A family recently told me harrowing personal stories of persecution of the Christian church in a country of the former Soviet Union. A power-hungry dictator with no regard for the well-being of his citizens, a set-up for dissension between countries of the former Soviet Union, and little international attention or aid, all contribute to the current state of corruption and oppression in this country. In such an oppressive climate, the father of this family faithfully served the Lord as a pastor of an underground church. Consequently, he was placed on a black list and forced to flee their home country. Still, they praise the Lord for the growing church at home and pray fervently for continued growth of the underground church and for God to raise up leaders, who will continue to fearlessly share. Even as they are currently fighting for UN refugee status which will allow them to continue to serve the Lord in a European country, they are also already making prayerful plans to return to the home that is currently persecuting them.
A Russian missionary recently shared with me her own story of salvation through a young Spirit-led Finnish missionary at his first location and consequent call into the ministry during a time of extreme persecution. At the time all Christians were labeled as dissenters against the government. Therefore, any contact or association with a Christian automatically put you at risk of retaliation and retribution. Still, this young Russian missionary participated in clandestine baptisms, discipleship, and flyering the Message. When she was arrested, she bravely attempted to shield her sisters in Christ from punishment and refused to divulge names, dates, or places. Consequently, she was imprisoned. Since then, she has opened several homes for children and served the poor with compassion and urgency for social justice.
Recently, I made a home visit to an Iranian Christian with a Turkish husband, who forbids her from regular fellowship with brothers and sisters. Even though we were strangers at first, she quickly warmed up to me and offered tea and apple cake as is customary for guests and eagerly desired to speak about spiritual things. While her husband was out walking the dog, it was clearly evident that she was hungry for a word from the Lord and inquired about brothers and sisters in the local church. We invited her to our Christmas concerts to which she politely declined because her husband would not like it. As soon as her husband walked in the door, the topic of conversation quickly turned to other things, business, their new puppy, and teaching English as a Second Language. But God opened the door and her husband became quite curious about what brought a short Asian girl from Chicago to Istanbul, Turkey. He even asked what religion my family was before I became a Christian! I shared my testimony with them and spoke of who Jesus is to me. While we were leaving their home, my local missionary friend shared her burden for this sister in Christ and her fear that these home visits might stir up her husband’s anger. So we prayed protection over our sister and a softening of her husband’s heart to the Truth.
Every day God calls ordinary people to extraordinary missions: to love God surrendering everything else, to bring social justice, to fight for fellowship and never give up meeting together. Recently, God gave me a word from Zechariah 7:9-10 which says, “This is what the LORD Almight says: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to on another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.'” Similarly, Micah 6:8 says, “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Too often I take for granted the freedom and liberty I enjoy to read my Bible, worship together, pray together, and share in God’s work in my life. Even without these freedoms, these brothers and sisters in Christ have faithfully chosen to live Zechariah 7:9-10 and Micah 6:8. How much more then should I hide God’s word in my heart? worship in community? encourage and exhort one another? and bring justice?
