This is a headline from not 20 or 30 years ago, but from today:
"According to the Associated Press, a 33-year-old woman and mother of three has been executed in North Korea on charges of distributing Bibles, which are banned in the communist country, and of allegedly spying for foreign nations. A July 24 report from the Investigative Commission on Crimes against Humanity, quoted by the AP, says that Ri Hyon-ok was executed in the northwestern city of Ryongchon bordering China on June 16, and that her husband, children and parents were sent to a political prison the day after her execution."
Let that sink in...after she was executed, her husband, children and parents were sent to prison!!!! You can be sure that the spying charge is just to make it look more reasonable to the rest of the world, but is trumped up bunk. The whole article is here.
Praise God that there are Christians in the world with this kind of devotion to Jesus. I am writing this as I am sitting outside by my pool on my day off, both of which are things that a Chinese Christian knows nothing about. Put in front of the mirror of this kind of sacrifice, I pale in comparison.
There are people that would say that is a useless exercise in guilt, because I can't help where I was born, and they are right. I can't help that I was born in a free country, but that isn't even the point. I don't feel guilty because I am an American, I feel guilty because I am a lazy American.
There are things that I could do that would show my devotion to Christ and to the Gospel and I don't do them, not because I am afraid of death or prison, but because I never get around to it.
Thank you, Ri Hyon-ok, for the sermon of your life that God used to speak to me today. Far from being tragic or wasted, your life will be used to reach others for Christ all over the world.
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2 comments:
Amen. Great Post!
We are so distracted by our careers, friends, activities, sports, entertainment, and bottom line our selfish desies! Me included.
We as freedom blessed Americans do not have a sense of urgency for the Gospel! Time is running out for people everyday, we must share the Gospel and our faith!
Everyday 150,000 people die in the world. I told the youth a few weeks ago, that I am more than half way through my expected life, God has given me a sense of urgency, taht is why I evangelize, teach, preach, go on mission trips.
We display no sense of need or urgency to be obedient to what Christ commissioned each of us as believers to do in Matthew 28 and Mark 16!
Our 1st desire as Christians when we are saved is to be transformed into Gospel sharing followers!
This is not happening, why? We have our cake and can eat it too!
We should be reaching out in every area of our community to children, teenagers, adults, seniors, sharing with anybody we can how Christ is the answer!
Thanks for sharing Pastor Phil.
If you want check out my 1st blog on Postmodern Christianity by clicking on my name on this post.
I can't wait to meet her in heaven.
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