Daily devotion – the rise of persecution
We often read of the heroics and bravery of the early Christians in the book of Acts. James the brother of John is beheaded at the bequest of Herod. Peter and John beaten and threatened if they preach Jesus Christ by the religious leaders. As we read of these stories we often sense a detachment of sort here in Australia as Christians suffer little persecution of the ilk found in the book of Acts.
Things changed yesterday suddenly as Assyrian Bishop Mari Emmanuel, who is popular for his preaching, was stabbed as an act of terror at a church in Sydney while delivering a sermon.
This was a planned and outright religious attack. Bishop Emmanuel speaks boldly that there is one God alone and His Son is Jesus Christ, the only true Saviour.
Throughout the world at this time there is a massive amount of deadly persecution to Christian believers particularly in Nigeria – over 8,000 Nigerian Christians were killed or abducted from January 2023 to the end of January 2024.
In Pakistan more than 19 Churches have been burned and believers killed from violent Muslim attacks.
The book of Acts is the one book in the New Testament that has no real ending because you and I and other modern-day believers are filling the rest of the pages of the story of the Church of Jesus Christ in a fallen world.
Persecution exists and it is very real, and Christians in Australia will not exempt.
Jesus said, Jhn 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
But as persecution arises so too will the power, strength and people of Christ. Persecution only ever strengthened and purified the Church.
This week I pray that God will open your eyes to see the time is short and that gathering with the body of Christ has never been as important as it is now.
No matter what arises, God is greater, no matter what restrictions come, the greater the Word of God will spread.