Sometimes as Americans, it seems that we can complain a little too often. I mean let’s be honest, aren’t we just a little bit spoiled? We are so used to having our rights and privileges and getting things our way, I think that perhaps we forget that people in other parts of the world have it much tougher.
I read the story of a woman in Pakistan by the name of Asia Bibi who is a 45 year old Christian mother of five children. Since June of last year, she has been held in a prison for violating Pakistan’s anti-blasphemy law. Asia is said to have spoken against the prophet Mohammed and has been sentence to die on Monday.
Working as a farmhand out in the fields, Asia was asked to get some water by some of the other Muslim women who were also working with her. When the water was brought to these women they refused to drink because “it was touched by an unclean Christian woman.”
A few days later, and angry mob surrounded her and she was arrested by local police.
Shahzad Kamran, of the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan, said: “The police were under pressure from this Muslim mob, including clerics, asking for Asia to be killed because she had spoken ill of the Prophet Mohammed.
“So after the police saved her life they then registered a blasphemy case against her.” He added that she had been held in isolation for more than a year before being sentenced to death on Monday.
“The trial was clear,” he said. “She was innocent and did not say those words.” Earlier this year, Pakistan’s internet service providers were ordered to block Facebook to prevent access to supposedly blasphemous images.
To date, no one has ever been executed under he Pakistani blasphemy law, all others before have been freed on appeal. It is reported that ten of those who were accused of committing blasphemy were murdered while awaiting their for their appeal trial.
Ali Hasan Dayan, of Human Rights Watch, said the blasphemy laws were out of step with rights guaranteed under Pakistan’s constitution and should be repealed.
“It’s an obscene law,” he said. “Essentially the blasphemy law is used as a tool of persecution and to settle other scores that are nothing to do with religion.
“It makes religious minorities particularly vulnerable because it’s often used against them.”
Asia’s husband Asiq Maih has not yet told the children of their mothers fate.
“I haven’t told two of my younger daughters about the court’s decision,” he said. “They asked me many times about their mother but I can’t get the courage to tell them that the judge has sentenced their mother to capital punishment for a crime she never committed.”
Most Christians who live in America today have no idea of the plight of those who have died for following Jesus over the coarse of history.
In the Book of Revelation chapter 2, Jesus said to the church at Smyrna:
Revelation 2:10 “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
These “Ten days”: were Ten Periods of intense persecution under Ten Nero’s in Rome.
1. Nero (54-68): Paul beheaded; Peter crucified upside down
2. Domitian (95-96): John was exiled to the island of Patmos.
3. Trajan (104-117): Ignatius was burned at the stake.
4. Marcus Aurelius (161-180): Polycarp was martyred.
5. Septimus Severus (200-211): killed Irenaeus.
6. Maximinus (235-237): killed Ursula and Hippolytus.
7. Decius (249-251);
8. Valerian (257-260);
9. Aurelian, (270-275);
10. Diocletian (303-313); Who was he Worst of all the Neros
Foxes Book of Martyr’s records that over Five million believers in Jesus Christ were killed by these ten Nero’s over the course of 250 years.
I wonder what would happen to the Christian church in America should they find that it would cost their lives or comfort to follow Jesus Christ? It very well may be that persecution and perhaps even the threat of death for following Jesus Christ and believing that the Bible is the Word of God, is coming to our land. The storm clouds of an approaching tempest are already gathering. As recent laws enacted in the United States have already begun to target the speech of pastors as “Hate Crimes”, who proclaim that homosexual relationships are sin, and abortion is murder.
It is for certain that as the day of Jesus return nears, there will an increased cost to follow Him. Jesus described the fact that in the Last Days, those who follow Him will be “hated by all nations…”
Matthew 24:9-10 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.
As these days approach, let us prepare ourselves and our families so that when persecution does fall upon our lives we will be ready to accept it and be diligent to hold on to Jesus at all costs.
Rob Robinson
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