Christmas and New Year (part II). Persecution and Victory. (Marttyyrien ääni, RLPB). Nigeria!
"The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand." (Ps. 37:23-24 ESV)
- Elizabeth Kendal writes on her blog: "Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin" (581) the following in summary:
"Without a doubt, the message of the Gospel (Good News) is sweet: 'For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.' (John 3:16,17 ESV)." --- "Yes, the sweetness of salvation is commonly followed by the bitterness of persecution. After all, both are integral to the cosmic spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:12) - a battle which Christ has already won (Colossians 2:13-15)" --- "we must always remember that, for many new believers, life is bitter. Indeed, conversion is where their battle begins! Rescued from the doomed kingdom of darkness, they are now free to live for God in the kingdom of light, except that they live behind enemy lines where the cost of discipleship is high. Maybe they live in North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Tibet, Afghanistan or Somalia where the church has been forced deep underground. Maybe they live on a spiritual front line where the battle is raging, such as in Egypt, Mesopotamia (Syria-Iraq) or the Caucuses (Armenia, Artsakh, Azerbaijan) where the world's most ancient Christian peoples are under sustained attack. Maybe they live in a village in Northern Nigeria, India's northern tribal belt, or a city anywhere in Iran where Satan is desperately fighting a losing battle to keep his disillusioned captives in! Or maybe they live in a household deeply hostile to Christianity; a household long captive to Islam, Eastern religion, or atheism and scientific materialism; a household into which our gracious Lord Jesus is reaching."
RLPB 581 Pressing through the 'bitter' (Rev. 10:9-10) : Read full text!
***
- Marttyyrien ääni kirjoitaa: "Maissa, joissa kristityt ovat vainottuja tai syrjittyjä, joulu ja muut tärkeät kristilliset juhlapäivät voivat olla erityisen vaikeaa tai vaarallista aikaa. Kuinka siis sujui tämä joulu?"
- Seuraavat maat ja paikat mainitaan: Nigeria, Gaza, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kiina
Marttyyrien ääni: "Joulu 2020 maailmalla"
***
Nigeria: The Christian Post: "Church leaders abducted, Christians killed in Nigeria during Christmas week
***
Foto: KL
Inga kommentarer:
Skicka en kommentar