The number of persecuted Christians vastly rose in Africa during 2012, according to Open Doors, a Christian organization that publicizes a list of nations where Christians are most persecuted.

With the burning of hundreds of Christian churches throughout Africa, as well as thousands of Christians burned alive inside them, and the killing of Christians by the Muslim group Boko Haram and other Muslim groups, African nations have increased persecutions in 2012, more than any other nation. 

The Open Doors "World Watch List" of nations who persecute Christians included Mali as #7 on the list for 2012, whereas Mali wasn't even on the list during the previous year, reported Huffington Post. 

North Korea has been #1 on this list for the past 11 years and is followed by Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia. 

As many as 70,000 Christians are imprisoned in North Korea for simply being a Christian.  The primary religion there is to worship their political leaders from the Kim family.  When Kim II-song died on July 8, 1994, citizens were openly arrested for not crying at the country's massive wake, reported Voice of the Martyrs.  Children in North Korea are taught that their leader is their "god."  North Koreans can be killed for carrying a Bible.  After his death, Kim II-song was declared their "Eternal President," although his son, Kim Jong-un, took over the dictatorship after him.  North Korea has the lowest human rights ranking of any country in the world.  As many as 3.5 million people died from famine in North Korea from 1994 - 1998.  Today, roughly 10 million are malnourished and thousands eat only grass and bark in North Korea.  The infant mortality rate is just over 51 percent! 

Why are these countries, such as Asia and Africa, so afflicted with famine and death?  For one thing, when a nation persecutes God's people, His wrath is kindled against that nation. 

"The Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you" Deuteronomy 30:7. 

Yes, God was speaking to Israel in this Old Testamant passage, but His Word also applies to Christians today.  The Apostle Paul wrote that we are "grafted into the olive tree," referring to Israel as an "olive tree" (Romans 11:17).  All of the promises given to Israel are also applied to us; we have become "joint heirs with Christ," our Jewish Messiah (Romans 8:17).  Please note that Paul made no reference to Christians replacing Israel, we became joint heirs with Israel.  We are also the children of God through the blood sacrifice of Jesus, through His death on the cross for our sins.

Jesus said, "Nation will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in divers places" Matthew 24:7.  He also said, "They will deliver you up to be afflicted and they shall kill you and you shall be hated of all nations for My name's sake" Matthew 24:9. 

We are seeing all of these things happen now.  When an American president stands up and announces that "We are not a Christian nation," as Obama did during his speech in Turkey in 2009, you have to know that our country is going down hill fast.

The volume of earthquakes increased more than 300 percent in 2011, from the previous year.

According to the World Heath Organization, there are 925 million hungry people in the world:

Our only hope of salvation is in the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ.  According to Bible prophecy, His return for God's people is imminent, as the rest of the world quickly approaches the great tribulation, the wrath of God such as the world has never seen. 

Jesus said, "For then shall be great tribulation, such such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be" Matthew 24:21.  This passage infers that the great tribulation will surpass the terror of the holocaust, or what appears in the horrific photo above! 

Are you prepared to stand before Him to give an account of the life you have lived on this earth?  If not, please visit the How Can I Be Saved page of this website.  God bless you.