To the Editor:
The first and second Sundays in November (3rd and 10th) are designated by various Christian organizations worldwide as the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. See www.idop.org or The need to make some changes to student loans www.persecuted.com. There are over 200 million Christians in 60 countries currently suffering. They are real and they are our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. Christians are uniting in prayer for the persecuted church in the spirit of oneness that Jesus commanded in 1 Cor. 12:26, “for if one suffer, we all suffer!” Hebrews 13:3 says, “Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.”
The American media and world media does their best not to cover Christian persecution. Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders all refused to use the words “Christian” or “Churches” in Sri Lanka statements after Muslim Islamic Easter attacks kills over 250 Christians and wounded hundreds more according to www.nowtheendbegins.com. They all said Easter worshipers were attacked and never mentioned Muslims did the killing so as to not offend Muslims. Christians don’t worship Easter and have never been called Easter worshipers. Obama, Clinton, Sanders and most of the media may have Christophobia and like demons tremble at the name of Jesus. One day soon they will mention the name of Jesus. One day the Bible says, “every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord!”
According to www.opendoorsusa.org each month an average of 322 Christians are killed for their faith in Jesus, 214 churches and Christian properties are destroyed, 772 Christians have violence committed against them such as beatings, abduction, rapes, arrests and forced marriages. According to the U.S. Department of State, Christians in more than 60 countries face persecution from their governments or neighbors simply because of their belief in and love for Jesus. Where does Christian persecution occur? Almost all persecution is directed against Christians living in Islamic and Atheist Communist countries. Why does persecution occur? In the case of North Korea, China and other communist countries authoritarian governments work to control all religious expression and thought because they want all loyalty to be to their country and to its rulers. The Bible tells us why Islamic people kill Christians. John 16 says, “…the time will come, that who ever kills you (Christians) will think they are doing God service. These things they do because they have not known God the Father nor me (Jesus).” The Bible says those who love death hate God.
The Bible tells Christians to take a stand for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus and be a voice for the voiceless in Hebrews 13 and Psalm 82. The Bible tells us in Matthew 5, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven…” Persecuted Christians don’t ask us to pray that persecution would end, but rather ask us to pray that they stand strong through the persecution. They don’t wish to be delivered from the persecution, but rather ask us to pray that they would be able to forgive their persecutors and overcome the trials they are facing in a way that is honoring to God. Hardship allows us to know Jesus more deeply and through storms Christians discover the love of Jesus in new and powerful ways. Rev. 12:11 says, “They overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb (Jesus) and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” For Christians overcoming is much greater than deliverance!
Today just like in the book of Acts in the Bible, Christians are persecuted all over the world for loving and following Jesus. In fact, Christians are the world’s most persecuted and victimized people. More Christians are suffering than at any time in world history. Over 60 million Christians in China alone are persecuted. One Savior. One church. One family. These are our family, our brothers and sisters and we must stand with them and kneel in prayer for them!

D.D. Nave
Elizabethton