Last Friday, my husband and I attended “Secret Church” in Woodstock, Georgia. I’ll have to admit … I wasn’t too excited about going at first. I’m not a night owl and staying out til’ midnight near Atlanta was not my idea of fun. Plus, we had to drive home after the service because I had to work the next morning.
Needless to say, we went to the event…and I was pleasantly surprised at how interesting it was. And as for the 4 hour sermon, it felt like 5 minutes. David Platt is an awesome speaker and he keeps you interested and on your toes the whole time.
Secret church is an annual event held by David Platt & his Radical Team. It’s not just a 6 hour church service…it’s an experience you’ll never forget. I highly recommend everyone to try to go next year or experience a LIVE cast online!
On top of the service we were at with over 3,000 in attendance, the same service was live-streamed in all 50 states and 87 countries worldwide! There were over 60,000 people in attendance including churches around the world, small groups, and individual viewers!
Each year secret church gatherings consist of 4 hours of intense bible study, as well as a concentrated prayer time for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ around the world.
Last weekend, we learned about the .2% of people living in Iran that claim to be Christians. They have to have church in secret small groups because they fear what will happen to them if they are caught. Some of them are imprisoned, beaten, and killed for their beliefs in Jesus Christ.
At one point a young Islamic woman spoke about her journey of Christianity. While proclaiming to be a Christian and sharing her faith in Iran, a young man took interest in her and got “saved.” He seemed legitimate and had a good Christian heart but after they got married he told her that he never believed and banned her from going to church or sharing God’s Word. He had conned her into believing he was a christian just so he could stop her ministry. Later in their marriage, they had a baby girl together. The blessing of a child was wonderful but soon after the man banned his wife from sharing her religion with the child. When the little girl turned 4 months old, her father found a tiny bible in her room. At that point he kicked her mother out of the house and took her child from her. When the mother went to court to try to get her daughter back, the court told her she could have her back if she would just tell them she was not a Christian.
With tears in her eyes, the young mother looked at the court and said “I can’t do that. I am Christian.” She lost custody of her daughter.
It’s been 13 yrs since she’s seen her daughter. Now she works in the ministry sharing the Gospel everywhere that she can. She has hope for the future and prays for her daughter’s safety and salvation.
The Bible says, “All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…” 2 Timothy 3:16
The Bible is God’s Word yet people hide it on their bookshelves and in their cars from week to week. They ignore what it proclaims and forget how precious it truly is.
In Iran, people are losing their lives, their children, and all that they have for simply owning a Bible.
How many Bibles do you own?
Have you read it lately?
This week, I want to challenge you to spend more time with God and in His Word. As I challenge you, I am challenging myself and my family to do the same thing.
If you only read your Bible once a week, I challenge you to read it twice. If you never read it, it’s a great time to start. One verse at a time, one promise after another, I promise you won’t regret it.
Wherever you are in your relationship with Christ, just realize that the more time you spend with Him, the closer you’ll grow to Him, the more you’ll understand Him, and the better you’ll be able to handle this thing we call life.
What is time spent with Jesus Christ worth to you?
5 minutes a day? 1 hour? Or more?
Show Him your desire to grow closer to Him and I promise your life will change.
May God Bless you and show you His Grace every day!
For more about Secret Church go to: SecretChurch.org or Radical.net