Taking Risks

[JohnDB]

There seems to be a new adventure for"thrill seekers" out there for the Christian community.

Go into a country that prohibits Christianity and build a church or go witnessing.

Currently there are missions to Sudan and China in hostile areas. And people wanting to go. (China recently started detaining and interrogations of Christians again in Bejing)

I don't understand it. Sure I'm willing to stand up for the Gospel but there's a thing about prudent behavior.

Maybe I don't understand it.
Can anyone explain it?

 

[Eugene]

Currently there are missions to Sudan and China in hostile areas. And people wanting to go. (China recently started detaining and interrogations of Christians again in Bejing)

I don't understand it. Sure I'm willing to stand up for the Gospel but there's a thing about prudent behavior.

Maybe I don't understand it.

Even Saul preaching Jesus later known as the Apostle Paul was careful enough with his life to flee danger.
Act 9:23 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him (Paul):
Act 9:24 But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.
Act 9:25 Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.
Then in 1 Cor 11:1 Paul says "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ."

 

[Soul man]

I understand the heart felt need for these people but you had better be led to do it. Country's, as you mention, have their underground and I think we can do more to support those that are already in position.
It just stirs the pot for those that are there, you're going to jail or worse and then need to be rescued.
I know something needs to be done, and it does seem the lord has led some to act.
Used to be the jails and prisons in the States were open for ministers anytime.
If you stopped, you could talk and hand out bibles to the inmates, not anymore. Some chaplains are willing but my experience has been, they want to know what you believe, why you believe it,so on, its a ritual to get in.
They are good ministers are already in there, so supplying them with matls and let them minister has been one way.

 

[JohnDB]

Matthew 10:23. ?

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

Matthew 10:23. ?

Maybe we're actually neglecting Isreal. Our ministries have gone and explored the world, even focused on specific countries to minister to. Including the high risk ones that you've addressed, JohnDB. But Paul wrote that part of his ministry to the Gentiles was to hopefully make Isreal see their mistake and turn to Jesus out of Jealousy of God's favor on Gentiles.

Maybe I don't know how Christianity is being spread in Isreal (and it is a high risk area). If there isn't a ministry going through Isreal city by city to spread the gospel, then perhaps that might need to be looked at.

Just some thoughts from that verse JohnDB.

 

[LovethroughDove]

If you aren't obligated to spouse or children, I don't see the problem with this.

 

[WIP]

The timing of this thread is incredible! This past Sunday the topic for my Sunday School lesson was choosing right over wrong. One of the scenarios we looked at talked about when one is put in a position to either deny Jesus and save his family's lives or refuse to deny Jesus and condemn his family's lives to death.

In preparation for this topic, I decided to do some research. What I learned is that Christians here in the United States live a very sheltered life. To us, Christian persecution means getting laughed at or maybe pressured to not pray in public or something of that nature. Outside the US things are a lot different. One thing that really caught my attention is that for the past decade the average number of people being killed in the name of Jesus is upwards of about 100,000 worldwide. This makes Christianity, with regard to martyrs, the most persecuted religion in the world today.

Some of the atrocities I read about were unimaginable. What's really scary is how the US is growing farther and farther away from Christian values. Abortion, same sex marriage, sexuality, alcohol abuse, divorce, and so on are not just evils of our secular world but just as much in our Christian family and it seems to be getting worse. We are giving in to the fear of being labelled intolerant and we don't take our religion or God seriously. As things continue I fear that our future could be as dangerous as those other parts of the world where Christians are facing serious persecution.

 

[for_his_glory]

No matter what we want to do for the Lord whether its in service to Him within the Church we attend or going out into the world taking the Gospel to other countries we must pray first that we are in Gods will. Before I went into prison ministries back in the day the Pastor made a point of telling me to pray first and seek Gods will on this matter. Also the same when I served on the board.

I always wanted to go to India and work with a ministry there I have been friends with for years and the children use to make me Christmas cards which were so cool, but I never had God call me to that. Many in that ministry including some Pastors have been persecuted to death and Churches burnt down in their homeland, but yet they still go forth continuing in the works of the Lord seeking out hidden villages taking the Gospel message to them and with a lot of resistance at first. They also have a school and orphanage and work with the adults to teach and help them with farming. The important thing is they are prayed up before they go out into the jungles knowing it could be the last day of their live.

 

[Kidron]

There seems to be a new adventure for"thrill seekers" out there for the Christian community.

-
The issue isn't with loyal disciples of Christ who want to take the message of Light and Hope and Eternal Life into the darkest parts of the globe....., the issue is with complacent opinionated other "type" Christians who would rather judge them then help.
Or, as someone wise once said......there are the doer's and there are the watchers.
The doer'd do, while the watchers offer their opinion.

 

[JohnDB]

The timing of this thread is incredible! This past Sunday the topic for my Sunday School lesson was choosing right over wrong. One of the scenarios we looked at talked about when one is put in a position to either deny Jesus and save his family's lives or refuse to deny Jesus and condemn his family's lives to death.

In preparation for this topic, I decided to do some research. What I learned is that Christians here in the United States live a very sheltered life. To us, Christian persecution means getting laughed at or maybe pressured to not pray in public or something of that nature. Outside the US things are a lot different. One thing that really caught my attention is that for the past decade the average number of people being killed in the name of Jesus is upwards of about 100,000 worldwide. This makes Christianity, with regard to martyrs, the most persecuted religion in the world today.

Some of the atrocities I read about were unimaginable. What's really scary is how the US is growing farther and farther away from Christian values. Abortion, same sex marriage, sexuality, alcohol abuse, divorce, and so on are not just evils of our secular world but just as much in our Christian family and it seems to be getting worse. We are giving in to the fear of being labelled intolerant and we don't take our religion or God seriously. As things continue I fear that our future could be as dangerous as those other parts of the world where Christians are facing serious persecution.

Talking with a pastor in Slovakia he told me about how his father prayed publicly in the square on May Day for all the festivities going on and then sweated bullets till Fall thinking that his family was going to get sent to a Siberian prison.


But one of the questions I always ask is "Do they need me physically present?"

If it's Electrical work...the answer is always, "Yes".
Often I don't speak the language, no one but the interpreters understands a word I'm saying...and to rely upon speaking in tongues just seems to be rather risky at best. (It's never worked out for me consistently)
Then there is feasability of the project.

Then expectations of effectiveness of completing the project.

Then community impact.

Needless to say that often when we go to these places there are always positive unintended results.
And needless to say that there are extra risks anywhere you go outside of America.