WHY DOES GOD ALLOW END TIMES PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS?

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The Bible says persecution can strengthen the Church

The Bible clearly shows that persecution can advance the Gospel and unify the Church. In Philippians 1:12–13, Paul (writing from a Roman prison) shares how his imprisonment has emboldened others to proclaim Christ without fear. “I want you to know, brothers,” Paul writes, “that what has happened to me has really served to advance the Gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.”

Four Iranian Christians were sentenced to 80 lashes for drinking communion wine.

Throughout history, persecution has purified and strengthened the church, fueling its growth even in the most difficult and dangerous places. Consider the underground church in Iran, the fastest-growing Christian community in the world despite — or perhaps because of — 45 years of oppression by a government doing everything it can to hinder its work.

The church in Eritrea is another remarkable example. Pastors there have found ways to witness to others while in prison. The church thrives when its focus is sharpened, and denominational divisions fall away under the weight of shared suffering and purpose.

The Bible tells Christians how to respond to persecution

The Bible provides clear guidance on how to face persecution. Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:44 are simple and unambiguous: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” This radical response reflects God’s love and is a powerful testimony to a watching world.

The Bible also tells us that Christians who aren’t currently facing persecution still have a role to play and shows how to hold our Christian brothers and sisters in our hearts and minds: “Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies” (Hebrews 13:3).

The stories and testimonies of persecuted Christians demonstrate the transformative power of following Christ’s command and example. An imprisoned pastor in Central Asia saw his treatment improve drastically after he began receiving letters of encouragement from believers worldwide. His guards became kinder and his warden more attentive, all because of the unity and love evident among the global body of Christ.

We Christians in free nations must recognize our role in supporting and praying for our persecuted brothers and sisters.

The Bible shows that persecution can be a platform for God’s power

Even amid our trials and weaknesses, God works mightily through his people.

After a house church pastor was arrested in Iran, his wife was terrified that she might be next. She worried that she wouldn’t be able to resist torture and would give up other believers’ names. She prayed that God would hide her from the religious police. But when they arrested and interrogated her, she became empowered by the Holy Spirit, witnessing boldly to her interrogator. “You are an interrogator,” she told him, “but one day you are going to stand before the ultimate interrogator, Jesus Christ, and he is going to examine you. Without him, there is no hope for you.”

After three straight days of her bold, spirit-empowered witness, the interrogator visited her filthy jail cell late one night. She feared that he was there to kill her, but instead he placed his faith in Christ and told her how she could witness for Christ more safely. Then, the interrogator released her and her husband.

This story highlights a profound truth: God often uses human frailty to show us his strength. As Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 12:9, God’s power is “made perfect in weakness.”

What the Bible does NOT say about persecution

The Bible never tells believers to be afraid.

This is striking, considering the suffering brought by persecution. Yet Scripture repeatedly emphasizes courage and trust in God’s sovereignty. As Richard Wurmbrand, Romanian pastor and founder of The Voice of the Martyrs, observed, the Bible contains 366 admonitions to “fear not” — one for every day of the year, including an extra for leap years. That number was significant to Wurmbrand because he was arrested on Feb. 29, which occurs only in leap years.

Fear is a natural human response, but it does not have to define us. A Filipino pastor once told me, “Until God is finished with you, you are invincible.” His confidence was not rooted in his human strength but in God’s purpose and power.

Persecution may not be part of your reality today, but the call to be involved remains. Whether through prayer, advocacy, or encouragement to believers who are currently facing persecution, every follower of Christ has a role to play.

Let us live boldly, trusting that God’s grace and power are sufficient for every trial we face.

Source: Todd Nettleton is Vice President for Message at The Voice of the Martyrs and host of The Voice of the Martyrs Radio. He is the author of When Faith Is Forbidden: 40 Days on the Frontlines with Persecuted Christians.

PERSECUTION COMES WITH THE TERRITORY

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Speaking your beliefs as a Christian now can result in a mixed bag of anger, frustration, hostility, and many people who decide they can “no longer associate” with someone like you.

Some of the beliefs that will trigger these sentiments are as follows:

1. Life begins at conception. Abortion is murder.

2. There are only two genders, and we don’t get to pick between the two.

3. Marriage is designed to be between one man and one woman and sex is confined to husband and wife. Homosexuality is an abomination to God.

4. Children deserve two parents — a mum and a dad — who are there for them.

5. There’s only one true God. There’s only one way to God, and it’s through Jesus Christ.

6. Jesus made it possible for our Heavenly Father to send the Holy Spirit to be our counsellor, teacher, helper, and comforter.

7. With the Holy Spirit and the word of God, we have all we need to live a Christian life. The word of God, being inerrant and infallible, is the source of all that is good, true, and beautiful.

Redemption, for the Christian, is the freedom we have in Christ. But it was not free, for it cost Christ His life.

Isaiah revealed to the Pharisees and the Sadducees, the religious leaders of the day 700 years before Jesus Christ, their Messiah was born that he would die so that their sins could be forgiven and this is not the end of the story read what else God revealed to Isaiah.

“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed... he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people… Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
he has put him to grief… For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have ompassion on you,” says the Lord, your Redeemer.” Isaiah 53:5-6, 8, 54:7-8

My concern is that just as the religious leaders of Jesus Day did not heed the prophecies of Jesus’ first coming, the religious leaders of our day are not heeding the many prophecies of Jesus’ second coming.

The Fall: Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden for disobeying God and eating from the tree of Good and Evil.

The Bible is full of these beautiful depictions of the reality of our redemption. We are free because Christ restored what was lost in “The Fall” through His death, burial, and resurrection! And so, with all this in mind, we understand what redemption is and can now rightly live out our faith.

Christians must understand how crucial it is to speak the truth in love. We’re called to extend a loving hand to our enemies. We must bring back healthy dialogue with our neighbours, and Christians should lead the charge! We were never meant to be silent or sit back in the face of adversity. Under a hostile government, we can understand the need to stand firm. 

CHRISTIANITY IS SURGING IN IRAN

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As the conflict between Israel and Iran’s terrorist proxy group Hezbollah in Lebanon widens, reports continue to surface of a growing division between the Iranian people and the Islamist regime of Ali Khamenei. Even as anti-Israel and anti-America protests get most of the attention in Iran, a burgeoning Christian movement is occurring under the surface, an expert on Iranian Christians says.

In Iran, Christianity is intensely persecuted, except small historical Armenian and Assyrian communities. Conversion from Islam to Christianity is considered apostasy and can be punished with death. Still, some reports suggest that conversions to Christianity and support for democracy are on the rise, with as many as 80% of Iranian citizens anonymously supporting a democratic government. In addition, some outlets have reported that hundreds of mosques have closed due to the rising number of Iranians leaving Islam.

Hormoz Shariat is the president of Iran Alive Ministries. It broadcasts the gospel message via satellite TV programs in the Farsi language in predominantly Muslim countries like Iran, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. On Monday, he joined “Washington Watch with Tony Perkins” to discuss how an increasing number of Iranians do not support the Islamist regime’s attacks on Israel and are converting to Christianity.

“[Iranians] have experienced Islam and Islamic rule firsthand for over 40 years,” he noted. “And they’ve come to the conclusion, if the problem is not just the government, the problem is Islam itself. That’s why we see a high number of Iranian Muslims come to Christ because they have not just rejected the government, they have rejected Islam. There is such a gap … between the government and the people. So when the government puts on these rallies saying, ‘Death to Israel, death to America,’ the people of Iran say, ‘We love Israel, we love America.’ And that’s the trend.”

Shariat also pointed out that there were also many Iranian Americans who came out in support of Israel after the October 7 Hamas attack.

“We know that the media covered … the pro-Palestine, pro-Hamas demonstrations in America,” he noted. “You saw it everywhere. You saw it on campuses. You saw it on the street. You saw it in Washington, D.C. But you did not see all the Iranians who came on the streets even in America, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and San Diego, everywhere. Iranians came out pro-Israel. Not even one Iranian rally was pro-Palestine, and the media did not cover that. Iranians are pro-Israel.”

Shariat further described how his ministry has spread. “[W]e … have a 24/7 satellite broadcast going over the heads of the mullahs — they cannot stop the signal from the sky. We go into people’s homes, millions of homes. [A]n independent survey [found] that we have seven million viewers daily. So we go into people’s homes, tell them about God’s love, and guess what? They are ready. Iranians are rejecting Islam. They’re ready for the message of the gospel.”

According to Shariat, a spiritual awakening is currently occurring in Iran. “It’s a move of God, and God uses suffering, and Iranians have suffered for 40-some years. … So there is an openness among Iranians. … God has used [suffering] to open their minds, open their eyes towards Islam. They … have rejected Islam [but] not [out] of emotion and [not from making an] overnight decision.”

Shariat asked for continued prayers for his ministry and Christians in Iran.

UN & WEF “PACT FOR THE FUTURE”

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New York – Summit of the Future, 22-23 September, 2024

Jacob Nordangård: UN Leaders Pact for the Future – A Pact with Who?

Jacob Nordangard’s lecture (video) uncovers the true intention behind this year’s United Nations Summit of the Future, which will result in the outcome document, Leaders Pact for the Future. The plan is to turn the pact recommendations into concrete measures and turbocharge the implementation of Agenda 2030. If the pact gets signed, it will result in a new automated global management system severely affecting our freedoms. Who will benefit from and ultimately lead the transformation?

The Bible, GOD’S WORD is largely prophecy and a large part of the prophecy is devoted to the end times before Jesus returns to fulfill the destiny of the nation God established for His purposes: ISRAEL. Jesus will usher in His Millennial Kingdom ruling and reigning over the nations from a magnificent new Jerusalem.

Amazingly, the Bible tells us that a one-world government is coming and we know who will lead it: the Antichrist with his False Prophet. We also know it will be a time of tribulation for Jews and Christians

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.” Matthew 24: 9-12

Jesus told us in advance that intense persecution is coming but we can be confident that Jesus will be with us in the most trying circumstances just as He was with Stephen when he was being stoned to death.

“As Stephen was being stoned to death, he called out, “Lord Jesus, please welcome me!”  He knelt down and shouted, “Lord, don’t blame them for what they have done.” Then he died.” Matthew 24:59-60

God gave Stephen a wonderful vision. What did he see?

“But Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit. He looked toward heaven, where he saw our glorious God and Jesus standing at his right side. Then Stephen said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right side of God!” Matthew 24:55-56

OLYMPICS LGBT LAST SUPPER SCENE SIGNALS INTENT TO RESHAPE THE WORLD

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The Paris Olympic opening ceremony “is a sign of the spirit of the age” and a stark reminder of Romans 1:24-25, which says: “Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever!“

The blasphemous depiction of drag queens mimicking the Last Supper was a bold statement by the Olympic producers, in collaboration with Euro Globalists, signaling their intent to reshape the world in their distorted image. This act symbolically declares that the new world order they envision seeks to systematically dismantle the Judeo-Christian values that have underpinned Western civilization for over a millennium. This strategic move highlights their agenda to overturn the moral and cultural foundations that have shaped Europe and the Western nations for centuries.

French lesbian DJ Barbara Butch poses as Jesus in a parody of “The Last Supper” featuring men in drag. The scene offended Christians worldwide when the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics aired on July 26, 2024. |

In the first 600 years of the Church, Christians infiltrated every facet of society, ultimately dismantling the pagan gods of the Roman and Greco cultures. Apostolic pioneers like Saint Patrick and Saint Boniface ventured into pagan strongholds such as Ireland and Germany. They challenged the reigning deities and demonstrated the supremacy of Jesus Christ by triumphing over demonically inspired priests and pagan clergy in power encounters.

Regrettably, many in the West today are unwittingly inviting the return of these ancient pagan gods to once again preside over their societies. This resurgence threatens to undo the profound spiritual and cultural victories achieved by early Christians, reintroducing paganism where the light of Christ once shone brightest.

Jesus told us that before His return to Earth, the world would be like it was before Noah’s day, lawless, and Christians would not only be hated and persecuted, but put to death. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.” Matthew 24:9

“You should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.” 2 Peter 3:2-3

THE BIBLE PROPHESIES PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS ESCALATES BEFORE JESUS RETURNS

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Progressive Crusade to Bend Arc of History by Chris Uhlmann in The Weekend Australian 11th May, 2024

Uhlmann contends that what is at stake is whether the ascendant state morality will drive deeper into the ancient institutions of faith and force believers to submit to its temporal commandments. Nationally, the Australian Law Reform Commission’s final report on religious exemptions from anti-discrimination law is just another sortie in a long campaign over what the state will allow you to believe and how far it is prepared to go to force apostates to heel.

Queensland’s proposed anti-discrimination bill seeks to narrow the rights of the faithful. Alex Deagon, from the Queensland University of Technology, argues it will “significantly undermine the ability of religious organisations to employ persons following their faith”.

The ALRC admits one of its recommendations may limit “the freedom to manifest religion or belief in community with others, and the associated parental liberty to ensure the religious and moral education of one’s children in conformity with one’s own convictions”. This, it says, is balanced by the overall effect, which “would be to maximise the realisation of human rights”.

The ALRC wants section 38 of the Sex Discrimination Act, which allows religious schools to hire those whose lives and ideas accord “with the doctrines, tenets, beliefs or teachings of a particular religion or creed”, to be abolished.

When you lose the freedom to manifest your faith, abide by your beliefs and the liberty to ensure your children are educated in your creed, what is left? The commission is erasing the right of a religious school to organise around its own ethos.

This is an extreme form of laicism, driven by a fierce “progressive” crusade against Christianity. In a multifaith society that means all believers are on this battlefield, as the institutions of government are mobilised against them. Like many things dubbed progressive, it is the latest incarnation of the despotic tendencies of the Bureautoracy (n): the ubiquitous, unelected technocratic blob bent on imposing its notion of utopia on the mob. Its relentlessly mutating dogma has spread like Paterson’s curse through all the institutions.

In a profound irony, we are witnessing the final metamorphosis of Christianity as zealots torch the last idol: belief in a power that transcends the state.

The child has turned on a parent it does not recognise because the source code of this secular faith is the notion of universal human rights. That idea was born with the belief that each individual is valued by God, an avowedly Christian concept and part of a set of revolutionary beliefs that the early faithful simply called “The Way”.

Universal equality is captured in Paul’s letter to the Galatians: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Another epoch-changing idea rings from the first sentences of John’s Gospel: “In the beginning was the word (logos). And the word was with God. And the word was God.”

The New Testament was written in Greek and logos means both word and reason. So, in the Christian tradition, God is reason itself. Christianity is the singular encounter between Greek philosophy and Jewish mysticism, the marriage of reason and faith. The theology that evolved was a thoroughly different way of thinking. Let’s call it wisdom.

This wisdom elevated the poor, the meek, the righteous, the merciful, and peacemakers. Faith in God demands you “treat others as you would like them to treat you”, and not to act with reason is contrary to the nature of God.

Christianity was born in the East, informed by the West, and takes on its historically decisive character in Europe. Europe is defined by its faith and its faith is defined by reason. Faith and reason set Europe on the road to liberal democracy.

Through all its failures, and its many crimes, reason pushes the West forward and demands that it learn and evolve. And the excesses of both church and state always had to contend with its Christian conscience.

The savage colonisation of the Americas was fiercely denounced by Dominican friar Bartolome de Las Casas, and the evil of slavery collapsed when it confronted the faith of William Wilberforce. Despite often spectacularly failing to abide by its ideals, Christianity demanded the West slowly bend towards realising the radical demand of the central tenet of its faith. The new commandment to “love one another” excludes no one.

As historian Tom Holland demonstrates in his epic work Dominion: The Making of the Western Mind, “To live in a Western country is to live in a society that is utterly saturated by Christian concepts and assumptions.”

It is, of course, a heritage that the zealots of the New Way deny. To them, their belief system is self-evident because it just is. It is neutral. It is agnostic. That is a delusion. The New Way exhibits some of the best and all the worst features of a proselytising religion. It looks to uplift, to guide, to build a better, more just world. It is also deeply intolerant of dissent and has established the institutions of inquisition to police heresy, in state and federal human rights commissions.

It’s hard to criticise anti-discrimination laws but the growth of objective penalties for subjective crimes should trouble those who care about liberal democracy. Such penalties are how American journalist Robert Wargas defines totalitarianism.

What standards will be applied? The notion of transgender identity, for example, is a rapidly moving target. Even the Australian Human Rights Commission’s website admits the “terminology is strongly contested”.

So, this latest assault by the state on the faithful is a battle of competing theologies, as the disciples of Caesar seek to mount his image in every temple. And the insurgents know nothing of faith because, as anyone who has any dealings with religious schools knows, most have no desire to discriminate and are far more tolerant of difference than “progressives”.

What religious institutions don’t want is to be forced to submit to state diktats that deliberately undermine the ethos of their institution. Here let’s recall that the Labor Party pledge demands its members not be a part of any other organisation that is inimical to its ideals. Why shouldn’t religious schools enjoy the same rights?

The arc of history has bent out of shape. Those who claim the heritage of reason have discounted the role of faith in their enlightenment. They discriminate and call it equality. They unreasonably seek to force the faithful to heel. This is foolishness. Fortunately, Biblical prophecy reveals that this godless persecution of Christians precedes Jesus’ return to Earth first to rapture the Saints and then to pour out His wrath upon an unrepentant rebellious world. Christians need to heed Jesus warning that it will even get much worse.

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:9-14

FOLLOW JESUS NO MATTER THE COST

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WASHINGTON — Religious freedom activists are encouraging Americans to learn from Christians who live in countries where they face persecution or death for their faith and develop a willingness to “follow Jesus no matter the cost.” 

The fourth annual March for the Martyrs was held in the nation’s capital on Saturday. The event, which drew hundreds of people to the National Mall, seeks to raise awareness of the plight of persecuted Christians worldwide. Following a rally featuring worship music and speeches from religious freedom activists, participants marched through the streets to the Museum of the Bible.

“What we’re really excited about is how many Christians from all denominations come together,” For the Martyrs founder Gia Chacón said in an interview with The Christian Post shortly before the event kicked off. “This is not just an event for Evangelicals or Baptists; this is an event for everyone who professes Jesus Christ as Lord, and that’s what we’re most excited about.”

“Christian persecution is a human rights issue, so not only are we coming together in prayer as the Body of Christ, but we hope to bring this … crisis to the forefront of the fight for human rights and demand action from the United States government in protecting Christians all over the world,” she added. “The spiritual component of the March for the Martyrs should not be underestimated. It is so powerful when Christians come together as one voice in prayer and to uplift human dignity and advocate for human rights.”

Chacón said March for the Martyrs is one way to advocate for “religious freedom and the protection of our brothers and sisters who are suffering for their faith in Christ.” During remarks delivered on stage, she elaborated on the hostile atmosphere Christians face in other parts of the world: “In places throughout the Middle East, Christians are suffering every day for their faith. Laying down their life is normal, not a rare occurrence.”

“Christian persecution has increased by 100 million people” since the first March for the Martyrs took place in 2020, Chacón lamented. “There are now over 365 million Christians around the world who are facing persecution because of their faith in Christ.”

During her speech, Chacón recalled a conversation she had with Egyptian Christians who lost loved ones as a result of Christian persecution: “They said, ‘We’re so proud of them, we’re so proud of them that Jesus meant everything to them.’”

“We need that witness here in the United States,” Chacón asserted. “We need the courage to lay down our life, to follow Jesus no matter the cost.”

SPIRITUAL WARFARE HOTTING UP AS SATAN KNOWS HIS TIME IS SHORT

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A dust storm of political madness is brewing in Phoenix, Arizona as Grand Canyon University faces the continued threats of Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona. Christians have watched as the Biden administration attacks biblical views left and right, with a particularly vehement disregard for the sanctity of life and marriage. As such, it can’t be too surprising that Cardona, a part of this leftist administration, has “vowed” to shut down America’s largest Christian university.

In late October, GCU was hit with “a $37.7 million fine brought by the federal government over allegations that it lied to students about the cost of its programs,” AP News reported — an accusation GCU President Brian Mueller described as “ridiculous.

Supporters of GCU agree the fine seems unprecedented and motivated by ideological bias, including American Principles Project Policy Director Jon Schweppe, who said, “The federal government’s education agenda is punishing schools that do not conform to their progressive ideology. It’s time we stand against this egregious abuse of power.” Another conservative think tank, the Goldwater Institute (GI), sued the Department of Education for “refusing to turn over” public “documents that explain why” they’re fining GCU. The goal of their lawsuit is to unmask the reason behind the fine.

Around the same time, Liberty University, America’s second-largest Christian university, was fined $37 million “over alleged underreporting of crimes.” GCU appealed its fine in November even though a hearing is not expected until January 2025. But the question Mueller has is one of integrity. Is this genuine consideration for the well-being of students, or is this a targeted attack against religious institutions?

“It’s interesting, isn’t it, that the two largest Christian universities in the country, this one, and Liberty University, are both being fined almost the identical amount at almost the identical time?” the college president speculated in a speech. “Now is there a cause and effect there? I don’t know. But it’s a fact.”

Mueller emphasized that GCU has faced various issues over the years. But despite the government’s action, he wanted people to know that “interestingly enough, “it has had zero impact on anything that we’re doing.”

He continued, “The enrollments are just continuing to grow … [and] the morale is very high in terms of our faculty and staff. The campus is extremely vibrant. I mean, the students absolutely love this place. They’re extremely loyal to it, and so we just keep marching through it.” And while the fine they’re being dealt by the Department of Education is “a problem,” Mueller is just thankful that GCU remains optimistic. The Christian “mission, not politics, is our motivation and it is our hope,” he told TWS.

IS THIS, “RATS FLEEING A SINKING SHIP”?

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In the USA  three congressmen have quit in the past four months… and over 50 members of Congress and senators have decided to not seek reelection.

It’s not normal for a congressman to quit in the middle of his term… particularly when his party has a razor-thin majority and every vote counts. And yet… Wisconsin Representative Mike Gallagher – chairman of the Select Committee investigating the Chinese Communist Party – recently announced he’ll be stepping down later this month.

This follows Colorado Representative Ken Buck, who abruptly retired last month… and, of course, former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy called it quits at the end of last year.

None of these gentlemen considered it worth their time to finish out their terms, quitting roughly halfway through. And frankly… can you blame them? The current, 118th Congress is measurably the least productive in modern history, passing only 34 bills last year, the lowest annual number in decades.

Despite having virtually no legislative accomplishments, this Congress has – by some miracle – managed to add about $2.5 trillion to the national debt over the past year while throwing on another trillion every 100 days. Total spending over the past year has reached about $6.5 trillion.

A country in chaos, a world in chaos. Thank goodness, God told us in advance that this would precede Jesus’ second coming to Earth. For Christians, persecution will only escalate as the following Scripture indicates. But note how it ends: “but for the elect, those days will be cut short“.

“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.” Matthew 24:21-22

CHRISTIANS RISK BEING BRANDED ‘EXTREMISTS’ BY UK GOV’T

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Christians are at risk of being branded “extremists” under the UK government’s new definition of extremism published this week, a campaign group has warned. 

The new definition says that “extremism is the promotion or advancement of an ideology based on violence, hatred or intolerance, that aims to” among other things “negate or destroy the fundamental rights and freedoms of others.”

Christian Concern said that Christians who are pro-life, gender-critical, or have traditionalist beliefs about marriage might fall foul of the new definition. 

Christians who are pro-life could be seen as being opposed to an ‘assumed fundamental right’ to abortion and thus to be intolerant and hence extremist. It is already the case that being anti-abortion is on a Prevent list of ideologies.

Prevent is a national program “that aims to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism seen as potential extremism”, the organisation said.

Christian Concern said that the new extremism definition was “vague” and could lead to Christians being excluded from influencing government policy. 

Andrea Williams, chief executive of Christian Concern, said the definition was “not fit for purpose” and that she expected to see more Christians being reported to Prevent.

“It is absurd that Christians could be deemed ‘extremist’ for believing in real marriage or for being pro-life,” she said. 

“Christian Concern has supported Christians referred to Prevent for expressing their Christian beliefs. The new definition of extremism should have ensured this would not happen again.

“Sadly, I now expect to see more referrals of Christians to Prevent, not less.”

She called on the government to clarify that ‘fundamental rights’ do not include abortion, same-sex marriage, or identifying as the opposite sex.

“Without this clarification, Christians who express their legitimate belief that marriage is between a man and a woman would risk being deemed ‘extremist’ by the government,” she said. 

Originally published at Christian Today UK

Over the eight years, I have been posting on Living Eternal Now persecution of Christians has been escalating and many other end times prophecies are being fulfilled. Thank goodness, God has told us what will unfold as we approach the time of Jesus second coming. Jesus told us it would be like the days of Noah when God poured out His wrath upon the earth for the first time; godlessness and lawlessness will abound.