Remember those who are in bonds

On April the 19th a grieving friend of mine in Turkey told me of the brutal murders of three Christians he knew. His pain, and the pain of the other Turkish Christians, was impossible to relate to; but all I could offer was reminders of God's promises and the assurance of our prayers.
The following Sunday night I shared his story with my study group and we prayed for both him and the Turkish church; and all through the week fellow Christians thought of and prayed for them.
At the beginning of the sermon this morning, I listened with mixed emotions as my pastor retold the story and accounts I had heard and read so many times in the past week. Truly God has been glorified by the response to this tragedy! The families, fellow Christiansm, and church leaders, have responded with genuine Christian love and forgiveness. Not only do they extend forgiveness to the murderers, they are also praying that God would have mercy on them and save them.
This evening at study group we took a temporary departure from reading John Piper's Don't Waste Your Life and focused on the global persecuted church. These Christians that are beaten, cast into jail, or fear for their lives, are a witness to what it means to risk all for Christ. They are daily living out what Paul says in Philippians 1:21 "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."
In obeying the Biblical command to remember those in bonds, we split into groups and prayed for specific countries and prisoners. Then we wrote personalized letters, often using Scripture, to encourage and uplift these brothers and sisters. Many of them have been imprisoned for a decade or more and gratefully welcome letters expressing care and concern.
I am planning to mail off several letters this week. It is not hard or even dangerous. Simply gather names and addresses, pray and ask wisdom for what you should say, fill your letter with encouragement, and let God ensure it reaches them. For assistance with this, do check out www.persecution.com
Living in the ease and freedom of North America, it is all too easy to ignore or forget the suffering of fellow Christians in other parts of the world. Let me urge you to keep them in prayer. Pray that God will comfort and strength them, and draw them close to Him. Spread the burden to other Christians and get them involved not only in prayer but in the aid to the global church. Organizations such as Voice of the Martyrs need our financial, prayerful, and volunteering support as they minister and build up.
Let's not get swept up in our culture, with its focus on the here and now. Instead, we need to embrace risk for Christ and live a life that is pleasing to Him, with a focus on eternity. In so doing, at the end of our lives we may look back and know that through His grace we have lived for His glory and it has not been a wasted life.


Heb 13:3 Remember those who are in bonds, as bound with them, those who suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.