Pray for Christians in Prison Camps
We continue to remember Kenneth Jun-Ho Bae who is under arrest and sentenced to death in North Korea. Here is a FaceBook page dedicated to him.
www.facebook.com/RememberKenBaePrisonerInNorthKorea?ref=bf
As we think of Ken Bae, we also remember the growing number of Christians in North Korea, many of whom are in prison camps. Estimates vary as to the number of underground believers in North Korea and the number suffering in prison camps. Sources such as Radio Free Asia (http://www.rfa.org/english/), Cornerstone USA (http://cornerstoneusa.org/), and Open Doors (http://www.opendoorsuk.org/) indicate that there may be between 200,000 and 400,000 secret believers with perhaps 20,000 or so meeting together in small groups of 3 to 5 people for regular prayer and worship. There may be some 70,000 Christians suffering in the labor camps with others suffering severe persecution and death outside the camps. An Open Doors spokesman stated that they believe two Christians were executed earlier this year. In spite of the persecution, it does appear that the number of believers in the country is increasing as defectors who came to faith while in China are returning and sharing the Gospel with family, friends, and others. Some North Koreans travel back and forth to China as traders so that they are able to bring in Bibles and other resources to share the Gospel inside. This is a great peril to their lives.
Life for the ordinary North Korean is not easy either especially as controls under Kim Jong Un increase as does inflation while heavier burdens are being imposed on people to celebrate the great accomplishments like the recent rocket launch and nuclear tests about which more and more people express confusion or complaints. All of this increases the level of tension both domestically and internationally. At the same time, the government is giving out so many awards to people for their participation in the tests that being a "Hero of the Republic" is no longer anything special. There are also reports that North Korean generals and other high officers are getting US dollar cash cards every month to be used any way they want.
While all of this is going on, the central government has issued a series of contradictory orders concerning private farm plots that have farmers confused and fearful.
All of this adds up to a lot of things to pray for. Please keep our longsuffering North Korean brothers and sisters in Christ in frequent prayer. Let’s agree that the powers of darkness that are controlling Kim Jong-un and his government be bound and driven to the feet of Jesus so the nation can be set free from both its human and spiritual oppression.
We continue to remember Kenneth Jun-Ho Bae who is under arrest and sentenced to death in North Korea. Here is a FaceBook page dedicated to him.
Www.facebook.com/RememberKenBaePrisonerInNorthKorea?ref=bf
As we think of Ken Bae, we also remember the growing number of Christians in North Korea, many of whom are in prison camps. Estimates vary as to the number of underground believers in North Korea and the number suffering in prison camps. Sources such as Radio Free Asia (http://www.rfa.org/english/), Cornerstone USA (http://cornerstoneusa.org/), and Open Doors (http://www.opendoorsuk.org/) indicate that there may be between 200,000 and 400,000 secret believers with perhaps 20,000 or so meeting together in small groups of 3 to 5 people for regular prayer and worship. There may be some 70,000 Christians suffering in the labor camps with others suffering severe persecution and death outside the camps. An Open Doors spokesman stated that they believe two Christians were executed earlier this year. In spite of the persecution, it does appear that the number of believers in the country is increasing as defectors who came to faith while in China are returning and sharing the Gospel with family, friends, and others. Some North Koreans travel back and forth to China as traders so that they are able to bring in Bibles and other resources to share the Gospel inside. This is a great peril to their lives.
Life for the ordinary North Korean is not easy either especially as controls under Kim Jong Un increase as does inflation while heavier burdens are being imposed on people to celebrate the great accomplishments like the recent rocket launch and nuclear tests about which more and more people express confusion or complaints. All of this increases the level of tension both domestically and internationally. At the same time, the government is giving out so many awards to people for their participation in the tests that being a "Hero of the Republic" is no longer anything special. There are also reports that North Korean generals and other high officers are getting US dollar cash cards every month to be used any way they want.
While all of this is going on, the central government has issued a series of contradictory orders concerning private farm plots that have farmers confused and fearful.
All of this adds up to a lot of things to pray for. Please keep our longsuffering North Korean brothers and sisters in Christ in frequent prayer. Let’s agree that the powers of darkness that are controlling Kim Jong-un and his government be bound and driven to the feet of Jesus so the nation can be set free from both its human and spiritual oppression.
Single Christians experiencing 'anxiety'
Online dating service Christian Connection has spent the last few months surveying thousands of single Christians on their experiences in the church. The decline in younger people attending church means many single Christians are struggling not only to find a life partner, but to figure out their place and worth in largely family-focused churches. Survey respondents reported difficulties in finding other single Christians in their church and turning to online dating as "a last resort". "There's such a pitiful lack of forums for meeting up with other single Christians," said one respondent. Another reported that "married with 2.4 kids" was the norm in their church. Many of the women responding to the survey reported fierce competition to bag the single Christian men in the church. In addition many single Christians feel "socially anxious" because of the pressure to be married. "This creates social anxiety for many single people in the church. 'Will I get married and fit in with the majority or not?'"
Pray: for churches to recognise the issues facing single people in their congregations and to work to support them. (Ps.103:5)
More: http://www.christiantoday.co.uk/article/single.christians.experience.anxiety/32169.htm
Police reassure over London Marathon
A senior Metropolitan Police officer has reassured runners and spectators that Sunday's London Marathon will go ahead as planned. Commander Christine Jones said security was being reviewed following two deadly explosions at the Boston Marathon. The public should be ‘reassured’ the police were ‘very, very well-practised’ at managing big events, she added. London Mayor Boris Johnson has also spoken to police about the possibility of extra security on the day. In Boston, at least three people are known to have been killed on Monday and more than 170 injured in blasts close to the marathon's finishing line. Sports Minister Hugh Robertson said he was ‘absolutely confident’ the London Marathon could be kept safe. London had ‘enormous experience’ of delivering major events and the UK had some of the best security professionals in the world, he told the BBC, adding: ‘This is one of those instances where the best way to show solidarity with Boston is to continue.’
Pray: for the safety of this event and any steps to disrupt it will be thwarted.(Ps.5:11b)
It might take new financial crisis to restore morality to City
It could take an up’ to the scale of changes it needs to make, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales warned last Sunday. The Archbishop of Westminster, the Most Rev Vincent Nichols, likened profit-obsessed business chiefs to staff at the scandal-hit Mid Staffordshire hospitals trust who lost sight of basic morality because of an obsession with money. He will told an audience in the City that new regulations would not be enough to bring about real change in the wake of the banking crisis, and could itself become simply a ‘lazy proxy’ for moral values. He said working in the City is a noble vocation, capable of doing real good for society but that the pursuit of short term profit has been allowed to become the sole purpose of business, creating a moral vacuum.
Pray: for the financial sector in the City to develop a greater sense of morality and a clearer purpose to serve society. (Lk.12:15)
