Remember the Prisoner
The writer of Hebrews tells us
“Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.”Hebrews 13:3
Around the world today men and women are facing persecution for their belief in Jesus Christ.
In fact as I write this a Canadian Korean pastor has just been released from over two years in a North Korean prison. His crime believing in Jesus. Many who believe in Christ Jesus however are still in prison for their faith.
Quite often they are forgotten men and women.
In December of 2013 the United Kingdom parliament heard that one Christian is killed every eleven minutes for their faith.
MP Jim Shannon said the persecution of Christians is “the biggest story in the world that has never been told”
He said that although the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, there are many countries in which these rights are not given.
Shannon alleged that 200 million Christians will be persecuted for their faith this year,(2013) while he said 500 million live in dangerous neighbourhoods.”
In early November, 2013 German Chancellor Angela Merkel declared that Christianity is "the most persecuted religion in the world."
As Christians we need to be conscious of our fellow believers in Christ who are suffering for their faith.
We need to at the very least be praying for them. We who live in the western democracies need to be informing our politicians about the persecuted church. We need to be asking our politicians to do what they can to help the persecuted.
Prayer and petition to governments does work.
The Canadian pastor I mentioned at the start of this article was released because of prayer and the intervention of the Canadian government, who incidentally has no diplomatic presence in North Korea.
We in the west with all of our freedoms need also to remember that it is our sacred duty to tell the world about Jesus in word, in deed and in love. We need to be remembered for what we believe in not what we are against.
As the apostle Peter wrote,
“Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:11,12
This pastor that has just been released is an excellent example of that. He was taking humanitarian aid to North Korea, nothing more. His only crime was being a Christian.
Please think about it.
The writer of Hebrews tells us
“Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.”Hebrews 13:3
Around the world today men and women are facing persecution for their belief in Jesus Christ.
In fact as I write this a Canadian Korean pastor has just been released from over two years in a North Korean prison. His crime believing in Jesus. Many who believe in Christ Jesus however are still in prison for their faith.
Quite often they are forgotten men and women.
In December of 2013 the United Kingdom parliament heard that one Christian is killed every eleven minutes for their faith.
MP Jim Shannon said the persecution of Christians is “the biggest story in the world that has never been told”
He said that although the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, there are many countries in which these rights are not given.
Shannon alleged that 200 million Christians will be persecuted for their faith this year,(2013) while he said 500 million live in dangerous neighbourhoods.”
In early November, 2013 German Chancellor Angela Merkel declared that Christianity is "the most persecuted religion in the world."
As Christians we need to be conscious of our fellow believers in Christ who are suffering for their faith.
We need to at the very least be praying for them. We who live in the western democracies need to be informing our politicians about the persecuted church. We need to be asking our politicians to do what they can to help the persecuted.
Prayer and petition to governments does work.
The Canadian pastor I mentioned at the start of this article was released because of prayer and the intervention of the Canadian government, who incidentally has no diplomatic presence in North Korea.
We in the west with all of our freedoms need also to remember that it is our sacred duty to tell the world about Jesus in word, in deed and in love. We need to be remembered for what we believe in not what we are against.
As the apostle Peter wrote,
“Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:11,12
This pastor that has just been released is an excellent example of that. He was taking humanitarian aid to North Korea, nothing more. His only crime was being a Christian.
Please think about it.
