February 18, 2026 - Good Morning! It’s Wednesday, February 18.
On this day - Ash Wednesday - millions of Christians around the world observe the beginning of Lent, a 40-day season of fasting, repentance, and preparation for Easter. On this day, in the year 303, the Roman emperor Diocletian ushered in Rome’s final and bloodiest period of Christian persecution, a period that saw churches closed, scripture destroyed, and believers martyred.
When we think of persecution, we often consider it only as history, as tragic stories of the past. We tend to focus on the time of the New Testament, the period of Peter and Paul, the era of the Early Church. But in 2025, there was a higher level of Christian persecution than at any other time in the history of the world.
Last year, over 5000 Christians were martyred. Over 4000 churches were targeted with violence. 388 million Christians lived in areas with significant persecution. That’s 1 out of every 7 believers. As we move into this season that includes Good Friday, the day we remember Christ’s sacrifice for us, we acknowledge that sacrifices are still being made for Him.
Pray for the persecuted.
Meet you back here tomorrow,
David
cindertex50@yahoo.com
