Dear Friend of the Persecuted Church—

            Jesus never promised that the Christian life would be easy.  Following His path is not something that we do for the temporal reward, because His promises are for eternity.

            Today I read a story about a Nigerian man who has learned what it means to sacrifice for Christ.  A court in Nigeria, which is a Muslim nation, has taken his daughters away from him because he is a Christian.  The police commissioner in his city simply said that he is no longer capable of being their father because he turned to the gospel.  (You can read the full story here.)

            As I read this story, I was immediately reminded of Matthew 10:37: “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”  This man, by clinging to his faith in spite of the sacrifice, has proved that he is worthy.  In spite of the pain, he has his priorities straight—he is looking to eternity.

            Mark 10 tells us that his reward is sure.  “And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.”  (Mark 10:29-30)

            The fact that the Christian life is not easy does not mean that it is not worth it!  What a merciful God we have, so willing to reward if we are faithful in serving Him through the pain.

            Let us pray for that faithfulness for our brothers and sisters in Christ.  It is a prayer that we all need—whether we live in freedom or in persecution!—but let us especially remember those that live in such suffering.  Your prayers work to give them strength to run the race to the end, and receive that reward: in the world to come eternal life.

Yours for the Body of Christ,

Gabriel J. Waddell
Executive Director

P.S.  Don’t forget to RSVP for the Remember banquet, “Of Whom the World was not Worthy,” on November 8!  For more information, visit our website.

---------------------------------------

This Week in the Persecuted Church

Three Missionaries Face Persecution

Christian Attorneys Tortured, Arrested in China

More news and updates available at Remember Ambassadors.

Links to websites not produced by Remember are provided for informational purposes only, and do not necessarily imply an endorsement of the linked site’s content.  Links provided by permission.