Josh Benner

Tag: North Korea

  • Prayer day reminds us of persecution Christians face around the world

    Photo Courtesy of Unsplash.

    Today is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. We’ve seen crackdowns on Christianity (and other religions) in China. A recent report detailed testimonies of the atrocities against Christians in North Korea. Nigeria, which is fairly evenly split between Christians and Muslims has seen increasing hostility towards Christian in certain regions of that country. And in recent weeks in France, we’ve seen attacks against Christians. In the city of Nice, three people were stabbed to death this week.

    According to Open Doors:

    • Over 260 million Christians living in places where they experience high levels of persecution
    • 2,983 Christians killed for their faith
    • 9,488 churches and other Christian buildings attacked
    • 3,711 believers detained without trial, arrested, sentenced or imprisoned

    The reality of persecution should not surprise Christians. The New Testament repeatedly talks of the inevitable opposition for those who follow Christ. In 2 Timothy 3:12, the Apostle Paul says: Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

    In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said: Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:10).

    And there are numerous other scriptures that could be referenced. The gospel is offensive to the world because it confronts people with their sin. It’s offensive to the world because it points to one way to heaven. It’s offensive because it takes man’s own goodness out of the equation for what justifies a person before God.

    In America, we’re blessed to enjoy a rich history of faith and constitutional protections. But we should regularly pray for those who are persecuted for their faith.

    I also think it’s important in America to appreciate the religious freedoms that we have. As we’re in the final days before the presidential election, I do see fears from some Evangelical Christians about persecution or limitations on churches if Joe Biden is elected president. While I appreciate that there are things Joe Biden supports which are totally against Christianity, I think doomsday fears of the purge on American Christianity are also an overreach.

    Yes, Christians should always be attentive of what’s happening and vigilant to preserve and protect our rights. But I also think it’s important to remember the people who truly suffer for their faith, and who’s lives are truly endangered for following the Lord Jesus.

    Prayer
    Lord, on this international day of prayer for the persecuted church, we pray for those who are persecuted for the cause of Christ. Just this week, there were attacks on churches in France. Persecution is on the rise in many parts of the world. Lord, we pray for those who worship you at a great cost to themselves, their families, their livelihoods, and their lives. Lord, may you be near to them. Lord may those people never been far from our hearts and minds. Lord, in spite of man’s attempts to thwart your gospel, we pray for the work of pastors and evangelists in these hostile places. May the word go forth. May the truth be preached. May the message of Christ crucified be proclaimed and believed. In Jesus’ name, amen.

  • President Trump meets with Kim Jong-un: let’s see what happens

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    Yesterday, President Trump met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
    Some are mocking this, others are celebrating it as a great political and diplomatic victory.
    At this point, it’s too early to tell of any longterm success in this meeting. Regardless of what Kim Jong-un has agreed to, the North Korean leadership has a history of not living up to agreements that they make.
    Time will tell.
    But regardless of a person’s politics, regardless of if someone likes or dislikes President Trump, we should all hope and pray that this meeting will lead to diplomatic success. For the sake of the North Korean people who are suffering under an iron fisted tyranny, for the security of the region, and for the overall safety of the world, we should all want this meeting to lead to good results.
    The welfare of the Korean people who are kept in abject poverty, who are fed propaganda and not food, who are kept in Soviet style gulags by the tens of thousands, needs to improve. And we need to see North Korea finally honor their commitments to dismantle their nuclear program. If those things don’t happen, the photo op, the political goodwill, it’s all meaningless.
    If this meeting doesn’t help lead to significant change, the photos will be infamous of a sitting president and a dictator. Sound bites of the president complimenting Kim for his leadership will forever be to Trump’s mockery.
    As others have pointed out, there is no middle ground in this deal. It will be a success or a total failure.
    Time will tell. Prayers for North Korea.


    Josh Benner     is the associate pastor at Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church in Fergus Falls, Minnesota and has a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He enjoys writing about faith and culture. He lives with his wife Kari in Minnesota.

  • Peace in Korea? Time will tell

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    Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in. Photo courtesy of Cheongwadae / Blue House at Wikimedia commons

    North Korea has a history of evil and tyranny. They starve and persecute their own people. They have a horrible record on human rights. It’s a totalitarian police state.
    The Korean War was fought from 1950-53. Hundreds of thousands of troops from the north and south as well as the United States, China, and other countries died. But the war never officially ended. There has been hostility between the north and south. A heavily fortified demilitarization zone has divided the Korean peninsula.
    A constant in North Korea has been the rule of the Kim Dynasty, with Kim Il-sung rising to power after Japan lost control of the north in 1945 (Kim Il-sung became premier of North Korea in 1948).
    But today, April 27, 2018, in an historic summit between Kim Jong Un and South Korean president Moon Jae-in, the two countries have vowed to end hostilities and officially declared an end to the Korean War.
    In the Panmunjom Declaration for Peace and Unification of the Korean Peninsula, the two countries are committing  to working together to denuclearize the Korean peninsula.
    If this all works to achieve peace and unity on the Korean Peninsula, this is something to be celebrated. 
    Time will tell if North Korea is sincere in holding up their end of the bargain. 
    In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that true believers would be recognized by their fruits (Matthew 7:20).
    I see an illustration to the gospel and sincere vs phony conversions compared to North Korea’s sincerity or insincerity to pursue peace.
    One of the biggest thing people misunderstand about Christianity is that there’s a difference between a person saying that they have faith and a person who actually has faith.
    One of the ways to know if faith is genuine is by seeing a life that is transformed by the gospel. We’re known by our fruit. Apple trees produces apples. Trees that are rooted in Christ are meant to produce love, joy, and righteousness (among other things).
    It should be easy to tell if North Korea really does want to work for greater peace and unity. Actions will back it up.
    Again, if this is a sincere effort, this day will be long remembered. It’ll be one of the most significant events of the 21st century. But let’s also wait for the harvest and see what kind of fruit North Korea produces.
    Josh Benner is the associate pastor at Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church in Fergus Falls, Minnesota and has a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He enjoys writing about faith and culture. He lives with his wife Kari in Minnesota.