Persecution

The word persecution has always been a distant word to me.

It has always been distant. Just a noun you read about in Paul's letters and in the occasional history book. Just ink on a page. Nothing in my life has ever come close to persecution for my beliefs. Yeah, maybe a few people laughed at me for being an "altar boy" a dozen times growing up. But that is nothing.

That formerly distant noun is now near and I can hear his snarl and smell his breath.

Here in China the government is cracking down on a church named Shouwang. The government is not letting them worship in a building they bought and so they are forced to worship outside. But large groups gathering outdoors brings flashbacks of Tiananmen Square to the communist leaders. So they stated that any worshipers of Shouwang that would worship in the park on Sunday would be arrested. They were not lying. A close friend of mine spent the night singing songs to herself (ala Paul and Peter) in a cement cell. Here is one person's account of what happened and what is happening to our brothers and sisters in Beijing.


http://www.facebook.com/notes/pray-for-beijing-shouwang-church-%E5%8C%97%E4%BA%AC%E5%AE%88%E6%9C%9B%E6%95%99%E4%BC%9A/48-hours-of-amazing-grace/201877649851657


Pray that our leaders (the Lord's chosen) realize that this is a Fire they cannot put out.

- m -