Matthew 24:9-14 – “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.  10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  14 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.”  NKJV 

When I look around the world and see Christians beheaded by Islamic jihadist for no other reason than they are Christian it causes me to look more and more to the Eastern Sky for the return of our LORD.  The persecution of Christians is horrific in various parts of the world and while we are not experiencing that level of physical persecution here in the United States the concerted attack on Christianity is a present day reality.  Religious freedoms are being attacked regularly as the effort to cause believers to violate their convictions or suffer the consequences occurs.  The enemies of our faith have not taken us to the execution chamber yet for being Christians but are attempting to silence our voice, alter our lifestyles and force us to cast away our convictions and submit to the demands of anti-biblical groups and government edicts.

I am thankful that I live in America even with her flaws and the increasing assault on anything resembling fundamental beliefs and moral convictions.  We are still relatively free to worship and live as we choose.  I say that knowing that the day will come when we will not enjoy that liberty in direct violation of the Constitution of these United States of America.  The words of our Lord in John 9:4 – “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.”  We have a window of opportunity and we must be aware of the time of our visitation and do the work of the Kingdom.

Let me give you a list of some of the worst countries for believers, per some statistical findings:

1. North Korea 92/100             11.  Maldives                78/100
2. Somalia 90/100                   12.  Saudi Arabia         77/100
3. Iraq 86/100                          13.  Libya                     76/100
4. Syria 83/100                        14. Yemen                   76/100
5. Afghanistan 81/100             15. Uzbekistan            69/100
6. Sudan 80/100                     16.Vietnam                 68/100
7. Iran 80/100                         17. Central African Republic   67/100
8. Pakistan 79/100                 18. Qatar                     64/100
9. Eritrea 79/100                    19. Kenya                    63/100
10. Nigeria 78/100                   20. Turkmenistan        63/100  

           Other nations on the list include India, Ethiopia, Egypt, Djibouti, Myanmar, Palestinian Territories, Brunei, Laos, China, Jordan, Bhutan, Comoros, Tanzania, Algeria, Colombia, Tunisia, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Mali, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Mauritania, United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait.

In fact, if you examine most of the world you will find that it does not welcome Christians and while many tolerate us we are not considered valuable or viable members of society.  I find people expressing deep frustration when the world comes against them as though it were strange or unexpected.  Jesus and the writers of the Bible warned it Persecution would be normal for the believer who stands for God.  Therefore follow the directive of James and learn to “Count it all Joy” when persecution comes.  God will provide a shelter in the storm and a way of escape if it is more than you can bear even if that way out is promotion to heaven.

The world hates us because of our love for the LORD but take heart God is still on the throne and has not forgotten nor forsaken you.  Your redemption draws near!   God bless you as you go through this day!