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shocking

If I entered over 50 countries in this world today and lived life as I know it, I would be a criminal.
That's a very sobering thought.
The newspaper had an article about Christians in Indonesia this past week, and how they are being slaughtered in certain cities because of the mass baptisms they had. Almost every year, a few months after the Family Fun Fest, our church has a baptism service celebrating the new believers. Can you imagine if one week after that baptism service took place, over half of the people who attended were dead, and the other half severely injured?
During our Patriotic Service Sunday, our pastor prayed for the leaders of our country, for God to be with them, and for them to have their eyes opened to who God truly is. Can you imagine the horror if this week we had the police behind the pulpit, Pastor Mike in prison with visitation rights from family and lawyer denied, his family kicked out of their home and suddenly without income?
Such things sound absolutely crazy, and yet they happen weekly all over the world.

I implore you to pray for such believers today, specifically for one certain pastor and his family:
  • that the government officials would miraculously release him from prison soon
  • that his wife and lawyer would be able to see him
  • that God would give him favor with prison officials
  • that his faith would remain strong
  • that his 15 year old son would not remain bitter and would come to find the "Peace that passes understanding"
  • that God would miraculously provide for the family's needs
  • that God would not cause this family to lose favor in society
  • that the shining light this family has maintained will draw even more believers to the Light of the World
I don't understand. I live in the land of plenty, the land of freedom, and the land of opportunity. And folks who do the exact same things I do, with half the resources and time, go to jail for it.

Oh, Lord, please forgive me for my complaining, when so many of brothers and sisters around the world are suffering so badly.

www.persecutedchurch.org
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