Tag: persicution

Following Jesus When It’s Hard: Staying Faithful in a Hating World

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Weathered wooden cross beside a misty mountain lake at sunrise

Following Jesus means standing firmly with Him even when the world rejects His truth, because our identity and hope are found in Christ rather than in human approval. When opposition comes, we can remain faithful with courage, remembering that our Lord was rejected before us and promises to strengthen those who endure with Him.

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. John 15:18–20

In these verses we can see that Jesus prepared His disciples for the reality that following Him will not always be accepted by the world. He reminded them they should not be surprised when they are rejected, opposed, or even persecuted because the world first rejected Him. When we are followers of Christ it means we belong to Him rather than needing to conform to the values of the world. When we encounter criticism or rejection because of our faith, and we will, we can be encouraged, knowing that Christ experienced the same suffering, remained sinless, and still walks with us through it.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, protect me from deception and ground me in your truth. Help so that I do not believe everything that makes me feel good. Help me to always be able to discern what is truth and what is deceptive. In Jesus Name Amen.

Getting to Know Him

Do you want eternal life? Do you want to enter heaven through the only guide that can help you navigate your way there? To enter His home, get to know Him better, and make Him your Lord and Savior CLICK HERE…...

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Burmese Military Occupying Two Churches in Kachin State

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According to civil society sources, militias associated with the Burmese military dictatorship operating in Kachin state are using church grounds for military purposes. The U.S.-based Burma Research Institute (BRI) verified reports of a militia graduation ceremony at Nant Mun Baptist Church in Mohnyin Township.  A building of St. Joseph’s Catholic church was also being used as a militia headquarters, and militia troops ransacked another building in the same complex. The Kachin ethnic community is made up mostly of Christians, and Kachin State stands out in Myanmar for its unusually strong Christian demography. 

The Shanni Nationalities Army (SNA) conducted the ceremony in September. Sources familiar with the situation told BRI that militia members danced and drank alcohol inside the sanctuary during the event.  The incident is part of a broader pattern of military occupation and mistreatment of Christian religious sites in Kachin State, where fighting has displaced much of the local population.  According to UCA News, joint forces of the SNA and Burma’s military have occupied both Nant Mun Baptist Church and the compound of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. The SNA has also used the Baptist church as a military training site; sources report that six batches of recruits have trained there. The SNA, which represents the predominantly Buddhist Shanni ethnic group, is aligned with the military junta and has fought against other ethnic armed organizations, including the Kachin Independence Army.

Joint military-SNA forces advanced into Nantmun in late 2024, forcing hundreds of Christian households to flee. Residents now report that only about 80 Kachin Christian households remain in the town, many unable to relocate because of financial constraints and restrictions on movement.  Kachin Christian leaders in the United States have condemned the occupation of the church and urged the Trump administration to respond.  “I extend my prayers and solidarity to Nant Mun Baptist Church and the Kachin Baptist Convention. I also condemn, in the strongest terms, the Burmese military’s ongoing and severe violations of religious freedom in Burma,” said Zo Tum Hmung, president and CEO of BRI.  Rev. Dr. La Seng Labya, president of the Kachin American Baptist Association, urged the Trump administration to protect Christians in Burma.

Rev. Lakang Dau Qae, general secretary of Kachin Baptist Churches USA, called on the White House to redesignate Burma as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), the U.S. government’s designation for governments responsible for particularly severe violations of religious freedom.  The church desecration comes amid other reported restrictions on Kachin Christians. On June 9, Burma’s military-controlled Supreme Court issued an order revoking the licenses of three Baptist pastors to solemnize Christian marriages.   Christian leaders have faced personal persecution for speaking out against the junta. Rev. Dr. Hkalam Samson, former head of the Kachin Baptist Convention, met with President Donald Trump at the White House in July 2019 to discuss the persecution of Christians in Burma. He was later arrested and sentenced by a military-regime court to six years in prison, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). He has since been released. 

Burma was designated a CPC from 1999 through 2023 because of severe religious freedom violations but has not been redesignated since. In its 2026 annual report, USCIRF recommended that the State Department restore the designation.  A CPC designation could provide a basis for further U.S. diplomatic and economic measures against the military regime, including targeted sanctions and restrictions on assistance.  For Kachin Christians displaced from their homes and unable to return, the occupation of their churches represents another blow to communities already struggling to preserve their religious life amid years of conflict. Their leaders are now asking Washington to respond not only to the desecration of a sanctuary but also to the wider pattern of persecution that continues to threaten religious freedom in Burma. 

Source: Burmese Military Occupying Two Churches in Kachin State – International Christian Concern

And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:4

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Christian’s Death Sentence Upheld in Pakistan

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In 2018, two Christian brothers were sentenced to death over allegations of blasphemy. After about a decade of fighting for their freedom, one brother was acquitted by Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Oct. 7. The other brother, however, is still on death row.  According to Section 295-C of the country’s penal code in Section 295-C, blasphemy against Muhammad is a crime punishable by death: “Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation or by any imputation, innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.” 

Qaisar Ayub, 49, had run a website that spoke out against Islam. He said he had stopped publishing in 2009, but another individual continued running the account under his name. The content caused conflicts between Qaisar and his coworkers, leading to the blasphemy allegations and eventually to charges.  Qaisar was arrested and sentenced to death in 2018. His brother, Amoon Ayub, 46, was given the same sentence for his alleged involvement in his brother’s affairs.  Seeking Mercy CLAAS, an organization that supports victims of religious persecution, has represented their case since the beginning, fighting to appeal before a higher court. “Because of threats from hardliners, lower courts pass their responsibility to the higher court, and then it takes years to prove the accused innocent,” CLAAS-UK director Nasir Saeed said at the time. 

They appealed to the Lahore High Court in 2022, and the court upheld their sentence. Since last year, they have been appearing before the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Earlier this month, the court upheld Ayub’s conviction but found insufficient evidence to continue punishing his brother.  He has been acquitted, but Qaisar’s wife and three children still hold their breath and pray for his release. CLAA-UK said the ruling is “deeply distressing” and it will continue to support him for as long as it takes.  “We welcome the acquittal of Amoon Ayub after so many years of imprisonment, but our relief is overshadowed by the devastating news that his brother Qaiser continues to face the death penalty,” Saeed said. “No family should have to live for so many years under the shadow of a possible execution.” 

Source: Christian’s Death Sentence Upheld in Pakistan – International Christian Concern

Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
Romans 12:15

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24 South Korean Christians Arrested at Nepalese Bible College

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Nepalese Police have arrested 24 South Korean Christians after complaints were lodged against them for “illegal religious teaching, training, and promotion.” Sources in Nepal and South Korea state that the Koreans were arrested at a gathering at the Nepal New Covenant College (NNCC) in Morang District on Oct. 9. NNCC Principal Sarad KC told UCA News that “the visitors were interacting with believers inside a local bible college and not preaching or sharing the gospel in public with the intention of proselytization. The arrest raises fears over targeted hostility towards Christians by the state.”

The NNCC has been teaching theological courses for Nepalese Christians since 2013.  A Negative Trend This incident is yet another example of the growing hostilities toward active Christianity in Nepal. Nepal is more than 80% Hindu and has a relatively small yet fast-growing Christian population of about 1.5 million people (5% of the total population).   Unlike Christians in the neighboring state of India, believers in Nepal have, until recently, been more protected from state-sanctioned discrimination and violence. However, the tide is turning as the persecution that Indian Christians have known for some time slowly bleeds across the border. Several reports have suggested that proximity to India is not the only reason for this shift.

Some evidence suggests that funds have been sent directly from the pro-Hindu nationalists who control India into Nepal, resulting in increased violence toward religious minorities. Christians, Muslims, and Buddhists have seen their sacred buildings, holy ceremonies, and specific individuals targeted by the Hindu majority.  Additionally, there have been increasing reports of South Korean Christians and missionaries being arrested, detained, and discriminated against in Nepal, Russia, and other nations. 

Source: 24 South Korean Christians Arrested at Nepalese Bible College – International Christian Concern

Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.
2 Timothy 1:9

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John 15:18–20

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Bible open to John

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

In these verses we can see that Jesus prepared His disciples for the reality that following Him will not always be accepted by the world. He reminded them they should not be surprised when they are rejected, opposed, or even persecuted because the world first rejected Him. When we are followers of Christ it means we belong to Him rather than needing to conform to the values of the world. When we encounter criticism or rejection because of our faith, and we will, we can be encouraged, knowing that Christ experienced the same suffering, remained sinless, and still walks with us through it.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, protect me from deception and ground me in your truth. Help so that I do not believe everything that makes me feel good. Help me to always be able to discern what is truth and what is deceptive. In Jesus Name Amen.

Getting to Know Him

Do you want eternal life? Do you want to enter heaven through the only guide that can help you navigate your way there? To enter His home, get to know Him better, and make Him your Lord and Savior CLICK HERE…...

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