NAGASAKI, Japan (AFP) — As church bells ring and grey-robed nuns hurry to Mass in this Japanese port city, a dark chapter in Christianity's past is being revisited with the beatification of 188 martyrs persecuted for their faith.

The following news is from AsiaNews.it and it is just another reminder that we all need to remember to pray for those who are doing the persecution and also for those who are being persecuted.

Recently I was reading in the Old Testament about beheadings that had taken place back in Old Testament times. And as I read the scriptures, I kept thinking about all the news I read regularly on the subject of beheading. Today as just one example, I've read six different stories that discussed beheading in some form or another. But this story is the one I have to share with you.

There is an editorial on the Dallas News website that I found very interesting. The following paragraph I found especially interesting.

Over the weekend I heard a wonderful interview on Janet Parshall's weekend program Talking it Over, which if you follow this blog, you know our very own Todd Nettleton often appears on to discuss Christian persecution.

As he slowly came around, his eyes adjusted to the smoke. He cried out for his pastor, but no one answered. Horrified, he quickly began digging his way out of the pile of flesh and rubble.

For five years I have been telling BreakPoint listeners about the plight of Iraqi Christians. One of the oldest Christian communities in the world, one that prays in Aramaic just as our Lord did, has become the preferred target of all three of Iraq’s Muslim communities.

Azerbaijan (MNN) ? Christians across Azerbaijan live under the threat of government harassment. The country's religion laws can be harsh, imposing severe penalties on violators. Many church leaders encounter legal problems and jail time.