Thought for Monday, 12 June 2023

Mark 10:29-30 NIV

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters

or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life

A toddler was sentenced to life imprisonment in North Korea after the child’s family was found in possession of a Bible, according to a new report by the US State Department

Although the incident took place in 2009, it has been highlighted in the department’s new report on international religious freedoms this month, citing data from Korea Future, a non-governmental organisation documenting human rights abuses in North Korea. “One case involved the 2009 arrest of a family based on their religious practices and possession of a Bible

“The entire family, including a two-year-old child, were given life sentences in political prison camps,” it said

There are estimated to be between 200,000 and 400,000 clandestine Christians in the North Korea, in the West where many are believed to have settled after an “explosion” of interest in the religion in 1907

Korea Future’s report was based on interviews between 2007 and 2020 with 244 victims of religious persecution, who had been subjected to arrest, detention, forced labour, torture, denial of fair trial or right to life, and to sexual violence, for practicing Christian beliefs

The findings reflect the regime’s paranoia over religious minorities and its lack of tolerance for any belief other than absolute devotion to the ruling Kim family as they seek to maintain their iron grip on power.

Story by Nicola Smith

This kind of persecution does not only happen in North Korea, but we also hear of this type of persecution in all parts of the world of the world.

Are we giving enough time to this persecution in our prayers? We are told to pray without ceasing, this means we must keep praying until the theme of our prayer is answered.

God knows what we need but He requires commitment from us. Just like parents who give their children things the children do not really want. How many children would rather have our presence than “things.”

God will give us all we will ever need but He needs to have our input. No point in our prayers just saying, “God You know all my needs.” And leaving it at that.

Prayer should be a conversation between us and our heavenly Father. If we visit our dad on earth, we do not just go in and say, “I need.” When we visit someone, it should not only be because we want something from them. We want them to know we are thinking about them, and we want to spend time with them.

It is called LOVE! We are called to love our neighbour as ourselves. The only way we can demonstrate love to those under persecution is by praying for them. They will not know who we are, but God will, He is the living Father, Son and holy Spirit. He is the one who can make a difference in the lives of the oppressed.

A two-year-old baby sentenced to life in prison because the parents choose to live under the power of the blood of Jesus

These are the examples we should be emulating. Amid their fears there is undoubted faith in God.

Prayer

Father, Son and holy Spirit, we come to You as one eternal God. We ask for our brothers and sisters who live in fear of torture and death because of their trust in You. They have heard the Gospel of Jesus and believe that He has redeemed them and paid the price of their sins so they can have life everlasting. Help those of us who are free to worship You openly to do so with the same dedication as those persecuted. Amen