Our Spiritual Family. It's Not Just in the States

You step through the door into a small, but crowded room. Eyes look on you, fear clouding them. But there’s something else too. Anticipation… Excitement… Zeal for a belief that the world around them rejects, condemns and is trying to destroy.

A man, the leader of this secret church, stands.

“Welcome, brother.”

You return his greeting, exhilarated to join your brothers and sisters once again. You sit on the dirt floor and look at the few pages that this group had access to.

 Only a few pages of the Word. But these pages hold life. They hold salvation. They are the most important possessions to everyone there. You all wish you could have more. Have the Scriptures in their entirety, but you don’t. You can only pray earnestly that God will provide you with more.

The leader begins to pray. The earnestness and love in his voice is palpable. He again begs that God would send someone to bring more of the Word to you all and to teach you. He rejoices for God’s salvation and love for His children.

Others in the group join in. Many fall to their knees, glorifying God and exalting Him. A few cry. The one thing that all the people in that room have in common is their love for their God. You all love Him more than your own lives.

And you know you might be risking those.

The study starts. You pour over those pages for hours, writing down, copying and memorizing whatever you can. You drink in the Word now, because you don’t know when your next chance will be. Your thirst for it cannot be quenched.

Then a knock resounds through the room.

You all freeze. You know gathering together like this to study and pray is forbidden. It’s even illegal to just be a Christian. Doing this could cost you your home, family, even your life. But you know it’s worth it.

The owner of the small house, no bigger than the room you’re assembled in, stands to get the door. You all hold your breath hoping… no… praying for a miracle.

The door is opened and the man at the door visibly relaxes.

“Welcome brother.”

The room lets out the breath it’s been collectively holding. You all turn back to the study, relieved that you are safe for a little while longer.

We don’t often think about it, but this is the condition that many of our brothers and sisters around the world are forced to conduct their study. Thy gather with baited breath, never knowing I the next knock at the door may cost them their lives. And they are ok with that because they are ready and willing to give up everything for their faith.

They don’t get to gather often, but when they are able to be together, it’s not just a couple of hours at church on a Sunday morning. It’s hours and hours of honest fellowship and learning as much as they can in their short time. They want to know everything they can in the scriptures and will search for it fervently.

We get so bored of learning and easily get distracted. Imagine sitting for hours and learning about one thing only- God’s Word. I’ve done this twice for about 6 hours each, through David Platt’s simulcast, The Secret Church. It’s designed to give American’s a small taste of the study that our brothers and sisters take on. It’s not easy to sit through and can be very difficult teaching, but I highly recommend it. (If you want some more information, here’s the link- Secret Church )

It’s nothing like the fear for their lives and the danger, but it gives us a small understanding of the heart attitude of these people. For some around the world, these six hours would be a short study.

I’m just trying to ask right now for everyone to have awareness for our family in Christ around the world. They are in danger every day and need our prayers.

For more information on the persecuted church, here is a link that can provide more information- Open Doors