Neglect Of Family For The Sake Of The Church Is…A Virtue?

Posted on October 8, 2014 by tdillmuth

WLO_worshippingI recently heard this shocking statement from a pastor in a restricted country. He said, “Church leaders are trained to believe that the neglect of family for the sake of the church is a virtue!”

In truth, this is not as shocking as it should be. I’ve known a lot of pastors who were good in the pulpit and could lead a “deep Bible study,” but who were not faithful in discipling their own household.

We recently led a DOTW (Doers of the Word) training with pastors, seminary students and business leaders in a restricted country. While many people wrongly assume that these leaders lack Biblical literacy, we find that their theological training rivals ours in the U.S. We also learned that guest speakers were nothing new for them, as their church had many famous teachers coming in and out all the time. And our participants were certainly not shy in asking difficult theological questions as it related to the materials we were teaching.

Yet these well-educated and theologically savvy Christians quickly recognized that their lives lacked a commitment to the Lord in their homes. In other words, they were very dedicated in their churches, businesses and seminary classes, but they were so dedicated that they were ignoring their households.

We shared with them the words of Paul to Timothy when he said,

He (the overseer) must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? (1 Timothy 3:4-5)

This passage from 1 Timothy was particularly important in that it helped the pastor I mentioned (and others) see that church and family are not separate priorities, but instead the pastor’s household is always his first church and a “model” for the wider church, whether the pastor intends it to be or not. This particular pastor has already committed to reorganize his priorities so as to attend to this “first church,” investing in daily household worship with his family.

Discipleship of one’s household isn’t only for Christians in persecuted and restricted nations. It isn’t only for pastors, youth pastors, and elders . . . it’s for the whole body of Christ. Before discipleship can be done in the church or in the community . . . it has to start in the household.

Over the next six weeks the Christians who attended our conference have committed to practice daily household worship  . . . studying and memorizing the Scriptures, singing together and praying together. Will you join them?

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An Unusual Greeting For Some North Korean Refugees Entering Thailand

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Pastor Foley

WLO_visitrememberThailand and Laos hold a special place in the heart of almost all North Korean defectors because it is here, when crossing the Mekong River, that they can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that they have at last reached some semblance of safety. From here they turn themselves in to a local detention facility, and then the South Korean Embassy is notified to take custody of them and initiate the process of bringing them to South Korea.

This time in Thailand and Laos is a more complicated and dangerous process than it sounds, as there is no road map to detention facilities, and brokers do not risk crossing the Mekong for fear of their identities being discovered. So when North Koreans exit the skiffs onto the other side of the river they simply wander in the direction they’ve been told by their broker to go. In the case of Thailand, the northern part is mountainous, beautiful, and dangerous, with many poisonous snakes and mudslides. Small prisons dot the border landscape.

We partnered with two volunteer missionaries, Brother P and Brother P, who travel from Chiang Mai to the border region twice a month to bring care packages of hygiene items to newly arrived NK refugees. They had contacted us through our sister ministry, Voice of the Martyrs/US, asking for Korean New Testaments, and with VOM/US’ help we were delighted to supply them 200 of our North Korean dialect New Testaments at no charge.

Dr. Foley and I brought two Underground University (UU) missionaries with us, KWO and LCS. Each of our UU students must go on at least one mission trip with Dr. Foley and me, getting involved hands-on, side-by-side with us in the field to minister to their fellow North Koreans.

Both KWO and LCS were absolutely stunned to learn that they were experts, able to teach Brother P and Brother P many things about North Korean refugees ranging from possible refugee routes to the items most needed in prison to what happens to NK refugees once they arrive in the detention facilities. Brother P and Brother P were eager learners.

Further, the trip was extremely emotional for both women but especially KWO, since the area we visited was the exact area where she had crossed to freedom, and one of the prisons we visited was the prison where she was detained. It was interesting to learn that both women had a large number of repressed memories from their defection journeys, both positive and negative, and these memories came flooding back during our trip. I was grateful that Dr. Foley was there, given her background in licensed clinical counseling. It was easy to tell that this was a powerful healing moment for the women.

Picture taking is of course strictly prohibited at the detention facility. Still, in my years of doing this work I can recall few experiences as moving as the moment that the UU missionaries and the refugees melted into each others’ arms, crying freely. It makes me tear up to think about it even now. For some experiences, words fail.

Having the UU missionaries there made Brother P and Brother P’s ministry exponentially more effective, as they themselves attested. They do not speak Korean, and so they can’t explain who they are and why they are giving the items. Our UU missionaries were able to give the refugees the New Testaments and explain what the books are for. Our UU missionaries shared with Brother P and Brother P that there is absolutely nothing for NKs to do in the detention center, and so they sit all day long for hours on end doing absolutely nothing. They were excited that the refugees will have North Korean dialect New Testaments to read, and they know that the refugees will have many hours to ponder the statement of the UU missionaries that “God sent us to greet you.”

Posted in Bible, Making Disciples, North Korea, Proclaiming The Gospel, Sharing Your Bread, Visiting and Remembering, Works of Mercy | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Let’s Be Slow To Assume That Persecuted Christians Feel The Same Way About Their Situation As We Do

Posted on October 1, 2014 by tdillmuth

WLO_selfdenialWhat emotions are stirred up within you when you read a story like that of Kollol which was recently published on the VOM Blog?

“Kollol” and his wife were attacked by 15 radical Hindus during a June 4 prayer meeting in their home. The couple were beaten and then dragged to a Hindu temple, where they were forced to undergo a ritual cleansing . . .

Maybe you feel a great deal of horror, mixed in with shock, sadness and pity. And finally, maybe you feel a bit of outrage – you are angry that this is still happening in the 21st century.

None of these emotions are necessarily wrong. I often feel the same thing. And yet you and I may be surprised that the emotions expressed by persecuted Christians themselves are often quite different.

This is not to say that persecuted Christians don’t feel sadness, outrage or horror in the midst of their own suffering. But we should be slow to generalize our feelings onto them and quick to listen to them share the range of emotions they often feel.

Take for example the powerful witness of Varia, a former Communist who received Christ and was consequently imprisoned. Here is a portion of her letter as recorded by Richard Wurmbrand in Tortured for Christ,

The sufferings that God sends us only strengthen us more and more in the faith in Him. My heart is so full that the grace of God overflows. At work, they curse and punish me, giving me extra work because I cannot be silent. I must tell everyone what the Lord has done for me. He has made me a new being, a new creation, of me who was on the way of perdition. Can I be silent after this? No, never! As long as my lips can speak, I will witness to every one about His great love (pg. 140)

And listen to how Rev. Wurmbrand himself describes the beauty of imprisoned believers. He said,

There, Christians wear chains with the gladness with which a bride wears a precious jewel received from her beloved. The waters in prison are still. They receive His kiss and His embraces, and would not change places with kings. I have found truly joyful Christians only in the Bible, in the Underground Church and in prison (pg. 94).

Finally, consider the words of Mr. Bae in These are the Generations. He said,

I became thankful to the Lord for this time in prison – his arresting me from my own pride and drawing me into a time of reflecting, of mumbling too soft for words, of striving to remembering by his grace every hymn that we had ever sung, every lesson my grandfather had ever taught. That is how I came to rely on only the Holy Spirit with faith (pg. 55).

In describing their own suffering, persecuted Christians use words such as grace, gladness, thankfulness and strength. Very different from our words of horror, sadness, pity and shock.

And often because of our powerful emotions, we seek ways to remove those Christians from prison. Yet many persecuted Christians say they would not be willing to change places . . . even with kings.

Like you, I don’t completely understand the depths of their feelings, situation or faith . . . and yet I sense that I have much to learn from their example. I sense that like the persecuted church, I must find joy, honor and God’s grace in the midst of difficult circumstances. I sense that instead of only solving problems with my money and power, I must learn to trust God . . . in everything. And more and more I must make a decision to voluntarily take up the cross in my own nation and neighborhood, while the wood is still green.

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