Of course, satan-inspired persecution of the church is a mark of the endtimes, and is on-going either subtly or openly in every nation on earth (Rev 12). Recent examples include the burning in the Asian country of North Sumatra, of two Protestant churches by a Moslem crowd of not less than 1000 in the city of Sibuhuan. Asia News reported that the local Islamic community, had complained of being tired of seeing " too many faithful and too many prayers " in a place not registered as a church. According to police, neither of the two buildings .had a building permit and had to be considered "places of prayer" and not "churches". (http://www.asianews.it/news-en/North-Sumatra,-two-Protestant-churches-burnt:-too-many-faithful-and-too-many-prayers-17427.html )
Morocco is at least more liberal as it merely expelled five Christian evangelists for the crime of “unauthorised gathering and sharing of the gospel. ” Twelve Moroccans who were taking part in the meeting were arrested but eventually released after being questioned. (http://www.ansamed.info/).
With Church buildings already established in strategic places all over the United Kingdoms for decades, persecution of the Church in that country has to come in more unconventional forms – many of which have been reported in past editions of Church Arise! The latest ingenuous weapon is the so-called “Noise ordinances” whereby governmental bodies demand that Christian groups essentially be silent - so that no one can hear their worship. In one highly publicized case, the Lambeth Council issued a noise abatement notice to the All Nations Centre in Kennington which prevented the church from using any amplification for its worship music and its pastor's preaching. Following the intervention of the UK based Christian Legal Centre (CLC), an out-of-court settlement favouring the Church was agreed upon. The noise abatement order was issued without warning or discussion, shortly after the church, which has been in the same location for more than 45 years, began to publicize its services in its own neighborhood.
Onn Sein Kon, case manager at the Christian Legal Centre, said the organization has noticed an increasing number of attacks on churches because someone can hear the worship. "What is really going on here is action by secularists to try and restrict Christian freedom and expression in this country. ..” Kon explained (www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=121972)
And in the United States, the fabled land of lady liberty, even though it is not official government policy to torment Christians, as Tite and Stephen found out (see page 1), believers are increasingly not faring any better than their fellows in Arabia or communist nations! At least 11 Christian Churches were torched by arsonists across Texas in the first two months of this year alone. Two Satan-inspired men, steeped in the new religion of “atheism” have been finally arrested for these crimes - thankfully. According to the Dallas Morning News, the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms lists 90 houses of worship set on fire last year nationwide, with an average loss of about $250,000 per fire. (www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=124615, www.getreligion.org/?p=27341).
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