Where Does Your Help Come From?

When things don't go as they should, what do you do? Most of us surround ourselves with people who we know might sort us out in case of trouble. We pile up lots of wealth so as we can feel secure. We think that this will give us a secure life free from worry and heart ache. How wrong we are. One day, all this might collapse, what do you do. Like Job, you might find yourself in a situation where everything you ever had just disappears.

If you are a believer of the true and living God, you should know that the afflictions of the Christian are many but God delivers him from them all. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. Though he might fall, the Lord upholds him with his hand. Ps37:24. Therefore, no matter how bad things may seem, God will make the sun shine on you in the morning.

All he is asking is you put your trust in him. Your help should totally come from him. Friends, family and people you know may disappoint you but he can never leave nor forsake you. He is your creator, he loves you more than anything, how dare you think that he is going to let you die in that problem. He just wants you to stop looking around at the things and people around and look up. He is seated in his majesty waiting for you to ask for his help. Nothing is impossible with God.

Angela Mwema is a messenger to the world with the true and living word of God. Please visit her site for more spiritual nourishment. http://angiepages.com/tag/god-working-in-me-for-me/

In Jesus Christ We Rise

Give glory and praise to Jesus Christ. Whom raised that temple up out of the grave. From death to life on the third day, just like he said.

The temple of God from which he stayed. While on this earth for many many days. Performing miracles and raising the dead. Forgiving and healing was his passionate way. Though the Roman soldiers and those who didn't know him. Saw him as a threat. When he was truly more, than we could ever hope for or expect to get. While hanging on the cross; he forgave them of that. And still he lives holding no regrets.

He paid a price. We could not pay. He chose to be the living sacrifice. So that we could have life. Leaving lessons, blessings and direction to heaven. Though we be blind. If we only believe and have faith the size of a mustard seed. We can say to the mountain. Be ye cast into the midst of the sea. We should be able to do just what he did.

And that much more. Because he lead the way. All we have to do is open the door. Following his lead to everlasting life. Cause we can do all things in Jesus Christ. Just as we live in this world, we shall surely die. Being born in sin is the reason why. We must confess and be born again. To be among the living. We can thank God for giving us Jesus Christ.

He made a way and provision for life. So lets keep that in mind. And when were laid in that grave. If we believe what he said. And have faith that he is. We also can have another chance to live. When he says rise my child. We can open our eyes. Because we know hes alive. But without faith. You'll lie in the darkness of death in a grave. With out ears to hear. In hell is where you will stay.

These short stories and poetry, express times in my life that were happy, joyful, funny, regretful and sometimes chaotic. I've been writing all my life and I can't imagine not doing it. I've always kept journals; wrote poems, lyrics etc. I'm a firm believer in the power of words. Therefore. I'm involved in several writing ventures. My husband and I have a Christian site, "Risen Word Ministry", where I write poetry. There's many topics with five children and eight grandchildren. Has encouraged me to write a series of stories from childhood all through the parental experience. Some here and, in "Tales from a multi-colored room". My main purpose in writing is to glorify God. Also to share some of my life experience with others in hopes of making a positive influence. Writing is something I plan on doing for the rest of my life, to go throughout generations as a family legacy.

The Speaker of the Church

Will the Speaker of the Church, Please, Stand up, and come forward?
There are many things going on in this life today that Jesus spoke of in the Gospel.
I have heard many things, that are not Biblical, from the so called theologians. They say they speak for the Christian community but they don't.
There is not one single man in this world that speaks for the Church, not one man, not one organization, not one doctrine. The Head of the Church is not physical, but spiritual.

The head of the Church was chosen, ordained, and placed into power over all things concerning the Church, by God.
We are just ministers of the Gospel, sworn and bound into service by the Lord.
Our duty is to preach, explain and interpret the Gospel, all being led by the Holy Spirit.
When any theologian, or any one within the Church body, calls for preemptive strikes, or calls for war against any nation, He does not speak for the Church, that Jesus established.

The Church will not be led by such men, but we must rebuke them, for their inconsistency within the Gospel. Jesus preached love for all men, even our enemies, for how else can we win over the lost, and those that are enemies of the cross, if we are to call for their destruction. Leave world affairs to the world. For isn't it written that; "You are in the world, but not of the world." Can you think of anything greater that would cause hatred of Christianity, than for a man to stand up and desire war for the sake of his religion? Christians are not war mongers, but rather peace makers.

If another nation desires not to believe in Christ, we do not try to cause war, but we do as instructed by Jesus in;
Luke 10:11 "Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you."
Also in; Mark 6:11 "And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city."

The very words that we speak will be brought before us at the time of judgment, and we will give account of each and every idle word.
Pastor JOHN HAGEE: "What we are trying to say to them is that a) we want you to continue your support for the State of Israel. Secondly, we want you to recognize that Iran is a clear and present danger to the United States of America and Israel. And we support Senator Joseph Lieberman, that it's time for our country to consider a military preemptive strike against Iran if they will not yield to diplomacy. And if they continue the pursuit of nuclear weapons we must not allow them to manipulate the economy of the world because they have a nuclear weapon."

"it's time for our country to consider a military preemptive strike against Iran." This is madness and not Christ like.
Many theologians today are being accused of trying to manipulate the Gospel, for their own purposes, as trying to hurry the rapture and the battle of Armageddon. Can anyone hurry God, hurry prophecy, or manipulate the end of the world? By no means. Israel is under the protection of God, but at the end of days Israel will be attacked and there is nothing that anyone can do to stop it. The Holy City of Jerusalem will be overrun and taken by force. This is a fact of prophecy and again there is nothing we can do to stop it. For these men to try to manipulate the future is madness.
For these men to call for war against Iran or any other country is way beyond common sense.

Lets read a little; Mark 13:14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:
Mark 13:19 For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.

"And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:
But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light."

(Zec 14:4-7)

What manner of man will change these things, who among us shall call for war to save Israel, who, within our fellowship, has the power to change those things that will certainly come to pass.
My Brothers and Sisters, Bless Israel and not curse.
Pray for the safety of Israel, stand up for Her, support Her, but do not try to interfere with the Prophecy's of God concerning Her.
Let the world take care of itself, for we have more power in prayer than the world has in all its military might. Do we concern ourselves with the world recognizing Israel? No, for the only thing that matters is that, we do. We are tied to Israel and bound to Her, for we both Share the same Father, the Same Saviour, and the Same Destiny. ars

Temple of Spirit & Truth Ministries A.R.Smith Ministries http://www.ourchurch.com/member/a/arsmithsermons/

Albert Einstein's Quotes

Imagination is more important than knowledge, try to figure that one out.

Seek the wisdom and the truth shall set you free.

Hope in Religion

Restoration - Hallelujah

Free at Last, Free at Last, Thank God almighty, Were free at last. Not being free in the body, but rather, free in the spirit. What is freedom, where does it come from and how do we obtain it? Many people around the world today are asking these same questions. From Africa, to China, North America to Russia, Australia to India.
Freedom will never be obtained in this life but the freedom comes from Knowing God and releasing the burdens of the flesh. Not wanting to be king of the world, nor ruler of physical ownership of the seen, but of the unseen. Our, hope, home and joy is not of this world, we are all strangers here. We have a kingdom to come, that will never end.

We have become custom to being able to, do as we wish, go where we want and conduct ourselves accordingly. But we were, and still are bound by chains and fetters in this body. Pain, suffering, discontent, disease are all part of our bondage. Many that don't believe in God, haven't seen nor felt the true freedom that one experiences as God fills their body with the spirit of Jesus Christ and with the truth and the release of their sin. The spiritual and not the physical.

The cry of happiness and the joy of knowing the truth. When I came to realize that I was lost and had no hope, I gave myself over to the one that died on that cross and the burdens fell to the floor. I was no longer bound by what I thought I knew, I wasn't bound by fear nor anxiety. I no longer feared death. I was born again in the flesh and in the spirit. I knew where my spirit lay.

In John 8:32 we learn, And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. What is the truth that John was speaking of ? John himself, at one time, as were all mankind, in the bondage of the physical, not knowing the truth of Gods freedom of the spirit. When we were lost, we never knew that we were in chains, having knowledge but not knowing the truth of our surrounding's.

The truth that all manner of things, from the living to the innate will all come to and end. Steel will rust, Wood will burn, Stone will crumble and all other things are but for a time.
John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. Jesus is wanting to make us all free of this world, its, hate, strife, worry and from the unknown. Its the unknown that causes many to have failing hearts and troubled minds.

Not knowing from one day or another weather they will be alive, weather someone will take all they have, or weather this world will meet a violent end. Fear of the unknown is causing many a sleepless night. Fear and confusion, causes marriages to fail, body's to become sick and the mind to become unstable.
In Luke 21:25-26, we see the reason many will die because of fear. And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity(Trouble, confusion, fear of the unexplained, the inexplicable, seeking answers but not finding one.); the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

Romans 5:18 Therefore as by the offence (Transgression, Disobedience, breaking of the Law.) of one (Adam) judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one (Jesus) the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Luke 16:15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men(Man writes laws and bibles to justify themselves.); but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men( idols,false gods and false prophets.) is abomination in the sight of God.

The turning away from the truth, being reconciliatory to all manner of filth and religions, being tolerable of lies and evil, making a pact with the devil, just to have a short lived peace. This present age is filled with violence, of so called religion. To obtain peace, there will be a pact made between those that say they are religious and the demon of darkness, this is undeniable. A Pact with the free nations and those nations that hold their people in religious bondage. Here is mans fear and confusion, what price will mankind pay for peace?

Romans 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. The beginning of something must also have an end. Being born must also end in death, for we all must die, weather you believe in God or not, your life will end in death.

In Galatians 3:28, we see that God has no respect of persons. What does this mean? No one is above the judgment of God, no one is below Gods ability to save, we are neither, rich nor poor, white nor black, heathen nor civilized in Gods eyes. We all, as a race of people, are all the same. There are only two types of people on this earth, those born in first Adam (Born in Sin, human, and those born into last Adam, those of the spirit of Christ.) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
God does not look at the flesh, but rather looks into the spirit, for God is spirit. No man has ever entered into the next life in the flesh. We were all sinners at one time but thru the sacrifice of Jesus we all have the ability to become the Sons of God, free from the wrath to come and from the everlasting death of Hell. It is not blasphemy to say that we are the Sons of God, nor Lords, Preast and Kings, for the price was paid for our privilege to say so.

Amos 9:1, I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword(War): he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered.
Amos 9:2-5 Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down:
And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel(Hebrew = garden land), mountain ridge, North Western Israel, extending 13 miles North West from the plain of Esdraelon to the Mediterranean Sea, where it ends in a promontory marking the southern limit of the Bay of Haifa.), I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them:

And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword (War), and it shall slay (kill) them: and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good (Gods Wrath).
And the Lord GOD of hosts is he that toucheth the land, and it shall melt, and all that dwell therein shall mourn: and it shall rise up wholly like a flood; and shall be drowned, as by the flood of Egypt.

Barnes states of Amos 9:4-5, Height or depth are alike open to the Omnipresent God. The grave is not so awful as God. The sinner would gladly dig through into hell, bury himself, the living among the dead, if so he could escape the sight of God. But thence, God says, My hand shall take them, to place them in His presence, to receive their sentence. Or if, like the rebel angels, they could place their throne amid the stars Isaiah 14:12-14, of God thence will I bring them down, humbling, judging, condemning.

The Glory of knowing God and His Son Jesus, is worth more than this world can offer. If you would gain this world and all its riches and loose your soul, what would you give to change what you have done?

Why are you holding onto a life that will bring you nothing but pain, fear, discontent, confusion? Many today are fearful of loosing their retirement, medical coverage, their homes, jobs and money. Doesn't God feed the Birds of the air and creatures of the fields, doesn't He give the trees fruit and the flowers their color? God is our Source and Supply, for He is ever present. Cant you understand that if God cares for this world and its nature, that He cares more for you? Everlasting peace and joy can only be obtained in the next life, for mankind is on a path of death and destruction. Its your choice. ars

Tempel of Spirit & Truth Ministries. A.R.Smith Ministries. http://www.ourchurch.com/member/a/arsmithsermons/

Christian Thought Movie

A "Word" For the New Year

We aren't the first generation to have a plethora of "words" available. Everyone talks as though the Word of the Lord is as common as a TV commercial. I hear people at my work talking every once in a while about how so & so said such & such about this & that, "from their spirit" And when the s-word is used, there is usually a hush, and everyone listens with awe to the "word."

Some of the "words" out there are flat out contradictions of the truly inspired Word found in our Bibles. Others are promises of wonderful things that are going to happen. Some are simply Scriptures themselves, and not "mysterious" at all...in other words, some things never change...

Remember Micaiah, the only man who spoke for God in the midst of a crowd of prophets? His story is told twice, II Kings 22 and II Chronicles 18. He never once had a good thing to prophesy about King Ahab. The other guys did, though. Positive thinkers all, and ones who valued their skin, they told Ahab how he would prosper against the Syrians to the point that their army would be totally destroyed. They encouraged Micaiah, for unity's sake I'm sure, to make his voice sound just like theirs.

So he did. In biting sarcasm that even the King understood he sang the chorus of peace and prosperity to the wicked king. Challenged by the lying monarch, Micaiah then told the truth, not only about the coming battle, but about the lying spirit inside the multitude of his prophets. For this, the true man of God was put in prison, to be fed only bread and water until the king returned.

Good thing God intervened, 'cause Ahab never came back from that battle.

Yes, and every church school boy knows the story of Elijah vs. the hundreds of prophets of Ba'al on Mt. Carmel. Again, one man speaking truth carried the day while the religious crowd was wrong as sin.

But if ever there was a "word" against the "words" of our day, it is found in the prophecy of sad but true Jeremiah. See chapter 23:16 ff... Though he was the only "quotable" word of God in his neighborhood, he was surrounded by people who quoted themselves and called it the word of the Lord. Have a listen:

16. "Thus says the Lord of hosts [now, this is a REAL "word"...] Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you... they speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord.

17. "They continually say to those who despise Me, 'The Lord has said, You shall have peace'; and to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, 'No evil shall come upon you.'

32. "Behold I am against those who prophesy false dreams, says the Lord, and tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies and by their recklessness. Yet I did not send them or command them...

33. "So when these people or the prophet or the priest ask you, saying, 'What is the oracle ["word"] of the Lord?' and you shall then say to them, 'What oracle?' [that is, expressing interest in the secret "word"] I will even forsake you, says the Lord..."

Because the Word of God has already been spoken to this evil generation, we don't need your "word", sir or ma'am. Unless it's from the Scripture, of course. And if it is, why not just say that, rather than being puffed up in your own pride, that somehow you have this "channel" open to heaven that has been denied to the rest of us?

I imagine the ratio of false to true "prophets" is about the same today. Hundreds and hundreds speaking from their own spirits, and one or two listening to God and speaking His Word to our generation. Yet the thousands prosper because they are forever forgiven, even when blatantly false, by a church that has a growing itch in the ear regions.

Imagine if you can, from images you have seen on TV, A gathering of these "prophets". Then, something you have never seen, imagine a man with a Bible opened to I Corinthians trying to use the apostle Paul's own regulations on their utterances. I hear cries of "legalist," "Pharisee."

But this Paul-follower would calmly suggest, "Yes, Paul was a Pharisee of the Pharisees, but saved by grace and given by that same garce the very words of God for my and every generation of God's Church. But of course, like Paul said, 'Anyone who wants to be ignorant, that's his choice...'

And why is the written Word so despised? Was it not a Spirit- word at one time? Is it not still? Is it not "sufficient" for our generation? Aye, and more than sufficient! Who has obeyed all of the words of Jesus and the apostles? Who is even close? But these truths must be dug out with great effort.

God's guidance for the circumstances we face, yes, this we need. No, they are not in Scripture. But the Scripture principles that give us the light on our pathway, these were being followed with great success long before your "word", friend, if you are a friend. If you are not, God has a "word" for you, but I shall not utter it here...

A New Year's Resolution then, for God's people, glasses of new wine raised high? Oh that we would hear it: "If God does not say it, I do not want to hear it! Amen."

Look for Bob Faulkner's home page on http://sermonaudio.com.

There you will find a combination of love for the Scriptures and a desire for North Korean believers to have their needs met. There are nearly 300 blogs , over 200 Bible teaching MP3's, lists of resources, NK picture albums, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos3@gmail.com.

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

The Story of Chosun, Part 10

When your friends become your enemies, such enemies they are. Remember what role Judas played in history. A Judas of 14th century Korea, disgruntled and wild, goes to the far north and persuades a tribe of renegades to attack Koryo. From the south comes yet another attack from Japan. Does it seem I have said all this before? This is truly a sad history of an embattled people.
Tajo is assigned to the wild tribe and routes them. He is then appointed general over all the north.

Next, Cheju Island (in the south) revolts and becomes a part of competing Yuan.

In 1364 Tajo leaves his station in the north to help drive out the Mongols. But in his absence, raiders from the north take over. He drives out the Mongols, then drives out the raiders. He is fast becoming Korea's hero.

Meanwhile, Japanese raids are causing many areas not to be able to pay the required revenue of rice to the government. The Capital panics. The pirates get closer to the capital, in Kaesong. They even begin setting up headquarters inside Koryu. An enemy that is allowed to become bolder and bolder will one day take all.

Other troubles in the palace: The King has no heir, so he begins to invite young men to be with the queen. It doesn't work. But one day a crafty Buddhist monk appears . Something goes off in the king. He believes he has actually seen this man in a dream saving his (the king's) life. He becomes devoted to him and lets him direct the kingdom in many ways.

Though the people hate this monk, Sindon, the king grows daily more attached. Eventually the Monk has a son through a concubine and the King claims the baby as his own.

The story of Korea thus adds another twist beyond the conflict and religious confusion... the primitive mindset that allows a dream to conquer all. People who want to believe will do so. Oh it is time for another hero in Chosun. Their history is filled with stories of this or that nobody who rose to power, and destroyed or saved the people. It's time for Someone to deliver Korea!

In 1368 the rising Ming dynasty finally drives the Mongolians away from Koryo. Japan recognizes the power shift and even brings gift to the Korean King. What a great time to talk about pirates, but Sindon, the king's personal hero, insults the Japanese envoy. Japanese living in Koryo now revolt.

1369. Of course the Ming now request allegiance from Koryo. So the King switches from the Mongolian to the Ming calendar, sends his congratulations, and a new era begins. The Chinese dress is adopted and actually passed down to the 20th century. Hulbert says: "The Koreans today [early 1900's] are really more Chinese than the Chinese..."

The Ming, the Mong, the Monk... and the Japanese. Will Korea ever get a mind of its own and hold with it? And where will Christ fit into that mind? The best is yet to come...

Look for Bob Faulkner's home page on http://sermonaudio.com There you will find a combination of love for the Scriptures and a desire for North Korean believers to have their needs met. There are nearly 300 blogs, over 200 Bible teaching MP3's, lists of resources, NK picture albums, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos3@gmail.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

Is The Pre-Tribulation Rapture In Revelation 3:10?

Questions, questions...If there were not some difficult questions that the Scriptures themselves raise regarding the so-called "pre-tribulation rapture" , fewer people would give this theory the nod. I prayerfully submit the following explanation of a passage in Revelation that seems to point toward pre-tribulationism.

Revelation 3:10, "Because you have kept my command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth." Question: Isn't it God's will to remove His Church to Heaven from this final trial?

Here the "hour of trial" is called by the pre-trib people, the Great Tribulation, and the Philadelphia Church becomes the "end-time church" in the church-age theory, and the faithful are thus promised they will not have to go through this Tribulation because, it is further assumed, they will be "caught up" before that time comes.

Problems with that view:

1. Can we prove that the "hour of trial" is the full three and one half years? Could it not just as easily be the terrible day of His coming ? Then indeed the saved will be caught up to be with Jesus.

2. To make Philadelphia the end-time church is to make Laodicea the church of the Tribulation, a group of "losers" who suddenly turn into martyrs for the cause of Christ.

3. Is it not possible that this message is indeed given to a church known in the days of John, and that the promise was kept? Did not Philadelphia

escape the last times altogether?

4. Are there not churches in every generation who can claim this promise of escaping the judgment of God if they are faithful?

5. Is it not possible at the very least, that God is able to keep His People from harm in the midst of judgment? Was either Noah or Lot removed from the earth? Do not the 144,000 escape Satan's plan? When the bowl judgments fall, is it not stated explicitly who is being targeted? Other

than persecutions allowed , are God's people ever harmed when God is pouring wrath on His enemies?

As Schwertley points out, it is not proper to make the promise given to an individual church in Asia some generalized promise for all churches of all time. As he says, " The church of Smyrna is told that they 'will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful unto death.' (Rev.2:10) They are not promised protection from the coming time of tribulation." To make the behavior of a particular church in Asia Minor universal in its application "is to render the commendation to the Philadelphians meaningless."

Also, Jesus indicates strongly here that the time is about to happen. This is not talking about an end-time scenario, but the persecution of their own time, the difficult political situations of their own day. And the Philadelphian church was not "beamed out of the Roman Empire" but kept from the evil of the days, as Noah and Lot in their generations. Was it not Jesus who said to the Father, "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one." That's how it works: in the world, but kept from evil. That is what Philadelphia is no doubt being promised.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

The Story of Chosun, Part 7

For those who enjoy history, and who love North Korea, we continue this story of the ancient days of the Korean peninsula.

Now, as in the study of many histories of the region, we must confront the Mongols.

The empire of the Mong people sits to the north of China and Korea. It did not always occupy that far-away location. In course of time it was only natural that they would head south and see what was available. Yusuka and his son Genghis begin the conquest of the 40 small tribes in the vicinity in the beginning of the 13th century. By 1212 they have worked their way to Koryu and the Kin tribe mentioned before. The Kin, smaller, are threatened first. They turn to Koryu for help.

Meanwhile the remnant of the Khitans go south, likewise pursued by the Mongols, into the hands of rival Koryu. They brashly charge into Pyongyang and make it their headquarters. Then the advance to Song-bo.

So, the enemy is at the door, there is rebellion in the South, and in the capital, "a mountain of dead and rivers of blood." But the Khitans are defeated. In fact, Koryu sends a Khitan officer back to the Mongols, and there is talk of a treaty. The Mongols make short work of the Khitans and reward Koryu.

But not for long. In 1221, the Mongols demand revenue.

Enough trouble? It seems that Korea and its ancestors never have enough. Now re-enter the Japanese. From 1223 until around 1400, independent Japanese raiders ravage sections of Koryu.

Why have so many felt that Korea is up for grabs?

The northern Yujin tribes, now a part of the Mongols, also raid from the north. And in 1231 there is a massive Mongol invasion. The King of Koryu surrenders, the Mongols move in. Subjugation. Occupation. Not the first time, not the last. Such is the sad history of these people we study.

Soon there are rebellions throughout the land against the Mongol governors. There is outright insurrection and anarchy in the capital. But when the Mongols hear of this, they slaughter many in the North.

1234 marks the end of the "Kin" dynasty, and in the next year the Mongols occupy the entire Korean peninsula. In a last feeble effort to save the nation, the King of Koryu becomes a sun worshiper.

Henry Hulbert, the historian we follow through this fascinating history, on page 199 of his book says: " It would be impossible for anyone to imagine the suffering and distress entailed by these invasions. The records say that people simply left their houses and fields and fled to these places of refuge. What did these hundreds of thousands of people live on as they fled, and after they reached their places of retreat? What breaking of old bonds of friendship and kinship, what rending of family ties and uprooting of ancient landmarks! It is a marvel that the land ever recovered from the shock."

Reminds one of the NK refugee problem of our own day. The suffering, the distress, the fleeing, the hunger, the bond-breaking. When a land is so singularly cursed, only the blessing of God can make a difference. It is for that blessing that so many are crying out today, and I ask you to join us.

Next time, more of the Mongols, the Japanese, and self-destruction by the Koreans themselves.

Look for Bob Faulkner's home page on http://sermonaudio.com There you will find a combination of love for the Scriptures and a desire for North Korean believers to have their needs met. There are nearly 300 blogs , ovber 200 Bible teaching MP3's, lists of resources, NK picture albums, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos3@gmail.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond .

North Koreans Warn - I'm Gonna Tell On You!

North Korea's church history,

It could well be that the spiritual fortifying that went on during the famous "Pyongyang Revival" (see "The glorious Pyongyang church" in this series of articles) strengthened the church for what was to come. Others have opined that what came was a judgment on compromising believers as well as a test for the faithful.

What came was Japan. For many years a threat and a power to deal with, Japan now makes its move on Korea. The entire country is to be a Japanese colony, with the accompanying Shinto religion. Koreans, for cultural reasons, and also because Christ now means so much to so many of them, reject the Shinto "missionaries" . The Japanese then begin to arrest Christian leaders, and the persecution begins.

As an excuse for their actions, and all persecutors have deemed it necessary to have such an excuse, they claim that believers are planning to kill the newly imposed governor. For "political" reasons, therefore, three Christians are immediately tortured to death. Nine are exiled with no trial. 123 others are brought to "trial" in June of 1911. Some have already signed confessions under torture, though they repudiate these "confessions" later. No one is permitted to produce witnesses. Nearly all of the 123 are given prison sentences of up to ten years.

But believers stand up. The missionaries get the news of these horrible happenings to western nations, many of which already are forming a low opinion of Japanese ways. To "save face", an action critical to eastern peoples, the Japanese release all but six of the prisoners!

Then they announce to the Presbyterians of America that all they will have to do for the release of the six is to confess to the Japanese government their sorrow and their guilt for having sent these missionaries and caused all this trouble. The Presbyterians refuse. But by 1915, pretending to be magnanimous before a watching world, all prisoners are freed anyway.

The method of "telling on" bad governments has worked many times through the years. It is why Kim Jong Il keeps his prisons a secret today. And it is why believers like myself and a host of others, continue to expose him before what we hope will be a watching world.

And why we continue to pray.

Failing in some of its more brutal attempts to smother the church, Japan tries more subtle approaches. Ordinances forbid any religious instruction in mission schools. Classes in these schools have to be conducted in Japanese. No more Christian schools can open without a permit, and preachers have to be "licensed." But licenses are hard to obtain. So many regulations cause some institutions to shut down altogether.

In March 1919, Koreans rise up once more against the heavy-handed oppression. They take to the streets in several major cities, announcing their desire to be free. The Japanese resurrect their brutality . They burn mission schools and churches to the ground. Those admitting their faith in Christ are killed on the spot. Pastors and other church leaders are rounded up by the thousands and put into jails that reek, and freeze thier occupants. Torture abounds.

The great Pyongyang revival at the turn of the century prepared the flock for decades, now a century, of difficulty. Yet the church lives in North Korea to this day. Only in eternity will the entire story be told. More details about the Japanese cruelty when this cycle continues.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

The Sabbath - Written On Our Hearts?

Is the Sabbath for today? Has the Fourth Commandment been placed in our heart when we were filled with God's Spirit under the New Covenant?

It was men full of the Spirit of God who wrote the will of God for God's New Covenant People. Following is a partial list of how the Ten Commandments left the stone tablets of Moses and found their way into New Covenant thinking and into our hearts through the Spirit. God's law, you will see, has not changed, only gotten deeper, better, richer.

Commandments 1 and 2: Exodus 20:1-6, "...have no other gods before Me... do not make images..." is repeated in I John 5:21, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." Acts 15:20 tells us, "...abstain from things polluted by [offered to] idols." Likewise I Corinthians 10:28, "If anyone says to you, This was offered to idols, do not eat it..." II Corinthians 6:14, 16, "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers...what agreement has the temple of God with idols...?" The New Covenant, written in our hearts, keeps us not only from other gods but also from fellowship with idolaters.

Commandment 3: Exodus 20:7, You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain" is suggested by Jesus in Matthew 6:7, explaining to the disciples how to pray, "...do not use vain repetitions, as the heathen do." Also, "Hallowed be Thy Name," from the Model prayer in Matthew 6:9. We are taught to ask in His Name anything we want, call on His Name for salvation, and that there is no other way to be saved but by that Name. We are taught that only the evil people "blaspheme the Name by which you are called," James 2:27. Truly no Spirit-filled believer will lightly use the Name of the Lord.

Commandment 4: Exodus 20:8, "Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy..." Since the fourth commandment is the subject of this research, allow me to discuss it last.

Commandment 5: Exodus 20:12, "Honor your father and your mother." This one is quoted verbatim by Paul in Ephesians 6:1-3. In addition the Spirit-filled apostles command the people of God to honor widows, honor the king, honor all men! Spirit-filled living is respectful living. Disrespect is a sure sign that the enemy is present.

Commandment 6: Exodus 20:13, "You shall not murder." James put it this way in 2:11, "...if...you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law." Romans 13:9 has Paul summing up the last 5 commandments in the one concept of love. Rather than destroy the law, Paul says, we live it out by loving. The sentence of death is destroyed, but the righteous requirement of the law lives on and prospers in us.

Commandment 7: Exodus 20:14, "You shall not commit adultery." In Galatians 5:19, adultery is listed as one of the works of the flesh. Those who practice these works will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Commandment 8: Exodus 20:15, "You shall not steal." And in Ephesians 4:28, "Let him that stole steal no more."

Commandment 9: Exodus 20:16, "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor," becomes "Do not lie one to another..." in Colossians 3:9.

Commandment 10: Exodus 20:17, "You shall not covet." Paul says, "But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you as is fitting for saints... no... covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God." (Ephesians 5:3, 5)

And so the commandments come full circle. Worshiping false gods to worshiping the works of man's hands and every evil practice in between was forbidden by Moses and is forbidden by Jesus and the apostles. That is to say, the same Spirit has directed all His messengers to give the same message, even though intensified, to God's people. And now that message is to be fulfilled in God's people by the Author Himself.

Now what about that fourth commandment? There is no specific command by any apostle to keep the seventh day holy. There is also no specific repeal of the Sabbath command of 4,100 years. There is likewise no command to rest on the first day of the week. If all other commands are in evidence in the New Covenant's Spirit-filled life, what are we to assume about this one? If indeed every man is to be convinced in his own heart of the truth (Romans 14:5) then it seems to me that he will be convinced only by a word from God. A Gentile who has been taught first-day Sabbath may, like myself, eventually be called upon to seek out the truth. It seems, though, that if he does not, he is under no condemnation. Eventually all this will be made right, when Jesus comes. And there is no question in my mind about which day will be the Kingdom standard . The prophets are very explicit about the coming seventh-day Sabbath experiences of the people of God.

For now, I prefer to relate as much as possible to the saints throughout Scripture who rested on the seventh day, met most any day, and had a special meeting on the first day, the day of the creation of light, the day of the resurrection, the day of the church's founding. But I would be hard-pressed to show you a New Testament verse that puts all that together. But one of my reasons for writing this report is to show that the Sunday-Sabbath folks would be equally hard-pressed to prove that that day is a day of rest equal to the original Sabbath of the Lord. The weight of evidence shows that Rome, not Scripture, is the basis for this teaching.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed , lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond .

Unity - It's Already Here

We were talking in a recent article about how men are trying to organize the church and unify it on human principles rather than accepting the fact that God's church is one even now, and through the Spirit in unity with His Body the work of saving the world has begun and will continue without political force.
It is the Father's intention to continue answering the prayer of His Son in John 17, making people one in Him as He is in the Son. This is true spiritual unity. An externally "United Church" with no opposition was experienced by the planet from the days of Constantine until the Reformation was in full swing. About 1000 years. Not a pretty sight.

Never has Jesus been ignored by the Father in prayer. Jesus prayed the perfect will of the Father and therefore all His prayers were answered, including the phrase, "that they may be one." Yes, that prayer was heard and we humans can stop trying to put the church together. There is one church. It defies description. But it exists in unity with the Father, as the Father and Son have unity. Theirs is not a physical unity because the Father is not physical.

John 17:20-21. How will the later disciples, like us, ever hear of and believe in Christ? Through the Word of the apostles. How will that Word go out? Through unity of Christ with them and in them. He does not say that [external] unity brings people to Christ. He is talking about the Spirit bringing people to Christ. When God and His people are of the right Spirit, the Holy Spirit, that Spirit will reach to a fallen world, calling out His own through men. He prays for our communion with the Godhead, the same communion He had, so that we, Spirit-filled believers, will touch our world.

Collectively, that which the Spirit fills is Christ on the earth today. We start from a position of unity and are perfected from there. We are not striving for unity with God and therefore with each other. The unity already exists. Churches may split. The Church cannot. Denominations may form. The unity continues. Rome, pagan or papal, may rise and control the masses (in more ways than one). But Christ knows His own and His church remains defined by the Spirit, not the Emperor, or any other human leader.

Oh we long for the day when the current world regime moves aside and makes way for new things. We long for Christ to have His rightful place, for people to breathe free and drink in Christ. But we must step aside and allow the Spirit of God to call whom He will to get this task done, not assume that human organizing will do it.

Oh, God, breathe Your Spirit on Your true Church and raise them up from all the earth's peoples, even now, as You choose. May we not be in the way, but following Your Way. May we not assume You need us but may we not be disobedient when we hear Your call.

Amen

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.