Corbin Vandenbrink
Mrs. Roskamp
LA, 8C
9 March 2017
Christians are the most persecuted people in the world, almost 200 people are killed every month for believing in Jesus. Being Christians we need to be open to our brothers and sisters in Christ, and pray for them. Christians have been being persecuted in the past and are still being persecuted in countries today, such as, Kazakhstan; however, there are so many things we can do to help our fellow Christians face these battles.
One of the earliest signs of persecution and martyrdom was shortly after Jesus death. A Roman emperor named Nero hated the Christians for no good reason. One night a circus burst into flames in the poorer, more povertized region of Rome. Nero sat in his comfortable palace and watched as the city became engulfed in flames. The fire burned a third of rome killing thousands of Romans. Nero was afraid that the people were going to begin blaming him so he told them all that the Christians were responsible for the fire. The Romans turned on the Christians and killed many of them, crucifying them, burning them, and covering them in hides and meat and sending dogs after them.
As the persecution spread through Rome the Christian’s numbers began to dwindle. High people among the Christians were targeted by the angry Romans. While this was going on Nero thought up a new way to persecute, even more brutal and crazy than the past. He held parties at his house and as the day faded to night and the light left the courtyard of his palace, he began to
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make “torches.” He took the captured Christians and doused them in flammable gases and liquids. He tied them to stakes in his courtyard and burned them alive to provide light for his guests. One more gruesome way that Nero himself would persecute the Christians was that he would ride through his yard on a chariot trampling Christians and killing them. While he did this he pranced around his chariot, laughing at the people he had just crushed.
There were also other emperors who persecuted Christians in gruesome ways. Two more were Claudius and Decius, they both persecuted many Christians in ways similar to Nero. Neither of them were as bad as Nero but they both killed many Christian leaders and believers. They both felt opposed and endangered by the Christian faith and thought that the Christians may soon try to overthrow them. So, they followed the path of persecuting and began slaughtering the believers. Claudius came just before Nero and he was a fairly wise leader. He was wise when it came to staying away from wars, but he was not smart when he decided to kill Christians. Decius came after Nero, He killed tons of Christians because he thought that they were a threat to his plan to spread the main Roman religion at that time, Polytheism. Many Christians were arrested and tortured under the rule of Claudius and Decius.
People in Kazakhstan are persecuted every day. All though it may not be in the most extreme way, many of the Christians face different types of persecution. One specific story of persecution is the story of Pastor Maximov. Mr. Maximov had been rejoicing after successful pushes toward religious freedom in Kazakhstan when his push took a backward step. His church was raided along with many others and lost many bibles, documents, and technology. This broke
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down many churches because they couldn’t afford to restock themselves with new bibles and document that had been stolen. “This” he said, “Is a backward step for the Christians of Kazakhstan!”
One more story is the story of persecution in Kazakhstan is the story of a young Christian named Nygmet. Nygmet got into a heated argument with his father about the bible he had kept hidden. His father, non religious, was pressured by his friends, who are Islamic, to burn the bible and convert his son to Islam instead of following the belief of Jesus. The boy was shocked that his father would do this kind of thing to him just because his friends told him to. The fighting and arguing has made Nygmet’s spiritual journey much harder and has produced new struggles for his family. Most Kazakh believers face a similar tragedy for their faith in Jesus and need prayer.
There are many ways that people are helping the persecuted. A few they are helping are, praying, volunteering, advocating, donating, educating, and writing letters. Prayer is probably the most effective and simple way. When we give God our problems and pray for others, he takes control, we know that we can rely on God and that he was the greatest power against the devil. Volunteering is also a very good way to help the persecuted. When people volunteer to host events or help out at them, they are spreading the news of persecution educating others and encouraging them to help. Another way to help simply is to advocate, when people use their voices for the persecuted, it can be used in great ways! Even if it seems that no one is listening or caring. There are always people willing to listen to what you have to say about the persecuted
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church. Donating money, time, or resources, can be a very good way to help the persecuted, it helps them to know that other people are there and are caring for them.
In Conclusion, Christians have been being persecuted in the past and are still being persecuted in countries today, such as, Kazakhstan; however, there are so many things we can do to help our fellow Christians face these battles. Persecution is a real issue around our world and it is good for you to educate yourself on topics that may seem so far beyond you. I know that for myself living in a secure country like the US where rarely anything terrible happens, it is hard to understand that this could be happening. I think that one of the best ways that I can help is to educate myself and to pray. Two simple things that can change my perspective on the world around me and change my view of my own faith and other Christians.
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Websites Cited
https://www.opendoorsusa.org/take-action/pray/kazakhstan-church-raids-are-a-backward-step/
https://www.febc.org/christians-in-kazakhstan-facing-increased-scrutiny-and-persecution
https://www.opendoorsusa.org/take-action/
http://www.persecution.org/category/countries/asia/kazakhstan/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nero