Post by Admin on Sept 27, 2018 6:50:28 GMT
Tonight’s discussion centered on Jesus’ words to a congregation (in Smyrna) which suffered persecution, so we opened with some information about contemporary persecution of Christians in the world. The topic had come up in service last Sunday, in connection with Christians speaking out about their faith. Priest Frei shared information he had from OpenDoorsUSA.org and Linda mentioned the work of Voice of the Martyrs. Both organizations provide prayer prompts and accept donations to support evangelists and distribution of scripture in places like North Korea, Sudan, and Pakistan. Here is an excerpt from OpenDoors:
The morning of Sunday, July 22, 10 plain-clothes Iranian police officers raided the home of Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani in Iran’s northern city of Rasht, brutally attacking both him and his teenage son, Danial. When Danial answered the door and started to call for his father, officers attacked him with an electroshock weapon, leaving him motionless. When Youcef came in, they attacked him with the same weapon and then beat him—despite the fact that Yousef, nor his son, “offered any resistance,” Article 18’s Kiaa Aalipour told World Watch Monitor.
Yousef, a convert from Islam, is now serving a 10-year sentence in Evin Prison (aka the “dark hole of evil”) in the capital city of Tehran, convicted of “acting against national security” by running house churches (the maximum sentence for the charge is supposed to be six years imprisonment). Reportedly, the 39-year-old pastor was held in quarantine in a ward known for its especially difficult and unhygienic conditions—where “prisoners of conscience” are often taken for “punishment purposes.” Fellow convert and church leader Mohammadreza Omidi was also sentenced to 10 years, along with Yousef–as well as 80 lashes for drinking wine during communion. He is serving his 10-year sentence in Evin Prison while he awaits the outcome of his appeal against the impending beatings. The pastors are among many Iranian Christians who in recent months have been arrested and imprisoned, typically on charges of “acting against national security.” In Iran (#10 on the World Watch List), being an Iranian and expressing your Christian faith—especially when that expression involves being part of a house church—is an inevitable invitation to arrest often followed by prison terms.
This sets the scene for the persecution suffered by Christians in Smyrna. We discussed some points that were clear from the text: for example, Jesus was reinforcing for them that He is lord over death and has proved the truth of the resurrection, and therefore they should not fear physical death. He also comforts them that their internal conditions make them rich, even when their external situation is dire. By suggesting that they will suffer persecution for a set number of days, Jesus seems to be clarifying that the troubles they face have a season, a termination point. He also assures that the devil is behind the persecution, and that the suffering which they face will translate to benefits under God’s hand.
We felt that these letters from Jesus to the churches are also letters from Jesus to us right now. With that thought and the discussion of the evening, Jennifer shared a salient observation. Jesus is advising us to get comfortable with the reality that bad things will happen – maybe not persecution per se, instead trauma, undermining of our faith, tragedy, financial crisis – and that we need to hang on to Jesus advice: it will not last forever; our strength and resource is internal with the help of the Holy Spirit; we are looking to eternity with God, not momentary success on Earth.
The morning of Sunday, July 22, 10 plain-clothes Iranian police officers raided the home of Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani in Iran’s northern city of Rasht, brutally attacking both him and his teenage son, Danial. When Danial answered the door and started to call for his father, officers attacked him with an electroshock weapon, leaving him motionless. When Youcef came in, they attacked him with the same weapon and then beat him—despite the fact that Yousef, nor his son, “offered any resistance,” Article 18’s Kiaa Aalipour told World Watch Monitor.
Yousef, a convert from Islam, is now serving a 10-year sentence in Evin Prison (aka the “dark hole of evil”) in the capital city of Tehran, convicted of “acting against national security” by running house churches (the maximum sentence for the charge is supposed to be six years imprisonment). Reportedly, the 39-year-old pastor was held in quarantine in a ward known for its especially difficult and unhygienic conditions—where “prisoners of conscience” are often taken for “punishment purposes.” Fellow convert and church leader Mohammadreza Omidi was also sentenced to 10 years, along with Yousef–as well as 80 lashes for drinking wine during communion. He is serving his 10-year sentence in Evin Prison while he awaits the outcome of his appeal against the impending beatings. The pastors are among many Iranian Christians who in recent months have been arrested and imprisoned, typically on charges of “acting against national security.” In Iran (#10 on the World Watch List), being an Iranian and expressing your Christian faith—especially when that expression involves being part of a house church—is an inevitable invitation to arrest often followed by prison terms.
This sets the scene for the persecution suffered by Christians in Smyrna. We discussed some points that were clear from the text: for example, Jesus was reinforcing for them that He is lord over death and has proved the truth of the resurrection, and therefore they should not fear physical death. He also comforts them that their internal conditions make them rich, even when their external situation is dire. By suggesting that they will suffer persecution for a set number of days, Jesus seems to be clarifying that the troubles they face have a season, a termination point. He also assures that the devil is behind the persecution, and that the suffering which they face will translate to benefits under God’s hand.
We felt that these letters from Jesus to the churches are also letters from Jesus to us right now. With that thought and the discussion of the evening, Jennifer shared a salient observation. Jesus is advising us to get comfortable with the reality that bad things will happen – maybe not persecution per se, instead trauma, undermining of our faith, tragedy, financial crisis – and that we need to hang on to Jesus advice: it will not last forever; our strength and resource is internal with the help of the Holy Spirit; we are looking to eternity with God, not momentary success on Earth.