Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me. Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
I am not a theologian by any stretch of the imagination. Nor can I fully understand scriptures on persecution. I have never experienced what our brothers and sisters in neighboring countries are experiencing.
The following article articulates the rise in persecution, with 2014 being the worse in the “modern era”.
I felt all this was worth sharing with you….
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/persecution-of-christians-reached-historic-levels-in-2014-will-2015-be-worse/2015/01/07/47ec7da6-969e-11e4-8385-866293322c2f_story.html
I know that I feel helpless. I pray…and for me, searched for more. I have received “The Voice of the Martyr” newsletter for several years. It is the first listing because it is the one I am most familiar with….
http://www.ministrywatch.com/articles/persecuted.aspx
http://www.cru.org/train-and-grow/devotional-life/pray-for-persecuted-church.html
http://www.churchinneed.org/site/PageServer?pagename=AN_News
Another small way to make a difference if you so choose… is to display the symbol of the “Nazarene” that is the symbol used on doorposts, similar to those Jewish symbols used by the Nazis to persecute the Jewish people. The following is a link to an article about this priest who wanted to take that symbol and make it one of solidarity with our persecuted brothers and sisters in the Middle East.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/02/13/symbol-hope-for-persecuted-christians/
A link to this website will allow you to purchase product which will benefit the ministry, churchinneed.org (link above)on the front lines of this persecution:
I have included the symbol of your use in this blog as well, if you so choose.
‘When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters,[a] were killed just as they had been.” Revelation 6:9-11
~Be Blessed
In Christ Alone
TSA
*google images, NIV Bible, various websites
Encouragement for Today 