What is the first image that comes to mind when I say, Christian Persecution? Are you immediately reminded of the biblical account of the beheading of John of Baptist or the stoning of Stephen? How about the historical references of the disciples that were martyrs such as Peter who was crucified upside down and James who was stoned by scribes and Pharisees?
Maybe you think of Lady Jane who sacrificed her life in her stance against the fallacies of the Catholic church.
You may even read the publication put out by The Voice of the Martyrs informing the western church about the persecution of Christians, right now, all over the world.
When we think of Christian persecution, the above examples are usually what we think of, and rightly so. Usually when a fellow American Christian says they are being "persecuted" at work, school or online, we roll our eyes and think "you have no idea," while we think about those who have literally given up their lives for the gospel. It's true, this term has been abused and misunderstood in our society.
Many think that because their unsaved family members pick on them for taking a stand for Biblical principles that they are being persecuted. No, they are just living the normal, Christian life. But, at the same time the definition of true Christian persecution is not so cut and dry nor does it fit into a predictable mold. We need to be aware and vigilant of the times and the tactics of the enemy.
Don't you think that if an American were put in jail for preaching Jesus that it would cause an uproar among the Christian population? The enemy knows this and has been using more subtle tactics. A Christian is not going to be thrown in prison under these lines, maybe soon, but not yet.
Instead, men like Kent Hovind are accused of structuring when the real issue is his strong stand on Creationism. Not only has Mr. Hovind been hurt by evolutionists during this jail sentence but he has been burned by the church. A majority of the American Church want nothing to do with him because they don't know the facts. They don't know why he is in jail and only listen to the lies of the media and those who accused him.
My plea to you is to pray for those in this country who truly are being persecuted, even if you don't understand, pray for wisdom, understanding and discernment before listening to the media. You can learn more about Kent Hovind's story here!
KENT HOVIND'S HOMECOMING!
The Hovind Family would like to celebrate the homecoming of Kent Hovind with you. He will be released from federal prison on July 8th! They invite you to celebrate with them on Saturday, July 11th!
The family will open up the Creation Today ministry home from 12 noon till 8:00 pm that day for friends and visitors to drop in and say hello. In order to help plan some light snacks for this celebration, they request that you R.S.V.P. so that they can adequately prepare.
