Watchman Report - Martyrs and Apostates - Issue #4

Welcome to the fourth issue of the End Times Berean Watchman Report!

In this fourth issue, we will be looking at the tremendous increase in Christian persecution worldwide, and also some of the signs of growing apostasy within the Church.

There is no denying that persecution has always been a part of the Christian experience, but beginning in 2020 with the coronavirus pandemic, there has been a sharp increase in Christian persecution worldwide. Currently there are an estimated 309 million Christians living in places with very high or extreme levels of persecution.

And the demonization of both Jews and Christians is on the rise. If that trend also continues, then increased persecution is sure to follow.

I think we can expect more demonizing, fake news stories like this one in the future, as well:

This is a tough topic to write on. But if you know a lot of Christian people across various denominational backgrounds, then you already know that there is a widening gap in beliefs about what constitutes proper expressions of Christian faith and practice, and many that are just completely walking away from the faith.

Christian ministries are also embracing pro-homosexual and marxist movements, like BLM, under the thinly veiled guise of social justice and tolerance. This has been going on for a while, as you can tell from this 2016 article in Christianity Today reporting on InterVarsity’s and John Piper’s endorsements of BLM.

Many Christians are even questioning if the Holy Spirit is real…

Some of these apostate false teachers have already learned of their mistake, but tragically, almost certainly when it was too late. Like Dr. Spong who wrote the book, Why Christianity Must Change or Die, some of these teachers have fulfilled the words of 2 Peter 2:1, by “denying the sovereign Lord who bought them.”

Among the apostasies of the church, particularly in the last days, is the error of Balaam. I see this error manifested in the heresy of Replacement Theology, which is has been embraced by millions of Christians worldwide. For more on that, I hope you will check out my blog:

There is so much more that could be written on both martyrdom and apostasy, but hopefully this helps see the reality of the situation that surrounds us globally.

Both martyrdom and apostasy has been a part of church history since the days of the Apostles; however, when we look over all of events that have been happening around the world, I think these days are truly unprecedented.

If one looks back in church history, there were certainly times even more terrible than present events in isolated regions, but never quite so global. And I think what we are seeing now is just getting started. Be forewarned and stay on your guard. May God grant us all the ability to stand true in the days ahead.

Next week we’ll talk about the Antichrist, his mark, and Babylon the Great.

Until then, keep watching!

Maranatha!