Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
On this date in 1892, Corrie Ten Boom was born in the Netherlands. She and her family were arrested during WWII by the Nazi’s for hiding Jews in their home. While she survived, most of her family died in the concentration camps during the war.
She travelled, spoke, and wrote extensively about her life after the war, and her biography, “The Hiding Place” was later made into a motion picture. Her testimony of the transforming power of the love of God is an inspiration to everyone who also loves the Lord.
Possibly her most famous quote is, “There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still!” You can learn much more about her at www.corrietenboom.com.
While many of us may have been persecuted on some level for our faith in Christ by family, friends, co-workers, or employers; we are just beginning to see what the future will be like in an America that hates Christ and Christians. Already today, it is not merely acceptable, but much welcomed, to be anti-Christian.
I fear that much more persecution of Christians is coming to America! Those of us my age may not feel the brunt of it, but I fear for my children and grandchildren. I believe that it is urgent that we raise them in the fear and nurture of the Lord to prepare them for the difficult years ahead for them.
We are often told that persecution purifies the Church. I have no doubt that this is true, but that does not mean that I welcome the onset of such treatment of our Lord, His Name, and His people. Oh, that we might seek to be purified by God’s Word and His Spirit without being put through the fires of persecution!
Sadly, real revival does not appear on the horizon. We have come to a time in America where in many, many Churches, (and in some cases, across entire denominations) you are hard pressed to find more than a handful of Bible-believing Christians. No wonder the Church appears so impotent and evil seems to prevail.
Prayer: “Father, I pray that You will glorify Yourself in us. If it be Your will that great persecution comes upon the Christians in America, please use it to purify Your Church. If it be Your will, we plead that You will grant us revival… that we might reach the lost and disciple Your people. Amen.”
Application: When real persecution comes, (and it is coming) will we stand up for Jesus?
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