CHURCHES DESTROYED BY ISLAMIC STATE REOPEN IN IRAQ

Posted on by

Two historic churches in Mosul, Iraq, have officially reopened after years of restoration, nearly a decade after their destruction during the Islamic State’s occupation. The reconsecration ceremonies marked a rare moment of revival for the region’s dwindling Christian population. Hundreds of worshippers gathered for the reopening and consecration ceremonies, attending prayers amid the rebuilt halls.

The Saint Thomas Syriac Orthodox Church dating back to the 7th century, and the Al-Tahira Church of the Chaldeans which was built in the 18th century, were both inaugurated following their reconstruction which came as part of the “Revive the Spirit of Mosul” initiative, launched in 2018, by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Iraqi authorities. Reconstruction efforts for the churches began in 2023.

Fadi, a 27-year-old Christian from Mosul who trained for three years to help the restoration project, told Vatican News that the reopening’s are “a sign of hope” for displaced Christians. “It shows the Christians living abroad that things are better here now, that they can move back home,” he said. 

Mosul’s Christian population, once 14% of the city, has now shrunk to fewer than 60 families in a city of nearly 2 million, reports the Catholic non-profit media outlet Zenit.

“These churches are not just stones. They are the memory of faith, history, and community,” Archbishop Najeeb Michael Moussa, the Chaldean bishop of Mosul, was quoted as saying after the ceremony.

The restoration, he added, showed that “faith can be wounded but not extinguished,” and that each bell strike “calls not only the faithful, but the future.”

Teams first cleared mines and explosives from the sites before beginning reconstruction. Among the carefully restored features was the 13th-century alabaster door of Saint Thomas, carved from local marble known as farsh and depicting Christ with the twelve apostles.

Church bells cast by the Cornille Havard foundry in Normandy now ring out again over Mosul. The same foundry restored the bells of Notre-Dame de Paris, Zenit notes. 

Inscriptions on the bells include the phrases “The truth will make you free” and “Peace I leave you, my peace I give you.” 

GOD USES PERSECUTION TO GROW THE CHURCH IN UKRAINE

Posted on by

As war continues to devastate Ukraine, a mighty spiritual revival is unfolding amid the ruins, according to Ukrainian evangelist David Karcha, who told a gathering of European church leaders that the Gospel becomes unstoppable in a time of war. Speaking at the European Congress on Evangelism in Berlin, Germany, on May 29, Karcha described how churches across Ukraine have become beacons of hope, drawing thousands to Christ even as the country endures deep physical and emotional suffering. His address came just a day after Franklin Graham met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berlin to pray for peace, underscoring the Congress’s message of gospel resilience in the face of crisis. “In a time of peace, the Gospel is powerful. But in a time of war, it is unstoppable,” said Karcha in his opening remarks in which he brought greetings from the Evangelical wider Church in Ukraine to the Berlin Congress delegates.

After Russia’s invasion in February 2022, Karcha said Ukrainian Evangelicals faced a critical choice: to fracture and flee, or to remain and share in the suffering of their fellow countrymen. This was “not because we had a plan, not because we felt ready, but because we saw that even the smallest act done in faith becomes a part of something much greater.” “Hope as a reality is something searched for as part of human existence seeking “something greater, something essential,” Karcha pondered. For the Church in Ukraine, this journey of hope, made within the light of the living Lord Jesus, has meant taking small steps as a unified community moving together. By doing so, “it becomes a movement no war can stop.” Karcha wanted to set the record straight about religious persecution, often dominating news about Christian Ukrainians. He pointed out that the main headline story in Ukraine is about masses of people turning to Christ. The church minister said that in 2023 “alone,” Baptist churches witnessed “thousands of people publicly profess their faith through baptism.”

The Church has woken up to the spiritual hunger in the country and stood up to the challenge of serving not just bodies but souls. In the last three years, Karcha testified that “hundreds of thousands of people have walked through the doors of Ukrainian churches and encountered the love and care of God.” “Many of them for the first time in their life,” he added, and told the story he heard from a German pastor at the Congress of a particular woman who knew nothing of church but fled to Germany as a refugee and sought shelter in a church. She experienced food, care and the church showed love, telling her about Jesus. The woman eventually gave her heart to Jesus Christ. Karcha thanked churches across Europe for their loving support for Ukrainians in the past few years of the war. “The body of Christ is not confined to one country or to one border but is alive and active whenever his people are present,” said Karcha, to more applause. “Thank you for being his hands and his heart for those who are in real need.”

“God is teaching us to listen and to see where he is already at work,” he continued. “Ukrainian churches are there on the front lines, ministering as chaplains in the trenches and grounds, at hospitals, bringing prayer and the hope of Christ to the soldiers in the fire of battle and places of hopelessness.” “We are there for the widows of fallen soldiers and for the orphans whose mothers are never coming home, holding their clothes, sharing the grief. We minister to those who have lost everything, homes reduced to rubble, families torn apart, bodies and souls scared by unspeakable fragments and torture brought to us by the Russian army.” All of these ministries start with active listening, Karcha said, “We listen. We pray. We help. And then when we see how we can help and what can be gone, we speak Jesus.” A man called Viktor, in his mid-50s, came to Karcha’s own church as a refugee, “like so many other at that time.” He was a quiet man, according to the church leader, who seemed broken and carried a “lifelong lifetime of burdens.”

One day, Viktor asked Karcha if they could talk. He disclosed that he knew about God since childhood and spent many decades running away from him, causing pain around him. However, he declared a readiness to surrender his life to Christ. “He cried. He wept. And he was born again, right in front of our eyes,” said Karcha, adding that God is still at work and listening, and still redeeming, bringing children home. “Dear brothers and sisters,” Karcha told delegates, “This is a little bit of what God is doing in our country. He’s awakening his church, stirring a desperate search for hope, and teaching us to listen and watch him work.” “He’s stirring suffering into testimony, fear into faith, and small acts of love into seeds for his kingdom. In the world’s eyes, Ukraine is a story of war. But in God’s eyes, it is a story of revival, a story that reminds us all that the Gospel … advances. That even when the rockets are exploding next to us, the foundation of Christ stands firm. That even in the darkest night, the light of his truth still breaks.” “Let history bow down to the cross,” Karcha said, concluding with an encouragement to boldly proclaim Jesus as Lord regardless of circumstance.

Source:   Christian Daily International

SYRIAN CHRISTIANS PRAYING FOR BOLDNESS

Posted on by

Syrian Christians continue to live out their faith with resilience, sharing the hope of Jesus Christ amid ongoing political turmoil and violence. This should be a challenge to all Christians living in countries where they can live as Christians without the hardship and persecution facing our Syrian brothers and sisters.

As their country faces deepening instability, they navigate daily hardships, including power outages, water shortages, and threats to their safety. Despite these challenges, they remain steadfast in their mission, offering spiritual and practical support to their communities while calling for prayers and divine intervention.

A report from a Syrian Christian, shared with Christian Daily International, states that the future remains uncertain for many. His name is being withheld for security reasons.

The government is more focused on “whitewashing its brutal history in the eyes of the international community, mainly Western nations, rather than addressing the dire realities faced by Syrians within the country,” the report laments.

The “crumbling infrastructure” includes inadequate healthcare, as thousands of employees have been fired because of their ethnicities and religious backgrounds, the report says.

Power outages have worsened, with the previous regime of former President Bashar al-Assad allowing six hours of electricity per day, now reduced to four hours under the current Islamist interim government — sometimes limited to just two hours. Water shortages also persist, as water pumps connected to the electrical grid struggle with the limitations of power.

However, the report highlighted the most critical issues as “blatant lawlessness and the lack of security; daily thefts, kidnappings and reprisals.”

“From the outset, numerous areas, including Christian neighborhoods and villages, have been targeted by jihadist groups,” the report says. It added that initially, Syrians were willing to see violent incidents as isolated and worked “tirelessly” to stem the tide of violence, but “instead of improving, the situation worsened.”

These troubles culminated in two “critical” recent incidents, according to the report.

The first occurred on Feb. 28 in the Damascus suburb of Jaramana, home to a Christian community. Druze militias shot a soldier affiliated with Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a Sunni Islamist coalition, at a checkpoint. A ceasefire was hastily agreed upon, but the next day, rumors spread that the family of the slain soldier sought revenge. They retaliated by attacking Jaramana, killing a member of the Druze militia and injuring 10 others.

Local Christians canceled Sunday services and prayed as hundreds of armed HTS soldiers descended on the area that Sunday, intent on wresting Jaramana from the militias.

“By God’s grace, after hours of negotiations, an agreement was reached: those responsible for the soldier’s death would be handed over, and HTS troops were permitted to enter Jaramana for a military parade,” the informant said.

The second incident occurred on March 6 in the coastal region between Latakia and Tartus, inhabited by the Alawites, an ethnic group linked to former President Assad. Open Doors reported 1,500 dead, mostly civilians, but noted that contrary to some other media reports, there was no evidence of Christians being targeted.

According to communications from the new regime, several soldiers also died after militias still loyal to Assad attacked a checkpoint near Jableh city, the Syrian Christian’s report says. HTS soldiers launched a search for the culprits, and a former Assad-era mayor declared the formation of a “Military Council for the Liberation of Syria,” further escalating tensions.

“Through connections with church members and families in the coastal region, we learned that the violence had escalated into what can only be described as a massacre and ethnic cleansing, primarily targeting Alawites,” the report said.

“The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the deaths of 1,383 by March 12. Still, local estimates suggest between 7,000 and 12,000 people have been killed, including at least seven Christians.”

The Syrian Christian also conveyed the anguish of a “ministry colleague,” a lecturer at a University in Latakia, who lost many students to the violence.

“I haven’t slept for two nights,” the academic reportedly said. “It’s horrifying. Entire families wiped out. I can’t forget their cries as they pleaded for help before they were killed by those jihadists.”

Another volunteer, identified as “Brother J” from Banyas, said the killings were indiscriminate but that he trusted God for the outcome.

“No one knows when it will be their turn,” Brother J reportedly said. “Cars with no license plates, masked militias — it’s a nightmare. However, I have the joy and peace of Christ; I am ready. I surrender my life to You, Lord! May Your will be done!”

Brother J encouraged his Alawite neighbors and prayed for them, urging them to trust in God.

The report also noted that the new interim government acknowledged the atrocity and launched an investigative committee to meet with the families of victims. “However, this gesture feels insufficient in the face of such widespread suffering,” the Syrian Christian added.

He called for prayers for churches in Syria: “Pray for boldness and wisdom for the church to fulfill its role as peacemakers, promoting God’s justice, mercy, and reconciliation among Syria’s warring factions. Pray for divine guidance and protection over church leaders and members as they navigate this volatile environment.”

He also asked for prayer for the regime in power and the religious identities within Syria.

“We believe this is a pivotal moment to break the chains of oppression and bring spiritual liberation to Syria, knowing that the Holy Spirit who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4),” the informant added, requesting additional prayer for evangelistic opportunities.

“Pray for open hearts among Syria’s diverse ethnic and religious groups, particularly Alawites and Sunnis, many of whom are disillusioned by the current regime’s brutality. This is a divine opportunity for the church to proclaim the hope and eternal security found in Christ.“

“This is a historic moment for the church in Syria,” the Syrian Christian concluded in the report. “After decades under the Assad regime and even centuries of oppression, fear, seclusion and fragmentation, we believe God is calling us to rise, preach the Gospel, and make disciples among all ethnic and religious groups.

“The current crisis, while devastating, presents unprecedented opportunities to reach those who have lost hope in earthly systems and point them to the eternal hope found in Christ.

“May our Heavenly Father, by His Spirit, lead the Body of Christ to unite and stand together in fervent prayer and faith, working through love and believing that God’s Kingdom will come and that His will be done in Syria as it is in Heaven.“

This article was originally published at Christian Daily International

PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS AT RECORD LEVELS

Posted on by

Members of religious groups faced harassment by either governmental actors or social groups in a record number of countries and territories as a new Pew Research Center analysis finds acts of hostility against Christians are on the rise. 

The release of Pew’s report, “Government Restrictions on Religion Stayed at Peak Levels Globally in 2022,” marks the 15th time it has conducted research examining government restrictions and social hostilities toward religion in 198 countries and territories. Imagine what a 2024 report will show as persecution has escalated in 2023 and 2024. Significant other Biblical end-times prophecies have already been fulfilled particularly the re-establishment of Israel as a nation back in 1948 and now the falling away from Biblical faith by most of the institutional churches (apostasy).

“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.” Matthew 24:9-13

The research revealed that in 2022, “harassment of religious groups by governments or social actors occurred in 192 out of the world’s 198 countries and territories.” This constituted “an increase by two countries from 2021 and a new peak level for the study.”

“Governments harassed people for their religious beliefs and practices in 186 countries in 2022, up from 183 in 2021,” the report states. “Social groups or private individuals harassed people due to their religion in 164 countries, the same number as in 2021. Governments and/or social actors harassed religious groups in 192 countries, including 158 countries where both governments and social groups or private individuals engaged in harassment.”

As has been the case in every installment of the study, Christians experienced harassment in most countries, reaching a record high of 166 in 2022. 

One example cited in the report was the arrest of a man whose son brought Bibles and other Christian literature across the border into Mauritania from Senegal.

Another example is a Syriac Catholic Church leader in Bartella, a historically Christian town in Nineva province rebuilding after the defeat of the Islamic State, who said militias “sought to ‘seize and occupy Christian properties’ in an attempt to drive out Christians and alter the religious composition of the town.”

The study identified property damage, assaults, detentions, displacements and killings as examples of physical harassment experienced by religious groups. It highlighted how at least one instance of physical harassment toward a religious group occurred in 145 of 198 countries, marking an increase from the 137 measured in 2021.

Governments used physical force against religious groups in 111 countries, while social groups or private individuals were determined to have engaged in such harassment in the same number of countries.

The most frequent form of physical harassment directed at religious groups was property damage, occurring in 61% of countries. Detentions occurred in slightly less than half (47%) of countries, while the share of countries where physical assaults, displacements and killings occurred were measured at 45%, 26% and 25%, respectively.

According to a detailed appendix accompanying the report, the only countries where absolutely no harassment of religious groups occurred at the hands of the government in 2022 were Cape Verde, Fiji, Grenada, Macao, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Portugal, San Marino, Senegal and Suriname. The United States was listed as one of 110 countries where there was widespread intimidation of religious groups “by any level of government.”

Religious groups in the U.S. found themselves subject to property damage and physical assaults, while no displacements, killings or detentions were recorded. Another adverse experience faced by religious groups in the U.S. involves organized groups using “force or coercion in an attempt to dominate public life with their perspective on religion, including preventing some religious groups from operating in the country.”

GROWING CHRISTIANITY IN TIMES OF PERSECUTION

Posted on by

As China’s Christian Persecution Rages, Is Biblical Faith in Decline or Thriving in the Shadows?

David Curry, CEO of Global Christian Relief, an organization that helps Christians under duress around the globe, believes the church in China based on our methodology, is somewhere around 120 million,” Curry said, though definitive numbers are difficult to determine. If true, this would mean some estimates are off by almost 100 million people. One of the challenges, Curry said, is using self-identifying religious data inside a country that openly punishes Christianity and those who choose to publicly align with the faith. “They have self-identifying as one of the factors which make the number incredibly low,” he said. “Historically, the Chinese church has been underground.” While the church came above ground in recent decades, the rise of Chinese President Xi Jinping has created roadblocks and problems, with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) increasingly cracking down on the faithful. The government looks down upon those who attend church regularly, and children cannot be legally aligned with any faith tradition. “[President Xi has] become more like a dictator,” he said. “It’s gone back underground, because of the increased restrictions. So, to be self-identified as a Christian means to put yourself in the crosshairs of a lot of government surveillance and other things, because Christian behaviour is punished in their social score system, and they have a very sophisticated way of monitoring this.”

In this photo taken Sunday, June 3, 2018, the demolished house church is seen in the city of Zhengzhou in central China’s Henan province. Under President Xi Jinping, China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, believers are seeing their freedoms shrink dramatically even as the country undergoes a religious revival. Experts and activists say that as he consolidates his power, Xi is waging the most severe systematic suppression of Christianity in the country since religious freedom was written into the Chinese constitution in 1982. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

As CBN News has reported, the CCP is reportedly also attempting to rewrite the Bible in its own image, with officials in one area also testing out a new app demanding citizens pre-register before attending religious services. “When you ask people if they’re Christian, they’re not likely to just raise their hand, wave, and jump up and down, and say, ‘Yeah, count me in your survey,’ because they know what it means,” Curry said. Despite these challenges, Curry believes Christianity is, in all reality, increasing in China, with a healthy underground church continuing to grow.  “It’s under pressure … but the church of China is growing,” he said. “I think it’s healthy, despite a lot of the headwinds it’s facing right now.”

Curry said Chinese Christians could help believers in the West who are “in a mode of retreat” amid the cultural changes that have suddenly made those heralding biblical values persona non grata. “We’re in a defensive position,” he said. “And I think we need to look at the Chinese church and the church that’s under persecution in general as perhaps a model of how a church can grow in difficult times.”

We are fast approaching the Biblical prophesied last seven years before Jesus returns to Earth, to rescue the Saints and to pour out His wrath upon an unrepentant world. Persecution/Tribulation of Christians is prophesied to increase during the time the Antichrist will rule the world. Jesus has told us in advance so we will be prepared for the suffering knowing our redemption is close at hand.

“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

“Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:28

FACE PERSECUTION OR FLEE?

Posted on by

The end times church will be faced with this question (face persecution of flee) more and more as Christians experience the coming prophesied tribulation in the last seven years before Jesus returns first to rapture His church and to pour out His wrath on a lawless, unrepentant world.

In this photo taken Sunday, June 3, 2018, the demolished house church is seen in the city of Zhengzhou in central China’s Henan province. Under President Xi Jinping, China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, believers are seeing their freedoms shrink dramatically even as the country undergoes a religious revival. Experts and activists say that as he consolidates his power, Xi is waging the most severe systematic suppression of Christianity in the country since religious freedom was written into the Chinese constitution in 1982. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Three years ago, 62 members of China’s Shenzhen Reformed Holy Church, also known as the Mayflower Church, fled to South Korea to escape persecution from the Communist government. They requested political asylum in South Korea but were denied. The church is now in Thailand, where members hope to gain refugee status, and eventually resettle in the United States. Until then, they face many challenges, including possible arrest by Thailand immigration police and being sent back to China.

The Mayflower Church believes that they are like the Israelites in Exodus who God brought out of Egypt. As well, if you study the book of Acts, the Apostle Paul fled persecution. Most Christian churches in the Western world would support the course of action taken by the Mayflower Church, however, many of the Chinese house church Christians have a self-identity of being “patriotic martyrs”. They are willing to suffer and be martyred for their faith. So when a group decides to leave persecution and martyrdom, that creates some tension in what has become a cultural and religious identity of the entire house church Protestant movement in China.

Regardless, it was encouraging to learn what Pastor Pan said in response to this contradictory view, “While church members still face restrictions and potential deportation, we enjoy the freedom we have to worship. I struggle with many uncertainties in my heart like most of my congregation. But we find strength every time we experience how God has been faithfully providing for our daily needs and how He is constantly protecting us from the evil men who want to harm us. “Whether we go live in the US or are taken back to China, we will regard this experience as listening to God’s call and continuing to be a vibrant testimony of His goodness and faithfulness.”

DOING CHURCH RIGHT

Posted on by

If you do church right, some of the unchurched will love you and some will hate you

This article by Michael Brown addresses the traditional church model but it applies to some degree to the House Church model. However, it is unlikely that a hostile pagan will ever want to attend a house church meeting.

Jesus Himself exhorted us, “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Or, in the words of Peter, “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” (1 Peter 2:12).

Let us be known for our good works, for our kindness and compassion, for helping the poor and the needy, for standing for righteousness, and for opposing injustice. By all means, let us live this out for the glory and honor of God and for the good of a hurting world.

But let us not deceive ourselves. The same world that hated Jesus will hate us also. The same humanity that chose darkness over the light in Jesus’ day will gravitate to the darkness today. Do not be deceived.

As Jesus said to His disciples, “Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. Students are to be like their teachers, and slaves are to be like their masters. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called even worse names!” (Matthew 10:24–25)

And this: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also” (John 15:18–20).

That means that some people will love us because they see our lives, because they are drawn to Jesus, and because they too have opened their hearts to Him. Others will hate us, repelled by our godly lives, turned off by our moral standards, and dead set against receiving Jesus as Lord. No matter how gracious we are, they will brand us as bigots and haters and worse.

On a practical level, that means that the young, drug-addicted, non-believing couple living together out of wedlock should feel welcomed and loved when they walk into one of our services. They should encounter people who have joy, who are thrilled to see new faces, and who treat them as if they were family.

At the same time, if the Gospel is being preached and the Holy Spirit is moving, at some point they will become conscious of their sin and will be called to repent and receive mercy and grace through the cross.

If they can continue to come week in and week out, never feeling uncomfortable, never feeling conviction, never encountering both the holiness of God and the love of God, then something is wrong with those meetings.

As Jesus also said, the Holy Spirit has come to “convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8). The Holy Spirit will make us uneasy in our sin. The Holy Spirit will invade our hiding places. The Holy Spirit will reveal what is wrong so that we can be made right.

Again, on a practical level, that means that a gay couple attending our meetings should be greeted just like a couple living together out of wedlock — with love and grace and with hospitality. But if they continue to attend our gatherings, if we are preaching the Word, giving place to the Spirit in our worship, and living godly lives ourselves, they will recognize that God is not pleased with their union. They will be confronted with grace and truth and will have to decide how they will respond. Will it be with contrition and confession or with disobedience and defiance?

This reminds me of what an ex-gay Christian said when he was asked if you could be gay and Christian (meaning, practicing and/or affirming homosexuality and following Jesus at the same time). He responded, “Not for long!”

In light of this, I have to question what a pastor is teaching when a wealthy strip club owner could be a long time, tithing member of his church without either coming under church discipline or Holy Spirit conviction. Something very fundamental is wrong with this picture. (For the record, this is a real-life example. The church claimed to be a Bible-believing, evangelical congregation.)

So, let us do our best to have churches and communities that the unchurched will love, but not at the expense of speaking the truth, with both clarity and compassion. And let us remember that if we are true to Jesus, true to the Word, and true to the Spirit, some will love us and others will hate us. It is inevitable and unavoidable.

Article “If you do church right, some of the unchurched will love you and some will hate you” by Michael Bronw in Christian Post Wednesday, Feb. 8th, 2023.

CHINA’S INTENSIFIED PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS

Posted on by

We’ve previously heard declarations for unregistered churches to come into line with the official state church. In practice, this has meant, “Conform or at least shut up.” Enforcement was random and highly dependent on the will of the local party cadre. The understood agreement between local authorities and church leaders was this: “Don’t make us lose face and we’ll leave you alone.”

That’s not the current situation. The plan itself is more specific and comprehensive in scope. Since the government announced its intention to Sinicize religion, we’ve seen leaders implement the policies with far more breadth and aggression. In other words, there has been much more “follow-through” than in previous years.

Cameras have been installed in churches. Arrests have increased. A curriculum to “re-train” pastors has been written. Even the biggest churches have not been able to avoid conflict. Authorities also have plans to re-translate the Bible to suit their purposes.

As various outlets have reported, the government in Guangzhou is now ready to pay people to snitch on people who are engaged in religious activities deemed illegal (e.g., house churches, theological training, etc.). The government has even cooperated with other South Asian countries in order to track the activities of Christians who have ties to the Mainland.

While the government has always been sensitive about foreigners interacting with minority groups, it has taken more extensive measures in the past year. In Kunming, for instance, leaders have expelled or pressured out a substantial number (perhaps most) of the missionaries in the area, including entire organizations.

The rhetoric has changed a bit as well. Specifically, official propaganda is much more “anti-Western” than in previous campaigns. Sinicization is portrayed as a struggle against the oppression and imperialism of Western powers, especially the United States.

In a recent speech, Xu Xiaohong, Chairman of the Chinese Christian Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee, stated,

In modern times, Christianity was introduced to China on a large scale along with colonial aggression by Western powers. It was called “foreign religion.” The churches anywhere in our country were merely the result of Western missions and “Christianity in China.” Many believers lack national consciousness, so people say: “One more Christian is one less Chinese.” The occurrence of many teaching plans, especially the “Boxer Movement” and the “non-Christian movement”, prompted the church to create a “self-reliance movement.”

Sinicization is the brainchild of China’s highest political authorities. Given the fact that President Xi is no longer restricted by term limits, we have little reason to expect pressure to let up when he leaves office. He will be around long enough to see the process through.

What we are seeing in China and the rest of the world is the prophesied escalating “end times” tribulation being carried out by people controlled by Satan and his minions. Christians should not be taken by surprise as Jesus warned us beforehand. More importantly, we need to be obedient to his command to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ to the whole world. Jesus is coming back and He and the Saints will rule and reign on this earth for 1000 years.

“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

The Millennial Kingdom is a transition period when God fulfills the covenants He made with Abraham and David. God promised a descendant of David, Jesus will rule the nations from a restored Jerusalem.

“And the Lord has declared today that you are a people for His treasured possession, as He has promised you, and that you are to keep all His commandments, and that He will set you in praise and in fame and in honor high above all nations that He has made, and that you shall be a people holy to the Lord your God, as He promised.” Deuteronomy 26:18-19

CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION IN INDIA

Posted on by

Authorities in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh arrested seven pastors at a prayer meeting under the state’s “anti-conversion” law, which Christians have accused Hindu nationalists of using as a tool to persecute them.

The pastors were arrested during a prayer meeting they were holding in Mau district last Sunday, UCA News reported, adding that the pastors have been charged with “illegal assembly.”

The U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern said this past weekend that the Christians remained in jail.

“We will move bail applications and are hopeful that they will be out of jail soon,” the pastors’ lawyer, Ashish Kumar, was quoted as saying.

The police initially also detained 50 worshipers but released them the same day. Two Catholic nuns who were at a bus stop near the prayer house were also held at the police station for several hours until the evening, said UCA News.

“Police wanted to book the sisters along with the pastors but let them go after the pastors and the faithful said they were not part of the prayer group,” Father Anand Mathew, a member of the Indian Missionary Society, was quoted as saying.

india church, delhi
An Indian man walks outside a deserted Baptist church, as India remains under an unprecedented extended lockdown due to COVID-19 on May 5, 2020, in Delhi, India.

Uttar Pradesh is one of the several Indian states that have “anti-conversion” laws, which presume that Christians “force” or give financial benefits to Hindus to convert them to Christianity.

The law states that no one is allowed to use the “threat” of “divine displeasure,” meaning Christians cannot talk about Heaven or Hell, as that would be seen as “forcing” someone to convert. And if snacks or meals are served to Hindus after an evangelistic meeting, that could be seen as an “inducement.”

The ICC previously noted that India’s population data proves that the conspiracy of mass conversions to Christianity is a false claim. “In 1951, the first census after independence, Christians made up only 2.3% of India’s overall population. According to the 2011 census, the most recent census data available, Christians still only make up 2.3% of the population.” This is a sad state of affairs and Christians need to pray for India and God’s plan to liberate this nations from Satan’s clutches.

India ranks as the 10th worst country globally when it comes to Christian persecution, according to Open Doors USA’s 2021 World Watch List. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has urged the U.S. State Department to label India as a “country of particular concern” for engaging in or tolerating severe religious freedom violations.

Open Doors USA warns that since the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party took power in 2014, persecution against Christians and other religious minorities has increased. The group reports that “Hindu radicals often attack Christians with little to no consequences.”

“Hindu extremists believe that all Indians should be Hindus and that the country should be rid of Christianity and Islam,” an Open Doors fact sheet on India explains. “They use extensive violence to achieve this goal, particularly targeting Christians from a Hindu background. Christians are accused of following a ‘foreign faith’ and blamed for bad luck in their communities.”

This is further evidence we are in the prophesied last days before Jesus returns first to rapture the Saints and then to return with the Saints to set up His Millennium Kingdom. Time is short and the task is daunting but we know God is in control. Each of us just needs to allow the Holy Spirit to direct our steps so we complete the good works He has assigned for each of us.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

“work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,” Titus 2:11-13

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is image-1.jpeg

WHAT DO YOU VALUE MOST?

Posted on by

You will need to decide what you value most before the prophesied “end times” tribulation begins in the last seven years before Jesus returns. First, He will rapture His church, prior to His wrath being poured out on the unrepentant with the trumpet and bowl judgements described in Revelation 8. After the Marriage Supper of the Lamb with His saints in heaven (Rev.19:7), then Jesus returns with the saints to deliver Israel (Rev. 19:11-16)

Is your church preparing for the coming tribulation and fulfilling Jesus command?

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24: 9-14

Jesus gives this warning for the Jews about the time of His second coming.

“Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it. ~ Luke 17:33

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28

We are not in the final seven years as yet, but I believe the “end times” birth pangs that Jesus referred to have begun. Apostasy in the church, as it conforms with the world and discards God’s Word is one sure sign. Other major signs are gay marriage, transgender and abortion are now accepted by governments as lawful. Any in disagreement will be penalised and persecuted.

Jesus comes in the clouds to meet His saints in the air.

Check out Dr Nelson Walters You Tube videos – Gospel in the End Times.