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But you, be on your guard! They will hand you over to sanhedrins, and you will be flogged in the synagogues. You will stand before governors and kings because of Me, as a witness to them. - Mark 13:9 HCSB

In the country of Chad, Christian missionaries established churches, started a seminary, founded several elementary and high schools, and built dispensaries. They did nothing to harm the people and everything they could to help them. But the Chadian church remained weak, hypocrisy was rampant and they were at a loss as to what to do about it.

The missionaries had also rescued the future president of Chad, Mr. Tombolbay, from certain death when he was a child. They educated him and even financed his U.S. college education. Upon his return, he became a deacon in a Baptist church until he made his decision to be involved in politics.

One day, the Libyans began making noises of invasion from the north. Mr. Tombolbay decided that the best course of action was to unite the country under a single religion. Only he didn’t choose the religion that had benefited him and his country the most - the one that had given schools, hospitals, dispensaries, colleges, roads and had almost single-handedly raised his country from the Stone Age to Modernism. No, he chose Yondo – devil worship that had been practiced in his country for centuries without any positive influence or results. In Yondo, people took huge amounts of drugs to which they became addicted. They got their teeth filed down and received ritual scarring. Young girls were horribly mutilated so that they would never receive any pleasure from the sexual act. In fact, thousands died each year during Yondo’s arcane ceremonies.

Though he arrested the missionaries and was planning their execution, they were miraculously freed. However, thirteen national pastors were lined up and asked one at a time if they would deny Christ and teach the tenets of Yondo from their pulpits. They were promised wealth and influence if they agreed and horrible deaths if they refused. One by one they refused. These men were tortured for three days and all thirteen were buried alive in one big hole to die a slow, suffocating death.

Everything the missionaries had built was burned in the ensuing war and riots. The missionaries were all evicted and the Christians scattered to the surrounding countries. Thousands of them died. Several years later, Mr. Tombolbay was killed during a military coup.

Today, Christianity is strong in Chad. Oh, the Christians are still persecuted, but that just got rid of all the hypocrites. There are two lessons to be learned here. First, don’t mess with God’s people. You may feel you’re in control right now, but God has a nasty way of coming out on top. Second, maybe the best antidote for the hypocrisy and shallow religion that is prevalent in the American church would be a good old fashioned persecution. Don’t put it past God.

"Today's Little Lift" from Jim Bullington

Mercy and not Sacrifice (Sept. 30, 2010)