08-08-08
Tonight it begins. The 2008 Olympics begin in Beijing, China. The eye of the world is upon this nation and will be watching it closely...carefully. And China knows this. For quite some time they have been preparing - and not just their athletes. They have been whitewashing, cleaning and constructing all for the sake of impressing the world (Matthew 23:25-28). But in the midst of this, our Christian brothers and sisters have suffered and most likely will continue as China seeks to shut down many churches, their leaders and members.
And so it is our privilege to intercede for them. I encourage you to watch the Olympics with a prayerful heart. Pray that the real triumph for China is not their coveted gold medals to display in a glass case but SOULS SAVED! What a privilege it will be to stand in heaven alongside the individuals we pray for! Individuals who may be beaten for their faith, taunted for their beliefs and killed for the One they serve. On that day I want to thank each one!!!
Matthew 5:43: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
Matthew 5:10-12: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
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2 comments:
Wow, this was sobering. My eyes filled with tears as you mentioned the Christians being persecuted. I LOVE the verses you chose! I will be praying for our brothers and sisters in China. =)
From Allura:
Thanks so much, Jenn, for this God-honoring post. Lord willing, my focus during the next few weeks will not only be on the athletes in the spotlight, but also on our brothers and sisters suffering in the shadows for the sake of the Gospel.
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