Persecution is Growing

We know that Satan's destructive pattern is to come after the Jews first...and then the Christians. Why?? Because Satan hates whatever God has set apart for Himself. The Jews are God's chosen people...and the Christians are the Bride of Christ.

Last night in Bible study we said a quick prayer for the persecuted Christians in the Middle East and named Egypt as one of the countries we prayed for. Today in the Wall Street Journal we have this headline article; EGYPT'S PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS

A few weeks ago in the coastal city of Marsa Matrouh, an enraged mob of some 3,000 angry Muslims gathered after Friday prayers. After the mosque's imam exhorted them to cleanse the city of its infidel Christians, called Copts, they went on a rampage.

The toll was heavy: 18 homes, 23 shops and 16 cars were completely destroyed, while 400 Copts barricaded themselves in their church for 10 hours until the frenzy died out.

This was only the latest of more than a dozen such attacks during the past year, including in the village of Kafr El-Barbary on June 26, the town of Farshout on Nov. 21, and the village of Shousha on Nov. 23. Then came Naga Hamadi, where passengers in a drive-by car fired at random into Christians leaving a Coptic Christmas service on Jan. 6. The massacre killed seven and left 26 seriously wounded.

Although the Copts have long been the target of sporadic attacks, the violence of the last few years is more like a purge, as waves of mob assaults have forced hundreds, sometimes thousands of Christian citizens to flee their homes. In each incident the police, despite frantic appeals, invariably arrive after the violence is over. Later the injured are coerced by the special security police forces into accepting "reconciliation" with their attackers, in order to avoid the prosecution of the guilty. No Muslim to date has been convicted for any of these crimes.

See it here; http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703745904575248301172607696.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines

So what do you think? Would our Bible studies be a little more intense if we knew that an angry mob may show up at any time to harass, torture or kill us? Do we think we may pray with a little more passion and urgency? Do you think those 400 folks barricaded in their church used the time to argue over traditional or contemporary music in worship?

Friends...persecution refines our faith, purifies it and makes it strong. Of course we say we don't want it because it sounds pretty scary. We say that we would be happiest if God just left us all exactly where we are..... complacent, Biblically ignorant, apathetic, happy-just-as-we-are, Christmas and Easter church attenders.

How messed up is that?

One other thing; how do you think those Copts felt when President Obama, as spokesperson for the free world and this Christian nation, gave a speech in Cairo last year and cozies up close to the corrupt Muslim government that turns a blind eye as Christians are harassed and killed?

President Obama?....could I ask a question?...Whose team are you on anyway??

Jesus Christ said it very plainly, "You are either for me or against me."

So which one is it Mr. Obama? Are you FOR Christ and you believe he is the Son of God?....or are you a little ashamed of Christ when you visit a Muslim nation....all of whom are persecuting Christ?

Honestly folks....I'm not sure how much longer America will stand.