A few things to ponder:
- An estimated 70 million Christians have been martyred in the first 20 centuries of Christian history, 40 million of them in the last 100 years.
- Christians face restrictions and hostility in 111 nations
- The most unfriendly countries for Christians are North Korea, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan
- 15 European countries have laws that restrict Christian practice and speech
- Persecution takes many forms: legalised discrimination, violence, imprisonment, relocation and forced conversion
- Statistically Christians are persecuted more frequently than any other religious group, yet the media dedicate the least time to reporting these stories
- While Christianity is strong in number (2.2 Billion), its commitment to peace has frequently made it the target of violent minorities
- Jesus foresaw all of this! (Matt. 10:16, Mk. 8:34, Acts 9:16)
Despite these atrocities, Christianity continues to flourish. It remains the world's largest religion and continues to grow rapidly.
Persecution should not be confused with Western Christian experiences of marginalization and inconvenience. If someone laughs at you and your faith, deal with it. But if someone is violent towards you because you love Jesus, or they pass laws against your freedom to worship in Jesus' name; then read 1 Peter 4:12-19 and practice what it says. God is with you!
And, if you're not being persecuted today, lift your face toward heaven and pray with energy for those who are.
Thank you for this post Allen. When, where you are living is relatively peaceful, then one is apt to forget that there are others in other parts of the world, that are truly suffering for the sake of Christ and the gospel. Entreating God on behalf of others is what Christ has called us to do daily; and not just praying for world peace, but for the Peace that Passes All Understanding and Faith that overcomes the world.
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Thanks Elizabeth. I appreciate your words and your reminder to pray the counsel of Phil 4:7.
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