Matters of Life and Death: February 8th, 2015
Pastor Eric J. Hanson:
Luke 21:10-19
Jesus warned about persecution.
“They will put some of you to death”.
The Most Persecuted People in the World…
Now let’s consider specific nations.
North Korea
(just under 25 Million)
70,000 believers in slave labor prison camps. (1/4 of all believers in the nation)
Unimaginably cruel and demeaning ways believers have been murdered through the years.
Somalia
(about 10 Million)
Located on the horn of Africa with a long Indian Ocean coast, and infamous for modern pirates
Christians have no protection whatsoever from Islamic persecution.
Iraq
(About 36 million)
It was already hard to be a Christian there, but ISIS has made it much harder.
Christians have fled the country in great numbers, with the amount of them down from 10% to under 5% of the nation’s population.
Many have been butchered in horrible degrading ways. ISIS has made things much worse than they already were.
Syria
(about 18 Million)
Isis has made thing much worse here.
10% of the population is Christian, at least in a formal sense.
Similar things happening here as in Iraq.
Even under the Government there, disappearances, imprisonment without charges, etc are common.
Afghanistan
(31 million people)
Christians are a tiny minority of less than 1% of the population.
Taliban and others murder them with impunity.
Jewish Community all fled around 2000. There are none left.
The rest of the 10 worst of the last year. (World Watch)
Sudan
Iran
Pakistan
Eritrea
Nigeria
Don’t Panic
Jesus said “I will build my Church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.” –Matthew 6:18
Visions and dreams of Jesus are happening in the most closed countries in the World.
Pray and stand with the persecuted Church. John 11:25: “I am the resurrection and the life. If anyone believes in me and dies, yet shall he live.”
