In North Korea, children watch Christians being executed

June 14, 2018 — ChristianToday.com reports: “A North Korean who escaped from the country and now lives in the UK has spoken via persecution charity Open Doors about his life under the regime there.

Against the backdrop of the much-heralded summit meeting between US president Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, John Choi (not his real name) said: ‘I grew up believing Christians were evil and dangerous. We watched the government’s propaganda alongside public executions. It told us that Christians wanted to kidnap children and that the cross was evil.

‘The first time I saw a man being executed it was because he had smuggled Christian things into the country and enticed people into the church. The whole village was told to come and watch, the children were allowed to sit at the front to get a good view. It enforced that belief that Christians were dangerous.’…”  (In Daniel 3 King Nebuchadnezzar made the image of gold and commanded all people to worship it.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego would not bow.  We read in Daniel 3:13-18: “Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.  Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?  Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?   Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.  If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.  But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” [Emphasis mine].  Notice those three words in the last verse.  These three young men knew that God could save them, but if not they still would not worship a false god.  Revelation 2:10 states: “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”)

Erdogan Predicts ‘War Between the Cross and Crescent’ over Austria Mosque Closures

June 10, 2018 — Breitbart.com reports: “Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attacked Austria’s impending closure of mosques and consequent expulsion of Turkish-funded imams, saying the move is anti-Islamic while promising a response.

‘These measures taken by the Austrian prime minister are, I fear, leading the world towards a war between the cross and the crescent,’ Erdogan said in a speech in Istanbul covered by AFP.

Austria’s populist government made the announcement on Friday morning at a press conference as part of the governing coalition’s campaign against radical Islamic ideology and the influence of countries like Turkey in the Austrian Islamic community, Kronen Zeitung reports…”  (The clash between the Cross and the Crescent has been in existence for centuries.  Dr. Erwin Lutzer wrote in his book The Cross in the Shadow of the Crescent: “We should note that Muslims were destroying crosses long before the Crusades… When Muslim invaders entered Jerusalem in 637, they did away with all crosses and would not allow them to be displayed.  The symbol that lies at the heart of the Christian faith was utterly abolished.  And that’s the way it has been ever since.”)