Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. [2 Timothy 3:12-13]
Christians are being persecuted around the world like nothing we have seen in our life time. If you watch CNN, MSNBC, ABC, or read the New York Times or the Los Angeles Times, you would have no idea that christians are being persecuted on a mass scale around the world.
Persecution of believers is not something new, but it has reached shocking levels today, especially in places like North Korea and China.
North Korea is ranked as the most oppressive place in the world for Christians, #1 on the World Watch List. In this totalitarian communist state, Christians are forced to hide their faith completely from government authorities, neighbors and often, even their own spouses and children. Due to ever-present surveillance, many pray with eyes open, and gathering for praise or fellowship is practically impossible.
Recent changes in China are taking Christian persecution to entirely new levels. A major church was literally blown up by the government recently, and it’s Christian members dispersed. Two thirds of the Christian churches are to be closed under government orders and 70 million believers will be forced out of churches. Meeting in homes for any Christian activities is prohibited. Listen to Voice of the Martyrs on Christian Persecution in China.
God calls you and me to pray for our Christian brothers and sisters who are being persecuted. Remember them in your prayers. They desperately need our prayers.
This is taken from Kindle Books, The End of All Things is At Hand by Chuck Marunde, J.D.