Transcript: Christian Persecution Trends: Understanding Global Faith Suppression

Hello and welcome back people. My name is Vizadeh Afshad. This is Chris Bridging in a very, very serious video today. We look for the signs of the end times. Christian persecution is clearly one of the signs of the end times. It's interesting that in Matthew 24 it talks about the increase of wickedness so we are anticipating an increase of christian persecution as we know the darkness hates the light and as the wickedness grows you expect to see an increase in persecution and according to statistics that we'll go into later on uh it has actually risen so today's video is all about evidence of what is happening right now yeah so let's open up with a scripture because jesus has warned us that persecution will happen and he says in matthew chapter 24 verse 9 you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death and you will be hated by all nations all nations because of me because of jesus so we are seeing this happen to christians all across the world today so what is persecution well persecution can be oppression discrimination verbal or physical abuse punishment or torture and as jesus said some christians will be put to death for their faith and they are on the 29th of december 2016 so a few weeks ago this story broke Christians are the world's most persecuted religious group. So where is persecution happening today? We'll take a look at this map from Open Doors. This is the 2017 World Watch List and the link is in the description box below. And they highlight 50 countries where it's most difficult to live as a Christian. And these are the places where Christians face beatings, imprisonment, discrimination and abuse. And worldwide, the persecution of Christians has risen for the fourth year in a row, with Asia particularly showing a rapid rise. Each month, 322 Christians are killed for their faith. Wow. 214 churches and Christian properties are destroyed. and 772 forms of violence are committed against christians such as beatings abductions rapes arrests and forced marriages so now i would like to show you some headlines from the end of december 2016 to the end of january 2017 to show how bad things are and you won't believe guys what has been going on okay first headline 22nd of december nepal church leaders found guilty of witchcraft and violence for helping mentally ill woman even though she testified in court in their favor saying she was now better and the four are now sentenced to five years in prison first of january a local court in China sentenced a Christian woman to three years in prison for holding a Bible study 2nd of January Sekur which is a city in Pakistan mob attack on Christians leaves 10 injured Victims threatened to vacate their houses 2nd of January, ISIS claims responsibility for Istanbul nightclub massacre and the ISIS-linked Agency said this is where Christians were celebrating their pagan feast. 4th of January, China. Several Christians in China were hospitalized with serious injuries after gang members hired by authorities attacked them for resisting the destruction of church property. 11th of January, Indonesia. Islamic extremists get local official removed because he is Catholic. 11th of january a christian village in northern nigeria was attacked by islamist militants at the weekend leaving 10 dead it's awful 13th of january missing mexican priest found dead another martyr to drug cartels he is the latest of more than 30 priests to have been killed in mexico since 2006 and most of them in areas plagued by drug violence. 16th of January, Buddhists destroy a church in Sri Lanka. Christians continue to pray under a tree. 16th of January, Syria. Christians are being killed for refusing to deny Jesus. 19th of January, concern mounts for missing religious freedom activists in Pakistan. four activists who've been defending the rights of christians went missing in pakistan earlier this month 19th of jan this is china again i believe six christian women face charges for organizing religious activities so again it was a bible study in china 25th of january now india indian christian suffers a brain hemorrhage hours after police interrogation for evangelizing 25th of january uh nigeria nigerian christians decry demolition of churches authorities demolished two church buildings 25th january north korea is once again the world's worst persecutor of christians 26th of jan suspected christian converts in somalia rushed through public beheadings without trial converts to christianity in the country have been facing massive problems and their killing is very common 26th of january five Coptic Christians brutally murdered in Egypt bodies found with throats slashed 29th of January Nigeria Boko Haram destroyed over 900 churches in the north and finally 30th of January pastor ate others missing in Uganda after Muslims beat and rape congregation okay guys so that that was just literally the month of January so it a four period and as you can you can tell it it horrific and it happening all across the world all the time you know people are literally being killed for being a Christian yeah it's targeted so that so around the world there's lots of gun crime and rob and theft and robberies and murder and all that sort of stuff but these really are targeted uh events and it's almost like there's a there's a spirit that that draws people to want to attack christians that's how that's how it feels it feels like well you're saying being wickedness will increase it's the darkness isn't it really trying to trying to put the light out it's like the darkness wants to attack christians it just wants to go you know go after christians for some reason with scripture isn't it like the lord said you'll be hated by all nations because of me so it's it's the word of god really coming to pass and yes it's been going on for centuries we know but um it definitely has been it is it is on the rise in our time anyway in our generation uh it seems to be on the rise in mainly parts of mainly parts of asia and um yeah it's just there's not much we can really say about it apart from the fact that these people we should you know pray for those people who are who are suffering but also importantly jesus tells us to pray for those who persecute us as well so we shouldn't hate we shouldn't hold unforgiveness we shouldn't seek revenge on these people we should pray for them uh that's very i think it's really important um and jesus actually says that you may be sons of your father in heaven you know pray pray for these people so um doesn't mean you agree with who no you're saying pray for the people that are actually doing the persecution yeah and yeah i'll pray for both yeah jesus says pray for those who persecute you yeah you may be sons of your father in heaven um so so pray for the people doing the persecution because there's there have been you know we've seen stories of isis militants who've come to jesus oh absolutely so you know we've all come from the darkness into the light at some point so um everyone needs our prayers whether it's those who are suffering or those who are doing the persecution doesn't mean you like it doesn't mean agree you agree with it and it doesn't mean you're happy with it but no lord does say pray for them so yeah definitely pray for the hearts to change definitely yeah guys it is a heavy subject about persecution but the lord jesus gives us hope an eternal hope and if we're seeing these people being beaten and persecuted and killed the scripture is really clear about this eternal salvation and eternal glory and it is quite hard for us to quantify but there's some scripture isn't it that you that you have there's a few pieces of scripture yes there's the beatitudes where jesus says blessed are those who are persecuted for theirs is the kingdom of heaven and and he also says in revelation 20 chapter 4 he says i saw the souls of those who have been beheaded because of their testimony for jesus and because of the word of god they came to life and reigned with christ a thousand years so there's this eternal perspective that that they will be blessed and they will be rewarded for for you know not denying jesus for keeping the faith so there is you know there's always hope is the message that we're trying to give there's always hope of a better future for anyone who is suffering could be you could be suffering uh where you live you could be persecuted for your faith but guys stand strong in the faith because ultimately you will be rewarded for it it yeah it comes yeah that eternal perspective so some people could actually have a horrible life through being persecuted um but there is hope there is it it this isn this isn it guys there's something a lot more to come definitely it's really hard to sort of fathom it's a really tricky tricky subject isn't it chris but it but it is yeah we are calling people into salvation aren't we we are calling people into that eternal hope as well because the only hope that can come in life is is coming to the lord jesus christ um definitely yeah and as jesus says i love this piece of scripture it's going to finish off with this and we'll just finish there jesus said uh i am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die believest thou this do you believe this The Lord Jesus wants you to come to him just as you are. He wants you to come to him no matter what you have done in your life, no matter what mistakes you have made. He is kind, understanding and always forgiving. He cares very much about each one of us. maybe you are unsure if you really have given your heart fully to the Lord Jesus maybe you would like to say yes to him for the very first time or maybe you would like to recommit your life to the Lord Jesus and start afresh today the Bible says salvation is found in no one else for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. The Bible also says if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved. If you'd like to hand your life to the Lord Jesus and put your hope and trust in him then please repeat this prayer. Dear Lord Jesus, please hear my prayer. I know you gave your life for me and I know that you are alive today. Please forgive my sins. Come into my heart and make your home with me. Thank you for being my Lord and Saviour. Amen. Thank you.