To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE


SHARE THIS ARTICLE Printer friendly version of this page

In Parts of Mexico, Christians Cling to Faith Despite Violent Persecution

Kellie Van Gilder : May 26, 2017  BillyGraham.org

One of the prayers that Luis and his Christian brothers uttered the night he lost his business was for God to protect their hearts from resentment. Even in the midst of persecution, he was desperate to not hold a grudge toward his neighbors.

[BillyGraham.org] This May, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association will hold the World Summit in Defense of Persecuted Christians, where hundreds of church leaders, victims of persecution and others will meet to talk and advocate change regarding the recent, unprecedented persecution of Christians throughout the world. (Photo Credit: BillyGraham.org)

Leading up to the Summit, BillyGraham.org will be sharing stories from Christ followers persecuted for their decision to follow Jesus. Mexico is ranked 41st among the top 50 countries most hostile to Christians. All names have been changed in this story to protect identities.

"Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known." —Jeremiah 33:3

Maria's father was a violent drunk. But one day, he accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior, and everything changed.

His family rejoiced; they found Christ, too. His community in Chiapas, Mexico, was less pleased. Armed with pistols, machetes, sticks, whatever they could grab really, peopled formed an angry mob and stormed his home at dinnertime.

The bloody, deadly conclusion that followed is not an isolated incident in this otherwise picturesque southern Mexico state dotted with archaeological ruins. The ancient reminders are merely a visual representation of a blended, archaic culture that still dominates the area.

Indigenous leaders, or chiefs, essentially govern these communities on the basis of pagan religious traditions, despite a valid Mexico constitution that guarantees freedom of religion and calls for the separation of church and state. The reality is, there are certain challenges when it comes to enforcing a piece of paper in a remote part of the country so fiercely committed to its customs.

Jorge knows those challenges. A pastor-turned-lawyer, he is one of the few sources of legal defense for persecuted Christians in this area. It's a poor-paying, dangerous job replete with threats on his life and the well-being of his family. That might come as a shock since this North American country reports Christianity as its main religion, but there is another statistic to consider. This year, Mexico climbed one spot to 41st on Open Doors' World Watch List that measures the persecution of Christians by country.

During his time as a pastor, Jorge was presented with many horrifying stories from his Christian brothers and sisters, and that prompted him to pray a little differently. He asked God to open doors, if it was His will, so he could train to become a lawyer. Today, Jorge actively defends Christians in the wake of serious affliction.

"It touched me very hard, to the extent that I could not remain silent," Jorge said. "If I could help my brothers in any way, it was worth it. Because having legal tools and being able to defend and not to help would be like being an accomplice of the caciques."

Caciques is another name locals use for the leaders who oversee the pagan practices. Their livelihood is directly tied to the community's participation in the 20-some annual festivals that incorporate mass quantities of alcohol alongside fireworks and animal sacrifices as a way of worship.

So when a violent drunk like Maria's father calms down, neighbors notice. When the family skips the festivals, the leaders not only find out, but their pocketbooks can take a hit, some locals say. As a result, persecution picks up in these already impoverished communities.

Threats are issued. Water is cut off. Businesses are destroyed. Houses are burned, sometimes with people in them. Torture is another common method as heads are scalped and feet are scraped. Converts are jailed, exiled and sometimes even killed—all because they've trusted in Jesus Christ.

"The persecution here in Chiapas has reached a maximum degree," Jorge said, adding he is impressed by the resolve of Christians to not renounce Christ in the face of such violence.

"Here in the upper region of Chiapas we have many heroes of faith."

'Strengthened by the Lord'

Choosing Christ cost Luis his business. He remembers the night an angry mob descended on the property after months of threats. He was standing with other believers in a house nearby, praying continually as people from his very neighborhood spent 11 hours smashing his water supply and ultimately his livelihood.

"They wanted us to return to their lives, to their traditions," he said. "But we have been strengthened by the Lord, and we are constantly fighting day-by-day asking the Lord God to give us strength to go forward."

Rosa asks for that same strength. A young mother of nine, she was exiled from her home several years ago. Her husband sobered up once he got into the Word of God and in 2009, she too, accepted Christ. Her family now lives in a shelter in San Juan Cristobal, a tourist city in Chiapas, after her neighbors and former friends destroyed her home.

They once attempted to return home, but persecutors intercepted them. The Christians were blindfolded, beaten. Some were non-fatally hung from a tree and doused in gasoline.

Returning home is unlikely, and Rosa knows that as her family scrounges daily for food and other essentials. But Jorge is working on her case, and Rosa centers her faith squarely on the Lord. She clings to Jeremiah 33:3.

"God has not abandoned us," she said. "He will always be with us…"

Continue reading here.







SHARE THIS ARTICLE Printer friendly version of this page

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

Other Recent Articles from Breaking Christian News

Trump Under Fire for Endorsing the Bible, Urging Americans to Pray

Whistleblower Claims Stormy Daniels 'Hush Money' Scheme Cooked Up by Michael Cohen to Extort Trump before 2016 Election

Speaker Johnson Announces He'll Invite Netanyahu to Address Congress

Federal Appeals Court Rules Pennsylvania Must Only Count Mail Ballots With Dates, Signatures

Illegal Alien Charged with Murdering a Michigan Woman Was Deported Under Trump But Snuck Back into US Under Biden's Watch

President Trump to Join Wake Honoring Slain NYPD Officer, While Biden Attends Fundraiser

Woke Disney Surrenders!

Illegals Using Fake Skimmers at Self-Checkouts to Drain Consumers' Bank Accounts; Here's How to Guard Yourself

Elon Musk to Pay Embattled Doctor's Legal Fees after Speaking Out against COVID Lockdowns

Safety of Women Hangs in Balance after Oral Arguments on Abortion Pill Regulation

New Federal Gun Grab Law Would Criminalize Shooting Ranges, and Even Private Security

Treasury Sec. Yellen: Biden Has NO Plan to Save Social Security

Maryland Governor Says 'Keep on Praying' for Families of Missing Workers after Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Chick-fil-A Abandons Long-Held 'No Antibiotics' Pledge on Chicken

The War in Myanmar: Karenni Resistance Fighters Ask for Prayer and Practical Help

The World Is Facing a Major Population Crisis by 2075 If Birth Rates Keep Falling

FDA Admits COVID Vaccines Cause Seizures in Toddlers

'Hamas Is Celebrating' after US Abstains from UN Security Council Ceasefire Vote: Netanyahu Cancels Visit

Kamala Harris Won't Disclose Why Biden Campaign Is Active on TikTok Despite Security Worries

Special Counsel Report Reveals University of Delaware Misled Courts to Hide Biden's Senate Records That Likely Hold Sexual Assault Complaint Filed by Tara Reade



Search the Articles Archives

Keyword:  
Author:  
Words Posted On:  
Day Month Year



BCN Plus

Follow BCN on Twitter
Are You Praying for Our Government Leaders?
BCN Staff

Steve Shultz
Steve Shultz, Managing Editor
Founder and Owner


Aimee Herd
Aimee Herd, Editor


BCN Plus
Are You Praying for President Trump?
 
 

All articles on this site and emails from BCN are copyrighted property of Breaking Christian News. Permission is given to link to, or share a BCN story if proper attribution is given to both the original writer and summarizer of the story. Breaking Christian News 2005-2019. All Rights Reserved.


Breaking Christian News is a division of Elijah List Publications, Inc. All Rights Reserved


Disclaimer: Articles and links, as well as the source articles linked to; do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Breaking Christian News.

editor@breakingchristiannews.com