question we all need to ask ourselves is one that is difficult to consider: Are we so sold out to Jesus and His purposes that we are willing to die for our faith? Are we willing to go wherever God asks us to go, and spread His Word boldly, even if that means risking bodily harm or even death? Is our relationship with Jesus strong enough to withstand such persecution, or would we lose heart and recant our faith?

Let us endeavor to possess a faith so vital that we, along with the Apostle Paul, can say, "To live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21).