International (MNN) — Persecution against Christians continues to grow around the world. Believers are fired from jobs, imprisoned and tortured. According to Johan Candalin with the World Evangelical Alliance, 200-million Christians from more than 60 nations are suffering for their faith today.
That’s why Christians worldwide are coming together for the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church on Sunday, November 12.
Mission Network News is getting involved by hosting a special IDOP Radio Broadcast. Candalin will tell us about some of the problems facing believers. “Just to give you one small example the small state of Eritrea in Africa, 2000 Evangelical Christians are imprisoned. Many are in terrible condition. (Recently) two Christians were tortured to death.”
IDOP isn’t a time to feel sorry for those suffering for their faith, says Candalin. He says suffering believers aren’t worried abou the suffering, “it is the feeling of being left alone. They feeling that no other Christians care about them. That’s the worst thing. So, the message needs to be we are with you, we are with you in prayer and we’re with you with support.”
There’s also one surprising thing he’s asking people to pray about this year. “The bigger picture is that we not only pray for the safety of those who are persecuted, who are imprisoned, or who are tortured, but that they could reflect the love of Jesus Christ to those who persecute them so that they who are now full of hate also would meet Christ.”
According to Candalin the Evangelical church is growing faster than ever before, but so is persecution. “I think the church is persecuted because it’s growing. To me, it’s clear that nothing is stopping the Gospel. Very soon we will live the day that all nations will hear about Christ, not every individual person, but someone in every tribe and people group.”
The MNN IDOP Radio broadcast will be on more than 200 stations around the U-S. Contact your station to find out if it will be carrying the IDOP Broadcast. If it’s not heard in your area, you can listen on-line at http://www.MNNonline.org/IDOP.
