By the time you read this article, we will be well underway in the book of Luke as we read through the New Testament through our Grounded initiative. I pray that the reading you have been doing has been both challenging and encouraging to you!
As you sit down to do your reading on February 1 (Luke 19-21), there is one specific passage that I think is important for us to reflect on. You see, Luke 21:12-19 directly brings to mind the 2021 World Watch List by Open Doors. This report deals with persecution in the church. In Luke 21, Jesus is talking about the end of the age. He says, “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you. They will hand you over to the synagogues and prisons and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name…You will even be betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. They will kill some of you. You will be hated by everyone because of my name, but not a hair of your head will be lost. By your endurance, gain your lives,” (Luke 21:12, 16-19; CSB).
Jesus warns his followers that persecution is coming. The 2021 World Watch List shares the reality of that in the global church. Open Doors is an organization that tracks persecution around the world. Here are some of the alarming statistics from Open Doors that show persecution against our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Every day:
- 5 Christians are abducted.
- 12 Christians are unjustly arrested or imprisoned.
- 12 churches or Christian buildings are attacked.
- 13 Christians worldwide are martyred because of their faith.
Those statistics are staggering. Every day 13 martyrs see Jesus in glory because of their faith. Can you imagine your life being at risk because of your faith?! Open Doors shares that there are more than 340 million Christians who live in places where they experience high levels of persecution. That is one out of every eight Christians! In 1 Corinthians, Paul says that we are all part of the body of Christ. When one part suffers, every part should suffer along with it. I want to challenge you to include praying for our persecuted brothers and sisters when you do your daily New Testament reading, especially when you read Luke 21 on February 1.
Here in America, we are blessed with religious freedom. We can gather together to worship without fear of persecution. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case around the world. Many of our brothers and sisters are in extreme danger because of their faith. Open Doors shares that the 10 most dangerous countries for Christians to live in are North Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya, Pakistan, Eritrea, Yemen, Iran, Nigeria, and India. Would you join me in praying for our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world, and specifically those believers in these 10 most dangerous countries?
In addition, you can go to opendoorsusa.org and download their 2021 World Watch List Report, which includes information about the 50 places around the world where it is most dangerous to be a Christian.
It is heartbreaking to know that some of our fellow believers won’t make it to tomorrow just because they are Christians. Let’s not forget to pray for the persecuted church worldwide!
In Him,
Pastor Zach