Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” Matthew 24:1-2

As mentioned yesterday, Jerusalem would be in one piece for another forty years. As with most strong nations, the people believe that nothing bad could possibly happen to them based on what they know at the moment. That is certainly true in modern day America.

But we all know that nations rise and fall, and they often follow a pattern. It was true for Israel back then, and it’s true for them right now. Did Rome ever believe it would fall? No, but they crumbled from within.

We may not see it here in the West, but God is doing some amazing things around the world. The Church worldwide is exploding in numbers. People are still hungry for truth and the Word of God. But that expansion also comes at a cost. More and more believers are being persecuted and imprisoned than anything as well.

As a side note, I’ve never heard church growth experts and consultants tell us the best way to grow is to be so bold people will “naturally” persecute you. With all their facts and figures at their fingertips, you’d think one of them would at least be honest about true organic growth.

As long as God is still working and moving in countries we can barely pronounce, we should continue to support them anyway we can. When we hear of injustices and persecution, we should pray the moment we hear of it, take an interest in it, and follow it through. Chances are good, that if it’s a country such as Burundi or Uruguay or Mauritania, you may be only one of a few dozen from the West who has taken an interest in it. Most of the time those nations are not ever on our “radar.”

I’d love to hear some of your stories after you get involved with ministries and missionaries from those not so common lands. Write me so I can share them with others.