LEVERAGING PERSECUTION

ONLY THE PERSECUTED WILL MAKE IT TO HEAVEN

John foresaw a large crowd of people praising God in heaven, from every tongue, tribe, and nation, standing before the throne of God in white robes holding palm branches in their hands. White robes denote holiness required for the priesthood offering sacrifices in the Temple. Palm branches denote ability to bring abundant, lifesaving, sweet fruit, even in the most adverse, desert-like conditions. An elder told him that they had come out of the great tribulation and are standing before the throne of God, serving Him day and night (Rev. 7:9-10). 

PERSECUTION GUARANTEED

If you are not being persecuted, then you should be worried that you may not be doing sufficient damage to the kingdom of the Devil to attract his attention. This does not mean that you must go looking for trouble, but the Scriptures make this categorical statement: “All those who wish to live a godly life in Messiah Yeshua will suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12). The Lord assures us, “If they have persecuted Me, they will persecute you also” (John 15:18-20). When Paul was still persecuting the Ekklesia, the Lord appeared to him and said, “Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” When you are being persecuted, remember it is not you alone, but also the Lord Himself who is being persecuted. We ought to pray for our persecutors, because “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31; Luke 10:16; Acts 9:4).

YESHUA WAS THE MOST PERSECUTED

Seven hundred years before Yeshua was born, Isaiah described the suffering He would undergo: “He was a man of sorrows, rejected, and acquainted with grief. He was bruised and afflicted so badly that people could not bear to see His face. However, He was wounded for our transgressions. Therefore, God has raised Him high, because He bore so much suffering for our sakes” (Isa. 53:25). It is because of His stripes that we are healed, and by the shedding of His blood God could reconcile this sinful world to Himself. 

Through His suffering, we have been appointed ambassadors (2 Cor. 5:17-20) to reconcile the whole of creation. What could be a worse deception than to think that we, the disciples of a suffering Lord, should go to heaven without suffering!

ALL THE APOSTLES WERE PERSECUTED UNTIL DEATH

The battering of the saints has been going on for ages. Yeshua rebuked Jerusalem for killing the prophets. History tells us that 2,000 believers were murdered along with Stephen. Philip was hanged in Phrygia. Matthew was killed in Ethiopia. James was thrown down from the pinnacle of the temple. Matthias was beheaded. Andrew was crucified in Asia. Paul was beheaded in Rome and Peter was hanged upside down. John died when he was over 90 years of age in a prison on the island of Patmos. Millions of martyrs have followed them, and thousands are still dying today.

PROTECTORS TURN PREDATORS

That the Ekklesia consists only of peace-loving folk is a much-cherished myth. At the slightest provocation, ecclesial authorities have indulged in acts of bestiality unknown to beasts. Over the past 2000 years, some 100 million believers have been martyred by hostile governments, by defenders of other faiths, and by the historical church.

Even today, eleven Christians are killed worldwide every day. Thousands are martyred every year, and the indications are that this number may spike up soon. These figures do not include those who are beaten, maimed, disabled, raped or whose property and human rights have been taken away. Omar Al Bashir, the dictator of Sudan, alone is responsible for killing two million people and making four million homeless. He routinely bombed civilians, tortured and massacred non-Muslims, until deposed in 2019. President Idi Amin of Uganda brutally murdered pastors and bishops and ate them for breakfast. North Korea is using 150,000 people, mostly Christians, as forced labor. Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia treats possession of a Bible as a crime. Chairman Mao of China killed some sixty million people, including a million Christians during the Cultural Revolution of 1966-76.

Yeshua told Peter that “Satan will sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you” (Luke 22:31). Peter was purified by torture to become a great witness. God’s word to Hosea was, “They shall seek My face; in their misery they shall earnestly seek Me” (Hosea 5:15). All those martyrs are now basking in heaven, while their unrepentant persecutors are baking in hell (2 Cor. 6:3-10).

THERE ARE AT LEAST FOUR KINDS OF PERSECUTION

The first kind of persecution, much publicized, is that from hostile governments and fundamentalists of other faiths (Matt. 5:1012). 

The second kind, much more prevalent, consists of Christians of different expressions persecuting one other. The world is full of such persecuted brothers and sisters (Matt. 5:22). Though the Roman Government finally hanged Yeshua on a cross, the entire episode was orchestrated by His own Jewish people. This was inevitable because He had challenged the hypocrisy of their ritualistic, temple-centered religion. Yeshua condemned the hypocrisy of the religious leaders and affirmed righteousness, which is right relationship with God. 

Sadly, even today we too often guard our man-made traditions, and “make the commandments of God of no effect” (Matt. 15:29). Stephen preached a long sermon, which had no effect until he spoke against the temple, saying, “God does not dwell in temples made with human hands” (Acts 7:48-49). Whereupon the religious leaders became furious and stoned him to death. Even today, missionaries have much trouble from local churches that neither make any attempt to reach the lost, nor allow others to do so. Missionaries are not sheep-stealers, for all sheep belong to Yeshua who died for them (Acts 20:28).

The third and the deadliest kind of persecution is when there is no persecution because the church has compromised with the world. They are no more the salt of the earth, because they have lost their saltiness. Therefore, the world is merrily treading upon them. They are no longer the light of the world, because their light no longer shines on men through good works that glorify God (Matt. 5:1314). A Christian has the choice, either to trample on the head of Satan or to be trampled over by him. There are no alternatives (Rom. 16:20). If you are not being persecuted, then you are already in Satan’s net and there is no reason for him to bother you.

The fourth and fastest-spreading kind of persecution is “invited” persecution. Yeshua sent us as lambs among the wolves, and loud music and loudspeakers wake up sleeping wolves. Wolves love nothing better for lunch than bleating lambs. To raise funds for their ministry, many missions publicize themselves on the internet and print up glossy brochures, often giving exaggerated reports of their ministry. When this information gets into the wrong hands, it leads to severe persecution, especially of new believers (Luke 10:1-3).

Open air and street corner preaching, tract and literature distribution, screening of religious films in villages, and mass baptisms are no longer safe in India, especially in North India. These practices infuriate the opponents of the Christian faith, leading to violence. The early Ekklesia was a secret Ekklesia, yet it grew fast. Paul and Peter, with rare exceptions, did not practice open air preaching, confining their meetings to the homes of local folk. Large, noisy, open-air meetings, despite their extravagant claims, prove counterproductive when evaluated on a basis of long-term “fruit that remains” because at best they make only converts, not disciples (John 15:16).

REAL PERSECUTION IS YET TO COME

Sporadic incidents of violence against Christians have been steadily increasing. Recently the persecution of new believers in the rural areas and city slums has greatly spiked. But this is just the beginning of the sorrows. The time for serious persecution may not be far off. Following the strategy planned by fundamentalists, churches are being burnt, missionaries beaten, threatened, put behind bars, and occasionally killed. Nuns are raped, disturbances are created during small or large gatherings, idols are being placed in churches, and Bibles are torn up and burnt. On their internet websites, the names of leading Christians are openly “doxed,” published on hit lists. The ghar wapsi or “return home” efforts to reconvert Christians to their original faith, include purification rituals such as the drinking of cow’s urine.

THANK GOD FOR THOSE WHO OPPOSE THE GOSPEL

Throughout the history of the world, the agenda of all major religious groups has been to ban other religious conversions. India is no exception. However, the Lord said to Pharaoh, that great opponent of God, “For this reason I have raised you up, that I might show My power in you, and that My name will be declared in all the earth” (Exo. 9:16). On Christmas eve, AD 2000, some anti-Christian elements burnt 67 bamboo churches in Dang district. Asked why they burnt the bamboo churches and not the concrete church in the middle of the city? They said that people in the concrete churches sing good songs but do not convert anybody but bamboo churches, that’s all they do. Since then, the local tribals have built hundreds of churches with local resources. Tertullian (155-240) observed, “The blood of the martyrs is seed [of the Ekklesia.” There is no match for the Intercessory Brigade when it comes to tearing down the strongholds of the enemy (Rom. 9:17).

JUST BEING A CHRISTIAN SHOULD ATTRACT PERSECUTION

Persecution is not a curse, but a blessing in disguise. The Lord said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven… Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven” (Matt. 5:10-12). The more souls the church saves, the worse the persecution. The early Ekklesia, when persecuted, prayed for more “boldness to speak the word and for more signs and wonders” (Acts 4:29-31). Peter says that the very appellation of a Christian should attract persecution, “Beloved do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you, as though something strange has happened to you.” Persecution proofing should be integral part of missionary training, “for he who has suffered persecution has ceased from sin and the Spirit of God rests on him” (1 Pet. 4:1-2, 12-19).

THE EKKLESIA MUST HAVE THE MINDSET OF WORLD CONQUERORS

The Three-Self Patriotic Church Movement (TSPM) in China is a compromised, government-sponsored church. They must have a government-approved leader and location and must not allow children under 18 years to attend their “services”. In complete contrast to such modern-day, compromised churches, Yeshua openly went around daily, demolishing the Gates of Hell. In the Book of Revelation, He is seen wearing a blood-splattered robe, riding a white horse, going out conquering and to conquer the world (Rev. 6:2; 19:11-16). 

The Lord said, “The gates of Hades shall not prevail against My Ekklesia” (Matt. 16:18). God said to Yeshua, “Sit at My right hand, till I make your enemies your foot stool” (Acts 2:34-35). The Scripture says, “The God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly” (Rom. 16:20; Luke 10:17-19). Yeshua trained all His disciples to be more than conquerors (Rom. 8:37). As His disciples, we must adopt the mindset of world conquerors, being equipped to be militant and mobile, and then to trample over the Devil.

BRAVE, BATTLE-WORTHY BELIEVERS ARE ALWAYS A MINORITY

Moses sent twelve spies to spy out the land of Canaan. Only two, Caleb and Joshua, trusted God, opting for immediate attack to take over the land. The remaining ten, even though they had seen the power of God, turned out to be suffering from grasshopper syndrome, and so perished with their Households in the wilderness. Like Caleb and Joshua, we must trust God to give us victory, even in the face of grave threats (Num. 13:17, 14:6-9).

DIG TRENCHES AND GO UNDERGROUND TO MULTIPLY

Planting secret Ekklesias below the radar to avoid detection is the best remedy for protection against persecution in hostile situations. In 1982, the Communists of Ethiopia imprisoned all the pastors, sent packing all foreign missionaries, and seized control of Africa’s biggest Christian radio station, to broadcast Communist propaganda. At that time, there were barely 5,000 members of the Mennonite Church. Many thought that the Church would die out. However, the church went underground and prayed. Ten years later, Communism was dead, but the church had grown from 5,000 to 50,000. Ethiopia is now experiencing unprecedented growth. The Mekane Yesus (The House of Yeshua) has grown from insignificant to some 8.8 million by 2017.

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE

Yeshua advised us to flee from city to city when persecuted (Matt. 24:15-20). This is not cowardice, but a multiplier tactic. A house built of hay and wood can be burnt, but the living Ekklesia of Yeshua gets refined like gold through the fire of persecution (1 Cor. 3:11-17; Rom. 5:3-4; Zech. 13:8-9). Delinking the Ekklesia from the Great Commission would be like a train without an engine. It has passengers but nowhere to go. We are strangers and sojourners, looking for a city whose builder and maker is God (1 Pet. 2:11; Heb. 11:10).

BE WISE AS SERPENTS BUT DO NOT BITE

The Lord has commanded us to love our enemies and to pray for them (Matt. 5:39-44). Yeshua prayed the greatest prayer of all times whilst on His cross: “Father forgive them for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34). The Lord has sent us like sheep among wolves, so we are not to deliberately invite trouble. The Lord has also advised us to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves (Matt. 10:16). We must not take revenge but bless, even our persecutors (Rom. 12:14).

SERVE MEMORANDUMS TO THE DEVIL AND NOT TO THE PRESIDENT

These days when persecution comes, we organize big protest marches and present memorandums to our political leaders. This would be like the disciples of Yeshua Messiah presenting a memorandum before Caesar to save Him from being crucified. The Ekklesia is here to serve memoranda to the Devil, notifying him that his head is about to be trampled under the feet of the believers. However, this does not exclude advocacy. Paul claimed his legal rights as a Roman citizen more than once (Matt. 16:21-26; Rom. 16:20; Acts 16:37; 22:25; 25:16).

HAND THEM OVER TO THE LORD, NOT TO THE POLICE

The Lord said clearly, “Whoever accepts you accepts Me, and whoever rejects you rejects Me” (Luke 10:16). God has said, “Vengeance is Mine,” and, “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of living God” (Heb. 10:30-31). If we leave them in the hands of the living God, then He will deal with them in His own way, which could prove fearful or even fruitful. The battle belongs to the Lord and He is the one who fights our battles and makes us victorious.

PERSECUTE PERSECUTORS THROUGH PRAYERS

The Lord has given us a clear option: if we will humble ourselves, pray and seek His face, then He will heal our land (2 Chron. 7:14). After God heard the cries of the Israelites, oppressed by slavery, He destroyed the mighty Pharaoh (Exodus 2:23-25). An Eastern European Communist dictator arrogantly declared that God is dead, and that dictatorship would last a thousand years. One early morning, all the believers formed a human chain around his palace and prayed to God to change him. Shortly thereafter, the dictator died of a fatal disease, and now the gospel is spreading rapidly in that country.

ON SITE WITH INSIGHT

When a farmer visits the land literally talks to him. Where it has gone dry for lack of water, or weeds have overrun it, or the pests have attacked, or the crop is ready for harvest, so he can take action. Moses met Pharaoh on site and annihilated Egypt. David met Goliath on a battlefield and dispatched him with his best shot. Yeshua met the Devil on the cross and disarmed him forever. A Samaritan woman boldly faced those who despised her and brought them to Yeshua.

God will establish a kingdom that will break all other kingdoms into pieces and consume them, so that His people alone shall rule on this earth (Dan. 2:44; 7:18, 27; Rev. 5:10). This will happen through those who proactively carry the battle to the enemy and demolish him on site through spiritual warfare. The bull’s eye of a scholar is the head, whereas a righteous man shoots arrows of godly love into hearts. The church needs some good sharp-shooting saints to go on site, break all other kingdoms into pieces, and establish His eternal kingdom.

‘SATYA MEVA JAYATE’, TRUTH ALONE TRIUMPHS

The preamble of the Constitution of India carries the above prophetic words. By this time, our country should have known that Yeshua alone is the truth, for it is now nearly 2000 years since Christianity came to India. Unfortunately, instead of transforming others, Christianity itself was converted into a religion. Had we opted to be obedient to the pattern shown by our Lord and proved willing to pay the price, then our history would have been different.

EMS:

• Let us pray together that the Lord will blow His breath on the dry bones of our churches, so that we may boldly prophesy, “Yeshua, the Truth Will Conquer.” 
• Let us pray that like Ananias, His Ekklesia will go and lay hands on the persecutors like Saul and pray so that the scales might fall of their eyes, that they be filed with the Holy Spirit and become obedient to the Lord and become like Paul.
• We are to love, forgive and pray for our persecutors unconditionally until they are converted, because it is they who will then run the final leg of the relay race with the baton to the finish line.
• Yeshua said, “If they persecuted Me, then they will persecute you also” (John 15:20).
• Peter wrote that the very appellation of “Christian” should attract persecution (1 Pet. 4:1-2, 12-19).
• Paul asserted, “All who desire to live godly in Messiah Yeshua will suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12).
• The killing of Stephen and persecution in Jerusalem caused the believers to flee, resulting in hundreds of Ekklesias being planted in Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth.
• In many Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist countries, to convert to another faith is considered treason because it is a betrayal of faith, family and fraternity. If caught, often the outcome could be death.
• God does not care for cathedrals with colored glass windows and sky piercing steeples; He is more likely to be found wiping the tears of the persecuted in shacks and shanty towns.
• Persecution can never stop the juggernaut of the Kingdom movement; it can only launch it and make it spread farther. Rather it is the lack of persecution that makes her stagnant.

Copyright © 2023 Dr. Victor Choudhrie

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