“Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also” (Hebrews 13:3, NKJV).
“If you renounce Jesus, we will offer you whatever you want,” the men told Ranglal.
These were no idle words—Ranglal’s face smarted from the brutal blows of his attackers. One kicked him so hard, he cried.
Ranglal was sharing the hope of Christ in this particular village in North India when the angry men suddenly approached, grabbed him and took him away. When they offered inducement for denying his Lord, Ranglal already had an answer: “I want to continue my ministry,” he told them.
Seeing that Ranglal refused to back down in his commitment, the men released him, but first issued an ultimatum: “If you come here again, there will be more trouble for you.”
By God’s grace, Ranglal’s response to his attackers is one of love and compassion. “Please pray for the salvation of those who persecuted me,” he writes.
Ranglal is a GFA Bible college student. Through his experience that day doing weekend outreach, he has already received a taste of the persecution he may very well suffer for his Lord after he graduates and goes on to full-time evangelism and church planting among the unreached.
Gospel for Asia native missionaries know that at any moment they could be beaten, tortured, and even martyred for sharing the Good News. Yet they have counted the cost of carrying out God’s call on their lives and have made the commitment to follow Him regardless of the consequences.
“One thing we rejoice in always,” writes one missionary, “is that amidst great oppositions, Christians are growing in number and churches are being established.”
Praise God that today we have the incredible privilege of standing with our persecuted brothers and sisters in Asia by lifting their needs to the Father.