Have you ever felt agitated reading your Bible? Do you feel excited to do your daily devotional when you wake up in the morning or before you go to sleep at night? Are you grateful to simply have a Bible in your home? If you’re not, then think again. You don’t know the privileges you enjoy right now.
The Christian’s source of knowledge
The Bible is one of the most basic things every Christian should have. It helps us grow spiritually and teaches us how to live a Christlike life. The Word of God enables us to understand the true meaning of life and reveals the purpose God has set us for each of us. The living truth in the Bible is what keeps our faith intact. Reading it makes us emotionally and spiritually strong to face the giants we encounter every day. This is how important the Bible is for Christians but not all Christians have the same freedom to access it.
Christian Persecution
In some countries, being a Christian brings great persecution. One example is in China. Though being recognized as a legitimate religious organization by the government, believers in China are still experiencing very tough situations. There have been demolitions of churches and pastors have been detained and accused of “inciting subversion”.
This has caused much fear for many Christians but they haven’t lost their faith in God. To be able to continue to worship God, they conduct services in underground house churches. So, they have to be very cautious in every move they make. It must be very difficult for them but doesn’t stop them from trustin completely in God. – NYTimes
“Indeed all who desire to live a Godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3:12 )
Joy Behind Sorrow
In the viral video below, we can see the joy and excitement as Chinese Christians receive their first ever Bible. The emotion is real and some are moved to tears. It’s inspiring to see how much they thrive to hear and read the Word of God. It is a powerful and moving scenario but heartbreaking at the same time. For some of us, it takes a video like this for us to realize just how blessed we are and how good God is in our lives. It’s amazing that this video has already received over 2 million views and is still being shared – 8,000 times to date.
https://www.facebook.com/YeshuaOfficial/videos/1607613482636166/
We Need REVIVAL
As Christians living in democratic countries, we are blessed to worship freely in our churches. There is little or no prejudice against our faith. And yet, sometimes we overlook this privilege. We may unintentionally dry out in our faith due to the freedom we enjoy.
Sometimes, we are too confident with ourselves that we might not know we have lost the fire to keep burning. And so we must all be reminded of what God has told us in Romans 12:11-13: “Never let the fire in your heart go out. Keep it alive. Serve the Lord. When you hope, be joyful. When you suffer, be patient. When you pray, be faithful. Share with God’s people who are in need. Welcome others into your homes.”
Let’s remember we live to serve and worship God. Let us not put our guard down for a moment, instead let us always wear the whole armor of God and stand against the works of the devil. Let us also include all our brothers and sisters in our prayers who live under pressure and persecution for confessing their faith in God. May God shower His grace upon them.
We will not be shaken with the devil’s works and we will continue to declare that Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
Read also: Beijing Churches Issue Declaration as Christianity in China Comes Under Increased Pressure
