“The truth will set you free,” but the truth can also get you into trouble. When Jesus pointed out to the citizens of His hometown Nazareth the reality of their lacking faith, some tried to throw Him off a cliff. (see Luke 4) How does truth create such animosity?

The religious leaders despised Jesus the most. In one conversation, He stated seven times: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites…” (see Matthew 23) The most powerful and respected Jews of the nation began to connive: “Then the chief priests and elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill Him.” (Matthew 26:3-4)

Sometimes Jesus revealed the truth through parables. He once told about tenants of a vineyard who kept persecuting the servants sent to collect the fruit. Finally, the owner decided to send his son. “’They will respect my son,’ he said. But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’” Jesus asked His listeners: “’When the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ ‘He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,’ they replied… When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew He was talking about them. They looked for a way to arrest Him…” (Matthew 21:33-46)

But Jesus did not always confront; sometimes He knew it was best to not ‘rock the boat.’ “’What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes — from their own sons or from others?’ ‘From others,’ Peter answered. ‘Then the sons are exempt,’ Jesus said to him. ‘But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for My tax and yours.’”(Matthew 17:25-27)

Not only were many of the prominent religious leaders ‘pretenders,’ but politicians were also corrupt. When told that Herod wanted to kill Him, Jesus said: “Go tell that fox, ‘I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach My goal.’” (Luke 13:32) But Jesus knew He did not come to just fight worldly systems; He proclaimed a greater realm. “My kingdom is not of this world… My kingdom is from another place.” (John 18:36)

Jesus did not want His followers to be corrupted… so He cautioned: “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” (Mark 8:15) Our Lord might give us similar words today: ‘You live in a dangerous world. Some who look good on the outside are not what they seem. Don’t fall into their religious or political traps. Avoid their poison and don’t be like them. Trust the Holy Spirit to show you the truth and to speak and live with integrity and wisdom. Seek first the Father’s kingdom and His righteousness. And remember: I am with you!’

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside, you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” Matthew 23:27-28

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20

According to Open Doors, these are the ten most difficult nations in which to live as a Christian in 2021: North Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya, Pakistan, Eritrea, Yemen, Iran, Nigeria, and India. Our persecuted brothers and sisters understand sections of the Bible better than those of us in ‘free’ parts of the world. One young believer, after being rejected by family in India said: “I have to run the race that is set for me, even if there are obstacles.”

“My own family disowned me, but now you are my family.” Such comments reflect the feelings of persecuted Christians when supported by others in the Body of Christ. God tells us we are one Body and ‘when one suffers, we all suffer.’ Whether or not we ever meet these brothers and sisters on earth, Jesus wants us to love, serve, remember… and learn from them.

Sara Bos is a field worker with Open Doors who has spent the last seven years serving the persecuted church in the Middle East. In 2015 she spent time worshipping with Iraqi Christians in a refugee camp. As the murderous destruction of ISIS spread, these brothers and sisters were forced to flee their homes in the Nineveh Plains. Sara witnessed their struggles and experienced their hope.

What I saw wasn’t anger or exhaustion. Instead, I saw laughter, joy, and most of all, peace. I don’t remember the exact words they said to me, but I do remember the way they said it — full of Jesus’ love. Every part of them seemed to radiate it. And I was forever changed.

I had never met people so full of Jesus. How could it be that I met the most full-of-Jesus people in such a miserable situation? I realized that prayer was the basis of their religious lifestyle. They lit the fire of God’s presence in their lives in a very simple way: they prayed. Not once, not twice, but constantly. They weren’t superheroes themselves. They didn’t need to be because they knew a God bigger than any superhero: the Creator of Heaven and Earth, our risen Lord Jesus Christ.

Persecuted Christians are human beings. And this is good news, because the amazing things we hear about them don’t have anything to do with their capacities. Their stories rely and focus on their God. And just as He is there for them, He is there for you and me. So, I encourage you to spend time with God; seek His light in your darkness. You might get answers, you might not. You might “feel it,” you might not. But you will receive one thing for sure: His presence.

“If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the Body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” I Corinthians 12:26-27

Quotes from ‘Presence’ magazine, Open Doors; July/August 2020; p 23

The boys listened intently to Filip as he spoke of a land with little freedom and encouraged us to realize the blessings we so often take for granted. When asked how many times he had been arrested, Filip could not be exact: “There were too many times for me to count.” Guns were held to his head, threats were made to his family, and once he was attacked by being rammed while driving in his town. His vehicle was totally destroyed and Filip was left for dead inside the crumpled car. “I don’t know how it happened, but God rescued me and saved my life.”

I asked, “Why would you keep risking your life to share with others about Jesus when you knew the grave danger?” He replied: “My people have no hope outside of Christ. They were taught there is no God, so they had no future, and no purpose in life. Jesus called me to tell them the Good News. You cannot say ‘no’ to such a command. I knew He was with me… and if I died, I would be with Him forever. When God is with you, you have courage.”

Just as we receive peace as a gift from God, so we may also receive His courage. First steps of faith might be tentative, emotions don’t always disappear, the enemy often whispers fear and doubt… “But if God is for us, who can be against us?” Our God is perfect love… and “perfect love casts out fear.” (I John 4:18) “We will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea…” (see Psalm 46) “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” (Mark 6:50) “Yes, be patient. And take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.” (James 5:8 – Living Bible)

Richard Wurmbrand was arrested in Romania on February 29, 1948. He remembered from his studies as a pastor that “Do not be afraid” is recorded 366 times in Scripture… once for every day of the calendar, including Leap Year, the day he was arrested. He spent 14 years in prison. God is kind to give such thoughts in the midst of our trials. We, in turn, can speak boldly to a confused, fearful world in search of hope: ‘Look to God! He has provided everlasting hope and life through His Son Jesus Christ. Turn away from all wrong, receive His love… live in Him!’

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all – how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘For Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered,’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:31-39

Some time later, Joshua Youseff, whose dad Michael is a pastor in Atlanta and a native of Egypt, heard the mother of the little girl talk about forgiveness. “I cannot describe how I felt as I listened to this mother tell her daughter’s story. As I heard her talk of forgiveness and saw her face alight with joy, I felt an overwhelming sense of conviction.”

On Palm Sunday, a few weeks before the bus attack, two churches were attacked and forty-six Egyptian Christians were killed. Naseem Faheem, a security guard at one of the churches, asked a man to go through a perimeter metal detector before entering. Though he surely was one of the first to die, Naseem’s alertness saved many lives as the man detonated a bomb outside the church.

When interviewed, Naseem’s widow sat with her two grown sons. When asked about the terrorist who killed her husband, she said: “I’m telling him, ‘May God forgive you, and we also forgive you. Believe me, we forgive you.’”

We know Jesus teaches us to forgive our enemies, but I think it takes God’s supernatural work in our hearts to respond like these two ladies. When we do forgive, the world takes note and God is revealed for who He is. Amr Adeeb, a prominent Egyptian television personality, said this to his audience after watching the Faheem interview: “How great is the forgiveness Egyptian Christians have! These people are made of a different substance.”

When we forgive, we also escape the continued evil that Satan wants to wield, intending for bitterness, anger, and darkness to overtake our hearts. He is a murderer and a liar, and the lies he tells regarding hatred and revenge are just as destructive as bullets and bombs.

When we forgive, we follow our Savior who forgave those who unjustly killed Him. “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) The Son of God practiced what He preached and His life leads us to God’s kingdom.

“Jesus, give us grace to be just like You.”

“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Matthew 6:12

“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13

Prime Minister Modi is a proponent of Hindutva, a nationalistic philosophy that aims to make India a completely Hindu nation. Currently 27 million people in India (2.2% of the country’s population) are Christians, but those who embrace Hindutva are determined to convert all to Hinduism. As Christians resist such pressures, persecution results.

Voice of the Martyrs is an organization that has supported the persecuted church for the past fifty years. Their regional director for South Asia said this: “It is true persecution is increasing in India, but that’s not the whole story. Persecution is a result of the Gospel going out, and we should celebrate the fact that today, more than ever before, Indians are coming to know Christ. Of course persecution will increase, but let’s not let that upstage what God is doing in the foreground of this story – expanding His kingdom in India.”

Recently, our friend Prabhu Das shared the sacrifice Christians make in his part of the country. “When a person is baptized he automatically loses any benefit from the government. Many lose their jobs and all become targets of those who believe all Indians must be Hindus.” As he shared, I wondered how Americans would respond if we knew that following Christ meant forfeiture of all social security benefits, the loss of employment, and the burden of constant opposition to our faith.

I hope we would follow the example of many of our Indian brothers and sisters. The gift of eternal life is greater than anything this world has to offer. Believers know that the saving message must spread for others to have hope. One evangelist said, “Brother, I ride my bicycle into a village and I bang my drum. The people come out and I share the Gospel. Sometimes they accept the Gospel and form a church. Other times they beat me. When I wake up, I get on my bicycle and ride to the next village.”

Voice of the Martyrs suggest we pray this prayer: “Heavenly Father, as my brothers and sisters in India experience persecution for their bold witness, help them to remain faithful. Help them to proclaim the truth of Your name. Meet their every need and protect them from discouragement. Bring comfort to those who need it and protect them from fear. Prepare the hearts of those who will hear the Gospel next. Amen.”

“Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.” Hebrews 13:3

Quotes are from ‘The Voice of the Martyrs’ September 2017 newsletter; pp 9, 11