Thriving Amid Persecution
[This is Chapter 10 of Disciple Maker: Fulfill Your Destiny in the Disciple-Making Movement Launched by Jesus Christ, by Phil Bickel (© 2020). Free download of 58-page ebook at www.philbickel.com/store.]
As culture wars rage in the USA, the threat of persecution increases. Can believers in Christ survive and even multiply under harsh conditions? The recent history of Disciple-Making Movements proves that we can.
Has the growth of Disciple-Making Movements been facilitated by relatively low opposition to the Christian faith in the places where they occur? Consider what Jesus, the Disciple Maker, told us: “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.” (Matt. 10:16 NLT). Jesus meant that every place is a battleground where Satan opposes the advance of God’s kingdom.
Miracles in India
The Bhojpuri the region of India was known as the graveyard of missions, because almost two centuries of missionary effort had reaped a tiny harvest of souls. Today, that region of India remains a spiritual battleground. Staunch Hindus who are zealous to keep India a Hindu nation are not pleased with millions of Bhojpuris pledging allegiance to Jesus Christ. Again and again a Hindu politician, lawyer or other person with influence has voiced a complaint in the media, filed a public grievance, or sought legal measures to thwart the outreach efforts of followers of Jesus. Despite the opposition, the believers keep finding new ways to serve their neighbors and make known the name of Christ.
In 1994, after David Watson taught Bhojpuri believers the disciple-making strategies of Jesus Christ, eighty Indian Christians began to seek persons of peace (not-yet Christians, but open to exploring the Bible) and mentored them to discuss the Bible with small groups of not-yet-Christian friends and relatives. This method is called Discovery Bible Study (DBS). Today at least 12 million Bhojpuri have become earnest followers of Jesus Christ; this statistic comes from research done by fundamentalist Hindus. Years ago the Christian leaders among the Bhojpuri gave up trying to count the converts in this Disciple Making Movement (DMM).
Disciple-Making Movements are happening in other regions where persecution of Christians is rampant.
Rebels with a Cause
One of the most astounding descriptions of a Discovery Bible group comes from North Africa. Picture this. Thirty men dressed in desert camouflage set down their automatic rifles in the evening to read the words of Jesus Christ. They are a band of so-called “freedom fighters,” whom the local people know as dangerous thugs who impose their will on the surrounding villages. The rebel leader reads this difficult-to-obey teaching of Jesus:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” Matthew 5:38-42
The thirty men discuss Jesus’ words so radically opposed to their own traditions. As soldiers, they wrestle with the fact that if these are indeed the words of God, then they must begin to follow His orders. Many of them weep over their highway robberies and other crimes performed under the guise of fighting for independence.
How could this be happening? When the brother of the rebel leader had taught these men of war to read and discuss God’s Word, the Holy Spirit began changing them. Many of the rebels have become followers of Jesus, while some are still balking. Some of the born-again rebels have returned home to start Discovery Bible groups there. The leader and others remain, continuing the weekly Scripture discussions in order to free their freedom fighter brothers — risking their lives, so that no one is left behind.
Turning A Nation Upside Down
Many nations pose a severe threat to their Christian citizens, but often we in the West are oblivious to their struggles. For example, take this short, interesting quiz.
Question 1: Today, what nation’s government is most committed to wiping Christians and Jews off the face of the earth? Answer: ____________________
Question 2: Today, in which country is found the fastest growing church of new disciples? Answer: ____________________
The answer to both questions is the very same nation! The religious and political oligarchs of this country have held its citizens captive since 1979. Despite the threat of prison and martyrdom, Christ’s disciples there risk everything to invite the next person of peace to fall in love with the Savior of the world. No wonder the Gospel is spreading like wildfire in the Islamic Republic of Iran! The story of the disciple-making movement that is quietly turning Iran upside-down (Acts 17:6) is told in the video, “Sheep among Wolves.” It’s a 2-hour video, and you may feel short on time. But, Christ is returning, and we have much to learn from our Iranian brothers and sisters in Christ.
Disciples Are Servants
The final question each Discovery Bible Study group asks at every session is: Do you know anyone who needs help? What can our group do to help them? Why is this question included? What does the Disciple Maker teach us about extending God’s love beyond our own circle?
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:32-36)
“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42-45)
Servanthood and discipleship go hand in hand. Loving others has always been an essential component of our job description and our destiny. As the Father sent His Son to serve and show mercy to people in need, Jesus sends us out with the same assignment. Loving people we love is natural, but stretching beyond our circle is supernatural. When believers care for outsiders, the world is astonished. That is why Peter advised: “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” (1Pet. 2:12).
Meanwhile, Satan schemes to divide our neighborhoods so that we hate our enemies rather than love them. Look at what is occurring today in Western nations with a Judeo-Christian heritage. While Christianity declines in numbers and cultural influence, other worldviews and ethical opinions are clamoring for their voices to be heard. Our competing worldviews influence our choice of political parties and the causes we consider paramount. Through social media, we can express our opinions without accountability, shouting louder and louder in our secluded echo chambers. We have become like neighbors bickering on opposite sides of the backyard fence. Each time we hurl an accusation at one another, the fence grows higher, so that we no longer look one another in the eye and hear both sides of the issues dividing us. However, this bleak scenario can change wherever groups of disciples regularly ask:
- “Whom do we know that needs help? How can we serve them?”
- “Lord, teach us to love our neighbors no matter what the cost.”
- “Lord, prepare us for the fires of persecution that You said would surely come.” (John 15:16-21; Acts 14:22)
The devil and his fallen angels oppose disciple making everywhere. Perhaps your battleground is much smaller and nearer than India, Africa, or Iran — and it seems overwhelming. I’m talking about the battleground of your own home. I know your pain. My family is under spiritual attack too. From the time of Adam and Eve onward, Satan has been the old evil foe of every family.
Can Discovery Bible Study bring victory in the battlefield of our homes?
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In Disciple Maker learn Jesus’ one-of-a-kind methods, and follow Him as you fulfill your destiny. To download the free, 58-page eBook, click below on the format you want:
Check out prior chapters:
Ch. 1. Jesus Christ: Disciple Maker
Ch. 2. Am I Disciple Material?
Ch. 5. Reading the Bible with Know-Nothings