February 2018 Persecution Magazine

Pastor Kevin explains
to ICC how Somali
Islamic terrorists came
into his church and
murdered his assistant
pastor and numerous
congregants. Pastor
Kevin is still pastoring
in the same place
today even though his
church’s attackers
were never caught.
in difficulties.” Why? Why would he not only
endure the many sufferings that came his
way on his missionary journeys, but delight
in them?
The key is verses 9-10: “But he [the Lord]
said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you,
for my power is made perfect in weakness.’
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly
about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power
may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s
sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in
hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For
when I am weak, then I am strong.”
In weakness—in spending himself completely
for the sake of the Church—Paul participated
in Christ’s sufferings and put God’s
divine power on display. In his weakness,
a constant in the face of so many trials, he
pointed to the strength, majesty, and saving
work of Christ.
Besides Everything Else
Paul also adds, “Besides everything else, I
face daily the pressure of my concern for all
the churches [emphasis added]. Who is weak,
and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin,
and I do not inwardly burn?”
Paul’s concern for the churches is his everpresent
reality, even as he navigates unimaginable
trials and persecution. The spiritual
PERSECU ION.org
INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN
welfare and progress of God’s children press
on him day after day. He identifies so closely
with their burdens, he feels weak himself. He
hates the slavery of sin so much that he yearns
for believers to escape its hold.
Later, Paul adds these astounding words,
“...Everything we do, dear friends, is for
your strengthening.”
The Underground Pastor
Immersed in sufferings like Paul’s, God’s
army of persecuted pastors and evangelists
carries God’s message of freedom in Christ
into the toughest areas of the world. Their
reward as frontline soldiers remains the same
as in Paul’s day.
We know because we work with these
men and women every day. The very real
threat of beatings, imprisonment, and even
murder hangs over them, and yet they
press on.
The experience of Pastor Chinh (and his
wife) as church leaders in Vietnam (pages
20-23) is as brutal as you can imagine,
and yet he would not abandon his post, but
remained faithful.
With persistent pressure from the State
Department, he was eventually freed from
years of solitary confinement and torture, but
the vast majority of persecuted pastors find
no such respite.
They carry the Gospel forward and build
Christ’s Church in the world’s most dangerous
locales, with energy and faith fueled by
the love of Jesus. According to God’s power
at work in them (Ephesians 3:20), through
prayer and perseverance, they push through
formidable opposition and obstacles to the
work of the ministry.
Like the believers they serve, underground
pastors share in what Paul called the privilege
of suffering for Christ. They face a
constant struggle with those who oppose the
Gospel (Philippians 1:29-30). It’s our privilege
to serve these frontline troops in God’s
army and highlight their work in this issue
of Persecution.
Please join us in one-time or
monthly support of these amazing
heroes of the faith.
• Online: Visit www.persecution.org, select
“Donate,” and choose “Underground
Pastors” as the fund.
• Phone: Give us a call at 1-800-ICC-5441.
• Mail: Write “underground pastor” in the
note area of your check and let us know if
it is a one-time gift or if you would like to
partner on a monthly basis.
17