Nigeria, Oct. 30 -- Persecution of faithful Christians has more than doubled around the world and will yet multiply in the years ahead. The future of the Church in Africa, and indeed globally, now rests to a significant degree in the hands of the Christian young people of today. But the question that must keep every spiritual leader awake at night is this: will the youths of today, who are drinking from the wells dug by the fathers, take up their own swords and sharpen them for the battle ahead?

"So it came about, on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son." (1 Samuel 13:22).

What a tragedy beyond ...