Heart Retching

I recently read a report by Barnabas Fund about Eritrean believers who are being brutally tortured and murdered by the Egyptian military. What makes this report so heart retching is these are precious saints who are trying to escape religious persecution in their own country

Eritrea is a small country in the horn of Africa. It is on the Straits of Harmoz surrounded by Samalia and Ethiopia. Eritrea has a Soviet style dictatorship with complete allegiance demanded to the state. In 2002 the Eritrean government ordered the closing of all evanglical churches. Then the goverment began the persecution of Christians.

Presently there is an evangelical presence in Eritrea but the government has begun a purge of all Christianss. The believers are imprisoned in shipping containers and holes in the ground, often in the most deplorable of conditions. I detailed these conditions in a post entitled Testimony of a Shipping Container. I invite you to read it if it can still be accessed. I might add that the U S which has an embassy in Eritrea has done very little to raise concern over the persecution of Christians. Presently experts are now ranking Eritrea as number 2 on the watch list in persecution of Christians. N. Korea presently is number 1.

Many Eritreans believers are making the dangerous 1000 mile journey to Israel to seek sanctuary. Very few make it. Often they are captured, tortured, imprisoned, or murdered by the Egyptian military. Others are kidnapped by desert Bedouins and held for exhorbtant ransoms that the average Eritrean cannot afford. Many are raped and tortured. Unconfirmed reports are coming out that many are having their organs forcably removed to be sold on the black market.

Some of you may be asking why are you posting this? This is depressing. Yes it is and my heart breaks for these precoois saints. I am trying to call this forum to the reality that there is a persecuted church outside of SI. Might I suggest that there is something far greater than doctrinal debate. The reality of a suffering church.

What I have reported can be googled and verified. If we can let us remember the precious Eritrean saints in our prayers.

Posted by Blaine Scogin

The Apostles and the Church from the very beginning dealt with BOTH - false doctrines coming into the Church AND martyrdom.

There is no reason why we cannot fast, pray and send money to The Voice of the Martyrs or Missionaries in these countries and deal with the doctrines that the Apostles upheld and died for and fight those heresies that their written words condemned.

IF we are persecuted - it will be over the TRUTH of His Word and for not compromising with the forming one world church that left sound doctrine for "peace and unity".

Nothing is stopping any of us from fasting, praying and giving however we can to help our persecuted brethren, but something wants to stop us from defending the faith once delivered.

As the early church was being killed, the leaders of The Church were writing books entitled "Against Heresies", etc, at the same time, and it will be that way until He returns.

If we don't have both - we'll lose more than just our lives.
If we lose the truth and purity of The Word of GOD that the Church has always died to maintain, we will compromise or lose faith when our time comes.

Jesus never promoted leaving the defence of sound doctrine for anything else on earth.

Read the New Testament of what the Apostles were speaking about the most, even after James, Stephen and so many others had already been killed for The Word of GOD.
What were the Apostles doing during the time that Rome and the Pharisees were putting others to death?
Defending The Truth - and that is the charge to The Church and that has always been a death sentence, since the days of the O.T. prophets.

We are called to pray for the Saints 'everywhere' and we are called to protect The Truth of His Word, for their sake.

Few love the truth and few are willing to stick their neck out to protect their brothers from doctrines of demons.
If we fear our fellow Christians so much that we won't stand up against heresies and doctrines of demons - how will we stand up against the world when they come to take our lives?

My sister, in all due respect , the truth does not need our defense. God's word is powerful enough to defend itself. That being said the most powerful defense or apologetic to the gospel is a changed life. I spoke with a Pakistani army colonel who had been marvelously converted to Christ. He was a former Moslem jihadist. His words to me with a wonderful smile were I have seen Jesus. One vision of Jesus Christ was what turned this man of hate to a man of love. Now this brother is witnessing to other moslems about the transforming love of Christ.

A few months ago I read an account of some precious saints on Nigeria. The author of the article said these folks could not give answers to the various Bible stories or give a defense of Calvinism or Arminianism or dare I say the KJV. Yet when a Moslem extremist would come after them and swing a machetti or point a gun and say give the Islamic confession. Their response would be JESUS IS LORD. Suddenly their theology becomes very deep and very accurate.

Daily believers in Eritrea and other parts of the world are tempted with better lives if they would but renounce the name of Jesus Christ and sward allegiance to________and you can fill in the blank.

My sister we do not need to defend the truth. Truth will defend itself when it finds a willing heart ready to embrace and live it. If we believe heresies are of Satan then remember that the devil is over come by the blood of the lamb, the word of our testimony, and loving not our lives even into death. This is what the persecuted teach us.

Posted by Blaine Scogin

We're told to do both dear Brother. I feel like a fool having to say this but in order to show that we are to do both - plus Evangelise the lost ... the LORD had me to go on a 7+ year fast that started in 2002 for the suffering in these other countries, of one small meal a day. He led me to eat a bit more just before moving here in 2010, in order to have more strength to help my 92 yr old Dad. Now I can eat 1 meal and some days a snack besides.
The Apostles Paul, John, Peter and Jude speak mainly on countering false doctrines ... 4 of Paul's letters were written from Prison. 2 Timothy was written from prison when he knew that that was his last stop before being martyred and still - he worried about maintaining sound doctrine in the Church. He voiced this concern and mandate to the Church through-out his ministry.
I read the New Testament and see what we are to do.

We're to do all within our power to win the Lost and love our enemies and pray for the Saints Everywhere.

The last part of Matthew 25 also tells us quite a bit about putting our actions above just talk.

I feel that the New Testament is our only Guide Book of how to live. It's not just talk - it's our everyday actions to do as He would do, as well and that Guide Book tells us what those actions are.

I've posted on Eritrea twice before this thread. My heart aches more than you'll ever know for these, Blaine.

I'll close with the words of Paul when he knew he was nearing his day of martyrdom ... '2 Timothy'.

With His Love.

My sister deepest apologies as it is hard to know one's heart from behind a key board. I fear I misjudged your previous post. The fact you do pray and fast for the lost and persecuted speak of the character of Jesus in you. Plus the fact you are honoring your father by taking care of him.

I do agree that the New Testament is our Guide Book by which we live. The persecuted believe this. They read and relish it. I try to follow their example. They are willing to die for that Book. I may be called to do the same.

But sister, what constitutes sound doctrine that those in the N.T. wrote and proclaimed? It seems the N.T. writers were upholding the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. Anything that detracted from that message they refuted. This is pretty much what the persecuted are doing. The sister in Pakistan, Asia Bibi, gave a bold declaration that Jesus Christ is the one true God to salvation. She did this standing against the false hood of Islam. Consequently her bold statement landed her in jail. She nay very well give her life for Christ.

I have to call into question some if the threads I see posted on this forum and to my utter shame I have participated in. They are rationalized as contending for the truth. Is it the truth of Jesus Christ and his atoning work or the truth of our own arrogance and folly? For the scriptures tell us love builds up while knowledge puffs up or puffeth up says the KJV.

My sister I believe we are in agreement just looking at things at a different angle. But then that is what his body is about.

In His love and respect to you,

Blaine