Appeal: persecuted church

Work camps, stonings, being hunted in the dead of night and heckled for your beliefs - these strong images bring back the horrors of 20th Century Europe. But the real horror is when we realise that this is not just history - this is happeneing now. Christians are being killed today.

I am blessed that I live in a country that allows freedom of religion. We are encouraged to learn more about different faiths and taught not to discriminate people against what they choose to believe. But this isn't the case for the whole of the world. Sadly, this is not the case for the majority of the world. Christians live in fear all over the world, fear that their homes will be raided and they'd be arrested or killed simply for following Jesus. Lovers of Christ meet up in secret, in underground dug-outs in order just to have simple fellowship, just to have church. They risk their lives if they share their faith and talk about Jesus. They aren't just sought out, they are ruthlessly killed, in cold blood.

    Recent reports have shown that in countries like Iraq, Christians are being hunted down and crucified. If they do not denounce their faith and accept the ways of life condoned by the murderers they are killed. Every year around 163,000 Christians are killed. 200 million Christians are being persecuted world wide. These people cannot pray or openly talk about their faith. They are murdered for no reason other than Jesus.

You may not think this is a cause necessarily close to your heart - but how can it not? Our brothers and sisters are being killed,  for no crime. Tortured, whilst remaining innocent. Humiliated, for loving Christ. This situation needs to be sorted. We need to pray and petition. We need to pray for our governments to open their eyes, for the captives to be set free, for extremist groups to be destroyed in Jesus name