“…but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”
John 15:19b
Not too long ago, actually it has been only a few weeks, we experienced the other side of the world: free nations, civilization, beauty, well-being etc., and then we came back to the field where we serve, where there are none of these things. This past month, we had time to visit the churches in a remote area and were blessed from our Christians brothers.
We have known about persecution in the remote areas, where social media is not accepted. But now, as we have recently experienced this ourselves, the church that we use to worship every Sunday morning has been ordered to close by the local authority. There are five bans:
1. The local authority agrees that the church must stop meeting for service until approved and given a permit.
2. Do not evangelize to the other households for joining the church.
3. Do not proclaim and say bad things about the other religions.
4. Do not use any instruments at the church.
5. Christians are only allowed to worship at a place that is approved and permitted by the local authority.
And now, every Sunday, there will be one soldier and one policeman to watch over the people who come to the church.
This makes some of our church members panic. The verse from John 15:19 is true because we belong to Jesus and the world will hate us. Persecution becomes routine in Christian lives. We thank God for what we have experienced. We ask God to give us the courage to live in the chaotic world and to be light to the world. May God protect us!
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