By Jenni Campbell
Contributor
Even if you are living under a rock, in an isolated desert, the signs and seasons are crystal clear to all and sundry. We have entered the end times. The days are shorter, the one-world agenda has picked up speed and the enemy of Christ is madder than a deranged hater, seeking whomever he may devour.
Young people, especially the well-educated with obvious promise for a prosperous future, are prime targets to populate hell.
University campuses, where millions of the brightest of young minds congregate, have always been a ripe recruiting ground for Satan. Many young Christians over time have entered the halls of learning, bright eyed and bushy tailed, only to leave weak kneed and lily-livered, posing more questions than answers and professing more theories than truth.
Young Christians, especially those in secular institutions, must dig deeper and hold faster to their faith and remain covered under Covenant in coming years. The tests are being flung furiously and unless you are fastened to the Rock, you are likely to be moved.
By their very nature, universities are where the rigour of thought and analyses flourish. So beliefs will be questioned and examined and sceptics will have their way and say, and given free reign if Christians are not solid on the Word.
Campuses are where disciplines are challenged and youthful energies are unleashed and given to violent protests against systems and ideologies.
It is no surprise that history is littered with public protests which had their genesis on university campuses.
The pressure to join vigorous and formidable campus activities is of such that choosing not to fit in and be sucked in can attract severe persecution from peers. Some Christians choose to go against the very core of Godly principles just to survive.
Christ-centred movements on and off campus go against the grade, pushing against longstanding hypotheses, popular norms, established cultures and secular standards.
So, we are not entirely shocked when police in the African state of Eritrea recently raided a group of Christian college students who had gathered to worship and record video clips for social media and hauled them off to jail.
We are not shocked because it is not the first time that Christians are arrested for their faith. Drastic clamping down is as old as the ages.
Daniel endured it, the three Hebrew boys faced it. Later Paul and Silas had to go through it. Nothing new under the sun.
The report from Eritrea is that 103 Christians, mainly students, were arrested in the crackdown. The raid took place in the capital, Asmara, and those arrested were taken to prison.
This country is well-known as the worst governmental violator of religious freedom in Africa, and has long operated as a pariah state for its blatant disregard for human rights.
Already, there are now more than 500 Christian prisoners detained indefinitely without trial in Eritrea. The prison where the students were taken is notorious for its harsh conditions, overcrowding, and poor treatment of inmates.
This Eritrea situation is likely to become a global phenomenon promising to intensify in the coming years as more countries subscribe to secular laws which restrict and repress religious freedoms at the behest of the driving one-world agenda.
Campus life is truly a reflection of life in the wider society where opportunities for public worship and ministry in many countries are being seriously curtailed. To even declare the goodness of God in a public space in many unlikely countries could land one in prison.
Even in declared Christian countries, open pronouncement of Scriptures and belief in God can attract severe sanctions.
Make no mistake, this is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of what is on the horizon for Christians under enemy rule.
In Canada, Christians face jail time for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in the streets. A Christian woman in the United Kingdom stood outside a public park praying in her mind and was rounded up and charged.
In the United States, Christian teachers are not allowed to even mention their faith while interacting with students.
As Christians speak out against ungodly laws and unrighteous decrees, Satanic governments will lash out.
Secular governments and their deep pocketed supporters are not about to let the good news of the Gospel eclipse their control over money, minds and the masses.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ comes to free captives, to deliver, heal and restore. The uncompromised Gospel is received as fighting words against governments led by wicked pharaohs who seek to hold people in captivity. The masses are required to submit to corrupt rulers, draconian laws and the oppressive systems created to maintain power for demonic forces and their friends.
The Satantic governments seek to rob the people of God of their faith, dignity and souls by deliberately putting them in abysmal circumstances and conditions. The hope is to break their resolve, erode their faith and deliver them lock, stock and barrel to the kingdom of darkness. Christian survivors of Eritrea’s several prison camps report the worst abuse imaginable, including severe torture and grossly inhumane living quarters.
There is a call now for Christians around the world to pray for the college students and others imprisoned in Eritrea. There are similar calls from China and Muslim countries around the world.
News, hot off the press is, things are not likely to get any better.
Despite given realities, this is not a time to panic or cower in fear. The Word of God still stands. The gates of hell cannot prevail. For us to live, it is Christ and for us to die, it is gain. Beyond all of that, know this – No weapon whatsoever, formed by whomever, against God’s people can ever prosper. This is our holy right, as citizens of His Kingdom. Keep your faith, it won’t be long now. The coming of the Lord is nigh.