March - 10
HELP FROM ABOVE
“If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” John 15:20
Abdullah is a young man from the predominantly Mus¬lim country of Uzbekistan. Five years ago he lost his parents and most of his siblings, so at times he feels very lonely. No, it wasn’t a terrorist attack, a car crash, or some other tragic accident. Five years ago Abdullah be¬came a follower of Jesus Christ, and in response most of his Muslim relatives turned away from him.
Sadly, Abdullah’s story is not uncommon. Even if we live in a tolerant society, we may experience rejection by family members, friends, and neighbors because we follow Jesus. In our reading for today the Lord tells us not to be surprised if we are hated and persecuted on his be¬half. Many people don’t know the true God, and they often harass Christians. Spiritual arrogance is the main reason for this hatred.
Jesus knows what we are going through when we suffer on his behalf, for he was persecuted terribly. And just as he promised, he sends us the Spirit of truth to encourage us and help us tell others about God. The Holy Spirit is with us every day, guiding us in our journey of faith. And once the Spirit breaks down people’s arrogance toward God, relations are easier to repair.
From a recent letter we received from Abdullah, we learned that he has reestablished relations with his younger sister. How? She has also become a Christian!
PRAYER
Our Father, we praise you for your Spirit, who comforts us when we are rejected or persecuted because of your name. Help us witness to people who don’t know you. Amen.
Abdullah是一位住在乌兹别克斯坦的年青人，当地的人大多信奉回教；他有时感到非常孤单，因为他在五年前失去父母和大部分兄弟姊妹。他失去他们，不是因为有恐怖分子袭击、汽车失事，或其它意外事件。而是在五年之前，Abdullah决定跟从耶稣基督，大部分信奉回教的亲人便不再理睬他。
可惜，Abdullah的故事并不罕见。就是在这个高容忍度的社会，我们仍然会因相信耶稣而经历家人、朋友，和周围的人的厌弃。主在今天的经文中告诉我们，我们若因祂的缘故被人憎恨和逼迫，一点也不出奇。很多人不认识这位真神，所以他们常常骚扰基督徒，心灵的骄傲往往是憎恨的主要原因。
耶稣自己也曾被人肆意逼迫，所以当我们因祂受苦时，祂明白我们的经历。正如祂曾应许过的，祂必差遣真理的灵来激励我们，和帮助我们向人传扬神。圣灵天天与我们同在，引导我们走信心之路，圣灵一旦除去人对神的不敬，我们自然便能与他们恢复关系了。
最近我们收到Abdulla的来信，得悉他已经与妹妹恢复来往，原因是他的妹妹也做了基督徒呢！
祷告
我们的父，我们因祢的名被人厌弃或逼迫时，祢的灵便安慰我们，我们为此赞美祢。求祢帮助我们向仍未认识祢的人作见证。阿们。