CHINESE CHRISTIANS ARE PRAYING THAT PERSECUTION COMES TO THE AMERICAN CHURCH

CHINESE CHRISTIANS ARE PRAYING THAT PERSECUTION COMES TO THE AMERICAN CHURCH

"Stop praying for persecution in China to end, for it is through persecution that the church has grown,” he responded.

It is shocking to our Western minds but this is the reality that the Lord is active and growing His Church wonderfully in many countries as the Western church slowly apostates here. May God have mercy on us and let us embrace persecutions and sufferings for the Name of Christ.

That is interesting. I have never thought it was God's will to pray for persecution on my fellow believers. That seems so violent and sadistic.

Is this really for the Church to decide? With friends like this who needs enemies? I think it is prideful to decide who we think needs some persecution.

Psalms 122:6
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.

1 Timothy 2:1-2
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

I usually pray for my fellow believers to prosper and be in health even as their soul prospers.

When they are sick, I don't pray they get worse, I pray they get healed.

I pray for revival, not the destruction of people. How God brings about revival is His business.

PP,

I did not even know you were posting when I posted. But you got right down to reality, the nitty gritty.

Richard Wurmbrand, who was persecuted for 14 years did not refuse to be rescued (norwegian Christians paid a ransom) and choose instead to stay in prison and be tortured. No, he comes to the U.S. and starts a relief mission for persecuted Christians. He does not come to the states to start prayer meetings, praying for more persecution to come to Christians.

I think some Christians view persecution in some weird romantic way, which causes them to make strange comments about persecution. They talk so much about it, they almost elevate it to a level of idolatry.

Even Jesus prayed, "that if it be His Father's will this cup (of suffering) would pass from Him".

by sherri2 on 2016/9/2 0:24:05

I genuinely believe that our brothers and sisters who have gone through the fire of persecution know something we don't understand. They don't pray like this to see us defeated, on the contrary, they love us and know the change it brings to hearts and lives,and the joy that comes out of suffering....not to mention the most important factor that will be sparked is the salvation of souls. If you get a chance, watch the video, "believers in persecution, the 3 non negotiables" by Nik Ripken. In our flesh persecution does not make sense, it sounds cruel, but the Lord means it for our good. We cannot partake of our Lord without willing to suffer with Him.

Do you think the only kind of suffering is being locked up in jail and beaten and then killed? Why do you assume American Christians don't suffer? Do you only recognize a certain type of suffering that is only found in other countries?

So, I should pray for my Pakistani and Afghan brothers and sisters to have more acid thrown into their faces?

I like the verses you gave, and I understand how God uses persecution, but I don't see any verses from you that instruct the Believer to pray for their brothers and sisters to be persecuted, tortured, maimed and killed.

I'm sorry, I don't have an answer for that. Only the Lord knows. After watching the Insanity of God, I learned that 75% of believers are going through horrific persecution worldwide. Those who were interviewed said persecution is normal. They said western countries, such as America, are abnormal, and that persecution will come to us. I encourage you to dig up information and learn from our family in persecution. We don't suffer the same way they do, perhaps there are a few who truly do, but we are a very touchy feely country that shutters at the thought of any suffering....including myself, but I know the Lord will give His people the strength to endure it.

Am I understanding this correctly ?? They are praying that harm comes upon other Christians,, that they themselves try to avoid by "keeping undercover" ??

That is so ironic.

"The underground church prays for things Western Christians would never think to pray for, such as the strength to never deny Christ under torture or to be blessed to possess a Bible. In keeping with Jesus' command in Matthew 5:44-45, the church prays for those who persecute. At the top of the North Korean church's list is the salvation of Kim Jong-Il." - Carl Moeller

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In a media release, Reverend Eric Foley, CEO of Seoul USA, says he was surprised when he first asked members of the North Korean underground church how Americans could pray for them.

"They answered, 'You pray for us? We pray for you!' When I asked why, they responded, 'Because Western Christians often put so much faith in their prosperity and political freedoms that they don't know what it's like to have to depend completely on God. And because of that, they often do not get to know him in all the ways he invites us to.'"

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"Christian woman in Middle East tells Western Christians: Don't pray for end to persecution"

"The persecution is getting worse and worse and worse," Maryam said. "But on the other hand actually, what has encouraged me, encouraged my faith, encouraged my church, encouraged everybody Christian in [the region] is that the Church is increasing."

"We are not afraid or worried that the persecution will increase. We are just feeling that this is God's time," Maryam said. "God is working perfectly now in the Middle East. Even with all these crazy stuff happening, God is really working now."

"So, I want to encourage you that, of course, you need to pray for your brothers and sisters in the Middle East who are suffering for being Christians and for their faith, but I am asking you to pray a different prayer," she said. "Don't pray for the persecution to be stopped. But pray for the Christians there, for their boldness, their encouragement, for their faith and that they can all be witnesses for God's work and for God."

from: http://ow.ly/zbNj303P6VY

Am I a soldier of the cross,
A follow’r of the Lamb?
And shall I fear to own His cause,
Or blush to speak His name?

Must I be carried to the skies
On flow’ry beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize,
And sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face?
Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace,
To help me on to God?

Sure I must fight if I would reign;
Increase my courage, Lord;
I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,
Supported by Thy Word.

Thy saints in all this glorious war
Shall conquer, though they die;
They see the triumph from afar,
By faith’s discerning eye.

When that illustrious day shall rise,
And all Thy armies shine
In robes of vict’ry through the skies,
The glory shall be Thine.

I think we have some draft dodgers in the forum.

John 15:20

Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will also keep yours.

Luke 14:26-27

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters--yes, and even his own life-- He cannot be my disciple.
_________________________________

Saints are we supposing that we are greater than Jesus Himself? Our Master taught that a slave is not greater than his master. Yet I seen in some of these posts that we are so arrogant as to say that we are above persecution? Are we greater than Christ? He had a cross to carry. Are we greater than Jesus as to say that we to do not have a cross to carry? Saints that is a very dangerous arrogance for us to embrace.

Are we greater than those brothers and sisters who are carrying the cross and spilling their blood for Jesus? Are we in our American Christianity saying I'm looking to go to heaven on flowery beds of ease while they in the persecuted church are sailing the stormy seas? Against such arrogance on our part is very dangerous.

Is it possible that some of you worship your family more than the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you laid your families on the altar as Lena and Samar had to lay their children on the altar and lay one another on the altar in the middle of war-torn Syria?

I do not believe our persecuted brothers and sisters are wanting to see loved ones raped. Or acid thrown in their faces. But I believe that they are praying that persecution will be to us a Refiner's Fire. We are so entrenched in our American version of Christianity that is so comfortable and so Joel Olsteen. We have forgotten that there is a cross that we are to embrace. Across that requires us to even lay down our lives. And yes lay down the lives of our loved ones. These are not my thoughts brothers and sisters. But Jesus taight if we love our families more than him then we are not worthy to be His disciples. His words. Not mine.

But we have become so arrogant as to think that we are above persecution? Saints this is very dangerous attitude on our part. God has called us to take up a cross and even enter into the school of suffering that Jesus himself went through. I know this goes against the grain of everything that we've been taught in America. But we must lay down this American Christianity at the cross. And see what true Christianity is. True Christianity is a cross. True Christianity is following One who took up His cross. The question is will we take up our cross? Jesus will not let us avoid the issue of the cross. There are only two choices regarding the cross. We either embrace it. Or we reject it. The choice is ours. But one thing we cannot do is avoid it.

My thoughts.