A Christian Response To North Korea

Hermano · April 9, 2018, 4:39pm

A Christian Response To North Korea

If you are seeing what I am seeing, the USA is on a collision course with The Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea.

Last Saturday, the UN Security Council voted unanimously for new sanctions against North Korea, to punish the regime for developing ballistic missiles that could reach Japan and the United States. Nevertheless, Pyongyang immediately threatened a ‘thousands-fold’ revenge specifically against the US, because of those sanctions. And President Trump is taking Kim Jong-un’s threats very seriously.

There has been a great deal of technological exchange between the North Koreans, the Iranians, the Russians, and the Chinese. There are fears Pyongyang has secretly developed the ability to detonate a high-altitude nuclear weapon in space, setting off an EMP that would knock out electrical systems down below, with catastrophic results. NK currently has satellites orbiting above the United States, which could hold an explosive payload.

-“Dr. Peter V. Pry, the foremost expert on EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) threats by established and rogue nations has long upheld that Iran and North Korea hold an EMP first strike as central to their current military doctrines.”

-“Dr Peter Vincent Pry, executive director of the Task Force on National and Homeland Security in America, warned that North Korea is positioning its satellites in a ‘nuclear missile age, cyberage version’ of battleship diplomacy 'so that they can always have one of them (satellites) very close to being over the United States or over the United States’…Pry suggested* Pyongyang may be taking its inspiration from a plan the USSR drew up to attack America with an EMP during the Cold War*.

-And from, “How North Korea could kill 90 percent of Americans”:

“According to the Congressional EMP Commission, a single warhead delivered by North Korean satellite could blackout the national electric grid and other life-sustaining critical infrastructures for over a year—killing 9 of 10 Americans by starvation and societal collapse.

Two North Korean satellites, the KMS-3 and KMS-4, presently orbit over the U.S. on trajectories consistent with surprise EMP attack.”

So, should Trump make a preemptive attack against NK (and its space satellites)? Or should he just “wait and see”?

But wait. Should we Christians even be thinking that way??

We are to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44. Luke 6:27, 35). God loves North Korean communists as much as he loves capitalist, Christian Americans. Jesus died for all.

So, what can we Christians do to improve the situation?

First, Jesus warned that the devil *“is a liar and the father of lies” *(Jn. 8:44). The antidote to deceit is truth. The most fundamental spiritual battle for Christians is to reject lies about God’s nature, and to promote the truth about what He is really like.

Regarding God’s true nature, please see, "Is God Violent, Or Nonviolent?” at
[Is God Violent, Or Nonviolent?)

Then, God *does not want *the Body of Christ to have a passive, spectator, fatalistic, victim mentality, either. He wants us to fight. Jesus has given us the keys of the kingdom:

*“And I will give to thee the keys of the reign of the heavens,
and whatever thou mayest bind upon the earth shall be, having been bound in the heavens,
and whatever thou mayest loose upon the earth shall be, having been loosed in the heavens.” * Matthew 16:19. YLT.
God wants it to be ‘on earth, as it is in heaven.’ Jesus taught us to pray in the imperative mood (Matthew 6:10, Luke 11:2). We are to bind and cast out death and curses, and we are to loose and proclaim life and blessings.

That means the real battle is against demons, not human beings; and our weapons are binding and loosing in Jesus’ name, not bombs. **So, let us Christians ‘not neglect our so great a salvation’! **(Hebrews 2:3.) God has ‘good, pleasing, and perfect’ plans for the people of North Korea that He wants fulfilled. Let us bind and cast down evil spirits over Pyongyang, and loose the proclamation of the gospel. Let us pray for laborers to enter that harvest field. And let us command the peaceful reunification of the two Koreas. "All things are possible to him who believes.” Mark 9:23.

Hermano · March 9, 2018, 3:36am

I don’t know if you have seen the new movie, Dunkirk, but there is a story-behind-the-story of that battle, relevant to this topic.

“The Dunkirk evacuation, code-named Operation Dynamo and also known as** the Miracle of Dunkirk**, was the evacuation of Allied soldiers during World War II from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, in the north of France, between 26 May and 4 June 1940." Wikipedia.
Rees Howells (1879-1950) was a Welsh coal miner, who became a Christian, and a great intercessor. He later prayed in the money for, founded, and directed, the Bible College of Wales.

By WW2, he was prophetically hearing from God on a regular basis about how to pray for the war effort. He would hear things he believed to be from God, and share them for prayer (recorded in the daily journal of the Bible college), often before the public heard anything on the radio, or read anything in the newspapers, about the coming events.

The minutes of the Bible College include prayers for a miracle at Dunkirk. Here is a short excerpt from his biography (REES HOWELLS, INTERCESSOR), written by his son-in-law, regarding the Battle of El Alamein in North Africa, between the British army and Rommel’s Panzerarmee Afrika:

We want to say to God today, ‘unless there is a special reason for Egypt to fall, don’t let Alexandria be taken, but give Rommel a setback.’ Can I carry the same burden today for Alexandria, as I would if Swansea were being attacked?" It was a Saturday and there were not usually prayer meetings on Saturday afternoons; but that day the College was called to spend the afternoon in prayer for God to save. Alexandria and turn the tide in North Africa. There was a heavy burden, but very great liberty in prayer: In the meeting that evening, Mr. Howells said, “Is this prayer we prayed this afternoon of the Holy Ghost, that the enemy is not to take Alexandria? I am speaking to all of you who took a real part in the prayers against the enemy, praying him down to the Mediterranean, praying him to Russia, keeping him out of Moscow! Is this prayer of the Holy Spirit? If it is, we can be as sure of the enemy not taking Alexandria as the people will be when they hear it.” Then on July 5, “All I want to know is, Has the intercession been gained for the Bible Lands? If it has, we have the right to prevail on God that the enemy is not to take Alexandria. The first test point since Moscow is Alexandria;”

That evening Mr. Howells and the College came through to victory. “I thought he might be allowed to take Egypt,” he said, “but I know now he will never take Egypt – neither Alexandria nor Cairo will fall.” And at the end of the meeting he declared, “I have been stirred to
my depths today. I have been like a man plowing his way through sand. But now I am on top of if, now I am gripping it; I am handling it. I can shake it.”

The following week they read in the news how, grave things had been in North Africa on that very Saturday when the extra prayer meeting was called, and it was over that week-end that the tide turned at El Alamein, and Alexandria was saved. Major P. W. Rainer, who was responsible for supplying the Eighth Army with water, tells this story of a remarkable and possibly deciding incident in the battle for Alexandria, in his book, Pipe Line to Battle, as quoted in the Magazine of the Merchant Service Officers’ Christian Association of April 1944.

Between Rommel’s men and Alexandria were the remnants of a British army – fifty tanks, a few score field guns, and about 5,000 soldiers. The sides were equally matched, with the Germans holding the advantage, because of their superior 88 mm. guns. Both armies were near exhaustion from heat, dust and lack of water. The battle was grim. "In the words of Major Rainer: “The sun was almost overhead, and our men were fast reaching the end of their endurance, when the Nazis broke. Ten minutes more and it might have been us. Slowly, sullenly the Mark IV tanks lumbered back from their battle smoke. And then an incredible thing happened: 1,100 men of the 90th Light Panzer Division, the elite of the Afrika Korps, came stumbling across the barren sand with their hands in the air. Cracked and black with coagulated blood, their swollen tongues were protruding from their mouths. Crazily they tore water bottles from the necks of our men and pouted life-giving swallows between their parched lips.” Major Rainer then goes on to give this reason for their surrender. The Germans had been twenty-four hours without water, when they overran the British defenses and found a 6-inch water pipe. They shot holes in it and drank deeply. Only when they had taken great gulps, did they realize that it was sea water. The pipe had only just been laid, and Major Rainer had started to test it. Fresh water was never used for tests on pipes – it was too precious. “The day before, it would have been empty,”, he’ writes. “Two days later it would have been full of fresh water… The Nazis didn’t detect the salt at once, because their sense of taste had already been anaesthetized by the brackish water they had been used to, and by thirst.” The surrender of those 1,100 crack soldiers may have been the deciding incident in the battle for Alexandria. The Editor’s comment is: “Such an incredible happening as this cannot be treated as a mere coincidence. Assuredly the Hand of Almighty God is in evidence once more, coming to our aid when weighty issues are in the balance.”

Holy-Fool-P-Zombie · March 9, 2018, 3:36am

Here’s an idea I’ve shared - on another forum thread here:

I came up with the PERFECT solution, for Kim Jong-un and North Korea. President Trump should open up a US consulate in North Korea. And appoint Dennis Rodman, as the US ambassador (or equivalent consulate title) to North Korea. It would solve ALL our problems.

Hermano · March 9, 2018, 3:36am

Brother, I think once was enough.

steve7150 · March 9, 2018, 3:36am

I came up with the PERFECT solution, for Kim Jong-un and North Korea. President Trump should open up a US consulate in North Korea. And appoint Dennis Rodman, as the US ambassador (or equivalent consulate title) to North Korea. It would solve ALL our problems.

It would help the NK basketball team for sure! Problem may be identifying Rodman from the North Koreans.

steve7150 · March 9, 2018, 3:36am

If you are seeing what I am seeing, the USA is on a collision course with The Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea.

The President has an obligation to protect the US population and if Kim attacks Guam or sends missiles nearby then a military response is justified. If a Christian becomes President and is unwilling to use force then he should step down, he can sacrifice his own life but he has no right to sacrifice the lives of others he has pledged to protect.

Hermano · March 9, 2018, 3:36am

steve7150, I am not talking about the duty of the president, but of you and me.
.

steve7150 · March 9, 2018, 3:36am

So, should Trump make a preemptive attack against NK (and its space satellites)? Or should he just “wait and see”?

But wait. Should we Christians even be thinking that way??

Well OK although it looked like you were asking both, but IMO Jesus calls us to be pacifists in our personal relationships and interactions so we should hope and pray for peace with everyone. The issue with many Christians is whether Jesus command applies to governmental leaders who are entrusted with protecting their country.

Holy-Fool-P-Zombie · March 9, 2018, 3:36am

And we can also add, the moral or ethical dilemma. For example: If a person was going to immediately kill, a family member or friend. And I can immediately prevent it, with a gun or knife. Should I do it and save the person’s life?

See:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethical_dilemma
examples.yourdictionary.com/ethical-dilemma-examples.html

But in order to prevent…the president or us…from facing ethical dilemmas. Why not give Dennis Rodman a chance first - via a diplomatic mission

steve7150 · March 9, 2018, 3:36am

But in order to prevent…the president or us…from facing ethical dilemmas. Why not give Dennis Rodman a chance first - via a diplomatic mission

Or just make him President!

Hermano · March 9, 2018, 3:36am

[size=130]Jeffress: God gave Trump authority to take out Kim Jong-Un[/size]
Pastor Jeffress and Father Morris weigh in on ‘Fox & Friends’

What do you think about this five minute discussion of Romans 13 regarding ‘bearing the sword to punish evildoers,’ war, and assassination, at Fox News?

(Also available at video.foxnews.com/v/5537349963001/?#sp=show-clips%20

or at youtube.com/watch?v=qldfVMsY1hM )

Hermano · March 9, 2018, 3:36am

The relevant verses from Romans:

I might add these words of Jesus:

“Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword. Matthew 26:52.

And this relevant excerpt from Richard Murray’s book, God versus Evil:

**QUESTION 26: HOW DO WE TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PAUL’S “PHILOSOPHY” AND PAUL’S “EPIPHANIES” ? **

The Apostle Paul was a great man. He had many “third heaven” revelations. He also had many “first heaven” educated opinions. We need to know the difference. “Third heaven” revelation from the “throne room” of God fills Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians. “First heaven” opinions based on Paul’s practical philosophy frequently appear in Timothy, Titus, Romans and Corinthians, even though these books also contain many “third heaven” insights as well.

Let me clarify. Jesus never talked philosophically about politics, slavery, women’s rights, etc. However, Paul did. And without question, Paul’s opinions on these issues certainly matter. They are a good place to start.

But, are Paul’s opinions on philosophical issues the final word for all time? Are we forever chained to Paul’s opinions? Are we unable to better develop them, respectfully disagree with them, or rigorously debate them? Do we stand on Paul’s shoulders or does he stand on ours? If Paul stands on OUR shoulders, then we, as the low man on the totem pole, will never see the answers directly for ourselves, but will have to totally trust Paul’s philosophic vision as the ONLY legitimate seer on these matters. But, if WE stand on Paul’s shoulders, then we should be able to see higher and better and fresher and clearer than Paul did on these issues.

I can easily imagine Paul exhorting us in the cloud of heavenly witnesses to carry the baton of his opinions faster and farther than he did. He would WANT us to refine, improve and expand his personal philosophy to better honor the Lord. Paul’s opinions in these areas might be part of the foundational “floor” we stand on for initial balance, but they are not the ultimate conceptual “ceiling” we grow to reach toward and beyond.

Let me give an example. Jesus NEVER talked about political systems, except perhaps when He said, “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). This one statement is hardly a political manifesto with which to guide our Christian walk.

**Jesus NEVER said ALL governments were ordained by God to execute the sword over evil doers or that government officials were ministers of God. And yet Paul said all these things in Romans 13:1-7. But, one could argue that this differed from Jesus’ view because in the wilderness temptations it is revealed that all the kingdoms of the worlds are in the power of Satan to give to whom he pleased (Luke 4:5-6). 1 John 5:19 confirms that the whole fallen world lies in the power of the evil one – Satan. Thus, one could make the Scriptural argument that earthly governments are unspiritual at best and demonically influenced at worst.

Yet, Paul had a higher view of government as a godly authority, or at least he did when he wrote the book of Romans. But let’s think about that for a moment. Paul was a Roman citizen, a status which gave him a lot of protection. Time and time again, Paul was protected from death at the hands of the Judaizers BECAUSE he was a Roman citizen. To Paul, the government he was exposed to offered him and his ministry a level of protection.

But, would Paul have felt that Rome was “God’s minister” when they sacked Jerusalem and killed thousands of Jewish men, women and children. Or, if Paul was given a prophetic foresight into the despotic governments of Hitler’s Germany, Stalin’s Russia, Mao Zedong’s China, Pol Pot’s Cambodia, Saddam Heusein’s Iraq, Pavelic’s Croatia, who, in total, harshly oppressed and brutally killed hundreds of millions during their rule, would Paul have written Romans 13:1-7? If Paul could have seen their future evil, would Paul call ALL government authorities “ministers of God” as he did in Romans 13? Surely not!
**
The point is that what Paul said about government was HIS philosophy, HIS best Christian opinion, and HIS best advice to a young church in need of practical counsel. BUT, what Paul said about government was NOT his “third heaven” revelation. Paul’s “third heaven” revelations consisted of his transcendent epiphanies of the Lord’s “SUPERNATURAL GRACE” and the matchless “IN CHRIST” realities available to all believers.

I will probably be off the grid for a while, due to a long project. So…

Every blessing to you!

Hermano · April 9, 2018, 4:39pm

(I am copying my comment to Paidion here, as well, from the thread, “The Purge: Election Year, Hypocrisy, and The Nature Of God”)

Paidion · March 9, 2018, 3:36am

Well… I haven’t assigned blame to anyone; I made a prediction.

When leaders of two countries are determined to carry out the agendas which they prescribe for their countries’ safety, and each is suspicious of the motives of the other, war between the two countries is likely.

Hermano · March 9, 2018, 3:36am

-If you will not assign blame to either man, does that mean you judge Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un to be morally equivalent?

-Would you agree that there are demonic forces at work in this escalation? If so, do you think God wants Christians to fight against them in some manner? If so, how?

Blessings.

Paidion · March 9, 2018, 3:36am

I am in no position to judge that.

I don’t know enough about the activities of demons to judge.

NO. Jesus, who is the exact image of the Father’s essence (Heb 1:3), instructed His disciples not to seek vengeance—to love their enemies and do good to them. In that way, they would show themselves truly to be children of God since God is kind to ungrateful and evil people (Luke 6:35).

Hermano · March 9, 2018, 3:36am

-James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

-2 Cor. 10:3-5 *For though we live in the world, **we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with *are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

-Luke 10:19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.

-Eph. 6:13-18 *Therefore put on the full armor of God…Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. * (Literally, “through all prayer and supplication praying at all times in the Spirit.” So, I might argue that the “sword of the Spirit” refers to praying in tongues.)

Friends of this forum: there is big place for the intellect in Christianity, but a bigger place for the heart. For example, I finally “heard” the truth of evangelical universalism peacefully in my heart, and my tormented head just had to submit…and try to catch up later.

Let us be led by our heart, where Jesus dwells. Otherwise, we may get sidetracked by intellectualism.

So—

-How does someone know if he is genuinely born again?

-What about the true nature of God? Does He ever kill people? Is He bipolar (like the tree of the knowledge of good and evil), or unipolar (like the tree of life)?

-What about the virgin birth?

-What about the gifts of the Holy Spirit for today, like tongues and prophecy?

—Should we ask God for the answers, or have we already correctly figured them out for ourselves? (And will we–or did we–discern those answers with our head, or with our heart?)

Blessings.

Paidion · March 9, 2018, 3:36am

I’ll share my own thoughts about your questions, for what they’re worth:

We need to be cautious about being “led by our heart.” Some people’s hearts lead them to places where Christians ought not to reside. Also, having removed the “ism” from the word and also the “ual” we are left with a word which doesn’t have such negative connotations— namely “intellect.”

Without intellect with its logic, our hearts can lead us into trouble. The intellect and God’s enabling grace can steer our hearts in the right direction.

For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all people, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and to live sensible, righteous, and devout lives in the present age, expecting the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of the great God and of our Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good works. Declare these things; encourage and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you. (Titus 2:11-15)

It’s actually “begotten again,” (but we won’t quibble about that). I think we can know if we realize that we are making different choice in life than hitherto.— If we delight in serving others more than in serving ourselves—if our choices tend to help others rather than hurt them.

NEVER

The apostle John wrote twice that God IS love (1 John 4:8,16); He didn’t say that He is love plus something else.

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5 ESV)

If John had believed God to be bipolar, he would have written, “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and also darkness.”

It took place according to two of the writers of the memoirs of Christ. Why should we doubt it?

Yes. There is no Scriptural evidence that they have ceased.

If we are regenerated and walking with God, we together with Him will arrive at the truth about many things.

It’s not an either/or matter. We discern the answers with our head, with our heart, and with God’s presence within us.

maintenanceman · March 9, 2018, 3:36am

Paidion said:

This is a very interesting point of view… So many evangelicals are quick to claim ‘God led me/told me to do so and so’ and thus they do things that God may or may not be calling them to do.

So Paidion, in your view, how does someone know what God wants them to do?

Thanks

Agnostic_Gabe · March 9, 2018, 3:36am

Why should we not believe in the virgin birth? Because it is irrational. What is more likely, that Mary was inseminated by an unseen force, or by a man? Clearly, the rational response is from a man.

As for tongues, I don’t believe it is anything more than babbling. It is known as glossolalia. Many former "Christian’s’ can do this at will, but are now atheists. That was an eye-opener for me. As far as prophecy, “throw enough crap on the wall and some of it is sure to stick.” Now, just take the stuff that seemingly sticks and put it in a book (AKA the Bible).

Not saying you can’t choose to believe these things, but these are not rational beliefs. Rational as defined as knowing how our world works, seeing nature, and interpreting these events based on how they play out in nature. For example, if you daughter ended up pregnant and she said she never had sex with anyone (Nor did artificial insemination), would you say “Well, I have no reason to doubt her!” Clearly, not a rational response. Now add 2,000 years, never meeting Mary, why would you have more reason to believe it? It seems to me you would have even less reason, especially since it is known that the ancient world was very superstitious.