What American Christians Don't Know About

Information from Dr. Carl Moeller, President and CEO of Open Doors USAPhoto Credits on Last Slide

Jennifer BennettSlideshare.net/JennaveveBTwitter.com/JennaveveB

GloryInHisCreation.blogspot.com

Today millions of Christians face Today millions of Christians face Today millions of Christians face Today millions of Christians face unwarranted arrest, imprisonment, unwarranted arrest, imprisonment, unwarranted arrest, imprisonment, unwarranted arrest, imprisonment,

beatings, torture and even beatings, torture and even beatings, torture and even beatings, torture and even execution in restrictive countriesexecution in restrictive countriesexecution in restrictive countriesexecution in restrictive countries

around the world.around the world.around the world.around the world.

Their crime?Their crime?Their crime?Their crime? They are followers of Jesus Christ.They are followers of Jesus Christ.They are followers of Jesus Christ.They are followers of Jesus Christ.

So, what is it that So, what is it that So, what is it that So, what is it that AmericanAmericanAmericanAmerican ChristiansChristiansChristiansChristians don't understand don't understand don't understand don't understand

or know about their or know about their or know about their or know about their brothers and sistersbrothers and sistersbrothers and sistersbrothers and sisters in Christ? in Christ? in Christ? in Christ?

When you look When you look When you look When you look at these faces, at these faces, at these faces, at these faces, what do you what do you what do you what do you

see?see?see?see?

Fear?Fear?Fear?Fear?

Neediness?Neediness?Neediness?Neediness?

Sorrow?Sorrow?Sorrow?Sorrow?

Americans Americans Americans Americans do not realize do not realize do not realize do not realize that these are that these are that these are that these are the faces ofthe faces ofthe faces ofthe faces of

joyjoyjoyjoy

No, No, No, No, the Persecuted Church the Persecuted Church the Persecuted Church the Persecuted Church

does not does not does not does not enjoyenjoyenjoyenjoy martyrdommartyrdommartyrdommartyrdom............

butbutbutbut “they do have something those of us in the United States don’t have very often, and that is a

deep and intimate deep and intimate deep and intimate deep and intimate reliance on reliance on reliance on reliance on

Jesus ChristJesus ChristJesus ChristJesus Christ.”

Carl Moeller

They know and understand that the presence of the Lord They know and understand that the presence of the Lord They know and understand that the presence of the Lord They know and understand that the presence of the Lord

– – – – having having having having Him and Him aloneHim and Him aloneHim and Him aloneHim and Him alone in a life full of in a life full of in a life full of in a life full of

poverty, danger, and uncertainty – is poverty, danger, and uncertainty – is poverty, danger, and uncertainty – is poverty, danger, and uncertainty – is enoughenoughenoughenough.... The peace of this The peace of this The peace of this The peace of this knowledge fills knowledge fills knowledge fills knowledge fills them with a them with a them with a them with a

deep deep deep deep sense sense sense sense of joyof joyof joyof joy

don't be

fooledfooledfooledfooledChristians overseas are not naturallynaturallynaturallynaturally superior superior superior superior

The The The The ApostleApostleApostleApostlePaulPaulPaulPaul said said said said

that that that that everyone everyone everyone everyone who wants to lead a who wants to lead a who wants to lead a who wants to lead a godly life in Jesusgodly life in Jesusgodly life in Jesusgodly life in Jesuswill be persecuted will be persecuted will be persecuted will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12)(2 Timothy 3:12)(2 Timothy 3:12)(2 Timothy 3:12)

GodGodGodGod tests tests tests tests believers in believers in believers in believers in manymanymanymany different ways. different ways. different ways. different ways.

American Christians do not American Christians do not American Christians do not American Christians do not suffersuffersuffersuffer in the in the in the in the

same way as the same way as the same way as the same way as the global Churchglobal Churchglobal Churchglobal Church............

but even the but even the but even the but even the smallest acts of smallest acts of smallest acts of smallest acts of

persecutionpersecutionpersecutionpersecution serve a purpose serve a purpose serve a purpose serve a purpose

in the in the in the in the Kingdom of God!Kingdom of God!Kingdom of God!Kingdom of God!

American Christians are American Christians are American Christians are American Christians are

FREE TO WORSHIP FREE TO WORSHIP FREE TO WORSHIP FREE TO WORSHIP in this country. in this country. in this country. in this country.

We don't fear for our lives We don't fear for our lives We don't fear for our lives We don't fear for our lives when we go to church. when we go to church. when we go to church. when we go to church.

We can purchase as many We can purchase as many We can purchase as many We can purchase as many Bibles as we want. Bibles as we want. Bibles as we want. Bibles as we want.

Thank God! Thank God! Thank God! Thank God!

But that doesn't mean But that doesn't mean But that doesn't mean But that doesn't mean our culture accepts us.our culture accepts us.our culture accepts us.our culture accepts us.

American culture mocks holy livingmocks holy livingmocks holy livingmocks holy living.

Followers of Jesus are seen as weird, radical, unnaturalweird, radical, unnaturalweird, radical, unnaturalweird, radical, unnatural.... They lose “friends” when they choose to follow Jesusfollow Jesusfollow Jesusfollow Jesus, are criticized for taking their beliefstaking their beliefstaking their beliefstaking their beliefs “too far”“too far”“too far”“too far” and labeledlabeledlabeledlabeled things like “Bible@thumper”

or “religious extremist” when they stand up for biblical valuesstand up for biblical valuesstand up for biblical valuesstand up for biblical values.

Jesus said that we will be Jesus said that we will be Jesus said that we will be Jesus said that we will be

persecutedpersecutedpersecutedpersecuted for His Name. for His Name. for His Name. for His Name.

If you profess faith in Jesus If you profess faith in Jesus If you profess faith in Jesus If you profess faith in Jesus and and and and strive to live a holy life strive to live a holy life strive to live a holy life strive to live a holy life through the Holy Spirit,through the Holy Spirit,through the Holy Spirit,through the Holy Spirit, then then then then you you you you willwillwillwill suffer even small suffer even small suffer even small suffer even small acts of persecution.acts of persecution.acts of persecution.acts of persecution.

But there is still much we can learnmuch we can learnmuch we can learnmuch we can learn from the global church...

When we read about the When we read about the When we read about the When we read about the persecuted persecuted persecuted persecuted church, may God teach us how to be morechurch, may God teach us how to be morechurch, may God teach us how to be morechurch, may God teach us how to be more

Dependent

Reverent

Faithful

Joyful

through through through through even the even the even the even the

smallestsmallestsmallestsmallest acts of acts of acts of acts of

persecutionpersecutionpersecutionpersecution

Jesus said, "Blessed are you when people insultinsultinsultinsult you, persecutepersecutepersecutepersecute you and falsely sayfalsely sayfalsely sayfalsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is

your reward in heaven, for in the same wayfor in the same wayfor in the same wayfor in the same way they persecuted the prophetsthe prophetsthe prophetsthe prophets who were before you.”

Matthew 5:11@12

“Remember Remember Remember Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them;with them;with them;with them; and them which suffer suffer suffer suffer adversityadversityadversityadversity, as being yourselvesyourselvesyourselvesyourselves also in the body.” Hebrews 13:3

Photo CreditsPhoto CreditsPhoto CreditsPhoto Credits

http://www.cgsr.org/SERVICES.html – Slide 1

http://www.murmurart.com/art/murmur_55@333088_cell @ Slide 2

http://religionnerd.com/2010/12/21/a@tough@season@for@believers/ – Slide 3

http://www.freechristianpress.com/persecution/riveting@tv@documentary@series@covers@persecuted@christians/ –

Slides 4, 5, and 6

http://dannykimm.com/2011/03/28/desperate@for@his@presence/ @ Slide 8

http://thefirehousechurch.blogspot.com/2010/09/what@exactly@is@worship@so@what@is.html – Slide 9

http://activatecfpl.theefc.ca/journal/tag/christian@persecution – Slide 10

http://jesusiszeta.blogspot.com/2011/02/faith.html – Slide 11

Photo CreditsPhoto CreditsPhoto CreditsPhoto Credits

http://pastorstrother.wordpress.com/2011/07/23/a@lack@of@compassion/ – Slide 13

http://deneenwhite.com/2007/07/03/the@holy@spirit/ – Slide 15

http://www.myfreewallpapers.net/nature/pages/blessed@tree.shtml – Slide 17

http://pockets1940.blogspot.com/2010/12/unshackled.html?zx=81872f37825351a @ Slide 18

http://beavoiceformartyrs.blogspot.com/2011/01/2011@prayer@map@for@restricted@nations.html @

Slide 19

Information within presentation obtained from:http://www.crosswalk.com/news/religion@today/what@we@don@t@know@about@the@persecuted@church.html