Rebelling Against Hell’s Barbaric Persecution

Barbaric is a term that describes well the time we are living in. Today, we estimate that 100,000 Christians are being martyred every year. While countless others are being brutally tortured, abused, raped, and hunted down by terrorists. Yes, this is really happening, and we are guilty in America of being cold, heartless, and barbaric, when we ignore it and do nothing. You and I are called to do something. We can begin by praying daily and partnering with groups like the ACLJ, Open Doors Ministries, Voice of the Martyrs, and others who are somebodies that are doing something.

We must repent for our lack of concern, prayerlessness, and inaction concerning the persecuted Church. We are one body of Christ, made up of many members around the world. When one member suffers, we all suffer. This is why we pray regularly for the persecuted church at Radiant and we encourage you to pray daily and ask the Lord to show you how to stand up, pray, give, and make a difference. God is calling us to be holy rebels and to rebel against the powers of darkness through awareness, prayer, giving, and fighting for the freedom of all people everywhere, to worship God without threat.

Waves of grief still hit me when I think about the pastor who rebuked me for alerting Christians to the brutal atrocities that were being carried out on Christians around the world. This pastor scolded me and told me that Christians here in the West, cannot handle this kind of information. He told me I needed to back down from alerting people in America because it was just too much for them to comprehend, and it made them uncomfortable. Stunned amazement, shock, and horror paralyzed me for a moment as I allowed his condemnation to sink in. I honestly couldn’t believe my ears at first. Once the shock of his comments had passed, I wondered if he would say the same thing, if Isis was hunting him and his family down? I wondered how he would feel if it was his children whose heads were being severed from their bodies and kicked down the street? I apologize if that is too graphic for you, but please understand that this and even more horrific violence and oppression are being carried out against Christians today. Without a doubt, our persecuted brothers and sisters are asking, “why doesn’t somebody do something?”

God has strategically arranged multiple Divine appointments for Todd and me (and our kids) to sit down with, share meals and have personal, in-depth, private conversations with persecuted Christians from other countries. We have listened to their personal stories of persecution, threats, being hunted down by terrorists, imprisoned, beaten and tortured for their faith. These men and women were miraculously delivered from the demonically driven terrorists. However, most are not and many desperately need our prayers and support today.

I would love to share with you all the true stories that these amazing modern day heroes of the faith have endured. For now, I will share just one encounter we were given. God providentially moved in our lives to give us the sobering honor of spending time with three pastors of underground churches in Iraq and Cuba. Their stories are harrowing. These precious saints live in countries where their lives are in constant danger because of their faith in Christ. One of these pastors of an underground church in Iraq was speaking to us, along with a group of other pastors in America. The words that he spoke cut through me like a knife. He was crying out to the American church and pastors to repent for our complacency! There aren’t many things more humbling than having a persecuted Christian from an Islamic nation tell you that you need to repent of your pathetic state of apathy and complacency. He spoke these God inspired words that pierced my heart and stirred my soul, “THE CHURCH IN AMERICA IS GUILTY OF DOING JUST WHAT YOU WANT TO DO – AND JUSTIFYING IT.”

He confronted us harshly in the American church, for doing what is comfortable and what fits nicely into our schedules without too much sacrifice.
God’s fire and holy passion filled that holy rebel Iraqi pastor’s entire being as he continued to blast the lukewarm American pastors in the room. He had my full attention! I was guilty as charged. He blasted us with both barrels. I repented with weeping and deep sorrow over my own sinful, apathetic state. I was a quivering heap of flesh in this holy man’s presence as God used Him to bring down fire from heaven to burn up the flesh and the carnality in my own life.

Today, Almighty God has guided you to read these words and receive the same message that He delivered to us. Our brothers and sisters in Christ are in dire need and they are waiting for us to do something. The Lion of the tribe of Judah is roaring over His people today to wake up and understand that there is a world around us in desperate need. Whether we hear it audibly with our physical ears or not, the world is crying out all around us today like the Jews in Nazi Germany were in their day, and the persecuted Christians around the world, asking, “WHY DOESN’T SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING?” Today, if you choose to be silent and play it safe; backing away from the current battle against hell’s agenda, it may be your child or grandchild who looks at you one day and asks, “why didn’t somebody do something?”.

Pastor Kelly Hudnall