"God Chose Me For Suffering" - Christian Pastor in Sudan on Trial for Preaching is Not Afraid7/5/2015 This Christianity Today article tells how a Sudanese pastor who is in prison for preaching the gospel, is not afraid.
"Speaking to CBN News from his cell in Khartoum prison, pastor David Yein said: 'I am NOT AFRAID of anything... I am never afraid of anything because it is my love... because I believe. God chose me to SUFFER.'" Wow. What an incredible faith this pastor has. Not only is he not afraid, but he believes and is accepting that God might chose him to suffer. Does this not seem countercultural to the extreme? As American Christians, we tend to have little theology of suffering. We are sold the commercial that this life all about fulfilling the American Dream, which is about everything getting bigger and better. Suffering? Well, that sounds profoundly unAmerican! And yet, there are numerous Scriptures that tell us that we should expect persecution and suffering for our faith. Here are a few Scriptures on the subject:
As our culture changes around us, are we willing to suffer for our faith and continue to boldly preach the gospel of Jesus Christ? Is that not what we are called to?
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Sometimes as Christians, we can get down and defeated. It seems that everywhere, Satan is winning. Fear. Terrorism. ISIS.
But what we see on the news is not the full story. Note the following quote from a Christianity Today article on ISIS Undermining Islamic Faith. "Muslims frightened by the inhumane acts by the ISIS, which the militants claim they are doing in the name of their god Allah, are now questioning their very own faith, and presumably considering to leave it, CBS News reported on Friday. This is backed by testimonies from missionaries working in the Islamic world who noted that more Muslims have converted to Christianity in the last 14 years since the devastating Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the US. The number of converts in the recent period, they said, is greater than during the entire 14 centuries of Islamic history." So do not despair! God is at work in the world, and he has already won the victory through Jesus Christ. Could it be God's plan to use the horrors of ISIS to bring Muslims into the fold of Christ? That is the essence of the gospel--God taking the worst that sin has to offer in death and the cross, and creating resurrection and new life from it. Praise God for what he is doing in the Muslim world! How do you see God at work in the Muslim world? |
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AuthorDr. James Nored is a minister and Executive Director of Next Generation for Christ. Categories
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