Sayed Musa

I sit at my desk drinking coffee while planning my next youth sermon. Next to the east side of the church is the post office and next to the west side of the church is the municipal building.  Both these buildings are run by the government, and neither have any problem with what I am doing at my desk.  So I sit comfortably and continue my work....

In the mean time, on the other side of the world, a man named Sayed Musa is set to be executed because of his Christian faith.  He has done nothing which deserves government actions...he has simply believed.  Here is a link to an article that describes the situation and is being updated as events unravel:
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor?s=Sayed+Musa

With this happening as we speak, there are a couple of questions I want you to ask yourself, as these are the questions running through my mind.

1. Do I pray for persecuted Christians throughout the world?  Because of how easy it is to believe here, we forget that there are people who profess the same thing we do, but because of where they lived are getting brutally tortured.  There is a free magazine called Voice of the Martyrs (click to go to website) that tells the stories of those who are persecuted.  It is a great magazine to have to remind you to pray and make aware to you what others are going through (since our news doesn't find interest in this).  
2. Do I really believe what I say I believe?  If it came down to it, and I was getting tortured like Sayed Musa is getting tortured, would I hold fast to the faith?  
3. Why am I so timid to share my faith?  Brothers and sisters across the globe are getting killed for it...what am I so afraid of?  Rejection?  Being seen as a Jesus freak?  Loosing a friendship?  Having an awkward conversation?  What would Sayed Musa say to us if he heard our excuses?

May Sayed Musa's story remind us of our call to preach the gospel at any cost.  May it bring us boldness to be who we are called to be.  And may it bring us to pray for our fellow brothers and sisters.