It is something that we all think about:
Would we be ready to give our lives for God if the time came and we were to be persecuted for our belief in His Son?
There are those in other parts of the world who have had to come face-to-face with that decision and have stood the test of Faith.
On October 10th 2018, 13 Sudanese Christians were arrested and taken to prison because of their Faith.
They were having their church service when members of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) disrupted the service and took them into custody.
For two weeks, they were tortured, but they would not renounce their Faith in Jesus Christ.
The authorities did not give a reason for these arrests. However, some sources said that they were targeting Islam converts to Christianity in that region.
In many regions, converting to Christianity from Islam is an offense punishable by death.
Living in one of the most difficult places on earth for a Christian couldn’t have been easy before, but in the last few years it has really started to look bleak.
You see, in 2011 the Sudanese president, Omar al-Bashir, vowed to enforce a stricter form of Sharia (Islamic) law. Times are tough. So what is life really like for a Christian in Sudan?
As mentioned above, the president of Sudan is in support of Sharia law and he is determined to make Sudan a one religion (Islam) country.
This has been a great struggle for Christians there because there is a lack of law in the region. If there is a crime against Christians, it seems to be overlooked.
There has also been a great burning and demolishing of churches since 2011, so having a home church is not a sure thing for many of these Christians.
The Economist states that “the government says that it is merely unlicensed buildings. But only churches seem to be getting knocked down.”
Not only that, but Christians must be careful about who they share their Faith with. The mere mention of their Faith can be considered as an act of apostasy against Islam, and they can be arrested. This surely is a test of Faith.
The Christians who were captured that October day surely knew what could happen; there had been many martyred before them. And yet, their Faith did not fail.
In fact the pastor of their group, Tajadin Idris Yousef, was charged with failing to recant his Faith in Jesus Christ.
Apparently, being a Christian can get you attacked at any time and some have even been killed because of their belief in Jesus Christ.
These 13 who were released were tortured and one so badly that he was in critical condition and bleeding and vomiting when he was set free.
Yet despite all of the violence that they experienced, these survivors retained their Faith. They persevered for our Lord. So, what is the takeaway from all of this?
These 13 people are shining a light for the kingdom of God. They are examples of true Faith and something that we should all aspire to be. Surely they give other troubled Christians, throughout the world, hope. Hope that everything that they are enduring will not be in vain.
They are beacons of victory for God our Father, showing the entire world that He is alive and well in the hearts of His people. God is with His followers always, and these former prisoners can attest to that fact.
His presence is felt throughout all of the world, and when we hear stories of released prisoners and people living out their Faith in war-torn and oppressive countries, it gives us strength and purpose to fulfill the will of God for His Holy Kingdom.
We here at Christian Life Daily ask you to pray for these brave souls who have inspired countless other Christians and soon-to-be Christians throughout the world, and to pray for those who do not come back to us after persecution, but will be in all Joy with the Father.
And finally, we ask that you pray for all of those around the world who are suffering persecution in Jesus’ name. They will all surely be blessed.