I came across In Jesus’ Name Ministry today and it appears that they are doing a wonderful work to help the poor and persecuted Christians who live in the most hostile regions opposed to Jesus Christ and his word. These being our brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers whom we are to love not in tongue only but in deed and in truth.
Below are some facts posted on their website that I hope will prick all of our hearts to reach out more and more to those who are in such great need. Please reach out and help and share with others.
- Most Christians in our world live as minorities, are increasingly persecuted, and are very poor. They live “behind the gates of hell.” They urgently need our love and help.
- The overwhelming emphasis on New Testament giving is for Christians who are prosperous to help fellow believers who are lacking food, clothing, shelter, and medical care.
- There is little or no teaching in American Churches on the immense sufferings of our brethren, or on our clear Biblical responsibility to be helping them.
- When Christians suffer in our world, Jesus suffers with, and in them. He is at the right hand of the Father, and at the same time dwells in the hearts of His children.
- When we help our brethren, we are helping our Savior. When we ignore the sufferings of our brethren, we are ignoring the present sufferings of Jesus Christ. Matthew 25:31-46
- If we do not help our brethren who are in great need, how will we, as prosperous western Christians, and pastors, answer to our Lord when we stand before Him. The Word of God is clear on this issue – We are to help our less fortunate brethren, IN WHOM CHRIST LIVES.
- Most Christians in our world live as minorities, are increasingly persecuted, and are very poor. They live “behind the gates of hell.” They urgently need our love and help.
-
The overwhelming emphasis on New Testament giving is for Christians who are prosperous to help fellow believers who are lacking food, clothing, shelter, and medical care.
-
There is little or no teaching in American Churches on the immense sufferings of our brethren, or on our clear Biblical responsibility to be helping them.
-
When Christians suffer in our world, Jesus suffers with, and in them. He is at the right hand of the Father, and at the same time dwells in the hearts of His children.
-
When we help our brethren, we are helping our Savior. When we ignore the sufferings of our brethren, we are ignoring the present sufferings of Jesus Christ. Matthew 25:31-46
-
If we do not help our brethren who are in great need, how will we, as prosperous western Christians, and pastors, answer to our Lord when we stand before Him. The Word of God is clear on this issue – We are to help our less fortunate brethren, IN WHOM CHRIST LIVES.
Christ Alone Wyoming 
brother Michael,
Thanks for telling us about this.
I will pray for them, seek God on what else I can do.
How few of us know what it means to be persecuted for our faith. We have such an abundance of literature and freedom at our disposal. Such a wealth of knowledge and yet I know I take it for granted. We are so blessed.
May God continue to show His mercy toward us.
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I think praying for the persecuted church is something that we ought do more of.
I know that I don’t do it enough.
Thanks for bringing it to light and this group of courageous Christians.
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Our church has financially supported “In Jesus Name” Ministries for over two years and Court Wood has spoken to our congregation on several occasions. We receive letters continually from the many church groups that get aid from this ministry. It is very humbling to read how these brothers and sisters remain faithful in the midst of their persecution and how their hearts are filled with thankfulness and a desire to pray for us, that we remain strong in our faith.
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Brother Michael:
Thank you for the sobering reminder.
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I have found one of the”most hostile regions opposed to Jesus Christ and his word” is the U.S..
Here, the persecution isn’t necessarily physical but rather spiritual…
America honors God with their lips but our heart is far from Him.
America professes to know God but with works we deny Him.
America has a form of godliness but we deny the pwer thereof.
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UnprofitableServant – I will agree that America is hostile to Jesus Christ. But, in no way like what other believers experience in many regions of the world. Remember, we can still get jobs as Christians were many in the world cannot. We still have copious amounts of food, water and clothing such that what we see at the supermarket or dept. store in 10 minutes is more than what most believers will see over the course of their life. Likewise, what most of us own will surpass what thousands of them own or could even hope to own. And our housing, at least for most of us, is tantamount to palatial living.
We also do not have roving bands of murderous rogues breaking down our doors to kill or imprison us; we have not had our sons or daughters hacked or burned to death or our mothers, wives and daughters raped due to their profession in Christ.
Thus, we still live pretty large in America and need to more and more put on a suffering servant’s heart that we might weep with those who weep. And, that those of us who have much, might more and more give to those who have so little.
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brother Michael,
Amen to your above response and esp. your last sentence.
We are so blessed in our freedoms. Perhaps it will not always be so in the near future.
Flowing from our gratitude to the Father, we can all reflect on what we might be able to give.
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Brother Michael,
I agree with what you say but we must remember that Delilah was much more destructive against Samson than thousands of Philistines armed to the teeth with swords.
In the same way, palatial living here is often more dangerous to a Christian than living in a country that is openly hostile to us.
Ecclesiastes 7:26 And I find more bitter than death The woman whose heart is snares and nets, Whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God shall escape from her, But the sinner shall be trapped by her.
And so it is in Babylon.
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UnprofitableServant – What you wrote was never at question, nor is it the heart of this post. Rather, it was about supporting those who are in great physical need and great trials of affliction where those who have are commanded in Scriptures to give to those who do not.
What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? (Jas 2:14-16)
Likewise, I dare say that trying to equate our struggles with theirs is a stretch Gumby would be challenged to make.
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