Christian Persecution.

phipps

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Does the Bible support religious liberty?

Even when bringing up the idea of humanity’s freedom of choice, there are some who wonder if religious liberty is indeed a biblically-supported concept. After all, wasn’t the nation of Israel a theocracy? In other words, didn’t the Hebrews’ government require its citizens to worship God?

The answer is a bit complicated. It’s true that Israel was technically a church-state instituted by God. They were commanded to abstain from the pagan worship practices of the nations around them (Exodus 20:2-3)—some of which were outright harmful, perverse, or dangerous.16

Additionally, the Israelites were a nation already identified as believers (Joshua 24:16-21). And rather than enforcing worship to God on the rest of the world, they were to be a light to the nations around them (Isaiah 49:6).

Their main goal was to witness to others about God.

And the world is vastly different today. The world has grown much bigger than a collection of militaristic nations centered around one religion. Due to globalization, more countries are full of people who practice a variety of religions.

And now, instead of spreading the gospel through one nation, God has believers all over the world that lovingly seek to finish this work.

Ancient Israel was ultimately unsuccessful in witnessing to the nations around them. Because of this, Jesus opened the way for everyone, not just what we’d come to call the “children of Israel,” to help spread the gospel (Acts 18:4-6).

As we can find by reading the New Testament, God no longer has a special nation of followers. Instead, people from all over the world choose to serve Him.

It’s not the church’s job to police people, or to punish or condemn them in the name of God. Romans 14:5 encourages every individual to be “fully convinced in his own mind” (CSB). And 1 Corinthians 10:29 cautions against a person’s freedom being “judged by another person’s conscience” (CSB).

Instead, the commission to all believers is to share the gospel, make disciples, and open the door for the Holy Spirit to personally convict each person (Matthew 28:18-20). And it works out much better this way because God knows men’s hearts in a way we never can (1 Kings 8:39). He has no bias against them, He is only seeking their best interest, and He will never violate their freedom to choose their allegiance.

Jesus will never push anyone to accept Him. The Bible says that Jesus merely knocks, leaving it our choice to answer (Revelation 3:20).
 

A Freeman

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Christ, on the Jews and their future:-

Matthew 21:19 And when he saw a fig tree (representing the Jews - Jer. 24) in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

Matthew 21:42-43
21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the Scriptures, The Stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the Head of the Corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
21:43 Therefore say I unto you, The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a NATION bringing forth the fruits thereof (the "10 lost tribes" - the "House of Israel").

And Christ, in what the "Christians" call "the great commission":-

Matthew 28:18-20
28:18 And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
28:19 Go ye therefore, and make DISCIPLES of all nations, baptizing them with the Holy Spirit: in my name (The Saviour),
28:20 Instructing them to observe (and DO) all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, [even] unto the end of the world (age). Amen.

And finally from Christ, on the very few who shall actually be redeemed from the Earth (Matt. 7:13-14; Matt. 20:16; Matt. 22:14):-

Revelation 7:4-9
7:4 And I HEARD the number of them which were sealed: [and there were] sealed an hundred [and] forty [and] four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
7:5 Of the tribe of Judah [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad [were] sealed twelve thousand.
7:6 Of the tribe of Asher [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Naphtali [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasseh [were] sealed twelve thousand.
7:7 Of the tribe of Simeon [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar [were] sealed twelve thousand.
7:8 Of the tribe of Zebulun [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph/Ephraim [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin [were] sealed twelve thousand.
7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could count (which is why he was told in verse 4), of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the Throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

Revelation 14:1-4
14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the Mount Sion, and WITH him (Matt. 12:30) an hundred forty [and] four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.
14:2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many "waters", and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
14:3 And they sung as it were a New Song (Isaiah 42:10) before the Throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that "Song" except the hundred [and] forty [and] four thousand, which were redeemed from the Earth.
14:4 These are they which were not corrupted by women; for they are pure. These are they which follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, [being] the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb (obeying God NOT women).

It should be self-evident from the verses above that Christ COMMANDED His TRUE followers to go and make DISCIPLES of all nations, NOT "Christians".

It should be equally obvious that ONLY those who are WITH Christ during His Second Coming, all of whom are TRUE Israelites who have learned -- as their true, spiritual self -- to keep The Law that God gave us, will be redeemed from the Earth.

There is no other way home, to heaven.
 

A Freeman

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Something to bear in mind is that the Israelite nations converted to "Christianity" long ago.

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Graphic above from:

So it isn't surprising to see the persecution of "Christians", which will continue to increase, as Lucifer/Satan/Iblis targets them in his war to destroy the "Elect".
 

phipps

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Republicans Voting for Bill That Could Make 'Bible Illegal' Outrages MAGA.

MAGA conservatives voiced outrage at Congressional Republicans voting for the Antisemitism Awareness Act over concerns it would make the Bible illegal.

Congress on Wednesday passed the bill, which would require the Department of Education to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism when enforcing anti-discrimination laws. It comes as colleges across the United States have seen pro-Palestinian protests that critics say at times have allegedly veered into antisemitism.

"Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities," the definition reads.

The bill drew bipartisan criticism, with both Democrats and Republicans voting against it. Critics argue the bill, if signed into law, stifles free speech that is protected by the U.S. Constitution and is overly broad in its definition of antisemitism, pointing to the definition including "claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor."

Ultimately, 91 members of Congress voted against it.

Some conservatives are taking issue with the bill over the IHRA definition of antisemitism including "claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel," arguing that it could mean that parts of the Bible would now become "illegal."

 

phipps

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Attacks in India Escalated in 2023.

Attacks and persecution against the church in India are at the highest levels in recent memory, and sadly this past Christmas season was no exception. In the final week of last year, 23 targeted attacks across India, many on Christmas day, were reported by the United Christian Forum (UCF).

The incident of violence and persecution included:

• The arrest of five pastors for hosting a worship service to celebrate Christmas
• The arrest of three believers in Uttar Pradesh under the Freedom of Religion Act
• The denial of a Christian burial in Chhattisgarh
• The assault and excommunication of a pastor and his family from their community
• A mob attack against a church service celebrating Christmas in Andhra Pradesh
• The abuse of a female pastor in Punjab for hosting a worship service

All these incidents, and many others, are justified and encouraged through anti-conversion laws that are established in many parts of the country. Government officials turn a blind eye to, or are actively involved in, these acts of persecution against the church.

The year 2023 ended with a reported 720 incidents against Christians in India.

Please continue to pray for the country, and the for church to continue to thrive there despite continued threats to its existence.

 

phipps

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Boko Haram Demands Ransom for Pastor Abducted in 2023.

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Islamic terror group Boko Haram recently shared on social media a video of Pastor Paul Musa pleading for his life as an armed, masked Islamic extremist stands behind him.

Boko Haram abducted the 59-year-old pastor and his wife, Ruth, 50, in March 2023 from their home in Borno state. In the video, the pastor is wearing orange clothing, reminiscent of the orange jumpsuits worn by the 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians that the Islamic State group beheaded on a beach in Libya in 2015.

According to an International Christian Concern (ICC) source in Nigeria, Boko Haram reportedly demanded the pastor’s family pay two hundred million Nigerian Naira, or roughly $130,000, by Monday, or Pastor Musa would be killed.

Since 2009, Islamic extremists such as Boko Haram, Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP), Islamic Fulani militants, and unidentified gunmen have killed an estimated 45,000 Christians. Earlier this month, members of ISWAP executed three Christians in Borno state. These groups also continue to kidnap pastors and priests and hold them for ransom.

For years, and again this year, the ongoing attacks, kidnappings, and executions of Christians have prompted the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to recommend that the U.S. Department of State designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC). This year’s report also called for Boko Haram and ISWAP to be designated Entities of Particular Concern (EPC).

Michael Kurams, executive director of Living Streams of Hope and Peace Foundation, told an ICC staffer that there must be a more robust international response to the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

“There is an urgent need for diplomatic pressure on the Nigerian government to prioritize the safety and rights of its Christian citizens,” he told ICC. “Additionally, providing support to local and international organizations working on the ground can help offer some measure of protection and assistance to those in need.”

 
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I am certain that i have read about Gnostics from Christians...

and also that the Nag Hammadi scrolls are now wiith the Vatican.
 

phipps

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@Mohammed_123

I am certain that i have read about Gnostics from Christians...
Most Christians are not gnostics nor do they accept their teachings. Gnostic Christianity has been rejected for centuries.

and also that the Nag Hammadi scrolls are now wiith the Vatican.
Are they? I read they were in the Coptic Museum in Cairo.

I should mention that Catholic and papal doctrine is not according to the Bible.
 

phipps

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Sometimes God allows difficulty.

Today the ruins of the biblical City of Smyrna have been swallowed up by the bustling city of Izmir on Turkey's West Coast; two thousand years ago, there was a thriving Christian community there. Jesus tells that church they'll suffer dreadful persecution but then says, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

He doesn't say I'll stop persecution from coming to you, sometimes God allows the unthinkably difficult, but gives grace to endure that hardship. The people of Smyrna hadn’t done anything wrong; it wasn't punishment, just a part of the bigger battle between good and evil that has impacted people of all ages.

It's good to remember that and sickness and loss and challenges and financial ups and downs. Jesus doesn't always take it away; if He's allowing challenges in your life right now, be faithful, one day soon, He'll give you the crown of life.
 

A Freeman

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Luke 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, The Kingdom of God is within you.

Thomas 1:6 But The Kingdom is within you and it is without you.

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Matthew 15:11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

Thomas 2:18 For what goes into your mouth will not defile you, but what comes out of your mouth, that is what will defile you.

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Matthew 10:34-36
10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a "Sword" (Rev. 1:16).
10:35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
10:36 And a man's foes [SHALL BE] they of his own household.

Thomas 3:2 Jesus said: Men possibly think that I have come to throw peace upon the world and they do not know that I have come to throw a division upon the Earth, fire, sword, war. For there shall be five in a house: three shall be against two and two against three, the father against the son and the son against the father, and they will stand as solitaries.

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Mark 4:30-32
4:30 And he said, Whereunto shall we liken The Kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?
4:31 [It is] like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:
4:32 But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.

Thomas 4:3 The disciples said to Jesus: Tell us what The Kingdom of Heaven is like. He said to them: It is like a mustard-seed, smaller than all seeds. But when it falls on the tilled earth, it produces a large branch and becomes shelter for the birds of heaven.

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Luke 6:41-42
6:41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
6:42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.

Thomas 5:5 Jesus said: The mote that is in thy brother's eye thou seest, but the beam that is in thine eye, thou seest not. When thou castest the beam out of thine eye, then thou wilt see clearly to cast the mote out of thy brother's eye.

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Luke 4:24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No Prophet is accepted in his own country.

Thomas 6:3 Jesus said: No prophet is acceptable in his village, no physician heals those who know him.

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Mark 3:28-29
3:28 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:
3:29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of Eternal Damnation:

Thomas 7:8 Jesus said: Whoever blasphemes against the Father, it shall be forgiven him, and whoever blasphemes against the Son, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either on Earth or in heaven.

How could the Gospel of Jesus not be in harmony with itself, regardless of who recorded it?
 
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@Mohammed_123


Most Christians are not gnostics nor do they accept their teachings. Gnostic Christianity has been rejected for centuries.


Are they? I read they were in the Coptic Museum in Cairo.

I should mention that Catholic and papal doctrine is not according to the Bible.
Its the same as the SUFIS from Islam..they believe in Gnosis and much more...many reject them.
 
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