Around a third of North Korea’s 100,000-strong Christian population are thought to be labouring in concentration camps, while tens of thousands of citizens, including many who are Christians, have defected to countries such as neighbouring South Korea, China, Mongolia and Russia.

However, Rev Eric Foley, co-founder of Seoul USA, a ministry dedicated to supporting defected and underground Christians in North Korea, says that despite intense persecution, North Korean Christians are remaining steadfast in their faith. “North Korea is a unique nation in the whole of human history in that it’s the only nation ever to be founded on a distortion of the Christian faith,” he tells Christian Today.

“Kim Il-Sung, the first president of North Korea, grew up in a Christian home and as a result of his exposure to the Christian faith he became convinced that the apparatus of Christian worship, weekly meetings, complete devotion to a divinity and singing hymns, could be adapted to a state religion, which in North Korea is known as Juche. It’s essentially the worship of the Kim family. “North Korea is often misunderstood to be an atheistic nation, but it’s one of the most religious nations on earth,” Foley continues.

“100 per cent of citizens attend mandatory self-criticism services, which are similar to Christian worship services – there are 600 hymnals dedicated to Kim Il-sung, they hear from his
writings and about the 10 principles, which are an adaptation of the 10 Commandments. These gatherings look so much like our worship services that when we encounter North Koreans and share the Gospel, often their reaction is to say ‘Why are you imitating us?'”

Foley explains that Christianity is “a direct challenge to Juche ideology” and if it were to spread, “it would become clear that Juche is a pale imitation of the Christian faith”. Anyone found to be practising the religion is therefore thrown into hard labour camps for the rest of their life, or even killed. It is no wonder that North Korea has topped Open Doors’ World Watch List for Christian persecution 12 years in a row.

In spite of this, however, Foley insists that Christians, whom he describes as “the most battle-hardened, tested and proven true, of any we meet,” do not “simply hide out in hopes of regime change. They continue to evangelise and disciple in ways that are distinctive and unique,” he says. Even in the concentration camps… Christians have, for more than a generation, been engaging in discipleship and evangelism. They regard it as part of their mission field.

“We always want to emphasise that North Korean Christians are not in retreat, but have continued for more than 60 years to advance the Gospel with great success.

Source: Christian Today

BIBLE STUDY: Revelation 2:8-11

PRAISE God for our faithful brothers and sisters in North Korea and for His grace in them. PRAY that the seeds of the Gospel, planted with the blood of our brethren, may grow fruitfully.

African-American Christian, Terrance Williams, 23, says as he watched the rioting in Ferguson, Missouri on television, his heart broke. “My heart just began to cry out to God, and I asked Him,
‘What can I do? Later that night, the Lord just put it on my heart, ‘Son, I want you to go out there and I want you to clean up.’” Williams said, “I got up at 6:30… put my green boots to the ground and just began to walk and do what God put on my heart to do.” Others who saw him soon wanted to join in. He says, “Everything that I do, I try to do it to please God.” “Everything I do, I try to do it to make Him happy.” Terrance Williams is in the final phase of his studies to become a police officer.

Source: Christian Headlines

BIBLE STUDY: Psalm 100:1-5

PRAISE God for this man’s willingness to hear and obey God’s voice in the midst of anger and confusion.

In 1984, New York city was in trouble. A murder spree began culminated with 2,400 homicides 1994. The church was fragmented and viewed as irrelevant. In 1984, God led Dr. Mac Pier to New York. Mac and his wife Marya had been missionaries in India. Sensing a call to unite God’s people in prayer, he helped organise a concert of prayer, inviting 16 churches to pray together.
Seventy-five churches showed up. They met again six months later, then six months after that, then began praying daily. Their movement expanded to included hundreds of pastors – then came
9/11. The prayer foundation laid for 13 years enabled the body of Christ to respond. Over the years, Concerts of Prayer has gathered more than 250,000 Christians to pray for the city.

How has God responded? Well, the murder rate has declined to just 648 in 2013. Churches are working together in unprecedented ways to meet needs in their city. And they have seen the evangelical population on the island of Manhattan triple. Five years ago, Christian leaders in New York City began meeting together to celebrate what God was doing and to encourage each other for even greater cultural impact. At the first “Movement Day,” leaders from 34 states and 14 countries came to see what God was doing in New York City. Five years later, “Movement Day” has gathered 6,500 leaders from 360 countries and five continents.

The Movement has spread to other cities. In Dallas, 450 different churches and ministries are now collaborating on 12 different initiatives, ranging from homelessness to sex trafficking to orphan care. The body of Christ is becoming the hands and feet of Jesus, and the Spirit is using it to His glory.

Source: Christian Headlines

BIBLE STUDY: Jonah 3:1-10

PRAISE God for this wonderful news. PRAY the work of His Spirit will continue to touch New York.

Around a third of North Korea’s 100,000-strong Christian population are thought to be labouring in concentration camps, while tens of thousands of citizens, including many who are Christians, have defected to countries such as neighbouring South Korea, China, Mongolia and Russia.

However, Rev Eric Foley, co-founder of Seoul USA, a ministry dedicated to supporting defected and underground Christians in North Korea, says that despite intense persecution, North Korean Christians are remaining steadfast in their faith. “North Korea is a unique nation in the whole of human history in that it’s the only nation ever to be founded on a distortion of the Christian faith,” he tells Christian Today.

“Kim Il-Sung, the first president of North Korea, grew up in a Christian home and as a result of his exposure to the Christian faith he became convinced that the apparatus of Christian worship, weekly meetings, complete devotion to a divinity and singing hymns, could be adapted to a state religion, which in North Korea is known as Juche. It’s essentially the worship of the Kim family. “North Korea is often misunderstood to be an atheistic nation, but it’s one of the most religious nations on earth,” Foley continues.

“100 per cent of citizens attend mandatory self-criticism services, which are similar to Christian worship services – there are 600 hymnals dedicated to Kim Il-sung, they hear from his
writings and about the 10 principles, which are an adaptation of the 10 Commandments. These gatherings look so much like our worship services that when we encounter North Koreans and share the Gospel, often their reaction is to say ‘Why are you imitating us?'”

Foley explains that Christianity is “a direct challenge to Juche ideology” and if it were to spread, “it would become clear that Juche is a pale imitation of the Christian faith”. Anyone found to be practising the religion is therefore thrown into hard labour camps for the rest of their life, or even killed. It is no wonder that North Korea has topped Open Doors’ World Watch List for Christian persecution 12 years in a row.

In spite of this, however, Foley insists that Christians, whom he describes as “the most battle-hardened, tested and proven true, of any we meet,” do not “simply hide out in hopes of regime change. They continue to evangelise and disciple in ways that are distinctive and unique,” he says. Even in the concentration camps… Christians have, for more than a generation, been engaging in discipleship and evangelism. They regard it as part of their mission field.

“We always want to emphasise that North Korean Christians are not in retreat, but have continued for more than 60 years to advance the Gospel with great success.

Source: Christian Today

BIBLE STUDY: Revelation 2:8-11

PRAISE God for our faithful brothers and sisters in North Korea and for His grace in them. PRAY that the seeds of the Gospel, planted with the blood of our brethren, may grow fruitfully.

African-American Christian, Terrance Williams, 23, says as he watched the rioting in Ferguson, Missouri on television, his heart broke. “My heart just began to cry out to God, and I asked Him,
‘What can I do? Later that night, the Lord just put it on my heart, ‘Son, I want you to go out there and I want you to clean up.’” Williams said, “I got up at 6:30… put my green boots to the ground and just began to walk and do what God put on my heart to do.” Others who saw him soon wanted to join in. He says, “Everything that I do, I try to do it to please God.” “Everything I do, I try to do it to make Him happy.” Terrance Williams is in the final phase of his studies to become a police officer.

Source: Christian Headlines

BIBLE STUDY: Psalm 100:1-5

PRAISE God for this man’s willingness to hear and obey God’s voice in the midst of anger and confusion.

In 1984, New York city was in trouble. A murder spree began culminated with 2,400 homicides 1994. The church was fragmented and viewed as irrelevant. In 1984, God led Dr. Mac Pier to New York. Mac and his wife Marya had been missionaries in India. Sensing a call to unite God’s people in prayer, he helped organise a concert of prayer, inviting 16 churches to pray together.
Seventy-five churches showed up. They met again six months later, then six months after that, then began praying daily. Their movement expanded to included hundreds of pastors – then came
9/11. The prayer foundation laid for 13 years enabled the body of Christ to respond. Over the years, Concerts of Prayer has gathered more than 250,000 Christians to pray for the city.

How has God responded? Well, the murder rate has declined to just 648 in 2013. Churches are working together in unprecedented ways to meet needs in their city. And they have seen the evangelical population on the island of Manhattan triple. Five years ago, Christian leaders in New York City began meeting together to celebrate what God was doing and to encourage each other for even greater cultural impact. At the first “Movement Day,” leaders from 34 states and 14 countries came to see what God was doing in New York City. Five years later, “Movement Day” has gathered 6,500 leaders from 360 countries and five continents.

The Movement has spread to other cities. In Dallas, 450 different churches and ministries are now collaborating on 12 different initiatives, ranging from homelessness to sex trafficking to orphan care. The body of Christ is becoming the hands and feet of Jesus, and the Spirit is using it to His glory.

Source: Christian Headlines

BIBLE STUDY: Jonah 3:1-10

PRAISE God for this wonderful news. PRAY the work of His Spirit will continue to touch New York.