Persecuted for Christ

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12, ESV)

This to me does not sound like a promising piece of scripture. No one wants to be persecuted. The reality is, that many are persecuted for their faith in Jesus. Paul who pen most of the New Testament was persecuted, thrown in jail, but he continued to push on and speak the truth. Recently Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani was put to death in Iran because of his faith. He was persecuted because of his belief in Jesus and turning away from Islam. He could have end the persecution, by simply denouncing the Christian faith, but he could not, because he knew it to be the truth.

In America we have it easy. We are not typically persecuted for our faith as long as we are in the US. We lose touch with the rest of the world. There are many around the globe that meet in secret at night to study God’s Word. If they were discovered they could be killed immediately. You and I don’t have that fear. They worry about losing their lives and families, but we worry about what to wear to church and where we want to eat after wards. Many of the underground church worry about if they will have anything to eat.

If we are unable to venture to these areas to help, we must join together to pray for these churches that are holding strong to their faith in God through Christ Jesus. As I grow older, I find myself having more of a heart to want to make changes. I know that this is God placing a burden on me, so that I will want to help in some way. I also want us to remember that there are many in our own country that need our help and support. Through Jesus we can make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate.