Happy Easter Day 2011

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid;
for I know that you are looking for Jesus who
has been crucified. He is not here, for
He has risen, just as He said."
~ Matthew 28:5-6a (NAS) ~

Good Friday 2011

... He Himself bore our sins in His
body on the cross, so that we might
die to sin and live to righteousness;
for by His wounds you were healed.
~ 1 Peter 2:24 (NAS) ~

Outbreak of Crises

While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you." (Job 1:16 NAS)

Frequently, when a crisis comes our way, it seldom comes alone. When I was a teenager, several crises happened in my life in succession one after another within a short span of time. The crises came like an outbreak of calamity, suddenly and without warning—a loved one seriously ill, an affectionate relationship broken, and a discord in church separating many friendships and the congregation. It was like the entire world turned against me and I was left all alone with no one to turn to for help or share my pain and agony. In that state of despair and desperation, I strayed from God for a little while, but soon returned because I knew I could never live a meaningful life without Him.

The Bible also tells of one who was suddenly faced with a number of crises in his life (Job 1:13-20). Job first lost his sons and daughters, and then he lost his servants and livestock. Yet, through it all, Job did not sin nor did he blame God (Job 1:21-22). Satan then smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head, yet Job held fast to his integrity (Job 2:4-10). Some days later, Job spoke out and said of his anxiety, “… my cries pour out like water. For what I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me. I am not at ease, nor am I quiet, and I am not at rest, but turmoil comes” (Job 3:24-26 NAS).

Like the outbreak of crises and boils, there is a type of outbreak today that is also spreading around the world. This is the outbreak of worldliness and self-centeredness. Just as a disease outbreak such as cancer can mutate into variations, worldliness and self-centeredness can also lead to fatality and the domino effect of continuing sin, resulting in the eventual death of people around us. Some cancer patients have shared that once they have been diagnosed with the illness, they deem themselves as good as dead. Anxiety then sets in and in their minds they can only think of the doctors as just counting their days.

James in his epistle described the outbreak of worldliness and self-centeredness as the source of quarrels and conflicts that wage war among fellow believers (James 14:1). The root cause of the war is the pleasures, lust, envy, pride, wrong motives, impure heart and double-mindedness of man (James 4:1-10).

Sometimes we may fight and quarrel with others out of envy or lust, and sometimes we may even backstab others—knowingly or unknowingly—just to get what we want. We may at times want the right things for the wrong reasons, and we do not receive them because our motives are impure and self-seeking, desiring only to satisfy our own pleasures.

The Bible states clearly if our involvement with the world becomes too intimate that we participate in its adulterous ways, we make ourselves an enemy of God (James 4:4). We should therefore never be double-minded to think we can serve two masters, for either we will hate one and love the other or we will be devoted to one and despise the other (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13). We should instead be cautious never to be infected or become carriers of worldliness and self-centeredness.

Let us be on the alert always to watch out for symptoms and quickly take steps to avoid or prevent ourselves from succumbing to any outbreak. Submit and draw near to God; resist the devil and temptation. Purify our hearts and come humbly into the presence of God, and He will draw near to us and exalt us (James 4:7-10).

Dear Lord, forgive us for sometimes swaying from trusting You, especially when in times of crises. Do not let us succumb to the outbreak of calamity in our lives Lord. Strengthen us instead that we may hold fast to Your faithfulness. Help us not be double-minded, Lord, but be devoted to You whole-heartedly.

Reaching Across Cultures

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, (Matthew 28:19 NAS)

Some years ago I attended a missions awareness seminar, and this is what I have learned.

Seen from the perspective of the Great Commission, missions may be classified under three categories:

M1: Mission within local context where local language is used

M2: Mission within local context where different language is used or where crossing the line to different living conditions is required

M3: Outside local context with totally different culture, living habits, language in foreign lands

Cross-cultural evangelism refers to M2 and M3, which means it is not limited to cross-geographical. People of different cultures are often found within the same politically-defined space, and in a less formal definition, ‘cross-income-group’ evangelism may also be considered cross-cultural missions.

Many people in the world today are still unreached by the Gospel despite much urbanization. If only M1 is adopted, many will perish without knowing Christ. As believers in the Lord, therefore, we ought to reach the unreached people (Matthew 28:19-20). The unreached people are those people groups which so far have not had an opportunity to receive the gospel and respond to it because of geographical, linguistic or cultural barriers, or a combination of these.

Some examples of unreached people in local context are:

1. Foreign workers (imported laborers). Domestic helps or construction site laborers who normally work long hours and are not reached by ordinary means of evangelism.
2. Shift workers. This would include people employed in hotels, cabarets, hawking, etc.
3. Dialect speakers. Particularly those in the older generation, many of who are illiterate and face linguistic and cultural barriers.
4. Blue-collar workers. Those working at construction sites and factories.

Cross-cultural evangelism is essential if we want to reach the unreached people. The church and missions organizations as a whole must work together to achieve this goal.

In preparing ourselves to participate in cross-cultural missions, the following are a few things we may wish to first think about:

1. Knowledge. Gather enough information concerning unreached people groups through mission magazines, mission organizations, etc.
2. Prayer. Begin to pray for this unreached people groups specifically and earnestly.
3. Giving. Give to the mission fund on a regular basis.
4. Consideration. Consider how we can participate in missions, such as getting trained in a specific field as a professional and reaching the people of that particular group (example: studying in the technical field so as to be in contact with blue-collar workers to reach them for God).
5. Prepare. Enroll ourselves in the study of missiology so as to be equipped adequately for the task or go on short-term mission trips.
6. Send. Finally, work with the church or missions organizations to be sent out as missionaries (M3). We should be under the cover of the church to report on mission progress regularly.

Some factors we should consider before becoming a M3 missionary are:

1. Eyes. Can we bear the sight of people with diseases? How do we react to a place that is filthy and unclean?
2. Ears. Are we enthusiastic in learning foreign languages or do we see the foreigner as a barbarian?
3. Nose. Can we take strange and unfamiliar smells?
4. Tongue. Do we have strong stomachs that can stomach any kind of food?
5. Back. Can we sleep and lie anywhere or do we need our regular bed, pillows, etc?
6. Heart. What are our attitudes toward people of different color skin? Do we have compassion toward them?
7. Marital Status. If single, are we prepared to stay single or delay marriage to go to strange lands as missionaries and bear loneliness? What about family? Are they willing to follow us or do we leave them behind? What about the children’s education?
8. Stickability. Are we able to start and stick to the end of the ministry? How do we react under pressure?

Put in our hearts Lord to want to proclaim Your salvation to the world, beginning with people around us who share the same language. Grow in us an interest Lord to also want to learn a different language to reach the people of other cultures living around us as well. Reveal to us dear Lord how we can help or participate in the work of global missions too, that we may not be a bystander to watch and fail to bear witness. Mold us Lord and renew our spirits that we may be adaptable in all circumstances, and have a heart that genuinely cares for others.

Secular vs Spiritual

And hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mark 2:17 NAS)

As a former journalist, I used to have to cover entertainment news and mix around with people in the entertainment circle, including movie directors, actors, actresses and models. These are the people who spend more time in clubs, studios and roadshows than any place else. Although I have since moved on to write more serious stuff, I still keep in contact with some of them. In fact, I even maintain an entertainment blog and a social networking profile to communicate with them and keep abreast of what's going on in the entertainment circle.

Not too long ago, a follower of my Christian blog who knows about my entertainment blog and social networking profile wrote me an e-mail. In it, she told me that the things I wrote and posted at the blog and social networking profile do not reflect well of my testimony as a believer of the faith. This feedback upset me because while my blog and social networking profile primarily cover topics of social interest, at times I would also leave comments on my contacts’ status and share with them my experiences as a Christian. I would relate to them how I handle certain things in life and offer them suggestions based on Christian principles.

Not wanting to stumble anyone in the faith (1 Corinthians 8:9), I did a thorough cleanup to remove a large part of the entertainment information at my blog and social networking profile. Some days after that, seeing no value in continuing with the social networking profile without the information that interests my entertainment contacts, I terminated the account. Now, my entertainment blog has also been streamlined to contain only information about movies, dining and lifestyle, minus topics like night spots, clubbing, women’s apparels, fashion, and modeling. With this change, the ratings and number of visitors to my site dropped to near bottom. My thought in this aftermath is, have I made the right choice? Did not our Lord Himself mingle among sinners to lead them to Himself?

In a sermon I heard some years ago, the speaker said if we are to be so holy to the point of living our lives ascended above ground, we are of no earthly worth to the people around us. I tend to concur with the speaker on this frame of thought. If we are not worth much in this world, then we are of little value in bridging the gap to bring people to the spiritual world. Do not get me wrong, I am not justifying or advocating we should live unholy lives while on earth so as to reach the sinners (Romans 3:5-8). Rather, I am suggesting that we should not live our lives separate from the crowd, like some of the Jews in Jesus’ days who do not associate with Samaritans (John 4:9).

Some of us may argue that the Bible says, "... do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God" (James 4:4 NAS). If we however read this passage carefully, we should realize this ‘friendship with the world’ is referring to our hearts and motives (James 4:1-4). It does not say because we are in the world and not of the world, we should separate ourselves from the world (John 15:19).

Many people seem to think if a person is of a particular faith, he or she should behave in a certain way and do or not do certain things. Such thinking is unrealistic because one cannot live an ascetic or anomic life just because of one’s belief. We know Jesus did not avoid or stay away from sinners. In fact, He even mingled and ate with them (Mark 2:15-17).

The lesson we need to learn here is that in the real world the line between secular and spiritual life is inseparable. Knowing this, we should always keep in check to draw the line between what’s profanity and what’s permissible. We must stay alert, yet not separate ourselves from others, but keep in balance the secular and the spiritual. We must not avoid the crowd or draw the line so clearly that the unsaved cannot cross over from death to life. We should do our best in the secular—which often pays our bills and keeps us alive—so we may have sufficient to share with others and give our lives to serve the Lord.

Thank You, dear Lord, for keeping us alive. We know Lord that while the line between good and evil is clear, between the secular and spiritual, we are sometimes unsure. Help us therefore Lord not to cause anyone to stumble by our actions nor give up on the unsaved because of one decision. Guide us to know where we should draw the line Lord that we may not by mistake cross it.

Facing the Enemies

so that we confidently say, "THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?" (Hebrews 13:6 NAS)

Not too long ago, I woke up one morning feeling depressed over the situation happening at my workplace. Ever since the team I have been working in was absorbed into another department of the organization, I have been getting such dispirited moods frequently.

The department I am now working in is headed by a lady who believes only in top-down management. She is a practitioner of everything that is typically taught in management studies about using negative motivational tactics to get staff working in fear, following a bureaucratic and hierarchical structure. Her disposition and personality is generally fierce, and she constantly breathes down the necks of her staff every weekly department meeting. Words from her are like fire—hot and fiery, and like storm—cold and harsh, filled full with regular reprimands. The way her staff is handled is similar to the way elementary school teachers control the kids. It is as if every of the staff owes her a living, and any difference in opinions finds trouble for oneself. Few are willing to put their jobs on the line in begging to differ or practice freedom of choice or speech.

Such is the kind of depressive working environment and low morale I go through these days, which similar feelings have once faded from my past, many years ago. None of such negative feelings existed when I began working in this organization some six years ago. Things have been fairly well with everyone doing their part as a team, working with each other to resolve issues rather than being driven from top-down.

What first came to mind when I woke up that morning was the urgent need to calm down and seek God. I knew in my heart then there was a Bible verse that expresses well how I felt and therefore desperately searched for it, seeking to calm myself as I cried out to God. I knew I was already late for work, but felt the need to read the verse, and I eventually found it.

Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence. (Psalm 42:5 NAS)

Wanting to know more about the cicumstances in which the psalmist cried out, I decided to read the entire Psalm 42 and realized verse 11 ended on a similar note as verse 5 with a difference.

Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God. (Psalm 42:11 NAS)

In verse 5, the psalmist cried out in his despair. In verses 6 to 10, the psalmist poured out his heart and talked to God about his sufferings, oppression and adversaries. In verse 11, he acknowledged God's supremacy once again and said he shall yet praise God, despite his circumstances.

Like the psalmist, I cried out to God in my desperation, and in Him I found relieve. For even though I walk through the darkest valley, I need not fear, because God is with me; His Spirit comforts me and calms my soul (Psalm 23:4-5). I will surely again praise Him and continue to hope in Him, for He is my help (Psalm 42:5, 11). I will not cease to call upon the Lord and seek His face in my time of difficulty.

Perhaps some of us, like me, may be facing some difficult situations now, and are feeling stressed and desperate. It may be a matter relating to a situation at the workplace or at home, or some difficulties we face working with or for a person. Regardless the matter or situation, we need not despair or be afraid, for the Lord is our helper; what can man do to us with God on our side (Hebrews 13:6)? What situation can we not face if it is permitted by God?

How then should we respond in the face of our enemies or in times of desperation? Do we, like Elijah who ran away from Jezebel (1 Kings 19:1-8), run away from our enemies and difficulties, or do we cry out to God and seek His face? Let us choose first to seek God to calm our souls. Let us also hope in Him and not be distrubed within us. Praise Him, for He is our Savior and our God; in Him we can confidently say, "the Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid" (Psalm 118:6-7; Hebrews 13:6). As for those of us who are bosses, employers or supervisors, let us not intimidate our workers. Instead, let us give up threatening, knowing that we have a God in heaven and there is no partiality with Him (Ephesians 6:9).

Help us in our times of desperation, Lord, and do not turn Your face away from us! We need You desperately Lord, for without You, we can do nothing and are in despair. See us through every difficult situation Lord as we continue to praise You. Grant us confidence in the face of our enemies Lord, that we will not be afraid, for You O God are our helper.

Eternal Flame

He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NAS)

Following the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1963, an eternal flame was built at the request of the then First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy for her husband’s grave in Arlington National Cemetery at Washington, D.C. Inspired by the Flame of Remembrance that burns at the Grave of the Unknown Soldier in Paris, this eternal flame was the first time a known individual was given such an honor. Since then, eternal flames have been designated around the world to honor the loss of people of great significance in addition to major tragic and momentous events.

The idea of an eternal flame has been a long-held tradition in many cultures and religions. In Jewish tradition, the practice of keeping a flame burning began when Moses oversaw the construction of the original menorah, a seven branched candelabra, for the tabernacle (Exodus 25:31-40). According to information from JewFAQ.org, the descendants of Aaron or the kohanim lit the menorah in the sanctuary of the Temple every evening and cleaned it out every morning, replacing the wicks and putting fresh olive oil into the cups. The menorah is said to symbolize the nation of Israel as “a light to the nations” (Isaiah 42:6 NAS). The light, being an illumining source, signifies a mission to reach the world without using force but by setting our lives as examples, not by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of God (Zechariah 4:6, 1-5). In synagogues today, the menorah is represented by a sanctuary lamp called ner tamid, which translated means everlasting light or eternal flame.

Unlike the eternal flame that signifies our mission as lights of the world (Matthew 5:14-16), the Bible mentioned another eternal flame which brings forth death. Jesus said, "If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire” (Matthew 18:8 NAS). This is the eternal fire of hell where the flame cannot be quenched (Mark 9:47-48). All who are not of the Lord at the hour of judgment will have to face this everlasting flame and be tormented with fire and brimstone, where the smoke of the torment will go up forever and ever (Matthew 13:41-42; Revelation 14:7, 9-11).

For thus our God the exalted One Who lives forever had said, "I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite” (Isaiah 57:15 NAS). “Even from eternity I am He, and there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?” (Isaiah 43:13 NAS). But to those of us who fear Him and keep His covenant, and remember His precepts to do them, the lovingkindness of our LORD is from everlasting to everlasting (Psalm 103:17-18).

In placing eternal flames to honor the glorious dead, the word of God rightly described what is said of man about eternity being set in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). We know eternity awaits us upon our death on earth or when Christ returns. We tend to forget, however, where our friends and our loved ones will go to in eternity if they do not receive Christ as their Lord and Savior. While we think about our eternity, let us not forget the eternity of others as well. Let us as lights of the world reveal Christ in our lives and do our part to bring a change in the destiny and eternity of the yet unsaved.

Help us dear Lord to set by example to the world what it means to have You in our lives. Shine through us that as lights of the world we may reveal more of You each day. Remind us constantly that without You, many are dying in their sins and facing eternal death, fire and torment. Holy Spirit, lead and guide us in bringing salvation and the gift of eternal life to the unsaved. Eternal God and Father, we come to You with contrite hearts, lowly in spirit to seek Your revival for our land.

Living by the Minute

You have decided the length of our lives. You know how many months we will live, and we are not given a minute longer. (Job 14:5 NLT)

Staying connected and contactable at all times is not something impossible these days with communication tools such as cellular phones, wireless devices and other gadgets. In fact, to some of us, being reachable anytime anywhere may be an expected norm, and to be without our tools of communication just for a few minutes may leave us feeling disengaged, lost or disconcerted.

Many of us, like me, may live our lives as if we are working or on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, contactable round the clock to the minute. The fast pace we live in often keeps us rushing all the time—from morning to evening, day after day. We rush to get our breakfast done or skip our breakfast to get on with the day. We rush to get to work or school, and we rush to complete our assigned tasks to meet the deadlines. By the end of the day, we are frequently left exhausted, stressed and worn out, yet for some of us, we continue to do things hurriedly even at home, and sometimes even work through the night. Such a lifestyle of minute to minute rush bears consequences and depletes health, even with the young and energetic.

The author of Ecclesiastes said, “Young people, it's wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do” (Ecclesiastes 11:9 NLT).

Young or old is of course not the focus here. It is remembering we have to give account to God for everything we do that we ought to pay attention to. We may not be enjoying every minute of our lives and may even be living hectic lives just to achieve important goals. Nevertheless, we must know that our lives are not our own but have been bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Our lives and lifestyle should therefore glorify God and not be lived in a way that is detrimental to our health. Sadly, however, few people realize the consequence that comes with not keeping account of our lives to God in the things we do until it is too late.

Our Lord Jesus Christ makes it very clear that He had come that we may have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10). Should we therefore not live our lives fruitfully to the fullest for the purpose of God that we may be blessed abundantly? Should we not keep account how we live our lives, since the length of our days on earth has been predetermined and we cannot in anyway extend it even a minute longer (Job 14:5)?

Living our lives by the minute is nothing wrong, so long as we make every minute counts. The minutes we spend with God studying His word and conversing with Him are time well spent. The minutes we express our love to our family, relatives, friends and reach out to meet the needs of the poor are also fruitful and good. Spending a few minutes to take a break, relax and rest from time to time is important too if we hope to live our lives to the fullest, according to the abundant life our Lord has intended for us.

Let us therefore regularly and purposefully make time to take some minutes off to free ourselves from the distraction of this world—the mobile phone, wireless devices, radio, TV, gadgets and the likes—and quiet ourselves before God. Let us constantly get connected with God to converse with Him and remain on call anytime anywhere for His purpose.

Help us dear Lord to take time to pause from our constant rush in our daily lives to spend meaningful minutes amid the fast pace to quiet ourselves before You. Lead us and keep us in Your will Lord through every minute of our lives, that we may not become caught up into living a lifestyle that is unfruitful or that ruins our health. Remind us to always keep account of what we are doing that we may live our lives abundantly according to Your purpose.

Spending Time

"Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive. (1 Corinthians 10:23 NIV)

Many of us who are active participants of online social networking would probably be familiar with the game by Zynga, FarmVille. FarmVille is a farming game that allows its players to manage a virtual farm by plowing, planting, growing and harvesting. The primary way for a player to earn farm coins is to harvest crops. The player does this by paying coins for plowing a unit of land, planting crops on it, and eventually harvesting the crops after a certain amount of time has elapsed. If the player forgets to harvest the crops when ready, the crops wither and become useless after some time. How long it takes for the crops to mature and yield money after harvest depends on the crops planted and the market price at the time of harvest. All these activities performed by the player span through a period of time ranging from hours to days, and although it can be really fun, it is also very time-consuming. Unless the player has all the time in the world, this game can keep a person very busy and may even lead to the neglect of other more important things in life.

Playing online games is perfectly fine and can at times help us take our minds away from the stress of life to provide us the necessary leisure we need. It can also help us relax and rest, depending on the games we play. Excessive indulgence in gaming—or anything else—to the point of neglecting the more important things, however, can put us at risk of getting too caught up or drowned in our own virtual world. It is better for us to spend a day quietly with God or studying the word of God than to spend many days on less important things (Psalm 84:10).

The Bible states very clearly that while everything is permissible, not everything is beneficial or constructive (1 Corinthians 10:23). Everything, in this case, means the things that are not stated in the Bible as wrong or against our Spirit-filled conscience. The author of Ecclesiastes conveys the message of what it means by "a time for everything" very well when he said, “I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 10-11a NIV).

Since the beginning of time, God has known, planned and led His created people in a direction to draw them back to Himself. Never for once did He give up on us or deem it too time-consuming to wait for us to return to Him. Our God is not willing that we should die in our sins before His good news reach the ends of the earth (Matthew 24:14; Mark 13:10). He will never desert us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Even before the foundation of the world, He has already chosen us to be holy and blameless before Him, and predestined us for adoption as His children through Jesus Christ our Lord (Ephesians 1:4-5).

Let us therefore learn from God never to think it is too time-consuming to reach others for Christ, nor waste our time on the not so important things. Like the game, FarmVille, where crops wither and become useless after a time has elapsed, the people who are yet unsaved in our world can also ‘wither’ and die if we neglect to spend time to plow, plant, grow and harvest souls. If we hope to yield something that is of worth in the kingdom of God, we must play our part in spending our time wisely for the right and more important things.

Remind us dear Lord that while everything may be permissible, certain things may not be beneficial. Help us to be wise Lord to know what we should spend more time in and what we should not. Thank You Father for adopting us as Your children and for never considering it too time-consuming to lead us back to You. Stir our hearts Lord that we may not stop reaching those who are yet unsaved, lest because of us they wither and die without receiving You as Lord and Savior of their lives.

Centuries of Persecution

and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. (Matthew 16:18b NAS)

It began many centuries ago when a crowd gathered together on Pentecost that the first Christian church came into existence (Acts 2). Many agree that this gathering recorded in the Book of Acts is the first literal church mentioned in the New Testament (Acts 2:1, 42-47). The word 'church' however was first mentioned by Jesus in the Gospel, where He said upon this rock He will build His church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it (Matthew 16:18). In classical Greek, the word 'ekklesia' was used in place of the English translated word 'church’ which means a gathering, a congregation or a group of people assembled together for a particular cause or purpose.

When asked the question as to which book in the Bible mentions the first church, a forum participant at answers.yahoo.com replied, "I would say off the top of my head, ACTS. Let’s say it up front ... the main purpose of the Bible is to show how God worked over the centuries through the Old Testament era and into the New Testament age to bring the church into existence." In a sense, this statement by the forum participant summarizes the centuries that had taken place through the years of the Old and New Testament. The story of Jesus and His church however did not end at the closure of the New Testament. It continued from the first century to today, and will continue into the future, as long as we are still in the Church Age before the return of Christ.

It was in the first century when persecution broke out under the reign of Claudius Caesar (AD 41 to 54) that Stephen was stoned to death (Acts 6:8-9). After Nero took over the reign as Emperor from AD 54 to 68 (Acts 25:11-12; 26:32; Philippians 4:22), a greater persecution continued. The apostle Peter was crucified upside down on a cross around AD 64 and the apostle Paul was executed around AD 68. For centuries after that, many more Christians suffered martyrdom under the rule of various Roman emperors. Today, many Christians in different parts of the world are still facing persecutions, especially in places where the gospel of Christ is prohibited.

On March 3, 2011, The New York Times reported the only Christian cabinet minister in the Pakistan government was shot dead for campaigning to reform the blasphemy law that mandates the death penalty for insulting a particular religion¹. On February 8, 2011, Christian Today reported three churches at Temanggung, Central Java in Indonesia, were attacked by a mob of extremists after a court judge sentenced a Christian man to five years in prison for blaspheming against another religion². On February 4, 2011, Christian Today reported the death of two Christians from separate prisons in Eritrea, northeast of Africa, after being refused medical treatment amid a renewed crackdown by the authorities against unregistered churches³. More than 100 evangelical believers were detained following the new wave of raids which started on New Year's Eve. One of the two martyrs was a 27-year-old woman who was arrested after being caught reading a Bible in her bedroom.

All through the centuries—since the birth of the first church—numerous believers have suffered and endured persecutions. Even in countries where different faiths are tolerated and religious freedom are encouraged or enforced by law, restrictions are often still imposed on what can and cannot be said or done. Failing to abide by the rules of speech and certain actions can lead to imprisonment or even death. Of these who have suffered persecutions and endured to the end, the Bible says they will be saved and blessed (Matthew 10:22; 24:13; James 5:11).

Let us who have freedom therefore not take for granted what we have lightly. Instead, let us remember those who are being mistreated and identify with them as if we ourselves are suffering (Hebrews 13:3). Let us pray earnestly for the Lord to protect those who are being persecuted and keep them standing firm, knowing that their toil is not futile (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Dear Lord, our hearts hurt to know some of our fellow brothers and sisters are suffering much for Your name’s sake. We pray O God that You will overflow them with Your love, comfort and strengthen them by Your Holy Spirit, that they may stay steadfast and immovable amid persecutions. For the rest of us who are free from persecutions, Lord, we earnestly pray for those who are suffering. Grant them Your perfect peace and protect them as they endure tribulation with the assurance that nothing they do for You is ever in vain.

¹ Perlez, Jane, "Extremists are Suspected in Killing of Pakistani Minister" in The New York Times. Published March 2, 2011.
² Rachel Ford, "Churches burned over Indonesia's blasphemy case" in Christian Today. Published February 8, 2011.
³ ASSIST News Service, "Two die in prison and over 100 detained in church raids in Eritrea" in Christian Today. Published February 4, 2011.