Arrests of Non-Denominational Christians Continue in ‘North Korea of Africa’
by Jordan Hilger, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - Thirty Pentecostal Christians were arrested in the Eritrea Capital of Asmara recently, continuing a trend of government crackdowns on non-organized religion in the East African country that saw 141 more Christians arrested on May 10th.
The Christians had gathered to pray in an unofficial capacity in three different locations in the capital, and likely face beating, torture, and forced labor for deviating from Eritrea’s four state-approved religions—Orthodox Christianity, Sunni Islam, Roman Catholicism, and the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Eritrea.
“In Eritrea almost every Christian faces imprisonment,” an Eritrean Christian refugee living in an Ethiopian refugee camp told Release International recently. “It is like North Korea, but in Africa,” said another.
Eritrea is ranked 7th on Open Doors USA’s 2019 World Watch List for Christian persecution, with the “dictatorial paranoia” of President Isaias Afewerki cited as the main cause.
Recently 100 prominent African writers wrote an open letter to Eritrea’s leader asking the country to come out of its shell as “the most closed society on our continent,” an atmosphere that has caused tens of thousands of Eritreans to flee across the Mediterranean to Italy or into ramshackle refugee camps in Ethiopia.
Now there's a microcosm of the world to come.
No wonder they met outside of churches. It shows, very well, where our world is headed too. Time to get in fellow-shipping with true Believer's while you all still can. Make those relationships before your only choices are those three. No wonder...
And, for them, end times have truly come. "How long, O Lord..."
"Have mercy, have mercy, we cry out-loud, on our brethren there, taken in this horrid country. Have mercy on them, O God, Most High. On their behalf, for them, I say, out-loud now also, "Come, Lord Jesus, come." "Elohiem, Adonai, El Shaddai, YHWH, Holy One of Israel, Ancient of Days, Y'shua, my Lord, our Lord, Jesus, Christ, Lamb of God, Messiah, King, Eternal Priest, have mercy on them, my brothers, our sisters, Your Beloved." "O Lord, say, 'Amen.'" "YHWH, rise up, in whom we do trust." "As you once did for my daughter's sake, my last one, rise up, stand, and put Your foot down. for them, abused, taken, stolen by the Evil one. Give them back. Say 'enough' and 'no more,' for them arrested and abused for Your Name's sake there. For Your Name's sake, glorify Your Name, making these arrests of true Christians, true Believer's, Galilean's, and those who have trusted in You, Almighty God, only True God, in that country, free once again. Let them rejoice in You, our Deliverer, their Deliverer. Turn, please, what is endless persecution of Your children in Eritrea into a time of R&R for Your beloved there instead. Bless your children there. Show them, in that nation, on that continent, in the whole world, these acts of the One True and truly Loving God, the Holy One of Israel. Show them You care for these my brothers, Your brothers. These, my sisters, Your sisters. You are the God 'who really does exist' and we ask You, as the gentile Roman commander once asked Y'shua, for his servants sake, command that country it may not harm them, anymore." "Do this, we pray, for Your Name's sale. Glorify Yourself, O my God." "Help me, help us all, to forget we have even asked this, publicly, lest You do it, and we remember we have had a part in such a great victory over their enemies. Grant to us humility, instead, O my Master, my Lord; we beg of You, please be merciful as You get us to that godly humility which You desire, You approve of, for us all. That our prayers might be heard by You, and be found acceptable. In Messiah, Y'shua." "Amen and amen." "Shake that nation for daring to touch your beloved. You once did this for Sarah. Do this for your own, my God. As You did in Chile, show the world once again, that all peoples are as precious, each one, to You as those You gave back Israel to. With mercy, humble us all, for you died, Your Word died, and rose back once again, to full power, in full glory, too." "All are equal, in Your sight."
"Names sake", sorry.
O God don't let this your son's and daughter suffer in vaine open the eye of both government and people of Eritrea's to the truth of gospel for Your name shake.
I pray that God destroy this government.
JCLicoln,
I, too, wouldn't lose sleep at the demise of the Eritrean government but the problem with African politics is that one tyrant gets replaced with another or the country becomes a failed state.