Christians and the Coronavirus

Christians and the Coronavirus Josh Hooker

At a time when the globe is gripped with anxiety over the Coronavirus outbreak, it is important for Christians to be turning to the Bible for help and perspective.  Here are a few biblical reflections:

The gospel and God’s punishment of sin

The first thing to realise is that this an opportunity for Christians to explain the gospel to others.  Situations like this one seem to result in a greater honesty among people about their fears.  Often people will tell us that they are not scared of dying, but the reaction to the Coronavirus across the world shows that that is clearly not true.  It shows that the Bible is right in its assessment that people need to be rescued by Jesus not only from death itself, but also from their fear of death (Hebrews 2:14-15).  We need to use this opportunity to talk about the one who gives hope beyond the grave.

Secondly, we should expect global disease as a sign of the times in which we live in -the end times -the time between Jesus’ first and second coming.  If my reading of Revelation is correct (Revelation 6:7-8; 9:1-21) then not only do these verses describe the age in which we live now, but they also show us that God allows these things to happen so that people will turn to him in repentance (Revelation 9:20-21).

Thirdly, we must not understand this outbreak as the punishment of God on a particular people group for their sin, which is somehow worse than that of others.  We must not think that those who have been infected (and have died) are worse sinners than the rest of us.  In Luke 13:1-5 Jesus discusses the fates of some Galileans who died at Pilate’s hands and some people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them, and states that those who died were no worse sinners than the rest of the population.  He twice states in these verses: ‘I tell you, no!  Unless you repent, you too will perish.’ 

We do not have the right to point fingers at others about God’s judgment because we are all guilty of sin before God and need to turn to him before it is too late.  Tragic events like these happen, the Bible tells us, to warn us all that life is short and that one day soon we will stand before God on the judgment day.  Trusting in Jesus is our only hope of survival. 

To fear sickness and death because of the Coronavirus is to focus on the wrong global disaster.  God has set a day for his coming judgement (Acts 17:29-31).  He loves a rebellious world and waits patiently to bring his final judgement because he wants people to come to repentance (John 3:16; 2 Peter 3:9).  That is the ultimate disaster.  The one we must rightly fear -the anger of a righteous God at our rebellion on his judgment day.  Jesus said ‘…fear him, who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell.  Yes, I tell you, fear him’ (Luke 12:5).  It is only Jesus who can deal with our sin problem once and for all time through his work on the cross.

Christians and God’s sovereignty

The Bible reminds us that God is a good God who loves his people, who protects them and rescues them from danger (e.g. Psalm 116).  But that truth does not mean that Christians are immune to the deadly effects of the Coronavirus; it means rather that God can be trusted to be working in all things for our good (Romans 8:28). 

We live in a fallen world and that reality affects Christians too (Romans 8:20-23).  Christians have, no doubt, died (and will die) because of this virus.  But we can be assured that every day of our lives is mapped out in God’s sovereign plan (Psalm 139:16) and that God always does what is right and good.  He has authority over sickness -even death itself (e.g. Mark 2:1-12; 3:1-6; 5:21-43).  He has a thorough knowledge of us as human beings (Psalm 139:1-6).  He knows where the outbreak began (better than the conspiracy theorists!) and he knows where it will end.  The world is not spinning helplessly out of control.  We can rest in his sovereignty.

How Christians must respond

Let’s think about how we respond as Christians to this crisis. 

First, we must recognise our duty to love.  Jesus summarised the Old Testament law in two statements -love of God and love of neighbour (Matthew 22:34-40).  These commands to love must shape our lives as Christians, especially at this time.  We love God and our neighbour by acting in a way that preserves life.  We must take all the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the disease.  We must carefully follow the health advice given to us.  Even though we believe in a sovereign God who orders our lives, we have a responsibility to act wisely and well in this situation.  And these commands to love do not just extend to seeking to prevent the spread of the virus.  As Christians we must actively and courageously serve others where we have the opportunity (Mark 10:45).  Christians should be on the frontline in caring for those who are badly affected by this disease.  God cares for the broken-hearted and the grieving (Psalm 34:18; John 11:35).  And so should we.  As people face illness and bereavement Christians have a duty to love as God loves.

Secondly, we must remember where our priorities lie.  Jesus calls us not to worry about our bodies, but to trust God’s providential love and to seek first his kingdom (Luke 12:22-34). 

Thirdly, we must not be afraid of this disease and the worst it can do to us.   We need to remember that Jesus’ victory over the grave means that death is not the last word for Christians (1 Corinthians 15).  We do not need to be scared of dying because this life is not the end; we live in hope of an eternity with Christ (John 10:27-30).  Even in the face of physical death we have hope in the risen Jesus who has taken the sting of death away.

Finally, as we (naturally) feel concerned about the Coronavirus and its effects across the world, let’s remember that we have a God-given way of dealing with anxiety.  We can bring our anxiety about this situation (and every other situation) to the Lord in prayer so that we can know his peace at this troubled time (Philippians 4:6-7). 

As shock waves about this virus are still being felt throughout the world, we need to be reminded as his people that we have not been forgotten by God.  He knows us.  He cares for us.  And he calls us not to be afraid (Luke 12:6-7; 1 Peter 5:7).

[Josh Hooker  serves as theological  trainer, and is based  at Eastside Baptist Church, Windhoek,  Namibia. Josh  serves  the Namibian church in partnership with Crosslinks (UK).  He is married to Cathy, and they have three children.]

Who Makes People Into Saints ?

On  this previous Sunday  (4th September 2016)  Pope Francis  declared  Mother  Teresa to be  a saint.  This  is one of the peculiar  Roman Catholic church traditions  which  simply do not  match  the Scriptures.  

As a defender  of  the authority of Scripture  alone (SOLA SCRIPTURA) I would like to help you to think  with me on this matter.  It is no small thing to substitute  the authority of the Bible for man made traditions. Jesus had  His strongest words  reserved for those who   did this. 

According   to a Catholic website the  definitions  of a saint may embrace the following : [1]

•         An example of holiness that we can follow with confidence.
•         The person who kept on trying when everybody else gave up.
•     'Spiritual force-fields', exerting a powerful attractive influence on followers but also                  touching the inner lives of others in ways that transform them for the better.
•       A person who has been formally canonized (officially recognized) by the Catholic Church,    and is therefore considered to be in Heaven.
•        A saint is always someone through whose life we learn what God is like - and of what we are    called to be. Only God 'makes' saints. The church merely identifies from time to time a few of these for imitation.
•   Anyone who is in Heaven, whether recognized here on earth, or not (Eastern Orthodox definition)

Although  there is some truth  in  these statements, they do not  nearly match the  definition of the Bible.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE PLAINLY TEACH ?

The word "saint" is derived from a Greek verb  “hagiazo”.  The basic meaning is "to set apart" or to "make holy". The New Testament uses the word ‘ saint’  or ‘saints’  sixty seven  times. In every instance, the reference is to all believers, and not simply to  a special group of believers who serve God better than others. Scripture is clear that all true  Christians are saints. A true Christian is one  who has  been enabled by God to  embrace Jesus Christ as  their Saviour. This is seen by  the spiritual fruit  which are borne in such a person's life.  The  Bible says  that  a  true Christian is a saint NOW.  Our understanding of the word 'saint'  must be based on what  the Bible says. 

In  the  Old Testament  the idea of separateness or holiness is  inherent in the character  of God. The Old Testament temple and in particular the  room called  the  “Holy of holies”  was the dwelling place of God on earth, and could only be entered by  set apart (holy) priests.

The people or the worshippers  of the true God  were recognized as a holy people, who were to be distinguished    from the  other  nations surrounding them.  

This idea of the separateness of God and his people is  continued in the New Testament. Christians   are  frequently  called saints  in the Bible  e.g.  Acts 9:13; 26:10; Rom 1:7 ; 2 Cor. 1:1; Eph. 1:1; Php. 1:1; Col 1:4. 

The important  thing  to recognize here is that  saints in the New Testament  are  living beings. Saints, in the New Testament, are never deceased individuals who have been canonized  and given sainthood by the church!  They are living individuals who have dedicated themselves to the worship and service of the one true God as revealed through his Son, Jesus Christ.

And so, the Gospel coalition (Joe Carter)  has  written a helpful article  entitled  “9 Things you should know about Mother Teresa”,   concerning  the so called  canonization of  Mother Teresa  of  Calcutta.   

You can click on this link,   https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/9-things-you-should-know-about-mother-teresa,  but for  your convenience I will  also   paste the article below:

Joe Carter  says:  

"There are two main reasons why I think evangelicals should know something about Mother Teresa: First, she remains a popular historical figure. During her life, she was named 18 times in the yearly Gallup's most admired man and woman poll as one of the 10 women around the world who Americans admired most, finishing first several times in the 1980s and 1990s. Also, in 1999, a poll of Americans ranked her first in Gallup's List of Most Widely Admired People of the 20th Century. Second, for many people Mother Teresa’s name has become synonymous with Christian charity. For these reasons we should know something about this nun from Calcutta. While we ought to recognize Mother Teresa as a laudable champion against abortion who had a fervent concern for the poor, we should also be aware of her many foibles and failings so that we can correct the perception of her as an uncriticizable Christian leader.”

 9 Things you should know about Mother Teresa

On Sunday ( 04/09/2016)  at a Roman Catholic canonization service in Vatican City, Pope Francis will declare Mother Teresa a saint. Here are nine things you should know about the Nobel-prize winning nun who became renowned for serving the poor and dying:

1. Mother Teresa was born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu in 1910 in what is now part of modern Macedonia. At the age of 18 she left home to join the Sisters of Loreto, a group of nuns in Ireland. It was there she took the name Sister Mary Teresa after Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. A year later, in 1929, Mother Teresa moved to India and taught at a Catholic school for girls.

2. In 1946 Mother Teresa received what she would later describe as a “call within a call.” She said Jesus spoke to her and told her to abandon teaching to work in the slums of Calcutta aiding the city's poorest and sickest people. In 1950 she received Vatican approval for Missionaries of Charity, a group of religious sisters who took vows of chastity, poverty, obedience, and to give “wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor.” By the late 1970s, the Missionaries of the Charity had offshoots in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the United States.

3. Mother Teresa and her religious order gained international attention in 1967 when the famed journalist Malcolm Muggeridge interviewed her for a BBC TV program. Because of the popularity of the interview, Muggeridge travelled to Calcutta a year later to make a documentary, Something Beautiful for God, about Theresa's “House of the Dying” (Muggeridge would also write a book by the same name in 1971).

4. During her life Mother Teresa received more 120 prestigious awards and honors. In 1971, Paul VI conferred the first Pope John XXIII Peace Prize on Mother Teresa, and in 1979 she won the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee writes in their motivation: “In making the award the Norwegian Nobel Committee has expressed its recognition of Mother Teresa's work in bringing help to suffering humanity. This year the world has turned its attention to the plight of children and refugees, and these are precisely the categories for whom Mother Teresa has for many years worked so selflessly.” She also received the highest U.S. civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, in 1985.

5. During her 1979 Nobel Prize Lecture, Mother Teresa called abortion the “greatest destroyer of peace”:

We are talking of peace. These are things that break peace, but I feel the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a direct war, a direct killing - direct murder by the mother herself. And we read in the Scripture, for God says very clearly: Even if a mother could forget her child - I will not forget you - I have carved you in the palm of my hand. We are carved in the palm of His hand, so close to Him that unborn child has been carved in the hand of God. And that is what strikes me most, the beginning of that sentence, that even if a mother could forget something impossible - but even if she could forget - I will not forget you. And today the greatest means - the greatest destroyer of peace is abortion. And we who are standing here - our parents wanted us. We would not be here if our parents would do that to us. Our children, we want them, we love them, but what of the millions. Many people are very, very concerned with the children in India, with the children in Africa where quite a number die, maybe of malnutrition, of hunger and so on, but millions are dying deliberately by the will of the mother. And this is what is the greatest destroyer of peace today. Because if a mother can kill her own child - what is left for me to kill you and you kill me - there is nothing between.

6.  Mother Teresa was frequently denounced by secularists because of her opposition to contraception and abortion. But she was also widely criticized for her allowing her charity to provide inadequate care for the poor and for potential mismanagement of charitable funds. Although she leveraged her fame to raise tens of millions of dollars for her charity, the orphanages and care centers run by her religious order were often substandard. After visiting Mother Teresa’s Home for the Dying in 1994, Robin Fox wrote about the experience in the British medical journal, The Lancet. Fox reported that doctors only occasionally visited the patients (the care was mostly provided by untrained volunteers) and that pain relief provided for the dying was inadequate, leading them to suffer unnecessarily. In 2008, another observer reported, “I was shocked to see the negligence. Needles were washed in cold water and reused and expired medicines were given to the inmates. There were people who had chance to live if given proper care.”

7. Mother Teresa has also been criticized by Christians for downplaying evangelism and espousing universalist views of salvation. For example in her book, Life in the Spirit: Reflections, Meditations and Prayers, she says:

Our purpose is to take God and His love to the poorest of the poor, irrespective of their ethnic origin or the faith they profess. Our discernment of aid is not the belief but the necessity. We never try to convert those whom we receive to Christianity but in our work we bear witness to the love of God’s presence and if Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists, or agnostics become for this better men — simply better — we will be satisfied. It matters to the individual what church he belongs to. If that individual thinks and believes that this is the only way to God for her or him, this is the way God comes into their life — his life. If he does not know any other way and if he has no doubt so that he does not need to search then this is his way to salvation.

When a Catholic priest asked if she attempted to convert people, she reportedly answered, “Yes, I convert. I convert you to be a better Hindu, or a better Muslim, or a better Protestant, or a better Catholic, or a better Parsee, or a better Sikh, or a better Buddhist. And after you have found God, it is for you to do what God wants you to do.’ ”

8. After her death, Mother Teresa’s letters revealed that she spent almost 50 years in a crisis of faith, sometimes doubting the existence of God and frequently feeling his absence in her life. The absence began to be felt around 1948, soon after she began serving the poor in Calcutta, and would last until her death in 1997. As David Van Biema wrote in Time magazine:

In more than 40 communications, many of which have never before been published, she bemoans the “dryness,” “darkness,” “loneliness” and “torture” she is undergoing. She compares the experience to hell and at one point says it has driven her to doubt the existence of heaven and even of God. She is acutely aware of the discrepancy between her inner state and her public demeanor. “The smile,” she writes, is “a mask” or “a cloak that covers everything.” Similarly, she wonders whether she is engaged in verbal deception. “I spoke as if my very heart was in love with God–tender, personal love,” she remarks to an adviser. “If you were [there], you would have said, ‘What hypocrisy.'”

9. For Mother Teresa to be recognized as a saint within the Catholic Church, she had to undergo the lengthy process of beatification and canonization. The process usually cannot be started until 5 years after the person has died, but Mother Teresa received a waiver from Pope John Paul II. Before beatification (which recognizes the person’s ability to intercede to God on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name) a person must have a verified miracle attributed to them after their death. After beatification the Church looks for a second miracle before proceeding to canonization. If one is found and they meet the other criteria, the pope can conduct a special mass at which the person is recognized a saint. The first miracle attributed to Mother Teresa involved the healing of an Indian woman, Monica Besra, whose abdominal tumor was so severe that her doctors abandoned hope of saving her. After a Miraculous Medal that had been touched to the body of Mother Teresa was placed on Besra’s stomach, the tumor reportedly disappeared. The second miracle involved a Brazilian man who reportedly was healed of a bacterial infection in the brain after he and his family prayed to Mother Teresa for her help.

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[1] http://www.thepapalvisit.org.uk/Cardinal-Newman/Becoming-a-Saint/What-is-a-Saint/Definitions-of-a-Saint

The Danger of Free Speech without the Counsel of Biblical Wisdom

In  recent weeks the French satirical magazine “Charlie Hebdo”  was attacked  by   Islamists.  The killing was   cruel, and it has been justly condemned, and we suppose the perpetrators have received their just  punishment. However,  there can be no doubt that this  magazine   is highly provocative, making its living by often  mocking religious institutions.  

Clearly, many people  feel  provoked, and even the latest  issue following the killing has  provoked  Muslims in Niger (a former French colony)  to burn down churches.

Many people in the Western world  have  seen this  brutal killing  spree as an attack on free speech, but  very  few  people  have spoken  about   the responsibility  that  ought  to  be  associated  with free speech.

Is unrestrained speech  a good thing?   

The book of Proverbs thinks not.  It  reminds us  that words have incredible power. They go deep.  Proverbs 18:4  says  “ the words of a man’s mouth are deep waters”. Proverbs  12:18 says  that  “rash words are like sword  thrusts”. 

The book of Proverbs advises  us   to  restrain  our words.  Proverbs 17:27,28 says  that “whoever  restrains his words has knowledge… even a fool  who keeps silent is considered wise…”. Proverbs  29:20 says: “Do you see  a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope  for a fool than for him.”   

In his letter to the Ephesians  the apostle Paul gives us  a  very  important  principle  with respect to our use of words.  He says: “Speak the truth in love“.   It has been well said  that  “love without  truth  is hypocrisy “ , and “truth without love is brutality”. The biblical  and balanced  ways is always,  “speaking the truth in love”. (Eph. 4:15) 

The Myth that Religion is the # 1 Cause of War

How many times have you heard this argument : " Religion is the # 1 cause of war ?" I have heard this many times. But it is a case of classic misinformation and of historical amnesia. These are the kind of  things that an ignorant public laps up , and so it perpetuates the myth. This article written by Robin Schumacher (edited by Matt Slick) makes an important point : 

Atheists and secular humanists consistently make the claim that religion is the #1 cause of violence and war throughout the history of mankind. One of hatetheism's key cheerleaders, Sam Harris, says in his book The End of Faith that faith and religion are “the most prolific source of violence in our history.”1

While there’s no denying that campaigns such as the Crusades and the Thirty Years’ War foundationally rested on religious ideology, it is simply incorrect to assert that religion has been the primary cause of war. Moreover, although there’s also no disagreement that radical Islam was the spirit behind 9/11, it is a fallacy to say that all faiths contribute equally where religiously-motivated violence and warfare are concerned.

An interesting source of truth on the matter is Philip and Axelrod’s three-volume Encyclopedia of Wars, which chronicles some 1,763 wars that have been waged over the course of human history. Of those wars, the authors categorize 123 as being religious in nature,2 which is an astonishingly low 6.98% of all wars. However, when one subtracts out those waged in the name of Islam (66), the percentage is cut by more than half to 3.23%.

That means that all faiths combined – minus Islam – have caused less than 4% of all of humanity’s wars and violent conflicts. Further, they played no motivating role in the major wars that have resulted in the most loss of life.  

Kind of puts a serious dent into Harris’ argument, doesn’t it?

The truth is, non-religious motivations and naturalistic philosophies bear the blame for nearly all of humankind’s wars. Lives lost during religious conflict pales in comparison to those experienced during the regimes who wanted nothing to do with the idea of God – something showcased in R. J. Rummel’s work Lethal Politics and Death by Government:

Non-Religious Dictator Lives Lost

·        Joseph Stalin - 42,672,000

·        Mao Zedong - 37,828,000

·        Adolf Hitler - 20,946,000

·        Chiang Kai-shek - 10,214,000

·        Vladimir Lenin - 4,017,000

·        Hideki Tojo - 3,990,000

·        Pol Pot - 2,397,0003

Rummel says: “Almost 170 million men, women and children have been shot, beaten, tortured, knifed, burned, starved, frozen, crushed or worked to death; buried alive, drowned, hung, bombed or killed in any other of a myriad of ways governments have inflicted death on unarmed, helpless citizens and foreigners. The dead could conceivably be nearly 360 million people. It is though our species has been devastated by a modern Black Plague. And indeed it has, but a plague of Power, not germs.”4

The historical evidence is quite clear: Religion is not the #1 cause of war.

If religion can’t be blamed for most wars and violence, then what is the primary cause? The same thing that triggers all crime, cruelty, loss of life, and other such things. Jesus provides the answer very clearly: “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man,” (Mark 7:21–23).

James (naturally) agrees with Christ when he says: “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel,” (James 4:1–2).

In the end, the evidence shows that the atheists are quite wrong about the wars they claim to so desperately despise. Sin is the #1 cause of war and violence, not religion, and certainly not Christianity.

·        1.http://books.google.com/books?id=XP_86itwp2IC&pg=PA27&lpg=PA27&dq=sam+harris+%22the+most+prolific+source+of+violence+in+our+history%22&source=bl&ots=sdpOO04g1D&sig=asL3JyvcaRp9zWRI9a4oVyoPU2E&hl=en&sa=X&ei=d9CKT92fGYqogweQgsXfCQ&ved=0CFgQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q&f=false

·        2.http://books.google.com/books?id=sF8wv_Y54j8C&pg=PA104&lpg=PA104&dq=encyclopedia+of+wars+%22Almohad+conquest+of+Muslim+Spain%22&source=bl&ots=VBRkLHXHj3&sig=XLT88ICr2Lu98L1_eldxRwMPgIY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=SdKKT4jLHIr1gAf8vNjiCQ&ved=0CCIQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=encyclopedia%20of%20wars%20%22Almohad%20conquest%20of%20Muslim%20Spain%22&f=false

·        3.http://books.google.com/books?id=sK5CJFpb2DAC&pg=PA23&lpg=PA23&dq=stalin+42,672,000&source=bl&ots=Tw7FJG9OnR&sig=aSUiodXqC4euU2UTyVNlnFkwyRE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=fc2KT7rnNcipgwe9tL3mCQ&ved=0CFMQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=stalin%2042%2C672%2C000&f=false and http://books.google.com/books?id=mbnLn6A3q-4C&pg=PA178&lpg=PA178&dq=Zedong+37,828,000&source=bl&ots=-VlfCns1xy&sig=2TrcOYMxZTjr653ULLdNkIkltwU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=2c6KT-G7BYGXgwf63-3kCQ&ved=0CEsQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=Zedong%2037%2C828%2C000&f=false

·        4.http://books.google.com/books?id=N1j1QdPMockC&printsec=frontcover&dq=death+by+government&hl=en&sa=X&ei=WcyKT5TBDITiggfdpO28BQ&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Almost%20170%20million%20men&f=false

NAMIBIA AND NORTH KOREA

New Independence Museum built by NK

For a number of years now we have been observing  that North Koreans  have been used to  build  Namibian National symbols  such as the grandiose State House, a new Independence Museum and the   Heroes acre  in our capital city, Windhoek.

Given the fact that Namibia is a free  and democratic country, it is ironic  that  we should  allow  an  oppressive, sinister   regime such as North Korea, to  build  our national symbols of freedom.  

We have just heard that  North Korea  has  jailed and  possibly executed  33 Christians.

The Washington Times (March 6^th, 2014)  citing the South Korean  Daily Mail   carried the following  report,

“North Korea tyrant Kim Jong-un has reportedly ordered that 33 Christians believed to be working alongside South Korean Baptist missionary Kim Jung-wook be put to death.

Heroes Acre  Windhoek built by NK 

The South Korean missionary — who was arrested last year — and his accomplices have reportedly started 500 or so underground churches, Breitbart reported.

South Korean press cited by The Daily Mail reported that Mr. Kim has charged that the 33 are attempting to overthrow the government — the same accusation that led to the execution of the North Korean leader’s uncle, Jang Song-thaek, and all Mr. Jang’s relatives.

The missionary aides will be put to death in a cell of the State Security Department, The Daily Mail reported.

Their announced executions come just a day after reports surfaced that North Korea’s Number Two, Choe Ryong Hae, hasn’t been seen at several recent public events he normally would have attended — fueling talk that perhaps he’s the latest to be purged from Mr. Kim’s government.[1]”

Kim Jong-un of North Korea

Surely, this is an outrage! Namibia has a large professing Christian majority  and  we should not be silent on this matter. We know of course  that God will   in His time, severely judge  North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un  for  the murder of  Christ’s people, but  we also  want to remind  our government that alliances  with  such  countries  will not leave us unscathed from the wrath of God.  [Habakkuk 3:2]

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[1] Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/mar/6/kim-jong-un-calls-execution-33-christians/#ixzz2vllsCQjf