7 minute read
I Will Stand
Stand with courageous Christians this harvest.
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Words: Sarah Stone
Have you ever met a Christian who loves Jesus so much, it stops you in your
tracks? Someone who makes you want to be better, just by talking to them? Who exudes so much grace and conviction, you question what you’re even doing with your life? (Well, maybe that last part is just me…) I recently met a lot of people who fit this description. Men, women, teenagers. People from bustling cities and others from remote villages. Women and men who live thousands of miles from each other, and from us, but who are united by their unshakeable faith.
I met them on Zoom. I can't tell you their names or show you their faces because that could endanger their lives. I can’t even tell you where they live. But I can tell you their stories. And I’m excited for you to hear them.
These believers are standing for Jesus even though walking ‘through the valley of the shadow of death’ has been a lived reality for them. They've been rejected by family. They’ve been accused of murder, attacked and imprisoned. And some of them have had to live out their faith in secret, studying the Bible alone or writing letters to Christians overseas, desperate to know more about Jesus.
By supporting BMS World Mission, you’re supporting these believers. This harvest, stand with a global community of extraordinary Christians who have dedicated their lives to following God’s call – trusting in his unfailing love through the darkness. And by supporting them, bring hope and the love of Jesus to some of the hardestto-reach communities in the world.
I am not going to turn back to my old religion
BMS-supported church planters S and R followed Jesus’ call to another part of their home country. The people they live among have a different culture, a different religion, a different language.
“In the beginning they hated us,” says S. “We tried to make friends with people. We visited them, we tried to learn from them what they love, what their pain is, what their joy is. I tried to honour and understand their language and culture. Now, we have very good relationships with the community.”
Through prayer, patience and hard work, husband and wife S and R have grown friendships in their new community. They built trust with their neighbours, helped them when they were in need, and prayed with them when they were struggling. Over time, they have had the opportunity to share the gospel, and 25 people have now come to know Jesus through their ministry.
It’s exciting for them to see how God is working through them, but it’s challenging too. While they feel convicted to share the good news and the hope they’ve received, and while they celebrate that some of their new friends have come to know Jesus, they also grieve over the persecution these new believers are facing.
“When people become Christians, their community curses them and hates them,” says S. “So that is great sadness for them, and us also.” S and R are working hard to support these new believers practically, emotionally and spiritually. “We need to communicate with them a lot, provide them with counselling, help to meet their needs, and encourage them.”
In the hard moments, S says that the Bible helps him. The words of Jesus encourage him when he feels isolated, afraid or overwhelmed. “Jesus says, ‘And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’” (Matthew 28: 20).
So do not fear, for I am with you…
14-year-old B came to faith through the ministry of BMS mission workers, but most of her family don’t yet know she’s a Christian. They are Buddhist and she’s scared to tell them.
Her fear of the repercussions of her newfound faith in Jesus has not stopped her from sharing the gospel with her school friends. “I have brought two friends to Jesus,” she says. “They asked me a lot of questions, like ‘is God real?’ And now, they both believe in Jesus! I don’t know how to explain it, but I feel fantastic about that.”
Almost everyone in B’s community is Buddhist. She suspects that one neighbour is a Christian because she doesn’t take part in any of the Buddhist rituals that are a central part of community life, but she doesn’t know for sure.
B tells me that she’s memorised Isaiah 41: 10, so that she’s not afraid wherever she goes. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you…”
Although she is just 14, B is confident she will never lose her faith in Jesus. She didn’t know anything about him until she visited a small church run by BMS workers in her grandma’s village. “When I came to church, I felt relaxed, I felt happy, I felt loved,” she says. “I wondered, what is happening here?
“Jesus is like a father to me. When I’m stressed or unhappy, I can talk to Jesus.” B sadly lost her father when she was very young, but in Jesus, she has found a Heavenly Father who will be by her side for life. She wants to be able to tell her family about her new faith, and for them to meet Jesus too.
“I am not going to turn back to my old religion. I am going to follow Jesus for the rest of my life. And my prayer is that one day I will bring my mother and my family to Jesus.”
The strength of the Lord keeps us going
…they will seize you and persecute you
W knows what it is to suffer for his faith. Because he was a Christian, he was accused of being involved in the murder of a Hindu leader. He was beaten and imprisoned for 45 days. His own village has also attacked him for his faith.
“I’ve had stones thrown at me and faced a lot of discrimination,” he says. “When I was in prison, when people were beating me up, the words of Jesus kept coming back to me: ‘They will seize you and persecute you. They will… put you in prison… But not a hair
of your head will perish. Stand firm, and you will win life.’ (Luke 21: 12-19). So I kept on remembering that, and I found the Lord’s strength.”
Despite opposition, with BMS support, W has continued to preach the gospel. He now oversees more than 400 house churches in his region, and he is even seeing some of his attackers begin to follow Jesus.
“In the areas where I’ve been beaten up or persecuted, I have started to see some fruit, one or two people starting to come to faith,” says W. “And I’m praying that more and more people, those who were persecuting me, will find the love of God.”
W is grateful that Jesus is using him to share the gospel, even though, at times, it is incredibly hard. “The strength of the Lord keeps us going,” he says. “The Lord means everything to me. As long as I live, I will live for Jesus.”
These men and women are just a few of the extraordinary believers you are supporting across the world. You will probably never get to meet them, but by partnering with them, you’re sharing the love of Jesus in words and actions with people who have never before heard the good news.
I can’t tell you their names, but they are fearfully and wonderfully made, and they’re doing a very good work. •
Will you stand?
There are more stories to tell. This harvest, we’re inviting you to support the amazing Christians BMS is partnering with across the globe. Our appeal, I Will Stand, shares the stories of three believers, in their own words. Meet Christians from North Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Let God speak to you afresh through their powerful testimonies. And then stand with them through giving and prayer.
Our appeal looks a little different this year (in more ways than one), and we hope you love it. Visit www.bmsworldmission.org/ iwillstand today to find out more.
