"Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing
worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered
the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may
gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of
my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through
faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith --
that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and
may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, that by
any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead."
~ Philippians 3:8-11 ESV
The Christian's acknowledgment of Jesus' Lordship, and the working out of His commandments, marshals the world's animosity. While this hatred is manifested in alarming ways, the ultimate testimony shining through is God's faithfulness amid great suffering. So, while our persecuted brothers and sisters may not fully grasp the motives behind their persecution, they do find comfort and reassurance that they are worthy of sharing in the sufferings of Christ.
How do we, then, those who are unaccustomed to such opposition, share in the suffering of Christ? One cannot develop the full essence of this profound topic in this brief message. However, we can achieve, in part, the sharing of Christ's suffering through our willingness to suffer with our persecuted brothers and sisters.
For the past three years, VOM Canada has promoted an art contest where we challenge artists to engage with Hebrews 13:3 -- telling the story of persecuted Christians with a visual voice. While every submission is inspiring, I am especially enthused when I see youth stepping up and interacting with their persecuted family through this medium.
For example, this painting, submitted by Sophie, caught my attention. The young artist then blessed me further with her explanation. Sophie wrote, "I was very moved by an article in the VOM magazine of Christians kept in shipping crates because of their faith in Jesus. I wanted to show them that they haven't been forgotten and that Jesus will always be our guiding light, no matter how dark this world looks."
May these words encourage you, our dear friends, who support the work of VOM Canada. It is our prayer that you will experience the power of Christ's resurrection as you share in the sufferings of our persecuted brothers and sisters.
Grace and peace,
Floyd
Chief Executive Officer
The Voice of the Martyrs Canada
