Something happened in Canada in the last year. In the face of lockdowns and relentless opposition from public officials, God did a marvelous work in his church. He raised up a fresh generation of men to lead the church through a crisis, one built off of the back of a real virus. Not since the 1660s and the diabolical Clarendon Code have we seen such public opposition to the gathering of Christ’s church. But much as Satan schemed to shut the church’s worship and witness down, God had a bigger plan. As in America as led by John MacArthur, God had a greater work.
Call it the Maple Reformation.
Why this name? First, because one of the greatest gifts Canada sends out to the world is maple syrup. For folks used to the stuff in the plastic bottle, hear me out: make the switch. Buy the glass-bottle syrup. Trust me. I write this as a son of Maine, and yes, we do consider our maple syrup the best there is. That notwithstanding, many Mainers have a strong relationship with many Canadians. For my part, I grew up watching Don Cherry hockey broadcasts with my father, played baseball and basketball and soccer in St. John, visited Canada regularly, watched Anne of Green Gables with my family (located just a few hours from my Maine home), and skied in Canada. I have a real affinity for Canada, and as a Christian, I especially love the Canadian church.
Second, I use the term “Maple Reformation” because what God has done in Canada is not small. It is big. It is historic. It has sparked something global. It precipitated the heroic Long March of the Truckers in the face of Trudeau’s champagne tyranny. The men God raised up to lead the charge for the right to gather as local churches—Jacob Reaume, James Coates, Tim Stephens, and Steve Richardson—will be known to future generations for their bravery, fearlessness, and zeal for God. (Others have stood with these men, and even now many more join them in standing.)
These men, their teams of elders, and the members they shepherd faced tremendous opposition both in and outside of the church. But they did not falter. Reaume’s steadfastness drew around $50 million in fines from his government; Coates and Stephens went to jail; Richardson was disciplined by his presbytery. The cost has been heavy, and in places unrelenting. But God has been richly glorified, and a reward is even now being stored up in an undefilable place.
This world-defying witness took shape over the course of 2020 but especially in 2021. This essay is not going to walk through all that has transpired. I have done some of that elsewhere, this valuable new book by James Coates and Nathan Busenitz does as well, and others will surely do so in days ahead. Basically, the situation with Reaume’s church, Trinity Bible Chapel of Waterloo, reached fever pitch about one year ago around January 2021. Coates went to jail about a month after that in February 2021, Stephens went to jail in May 2021, and Richardson was expelled from his presbytery in July 2021. (A man named Artur Pawlowski has also been persecuted, though his theology is quite different from the others named here.)
What I want to feature in this post is this: the good news that has flowed from the fearless preaching of the good news. I don’t want to try to adjudicate the complex questions and real gray areas of our global lockdown. I’m not going to offer a biblical response to various features of lockdown policy, which looks more sinister by the hour. Over the last year or so, I’ve given attention to such matters on my podcast, The Antithesis, and on this very Substack. Interested folks can check out those resources if they like.
The focus of this particular essay is simply to be encouraged. We’re going to hear not from me, but directly from Reaume, Erin Coates (writing on behalf of James), Stephens, and Richardson. I’ll quote from these prize Canadians, these servants of Christ, and at some length. This is a long piece, and intentionally so. (Each testimony of grace, however, is a readable length on its own.) There’s been so much talk in Christian circles and outside them about the churches in question, but I want us to hear from the men who led these churches. Their words are gold, and will inspire and instruct many.
As we listen to Christ’s beloved, we’ll learn how tough it was to go through major hardship and even outright persecution. But more than this, we’ll zero in on what God has done. We’ll see how God has saved many unbelievers, and how God has strengthened many believers. These testimonies are explosive, as you will see. God has done a mighty work in Canada, a work that will likely move into other countries in days ahead as more men of Christ hear the ancient call from Paul to “act like men” and “be immovable” in the truth (1 Cor. 16:13; 15:58). The Maple Reformation has begun, and much as many try, no man can stop it.
Jacob Reaume, Pastor of Trinity Bible Chapel of Waterloo (Ontario)
Three police officers visited me at the church on Christmas Eve 2020 to warn me not to gather my congregation on Sunday, December 27. I politely told them that I was conscience bound to minister in person and would be opening the church. That Sunday multiple police cruisers were present on our campus observing parishioners as they entered the church. The faithful gathered for worship without incident. I later learned that one of the police officers, a Christian brother, refused orders that day to charge me personally. He was sent back to the police station and subjected to disciplinary actions. Over the months that followed, as we faced intensifying persecution, we continued to remember his brave example which inspired us to stand firm.
That Wednesday evening police fanned across our community to distribute charges to each of our elders at their homes. Children and wives stood witness as fathers and husbands received tickets from lawmen for opening the church and leading the flock to worship. We gathered again the following Sunday, this time with a heightened media storm, more police surveillance, and then further charges from the police the next week.
During this season we felt very alone as we were not aware of any other churches who wanted to take things as far as we wanted to. Through a lawyer, I was introduced to Pastor James Coates in Edmonton. We spoke on the phone, and, sensing an immediate connection, I shot my elders a message to let them know I'd found a kindred spirit in Alberta. I was relieved. James and I connected several times a week over the next little while, and we both received court orders to abide by the health mandates of our respective provinces. Both of our churches decided to open in violation of court orders on the same Sunday, January 23, 2021.
That decision fueled a mammoth backlash against Trinity Bible Chapel and our elders. We were the main subject of the Premier's press conference the next day, and Ontario hauled us into court to receive about $83,000 in fines. The media, along with other pastors, jumped on us. The Sunday of our first contempt conviction was the sweetest experience of worship I have ever had. I am not the only person in the church to say that. Countless more have told me just the same: They have never sensed a more palpable manifestation of God's Holy Spirit.
On that day, I preached on the Transfiguration of Christ from Matthew 17, and we, as a congregation, beheld the glory of Christ in a way we had never before. With police and media waiting on the outside, many were converted that Sunday. I truly don't know the number who were converted, and I have lost track of how many times people have referenced that Sunday while being baptized in the months that ensued. Heaven visited us that Sunday in a way I cannot describe with words.
Even with my new friendship in James Coates on the other side of the country, things in Ontario felt very lonely in many ways. While some brothers had opened to go underground, our church become the sole focus of all media attention. Just then God provided another blessing in Pastor Steve Richardson, a Presbyterian minister from Tillsonburg, Ontario, about an hour east of us in Waterloo.
Pastor Steve saw that we were undefended and alone, and he personally contacted the press to let them know that his church was open to detract attention away from us. He heroically stepped between us and the storm. I did not know Steve prior to that. But he is a loyal friend sent by God at our lowest point to defend us at his own expense. His own decision to defend us led to him being fined personally and eventually contributed to his presbytery's decision to remove him from his church and even the denomination.
January 23 was an expensive church service, but as Pastor Steve shared with my congregation shortly thereafter, Jesus is worth it. We worshipped the Saviour extravagantly, and He began to display His power in ways we had never before seen. Shortly after all this, James went to jail, and then I met another dear friend in Pastor Tim Stephens. We had a mutual friend in James, and we shared in our grief over James' imprisonment. The new friendships were from heaven, and I treasure the memory of newly discovering brothers who shared my convictions. God sent those brothers at the right time.
Over the next few months, we experienced more persecutions that climaxed around Easter. For our Easter Sunday services, we received more fines, with officers watching our wives and children through binoculars as they entered the church. The following Sunday, we erected a large cloth fence around our lot to protect our families from unwanted gazes. It was humorous to watch law enforcement react to the fence, and we all had a good laugh. They lined the road with cruisers and chased parishioners down after the service to ticket them for attending church.
In this environment, a handful of men volunteered to play cat and mouse with police in what seemed like a real life Smokey and the Bandit movie. The men served as decoys inviting the police to chase them while other parishioners left the lot unmolested. Pastorally, I had a sense of pride in our men. They stayed up the previous evening to build a huge fence around the church, and then on Sunday they volunteered to take tickets in place of others.
All told, it was a stressful day, but I knew that our people were learning to laugh at persecution with a deep belly laugh. God had hardened our people to face the beast in combat, and they were learning to glory in the Saviour while in the fight. I found great joy in watching the church be sanctified. The persecution was becoming a joy to us. We found ourselves in the blessed state, rejoicing and being glad for being persecuted for righteousness' sake. My flock was becoming heroic, and it was rewarding as a pastor to watch them respond as they did.
What a contrast: that very week, the government stole our building from us, and we received another contempt of court conviction. This time the fine was $135,000. We gathered outside the church to sing hymns before our doors were locked by the government, and the police chased us down afterward again to give us more tickets when we left. Our people were honoured to be ticketed for righteousness.
We learned that we lost the building to Caesar, but we kept the church for Jesus. It was a joy. We proved our love for Jesus, as we offered up our building to preserve Christ's worship. We rejoiced that God had given us the grace to keep the congregation for Him amidst all the persecution. He faithfully provided places for us to gather in the weeks that followed, and, after a season of high stress, he truly in every sense led us to green pastures and still waters. The congregation during this season strengthened deep bonds and built sweet memories together. God even provided a quiet place for me to study, as I moved my library to a horse barn where I continue to write and prepare my sermons.
After this, we held another public meeting in Waterloo Town Square with some other Ontario churches. The event filled the square with many hundreds of people, and I preached the Gospel to the crowds outdoors. It was surreal, a spiritual high point for our community. Eventually we started meeting back on the church lot outside as the weather warmed. That's when the church exploded with growth. Baptisms were regular, as I heard again and again of people being saved at our $83,000 church service in January. Cars filled our lot, lined the street, and our field filled with hungry souls every Sunday. We met rain or shine, and we gave Jesus His worship every Sunday. We wanted Him to find a reward for His suffering in our Lord's Day worship.
With all the ministry activity, we were fighting behind the scenes with the government to regain access to our facility. The Province wanted us to agree to abide by COVID policies as a prerequisite to returning the assets they stole from us. We refused again and again. Eventually, they just gave it back to us. They gave it back to us just in time for our elementary school—also housed in our facility—to open in September and for us to start meeting inside before the season turned cold. By the time we regained entry, the congregation had doubled in size. Since that time, I have been struggling to learn new names, and that task gets more challenging each week as we regularly receive new visitors. The police have left us alone. James 4:7 says, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” We resisted him, and now he's left us alone.
Since our church opened after the first lockdown in June 2020, we have had 100 baptisms. From November 2021 until late January 2022, with the exception of a couple of Sundays, we baptized about four people every Sunday. Often, in the baptismal tank, people testify to our stand last winter as the time when they were converted. Some were despairing of life. Some were disillusioned with the government and media. Some joined us to protest the mandates. But people from each group were miraculously converted. Jennifer Scott was saved from a life of drugs, and her testimony is here. Brandon got saved, and his wife Carol was saved after she witnessed his baptism during our $83,000 service. Their testimony is here.
When I saw the storm brewing with threats of a lockdown in the fall of 2020, I told the church that we were embarking on a real-life adventure in a real-life Narnia novel. God would provide exactly what we needed when we needed it. And He'd give us some really good stories to tell. That's exactly what He did. It's been an adventure, and it has been often painful. But it has been fun. We have some great memories to cherish together as a church, and we have made some wonderful friendships along the way.
James Coates, Pastor, GraceLife Edmonton (Alberta)
From Erin Coates, James’s wife: We have seen many people come to Christ. I remember saying at about the 11 month mark that we have seen more people come to Christ in these last 11 months than in our 11 years of ministry. Our youngest son believes he was saved when James was in jail. He realized how sinful he was and how much he needed the Lord not only to forgive his sin but to help him get through what the Lord had called our family to.
In similar terms, a gentlemen shared online that if our elders had not kept the church open during lockdown he would likely be dead. He struggled with a drug addiction, coming to church every Sunday and seeing people loving and obeying Christ challenged him to pursue holiness and put away his life of drugs. Additionally, we still see Philippians 1:14 playing out all around us. People (specifically our people) are not shying away from conversations they were previously too afraid to talk about. Our church has such a sweet unity and love for one another after facing all that has happened. It’s difficult to separate us—Sundays we're at the church until 4:30-5.
Another comment we frequently receive is James’ imprisonment helped people put away both sin and trifling with things that don’t matter. We still receive weekly messages from people telling us the Lord has used our stand to change whole households. James received a letter from a young man who realized he wasn’t leading his home and in the last year has been discipling his family, putting away sin, and now wants to pursue ministry.
We have heard more along these lines. People have told us they have returned to church after years of staying away or have gone for the first time. We have been able to help people facing grievous trials in their lives. We have a stack of letters from children telling James he is their hero and that they want to be courageous like him. He is a real life hero to many children. We still get letters and messages telling us the children still pray for James. Their admonishment to him in jail to stand firm was so precious.
Before lockdown, our church attendance was about 350-375; we now have roughly 800, one Sunday even hitting 850. We need more elders! I hear week after week stories of how people have left unsound churches because their doors have been closed. Only most of the people didn’t even realize they were sitting under unsound churches until they began being fed through the preaching of the word.
Many pastors have also written James telling him how his stance changed their heart and they had courage to open their doors. We’ve even received messages from countries in the middle east that are facing horrible persecution. Germany too! James’s book is being translated into German right now! When we went to Atlanta in September, the number one comment we received at G3 was that many had fallen asleep or their hearts had become apathetic, this was a true wake up call and they were jolted awake. Many were asking the question, “how would I have responded if this happened to me? Would I stand for Christ? “
The last year has been one of the hardest of our life but to see Christ and experience the kind of grace and power He pours out on you during it almost makes you want to go back. Not that we have a persecution complex but the sweet fellowship with Christ though dark hours helps you to say, I would do that all over again to know Him more.
Erin later added this:
I just thought of a story that really helps keep the fear of God in my heart - you just don’t know when you are becoming lukewarm. A sweet young lady had come to our church after being away from the gathering for close to a year. When she walked in and heard all the voices singing to the Lord she broke down and wept. She didn’t realize how cold and apathetic her heart had become towards the Lord. It was coming back to the gathering that relight her zeal for Christ.
Actually, every Sunday I speak to a new person who breaks down crying with thankfulness to the Lord. For some it’s the only normalcy they have in their lives. One lady told me this Sunday she didn’t remember what it was like to sing without a mask and what it felt like to be near people seeing their faces as they worship Christ. It almost startled them!
Tim Stephens, Pastor, Fairview Baptist Church of Calgary (Alberta)
Here are a few ways in which God has blessed us.
Attendance
The most notable difference to the outside observer would be the number of people who now call Fairview home. Our church tripled in size from a group of 120 to around 400 on Sundays (we are praying and looking for a new facility since more continue to come). What is encouraging is that most of these people have left bad churches where it is not just COVID, but Critical Race Theory and weak theology that had starved them from the truth. Many are experiencing a personal reformation as their eyes are opened to the wonders of the gospel, the precious truths of the reformation, and a focus on Christ rather than on felt needs.
Salvation & Gospel Opportunities
I've never have experienced a time where the gospel has gone forth in such a powerful and widespread way. Some of those watching our church stand in the face of opposition and who were moved by my arrests repented of their apathy and professed their allegiance to follow Jesus. Teens especially, seeing the faith lived out, were convicted that they must follow Jesus. So we've had the opportunity to see a number of people come to saving faith and be baptized.
There are also opportunities in the media (legacy or independent) to make Christ and his lordship known. To speak of Christ to thousands or tens of thousands of people through these outlets has been an encouragement in itself. Many "freedom fighters" have heard the gospel and we continue to pray that Christ reaps a great harvest among them.
Prayer Meetings
A personal highlight of mine has been our weekly prayer meetings. We used to be a small group of 5-10 people on Wednesday evenings that gathered for prayer. When the police cracked down, we met at an undisclosed location and our prayer meeting grew exponentially. The more we faced opposition, the more who came out to pray. Even now, we have about 75 faithful who come each Wednesday to pray.
However, more than the number who come, the prayers of the people have been the most encouraging. The hearts of the people have been directed to pray Christ-centered prayers for revival, and the expansion of Christ's kingdom rather than our own comfort or security. Each Wednesday, I'm so encouraged by the prayers of God's people and how the Lord will continue to bless this little family of faith.
Strength and Resolve
This past season has put steel in the spine of so many. There has been a sifting as we lost a number of our people through this time. That was painful. But those who remain and those who've joined us are more serious about their faith and following Jesus than I've witnessed in the church before. The conversations at church are about Christ, his word, the work of evangelism, sanctification, godly parenting, and so forth. So many are eager to obey Christ in every area of life. We've had about 20 people who have lost their jobs (and others unable to go to college) because of vaccination requirements. These people love Christ and are convinced that medical choice should be by informed consent. Their strength under coercion has been an encouragement.
Many testify how the Scriptures have come to life. Many of us have never experienced opposition like we see in Scripture, but the past two years have brought a vividness to Scripture that we missed previously. For our family especially, the Psalms have become so sweet and timely during this season.
Christ is Worthy
In all this, what has been most cemented into the minds of our people is this: Christ is worthy. He is worthy of our suffering. Worthy of our obedience. Worthy of our jobs. Worthy of our worship.
Our church is ready for the upcoming battles. We've been tested and strengthened and now we're ready to stand no matter what comes. We have no plans to be defensive, but we're ready to move forward to bring the gospel of light into this world of darkness and storm the gates of hell.
Steve Richardson, Pastor, Faith Presbyterian Church in Tillsonburg, Ontario
I remember so vividly the emotions of December 25, 2020. Our children were enjoying their gifts, Steve Green was singing “God and God alone” and I was contemplating the future wondering what gathering for worship would cost us. During the previous lockdown (early in 2020) we had met secretly in someone’s home without ever being noticed by the authorities. This time we had decided to meet in the church largely because of the sheer number of those that were going to be in attendance.
At the time we were planning to do so discretely (by scattering vehicles throughout the neighbourhood) but someone had already reported our plans to the police and they had sternly warned me two nights before (December 23). So Christmas was different. We were enjoying the day as we usually did, but there was a strong sense of foreboding; we had no idea what the police might do. We wondered if this was the last time we would enjoy a Christmas like it.
And yet at the same time, I felt a sense of joy as I considered who this was for. I actually replayed the song over and over again that day, and I distinctly remember feeling overwhelmed gladness as I contemplated the majesty and worth of my Saviour. I knew He deserved it. There was no question about it. And after so many years of reading about the martyrs and others who had suffered for Christ, I thought it was a special privilege to be allowed to suffer for Him even if the suffering were small.
On Sunday following the service the police were there to greet me after the service. They issued a fine and a warning that charges would follow if we continued to violate the provincial regulations. The elders decided at this point to begin meeting in secret, which we did over the course of the next 4 weeks. Those were precious times of worship together, but they were but a taste of what was to come. After seeing what Jacob Reaume and Trinity Bible Chapel were suffering at the hands of the media and Church for being the only church in Ontario still publicly open and after discussion with a godly man who urged that now was the time to ‘stand’ I decided (along with the elders) that we needed to go back to the church. We needed to make a more public stand.
As Sunday approached instead of fear I was flooded with joy. On Friday, February 5 I wrote,
"Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Zion. Yes, indeed it does. Praise waits for Him. It may be Friday but Sunday is coming! And oh how eagerly we anticipate the opportunity to gather with the saints and to lift up your voices in praise, in wonder, in thanksgiving, in love and joyful song. Is He not worthy? What is the cry of every child of God? Yes! With all our hearts, with all our being yes!! He is worthy.
Did He bleed for us? Did He suffer for us? And was this for me?? That I might appear with Him in glory?? And shall I not sing? Shall I not join with the angels and saints in their songs to Him who was slain? What a question! There is no need to deliberate, no need to consult with kings and kingdoms. No, we know what our King deserves. And we love Him.
And so, yes, praise waits for thee, O God in Zion. Your people, your remnant, are waiting to praise you. Kings and kingdoms may come against us. They may take our freedom, they may take our homes, they may even take our lives; but they cannot keep us from this! In freedom or in bonds, in life or in death, we will sing the praises of our Redeemer - for He is worthy!”
February 7 when we met for worship there were police already in the parking lot. So those who entered the church that day wanted to be there and were clearly willing to pay a price. I remember one elderly lady who had come because she had heard we would be open. Her face was lit up as she greeted me and thanked me for opening the church. I believe she said to me “He is worthy.” This seemed to be the ‘watchword’ of the people at the time.
Worship that day was wonderful. Between services the police handed me my first summons to court for which the maximum penalty was 1 year in prison and $100,000 in fines. As we met that afternoon there was something different in the ‘air’. We were all wondering, would the police attempt to stop the service? How long would this go on before I was arrested? What would all this mean or cost in the end? But we were there because we knew the Lord deserved it; and I have never experienced anything like it before or since.
That service that week and the weeks that followed were marked by a sweetness and a joy that I have never seen among the people of God. I have never heard the saints sing like they sang then. It seemed that everyone was singing at the top of their lungs. They believed what they were singing, they were not ashamed of their Saviour, and they were willing to suffer. And it made a difference! My children still sometimes talk about it. Later that day I wrote,
Today was a blessed day. I have been saying and still maintain that the lockdown has offered us the best Sabbaths we can remember. What a day! My heart is filled thankfulness…It was a joy to be with God's people today and to worship God. I cannot express what a blessing it is to be in some small way a partaker of the afflictions of Christ. My fellow pastors who have chosen to close are missing out, and I can only pity them for the loss. Let us go on praying that God would be glorified. Let us not pray for an end to persecution, but for revival! Today again was for me a forestate of coming glory. I have never longed for it more and can only thank our government for allowing us something we had not known before; that to suffer with Jesus (and for Him) is among the greatest of His gifts. It is no wonder we are told to rejoice and be exceeding glad.
During the following months there was a marked difference in every aspect of worship. Each week the police were there, but each week the people came and more every time. And it seemed that God came down. It wasn’t revival like I had read about, but it was the closest thing to it that I have experienced. There was greater life, freedom and power in the preaching. There was a sense upon us all that God was among us, and everything about worship was precious. So often as God’s people gather for worship, the singing is dry, the preaching is lifeless and the ordinances are routine. In those days the routine and dryness gave way to something heavenly. God was smiling upon His people and we knew it.
We were often criticized for the harm we were supposedly doing to the community by recklessly putting them all at risk. The criticisms were generally strongest from the churches. But while they were criticizing, we were seeing people enter the church who would never ordinarily darken the doors of the church. While they were accusing God was vindicating. The first Sunday we opened publicly we were visited by a young man who could hardly explain why he was there. Following the service he came to me weeping telling me he wanted what we had. He wanted the Saviour I had preached about. I took that as God’s simple vindication of what we were doing.
There are other special memories from that time. Both relate to my family. The first has to do with our Sunday morning routine. Each Sunday I would get up early and spend time with the Lord and then I would wake my family to the sound of hymns and worship music. Often the younger children would run to me and we would sing and dance before the Lord. But in those days there was something unusual about that time. Arrest was always a possibility. This meant of course that when my family returned home from worship I might not come home with them. And so there was a gravity to those times together that was new. All that had been ordinary about going to church was gone.
So much hung in the balance and so much was at stake. And this simply meant that every word I spoke to my children was calculated, every song we sang as we prepared our hearts for worship was marked by sobriety, gravity and sincerity. Those mornings the theme was always the same: our worthy Saviour and King. I always took the time to implore them to honour Him and live for Him.
The second is related. Because of our proximity to the church, I would always walk early to church, and my two daughters would often join me. During this period our talks were very sweet. We talked about what we were doing and why. And they got it. We would also talk about what might happen that day. And the girls were always made to understand that Jesus was worthy. We were doing it for Him, and no matter what happened no price was too great. We would then pray together upon our arrival at the church; and in those times we felt a particular freedom to pray with faith and confidence that the Lord would be glorified and that His Church would be revived.
I could go on tell you about my 14 year old son following me out of the church each morning to greet the police or the afternoons between services marked not by worldly chatter but praise and prayer. I could tell you about nights of prayer at the church imploring God for more of Him telling God didn’t want our civil liberties and our rights and freedoms without Him. I could tell you about the tears on the faces of visitors who had been missing church and the gracious way the congregation conducted itself in the presence of the police. There are so many stories of God’s grace and goodness in those days. Instead I will end with a piece I wrote on February 10:
My greatest fear is that we will go back to normal.
When we first went back into lockdown (at the end of December) I knew we would not be obeying, and I felt fear. The first time I encountered the police in January again I felt fear. But in the last couple of weeks I have known something different. Instead of fear of the authorities, fear of penalties, fear of prison, fear of being separated from my family, I have felt joy, exceeding joy. I can't remember a time in my life so precious. The sense of the Lord's favour and smile has been more precious to me than life. Along with that joy has come a supernatural boldness. The anxiety and the fear are completely gone.
But now I know another kind of 'fear' - a fear that this will all come to an end, things will go back to 'normal' and this precious season of visitation will be past. I fear that this opportunity for blessing will have been missed by the majority of pastors and churches. I fear that the churches will go back to their lukewarm condition. And I can't help but fear that I will miss the blessing of further suffering for Jesus.
I understand some will see this is an unhealthy martyr's complex. Let them think what they want. I actually know now why the early Christians longed for martyrdom and sometimes even put themselves in hazard's way that they might die a martyr's death. The latter went too far. But I understand now the sentiment.
I didn't understand before, but now I do. I knew I was supposed to rejoice and be exceeding glad, but I know now its more than possible... indeed, the two go hand in hand. Persecution for righteousness' sake brings with it heavenly blessings most Western Christians know nothing about. So, no, I am not personally afraid of prison. Part of me wishes for it. I have even considered abandoning the legal fight (though I think it is my duty to contend as far as I can in the courts).
Truth is, I would rather go with Jesus into the prison than enjoy my freedom without Him. And I have this sure confidence that if I should be locked up even briefly, that there the Lord will commune with me and I with Him... and I wouldn't give that opportunity away for anything in the world. And I expect, too, that there I would have the opportunity to gather a congregation of prisoners to praise Him. It may be there are 'unreached' in those places waiting for pastors and elders to come and preach to them. And who am I to say no to such a privilege?
I learned today of a brother in Iran who has spent 7 years in prison for Christ. He is in court today, and his message to the Church was simple (and instructive):
"I urge Christians not to pray for my justification in court. Instead, pray for the glory of the name of our God for whom I will be in court tomorrow."