A
daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and
exhortation.
Thursday,
July 15,
2021
Voice of Martyrs wall of witnesses
(Click on photo to enlarge)
"Remembering
The Persecuted"
Note:
We are in the Midwest visiting family and friends and
attending three family gatherings in Missouri, Oklahoma
and Arkansas. We drove through the West Virginia
panhandle, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri, stopping
in Springfield where we met in college in the
mid-seventies. We spent one night in Bartlesville
Oklahoma. Today we are in Tulsa where Brooksyne has been
visiting with family and friends. We are unable to prepare
regular Daily Encouragement messages during this time due
to long travel days and in some cases limited internet
access such as when we will spend several days in a
mountain cabin next week in Arkansas. We will also not be
preparing the daily podcast during our time away from
home.
"Remember
those who are in prison, as though in prison with
them, and those who are mistreated, since you also
are in the body" (Hebrews 13:3).
Yesterday we visited "The Voice Of The Martyrs" headquarters in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. For many years we have appreciated this ministry that calls attention to and assists victims of persecution all around the world. We'll share some photos from our visit with additional notes below today's message.
We
receive a regular emails and a monthly magazine from
the Voice Of the Martyrs which keeps us informed on
persecution. We have particularly had on our hearts
the plight of Nigerian Christians in part due to some
direct correspondence from a Daily Encouragement
reader.
A recent
email shared the story of Naomi.
Thousands
of Christians in northern Nigeria are living in camps
for internally displaced people after being driven
from their homes by Boko Haram and Fulani Islamic
militants. Overcrowding and lack of resources worsen
the already difficult conditions in the camps. Yet
many Nigerian Christians, like Naomi, faithfully
follow Christ despite the challenges.Naomi, a Christian widow, never expected to suffer persecution, but when her town was overrun by Islamists, she was ready. Her church and the Bible had taught her well: “Persecution is God’s Word being fulfilled.”
The day of the attack, Naomi was working her farmland outside the city when she heard distant gunfire. She immediately ran toward the sound, concerned for her children at home. After passing scenes of horrific violence on her way home, she gathered her children and fled to nearby mountains, where she and her family stayed for the next two years.
Naomi and her family eventually moved to a
refugee camp in Cameroon, but poor conditions in the
camp forced them to return to Nigeria. When VOM
workers learned of the situation, they helped the
family move into their own home and arranged for the
children to attend a good school.
Through all of her difficulties, Naomi has remained strong in faith. “God has kept me,” she said. “I have always had faith in God. The attack only made me stronger in my faith.”
Through all of her difficulties, Naomi has remained strong in faith. “God has kept me,” she said. “I have always had faith in God. The attack only made me stronger in my faith.”
We wrote a message several weeks ago about
not going back to our old way of life but staying
faithful to God whatever happens. We shared a song
titled "I Won't Go Back" and a Nigerian Christian
named Sunday wrote concerning the message, "That last part reminded me of the song we
sing in Church, but from now I will make it a song I
sing everywhere and everyday: 'I won't go back, can't
go back to the way it used to be, before Your presence
came and changed me'."
Our daily text speaks of our need to remember those suffering two types of persecution; imprisonment and suffering adversity.
But today let us focus on the latter part of the text, "as being yourselves also in the body". This phrase is interpreted in various ways but primarily in the sense:
1) To
empathize with those suffering since we all have a
physical body and are fully aware of our body's
strengths and weaknesses, of that which causes
bodily pain and suffering, emotional distress and
otherwise.
2) To identify with the body of Christ undergoing distress, as fellow believers who are born again, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.
2) To identify with the body of Christ undergoing distress, as fellow believers who are born again, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.
Today and every day may the Lord bring to our remembrance those who are enduring persecution and affliction so that we may be faithful in praying for their needs.
Be
encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13)
Stephen
& Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father,
help us to be moved by the plight of those who
are suffering loss and even laying down their
lives for the sake of Christ. We remember the
congregation in Uganda and other persecuted
lands who have suffered loss physically,
structurally or materially or all three. Through
Your miraculous intervention evil can be
exchanged for good when we earnestly pray for
Your purpose to prevail even in such mayhem and
loss. On Coronation Day when we all gather in
heaven we look forward to enjoying eternal
fellowship with these tried and true saints of
our faith who did not give up meeting together
to worship You. Keep us faithful when tested by
fire, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Some additional thoughts on "as being yourselves also in the body". The Handbook on the Letter to the Hebrews summarizes the possibilities…
(1) “Members of the Christian fellowship,” understanding “body” in the figurative sense used by Paul (Jerusalem Bible “since you too are in the one body”), is most unlikely. There is no similar text in Hebrews; there is no definite article for “the” in the Greek, and this explanation does not fit in with verse 3a, which in other ways is parallel to 3b.
(2) Many translators think “in (the) body” means “in this mortal life” (compare 2Cor 5.6 and Ro 7.24); Knox “since you are still in the world”; similarly Phillips.
(3) Other common language translations, and some other translations, suggest either:
(a) that the readers should identify themselves in sympathy with those who are ill-treated: Today's English Version as though you were suffering as they are (similarly German Common Language); Translator's New Testament “as if you too shared their lot”; or
(b) that the readers may suffer in the same way in the future: “for the same can happen to you”; “for you may yet suffer as they do.” This is not necessarily implied by the text, though it is perhaps included in (a), which also makes a good parallel with verse 3a, as though. (The United Bible Societies' New Testament Handbook Series)
A book by an "academic" titled "The Myth of Persecution", the author, identified as a leading expert on early Christianity, contends the early church exaggerated, invented, and forged stories of Christian martyrs and how the dangerous legacy of a martyrdom complex is employed today to silence dissent and galvanize a new generation of culture warriors. For the discerning reader this is just another example of post modern, revisionist history masquerading as "scholarship". Be on your guard against deception!
Daily
prayer: Father,
help us to be moved by the plight of those who
are suffering loss and even laying down their
lives for the sake of Christ. We remember the
congregation in Uganda and other persecuted
lands who have suffered loss physically,
structurally or materially or all three. Through
Your miraculous intervention evil can be
exchanged for good when we earnestly pray for
Your purpose to prevail even in such mayhem and
loss. On Coronation Day when we all gather in
heaven we look forward to enjoying eternal
fellowship with these tried and true saints of
our faith who did not give up meeting together
to worship You. Keep us faithful when tested by
fire, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.Some additional thoughts on "as being yourselves also in the body". The Handbook on the Letter to the Hebrews summarizes the possibilities…
(1) “Members of the Christian fellowship,” understanding “body” in the figurative sense used by Paul (Jerusalem Bible “since you too are in the one body”), is most unlikely. There is no similar text in Hebrews; there is no definite article for “the” in the Greek, and this explanation does not fit in with verse 3a, which in other ways is parallel to 3b.
(2) Many translators think “in (the) body” means “in this mortal life” (compare 2Cor 5.6 and Ro 7.24); Knox “since you are still in the world”; similarly Phillips.
(3) Other common language translations, and some other translations, suggest either:
(a) that the readers should identify themselves in sympathy with those who are ill-treated: Today's English Version as though you were suffering as they are (similarly German Common Language); Translator's New Testament “as if you too shared their lot”; or
(b) that the readers may suffer in the same way in the future: “for the same can happen to you”; “for you may yet suffer as they do.” This is not necessarily implied by the text, though it is perhaps included in (a), which also makes a good parallel with verse 3a, as though. (The United Bible Societies' New Testament Handbook Series)
A book by an "academic" titled "The Myth of Persecution", the author, identified as a leading expert on early Christianity, contends the early church exaggerated, invented, and forged stories of Christian martyrs and how the dangerous legacy of a martyrdom complex is employed today to silence dissent and galvanize a new generation of culture warriors. For the discerning reader this is just another example of post modern, revisionist history masquerading as "scholarship". Be on your guard against deception!
Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental
Resources
"You
Are Not Forgotten" Video A song for
the persecuted
"When
the Saints" Video Sara
Groves
Today
we will share several photos from our
travels thus far
In
Springfield we visited the Bass Pros Shops
main store as well as the new (to us) Wonders
Of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium
Monday
evening we visited with Dave and Sandy
Simpson. Dave has been my friend for over
60 years and was the best man in my
wedding. He leads a successful business in
the Springfield.
We
traveled along Rt. 66 thru portions of
three states (Missouri, Kansas and
Oklahoma) and saw this scene in Galena
Kansas of the original mater from the
movie "Cars".
At
the Voice of the Martyrs they have a
prison cell replicating where the founder,
Richard Wurmbrand
spent many years.
The
wall of martyrs (seen in our lead photo)
has stories of those who died as a result
of their stand for Christ. Chet Bitterman
came out of the same church we presently
attend in Lancaster (Calvary Church) and
would only now be a few years older than
us. His story is here, "A Cause Worth Living
For"
This
is a helpful guide in praying for the
persecuted
Finally
today:
This
morning I went over to a car wash to
vacuum the van and met Chris, the General
Manager at Pat's Express Car Wash in
Glenpoole OK, who was pleased to show me
they ordered from Kleen-Rite in Columbia
where we have served as chaplains for many
years.
Send
a message to Stephen
& Brooksyne
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Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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