When I had a telephone conversation quite some time ago with a professed brother in the Christian faith regarding the constant and escalating persecution taking place in various nations in Africa his response was, nonchalantly, and rather smugly, “Well, you know most of those churches are Catholic, right?”

As if such slaughter of those who have professed faith in Christ in Africa, perhaps in a Catholic church is a lesser evil? Not anything to mention or focus on? Really? Well, it’s over there on the other side of the world, and it is all those dark-skinned people, you know, not like U.S.

Well, much of those being led to slaughter all the day long like sheep to the slaughter for their professed faith in Jesus Christ and their refusal to denounce such faith and adopt Islam are Christians, of various denominations and non-denominational church bodies. Such as the one mentioned below.

And what will those of such thinking do when such persecutions come to America, which they one day will? Whether you believe that, or not, such persecution will be coming to America.

Just as God will judge each one of us for our words, even our thoughts — we’ll need to give an accounting.

Don’t believe that? Or the persecution is coming? Look it up in a book called the Holy Bible, the Word of God. Oh, okay, Amerca is not mentioned — but when the son of perdition seizes power along with his false prophet he goes to outright intense violent war with the church, with the true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ — and America does not get a “Get out of the Great Tribulation” pass Go and collect your reward you foolish and blind people refusing to pay attention, know and heed the Word of God!

I’m well aware of the heresy, the false doctrines taught and believed by so many within the Church of Rome and I have written and published numerous articles and commentaries on such over the past eleven-plus years here at ACP. I’m not naive regarding the papacy, the business of the Church of Rome, and their multitude of heresies, unsound doctrines and teachings, their idol worship, and blatant being lost. That does not lump every individual within that church as not being a Bible-believing, disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ individual. Only God knows every heart and talk about passing blanket judgments! How about we mourn for those being slaughtered for Jesus’s sake around the world? How about we do that and don’t pay attention to the denomination on a sign outside the building where the blood is being shed and the smoke carrying death within it rises to heaven!?

How about praying for every professed Christian worldwide — every single one — daily, nightly, always, and especially those facing such violent and deadly persecution NOW?

Instead of being flippant, nonchalant, detached, perhaps even ignorant of such taking place or making excuses for our acceptance of such persecutions such as those being slaughtered aren’t of YOUR denomination, as if belonging to a denomination trumps being a true Christian, a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ and a true child of God!

Ken Pullen, A CROOKED PATH, Wednesday, January 18th, 2023

17 killed in an attack on a church in the Democratic Republic of Congo

17 January 2023

By Staff Writer

Reprinted from Christian Today [in the U.K.]

An attack on a church in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has left at least 17 people dead and injured many more.

The attack happened in Kasindi, in the Nord Kivu region near the Ugandan border, at 11am local time on Sunday as hundreds of Christians gathered for prayer and baptism.

The attackers, reportedly belonging to the Islamist Allied Democratic Forces terrorist group, set off a homemade IED in the attack.

The pastor of a nearby church told International Christian Concern (ICC) that he was midway through the Sunday service when he heard a loud blast. The pastor and members of the congregations rushed to the scene to help.

“The area was chaotic since the believers were screaming, and smoke filled the whole place,” he said, adding that the attack was “gruesome”.

The church belongs to the Community of Pentecostal Churches in Central Africa (CEPAC) and was meeting to pray for the New Year and baptise 60 new converts when the attack occurred.

One survivor described a sense of disbelief.

“The attack was the last thing we ever thought would happen in our church today,” they told ICC.

Several survivors are reported to be in critical condition and some have sustained life-changing injuries.

Another survivor told ICC, “We are in deep shock and confusion.

“We were on our third and last day of the New Year’s prayers and service to witness the baptism of sixty new Christians from our different branches.

“The church was filled to capacity, and others were seated outside. I survived because I was sitting on the other side of the congregation, right opposite the side where the bomb exploded. It threw the people up and sideways and killed about ten people on the spot.”

Rev Kasereka, an Anglican pastor in Kasindi, added, “This has happened when we least expected it, but it is a reminder that the enemy lives within us and we need to remain in prayer and hold unwaveringly to the hope we have in Christ.”