When I began my journey of being a voice for the persecuted, I thought that the persecuted church needed us … and they do. But I didn’t realize how much we need them.
By Dominic Sputo, LumenLife
The more I learn about our brothers and sisters who live in the fire of persecution, the more convicted I am by their faith and their love … even for those who are persecuting them. We can learn from them about what it means to take up our cross and follow Jesus. For example …
We learn how to forgive as Jesus does from a young Iraqi girl named Myriam (pictured center above) who, while living with her family in a refugee camp, forgives the members of ISIS who destroyed her home and uprooted her family.
We learn how to persevere and to trust in the Lord’s plan for us through Pastor Andrew Brunson, who was just released after being imprisoned for almost two years for being a Christian.
And we learn how to deny ourselves, in the face of inevitable pain, to follow Jesus through our sister Leah, who exemplifies “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” She refused to bow down to Boko Haram and deny Jesus as her Lord, knowing it would mean surrendering the life she knew.
Read the full story at LumenLife.
Photo: SAT7NA