BiblicalInsights.net

Fox News had a guest on Oct. 18 named Johnnie Moore.  Moore wrote a book titled, The Martyrs’ Oath.  The book reveals the current levels of persecution of Christianity around the world.  The word Christianity is used in the general sense of those who follow Jesus Christ and affirm faith in Him.  Moore said that 322 Christians (general sense of the word) are killed every month.  Additionally, he said that 214 churches are destroyed every month.  He said that there are 70,000 Christians imprisoned in North Korea.  North Korea is a communist country.  In some Muslim nations, Christianity has nearly been eliminated.
World Watch List (2017) (Open Door ministries) is an annual report on global persecution of Christianity.  The report ranks the top 50 nations involved in persecuting Christians.  The rankings are determined by five areas of Christian life:  private life, family life, community life, national life and church life.  The criteria for rankings also include violence against Christians and churches.
The report lists eight engines of persecution.  The first is Muslim extremism.  Nine of the top ten countries persecuting Christianity today are Muslim: Somalia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, and Eritrea.  The second is communist and post-communist oppression.  North Korea is the number one nation in the world persecuting Christianity today.  As noted above, 70,000 Christians are imprisoned in North Korea among the twelve prison camps scattered throughout the country.  The other six engines of persecution are: religious nationalism, ethnic antagonism, denominational protectionism, organized corruption and crime, secular intolerance and dictatorial paranoia.  Two hundred and fifteen million Christians experience persecution in the top 50 countries which persecute Christianity.
Three facts to consider are: (1) worldwide persecution of Christianity has risen for the past 4 years. (2) North Korea is the number one nation persecuting Christianity and has been since 2002. (3) Islamic extremism fuels persecution in 14 of the top 20 countries and 35 of the top 50 countries persecuting Christianity.
There is not only a culture war occurring in the United States and other places, but there is a spiritual war being waged worldwide.
Jesus spoke of persecution in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:11-12).  Those who follow Jesus will be persecuted from many different sources and in many different ways.  However, great is their reward in heaven for being willing to suffer for His name’s sake. Jesus warned His disciples, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matt. 10:6).  Jesus also said, “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved” (Matt. 10:22).  The apostle Paul wrote of true Christians, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (II Tim. 3:12).  Paul knew this first hand because he has suffered much for the cause of Christ being stoned, beaten, and imprisoned (II Cor. 11:21-27).
Paul words to Timothy are especially needed in the face of persecution, “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (II Tim. 2:3). Satan uses persecution to separate Christians from God.  Jesus warned of this in Luke 8:13 in the Parable of the Sower.  “They on the rock are they, which when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.”  The parallel passage in Matthew 13:21 specifically mentions tribulation and persecution as reasons why some become offended and give up on God.
Persecution tests faithfulness to God.  “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” (Rev. 2:10).