January/February 2008

Christian Persecution

A look at Christian persecution, past and present


Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 5:10). From the slaughter of Abel, the persecution of the Jewish prophets, the death of Jesus the Messiah, to the mass genocide of Christians today, God’s people have always suffered persecution at the hands of wicked men. This issue covers the persecution of believers throughout history to the present day.

Features

While We Were Sleeping

Unbelievers will go to the mat to prevent dog fighting, but believers won’t do the same to prevent worldwide persecution of their brethren in Christ. Read what is happening while we sleep.

Seeds of the Great Persecution

Ancient Rome was no friend to Christianity. Christians simply didn’t fit in, and they paid a heavy price. Is America following in Rome’s footsteps? See for yourself.

The Everlasting Hatred

Born-again believers and Jewish people have been persecuted for millennia. And, unfortunately, the worst is yet to come. Why? Because of the everlasting hatred.

They Feared Man So Little Because They Feared God So Much

They were boiled in oil, tortured, and persecuted in the most heinous ways. But they endured because they understood an important, eternal truth that we should not forget today.

They Say ‘Peace, Peace’ When There Is No Peace

Islam professes to be a religion of peace. But what many Muslims say and what they do are two different things.


More In This Issue

From Bill Sutter’s Desk Jan/Feb 2008

This year—2008—marks the 60th anniversary of the rebirth of the nation of Israel. On May 14, 1948, the Jewish People’s Council assembled at the Tel Aviv Museum to approve the historic proclamation...

Map of the Middle East.

Eye on the Middle East Jan/Feb 2008

A man identifying himself as a “missionary in Jerusalem” wrote a scathing response to an op-ed piece I wrote recently for The Jerusalem Post. The writer castigated me for my apparent lack of love...

Silhouette of man speaking.

Mainline or Out of Bounds

Leaders of the National Council of Churches U.S.A. (NCC) are fond of reminding us of its size and influence. In fact, a Web site reviewing the organization’s newest yearbook called the NCC...

Bernsteins Today, Baptists Tomorrow

When ultra-Orthodox Rabbi Avraham Bernstein of Freehold Township, New Jersey, decided to hold a Friday evening Shabbat service in his home almost ten years ago, he had no idea he would become...

Persecution Update

COMPASS DIRECT NEWS—Pastor Mark Jaikumar was recovering recently in a private care facility in Bangalore, Karnataka state, India, after being kidnapped and blindfolded and overhearing Hindu extremists’ plans to kill him...

‘Amisha’: The Heroic Housewife

I had never seen a Bible or even touched one. In 2001 I was living with my uncle who abused me and threw chairs at me. I went to a friend’s house...

Making Melody in Your Heart

Being a believer in Jesus is not always easy. In fact, more often than not it brings persecution, trials of all kinds, and many deep valleys through which the child of God must walk.

Rightly Dividing

Jonah’s Rancor

Jonah 4:1–11: If we were writing the book of Jonah, how would we end the story? We’d probably have Jonah rejoicing over being restored from disobedience, rescued from the belly of a fish...

God Is Moral Part Fourteen

In two previous articles concerning morality, we observed biblical descriptions of various types of eyes that reflect the moral condition of a heart. After examining one more type, we will consider two...

Now They Call Me Infidel

Israel has been the object of constant terrorism—a barrage of 9/11s all through its history. As a percentage of their total population, Israel has lost far more lives to terror...

Isaiah 53 and the Messiah of Israel Part Two

Who is the Servant of the Lord presented in Isaiah 53? The answer is critical to understanding the great price God paid for our redemption. Some believe Isaiah 53 does...

Jewish World Update - News

Israel in the News Jan/Feb 2008

ARUTZ-7—The Jewish state’s first Arab minister, Raleb Majadle, has declared that Israeli sovereignty over the Temple Mount is nonexistent and that he will always give his allegiance to Islam over Israel...

Apples of Gold

Zvi Jan/Feb 2008

Our Muslim neighbors are doing all they can to begin a new war. If they succeed, it will not be the first time. I have lived in Israel 60 years...

Daily News from Israel

News Digest — 1/16/26

US President Donald Trump on Thursday night (15th) commented on the start of Phase II of his 20-point peace plan for Gaza...

News Digest — 1/15/26

Israel’s security establishment assesses that even if a US strike  in Iran takes place, there is no certainty that Iran will respond with direct fire...

Israel at War: Week 118

What was it like for the hostages of Hamas following the October 7, 2023 attack? Former hostage David Cunio tells of his own experience...

News Digest — 1/14/26

A number of senior officers stationed at an American air base in the Middle East have been instructed to leave, multiple diplomats claimed...

The People of Iran Are Crying for Freedom!

Widespread protests are intensifying across Iran as demonstrators increasingly call for the removal of...

News Digest — 1/13/26

An anti-Hamas militia claimed responsibility on Monday (12th) for killing a senior Hamas police officer in southern Gaza...

New Digest — 1/12/26

Following an evacuation warning to Lebanese civilians, the IDF confirmed that it had been striking Hezbollah infrastructure in “several areas...

News Digest — 1/9/26

The Hamas-run Gaza civil defense agency said Israeli attacks in the coastal enclave killed at least 13 people late Thursday (8th)...

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