Church of God News

Artist depiction of Roman Catholic saint Dominic presiding over burning two at the stake

COGwriter

Is persecution for Christians over?

Sadly, no.

And, of course, it is not just Christians that are being persecuted. Various people around the world are being persecuted for their religious beliefs.

Even in the USA, more and more court decisions are going against religious beliefs.

In addition to persecution for those who profess Christ in various Islamic lands, losing religious rights and freedoms in certain Western lands, false statements made against biblical beliefs in the media (including alternative media over the internet), and the promotion of immoral behavior by nations around the world, severe persecution will be coming specifically to true Christians.

We are also seeing more persecution in Hindu-dominated India. Ecumenical News reported the following:

India’s Christians, Muslims face violent persecution from Hindu nationalists that authorities ignore, says report

July 3, 2021

Hindu nationalism is driving a wave of violent persecution against India’s religious minorities where Christians and Muslims face “systematic persecution,” condoned by the authorities, the police, and the media, new research suggests.

he report “Destructive Lies: Disinformation, speech that incites violence and discrimination against religious communities in India,” was produced by the Christian rights group Open Doors.

It was based on research compiled by a team from the London School of Economics (LSE), and says that Christian and Muslim minorities are facing an “existential threat” from mobs of Hindu nationalists known as Hindutva.

“As incidents of collective and individual discrimination, violence and atrocity against Muslims and Christians in India continue to rise, particularly in rural areas, and against Dalit and Adivasi groups, the atmosphere under which India’s Christian and Muslim citizens are living is one of terror and existential threat,” says the report.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made persecution even worse, it says.

“Not only have Christians been deliberately overlooked in the distribution of COVID-19 government aid, they have also been the subject of disinformation relating to the pandemic. These lies have spread across mainstream and social media platforms and apps,” says the report. …

“The apostle Thomas was reputed to be the first follower of Jesus to bring the gospel to what we now call India,” says Dr. David Landrum, head of advocacy for Open Doors UK & Ireland, in the forward to the report.

” For nearly two thousand years the church has been shaping culture and contributing to a positive sense of national identity in this diverse and colorful land.”

He said that recently, the place of the Christians has become precarious.

“With waves of persecution sweeping over religious minorities, Christians are experiencing intense and unprecedented pressure in India,” writes Landrum.

“As the case studies in this report attest, the violent nature of this persecution is not only particularly horrific, it is also systemic and often carefully orchestrated.” https://www.ecumenicalnews.com/article/indias-christians-muslims-face-violent-persecution-from-hindu-nationalists-that-authorities-ignore-says-report/60888.htm

Here is a link to the actual report: https://media.opendoorsuk.org/document/pdf/Destructive%20Lies-Executive-Summary.pdf?_ga=2.39101475.120813576.1625316755-477299356.1625316755

Here are a couple of sections from the report itself:

A hostile state

The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Ajay Bisht (also known as Yogi Adityanath) has consolidated his politics by frequently discriminating against Muslims and/or promoting a hardline Hindu majoritarian ideology. The dominance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the national level and Bisht’s success in Uttar Pradesh has emboldened Chief Ministers in other Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-states to promote similar hardline majoritarian politics. This kind of politics is not only prevalent in political discourse, but also translates to regressive laws (such as those seeking to punish Christians for ‘forced conversions’ or punish Muslims for ‘love jihad’). On the ground, various state actors such as district administrators, lower court judges, police officials and local government bureaucrats use loopholes and misuse procedural provisions to harass religious minority groups.

Role of mainstream and social media

The importance of media narratives is understood and mentioned repeatedly by perpetrators and victims alike. One of the first things that vigilante mobs do is to snatch phones so the victims are unable to document violence, while perpetrators unfailingly make digital records of their own violent actions and then post it to various social media platforms. These posts advertise the perpetrators to other Hindutva groups and politicians as bold Hindu nationalists and consolidate their reputation for safeguarding Hinduism. Second, they serve as a warning to the police that the groups do not see their violence as being against the law, or that vigilantism functions as a parallel law-outside-the-law. Third, they serve as a warning to other religious minority groups, a strong disincentive to practice their faith. Further, when incidents of violence and discrimination occur, mainstream media systematically exclude victims’ accounts from their reportage. Such decisions are often not the direct decision of beat reporters but rather reflect the ethos and say so of the institutional hierarchy which is either risk averse or loyal to powerful Hindutva organizations and parties. As a result, local television and newspapers who cover such instances often echo the version pushed by Hindutva mobs and vigilantes. In some instances where it is not possible to spin the incident against religious minorities, the media simply does not cover the incident.

People should not be persecuted for their faith.

It is sad that this is happening in India. Political gain is a major reason for it according to the report.

As far as being “carefully orchestrated,” we in the Continuing Church of God had to take steps to not be targeted against in India after someone who falsely claimed to be a Church of God leader wanted to set us up. This particular leader also contacted the Living Church of God and I tipped off one of LCG’s evangelists about this a while back. Our deacon in India confirmed that a set-up to target COG Christians was being attempted by Hindu nationalists.

As far as politics go, this seems to be a major factor as outside India, this type of persecution does not seem to happen much from Hindus.

Something else should be pointed out here. Hindus tend to like cooperation and tend to be interested in interfaith matters (e.g. see Hindu leader at Vatican believes religions should follow Church of Rome’s example). Furthermore, a while ago, I was speaking to a Hindu on the island of Bali in Indonesia. I asked told him that the Church of Rome believes that one day, the Hindus would support it. I asked him if he and other Hindus would possibly do that. He told me that he felt, that yes, under the right circumstances, Hindus could support some type of Western religion. He said it was a matter of trust and that if the Hindus decided that they could trust the Church of Rome, then they would somehow support it.

It does not seem like that to many, but changes will take place in India.

While that will stop, or at least greatly reduce, persecution against Greco-Romans there, it would also seem to increase persecution of COG Christians.

Jesus foretold persecution:

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Matthew 5:10-12, NKJV throughout unless otherwise specified).

43 You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you (Matthew 5:43-44).

23 When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes (Matthew 10:23).

35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. (Mark 8:35)

29… Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, 30 who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time–houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions–and in the age to come, eternal life (Mark 10:29-30).

3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, 4 Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?”

5 And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 6 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many. 7 But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. 9 But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them. 10 And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. 11 But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12 Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 13 And you will be hated by all men for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved…” (Mark 13:3-13).

12… they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake (Luke 21:12).

20 If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you (John 15:20).

2… yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. 3 And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. 4 But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you (John 16:2-4).

Many are aware of some of the early persecutions, but few understand what teachings true Christians were persecuted for in the fourth century and beyond–some may seem shocking. At least two major persecutions are prophesied to come. Which doctrines are expected to be causes for the coming persecutions? Are the Greco-Roman churches planning on persecuting Sabbath-keepers, those who do not accept a non-biblical Mary, and those who do not wear crosses?

All the faithful will be subject to persecution and being betrayed by professing believers (Matthew 24:9-13, Mark 13:12-13; Luke 21:16-18; Daniel 11:32-35).

In the past (for details see Persecutions by Church and State), Christians in the Church of God were persecuted because they:

• Kept Passover on the 14th
• Refused to eat unclean meat
• Would work on Sunday
• Had false accusations railed against them
• Were binitarian
• Kept the Sabbath
• Kept the Fall Holy Days
• Were not trinitarian
• Taught that the pope was an Antichrist and precursor of the final Antichrist
• Having and teaching from the Bible
• Rejected papal authority
• Did not accept idols
• Had different teachings than the Church of Rome
• Had writings Rome did not like
• Rejected Roman sacraments
• Objected to the dress of the Roman ministry
• Considered Rome to be the prophesied Babylon
• Taught that in the time of the final Antichrist that some would fall away
• Had practices that Rome considered Jewish
• Refused to baptize infants
• Did not participate in carnal warfare
• Teaching the millennium
• Taught the Kingdom of God
• Baptized adults

Almost all the above were beliefs of original first century Christians. Some of the others did not come on the scene until they were adopted by the Greco-Romans and then later denounced by the faithful.

In the future, according to Greco-Roman Catholic teachings, they ALSO will be persecuted for:

• Not accepting non-biblical teachings about Mary
• Not accepting the Great Monarch (Beast, King of the North)
• Teaching that the Kingdom of God will come soon
• Not wearing crosses
• Keeping the biblical Sabbath in accordance with the commandments
• Possessing/advocating writings that disagree with the Church of Rome
• Teaching after the Great Tribulation begins that Jesus will return within a few years

Christians have been persecuted for holding doctrines that we in the Continuing Church of God hold and are clearly expected to be persecuted in the future for holding Continuing Church of God doctrines.

Sadly, in the 21st century, holding to many biblical positions is considered extremist and even dangerous by various government officials in the West.

Do not believe that all persecution is limited to Asia, Africa, or the Middle East.

The Book of Daniel shows a two-part persecution coming from a European leader (I added the a and b below for emphasis):

25 a He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand b For a time and times and half a time. (Daniel 7:25)

First of all (a), he shall persecute certain of the saints, which is consistent with what Jesus said was coming:

9 “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. (Matthew 24:9-14)

Much of the above will affect the Philadelphian Christians (cf. Revelation 12:13), but they will later be protected (Revelation 3:8-10) in the wilderness for a time, times, and half a time (Revelation 12:14-16; see also There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra). Part of why they will be persecuted is for proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and probably also for identifying the coming King of the North, who will not wish to be identified that way. This will likely result in internet and other restrictions on getting the truth of God out to the world (cf. Amos 8:11-12).

Second of all (b), the remaining saints will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. This is the portion of the COG, the non-Philadelphians, who are NOT protected in the wilderness as Revelation 12:17 shows this separation:

17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12:17)

While many in the Church of God have experienced economic and social persecution in their walk with Christ, future severe persecution, beginning first with the Philadelphia remnant of Christians, is expected.

Persecution is a fact of history. It has happened before and we should be prepared for the fact that it will happen again. And during the time of the final persecutions, the Bible records:

12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12).

Thus, though the Philadelphian Christians will be subject to intense persecution first, before this, even the Laodiceans (The Laodicean Church Era) and other Christians will receive some praise if they endure the persecutions that will then come during the time of “the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world” (Revelation 3:10).

While many seem to not wish to pay attention to this subject, the reality is that persecution has existed throughout history against those who hold to true Christian doctrines. Jesus predicted that as well as more persecution to come. Some may be shocked by certain doctrines that Christians have been persecuted for (and often persecuted by others who profess to be Christian).

Since more persecution is coming, remember that Jesus said to pray for God’s Kingdom to come (Matthew 6:10).

Also, please pray for God’s protection now for the Christians in India.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, July 3rd, 2021 at 7:45 am and is filed under Prophecy, Religious News.

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