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Luke Gruppen
LA, 8A
Mrs. Roskamp
9 March 2017
Persecution Paper
In 2016, 90,000 Christians were killed. This equaled one every six minutes. God has blessed us as Americans with many resources including the ability to earn money as well as the gift of freedom of religion. With these gifts in our possession, 1 Peter 4:10 says, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” In the end, we must obey God’s Word and give back to God what he has given to us. The total number of Christians killed is horrific. Unfortunately, persecution continues today in places such as Eritrea, however we can do things to make a difference.
The history of Christianity has been very difficult. Multiple leaders have tried to wipe Christians from the face of the planet, one of these people was Roman Emperor Nero. This Roman Emperor was one of the most wicked people that has ever lived. Nero’s mom had poisoned and killed his father so that he, Nero, could rain terror to all people. These leaders showed hatred towards Christians for different reasons. They believed Christians posed a threat to their kingdom because of how the Bible taught
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about only serving God not man. These leaders, like Nero, wanted to be worshiped and exalted above all.
These terrible emperors only wanted one thing. They desired all people to submit to their power and reign. These emperors hated the thought of Christianity so much that they would kill Christians in terrible and gruesome ways. One of those ways was to hang them on a cross, either upside down or upright. Nero would also have Christians be burned on a pole to provide light at his parties. He loved the sound of people screaming and crying out for mercy.
Many modern day Christians in Eritrea have been persecuted or even martyred. Eritrean Christians live in fear for their lives daily. The authorities are always on the lookout for people that support Christianity. If a Christian does not deny his or her faith in Christ, they could be either imprisoned for life or locked in a shipping container to starve to death. If any woman is caught practicing Christianity, the authorities may abuse them sexualy and/or sell them into sex slavery. It is not common for a Christian to be killed by an authority because of the media that could spread quickly. The Christians in Eritrea are suffering. They are our brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, please pray for them!
All over the world people are committing their resources to help these persecuted brothers and sisters. People donate financially on multiple websites like, https://www.opendoorsusa.org/donate/support-christians-in-eritrea/ , to help get these Christians to safety. Other than donating money, other believers are praying daily for
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those who are persecuting Christians and for our fellow believers who are being persecuted. God tells us in Matthew 21:22, “ Whatever you ask in prayer, you will
receive, if you have faith.” God will always listen to our cries and pleads to help his children that are in need and suffering.
The total number of Christians killed is horrific. Unfortunately, persecution continues today in places such as Eritrea, however we can do things to make a difference. God has given Americans money to be able to support a fellow believer that is being persecuted for his or her faith. If we call ourselves followers of Christ, we must obey God’s Word as stated in Proverbs 3:9, “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best fruits of all your produce.” Not only must we financially support these persecuted brothers and sisters we must pray continually for hearts to be changed!
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Works Cited
Reporter, Samuel Smith CP. “90,000 Christians Killed in 2016, 1 Every 6 Minutes: Study.” The Christian Post. Web. 27 Feb. 2017.
“Religious Faith And Persecution In Eritrea.” WorldAtlas. N.p., 19 Aug. 2016. Web. 05 Mar. 2017.
Ferguson, Everett. “Persecution in the Early Church: Did You Know?” Christian History | Learn the History of Christianity & the Church. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2017.
“Nero Persecutes The Christians, 64 A.D.” Nero Persecutes The Christians, 64 A.D. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2017.
“Persecution of Christians.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 05 Mar. 2017. Web. 05 Mar. 2017.
“In the Spotlight: Eritrea, for Crimes against Humanity and Persecution.” Mission Network News. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2017.