Cause the Bible tells me so… Persecution
Shalom
family of faith. Things here in the land are running along smoothly, the
weather has been quite pleasant with a few early showers. The farmers and
locals praise the early rains due to the impact on the early crops and the
current olive harvest. Water in Israel
is limited to say the least and we have to really watch our consumption of it.
Don advised us on the first day here “No American showers” due to about 10 of
us in the group being from America/Canada (aka the west). So in other words get
in and get out! Little things like this has changed my focus and made me that
much more appreciative of all the blessings we take for granted daily in the
west. The longer I am away from my daily luxuries the more I realize how
unimportant it all is.
I have had the
privilege of being housemates with three men from Africa. Harrison and John
from Kenya and Kuel from South Sudan. The stories and testimony I have received
from all of them has really brought reality into focus. South Sudan is
currently gripped by a devastating civil war and until I got here I had no
idea. I consider myself pretty on top current world events but this one slide
right by me. Kuel gave his testimony this past Shabbat (Sabbath) and it was
sobering to say the least. He is the Senior Elder for Congregation of Yahweh
Jerusalem in Africa and is key in the mission work being done there. Less than
three months ago he was forced from His home in the middle of the night because
the battle had come to His backyard. See what is going on here to explain in
more detail is this. There is a regime made up of one of the large radical
tribes called the Denga and they hate the Nuer tribe. Kuel is part of the Nuer
and is thus in constant danger along with the other hundreds of thousands Nuer
tribesman. The Nuer in collaboration with others make up the rebel force that
had fought from secession from the primarily Muslim northern part of Sudan.
Hundreds of thousands have been displaced due to the conflict included Kuel and
the two other African sisters that are here with us in Israel. Their
testimonies are equally horrifying as Kuel’s, but back to him. He was forced to
run for his life with others from his village Nassir and walk for 11 hours the
first day and 9 the next to get to the UN refugee camp. They took a small
amount of water and the clothes on their backs, by day two all the water was gone
and they were forced to drink stagnant ditch water to survive the African
summer heat. But, praise Yahweh he survived as well as those with him and they
made it to the UN camp. The Denga are able to tell enemy tribesman by markings
on the foreheads that are ceremonial and will kill any they find on the spot. He
explained that in the past few decades so many have inter married with other
tribes that everyone has markings of other tribes. The result is they are
simple killing everyone. Kuel stated that he has seen whole villages massacred
and left in the streets. The two other women Nanyan and Nanyett from the same
area are here with Kuel. Nanyan had her son taken from her and was promised he
was being taken to school, but rather he was put into the military. She fears
him to be dead. Nanyett was with Kuel when they were all forced from their
homes. They all have lost loved ones, brothers, children, parents etc...
What I am trying to do is paint a picture for you. Persecution,
death and loss is to be expected in this life, especially if you are a follower
of the one true Messiah. Unfortunately in western society false doctrines
contrary to the truth are innumerable. We have been jaded for example by
televangelist preaching a false unbiblical entitled prosperity for simply
“believing in Jesus.” As a society we have been in a bubble for the better part
of our inception. We are the land of those having, not the land of have not’s.
What do you give a person/society who has everything? Advice? How about the
truth? Yahshua stated to Thomas after he asked about knowing the way “I am the way and the truth and the life.”
(John 14:5-7)
There is more to this “Way” of life than what most people of
faith know and accept. Yahshua goes on to give them a parable about the fig
tree.
“I am the True Vine
and my Father the Vinedresser. Every branch in me not bearing good fruit, He
takes away; and each one bearing fruit, He prunes, so that it may bear more
fruit” John 15:1-2. The pruning that
is spoken of by Yahshua is that of trials and tribulations that come naturally
to those in the faith. It is the responsibility of every true disciple to bear
fruit for the Kingdom. This is what we call Kingdom principles and thinking. He
goes on say in verse six: “Unless one
remains in Me, he is cast out as the branch and is dried up; and they gather
and throw them into a fire, and they are burned.” This is clearly speaking of the judgments
given to those who do not bear fruit for Yahweh and His Kingdom. So we have
established that the Messiah is requiring more than just belief in Him. We are
called to much more, we are called to change and be transformed. This
transformation changes our motives and our intent and good fruit will be born
out of doing the will of Yahweh.
In Paul’s letter to the Romans he gives them direction
stating: “ Brethren, I call on you
through the compassion of Elohim to present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, pleasing to Elohim, which is your responsible service. And be not
conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in
order to prove by you what is good and pleasing and the perfect will of Elohim
(G-d). Romans 12:1-2” We use the terms “saved” and “born again” in a much
looser fashion in the west from my experiences being raised in America. This is
a serious issue not one to be taken lightly or to assume about one’s self. We
see where in John 3:3 Yahshua tells Nicodemus “Truly, truly I say to you, that if a man is not born again, he is not
able to see the Kingdom of Yahweh.” Paul again states in His 2nd letter to the
Corinthians the importance of being a new creation. “So that if anyone is in
Messiah, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, all
things have become new!” 2 Cor 5:17.
These messages are simply absent from mainstream
Christianity for the most part.
Getting back to persecution… While I am writing this to you
a Ugandan Elder of the Congregation of Yahweh, has been detained and is
currently in prison there. His crime? Preaching the true gospel of Yahshua. We
are told again and again to not expect an easy life but rather a hard one full
of persecution. Paul spent a majority of His time in prison while writing his
letters to the different brethren. Yahshua’s Sermon on the Mount is probably
one of the most important chapters of scripture there is. His disciples ask Him
“what will be the sign of your coming?” He clearly defines the following:
tribulation, hatred, betrayal and death. “For
nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be
famines and plagues and earthquakes against many places. But all these are the
beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to affliction, and will
kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. Matt 24:
7-9” Sounds like the present to me. The persecution of believers has been
perpetual in history, but it has risen at an alarming rate. We are to consider
it a joy to be persecuted for sake of the Messiah. We haven’t seen anything
yet, the day is coming where we will be forced to decide to wither take up our
crossbeam or deny Him. We are quickly approaching the “Days of Sorrow.” I
personally am excited at the fact of being alive in this time, He chose me to
be here at this junction of time called the present. I know the message here
seems gloomy, but we have the blessed hope of the Messiah. Hope in a hopeless
world, what a blessing and an honor. I pray this message speaks to you and
quickens your spirit.
With Love,
-
Joshua
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