Imagine ...
You visit friends in a strange city ...
They invite you to church ...
The place is packed, the service electrifying ...
Just as the Minister breaks the Bread ...
The police storm the place in full riot gear ...
Guns are fired; people scream; "Every one down! NOW!" ...
You stand at the front with your friend, the Minister ...
The lead officer approaches, gun raised ...
With his gun in the ministers face, "Anyone who wants to deny their GOD may leave before we execute the rest." ...
There is mass chaos as half the room empties ...
And you ... ???
This is not just a story to make you think about some posible future when Christians will be persecuted. It realy happened ... to a missionary.
The 'house church' he was visiting was raided exactly as described. So what happened after they were abandoned by half the congregation? This time there is a happy ending. The police were Christians. They used the ploy to find a safe place to worship and share their faith. Those who ran could not be trusted, those who faced death for their faith could. This was serious business. The officers wanted to meet the American Missionary, they wanted to fellowship with other believers, but to do so they risked torture and death at the hands of fellow officers.
Often there is no happy ending. House churches around the world are raided and Christians are imprisoned, tortured and killed for their faith. Missionaries are often targeted by both paramilitary police forces and by rebel gangs. At this moment there are missionaries being held hostage in foreign countries and our government does little or nothing to aid in their release. It is not politically expedient.
Unfortunately our churches do little more. Yes we may support a missionary abroad, we may even pray for our missionary. But when is the last time you thought about our brothers and sisters struggling for the faith around the world. And not just the missionaries. There are Christians that LIVE in those countries who spend their lives under persecution. There are countries where it is a criminal offense just to possess a page of scripture. You can go to jail for reading the Bible. You can be killed for teaching the Word.
Here in the U.S. we have been very fortunate to have the freedom to worship in our many denominations and sects. GOD's grace will not remain forever. There will come a day when we too will be forced into the basements and back rooms. The signs of the coming tribulation are everywhere. We must first stand firm for our brothers and sisters abroad and keep them always in our prayers. Then we must find that common ground here at home so we may stand as one against the Enemy, for as Christ said 'a house divided can not stand'. It is the mission of the underground church to seek and promote that common ground.