SUDAN: A CHURCH UNDER FIRE AND PEOPLE STARVING

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Darfur’s Christian communities are among the most vulnerable. For years, they have endured harassment, the burning of churches, forced conversions, and the abduction of women and girls. In towns like Nyala and Zalingei, militia fighters have raided worship services and desecrated sanctuaries—turning altars into outposts. One local pastor shared how his congregation was attacked mid-service; families scattered into the bush, carrying nothing but their faith. Yet, against all odds, hidden house churches continue to meet, their prayers whispered in the darkness.

Sudan aftermath

Satellite 

The city of El Fasher has fallen to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), once known as the Janjaweed—a name that still evokes terror, meaning “the devil rides on horseback.” Their reign of terror has returned in full force. From our underground church partners, we receive heart-rending reports: house-to-house executions, massacres, and revenge killings. Families who survived over 500 days of siege are now facing starvation. Thousands are fleeing across the desert on foot, many never reaching safety.

With over half of Sudan’s population facing severe food insecurity, famine has become a weapon of persecution. Christians, often excluded from general relief distributions, suffer doubly: starved for food and targeted for their faith.

Relief

In this dark hour, the Church in Sudan still stands. Underground pastors continue to minister, risking their lives to bring both spiritual and physical sustenance. Through trusted local networks, Voice of the Martyrs, in conjunction with Shai Fund, is providing emergency food aid to 200 Christian families—about 1,800 individuals—in Darfur’s most desperate regions. Each package of millet, sugar, salt, and oil is more than nourishment; it is a tangible message that they have not been forgotten.

Local pastors distribute the food while praying with families and offering hope. “Not only Christians, but even the community has been blessed,” said one pastor who converted from Islam. “This has created a positive picture of the church among Muslims. As a result, many are turning to Christ.”

Please pray about how you and your church family can support our brothers and sisters in Christ in Sudan and Nigeria.

INTENSIFYING PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS

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Christianity is at risk of being “wiped out” in parts of the world due to intensifying persecution, the United Kingdom’s special envoy for freedom of religion or belief, David Smith, has warned. The British government is now targeting 10 countries as part of its revised foreign policy focus to defend this human right. Smith, the Labour Party MP for North Northumberland, made the remarks during a briefing at the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office.

Jesus was asked by His disciples: “What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Matthew 24:3

Jesus response: “And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
“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 24:6-14

Smith, a Christian who previously worked with Tearfund and the Bible Society made no mention of the fact that what is unfolding fits with end times prophecies. but he did announced a new plan to prioritize Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in countries where religious minorities face repression or violence. Smith said the U.K. will focus on 10 countries, naming Vietnam, Algeria, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, China, Syria, Ukraine, Afghanistan and Iraq. He said these were selected because of the severity of need, the U.K.’s diplomatic ties and the possibility of making progress.

He added that persecution, carried out both by governments and social groups, can involve harassment by police, social ostracism, detention without cause, denial of citizenship, torture, attacks on places of worship and even killings, citing research by the Pew Research Centre. He cited recent data showing that 380 million Christians face persecution worldwide and warned, “Persecution on the basis of religion or belief, enacted by States themselves and social groups, is taking place on every continent in the world.” Smith called the U.K.’s commitment “a new chapter” in foreign policy and said freedom of religion was interlinked with other liberties, including freedom of speech, conscience and assembly. Of the 10 selected, only three — Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan — are among the top 10 in the Open Doors World Watch List, which identifies countries where Christians are most severely persecuted. The worst offenders on that list, such as North Korea, Somalia and Yemen, are not among the U.K.’s current

The U.K. government’s FoRB strategy involves five strands. First, it aims to uphold international standards through bodies such as the U.N. and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Second, it will embed the issue into targeted bilateral diplomacy, encouraging individual missions to raise FoRB in foreign capitals. Third, the U.K. will strengthen international coalitions working on religious freedom. Fourth, the Foreign Office will incorporate FoRB into its mainstream human rights programming. The fifth strand involves collaboration with civil society groups working on interfaith respect and awareness. Speaking at the briefing, Lord Collins of Highbury, minister for human rights, said the U.K. has long believed that rights and the rule of law strengthen global prosperity and resilience. He said his office had already written to British heads of mission directing them to embed human rights, including FoRB, into all areas of diplomatic work. He cited the recent release of two individuals — Nigerian atheist Mubarak Bala and Cuban Pastor Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo — as examples of successful British-supported advocacy.

“Only by working together can we build a world where everyone, everywhere, can live with dignity, free to believe — or not believe — without fear,” Lord Collins said. In April, during a debate, Smith said Britain’s diplomatic stance is informed by its own history, moving “from persecution to pluralism,” which he said provides credibility to advocate abroad. He described the U.K. as “uniquely well placed” to act in support of religious liberty, citing its legacy of legal rights and peaceful pluralism. The role of FoRB envoy was created following a 2019 report by then-Bishop of Truro, Philip Mounstephen, which found that Foreign Office staff lacked awareness of global religious persecution. The report led to recommendations that religious freedom be formally integrated into U.K. foreign policy. Smith argued that defending FoRB not only benefits persecuted communities but also those who engage in repression. He said FoRB could unlock new opportunities and freedoms for their nations to flourish and reaffirmed his commitment to press the U.K. government to act. Meanwhile, Christian Today noted that new research by Jersey Road PR has found that mainstream U.K. media rarely report on attacks against Christians globally.

CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION ESCALATING

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Where do Christians face the most violence: PAKISTAN – Because of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, Christians are at constant risk of being falsely accused of blaspheming Islam, the Koran or Mohammed, and they receive harsh punishments when convicted. NIGERIA – Nearly all Christians in north-eastern Nigeria have lost family members or friends in attacks by Boko Haram or Fulani Islamic militants. Entire congregations have been displaced, and many pastors have been forced to leave the region. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO – The church is under immense pressure in the eastern DRC. In areas controlled by the Allied Democratic Forces, Christian villages have been raided, churches destroyed and hundreds of believers brutally killed.

INDIA: At least two attacks on Christians are being reported every day in India this year, according to new figures released by a Christian advocacy group.

Christians constitute 2.3% of India’s population, based on the 2011 census. The UCF says the Christian minority has been facing growing hostility in recent years, particularly under laws and narratives advanced by Hindu nationalist groups. Twelve of India’s 28 states have laws that restrict religious conversions. Most of these are governed by the Hindu nationalist BJP, which Christian groups accuse of enabling Hindu nationalist attacks under the guise of anti-conversion enforcement.

A total of 313 incidents were recorded between January and May alone, based on calls to a toll-free helpline run by the New Delhi-based inter-denominational body United Christian Forum, according to the Union of Catholic Asian News. 

SYRIA: Multiple churches in Syria were attacked by terrorists; at least 20 dead, dozens wounded. A brutal terrorist attack took place on Sunday around 5 p.m. local time at Mar Elias Church in the Douweila neighbourhood of Damascus. The attacker began shooting at people and then blew himself up inside the church. As of 10 p.m. local time, at least 20 people are dead and at least 50 have been wounded, with the numbers still climbing.

Jesus told us what it will be like prior to His return to usher in His Millennial reign on this Earth.

“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
“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 24:7-14

THE CHURCH SHOULD NOT FEAR PERSECUTION

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China is experiencing the world’s largest revival today. Several thousand Chinese come to Christ every day. Many feel that these revivals are happening in contrast to their background of being Buddhists, Animists, Taoists, or Confucianists. Still, a closer look shows that China has been following the God of the Bible since the beginning of their history, more than 5,000 years ago. Are these current revivals a sign that the people of China are returning to their true roots?

The truth came down from Noah and his family. Some modern Chinese Christian scholars or theologians suggest a connection to Shem, citing possible linguistic or cultural links between ancient Semitic and Chinese civilisations (e.g., similarities in ancient writing systems or flood narratives). Others favour Japheth, based on the broader geographic spread of his descendants.

CHRISTIANS CONTINUE TO FACE PERSECUTION YET THE CHURCH CONTINUES TO GROW

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According to the latest report, 380 million Christians — one in seven worldwide — face high levels of persecution and discrimination.

As the organization has done for over 20 years, Open Doors US ranked North Korea No. 1 on its World Watch List. “North Korea continues to be a place that is incredibly difficult for Christians,” Brown stated. “Reports of violence have continued to escalate within North Korea, and it is expansive throughout the State.” Christians in North Korea could face execution or imprisonment in a labour camp if their faith is discovered, Open Doors warns. Despite the targeted oppression, however, the latest World Watch List reported that around 400,000 believers in North Korea are continuing to bear witness to the love of Christ. 

A North Korean Christian, Jung Jik (name changed for security reasons), who escaped imprisonment twice, is praying to see his child again and share Jesus with him, showcasing the determination persecuted believers have to keep God’s Word alive amid surges in anti-Christian violence across the globe. As Jung attested in the report, a large underground Church still survives in North Korea. “There’s still a large underground church. Because you pray, many people are miraculously healed, and they experience God’s power. They come to faith.”

Brown said Christians like Jung, who refuse to forsake Christ, are a model for Christ-followers in Western countries with the right to religious freedom. Throughout Christianity’s history, Brown stressed that the Church has continued to thrive, even when persecution is extreme. 

“There are places where the Church is, by all accounts, the life is being squeezed from it,” Brown said, citing the North African country of Algeria, which ranked 19th on the 2025 World Watch List, as an example. Per the report, “all Protestant churches [in Algeria] have been forced to close, and the number of Christians awaiting trial and sentencing is at an all-time high.” 

Other countries that have forced the Church underground include Afghanistan, which ranked No. 10 on the list. Due to the Taliban enforcing strict interpretations of Islamic law, converting from Islam to Christianity is punishable by death. Christians also face punishment or fear being murdered at the hands of their family, clan or tribe if they renounce Islam. 

“There are places where the Church is being forced deeply underground, and any visible expression of that presence is very difficult to observe,” Brown said. “But there are places where, in the midst of persecution, the Church continues to operate, the Church continues to minister.”

The latest report also found increased violence scores in 15 sub-Saharan countries since the 2023 World Watch List. The 2025 report noted that the sub-Saharan Africa region is the most violent due to Islamic extremist groups taking advantage of government instability. 

“Persecution is rising in countries such as Burkina Faso (20), Mali (14) and Chad (49), which enters the top 50 for the first time,” the report found. 

Christians in Yemen (3), Sudan (5) and Myanmar (13) are easy targets for persecution as anarchy and internal conflict within these regions grows, according to Open Doors. 

Nigeria, which ranked seventh on the list, stands out from many of the sub-Saharan countries, as there wasn’t much room for conditions in the region to worsen from previous years.

Christians in northern Nigeria are targeted by Fulani militants, Boko Haram and other extremist groups who murder or abduct people of faith. Thousands of Nigerian Christians have been killed in recent years. According to a summary of the 2025 report’s trends, “the measure of anti-Christian violence in the country is already at the maximum possible under World Watch List methodology.” 

Fortunately, we know from Biblical prophecy that Christian persecution escalates in the time before Jesus returns to restore righteousness and usher in His Millennial Kingdom. This Earth still has 1000 years before it is destroyed. The nation God raised up for His purposes, Israel, must fulfill its destiny, and it will with Jesus reigning the nations of the world with the raised, glorified Saints. They rule with a rod of iron, indicating that the curse has not been lifted. People are still being born and are dying. They still need to accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Satan and his minions are bound for most of the thousand years but are released at the end, and he still raises an army of people like the sand of the sea to come against Jesus and the Saints. This says a lot about people who are given free will to choose. Sadly, like Satan and one-third of the angels, many want to be god and choose to rebel against God and His commandments.

FAMILY BURNED ALIVE FOR FOLLOWING CHRIST

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NAIROBI, Kenya — A Muslim couple and their adult son who received Christ in November were burned to death on Dec. 26 in eastern Uganda, sources said.

In the Budini Nyanza area of Kaliro town, Kaliro District, 64-year-old Kaiga Muhammad, his wife, Sawuya Kaiga, and their son, Swagga Amuza Kaiga, 26, put their faith in Christ on Nov. 22, 2024, when members of an undisclosed church visited their home and shared the Gospel.

The pastor of the church, undisclosed for security reasons, said that after the three family members received Christ’s salvation, they requested prayer for Swagga Amuza Kaiga, who was suffering from malaria. “We prayed for the son, and immediately he was restored to good health,” the pastor claimed in an interview with Morning Star News. “The three members of the family who gave their lives to Christ decided to keep their faith secret for fear of Muslims of the area, since Muhammad himself was a committee member in one of the mosques in Budini Nyanza zone.”

On Dec. 15, area Muslims noted Muhammad leaving the church’s worship service in a nearby village and informed area chairperson Wangule Abudu. The chairperson on Dec. 16 went to Muhammad’s home to question him, and Muhammad openly told him that he and other family members had given their lives to Christ, the pastor said.

The angry Abudu gave Muhammad one week to renounce Christianity, saying that if he refused, he would mobilize the Muslim community against the family, according to a relative who was away when the parents and son accepted Christ.

“Abudu said that our family had blasphemed the name of Allah and embarrassed the Muslim community,” the family member, whose name is withheld for security reasons, told Morning Star News.

Area Muslims on Dec. 26 set the family’s house ablaze with gas and burned the three members of the family beyond recognition, said a neighbor who had arrived with others too late to save them and the structure.

Kaliro police arrived after the lives had been lost and, after investigating, arrested Wangule Abudu, 62, and Ismail Njagi, 20. The two Muslims were being kept at Kaliro central police station on charges of murder and arson, sources said.

The bodies of the deceased were taken to Bumanya Heath Centre for postmortem.

The attack was the latest of many instances of persecution of Christians in Uganda that Morning Star News has documented.

Jesus told us that persecution comes with being a Christian and that prior to His return, it will escalate to refine the church, and only those totally committed to Jesus will be saved.

“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

Also, it is hard to understand how the Pope and so many others who call themselves Christians believe that we all serve the one God. The Christian God says to love our enemies, and Allah says to kill them.

CHRISTIAN MINISTER, REALTOR FOUND GUILTY OF ‘HATE SPEECH’ FOR POSTING BIBLE VERSES ON SOCIAL MEDIA

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A Virginia realtor and Christian minister has been found guilty by an ethics panel after he quoted Bible verses on social media. 

Wilson Fauber, 70, a longtime realtor with over four decades in the industry, was found in violation of National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) Code of Ethics, which prohibits realtors from using “harassing speech, hate speech, epithets, or slurs” related to “race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation or gender identity.”

The posts in question, which were made years before the NAR’s adoption of the rule in 2020, included Fauber’s views on marriage and human sexuality according to traditional Christian teachings, attorneys said.

In a statement released Thursday through his attorneys at the Founding Freedoms Law Center (FFLC), Fauber said: “In 44 years as a realtor, I have loved and served all people. Regularly, I hear from other faith-based realtors that live in fear of being similarly prosecuted for their faith, and potentially losing their livelihoods, if they don’t hide their faith well enough.” 

The posts, which Fauber shared as part of his personal ministry, went unnoticed until two fellow realtors, who Fauber had never met, filed formal ethics complaints against him. The complaints alleged that his posts violated NAR’s vague “hate speech” rule. The VAR panel determined that Fauber’s views on marriage and sexuality, expressed through Bible verses and Christian doctrine, violated NAR’s Standard of Practice 10-5.

One of the two men who filed the original complaint with the VAR is reportedly an “openly gay man.” Complainants are not typically identified publicly in real estate ethics complaints.

Victoria Cobb, president of The Family Foundation, of which FFLC is a part, called the decision “nothing short of anti-Christian bigotry in the real estate profession,” adding, “Wilson’s punishment will have the effect of chilling the religious speech of over 1.5 million other realtors in the U.S.”

The good news is that this persecution is exactly what Jesus said we can expect before His second coming. This warning from Jesus indicates worse persecution is to come. so we cannot say we have not been warned.

“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

PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS AT RECORD LEVELS

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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.”

PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS ESCALATES AS JESUS RETURN DRAWS NEAR

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Hamas terror attacks on Israel have inflamed Islamic extremist sentiment against Christ followers, said an official with a Swiss-based aid agency.

“Since Oct. 7, 2023, the whole Middle East is on intense fire and might explode any time,” said the official, whose identity is withheld for security purposes. “It seems that all political, social, and human rights achievements in the direction of a possible reconciliation between major foes — Saudi-Iran, or the Israel-Arab world — are now very far away. This of course has direct implications for our persecuted brothers and sisters as they are the most vulnerable and often blamed as being enemies of [the] state.”

The historical suffering of Christians who have converted from Islam in the region has reached a new level, he said. “All accomplished liberal thinking and religious tolerance in the Middle East are now departing, leaving the battleground for fanatism and Islamic radicalization to take over,” the official said.

His agency recently provided aid to a leader of a group of converts from Islam in the Palestinian West Bank. The leader is from a prominent Muslim family, and his sister’s husband, a member of the extremist Salafi branch of Islam, recently discovered he had become a follower of Christ and reported him as an “unbeliever” to his relatives. The leader’s prominent Muslim father threw him and his family out of their house. “He then had to flee and hide with his wife and son in a secret place for his security as the whole situation around Oct. 7th got heated up, and people became more radical,” the official said. “With the funds we received, we helped him to rent a hide-out apartment, and provided some living expenses for his family.”

Tensions have long hit Egypt’s borders. Israel’s military campaign against Hamas has divided opinion among church members in Egypt who are also pining under the devaluation of their currency and rising prices. Atop these difficulties, persecution remains the main challenge for Muslim-background believers like Sara (name changed) — an educated person who loves reading and research. When she; began seeking answers about Islam from her husband and some Islamic experts, they couldn’t give her satisfying answers.

“It is considered blasphemy to ask certain questions, and so her husband and other people around her reacted alertly,” the aid agency official said. “However, Sara felt a strong urge to find the truth and continued asking questions.” She began reading Christian books until she concluded that she wanted to follow Christ, he said. “Her husband discovered a change in her and argued with her until he found out that she became a Christian,” he said. “Sara was pregnant at that time. Her husband beat her so badly that she had to be hospitalized and lost her baby.” When she was able to return home, her husband reported her to police. Sara was imprisoned on false charges.

“After some years she was released but was still punished with having to go to the police station every week, where she had to clean the toilets and sit there for hours,” the worker said. “Our local partner heard of her situation and helped her legally. He also helped Sara to find a safe place to stay and a new place to work.”

Persecuted Christians are receiving both aid and spiritual care to strengthen their faith in the face of suffering. In Africa, the Islamic extremist terrorism in Nigeria that has displaced both Muslims and Christians for more than a decade drove one woman’s family to a camp for the internally displaced, where she came to faith in Christ under the teaching of the Swiss agency’s aid partner. The suffering she endured in four years of living in and out of the camp had left her cynical and prone to lying and cheating, the official said. “There was no visible change in her behavior — it required a lot of patience, love and wisdom from our partner and her team, and it was a lot of work for her, but over time she grew out of her bad habits,” the worker said. “Through the teachings, the Bible study, the coaching and prayer, she experienced the love of God and discovered what it means to follow Jesus.” She opened her heart so the Lord could transform and heal her, Sara said. “God has given me the biggest gift of my life,” she told aid workers. “He removed me from darkness to light, from nobody to becoming somebody.”

In Laos, village authorities opposed to ten families leaving their ancestral religion for Christ recently drove them out of the community into the wilderness. They were left about 8 miles away, without homes, farmland, food, and schooling for their children. “We worked closely with the local church to help them to find land for these 10 families to build a simple house to live in, and our team helped them to build the well for them to have water to drink, and a tile roof for their house,” the aid official said. “We continue to work with the local church to have worship every Sunday in their house church, and we provide continuous support for their livelihood development.”

The increase in the level of antisemitism around the world since Hamas attacked Israel makes no earthly sense and proves Scripture’s revelation that it is spiritual warfare and that we are living in the last days before Jesus returns to restore righteousness and usher in His Millennial Kingdom.

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12

“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

Much of this post was originally published at Christian Daily International 

VICTORIA ELEVATING NEW ANTI-VILIFICATION LAWS TO A STATE RELIGION OPPOSED TO CHRISTIANITY

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The Victorian State government (Australia) wants to expand its anti-vilification legislation to include a laundry list of additional attributes, including disability, gender identity, sexual characteristics, and sexual orientation. If such an expansion is passed, it will become illegal in Victoria to offend people who are disabled, trans, non-binary, or “sexually diverse”. Maximum prison sentences will be up to three to five years.

The legal thresholds for what constitutes vilification will be lowered. Currently, one must “incite hatred” to breach the law. Under the proposed changes, however, speech that is “likely to incite” will become a criminal offence. Under such a standard, almost all speech referring to those with protected attributes – regardless of intent or context – could be deemed criminal. This means journalists, writers, comedians, academics, artists and activists will all be open to prosecution.

This new orthodoxy operates on multiple levels. First, it holds that speech inflicts harm equivalent to physical violence, which means stringent controls must be placed on expression. Second, it establishes a hierarchy of moral authority based on perceived victimhood, where some voices are deemed more virtuous than others. Third, it promotes a series of dogmas about identity, privilege, and systemic oppression that brook no dissent. This means debate is off the table.

Melbourne’s beloved Midsumma Festival, which takes place from January 19 through February 9, 2020—during Australia’s summer—draws tens of thousands of participants from the Melbourne metro area, all over Australia, and, increasingly, throughout the world. The city’s Gay Business Association started the festival in 1988 to celebrate the Melbourne queer community’s arts and culture.

Like any religion, this belief system has its own heresies. Questioning the concept of gender fluidity, expressing concern about biological males in women’s sports, or suggesting that factors other than discrimination might contribute to disparities between groups – all these become dangerous utterances, potentially worthy of legal sanction.

Just as heretics once faced inquisitions for challenging church doctrine, today’s dissenters risk social ostracism, professional ruin, and potentially legal consequences for transgressing this new moral code. Victoria’s shift represents a fundamental reimagining of the role of government in a liberal democracy. Rather than serving as a neutral arbiter, protecting the rights of citizens who have equality before the law, the state is now becoming the enforcer of a particular worldview. It’s a vision where the government not only dictates what citizens can say, but what they must believe.

This will just intensify the persecution of Christians which fulfils one of the many Biblical prophesied end-times signs. It will also ensure Australia comes under the escalating judgement of God.

“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

Taken from an article in The Australian by Claire Lehmann. She is the founding editor of Quillette online magazine.