Today I got a mailing from Voice of Martyrs. There were stories about Christians in India in the state of Orissa, they are facing persecution. Hindu radicals are persecuting them. In the village of Rudangia they targeted Lalji Nayak where they drug him out of his home and stuck a knife to his neck. They yelled at him to renounce Christ and demanded he "reconvert" and become a Hindu. When he refused they drove the knife deeper into his neck until blood gushed and then began to beat him with an axe. When he continued to cling to Christ they left him for dead and he died the next day at a nearby hospital.
Another story, "Are you afraid to die for Jesus?" Pastor Freddy Cherian asked the 40 or so Christians gathered at his home. While he was preaching his 72 year old father sat in a chair listening. Suddenly there was a loud commotion and dozens of Hindu radicals burst in. They beat Pastor Freddy with iron rods. The grabbed his father and split open his skull. They told him he would die unless he dined Christ. "You can kill me, but I will never deny Christ". They then beat the other churchgoers who were trying to protect the 72 year old. Through it all the believers were shouting praises of "Hallelujah".
Then there is Manimi Digal, 14 years old. she was raped, beaten and doused with gas and burned by Hindu radicals. In the hospital she said, "I feel closer to God now more than before. I love Jesus and want to follow him all my life."
That is the amazing thing about persecution. It actually advances the cause of Christ instead of deterring it. There was a story of a couple that drove 800 miles to be baptized. They traveled all night, crammed into a small mini-van because they could not be baptized in their own village. Christians make up only 2 percent of the population of India, but in Orissa where the persecution is strong 30 percent of the population is now Christian. Yet since August, 2008, 70,000 Christians have been displaced, 4,000 homes have been destroyed, 450 churches have been burned and 87Christians have died.
As we all celebrate this season of Christmas, let us not forget those throughout the world who also believe in the birth of our Savior, but suffer death to celebrate it.
I for one feel so guilty that I live here in freedom, but do not take a stand that would not even cost me my life. I sit idly by and don't speak up when prayer is not allowed in school, when teachers are told they cannot wear their cross jewelry, when homosexuals want to redefine marriage, when Merry Christmas is being changed to Happy Holidays and on and on it goes. May this season renew my courage and convict my heart that Jesus was not just a baby in a manager, but He indeed is Lord and Savior and may I be willing to stand for that truth always.
1 comment:
Matthew's girlfriend, Linda, eventually wants to adopt a child from India in hopes that she will raise him/her to become a Christian and then want to go back to their home country to spread the Word. I wonder if she has read this book. I know Matthew has read one of these books (is this one by DC Talk also?) I thought it was random that she said India, because it's not one of the more popular countries to adopt from. But now I understand why she wants to.
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