Sadly, in the case of many churches, the persecution comes from within. And I suppose, in one sense, that’s what was happening here in Acts 8, because the people persecuting Stephen were those who claimed to be Bible men, those who claimed to be believers in the Messiah. But they weren’t—they were unbelievers who hated the true Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.
We need to be prepared for such things to take place. We can give thanks that Alfred Place Baptist Church has been preserved for over one-hundred-and-fifty years—that there has been such a dedication to the gospel in this place—but we must not take it for granted. May it be that the church continues, for however long, until the Lord Jesus Christ returns—whether that’s one-hundred-and-fifty more years, or 1,500 more years, or even more. But it’s going to mean being faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ and expecting to be scattered.
That’s often an element we don’t consider when we think about the persecuted church in northern Nigeria, or in Iraq, or in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Churches are being scattered. Communities are being dismantled—and that’s so hard, because churches are most encouraged when they’re together, not when they’re apart.
Add to that the fact that the leaders often feel the need to stay in the area where the persecution takes place, and that is a potent cocktail of anxiety for church leaders and their families. It’s no coincidence that it’s the elders who are often persecuted. The best armies, seeking to take out their enemies, will go for the officers—and the devil has the same policy as to the world in his persecution and desire to destroy the church.
So, pray for church leaders—that they would be steadfast, that they would be wise as to whether they should move on. At no point are the apostles commanded to stay in Jerusalem, but they felt led to stay in Jerusalem. So, pray for pastors who have chosen to stay in the place of persecution and for their families—that they would be wise in that decision, that they may have to make, that they would be protected and kept safe. And pray for the pastors who choose to leave, that they would feel no guilt about biblically moving on.
