Author Archives: Nannette

About Nannette

Wife to The Sweetheart, Mom to the Fantastic Six, Nana to six of the cutest littles on the planet, Author, The Daniel Fast, A Devotional. UPCI ministers.

What did the Early Church do when persecution came?

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“The Christians are to blame for every public disaster and every misfortune that befalls the people. If the Tiber rises to the walls, if the Nile fails to rise and flood the fields, if the sky withholds its rain, if there is earthquake, famine or plague, straightway the cry arises; ‘The Christians to the lions!’” ~Tertullian, A.D. 196

The news reports are overwhelming. We might see the headline but cannot bear to read the article; it is just too graphic. These are unthinkable, horrendous and literal crimes against humanity.

When parents are forced to choose either to push their children off the top of a cliff or watch them succumb to starvation or death by the sword? This is evil at its worst.

I shared this past week more about the persecution of Christians in Iraq and Syria here. The #WeAreN movement has gained unprecedented ground thanks to social media outlets such as twitter and Instagram. Now we are hopefully seeing a little action from governments around the world. Christians, and even non-Christians, are calling for an end to the mass genocide.

Humanitarian aid was dropped to those stuck on the mountaintop today, and airstrikes are being discussed. I pray they do not wait much longer.

This could be you. This could be me.

We have been called to prayer. Urgent prayer. Some say, “What good can it accomplish? Doesn’t this have to come to pass before then end comes?”

This has made me think of earlier persecutions of the Church.

Do not think they didn’t experience it. That is how the Gospel was spread to the four corners of the globe! They fled persecution, it scattered them, and the message literally exploded. “So then, those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose in connection with Steven made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews alone. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 11:19,20).

The Apostle Paul, who was referred to as Saul before he was saved, was feared more than anyone when it came to hatred of the Christians. He, and those that followed him, went from house to house dragging people out into the streets, killing, torturing and trying to get them to denounce their faith in Jesus Christ. “For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.…” 1 Corinthians 15:9-10.

After the ascension of Jesus, the persecution grew worse. The methods of torture and murder were more heinous. Some were covered in pitch, nailed to posts and then torched. Others were crucified or wrapped in the skins of animals and thrown to dogs!

When Nero’s reign ended, it became a literal crime to be called a Christian; although you could change your FATE by renouncing your FAITH, and giving sacrifice to the preferred god of the day.

The Apostle Paul was no stranger to persecution, suffering at the hands of the very ones he had worked with side by side. He was imprisoned many times, beaten, tortured and eventually gave his life, as did his comrade Peter and many others.

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” Ephesians 6:18.

[Tweet “The early Church prayed and many were saved at that moment for a greater purpose. “]

A good example is when they prayed for Peter after Herod had cast him into prison. Most men did not come out of Herod’s stocks. “Peter therefore was kept in prison, but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.” Acts 12:5. Angels delivered Peter from his chains and he went right back out sharing the Truth.

The Church fasted, they came together in unity and then they preached.

Yes, they continued to preach the Gospel even in the midst of persecution!

But Christians were still being martyred. What good was prayer doing for them?

Paul said it like this, “But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ;and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confidentby my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” Philippians 1:12-14 NLT.

It’s all about the Gospel being preached? It’s all about others hearing Truth?

“We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry,but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities,beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger;by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.” 2 Corinthians 6:3-10 ESV.

No matter what happened, the Gospel was being preached, shared, and Jesus Christ was receiving glory. Our sole purpose in this life is to win others to Him. Win the lost, make disciples, share the love of Christ and the message that He died at Calvary, but did not stay there!

Paul is delivered many times but he eventually succumbs to the sword as well. He gives his life for the Gospel that he loved so much. Yet, the prayers of the Church carried him through trial after trial, imprisonment, torture, and loneliness that many could not fathom.

“For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:19-21 NKJV.

For our brothers and sisters facing persecution TODAY, not only in the Middle East but around the world…they need our prayers desperately. They need strength to stand in this evil day. They must have a prayer covering to be able to say they will not denounce Jesus Christ. We cannot depend on someone else to do this.

[Tweet “It’s our responsibility no matter the name on our church sign, to pray for those being persecuted.”]

We are brothers and sisters, we are the Body.

Will you stand with the Church in this dark hour? If the Lord Jesus doesn’t return for His Bride soon, the persecution will continue and spread across the earth. It will knock at our door one day. Shortly.

“For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake…” Philippians 1:29 NKJV.

Prayer will strengthen the Church Body and those being targeted. Let’s bind together and do what we were created to do.

Then we can face adversity as Paul and say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Sharing with Essential Fridays, Faith Filled Fridays, Friendship , Making your home sing, Titus 2sdays

It SHALL be well!

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Blessed to introduce Angela Jones as our guest writer today. Angee is my niece on the Elkins side! She is a schoolteacher, a Sunday School teacher, an anointed singer and woman of God. Enjoy her thoughts on the promises of God.

While sitting in service this past Sunday morning, I listened to the minister as he read and spoke of the Shunammite woman who was blessed with a son because of her kindness to God’s servant, Elisha. She was devastated when the child suddenly fell ill while working in the fields with his father; and just hours later, died while sitting upon her knee.

Nonetheless, she didn’t surrender to the feelings of despair but told her husband she was going to see the prophet, Elisha; and added this statement of faith, “It shall be well!”

She had no way of knowing what might transpire after meeting with Elisha, but seemingly had faith enough in the God of Elisha and trusted in the wisdom of his God enough to proclaim: “It shall be well.”

Sometimes we may find ourselves in the midst of a storm, and so overtaken with grief or uncertainty, that at the time we have not the courage to hold our head high and walk boldly, and willingly, into the raging winds. Yet, I challenge you, as the Shunammite woman, with no insight as to how, or in what time frame it may come to be, make the statement “It SHALL be well!”

This grieving mother apparently felt the same confusion and hurt by these events that we often feel when troubles come, for she accused Elisha of deceiving her with the promise of this child.

“Now when she came to the man of God at the hill, she caught him by the feet, but Gehazi came near to push her away. But the man of God said, ‘Let her alone; for her soul is in deep distress, and the Lord has hidden it from me, and has not told me.’ So she said, ‘Did I ask a son of my lord? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me?’” 2 Kings 4:27-28 NKJV.

Elisha sent his servant, Gehazi, to lay Elisha’s staff upon the child, but the child was not revived. Again, the mother could have said, “All hope is lost.” Elisha also tried and no answer came, but we know the story was not over because of one statement of faith she had previously made, “It shall be well.”

It was not the end because all was not yet well!

After Elisha went in to the child, the child was revived and once again gathered into his mother’s arms, all was then well, letting her know this test in her life had ended.

Though in this story all was well in a short period of time, in making a like statement of faith, you may have to wait weeks or months before “All is well.” Do not yield to despair. In God’s own time, and in His own infinite way, “It shall be well.”

The story is not ended until you can say “It IS well!”

Sharing with Hearts for Home, Faith Filled Fridays

Table for four, please.

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Sitting down with my son, husband and a missionary friend was nothing out of the ordinary for this wife of a pastor. We had met before, in another lifetime, so it seemed.

We exchanged pleasantries through the meal, missing his wife who wasn’t on this particular trip, making small talk and catching up on life.

Finally he could wait no longer and asked the question that would forever change our lives.

“What are you all doing here?”

That was as far as he got when I burst into tears and simply said, “I’ll go.”

The Sweetheart looks at me in shock, “Go where?”

“Wherever God says, I will go now.”

All three of us, maybe four, were crying at this point, truly a God-moment. We knew something was happening and we would never be the same.

Shortly thereafter, we resigned the church we had been serving and arrived in Tallinn, Estonia, our first introduction to European life in the Baltics. We were mesmerized, in love, and thrilled beyond our wildest dreams to be in this beautiful country, attempting to be missionaries at the old age of 49 and 51.

After that short assignment, we spent a year in Riga, Latvia, the capital of the Baltics, planting churches. Reaching the people there with the Gospel of Jesus Christ meant building relationships. Forming trusts, and offering friendship, was the key to introducing them to the Savior.

My husband had dreamed of being a missionary since he was a teenager, visiting South America for three weeks, he kept that missionary feeling and longing for many years to come. We raised a family, he peaked in his career as an air traffic controller and supervisor, and then walked away from it all fifteen years later to go full time into the ministry.

My dream had always been to simply raise a family with all the love I had in me, to give of myself in keeping a clean home; a happy home. I was content.

Now, My Three Sons were grown, the youngest was on his way to college soon…what was the next step for us?

In Latvia, we were without our kids, except for six months that our youngest came to help with the music program. We started an English Club to give Latvians a place to practice their English skills, to play American games and share American recipes. The responses came from young people, the twenty-something’s who were in Riga for school or work.

They were without parents. It was a perfect match.

Our lives have forever been enriched, even when we are back in the States for longer periods of time; we have eternal friendships that time only sweetens.

I look back on that day at Applebee’s with wonder and amazement. For an Indiana country girl who had never been out of the United States, who lived with extreme claustrophobia, a terrible fear of flying and a strong fear of cats, I was stepping out into the unknown. (Okay, I am afraid of more than cats, that just sort of wraps up all of my fears into one enemy!)

This missionary was looking for a missing piece to his puzzle. He knew before he got there that we were that link.

God knows. God always knows. He was the One who pushed us into our calling. He opened the door, using our missionary friend to give us the nudge.

This post is part of a series at The High Calling. Share Your Story: Helping Employees Fulfill Their Dreams. Read more stories on this same topic, or link up your own story here.

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Author Archives: Nannette

About Nannette