Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 1 Peter 4:1

Every day we hear about Christians being persecuted. They are imprisoned and beaten, and are often forced to recant their faith or die. This is not an exaggeration. We are sheltered from most of this living in the West. You can bet that anywhere Christ is not allowed to be preached there is persecution for those who do. Sometimes it seems like a broken record, but it’s real and current. It’s not pleasant and is certainly not the feel-good, let’s-win-one-for-Christ devotional.

And yet it is.

You see, while we are having morning devotionals, men, women, and children around the world are living out their faith in a very real way. They have armed themselves with Christ’s attitude about suffering. They don’t like suffering but accept it as part of their faith.

We have an opportunity to bless the Persecuted Church. We don’t or won’t know their names. That’s for their safety. But just as real as you are reading this, they are laying down their lives for the sake of Christ.

I am reposting the list of countries and ares that are now persecuting Christians:

• Afghanistan
• Algeria
• Azerbaijan
• Bangladesh
• Belarus
• Bhutan
• Brunei
• Burma (Myanmar)
• Chiapas, Mexico
• China
• Colombia
• Comoros
• Cuba
• Egypt
• Eritrea
• Ethiopia
• Gaza and the West Bank
• India
• Indonesia
• Iran
• Iraq
• Jordan
• Kuwait
• Kyrgyzstan
• Laos
• Lebanon
• Libya
• Malaysia
• Maldives
• Mindanao, Philippines
• Mauritania
• Morocco
• Nepal
• Nigeria
• North Korea
• Oman
• Pakistan
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• Somalia
• Sri Lanka
• Sudan
• Syria
• Tajikistan
• Tibet (China)
• Tunisia
• Turkey
• Turkmenistan
• United Arab Emirates
• Uzbekistan
• Vietnam
• Yemen

Choose one of the countries above and pray for pastors, lay leaders, and families as they present the Gospel in meaningful ways.

As far as the title of this post, that will be something you will have to answer on your own.