Persecution

 I didn't make any New Year resolutions but I did set one goal. I have read parts of the Martyrs' Mirror but never read it through. That's embarrassing. I decided I will read it this year. I'm reading a portion each morning along with my devotional time. It is not easy reading. I can only read a short section at a time and then can't take any more. It is just unbelievable how cruel people can be. The ways Christians were tortured are so gross it turns my stomach. 
The Martyrs' Mirror was written 400 years ago but persecution of Christians has never ceased. It began shortly after Jesus ascended to heaven and continues in 2021. It's easy for us to dismiss it from our minds because we have not experienced this type of treatment in our country. But persecution is very real for Christians in many parts of the world. Here are some statistics:

• More than 70 million Christians have been martyred in the course of history. More than half were martyred in the 20th century under communist and fascist government (Gordon-Conwell Resources).
• In the 21st century, roughly 100,000  to 160,000 Christians were killed each year (Gordon-Conwell Resources and World Christian Database, respectively).
• Roughly 1,093,000 Christians were martyred, worldwide, between 2000 and 2010 (World Christian Database). 
• The ten countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution are, in order:

1. North Korea (at the top of the list for 18 years)
2. Afghanistan
3. Somalia
4. Sudan
5. Pakistan
6. Eritrea
7. Libya
8. Iraq
9. Yemen
10. Iran

With the exception of North Korea, all of these countries are predominantly Muslim and in the Middle East and Africa. We can't do much about this persecution but we can pray for the Christians in these countries. As Jesus said, "I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not."