Our Lives Are Like Candles

Our Lives Are Like Candles   North Korean refugee, Timothy (not his real name), is only 24 years old, but he has seen more death and hardship than most. Abandoned by his parents when he was eight, Timothy lived on the streets for the next seven years. Although he escaped to China when he was 15, he was almost killed while attempting to cross the Mongolian border. Captured by a Chinese soldier, he was imprisoned in a Chinese labor camp. It was there, while in prison, that Timothy met a man who told him about Jesus. “I remember when I was a boy they showed us cartoons and animated movies [in school] about bad Christians. The Christian God was a monster for me. When I was 11, I witnessed the public execution of a Christian who had hidden tiny Bibles in the roof of his house. The same year a lady was shot. She had escaped to China and went to church there, but a North Korean spy discovered her activities. He had her arrested and sent back to North Korea, where she was killed in public.” But, while in prison, the man encouraged Timothy to “trust in the Lord.” Timothy was eventually repatriated to North Korea and again imprisoned….but it was much worse. Tortured, and at the point of death, he remembered the man from the prison in China, and the man’s words.  “Trust in the Lord.” Silently he prayed this simple prayer. “God, where are You? If You are there, save me and I will believe!”  Miraculously, Timothy escaped to China. This time he headed to South Korea where he now lives. Today, as many as 30,000 North Koreans refugees have escaped to find refuge in South Korea. Many are Christians. Their tales are often as tragic as Timothy’s. Tomorrow, we will hear from a North Korean refugee who became a spy. One With Them The next time you’re watching a professional football game, as the camera scans the crowd, let your thoughts remind you that the crowd roughly represents the number of North Korean believers in labor camps, suffering for their faith. Be One With Them… whether you stand, sit, or kneel… with these dear brothers and sisters who share our faith but not our freedom. 2013.06.08

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)