God is using The Tide radio programs to penetrate the hearts of millions of people in Africa and Asia with His message of peace and reconciliation. Despite great opposition, God’s kingdom is growing as more and more people turn to him for salvation after hearing through The Tide radio broadcasts in their own language that Jesus loves them, identifies with them, and suffered for them even to the point of death on the cross. Your prayers and support are critical in helping both believers and The Tide discipleship workers to stand firm in their faith when harassed and threatened. The month of November has been set aside as a time to focus on the persecuted Church with Sunday, November 4 designated as an international day of prayer for the many Christians around the world who suffer persecution because they embrace Jesus as their Lord and Savior. For a video to help promote this day to your churches click here. To find out how you can engage in The Tide ministry activities to help encourage persecuted Christians and build God’s kingdom in the hearts of people around the globe click here.
We are moving into a time of year when most Christians in North America participate unhindered in the festive commemoration of holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Although society has done much to secularize these celebrations they undeniably have Christian roots and carry a significant meaning for followers of Christ. The push to publicly eradicate even symbolic ties between these holidays and Christianity is an assault on our faith that pales in comparison to what many believers around the globe experience.
Even when seriously beaten they stand firm in their faith and refuse to deny God.
Persecution is something Jesus experienced firsthand when he walked on earth as a man, and he warned his disciples that they too would be mistreated (John 15: 19-20a). These prophetic words soon proved true; the apostles were jailed and flogged, Stephen was stoned to death, followers of Christ were hunted down and put on trial, and yet the Church continued to grow. Today, persecution of Christians exists to some degree in almost every part of the world and is especially prevalent in many regions where The Tide radio programs are declaring the Gospel in the heart languages of the local population. Numerous letters that The Tide receives from listeners in areas of North Africa and Asia indicate that those who choose to follow Christ risk losing their rights within the community, the destruction of their personal property, injury through violence, and even death. Imagine if your only clean water source was a community well, but you were banned from drawing water because you claim Jesus as Lord. How would you react if your neighbors were so angered by your faith in Christ that they burned everything you owned and left you homeless? Would you be able to say as Paul did in 1 Corinthians 4:11-13a, “To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered we answer kindly.” This type of humility is modeled by The Tide ministry partners on the ground who venture forth to teach and disciple radio listeners. Even when seriously beaten they stand firm in their faith and refuse to deny God. They often report fascinating stories of how an act of malice against Christians is transformed into a story of God’s love and grace being extended. For example, a devout Hindu priest in India threatened to smash their radio and do physical harm against a group of believers who gather regularly to listen to God’s Word on a radio provided by The Tide. Their nonviolent reaction spoke to him, and when his critically sick daughter was healed through the prayers of these believers he abandoned his Hindu priesthood and joined with them in declaring Jesus as his Lord and Savior.
In Nigeria, tension-filled a church when a group of five Muslims walked in during a service. Some of the believers started to run away, fearing for their lives, but these unexpected visitors quickly calmed them and explained that they had not come to do harm or violence. They shared how their lives had been touched through The Tide radio program in their language. They had come to the church to join in worshipping God. Imagine the joy as former antagonists united together peacefully in praising God!
God is using The Tide radio programs in 17 languages to penetrate the hearts of millions of people in Africa and Asia with His message of peace and reconciliation. Despite great opposition, God’s kingdom is growing as more and more people turn to him for salvation after hearing through The Tide radio broadcasts in their own language that Jesus loves them, identifies with them, and suffered for them even to the point of death on the cross. Your prayers and support are critical in helping both believers and The Tide discipleship workers to stand firm in their faith when harassed and threatened. The month of November has been set aside as a time to focus on the persecuted Church with Sunday, November 4 designated as an international day of prayer for the many Christians around the world who suffer persecution because they embrace Jesus as their Lord and Savior. To find out how you can engage in The Tide ministry activities to help encourage persecuted Christians and build God’s kingdom in the hearts of people around the globe click here.