PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS

[Ranb2khz]

Persecution and Church Growth

"On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria." ~ Acts 8:1b

Pastor Samuel Lamb, from southern China, passed away in August 2013 at the age of 88. A quarter of his life was spent imprisoned for his faith. Until the end, he preached several times on Sunday in his large house church, and most week nights in Bible studies. His brilliant smile shone from a body suffering chronic disability resulting from 15 years of confinement in a coal mine. "God gives me the strength I need," he said. He never left China, fearing that if he traveled, the authorities would not let him return.

Lamb credited God for the faith to accept what happened in his life. It deepened his ministry. Lamb believed that sometimes God is more glorified through sickness and poverty than through health and wealth. Christians traveled thousands of miles to discuss house church ministry with Pastor Lamb, and visitors from around the world sought out his house church in Guangzhou, China, which gathered 3,000 members each week.

Pastor Lamb often refered to persecution and growth as being intertwined. He is known for his quote, "Remember the lesson of the Chinese church: more persecution, more growth." As the pastor explained, "Before I was put into prison in 1955, this church's membership was 400. When I came out in 1978, it built up to 900 in a matter of weeks. Then after 1990, when everything was confiscated here and the church briefly closed, we reopened and in a matter of weeks we had 2,000 members. More persecution, more growth — that's the history of the Chinese church, that's the history of this church."

Though the two are related, persecution in other parts of the world has not necessarily always brought church growth. North Africa is an example.

But the Bible, especially in the book of Acts, is clear that church growth will likely bring persecution. Each time the gospel made advances in Acts, persecution would break out. And in Acts 8:4, the persecuted and scattered believers went everywhere preaching the Word. Clearly, Pastor Lamb's findings were consistent with the pattern found in God's Word.

Response:

Today I will accept the principle that sometimes God is more glorified through sickness and poverty than through health and wealth.

Prayer:

Thank You Lord that You use all situations to grow Your church. Help me to be an active and eager participant.

~ Standing Strong Through The Storm: A daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks

http://members.opendoorsusa.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=78397.0&dlv_id=120585