If you are a follower of Jesus you must expect persecution. The disciples counted it as a privilege to be considered worthy of persecution so much so that they prayed for greater boldness!

"Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness." (Acts 4:29)

Only one chapter later, in Acts 5:41, the disciples gave thanks to God that they had been counted worthy to suffer for him after being flogged!

There is an extraordinary reward for those privileged enough to be persecuted for being a follower of Jesus. In Matthew 5, Jesus says these words: "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

The Bible is full of the rewards of persecution: 1 Peter 3:14, 1 Peter 4:12-14, Revelation 2:10, Matthew 10:22, Revelation 20:4, 2 Corinthians 12:10 and so on. 

On June 29 we recognize the Day of the Christian Martyr so it bears looking at Stephen, the first follower of Jesus to be martyred for his faith. He received an extraordinary honor, just before he was stoned to death he had a powerful vision of heaven, saying, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God" (Acts 7:56). Jesus stood to receive Stephen into his eternal home. 

Saul, who we know by the name Paul, was watching Stephen be stoned became one of the greatest evangelists of his time. Let us pray for more Sauls to become Pauls today! That those who are persecuting our brothers and sisters would encounter Jesus and believe in Him! 

The reality of persecution today is staggering

• In 2023, 295,120 Christians were forced to leave their homes, go into hiding in-country or leave the country.
• 80,000 North Korean Christians were kept alive with food aid through Chinese networks.
• 4,998 Christians were murdered for their faith last year in 2023.
• 14,766 churches and public Christian properties were attacked in 2023.

(Statistics courtesy of Open Doors)

Light a Candle intentionally works in some of the most persecuted nations on earth because there are 365 million Christians around the world suffering high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith. We want to come alongside those believers with hope and joy. We recognize their bravery, suffering, and persecution for the Gospel and we join with them in laboring for the harvest!

In India those who are at greatest risk for persecution are the Christians who have come out of Hinduism. India is the 11th most persecuted nation of the world, and while all eyes may be on the Middle East, Manipur has been burning for a year. Hindu extremists target Christians in Manipur and across India for renouncing Hinduism and pursuing Jesus. Our team on the ground in India and the short term teams that we send there must be as wise as serpents as they carry out ministry work so that they can promote the Gospel of Jesus without drawing unwanted attention from the wrong people. Pray for our team in India as they seek the Lord's wisdom in all that they do. Pray for protection and perseverance!

Iraq is a country we have a long history with, since the reign of terror in 2016 that ISIS inflicted on those living in the northern region. Iraq is #16 on the World Watch List because of the target that those who leave Islam for Christianity have on their backs. Iraqi Christians with a Muslim background face the reality of persecution through "honor" killings, torture, and threats. We partner with our friends on the ground in that nation to continue discipling believers who come from a Muslim background, to bring the hope of Jesus to those who do not yet believe, and to pray for the Islamic extremists who are still buying into the lie that the Islamic state promoted almost 10 years ago. The Lord has promises still in store for Assyria, so we continue to stand on that hope and future for our Iraqi brothers and sisters!