A Letter to My Sisters and Brothers in Central Asia
After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
To my newest sisters and brothers,
If I could erase myself, so all you could see is Jesus, I would. The words He gave me for you when we were together are His own, from His heart. I am just His servant, a steward of His Light Words.
Remember Him, not me.
It is He who asked me to go beyond my small borders and travel to a land I had not known before. It was His immeasurable love for you that compelled me to obey.
Remember how precious you are to Him.
You endure suffering and His glory shines through you. Your worship in the midst of persecution is like a cloud of expensive perfume rising to Him. I could sense His delight in you, His sheer joy at the sound of your singing.
Remember God rescued you because He delighted in you.
Many of you were set free from shame this week. Stories of healing poured out of your hearts like cleansing spring rain. God has called you to walk in Truth. He has given you honor instead of shame.
Remember that the truest things about you are what God says about you.
The battle will be fierce as you go back to your communities and your regular routines. The voice of God’s enemy will use shame to tell you nothing has changed. He will try to dull the sound of the Truth that set you free. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (see James 4:7-8).
Remember that walking in honor instead of shame is a daily choice to believe Truth instead of lies, a choice to trust God.
What is true about you is that God has removed your shame and established your honor through Jesus Christ.
The Bible will be your daily food (see Job 23:12). As you come to His table every day, He will feed your souls and minds with what is true. With your minds guarded and guided by His Word, you will have discernment and wisdom to overcome, day by day.
Remember to eat every day.
(See Psalm 81:10 for English readers; 80:11 for Central Asians).
Many of you live a life of joy in the midst of suffering because you have chosen to follow Jesus. This suffering won’t last. Your Father, who loves you with an everlasting love (see Jeremiah 31:3), has promised that after you have suffered a little while, He will himself restore you. He will confirm you. He will strengthen you. He will establish you.
Remember these promises that are sure to come on the other side of suffering. Remember them, and persevere.
I am praying for you. I will tell your brothers and sisters around the world how bravely you face persecution, how joyful you are in trials, how devoted you are to the Messiah even in the face of imprisonment, abuse, and threat of death. I will declare the strength of your fathers who encourage your persecuted children that they will receive a crown for the cruelty they face in school. I will describe the beauty of your wives who wait upon the Lord as their husbands remain in prison, fasting and praying for their release. I will tell of the faith of your intercessors who stay awake all night in spiritual battle for the sake of the Gospel. I will shout about the glory of Jesus that reflects from your faces as you lift your voices to Him in worship. I will share with the Church how mightily the Holy Spirit rests on you, how the power of God is being made manifest in your suffering.
Remember you are an inspiration to the saints around the world.
Thank you for sharing your lives and your love with me. I carry you in my heart and I’m honored to call you family.
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