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No Freedom to Worship
What a joy and privilege it is to be able to worship freely! We remember, however, that there are many Christians who are severely persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ. Today's WORSHIP QUOTE OF THE WEEK comes in the context of the upcoming International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (November 15, 1998). For more information on the 1998 International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, contact 1-888-LET'S PRAY (538-7772) or visit their web site at join with thousands of other Christians as we pray for those who share our faith in Christ, but not our freedom to say "Jesus is Lord." These are the words of Jesus: "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:10 "You have heard it said, 'Love your neighbors and hate your enemies.' But I tell you, 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.'" Matthew 5:43-45 The following excerpts are taken from SHATTER THE SILENCE: PRAYER FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH, a resource to help Christians know how to pray for those who suffer because of their faith in Christ. "Situation: Over 200 million Christians now face intense persecution for their faith and over 250 million undergo some form of discrimination, with Communist governments and some Islamic regimes being the most flagrant offenders. The problem is extremely severe and rapidly spreading. More Christians were martyred for their faith in the 20th century than in the previous 19 centuries combined. Christians who aren't killed are often subjected to brutal torture and brainwashing - attempts to force them to recant their faith. In some parts of the world, Christian women are brutally raped to break their allegiance to Christ, while children are sold into slavery for as little as $15. Thousands more languish year after year in prisons or hard labor camps. . . . They suffer extreme physical torture, spirit-draining psychological abuse and the unspeakable pain of being separated from family members. Yet the most common request of persecuted Christians is for our prayers . . . . The U.S. State Department lists more than 70 countries where persecution of Christians is either promoted or permitted, or where existing government policies limit freedom of religion or present potential trouble for Christians and other groups. Afghanistan Algeria Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Belarus Belgium Bhutan Bosnia and Herzegovina Brunei Bulgaria Burma Burundi Cameroon Central African Republic China Columbia Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Croatia Cuba Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Estonia Ethiopia France Germany Greece India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) Kuwait Kyrgyz Republic Laos Latvia Lebanon Lithuania Malaysia Maldives Mauritania Mexico Moldova Morocco Nepal Nicaragua Nigeria Pakistan Peru Romania Russia Saudi Arabia Serbia-Montenegro Singapore Slovakia Somalia Sri Lanka Sudan Syria Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uzbekistan Vietnam Yemen" [Please pray! Ask others to pray with you! Commit yourself and your church to pray for the persecuted church throughout the year and especially on November 15, the International Day of Prayer.] Have a great week, Chip Stam Pastor of Worship and Music Chapel Hill Bible Church Chapel Hill, North Carolina |