In giving we receive....

“But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?” – 1 John 3:17

This is in continuation to my previous post where I wrote about the month of November being the month of prayer for the persecuted Church. One of my readers mentioned that I need to add “giving” in addition to praying, which is true. So I thought I will put that down as well.

Just as it says “It is more blessed to give than to receive” - Acts 20:35, in giving we receive blessings from above. It is important that in addition to praying, our faith needs to be followed in our works. When we see our brothers and sisters being persecuted, being subjected to violence and in need, our aid in whatever way it may be will make a huge difference. Friends, I would like to encourage all to lend a helping hand to those in need so that God’s love shall abide in us.

"Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure--pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return." – Luke 6:38

Persecution....

“If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified” - 1 Pet 4:14

Today the church pastor was talking about the month of November which is recognized as the month during which Christians pray for the persecuted Church. It was mind boggling to hear the facts about our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who are being persecuted purely because of their love for their faith.

BBC states that nearly 200 million Christians all over the world are subjected to brutal persecutions. For more details on the Indian Church persecution you can visit http://persecution.in. While I was sitting there in the Church and listening to these startling facts, I was wondering what I could do. How could I share their sorrow? What could I do Lord? I really am not sure what the answer is but one thing I can say with certainty is that it played a strong reminder to me that our prayers are extremely important to support them. Though we may not be in the actual battle field of violence and physical afflictions, our prayers can go a long way to back them up. When a sister is ripped off her clothes, when a child’s face and body are acid burnt, when little girls are sexually assaulted, when the hard earned bread of a poor man is taken away from him, when the only thatched roof of an old couple is burnt, we might question where God is. Well I think he is most assuredly with each one of them because all of us here on earth are called to suffer for Christ. By our sufferings, trials and tribulations do we actually identify ourselves with the pain Jesus underwent. “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” – 2 Tim 2:3. “But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry” – 2 Tim 4:5.

It may be easy for me to sit here and write these things but I opine God calls us in different ways to suffer for him and his name’s sake. Counting it a privilege and a joy to suffer for him is not easy but I think that is exactly what we are called to do.

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” – Phil 1:21