Persecution And The Church

Missionary "Nik Ripken" who has profiled persecution throughout the world, has said that those under persecution do not want others to pray that the persecution would stop. James Draper writes an article on this in Baptist Press, and it's worth a read.

He quotes a Chinese house church leader: "'Stop praying for persecution in China to end,for it is through persecution that the church has grown.'"

The leader also stated: "'We, in fact, are praying that the American church might taste the same persecution,so revival would come to the American church like we have seen in China.'" Ripken believes that persecution will not come to America because it will awaken the American church, and Satan doesn't want that. The chief deceiver would rather have us as we are, consumed with anything but Christ. Because as the Chinese leader said, persecution grows the church.

I think this is really interesting. Is the American church dysfunctional and lukewarm? Is persecution the only hope of waking up the church?