Remember the Persecuted

REMEMBER the PERSECUTED
By Dr. Peter Hammond

“Remember the prisoners as if chained with them –
those who are mistreated – since you yourselves are
in the Body also.” Hebrews 13:3

Persecution Worldwide
Over 400 million Christians live under 66 governments which restrict
religious freedom and persecute believers. Every year an average of
200,000 Christians are killed for their Faith.

In the Book of
Revelation, the
Apostle John was
given a glimpse into
Heaven.
He sees the
martyrs, and he
hears their prayer.
What are the
martyrs who have
died for Christ
praying?

The Martyr’s Prayer
“When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of
those who had been slain for the Word of God and for the testimony
which they held.

And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘how long,
O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge
our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’

Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them
they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their
fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were,
was completed.” Revelations 6:9-11

Praying for Justice
Here we obtain a glimpse into Heaven. Those who had been faithful to
God’s Word, and had been slain for the testimony that they had
maintained, are in the very presence of God and they are praying:

“How long, O
Lord, holy and
true, until You
judge and
avenge our
blood on those
who dwell on
the earth?”

Throughout the world I have come across many people who
are praying for peace. However it is notable that the martyrs
in Heaven are praying for justice.

And how does the Lord respond to these prayers? Does He
rebuke them? No! Each of them is given a white robe
signifying their right standing with Almighty God.

They are told to be patient for a little while. When the full
number of their fellow servants and brethren have died for
Christ, their prayer for justice will be answered.

The Wrath of the Lamb
The rest of Revelation 6 illustrates that Judgment:
“And the kings of earth, the great men, the rich men,
the commanders, the mighty men, every slave
and every free man,

hid themselves in the caves and the rocks of the mountains,
and said to the mountains and rocks, fall on us and hide us
from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the
Wrath of the Lamb! For the Day of His wrath has come, and
who is able to stand?” Revelation 6:15-17

If the World Hates You
The Lord Jesus warned us:
“If the world hates you, you know that it
hated Me before it hated you.
If you were of the world, the world would
love its own.

Yet because you are not
of the world, but I chose
you out of the world,
therefore the world
hates you. Remember
the Word that I said to
you, ‘the servant is not
greater than his master.’
If they persecuted
Me, they will also
persecute you.”
John 15:18-20

Indeed, all
of the
Apostles
suffered
severe
persecution
for Christ:
The
Testimony of
the Apostles

Peter was crucified upside down in Rome after much
outreach.

James the
Elder was
beheaded by
Herod in
Palestine after
fearless
preaching.

John, after a life of
evangelism, was boiled
in oil and banished in
exile to Patmos.

Andrew was crucified in Greece while spreading
the Gospel there.

Philip died
as a martyr
in Asia
Minor after
preaching
the Gospel
to the
Gauls.

Nathaniel preached the Gospel in India and Armenia
before being flayed alive and beheaded.

Thomas established
churches throughout
Babylonia and India
before being axed to
death.

Matthew was
burned to death
while preaching
the Gospel in
Ethiopia.

Jude preached
the Gospel
throughout
Syria and Persia
where he was
finally
martyred.

James the
younger was
crucified
while
evangelising
in Egypt.

Simon the Zealot preached the Word of God
throughout Syria and Mesopotamia and was
sawn in half in Persia.

Matthias was crucified on a
missionary outreach in the
Crimea (in what became the
Ukraine).

MARK was martyred in Alexandria, Egypt

The Sufferings of Paul
The Apostle Paul testified: “In labours more
abundant, in s t r i p e s a b o v e measure, in prisons
more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five
times I r e c e i v e d f o r t y stripes minus one.

Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three
times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in
the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of
robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the
Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness,

in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in
weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and
thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness – beside the
other things which come upon me daily: my deep concern for
all the churches.” 2 Corinthians 11:23-28

The Suffering is Temporary
The Apostle Paul wrote: “For I consider that the sufferings of
this present time are not worthy to be compared with the
glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18.
The suffering is temporary – the glory is eternal.

Following in His Steps
The Apostle Peter wrote: “For what credit is it if, when you are
beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do
good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable
before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also
suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should
follow His steps.” 1 Peter 2:20-21

Tested by Fire
“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if
need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the
genuineness of your Faith, being much more precious than
gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found
to praise, honour and glory at the Revelation of Jesus
Christ.” 1 Peter 1:6-7

Will Suffer Persecution
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ
Jesus will suffer persecution.” 2 Timothy 3:12

Scripture does not say some, nor does it say many, nor even most.
“All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer
persecution.”

Faithful Under Fire
Yet, surely, if we are seeking to be faithful to our Lord Jesus, we will
suffer some persecution for it? By God’s grace, perhaps, not the violent
and vicious persecution which Christians in communist and Muslim
lands have suffered.

However, if we remain faithful to the Lord, there will be times when we
will be misunderstood, slandered, discriminated against, threatened and
abused.

Whether from family or friends, neighbours or co-workers, whether at
school or at the work place, those who maintain a consistent testimony
for the Lord are bound to suffer some abuse.

Watch and Pray
When the Lord warned his
disciples of coming
persecution (Matthew
16:21-16; 26:31-35), they
responded with disbelief.
Because they did not
believe Christ’s warning,
they did not “watch and
pray.”
As a result, they denied the
Lord and ran away
(Matthew 26:40-46; 56; 60-
75).

The Apostle Paul strengthened the disciples and encouraged them to
remain true to the Faith by teaching: “We must through many
tribulations enter the Kingdom of God.” Acts 14:22

Rooted in the Word
Jesus taught that many believers would forsake Him (Matthew 24:9-10)
when trouble or persecution comes because of their superficial
commitment. Those with no roots in God’s Word would fall away
quickly (Matthew 13:21).

In response to the clear warnings of these Scriptures, and in the light of
the increasing hostility towards Christianity in so many circles, it would
be wise for every Christian to study what
the Word of God has to say about persecution.

Brother Andrew writes of a mission
behind the Iron Curtain to Hungary
where a pastor asked him if there
were any pastors in prison in
Holland. Brother Andrew replied
that, -no, he was not aware of any
pastors who were in prison in
Holland.

“What then do
your churches do
with 2 Timothy
3:12?”
Brother Andrew
reported that he
had to admit that
their churches did
nothing with this
verse.

Victorious Faith
“And they overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb and by the Word of
their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”
Revelation 12:11

Christians can
overcome satan
by the Blood of
Christ’s
atonement and
by the Word of
God. Not only
by the Word
known and
memorised in
our hearts and
minds, but by
our living
testimony,
applying the
Word of God to
every area of
life.

Our Lord Jesus Christ
taught that we should
not be afraid of those
who can only kill the
body and after that
can do no more. The
Lord told us whom we
should fear. We must
fear God, who after
the killing of the body
has power to throw
both body and soul
into hell, forever.
(Luke 12:4-5)

Courage
And it is this kind of courage that we see in the Apostles in the Book of
Acts. When Peter and John were dragged before the Sanhedrin they
courageously responded: “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in
God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking
about what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:19-20.

In response to the
threats of the Sanhedrin,
Peter and John gathered
with the other disciples
and prayed for the
boldness to continue to
proclaim God’s Word
“Now Lord, look on their
threats, and grant to
your servants that with
all boldness they may
speak Your Word…”
Acts 4:29

And the Scripture records that “when they had prayed, the place where
they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled
with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the Word of God
with boldness.” Acts 4:31

To Obey God or Man?
Then we read that the High
Priest rose up with great
indignation and arrested the
apostles, casting them into
prison. “Did we not strictly
command you not to teach in
this Name? And look, you
have filled Jerusalem with
your doctrine, and intend to
bring this Man’s blood on
us!” But Peter and the other
apostles answered: “We
ought to obey God
rather than men.”
Acts 5:28-29

Suffering Shame for His Name
The Sanhedrin then had the
apostles flogged and
commanded them not to
speak in the Name of Jesus.
We read that the Apostles
left the council “rejoicing
that they were counted
worthy to suffer shame
for His Name. And
daily in the temple,
and in every house,
they did not cease
teaching and
preaching Jesus as the
Christ.” Acts 5:41-42

The Steadfastness of Stephen
We then read of the martyrdom of Stephen who is described as “full of
Faith and power” and who did great wonders and signs
among the people (Acts 6:8).

The people were stirred up against Stephen and false
witnesses were produced. Stephen’s courageous stand
before the Sanhedrin is recorded in Acts 7: “You stiff necked
and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the
Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. Which of the
prophets did your fathers not persecute?

And they killed
those who foretold
the coming of the
just One, of whom
you now have
become the
betrayers and the
murderers, who
have received the
Law by the
direction of angels
and have not kept
it.” Acts 7:51-53

Scattered by Persecution
We read that “a great persecution arose against the Church which was
at Jerusalem; and they all scattered throughout the regions of Judea
and Samaria…those who were scattered went everywhere preaching
the Word.” Acts 8:1-4

The Martyrdom
of James
In order to please
the people, King
Herod had James,
the brother of
John, beheaded.

He then ordered the Apostle
Peter to be arrested.
However, God
opened prison
doors and set the
captive free - in
answer to prayer.

And God judged Herod.
“An angel of the Lord struck
him, because he did not give
glory to God. And he was
eaten by worms and died. But
the Word of God grew and
multiplied.”
Acts 12:23-24

Power Amidst Persecution
Throughout the Book of Acts we see peace and power amidst
persecution. Paul and Barnabas boldly proclaimed the Gospel and
responded to persecution with joy.

“But the Jews
stirred up the
devout and
prominent women
and the chief men
of the city, raised
up persecution
against Paul and
Barnabas and
expelled them
from their region.

But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to
Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy
Spirit.” Acts 13:50-52

Singing in
the Cells
In Acts 16 we read of
Paul and Silas seized
and dragged before the
authorities,
“Then the
multitude rose up
together against
them; and the
magistrates tore off
their clothes and
commanded them
to be beaten with
rods.

And when they had
laid many stripes
upon them, they
threw them into
prison, commanding
the jailor to keep
them securely…he
put them into the
inner prison and
fastened their feet in
the stocks.

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing Hymns to God
and the prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:22-25

Triumph Amidst Tribulation
Stripped and
beaten, flogged
and imprisoned,
chained in the
prison cells, Paul
and Silas
determined to
praise God amidst
their persecution.

“Suddenly there was a
great earthquake, so
that the foundations of
the prison were shaken;
and immediately all the
doors were opened and
everyone’s chains were
loosed.” Acts 16:26.
By God’s grace Paul and
Silas were able to see
their captor converted
and his entire family
brought to Salvation.

Refusing to Worship
Caesar
Foxes Book of
Martyrs records
many testimonies of
courageous
Christians who
suffered for the
Faith.

It is important to note that Christians were not persecuted in the Roman
Empire for worshipping Jesus. The Romans were polytheists.
They had an entire pantheon of gods.

If the early Christians had registered their religion with the state and
if they had burnt incense before an image of Caesar,
they would have been left alone.

However, by refusing to participate in Emperor worship and declare
“Caesar is lord” Christians came under suspicion and violent
persecution. They were not persecuted because they worshipped
Christ, but because they refused to revere Caesar.

Christian Courage
It is extraordinary
to read these
testimonies in
Foxes Book of
Martyrs of
dynamic believers
responding to
persecution
with joy.

Ignatius of Antioch
Ignatius of Antioch, when sentenced to death by the Emperor Trajan
responded: “I thank Thee O Lord, that they has vouchsafed thus
to honour me. I am God’s grain, to be ground between the
teeth of wild beasts, so that I may become
a holy loaf for the Lord.”

Polycarp of
Smyrna
When Polycarp, the
Bishop of Smyrna,
was arrested he
declared: “God’s will
be done!”
He provided food for
his captors before
they escorted him
before the Roman
consul.

The consul was
struck by how
old Polycarp
was: “Pity your
grey hairs, old
man, just burn
some incense
before the
Emperor and
you can go
free.”

Polycarp responded:
“If you think for a
moment that I
would do that, then
you pretend not to
know who I am.
Hear it plainly, I am
a Christian!”
“Then do this, old
man, just curse
Christ and I will set
you free.”

Polycarp responded: “86 years I have served my Christ, and He has
never done me any wrong. How then can I blaspheme my King who
has saved me?”
“I have wild beasts” threatened the pro-consul.

“Bring them”
Polycarp said. “I
would change my
mind if it meant
from going from the
worse to the better,
but not from the
right to the
wrong.”
“If you despise the
wild beasts, I will
have you burned”,
warned the consul.

“You threaten me with a fire that burns for but an hour and then is
extinguished. But you know nothing of the fire of Eternal Judgment
which will never be extinguished. Bring what you will.”

As Polycarp was led into the arena he was heard to pray: “Lord God,
Father of our blessed Saviour, I thank Thee that I have been deemed
worthy to receive the crown of martyrdom, and that I may die for Thee
and Thy cause.”

Cyprian of Carthage
Cyprian of Carthage, when sentenced to be beheaded, exclaimed:
“Thanks be to God!”

Perpetua – Forever Faithful
Perpetua was a Christian noblewoman living in
Carthage (North Africa). In A.D. 202 when Perpetua
was a 22-year old mother, she was one of the first to
be arrested in a new wave of persecution.

When her pagan father visited and pleaded with her
to deny that she was a Christian, Perpetua responded
that it was impossible that she be “called anything
other than what I am, a Christian.”

When the governor ordered Perpetua to worship the
emperor her response was decisive: “I will not.”
“Are you a Christian then?” asked the governor.

“Yes I am!” Perpetua’s determined response
brought immediate condemnation.

The governor condemned her and her friends to be
thrown to the wild beasts and to die in the arena.

The amphitheatre was filled with nobles, ladies, senators, ambassadors,
and tens of thousands shouted their insults and derisions as she was led
to her death. Wild beasts and gladiators circled them on the arena floor
and the crowds in the stands roared, demanding to see blood.

When Perpetua and her friends entered the stadium they were singing
Psalms in such a joyful demeanour that the crowd demanded that the
Christians be scourged first. This was done.

As the mob screamed
abuse, Perpetua was heard
to say:
“You have
condemned us,
but God will
condemn you.”

A wild heifer charged and tossed Perpetua into the air. As she
fell on her back she sat up and adjusted her ripped tunic,
“thinking more of her modesty than of her pain.” She then
walked over to help Felicitas, her servant to her feet.

Perpetua encouraged the other Christians:
“You must all stand fast in the Faith and not be
weakened by what we have gone through.”

Witnesses in the stands
described Perpetua in the
arena as
“young and beautiful”,
“a pure and modest
Christian lady”,
“with shining
countenance and calm
step, as the beloved of
God, as a bride of Christ,
putting down everyone’s
stare by her own
intense gaze.”

Her bold testimony: “I am a Christian and cannot deny Christ” was
repeated throughout the Empire. Her example of Christian resolve and
Christian courage, choosing to suffer and die with a clear conscience,
rather than deny her Saviour, inspired generations of Roman Christians
to stand firm in the face of relentless persecution.

“Be faithful
until death,
and I will give
you the crown
of life.”
Revelation 2:10

The Blood of the Martyrs
As Tertullian famously declared: “The blood of the martyrs is the
seed of the Church.” For every Christian killed in the arena
multitudes were converted in the stands.

Converting the Persecutors
In time the slaves of the Roman Empire were converted,
the nobles of the Roman Empire were converted,

the barbarian invaders were brought to Christ,

and even
the
bloodthirsty
Vikings
were won
to Christ.

The Waldensians
The Waldensians of Southern France, Northern Italy and Switzerland
endured much persecution between the 12th and the 17th Century,
courageously standing firm and enduring as
the oldest community of Protestants in the world today.

Wycliffe and the Lollards
Professor John Wycliffe of Oxford University, and his itinerant
evangelists (the Lollards), despite severe persecution continued to
translate the Scriptures into English and to proclaim and sing
the Gospel in English in the market places.

They were the field workers of the Reformation, sowing the
good seed of the Word of God and laying solid foundations
for the mighty move of God’s Spirit in the Reformation.

Jan Hus of Prague
Professor Jan Hus of Prague courageously worked for Biblical
Reformation and was burned alive in 1415. His final prayer was: “Into
Thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. I am willing, patiently and
publicly to endure this dreadful, shameful, and cruel death for the sake
of Thy Gospel and the preaching of Thy Word.”
He died signing praises to God.

William Tyndale
The Reformer William Tyndale of England was burned
alive at the stake for the crime of translating the Bible
into the English language.

His last words, his dying prayer: “Lord, open the King
of England’s eyes!” was wondrously answered as the
very King, Henry VIII, who had condemned Tyndale
for his work of Bible translation,

within two years of
Tyndale’s death, had
authorised that same Bible
in English to be placed in
every parish in the land,
accessible to the common
people, in the common
tongue.

George Whishart
Patrick Hamilton and George Whishart of Scotland were
burned at the stake for preaching Biblical Reformation.
George Whishart prayed an Imprecatory Prayer against the
cardinal who had condemned them.

Within three months that cardinal
had met a violent death.

John Knox
Reformer John Knox of
Scotland was imprisoned
and chained as a slave in a
galley for nineteen months.
At one point he refused to
kiss an idol of Mary.
Throwing it overboard, he
declared: “She is light
enough, let her
learn to swim!”

St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre
The Huguenots of France endured vicious
persecution and massacres, particularly the St.
Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of 24 August 1572.

Condemning a Nation
At one point in the
16th Century the
Spanish Inquisition
condemned the
entire nation of
Holland (3 million
men, women and
children) to death as
heretics!

By God’s grace, and
through the
courage of Prince
William the Silent
and his followers,
the Dutch
succeeded in
throwing back the
Spanish invaders
and winning
freedom for
Protestant Holland.

The Greatest Century of Persecution
You may be surprised to know that more Christians
died for Christ in the 20th Century than in all previous
19 centuries combined.

In 1980, The Christian World Encyclopedia calculated
that at least 28 million Christians had been martyred
in the 20th Century { up until then }.

The total martyrs since A.D. 33 was calculated at 43 million.

The encyclopedia calculated that atheists and secular
governments had murdered 25 million Christians.

Violence against Christians in Egypt has escalated sharply over the last
ten years. Churches have been targeted for car bombings.

Incredibly the Egyptian church has survived 14 centuries of Islamic
discrimination and persecution.

There are however over 10 million Christians, mostly Coptic Orthodox,
making up 12% of the population of Egypt.

For over 1,000 years Egypt was a majority Christian population, even
after the Arab Muslim conquest in AD 640.

Many hundreds of Christians have been wounded or killed in violent
attacks on Christian churches and neighbourhoods, especially in Iraq
and Egypt.

And Roman Catholics and RC governments had
murdered 4½ million Protestants.

Serving the Persecuted
During the last 30 years of missionary work I have had the privilege of
serving the persecuted Church in Mozambique, Angola, Romania,
Albania, Rwanda, Sudan, Northern Nigeria, the Congo and Zimbabwe.

During this time I have endured aerial bombardments, ambushes,
artillery and rocket barrages, and I have been arrested and imprisoned
for missionary work.

Speaking up for the Persecuted
Some of what Christians suffer in Marxist and Muslim lands has been
documented in Faith Under Fire in Sudan; Holocaust in Rwanda; In the
Killing Fields of Mozambique; Slavery, Terrorism and Islam;

and in documentary films that we have helped to produce such as:
Sudan: The Hidden Holocaust and Terrorism and Persecution –
Understanding Islamic Jihad.

Angola’s Agony
On numerous occasions, Cuban soldiers in Angola
have placed the heads of cattle, or an AK47, on altars
or pulpits demanding that the Christians commit
idolatry and bow before them.

They have walked into services, and taken the Bible off the
pulpit and thrown it by the door and demanded: “You may all
leave – one by one – just spit on the Bible and you can go
free. If you don’t – we will kill you!”

Communist troops have burst into church services declaring:
“You Christians – you say that you worship the Lamb – well
here is a lamb!”

The Cubans taunted
the worshippers as
they started pouring
the blood of this lamb
over the believers
saying “the blood of
the lamb is shed
amongst you – worship
the lamb!”

The head of the lamb was placed mockingly on the pulpit and
people were dragged and forced to their knees to bow down
before it.

Christians who have
escaped from communist
concentration camps and
prisons have told how
they were often tortured
by the Marxists.
One prisoner told me of a
time in Angola when they
were near breaking point
and one of them shouted
out: “Why don’t you
just kill us, and get
it over with?”

The response of the communist
concentration camp guards was
most enlightening: “Oh no,
we don’t want to kill
you! We don’t want to
send you to Heaven to
be with God! No, we
want you to curse
Christ and to come
to hell with us, for
all eternity!”

The Aim of Persecution
The aim of
persecution is not to
kill Christians. There
is no victory to the
kingdom of darkness
for Christians to go
to Heaven. The aim
of persecution is to
intimidate Christians
into silence.

To persuade believers to compromise. To terrify Christians, to
giving in to cowardice. If the devil cannot stop us being
converted, he at least wants to divert us and distract us so
that we are not effective in fulfilling the Great Commission
and winning other souls to Christ.

As long as you refuse to be intimidated
into silence, neutrality and compromise,
persecution fails.

“Then Jesus said
to His disciples,
‘if anyone
desires to come
after Me, let him
deny himself,
and take up his
cross, and follow
Me.

For whoever desires
to save his life will
lose it, but whoever
loses his life for My
sake will find it. For
what profit is it to a
man if he gains the
whole world, and
loses his own soul?
And what will a
man give in
exchange for his
soul?’”
Matthew 16:24-26

Sabrina Wurmbrand
The wife of Romanian
Pastor Richard
Wurmbrand, Sabrina
Wurmbrand, testified
that before she went
to prison she was very
poor. But once she
went to prison she
became very rich.

This was because she was
poor in the things of the
world, but rich in the things of
God. When she came to
prison she had the only
currency that was of any
value, she had much of the
Word of God memorised and
stored up in her heart and
mind. Therefore in prison she
was able to make many
people rich!

After years in the slave labour camps of Romania, Sabrina was
finally released.
Some time later a man came to her claiming to have been in
prison with her husband, and having a message from him to
share with their congregation.

Knowing how the communist state sought to infiltrate congregations by
infiltrating spies and blackmailing members into being informers,
Sabrina was cautious. “Please, before we go any further, would you lead
us in prayer?” She bowed her head.

There was an awkward silence
and then the man, who claimed
to have a message from her
husband, stuttered and
stammered. Sabrina Wurmbrand
looked up and, gazing directly
into the man’s eyes, said: “Now
then, aren’t you ashamed of
yourself? Wouldn’t you like me
to explain to you how you can
become a real Christian?”

To Prison with
Praise
In 1987, while leading a
Frontline mission team across
the border, we were arrested.
This was my first prison
experience. We were stripped
and beaten.
Thrown into cells covered with
human filth. Deprived of water
and food, blindfolded and
transported from Livingstone to
Lusaka. There we were thrown
into an overcrowded prison.

The cells, which were 15 feet by 25 feet, were crammed with an average
of 60 prisoners per cell. There were no beds, furnishings, plumbing or
electricity in these cells.

The whole prison seemed to be one big stinking disease factory. With
our shoes taken away, walking barefoot, with cut and bleeding feet,
amongst this filth, we could only imagine how many infections and
diseases God protected us from.

Falsely Accused
In our prison cell there was Isaiah Moyo, a 26 year old black South
African, who had been imprisoned on trumped up charges of being a
South African spy!

Actually, he had lent money to some ANC refugees in Lusaka, who had
decided, rather than repay him, to accuse him of being a spy!

Tortured
Isaiah had been severely tortured. He had 26 pussy sores on his body
where red hot pokers had been pushed into his skin. His knees were
calloused from the many hours he spent kneeling on the concrete floor
praying to the Lord.

When, by God’s grace, international prayer and pressure forced the
Zambian government to open the prison doors and let us free, I
determined to campaign for the release of Isaiah Moyo.

Publicising the Plight of the Prisoners
American
Christians that I
met in Cape Town
encouraged me to
come overseas
and testify of the
reality of
communist
persecution in
Africa.

I received an invitation to speak at the International Society for Human
Rights Conference in Frankfurt, Germany and used that as the launching
pad for my first overseas ministry trip.

This involved radio and
TV ministry in the USA,
testifying to
government officials of
the atrocities I had
witnessed and
documented in
communist
Mozambique and
Angola, and speaking
on the BBC World
Service.

Later I heard that prison wardens had rushed with their radios to Isaiah
Moyo in Lusaka Central Prison shouting: “Isaiah, that white South
African missionary who was locked in here, he is speaking on the radio –
and he is talking about you!”

Isaiah heard the tale end of my interview as I gave people his prison
address, and requested people to send care packages, with salt, soap,
sugar, vitamins, pens, pencils, paper, etc.

Isaiah told us later that from that time on he was never mistreated
again. Mail sacks of letters and parcels were dragged into the cell. He
became the most popular person in prison. He had so many trading
items which everyone wanted. People couldn’t do enough favours for
him.

The BBC World Service radio programme had raised him to celebrity
status in the prison. The prison guards treated him with great respect,
and soon he was set free and allowed to travel back to South Africa to
be reunited with his wife and two children.

Publicity Provides Protection
for the Persecuted
This was my first experience of seeing what an influence Western
Christians can have through prayer and pressure.
Publicity provides protection for the persecuted.

As our Lord Jesus
taught in Luke 18:1-5,
even an
unjust judge
will do what
is right in
response to
persistent
prayer and
pressure.

As virtually every Marxist dictatorship in the world is a beneficiary of
vast amounts of foreign aid from Western nations, this provides
leverage.

Most dictators prefer foreign aid to foreign prisoners. If given
a choice, they will let the prisoners go free in order to
continue to receive the Western dollars, pounds or euros.

Setting Captives Free
Whatever we bind will be bound, whatever we loose will be
loosed. By the power of prayer, and through persistent
pressure, we can see the powers of darkness limited, prison
doors opened and captives set free.

Jesus said: “For I was hungry, and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and
you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked
and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and
you came to Me.

Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You
hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see
You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?

Or when did we see You sick, or imprisoned and come to You? And the
King will answer and say unto them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, in as
much as you did it to one of the least of these brethren, you did it to
Me.’” Matthew 25:35-40

“And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one
member is honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the
Body of Christ, and members individually.”
1 Corinthians 12:26-27

REMEMBER the PERSECUTED
Sunday 11 November is the International Day of Prayer for the
Persecuted Church.

Frontline Fellowship
PO Box 74
Newlands
7725
Cape Town
South Africa
E-mail: admin@frontline.org.za
Web: www.frontline.org.za

Remember the Persecuted

Remember the Persecuted

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