It was announced that 33 people will be executed in North Korea for "attempting to overthrow the government." That's North Korea's allegation anyway. Presses with a bit more freedom are saying that these 33 have been working with a South Korean Baptist minister and have planted over 500 underground house churches within the indescribably oppressed nation.
So I guess Kim Jong Un is half-correct in his accusation--they are attempting to overthrow the government.
What he doesn't know is that, unfortunately for him, Jesus already has...
Reading this report, my heart is washed cold and my mind sobered. I think of my freedom, right here, this ability to voice what it is that I care about; a freedom North Koreans do not possess.
I think about the Church in America, the literature it puts out. How many of the books right now are essentially self-help books with a little scripture thrown in?
Be a better you. Make wiser decisions. Don't be afraid to share what you believe. 7 tips for a healthy Christian marriage/singlehood.
How about "Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because those who have suffered in their bodies are done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God." 1 Peter 4:1.
My God, we're so comfortable in our world! My God, we're so drunk on ourselves!
Diluted, cheap wine...that's what we drink. Not the pure blood of Jesus' sacrifice like these 33 martyrs.
The inexpressibly joyous gospel of Jesus Christ isn't a matter of life and death for us! We have no concept of what it means to find this Good News like riches in a field and to sell everything so as to go after it....
Sometimes I wish that America would publicly come out and denounce Christianity. At least at that point the stakes would be raised a bit. We still wouldn't be executed for being traitors to the government but at least when we fell to our knees and took the bread dripping with red glory...at least at that point we'd understand EXACTLY what it is we're doing...
We are subverting the powers of this world. We are revolutionaries claiming that there is another Kingdom coming--a better Kingdom--a kingdom that we believe so strongly in that we're willing to be executed for it, that we're willing to sell everything to go after it.
I fear that I'm so damn comfortable in my country and I'm so mournfully weak that unless action is forced upon me, I'll never be proactive with this gospel.
I'm tired of cheap grape juice...I want the pure, red wine which these 33 drink.
I want to be hated by this world. That's not an overstatement friends. I want to be hated by this world.
Because maybe then I'll know what this story truly entails...maybe then I'll know what it is I truly believe..I hope I'm not ashamed of myself on that day.
I hope you're not ashamed either...
Long live the true Sovereign, the true King and his everlasting Kingdom--Jesus Christ our Lord.
Lord, receive these 33 into your kingdom...embrace them for me. And protect the 500 new house churches you've established...fill them with your Holy Spirit. Fill us all with your Holy Spirit and your fire from heaven. Reawaken your Church in America from our selfish drunkenness. Let your name be glorified throughout out all the earth--your name alone.
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