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Exodus 3:7
The Lord said, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings.
Luke 18:6-8
And the Lord said, "Here what the unrighteous judge said; now will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that he will bring about Justice for them quickly. However, when the son of man comes, will he find faith on the Earth?"
Brothers and sisters our Lord Jesus Christ sees the sufferings of His persecuted church in the restricted nations. God heard the cries of the Hebrews in Egypt under their bonds of affliction. He raised up Moses to be their deliverer. He told Moses I have seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I am aware of their sufferings. Moses was anointed to go to set the Hebrews free.
Does God hear the cries of his persecuted church? Does God weep over the sufferings of His beloved bride? As they call out to God for justice in places like North Korea and Eritrea and Iran, does God hear their prayers?
According to Luke 18 Jesus says that God will bring about Justice for his elect who cry out to him day and night. He will see that they get justice quickly. Indeed Jesus is weeping over His persecuted bride.
But the question to us in this forum is do we weep over the persecuted? Do we hear their cries? Do we hear the cries of the persecuted brothers and sisters who simply say pray for us?
Or do we just dismiss this and simply say that is not my calling. I am not led that way. Others can pray for the persecuted not me.
Saints this is our family! I say again this is our family! Let me cry out with the passion of my heart that these are our brothers and sisters who are laying down their lives in nations that we cannot begin to comprehend!
The persecuted ask very little of us. But what they ask is far more important than anything we might be able to do. They ask that we pray for them.
They are not asking that we pray for their release. They are not asking that we pray that they be delivered out of their trials and tribulations. They are not asking to be set free from their persecutions.
But these beloved saints will ask us to pray something like this. Please pray that we will remain faithful in the midst of our afflictions. Please pray that we will not deny our Lord Jesus Christ in the midst of persecution. Please pray that we will not deny our brothers and sisters and reveal them to the authorities. Please pray that I will remain true in my sufferings for the Lord Jesus.
This is what they ask of us. God hears the cries of his persecuted church. But do we hear the cries of our persecuted brothers and sisters? Or do we shut them out?
During World War II in Germany the churches that sat by the railroad tracks where the death trains rolled by would sing the hymns a little louder. They would do this to drown out the cries of the Jews that were crying out to those inside the church for help.
I wonder if we are doing the same to drown out the cries of our persecuted brothers and sisters? Are we debating our theology a little louder? Are we pursuing our religious duties a little more vigorously? Are we getting caught up in the things of this world a bit more deeply? All to drown out the cries of our persecuted brothers and sisters who say please pray for us?
I remember visiting a house church in Houston Texas a few years ago. As I spoke to the house church leader about the persecuted church. His short reply to me was we are not led that way. My heart sank. What a reply!
Imagine one of your children coming up to you saying mom, dad I need help. And your response to them is I am not led that way.
Brothers and sisters in the Old Testament tells us there were times when God would look for one person to stand in the gap. God would look for one person to intercede. I believe that pattern continues in the New Testament. Jesus is continually making intercession for us and his intercessory ministry in heaven. His heart cry to us would be will you make intercessory ministry in your prayers for my persecuted bride? Will you pray for my persecuted Church?
When you cry out Justice on their behalf?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer said silence in the face of evil is evil itself. He said God will not hold us Guiltless. Do not speak is to speak. To not act is to act.
Will we be silent when our persecuted brothers and sisters are asking, even crying out to us, asking will you pray for us? Will you remember us in your prayers?
Truly this is from the foot of His cross.