Sunday, July 12, 2009

When the Time is Right

Someone's been taking care of Kim Jong-il's people in North Korea. Someone has surrounded the nation with intercessions to God. Someone has found the exits for many thousands of her citizens. That same Someone has been at the other end of the journey as refugees run to China-based Christians. Someone has been sending in food and clothes and Bibles and tracts.

That Someone is of course Jesus. Mr. Kim needs to know that the Jesus he squelches and Whose Word he consigns to the flames or the garbage is the very One who is caring for North Koreans day and night. That's Who Jesus is. That's the kind of thing He does.

Do we think for one moment that our God is emaciated and weak like the starving Koreans that Kim enslaves? That He is unable to rise up and with the breath of His mouth incinerate Pyongyang in a moment? He has done too many mighty works for us to think that.

There is a show of strength that is even greater than the meting out of deserved judgment. It is the restraint of a loving God Who will do nothing before the exact time has arrived. It is a God Who waits for people to repent, as He waited for the evil Canaanites, then the Egyptians, the Babylonians, the Romans.

All great powers have been given their chance to change, but eventually judgment came. And in the midst of all their prospering, God was prospering too. Inside Egypt, inside Babylon, inside Rome and subsequent Romanism, God grew His people. Then He manifested to the world what He was doing, and received the glory for what He had done.

Someone needs to tell the Kim government that their power is granted them only for a time. God is even now growing a people inside those prison walls. Inside every concentration camp, every jail, every holding center for repatriated citizens, are some of the People of God. Their moment of manifestation will come. The government will fall. God's people will rise. History is clear. God's Word is always more powerful than the chains of men.

On an even grander scale, the Bible says that the entire planet is awaiting the manifestation of the Sons of God. We are a people in exile. We are the scum now, though a few of our people seem to shine and be acceptable. By and large our message, our Christ, is rejected, hated, beaten, imprisoned.

But the One Who behind the scenes has been our Healer, our Provider, our Comforter, will one day make not only His people appear, but Himself. He will return, judgment will fall, and we will be caught up to Him to reign over the planet.

A fairy-tale ending? Of course. Where did the fairy tales ever get such ideas in the first place? From the hope that springs eternal in the promises of God. We really do win, Mr. Kim. Evil really shall be rewarded. God's people really will shine forever.

Be patient, people of God. Force is not an option for us. Neither is defeat. Give it to God. He will bring the outward victory in His time. He will give you the inner victory this very day.

Look for Bob Faulkner's home page on http://sermonaudio.com - There you will find a combination of love for the Scriptures and a desire for North Korean believers to have their needs met. There are nearly 300 blogs, over 200 Bible teaching MP3's, lists of resources, NK picture albums, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

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