Today I have the country of North Korea on my mind.
The oppressive, isolated country of North Korea headed by dictator Kim Jong Il retains its grip as the worst persecutor of Christians in the world.
According to Open Doors' 2008 World Watch List released today, North Korea is ranked No. 1 for the seventh year in a row. Christians are persecuted constantly under the communist government, which denies human rights to its citizens.
Many of you probably already know that North Korea is one of the greatest offenders of human rights in the world today. Many rank this country as the number one persecutor of Christians.
Christians in this country must meet in secret, must pray in secret, and must worship in secret because if the government finds out that they love Jesus, they will be sent to a "re-education" center and "taught" that their faith is "false".
These fellow brothers and sisters risk everything because they personally know the One who has given everything for them.
So take a moment and lift before the throne of God the plight of these Christians and this country.
The Wahhabi kingdom of Saudi Arabia is No. 2 and Iran No. 3. Both countries are ruled by Shariah law.
Afghanistan, Somalia and the Maldives take the fourth, fifth and sixth positions, respectively. Afghanistan moved up three spots on the list this year as a result of increased pressure from the Taliban movement during 2008. Yemen is No. 7, Laos No. 8, Eritrea No. 9 and Uzbekistan No. 10.
The oppressive, isolated country of North Korea headed by dictator Kim Jong Il retains its grip as the worst persecutor of Christians in the world.
According to Open Doors' 2008 World Watch List released today, North Korea is ranked No. 1 for the seventh year in a row. Christians are persecuted constantly under the communist government, which denies human rights to its citizens.
Many of you probably already know that North Korea is one of the greatest offenders of human rights in the world today. Many rank this country as the number one persecutor of Christians.
Christians in this country must meet in secret, must pray in secret, and must worship in secret because if the government finds out that they love Jesus, they will be sent to a "re-education" center and "taught" that their faith is "false".
These fellow brothers and sisters risk everything because they personally know the One who has given everything for them.
So take a moment and lift before the throne of God the plight of these Christians and this country.
The Wahhabi kingdom of Saudi Arabia is No. 2 and Iran No. 3. Both countries are ruled by Shariah law.
Afghanistan, Somalia and the Maldives take the fourth, fifth and sixth positions, respectively. Afghanistan moved up three spots on the list this year as a result of increased pressure from the Taliban movement during 2008. Yemen is No. 7, Laos No. 8, Eritrea No. 9 and Uzbekistan No. 10.
