Many Christians have faced brutal persecution at the hands of unbelievers ever since the age of the early Roman emperors: who would sacrifice Christians to wild animals, torture them, and burn them alive. But such despicable deeds did not end two millennia ago, as many would believe. Faithful Christian believers continue to face persection around the globe. And news reports from North Korea suggest a degree of barbarism and torture not seen since the time the Roman Empire.
Just recently, Christians have been crushed by North Korea under a steam roller, hung them above raging fires, and herded them off bridges and to other terrible kinds of dreadful torture, according to a report. Christian Solidarity Worldwide issued the report before this month to call for activity against the Communist state, which can be the top persecutor of Christians globally, according to Open Doors. The horrifying report reads: âChristians generally practice their beliefs in secret. Recorded incidents against Christians contain being hung on a cross over a fire, crushed under a steamroller, herded bridges away and trampled underfoot. A policy of guilt by association applies, meaning regardless of whether they share the Christian belief the relatives of Christians can also be detained. North Koreans who are or become Christians, are often repatriated and afterwards imprisoned in a political prison camp, and who have escaped to China.â Open Doors reports 50,000-70,000 Christians are in North Korean labor camps that hearken back to the Holocaust . Torture and to block the abuse requests the world. Especially, they are calling on the United Nations to intervene: ⢠Hold regular briefings on the human rights situation in the DPRK with the involvement of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and other applicable pros ⢠Ensure that human rights are essential in any dialogue or discussions, whether bilateral or multilateral, between the DPRK and any Member State ⢠Call for the adoption of a Security Council resolution addressing human rights and impunity in the DPRK ⢠Investigate the likelihood of creating an ad hoc tribunal of international attorneys and judges, current or past, to maintain responsibility regarding the crimes against humanity that are happening in the DPRK and to evaluate the evidence given to them ⢠Support the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in their mandate, look to expand their capacity and ensure their continuing freedom, adequate resources and security are kept ⢠Create a human rights contact group on North Korea| â The grace of our Lord God is more visible in our current existence than it ever has been before. As witness to this truth comes a news report from the Middle East: where a large group of new Christians preparing to be bapitized were saved from nearly certain by the DivineGrace of the Lord. (For the protection of the parties involved, the precise location of the near-disastrous incident cannot http://www.christianity.com/ be disclosed.) A fresh report states that God created a massive dust storm to deliver Islamic Christian converts from the insane rampage of militants who hunted them, according to a recent report. Bibles For Mideast claims the organization had just finished a mass baptism for 50 recently saved Christians when their bus was surrounded by militants and fired shots. "About 50 individuals including baptism candidates attend the service. We all went by a bus. After prayers and the baptism service, all of us entered the bus to return back to the Supper of the Lord and our house church for the worship service. The bus was moved. Suddenly some militants reached behind us by three or more automobiles and started shooting with guns toward us," a brand new believer said, in accordance with the report. The new converts and their leaders feared the worst. That's when the wind started to pick up, and dust began to swirl them around. "Suddenly we saw a giant dust storm formed behind our bus. At first we all were fearful of seeing the dust storm. We thought we may be unable to to go beyond and will be held by the militants. Praise the Lord again and again! We all believed the Lord Jesus Christ appeared as a Wonderful and Mighty Redeemer upon the dust storm revealing lovely hands and His protecting toward us with a smile that was sweet. We were saved by Jesus. He Himself obstructed the road of militants in the form of a dust storm," the report reads. According to their own website, Bibles For Mideast is an underground ministry to distribute the Word of God to individuals in need.| â Jesus Christ instructs us to love everyone, to even love our greatest enemies, but most particularly he instructs us to love our neighbors as we ourselves would wish to be loved. And there are no closer neighbors than those who live in our own neighborhoods. Thus, we offer you some suggestions for spreading the loving Word of Christ to our immediate friends and neighbors... ______ Practicing daily, cruciform love that is embodied in our own neighborhoods {keeps us liable to faithfully and quietly living out what we loudly preach on our platforms. Now more than ever, then we have to make sure we're embodying what we're speaking out to our world. 1 John puts this starkly 3:18 âDear children let us not love in word or speech but with actions and in truth.â Embodying our rhetoric is a demonstration of Christian love. HOW TRANSFORMATION HAPPENS-- As an example, we Christians love conventions, our publications, and sermons that are wonderful. Nevertheless, these tools can deceive us into believing that by getting more content, we can be transformed. How does genuine transformation occur? Not only through gaining more knowledge. Transformation and spiritual formation occur persistently, when we attentively, painfully, and humbly put in practice what we understand to be accurate. Frequently Iâm told that what unites a specific local church is not area or neighbourhood, but a common theology. Thatâs great in one sense. However, I think this points to the culture of disembodiment that now is moved in by the Church; subjective concepts take precedence over our lived - in environment. Our doctrine is put in the realm of the sacred, but our actual space isn't, and consequently, we disconnect from much wanted embodied engagement in our local neighborhoods. As we live out the call to break bread with the inferior, welcome the stranger, and renounce the idols of conviction and relaxation, we embody worship of our God. As this happens, our theology emerges, sometimes in words that are spoken and written, but always fleshed out in the local community we belong to. What we say about God must be interdependent with our activities. Iâm focusing particularly on the local area because I think that this is where we're authentically ourselves. Frequently we get caught up in rallies, causes, and social media activism, which can be a helpful means for bringing change. Nonetheless, transformation happens as we bump into people in the places where we live and engage with. Then we're compelled to reflect on what we must do as we fall upon the other and as we are personally impacted by it. If I want to bring more comprehensive institutional change to our world, I must get to know my neighbor who might be a casualty of injustices like racism, sexism, and economic unfairness. FOUR SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES FOR ADORING YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD-- What exactly are some habits we can engage into practice the spiritual discipline of loving our area? Building relationships and trust in the area regularly takes a very long time. The customs have become simple, yet now they seem difficult because we've become accustomed to distancing ourselves from our neighbours. The customs will seem slow, unfruitful, and painful because success is estimated these days through immediate results. Instead, trust and building relationships in the area often takes a very long time. PRAYER WALK-- That is an easy way of connecting with your neighborhood in a quite grounded way to be able to develop a love for the reality of the place instead of an idealization of your community. Only get acquainted with the people and where your home is. Then that is excellent, if the Gospel comes up organically in dialogues with your neighboors. But if it doesn't, there's always time for that later. For now, just make an effort to give attention to loving the area where you are. KNOW NAMES-- They write, The trouble is that we've turned this simple thought into a nice saying. We place it on bumper stickers and T-shirts and continue with our lives without really putting it into practice. But the fact is, Jesus has given us a practical plan that has the possibility to shift the world." To love our neighbours we must understand them well enough to understand their names. Learning someoneâs name and recalling that name, is an indication of care. It is an act of humanizing someone in a world which could not be incredibly humanize. BE AN EXISTENCE THAT IS FAITHFUL-- In James Davison Hunterâs classic novel "To Change the World," he writes that God has shown his steadfast existence to us in that he pursues us, identifies with us and shows us his sacrificial love. Because of this, we have to be faithful to each other in exactly the same way. God http://www.ancient.eu/christianity/ shows us a âdedication that is active not passive, deliberate not inadvertent, covenantal not contractual. God is with us wholeheartedly We are to be intentional in revealing âwholeheartedâ and our love towards our neighbors in the community where we dwell. As Jesus is Emmanuel, âGod is with usâ, we also must show a âGod is with us towards our neighbors. ENGAGE WITH THOSE DIFFERENT FROM YOU-- Hunter continues and says that Godâs faithfulness to us means that we must be especially present towards those who are not the same as us. So " we welcome the stranger. The stranger represents metaphysical darkness or risk. When oneâs life is concealed in Christ the existence of the other we are threatened or diminishes by neither.â As we view our world being torn apart by sections centered on fear of those people who are different to us this really is an actual challenge for us now. It takes effort to move beyond our comfort zones and authentically reach out to people who have habits, religions, principles, and cultures that are not exactly the same as ours. Practicing the religious discipline of loving our neighbourhood keeps us liable to embodying what we proclaim through our words. We're faced with the challenge of reflecting on the best way to walk our theology out. I think this, more than anything, will be our apologetic vehicle for our transformation today; embodying Christ-likeness through loving the people who live next door to us and on our streets. âWhoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked.â (1 John 2:6)
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