Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016
IT TAKES INCREDIBLE COURAGE
"Three
days later he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had
assembled, Paul said to them, 'My brothers, although I have done nothing
against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was
arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans.'" - Acts 28:17
When publicizing the annual
mission conference at our church, there are usually some missionaries
whose last names we can’t print or even mention the location where they
are serving. This is because if it becomes known that they are
missionaries, they could be expelled from the country, imprisoned, or
even killed.
Paul was keenly aware of the
dangers of sharing Christ, and we cannot forget that our missionaries
still face very real persecution – a fact that has hit close to home
several times over the past few years. During the last seven years, we
have seen a 400 percent increase in persecution on the mission field.
Rarely a week goes by that we don’t hear of missionaries being beaten,
pastors hospitalized and churches destroyed. And there are many
persecutions that are taking place right now, today, as you are reading
this devotion.
Persecution of Christian
missionaries didn’t end with the lions in Rome. It continues today,
throughout the world, led by a legion of groups that hate the Lord and
all who spread His Word. We need to pray for our missionaries, support
their mission, and honor their incredible courage.
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