International Peace Threatened by Christian Persecution
Editors Note: This is a next in a series of speech texts from last Friday’s conference at the United Nations titled, “Not Peace but a Sword: The Persecution of Christians in the Middle East as a Threat to International Peace and Security.” Here’s Kevin Jessip, the co-founder of Global Strategic Alliance.
On New Year’s Day, 1942, shortly after the United States was “suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air-forces of the Empire of Japan” Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, along with representatives of China and the Soviet Union, signed a preliminary declaration creating the United Nations. By the end of the war this wartime alliance eventually grew to include 26 countries, to form the nucleus for a lasting international organization.
It is to this international body of esteemed diplomats, born in the midst of a horrific global conflict, sparked by outrageous, murderous political ideologies—which led to the slaughter of millions around the world, including a systematic elimination of 6 million Jews—that we now present our case; the plight of persecuted Christians in the Middle East.
The extreme Islamic ideologies of ISIS is a danger that mirrors the Nazi aggression of world domination. It is a growing threat which the world has not seen in many years—the frightening situation facing Christian minorities in Muslim countries should cause grave concern for all peace-loving free societies. The summary executions by the grisly act of beheading along with the uprooting of ancient Christian communities and their ancient cultures, is an on-going tragedy, yet world leaders have largely ignored this problem and it is past time for that to change.
The churches of the Middle East have a long and noble history. The region was once the cradle of the Christian faith. Even as recently as 100 years ago, some 20 percent of the peoples of the Middle East were still Christian. But today, we fear these proud and resilient religious communities will soon permanently disappear from the Middle East.
The embattled Christian minorities in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, North and Central Africa and throughout the region deserve our immediate intervention for the sake of their cherished faith, which led to the development of Western civilization and our democratic systems of government. Their courage in the face of such violence and intolerance deserves our response and solidarity and summons our allegiance and immediate attention to their plight.
The world has been mostly silent on this pressing issue. And world leaders have simply not spoken out. Therefore, we will speak out forcefully to the United Nations against the persecution and expulsion of Christian communities in the Middle East. We also will plead with all Western democratic leaders and U.N. representatives to take collective action in confronting this problem through firm diplomatic action against those nations that allow the religious persecution against Christians to continue. This is something that cannot be delayed. We all must act, now!
Nearly 400 years and 10 generations ago, John Robinson, known as the “Pilgrims Father,” placed 35 of his parishioners on the ship called the Mayflower after escaping England during the Puritan/Separatist movement to reform the church, at which time, Queen Mary (better known as Bloody Mary) was beheading persecuted Christians. Those pilgrims founded Plymouth, Massachusetts. and created the first colony which became the start in 1620 of these United States of America. In his farewell letter to the Pilgrims Robinson wrote and quoted from Colossians 3:12: “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”
These United Nations were born in the midst of a horrific global conflict, sparked by outrageous, murderous political ideologies—which led to the slaughter of millions around the world, including a systematic elimination of 6 million Jews—today we stand on the precipice of the greatest ever holocaust like aggression of world domination, as the extreme Islamic ideologies of ISIS has declared Christianity as its No. 1 enemy. The plight of Christians globally is a growing threat and the frightening situation facing Christian minorities in Muslim countries and elsewhere should cause grave concern for all peace loving free societies. The summary executions by the grisly act of beheading along with the uprooting of ancient Christian communities and their cultures, is an on-going tragedy. This deluded, false theology motivates and compels radical Islamic terrorists to murder, rape, pillage, plunder, and wreak havoc and destruction in the name of their god.”
The church shares a long and noble history and where once the cradle of the Christian faith stood even as recently as 100 years ago while some 20 percent of the peoples of the Middle East were still Christian. But today, we fear these proud and resilient religious communities will soon permanently disappear. The embattled Christian minorities in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, North and Central Africa and throughout the region deserve our immediate intervention for the sake of their cherished faith. Their courage in the face of such violence and intolerance deserves our response and solidarity and summons our allegiance and immediate attention to their plight.
This is the time for us to unite in this Kairos moment of opportunity, while it still exists, as the silent cannot be silent any longer, the Global community, the church as the body of Christ must come together as one, for when one is persecuted we are all persecuted, when one is hurt we all hurt. Hebrews 13:3 says: “Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.”
There are more than 26 million documented cases of martyrdom in the 20th century alone, more than in the previous 1,900 years combined. Nearly 165,000 Christians are martyred every year … One Christian is martyred every three minutes. More than 250,000 million Christians in over 60 nations are currently living under the threat of persecution … 60 percent of these are children. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. This is something that cannot be delayed as WE must act, now!
Today as we form a new Global Strategic Alliance and as the body of Christ, known as the church, comes together in unity, the governments of the world will tremble. Today marks that day in which the body of Christ stands together, united across denominational lines, forgetting their doctrinal differences and international borders bound by the one thing which flows through all of our veins, the blood of the Almighty Father—Adonai —El-Olam, “The Everlasting God.”
The Apostle Paul was a man bent on the destruction of the church, eager to persecute believers wherever they lived. He even participated in the death of the first martyr of the early church, Stephen. But God arrested him on the road to Damascus, saved him, and he became the foremost apostle for the sake of the Gospel. Writing to his young protégé years later, Paul vividly described that experience: “Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief” (1 Tim. 1:13). He even called himself the worst or chief of sinners (1 Tim. 1:16).
The only cure for corrupt ideologies and false religions is a personal encounter with the living God, who “wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4). Only God can transform a murderous terrorist into a servant who is willing to die for the sake of His Name. In the end, the one universal grievance that must be addressed by every person of every age is our own sin and rebellion against God. The only solution is a transformed heart.
Christian persecution is happening just as Jesus said it would. The word of God, the everlasting covenant, which 2 billion Christians believe in, speaks of the difference between the persecution we are witnessing today known as an (Anti-Christ) spirit and the message of Love and Grace taught by (Christ) in the Holy Scriptures, it is that one kills the one who does not believe like he does, while the other teaches we must love our enemies.
In his own words Christ said: “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you … These things I command you, that ye love one another. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you … If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you … But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. … He that hateth me hateth my Father also …They hated me without a cause. … These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. … These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
Evangelist Kevin Jessip co-founded “Global Strategic Alliance” with Grace Knodt and one of its missions is to “Reclaim Nations for the Kingdom,” including America. Utilizing knowledge gained in his business career, having successfully created strategic alliance relationships with some of the world’s largest firms for over twenty years Kevin’s company has implemented various programs for nearly half of the Fortune 500 companies, he has become a catalyst for developing and funding organizations dedicated to impacting the world for Christ.
