Such suffering

     I just read the main article in my September issue of Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) and was blown away. The issue was focusing on the persecuted Christians of North Korea which seems to be the meanest nation towards Christians. They do some horrible things to Christians...yet there are still Christians to misuse. What I mean is people are getting saved everyday. That's just amazing to me. Amid all the suffering that's bond to come to them, they're willing to give up their lives for Jesus even if it means dying in a very scary way (scary to me is being burned to death. That must hurt a lot). My husband reminded me of a scripture that speaks about how these precious souls carry on in such situations. It's found in Revelation 12:11 and it says:

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."

     That's these people exactlly. One thing surprised me, though, as I was reading the account of an American in North Korea visiting a safe house for the Christians. The man had a martyrs cross and wanted to give it to one of the Korean Christians. Everybody hesitated because they said if they get caught with that it's sure death. If they're already hiding out what does one chain matter? Aren't they dead already? All the torture and murder seems so random and it looks like there's no end to it. If they're being rebellious against the government by accepting Christ already, what's one more outward sign going to add? One guy ended up taking it though. I guess I'm just trying to figure out the level of preservation of life they have. I'm trying to understand their mentality. It's so different from the way we live (we're making things like Segways and getting botox injections which seems like total vanity compared to what the North Korean Christians face everyday)....

     At the end of the article they give you pointers as to how to pray. I was wondering because it seems so hopeless when you hear so many stories and how horrible it is. It's nothing for those police to torture and kill an "enemy of the state". How could you pray for them? All they seem to need is Jesus and they're getting as much of Him as they can (as they read their Bibles by candlelight) before they leave this earth. VOM suggested these prayer focuses:

1. Pray God will give them creative ways to meet for fellowship and remain unseen by authorities and others who would bring them harm.
2. Ask the Lord to give His people wisdom as they share the gospel and minister in North Korea.
3. Pray for God's hand of protection on the safe houses helping North Korean escapees.
4. Pray escapees will find Christ in the safe houses.
5. Pray God will draw Kim Jong Il into a relationship with Him.

11:03 AM - Sep. 1, 2005 - post comment

Missionaries

Persecution