Live for Jesus today (3)

There are two major types of Christian persecution going on in the world right now: the 'smash' type, where Christians are violently tortured and murdered, and the more gradual 'squeeze' type, where society pressures Christians out of self-expression and the general leading of societal roles, events and projects.

What can we as fellow Christians do to counteract this? First up, we cannot respond with violence or hatred in the face of oppression or violence against Christians. That's not what Jesus did. He told us to cling to God, and respond with bottomless love. Next, and importantly - let's do what we can to help. Let's not lose sight of the fact that the Church is still proclaiming Jesus as Lord and bringing people to life in him. Jesus is the King of kings and he defeated the enemy on the cross. Jesus saw persecution coming and told his followers to expect it. But he is not expecting it to stop the growth of the Church: 'His power will never end; peace will last forever' (Isaiah 9:7 CEV).

But, as believers we're part of a family that's being horribly treated. What do we do when we hear that someone in our family has been hurt or attacked? We drop everything and do whatever we can to help them.



So what now? Want to be part of showing the never-ending power and peace of God's Kingdom? There are many churches and charities doing good work to help persecuted Christians. Do your research, and see which you could get alongside, either to support financially or in prayer.





— SCRIPTURE —

'His power will never end; peace will last forever.' Isaiah 9:7 CEV
— SOULFOOD —

Jer 45-48, Luke 24:45-53, Ps 50:1-15, Pro 10:8-10