Churches and believers everywhere are increasingly being harassed and threatened

By Greg Holt

“⁹ wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.”  2 Timothy 2:9

(ICB)  What thought comes to mind when reading this verse?  Does this verse not remind you of what is happening all across the world today, including in the U.S.?

In 2015 in a community college, a shooter asked people what their religion was.  If they answered “Christian”, he shot them in the head.  The anti-Christian connection was largely ignored by the media.

Author Michael Brown made this observation:

But we do know there is a growing national climate of extreme hostility towards Christianity, and from professional news media to popular social media, it is open season on committed followers of Jesus.

Pastors that held church services despite the ridiculous COVID shutdown nonsense were arrested and threatened.  A Canadian pastor was pulled over on a public roadway and arrested for “inciting” people to go to church.  In the U.K., a pastor simply defined marriage as being between one man and one woman – except that he dared to do so in public – he was arrested for doing so.

Churches and believers everywhere are increasingly being harassed and threatened.  Pastors, Churches, and those who worship the Lord are seen as public enemies.

In other countries people are being jailed, beaten, and even killed for daring to worship and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Faith has a cost to these people, and a very steep one at that.

Open Doors states that eight “Christians” are killed every day for their faith in Jesus, that number is likely very much on the low side.

Boko Haram is a vicious Muslim organization that kills many who worship Jesus.

“When the terrorists busted in, my husband shot everyone that came through the door. He had thirty-six rounds and fired them all. I saw eight people fall dead, and I watched others run away injured. Then he was out of bullets,” Rose stated. “They came in and ordered him to lie down. That’s when they cut off my husband’s head entirely, then our children’s heads.”  (Source)

Sami went through being shot at multiple times and survived only to face even worse things:

Despite his escape, Sami’s family was not pleased to hear that he had prayed to Christ. He stated that his own father even told terrorists to kill him. When he was eventually caught by the angry Muslims, he was jailed in the cellar of an “Islamic court.”

Sami stated that he was hung from his hands for three days from the ceiling of a tomb and tortured using brutal instruments for 15 days. He said that he was also electrocuted.  (Source)

In China Bibles cannot be purchased anymore, unless of course it the CCP’s version of it.  Crosses are being removed, churches shut down, pastors are being jailed, congregants are being abused and threatened.

Yet despite the threats, beatings, jail time, torture and killings – faith in Jesus Christ continues to spread worldwide – “but the word of God is not bound.”

Take some time today and pray for these persecuted brothers and sisters.  Pray that you would have their amazing faith in Christ.