You may not know their names or see their faces on this side of heaven, but the global persecuted church is out there, and they are asking for prayer. From China to Afghanistan to Israel to Nigeria, men and women of God are giving their lives for the sake of the gospel going forth in the nations.
Todd Nettleton serves as the voice for many in the persecuted church, and is Chief of Media Relations for the Voice of the Martyrs, USA. In a video interview for Charisma News, Nettleton was overjoyed to share the heroic acts from believers in the underground church that will leave you with goosebumps.
Right now in Afghanistan, Christians are coming together in the underground church to advance the gospel to their Afghan brothers and sisters. As the country has seen what Taliban rulership looks like they are starting to question their Muslim faith and are wondering if there is more. Now the underground church is mobilizing to share with those questioning the Quran about the passionate love of Jesus. They are sharing how God loved them so much that He sent His one and only Son to die for them, a message vastly different than the violence they experience everyday.
In Northern Nigeria, Christians are under a constant fear from terrorist groups like Boko Haram. A Nigerian pastor was kidnapped and tortured for 30 days by Fulani Islamic militants. By the grace of God, Pastor Emmanuel survived. He suffered the worst beatings on Sundays because they knew it was a holy day for him.
Although the Christian villages are often targeted, Pastor Emmanuel went back to his church after being released from captivity because he didn’t want to go into hiding leaving his congregation without a shepherd. He is truly willing to lay his life down for his friends.
In the video, Nettleton also talks about the persecution of Christians in Israel and the hardships with finding Hebrew Bibles and maintaining church buildings.
It is humbling to hear the stories of the men and women who the world is truly not worthy of just like the Bible talks about the heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11.
Hebrews 11:13-16 says, “These all died in faith not having received the promises, but having seen them from afar were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Those who say such things declare plainly that they are looking for a homeland. And certainly, if they had been thinking of the country out of which they came, they might have had the opportunity to return. But they desired a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” {eoa}
Shelby Lindsay is an assistant editor for Charisma Media.
