Just about everybody has been shocked by images of gruesome beheadings at the hands of terrorists.

Johnnie Moore, advocate for besieged Christians in the Middle East, believes the horror is just the tip of the iceberg.He says the world is seeing the start of a Christian genocide at the hands of Islamic extremists, and Americans need to wake up and take action.That’s part of the message Moore will bring to Penn’s Peak on March 4 when the Lehighton 9-12 project sponsors an appearance by the humanitarian and best-selling author.Moore’s 2015 book, “Defying Isis,” carries the sobering subtitle: “Preserving Christianity in the Place of Its Birth and in Your Own Backyard.”Moore, 32, is a former vice president and pastor at Liberty University and currently chief of staff to Hollywood producer Mark Burnett.He has worked with genocide victims in the Middle East, Bosnia and Rwanda and visited the world’s largest refugee camps.He’s convinced that the goal of ISIS is to eradicate Christianity in the world. In some ways, the terrorists have advantages working in their favor.“ISIS has realized the greatest dream of the predecessors. They have a piece of land they can call their caliphate,” said Moore in a recent telephone interview.Another advantage, he says, is “they can leverage technology and have been able to master a new form of asymmetric warfare which is less expensive and helps them to spread terrorism throughout the world.”Overseas visitsMoore visited the Middle East in 2014. There, he witnessed the refugee crisis firsthand and met with key figures including the King of Jordan, orthodox patriarchs, Catholic cardinals, the United Nations and hundreds of refugees.As a result, he launched The Cradle Fund, a nonprofit organization focused on providing immediate humanitarian assistance for the rescue, restoration and return of displaced Christians to practice their faith free from fear.His commitment has won him praise from many corners.Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich said Moore “bears witness to the war against Christianity which is being waged with horrific brutality by an evil opponent. Every American should read this and demand our government stand up against barbarism.”Moore believes Christians are being targeted and yet there seems to be a sense of complacency. It’s evident, he says, in the way the world is becoming increasingly numb to a drastic escalation in the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities all over North Africa and the Middle East.For instance, Christian pastors are unjustly imprisoned in the Sudan and Iran. Christian converts have been executed by Islamic extremists in more than a dozen countries, and hundreds of churches and Christian homes have been burned across Africa.AtrocitiesThe horror in the Middle East is particularly severe, says Moore.Churches have been demolished, crosses burned and replaced with ISIS flags, homes destroyed, entire communities displaced, religious conversions forced, human torture enacted, children slaughtered, and all of this in plain sight.Some say Muslims and Christians have been in conflict since the days of the Crusades. And while that may be true, ISIS, in particular, has reared its head in an ugly way, Moore said.“They feel they’re finishing the deal,” he says.Moore’s book carries strong words of warning, and he intends to present his ideas at Penn’s Peak in a way that will implore local residents to take action.“Their faith is not an Islamic one, but a satanic one,” he says. “The threat of ISIS is a threat to the livelihood of every person on the planet, and in its crosshairs is the faith of the world’s 2 billion Christians and nearly all of its Muslims, Jews, Hindus and Buddhists.”U.S. response“We’re witnessing the worst refugee crisis since World War II,” says Moore, who expresses concern about a lack of response by leaders.Moore believes the official U.S. response to the genocide has been insufficient largely because incumbent politicians see the issue as a matter of religion, thus prompting a hands-off attitude. In the meantime, families are being persecuted, threatened and uprooted, he says.“We cannot trust government to handle this,” he says.“It’s because it’s a religious conflict. The U.S. is against framing it against religion. But you can’t divorce it from religion” says Moore.Moore even has thoughts about military strategies that might work in fighting and defeating ISIS, although he’s quick to point out he’s no military strategist.“ISIS believes the end of the world will take place in Dabiq, Syria. You can engage them there and draw them into their own prophecy.”What can the average person to do help?Moore says a rank-and-file response is appropriate.“We can put unrelenting pressure on politicians to do the right thing. There can be a better humanitarian response, and there’s a desperate need to take the ISIS fight more seriously.”The ISIS threat can’t be overestimated, he says.He encourages Americans to support humanitarian aid sponsored by churches and organizations, and to support causes such as his Cradle of Christianity Fund and the World Help, to name just two.Moore points out that half of the journalists murdered in 2014 were killed in Iraq and Syria.That statistic, alone, sends a message.“If they have their way, you won’t live another day.” Ticket informationJohnnie Moore will appear at Penn’s Peak at 8

p.m.March 4, with doors opening at 6 p.m.General admission tickets are $20. Suite tickets, with seating in Skybox with access to lounge area and private bathroom, complimentary chips, pretzels and soda with cash bar available, are $75.An Intimate Cocktail Reception ticket will cost $125 and includes hors d’oeuvres, open bar and a meet-and-mingle with Moore, plus a seat in the general admission area.For $175, guests can have the above enhanced by seating in the Skybox.Tickets may be purchased at the Penn’s Peak Box Office in person or by phone at 866-605-PEAK (7325).