Secret Church

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Pray for the Persectued Posted: 24 Oct 2012 03:00 AM PDT Each week, we will post some specific ways that we can be praying together for our brothers and sisters around the world who are actively sharing in Christ's suffering through persecution. Take some time to lift the believers in each of these regions before our Father in heaven. At the same time, pray for those enacting the persecution to be kindly drawn to repentance and to experience new life through faith in Jesus. IN CUBA Cuba has long been a place of oppression for Christians. However, since the government declared it a “secularist” country instead of an “atheist” one about 20 years ago, tolerance for Christianity and Christian churches has greatly increased. As a result, the church in Cuba has experienced growth. Yet despite some improvements, as Christians living there can testify, persecution is still all too present.  The nature of the persecution has changed, but it is still there. According to a Christian worker in the country, Cuban pastors describe their persecutors as “an enemy without a face.” This “discreet” persecution was highlighted in a recent Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) news story entitled “The Faceless Enemy.” Many of the examples VOM cites come from a man who has pastored in Cuba for the past 35 years. Being a pastor there for over three decades, “he has been interrogated 20 times, and humiliated, beaten, and threatened.” And while less obvious than interrogations or physical beatings, he still faces much persecution for being a Christian there. Here are some actual examples of the type of thing he now faces. A malicious neighbor has been working toward getting the church kicked out of the neighborhood. He is unable to easily procure enough Bibles for his congregation without supporting the socialist revolution and Cuban state (which he refuses to do). Government officials have threatened to take the land away from his church and replace it with a store. There are more, and under the weight of years of mistreatment and oppression, the pastor suffers from stress-related health problems. His response when asked if he’d like to leave Cuba? “I desire it with all my heart.” He does not end there, though. He obediently continues, “But I’m waiting for God’s direction. When he says go, I’ll go. But for now I’m working for the Lord with all my heart.” PRAY Thank God for faithful Christians who are enduring such hardship and obeying His direction. Ask God to give this Cuban pastor (“David”) strength and perseverance to finish the race set before him, a good and faithful servant of the Lord who loves God with all his heart and his neighbors (both friends and enemies) as himself. Ask God to help all Christians in Cuba to dedicate themselves to faithful proclamation of the gospel and integrity. Ask the Lord to give them boldness, wisdom, love and endurance when they face persecution. Pray that Christ will be Lord in the hearts and lives of more and more Cubans every day, and that His church will grow in the Truth greatly. “But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” – 1 Peter 4:13 Information for this post was gathered from VOM. Cuba is number 41 on the World Watch List.

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