FRONTLINE FAITH. Sharing The Inside Story Of The Persecuted Church. Blessed Are The Persecuted. Growth Through Discomfort

Transcription

1 FRONTLINE FAITH Sharing The Inside Story Of The Persecuted Church Blessed Are The Persecuted Communism, War And Revival In China A Different Easter Story Preparing For Persecution Growth Through Discomfort Biggest Moments In 2017 A Year In Review

2 opendoors.org.nz Issue 01 / Blessed Are The Persecuted A Letter From Mike Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year with your friends and family. This edition of Frontline Faith is themed Blessed Are The Persecuted. It s a statement often quoted, but probably misunderstood. Have you ever noticed that the genesis to almost every instance of persecution in the Bible is either a public declaration or expression of living an outward faith? The link between a bold faith and persecution is as relevant today as it was 2,000 years ago. We work in more than 70 countries where Christians are persecuted for their faith in Jesus. Persecution is almost always linked to their public expression of faith (if no-one knows you re a Christian then you re rarely persecuted). I Pray You d Be Persecuted I remember when I was in China, having a conversation with a believer from the underground church. They told me: We look at the Australian and New Zealand church as a prophetic example of what happens when faith becomes free, he said. The value of Jesus drops. I want you to pray persecution will never leave China. I responded by asking this brother to pray for me and he simply said, Yes, I pray you d be persecuted. Those words weren t said out of spite, or bitterness but I promise you they echo in my mind to this very day. I think the fact that I don t experience persecution in my life is inextricably linked to my lack of true public expression and outworking of my faith. Yes, I am a passionate preacher and love Jesus with all my heart but, to be honest, I rarely share Him boldly outside of church or Christian circles. Blessed Are The Persecuted A good friend of mine recently returned from Ethiopia and shared a statement from a local believer. It s what I d like to leave you with today. The only Church I know is the one of the Bible. It s persecuted. When we practice our faith to the extreme, persecution will come. There is only one sort of church that springs up when faith is practiced to its fullest, it s always persecuted. If it s not being persecuted we shouldn t thank God for safety, we should question ourselves because we aren t living our faith to its fullest. Faith and persecution are inseparable until Christ returns or the world comes to know Him. I hope you enjoy this incredibly inspiring edition of Frontline Faith and it calls you to try living a more public expression of faith, something I am committing to getting better at daily. Mike Gore CEO Open Doors Australia and New Zealand michaelg@od.org Image: Rural China Communism, War And Revival In China Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits. Psalm 103:1-2 Du was born into a poor family in Shantou, China, in He lived through the Japanese invasion, Communist oppression, and Project Pearl. When Du was 18, he committed his life to Jesus at a revival meeting. What followed was a lifetime of persecution. But amidst it all, the revival of the Chinese church was at hand. When Du became a Christian, his father and brother beat him severely. They worshipped false idols and the Holy Spirit prompted Du to flee inland. Issue 01 / Blessed Are The Persecuted opendoors.org.nz OPEN DOORS PODCAST In 1937, Japan started to invade China. And on 21 June 1939, Du s home town of Shantou was invaded not long after he fled. It was war. Shantou fell into enemy hands, Du said. I wrote a letter to enquire about the situation back home. After ten days, a reply came from my father. Hear the persecuted church brought to life. Life changing stories, updates and trends in persecution, and biblically based discussion. Find episodes wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts. Du s family said they regretted how they had treated him and hoped he would return. Du didn t hesitate. When he got home, sickness struck the family. Over two years, three family members died. Du s brother began to blame him for their deaths. Every Sunday, he forced Du to work instead of going to church. If Du disobeyed, he d be beaten. 2 3

3 Issue 01 / Blessed Are The Persecuted opendoors.org.nz Imprisoned And Beaten One day in 1940, Du was drying out garlic for a church member when two undercover government officials approached him. Have you informed the local officials that you re drying garlic here? they asked. When Du said no, they arrested him. I was prepared to sacrifice and suffer for others because I believed in Jesus Christ, Du said. He was imprisoned for seven days. They deliberately used hammers to beat me, he said. Many times the tarsal bones of my feet were beaten so badly that I found the pain unbearable. Du cried out to God, and one morning he woke up filled with the Holy Spirit. With incomparable joy in my heart, I sang and praised God in prison, he said. Two hours later I was released. Praise God for His grace! A local Christian girl found out what Du had done. It was her father he was helping the day Du was arrested. She admired me and was willing to marry me, Du said. After getting consent from both our parents, I, at 25, and she, at 21, were married on 20 April From War To Cultural Revolution In 1949, Shantou was liberated from Japanese occupation. By 1956, Du was working for the water transport association, but the beatings he received in prison had left his feet with severe arthritis. I had to stay home for a year while being treated, Du said. At night, the pain would be so unbearable that I could only get up and cry and pray. My wife tenderly cared for me. I had already known that the Lord s will for me was to dedicate myself fully to the work of saving souls except that I kept making excuses. I reasoned that I was weak, lacking in wisdom, clumsy of speech, and fearful of difficulties and dangers. In the end, I forgot about God s call. On 4 February 1971, a ship was unloading its cargo when a large rope weighing 100kg fell on top of Du. Miraculously, Du survived and after a long recovery in hospital, he found healing. Not only was I spared from death, Du said, but my chronic diseases seemed to have disappeared. I had no reason not to bow my head and worship God, as well as preach the gospel and testify to His glory. Receiving Project Pearl On the night of 18 June 1981, Open Doors smuggled one million Bibles into China overnight. The operation was called Project Pearl. The location for the secret delivery was a beach in Du s village. That night Du and a team of local Christians worked well past 4am unloading Bibles. Some local villagers reported the incident to the government officials. Anyone involved in the operation was arrested. On 20 December, Du was interrogated and beaten for two weeks. He describes the time after the Bibles were delivered as a time of testing for many believers. God At Work Satan was like a roaring lion, unwilling to accept defeat he said. Discrimination against the believers was at its worst in 1982 to God also used this tiny church to accomplish a big thing that shocked the whole world. Their church was taken from them and rented out as a cinema. But the cinema managers went bankrupt, so they sold it back to church. Only then did we understand that God had been amazingly orchestrating everything through all the events, Du said. That year, we were able to celebrate Christmas in our church building. The church continued to flourish through 1986 to Around 300 people came weekly. But on 3 February 1989, Du was summoned for another interrogation. I was held for 120 days, Du said. Prior to my release, God revealed to me in a dream that I would soon be free. Three days before his release, Du s wife was hospitalised with an incurable disease. Your wife s disease is very stubborn, the doctor told Du. There has been very little improvement after treatment so it is pointless to continue treating her. Through the whole process Du described his wife as someone totally submitted to God. With her dying breath, she still encouraged our family members, relatives and brothers and sisters in Christ to zealously love and worship the Lord, Du said. At 12:15am on 28 July 1989, she was called home to the Lord. Thank God for His grace. More than 200 pastors, teachers and church members were able to travel to her funeral. Our gracious heavenly Father had arranged everything according to His perfect will, Du said. And I know without the Lord s permission, not even a single strand of hair can fall to the ground. Pray unceasingly for the church, Du said. Ask Him to revive us so that more people may come to know Him and more souls be saved. Amen. Issue 01 / Blessed Are The Persecuted opendoors.org.nz Du was eventually able to go back to work, but still suffered bouts of pain. In 1967, the Chinese Cultural Revolution started. It was a new age of Communism and churches were forced to shut down. Du s home became a secret house church. Three years later, Du had a challenging dream. I saw a big cruise ship filled with many passengers sailing on the sea, Du said. Suddenly, the ship collided into a reef they all sank to the bottom of the sea. I was standing on the shore and saw them drown. Image: 1981 Project Pearl crew handling Bible boxes 4 5

4 One With Them One With Them onewiththem.com.au One With Them onewiththem.co.nz A Different Easter Story I assume [Al-Shabaab] deliberately chose the time because it is Easter. The time Christ laid down His life for us all, yes even for you. Image: Kenyan Defence Forces stand guard outside Garissa University, 2 April : Kenya University Attacked On 2 April 2015, four men from the Islamic extremist group Al-Shabaab attacked the University of Garissa. They were targeting Christians. All of a sudden I saw them throw explosives, said one student. The explosives were thrown into the chapel where students were praying. The blast killed 22 students. If you were a Muslim, your life was safe. You would just be asked to recite some of the Quran and then you were told, you are our brother, you can go, said a witness. They were eventually surrounded and detonated their suicide vests. A total of 148 students died in the attack. On Easter Sunday, students in Kenya held services and collected offerings to give to those affected by the attack. Al-Shabaab promised further bloodshed. Kenyan cities will run red with blood, they said. Ciku Muriuki, a presenter from a national radio station, addressed Al-Shabaab in a letter. I m sad for families who have to live with the loss, but I m not sad for the students themselves. Theirs is a beautiful death, she wrote. I assume [Al-Shabaab] deliberately chose the time because it is Easter. The time Christ laid down His life for us all, yes even for you. Image: Easter 2016 Christians comfort each other at a funeral after attack in Lahore 2016: Pakistan Bomb Attack In Park On 27 March 2016, families were celebrating Easter Sunday in Lahore Park when a bomb was detonated near the entrance. At least 75 people were killed, including women and children. A further 300 were injured. Locals rushed to the hospital to give emergency blood donations to those in need. The attack was claimed by an extremist group with ties to the Taliban. It was the deadliest terror attack in the state of Punjab, which has more Christians than any other part of Pakistan. Overall, Christians only make up two percent of the country s population. I am still reeling, said one of our local partners. My pastor friends came home exhausted and worn from funerals they had taken all day, families they had prayed with, people they had comforted. All of my day was spent hugging those who were aching from the loss of someone precious to them. Image: Easter Sunday 2017 Christians waiting for sun to rise during dawn service Image: Garissa University room where Christian Union had their prayer meeting on the morning of the attacks. There were 22 killed in the blast. Easter has been a very dangerous time for Pakistani Christians for years. In 2013, 78 people were killed in another attack at a church in Peshawar, after Sunday Mass. In 2015, almost exactly a year earlier, suicide bombers attacked two churches in Youhanabad, killing 14 people. The death toll would ve been much higher if church volunteers on security duty had not sacrificed their own lives to defend worshippers. We [celebrate Easter] knowing that at any time a suicide bomber can come and disrupt our service, our worship, our praying. Then I think: Will it really be disrupted or will I be sent into the fullness of worship? said a mother of two who used to be Muslim, now celebrating Jesus at Easter. onewiththem.com.au One With Them onewiththem.co.nz #onewiththem #onewiththem

5 One With Them One With Them onewiththem.com.au onewiththem.co.nz One With Them 2017: Egypt Churches Bombed On 9 April 2017, Islamic State suicide bombers attacked two churches during their Palm Sunday services. At least 44 people were killed and over 100 were injured. Egypt was declared to be in a state of emergency. Like many other Christians in Egypt I was on my way to church, said Arif*, one of our local partners. My wife and children were with me and we were really looking forward to the Palm Sunday service which is one of the main celebrations in the Egyptian church. Then, I got a text.. I read about the first attack in Tanta. I was angry, shocked. Then I saw another attack had taken place, this time in Alexandria, he said. The Islamic State have named the Egyptian church as their next target and all fighters have been told not to leave any infidel Christian in Egypt until you have threatened their life. Easter is a dangerous time for Christians facing persecution as they celebrate victory in Jesus. Image: Relatives mourn for victims of Palm Sunday bombing. Image sourced from The Independent Co UK. A few weeks later, a group of Christians were travelling on a bus to an Ascension Day service when masked gunmen attacked the bus south of Cairo, killing 28 people. In our discipleship trainings we try to raise awareness of the fact that persecution is part of Christian life, Arif said. We want to help people to live close to God and understand that they are precious to Him, despite what might happen to them. The church is preparing for persecution. Lord unveil the dark spirit of deception and show up your light, Arif prayed. Lord help your children to stay people of guts, courage and strong convictions. And may your name be glorified even in the middle of death, pain and devastation. This year, we are standing one with the persecuted in the lead up to Easter. You can stand with our persecuted brothers and sisters too. To learn more about One With Them, visit onewiththem.com.au or onewiththem.co.nz *Name changed for security purposes ONE WITH THEM One Church. One Hope. One Family. Would you give one day for the persecuted church? Easter: 2015 Kenya Attack 2016 Pakistan Attack 2017 Egypt Attack 2018 One With Them This Easter we re changing the narrative. Stand One With Them and give one day s wage for the persecuted church. Pledge Today Or Find Out More onewiththem.com.au / onewiththem.co.nz We are encouraging Christians to show their solidarity with persecuted Christians by drawing a cross on their wrist. Issue 01 / Blessed Are The Persecuted opendoors.org.nz #onewiththem #onewiththem

6 Issue 01 / Blessed Are The Persecuted opendoors.org.nz The Church In Garbage City Joshua Mikhaiel is a professional third wheel and story teller. He often photographs weddings in Sydney, but in 2017 he travelled to Cairo, Egypt with some of our team to see the persecuted church of Egypt. What he discovered was anything but a weak I like comfort. I think we all do. That s what makes being uncomfortable so distressing. Comfort is one of the biggest obstacles in being effective witnesses for Jesus. Jesus came to live among broken people and live in our mess to show us the depths of God s love for us. I was shocked and challenged by the example of real sacrificial love I witnessed in Egypt. As our bus drove through the outskirts of Cairo, we were briefed on a bit of church history. Growth Through Discomfort Egyptian believers face a huge degree of social persecution. They are a heavily outnumbered minority, and have endured incredibly heinous attacks for many years. But the church in Egypt does not shrink back. In the face of persecution, the church is growing. Whenever we brought up the recent attacks, or the general persecution, the response was always the same, Yes it s hard, but we re growing because of it. Churches across Egypt even saw a huge surge in attendance after the most recent Easter attacks. We were told about a Cave Church that could seat 20,000 worshippers at once. It was built out of a cleared cave in the side of a mountain overlooking Cairo in an area known as Garbage City. This is a majority Christian area, one of very few in Egypt. Image: The streets of Cairo Image: Egyptian woman Issue 01 / Blessed Are The Persecuted opendoors.org.nz My heart broke a little when we were told why. Image: A car loaded up with a days collection inside Garbage City No Christians Employment can be very difficult for Christians in Egypt. Many workplaces will specify no Christians. As a result, a huge number of Christians end up working as unofficial garbage collectors. The bus was silent as we drove through Garbage City. It seemed like most of the rubbish is brought into their house to be sorted and either buried or recycled. This city was surreal, practically a rubbish dump with flats rising up out of the piles of rubbish. It seemed almost as if it was growing out of the homes, like a weed grows through the cracks in concrete. The Church In Garbage City There was no official church inside Garbage City, until Father Simon was approached to lead a congregation in the heart of the city. He was told it was perfectly fine for him to travel in to lead the people and then return home to Cairo for a more comfortable existence. But Father Simon thought fondly of his God, who came down into our mess and brought hope to the hopeless, light into the darkness, life to those who were dead. He was not content to lead people he wasn t living with. So he moved into the garbage, into the mess. Just like Jesus did for us. Today he leads an Egyptian megachurch in the most unlikely of places. With an insane seating capacity only matched by the insane amount of faith it took to create and sustain this work of God. We sat in awe as we watched thousands worship. A Muslim woman near the front had come to be prayed for. I heard the most mind-boggling statistic: Father Simon has baptised 10,000 Muslim converts to Christianity since

7 opendoors.org.nz Issue 01 / Blessed Are The Persecuted A Room Full Of Wheelchairs Father Simon s church even boasts a room by the stage filled with wheelchairs. These are relics left behind by those who d found healing in Christ. A testament to God s power in a place where it might be easy to forget and lose hope. We met some other incredibly brave and faithful men and women. I don t have room to share all their stories, but Father Simon s is one which I think will challenge my own comfort for a long time to come. I have such a hard time giving anything, even my time, to step into the mess of those who need Jesus love poured out practically into their lives. Image: The room full of wheelchairs people no longer need Image: Thousands gathering at the Cave Church For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9 Those who need Jesus, need the Church to show up and be with them. We are the church the body of Christ. Will you take up the call to go, as He did, and get messy with those who so desperately need to meet Him? Key Moments Of 2017 A Year In Review Every year, persecution increases and so does our ministry. This year we re working in more countries than ever before, and the need has never been greater. We re up for the challenge to strengthen the persecuted church. We wanted to take a minute to thank you and show you how your support has shaped some of the key moments of each region in Africa Nigeria In 2017, the UN declared the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II. Twenty million people were at risk of starvation across four countries. Even the UN s attempts to raise enough support have fell short. There was a need, and you responded. Your support last year has helped feed over 75,000 people in urgent need in Nigeria. Supporters won t believe what this help means to us all. We are praying for all of you. We give thanks to God for you. These are the things that keep the light of God shining in the north [of Nigeria]. Open Doors local partner This is the Church at its best, when we move like one body and respond when one part suffers. Middle East Iraq This is the moment we have been waiting for since the rise of Islamic State. Christians are returning home. In June, the Islamic State lost Mosul, Iraq, the city where they started their conquest. In October, they also lost Raqqa, Syria, the capital of their self-titled state. For the last two years, you have helped Christians survive in Iraq. Now the Islamic State are on the backfoot and you are rebuilding the church. In addition, you delivered over 50,000 Bibles to displaced Christians in Iraq last year alone. You are taking part in church history and ensuring the future of the church in this nation. It s a long, trauma-filled journey, but we take it one day at a time and trust God as we faithfully and obediently commit to serving His persecuted church. See the full list of the key moments of this year, /2017 opendoors.org.nz/2017 Asia North Korea Last year international tensions with North Korea had never been higher. Nuclear missile threats disrupted the region. Since 2002, this has been the most dangerous country in the world to follow Jesus. In August, Pastor Hyeon Soo Lim was unexpectedly released after spending more than two years in a North Korean prison. This is a massive answer to prayer. God is working in this country and the church continues to grow. Please continue to pray for God to do big things for His glory in a country the world has its eyes fixed on. The World Watch List launches 10 January Will North Korea still be #1 on the list? Visit our website to find out. Issue 01 / Blessed Are The Persecuted 12 13

8 Issue 01 / Blessed Are The Persecuted opendoors.org.nz Sixty Second Stories Short Stories You Can Share Baghdad, Iraq Jik*, Laos Vang Atu*, Vietnam Terrorists had put a bomb under my car. I drove from my home to the church as usual, said Pastor Joseph, from Baghdad. All of a sudden, there was this huge explosion Terrorists had put a bomb under my car. After the blast Pastor Joseph managed to climb out, completely unharmed. Each part of my car was destroyed and damaged, he said. The car was in flames, but I wasn t burned. I found pieces of glass in my hair and parts of the bomb in the scarf I had around my neck. As if a scarf could stop a bomb! Nothing touched me, I lost not even a drop of blood. Seven years later, when the Islamic State took control of parts of Iraq and Muslims started coming to Jesus, Pastor Joseph knew why he was there. God has chosen me to serve Him. Following Jesus in Laos, which is both Buddhist and Communist, means risking imprisonment. Jik s* husband, Dok, faced that consequence for 13 years. In her husband s absence, Jik realised God was calling her to take his place in the village. After my husband was put in jail, I learned that God has chosen me to serve Him for our province instead of my husband. Jik had to overcome many challenges, but during her time in ministry many people came to Christ because of her testimony. Today, by God s grace, there are already 62 churches and more than 3,000 new Christians in Jik s province because she obeyed God. Her husband was released in I am a son of God and I should not fight back. In Vietnam, Vang Atu* was persecuted for sharing the gospel and starting a house church. My brother, who is an unbeliever, took a sturdy club and hit me hard on my leg and arm, he said. I used my hand to block the club and my lower arm broke. I was angry, but I realised that I am a son of God and I should not fight back so that one day I can testify to my brother the goodness of the Lord in my life. That same day, villagers destroyed his house and local authorities threatened to take his livestock and land. Vang Atu and his family fled to central Vietnam and met our partners where they found help. Letter Writing Campaign Encourage Caroline: A Widow In Kenya Do: Print clearly in English Be brief and encouraging Provide your name and country only Send greeting cards, artwork from children and postcards Do not: Mention Open Doors Send money Criticise a country Make proposals to help On 18 August 2017, members of an Islamic extremist group, Al-Shabaab, attacked two Christian men. Changawa was home alone when he was abducted and dragged to his brother Joseph s house, who was an elder at their local church. There they were held at machete point. When the extremists demanded they convert to Islam, Joseph and his brother refused. It was a decision that cost them their lives. After Joseph and Changawa were killed, the extremists also found and murdered their older brother who had a mental disability. Joseph s wife, Caroline, watched the whole thing unfold. Praise God her 17-year-old daughter was out of town visiting relatives. However, both are still severely traumatised and grief stricken. Pray for the bereaved families to receive the comfort of the Lord in this very difficult time, said an Open Doors contact. Pray that the local church will experience much grace as they come to terms with this attack. Pray that they would not be tempted to abandon the faith or grow bitter. And pray for the attackers to be saved. Thank you for your support. Your prayers and letters will let Caroline and her family know they are not alone. Please send postcards by 28 February 2018 Australia: 11/10 Gladstone Road, Castle Hill NSW 2154 New Zealand: PO Box Tawa, Wellington 5249 GET YOUR CHURCH INVOLVED Contact us and find out more about Church Partnerships. /church opendoors.org.nz/church Issue 01 / Blessed Are The Persecuted opendoors.org.nz When asked why I remain with my family in Baghdad, I tell them this story, he said. I know God is with me each moment. Together, they are praying for a truck for their mobile ministry so they can go from village to village to share the Good News. Pray with me that one day I ll be able to go back to my hometown and testify to the people about my faith in the Lord. *Names changed for security purposes

9 2018 WORLD WATCH LIST The 50 Most Dangerous Countries To Follow Jesus 10 January 2018 / opendoors.org.nz SERVING PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS WORLDWIDE Open Doors Australia PO Box 734 Penrith 275 (02) odaustralia@od.org Open Doors New Zealand PO Box Tawa 5249 (04) newzealand@od.org opendoors.org.nz