In North Korea - The War Effort

Men will be men. They do some great things and they make some great mistakes, on both sides of the "aisle" and on both sides of the ocean. Mere men with their politics and their wars is not what this ongoing struggle in North Korea is about. It's about the war for Korea in the heaven lies.

I cringe when I hear of the great plans people have for "going in to North Korea" when "the door opens." Friends, the door is open now. There's never been a door or wall that has kept the Gospel out totally. Never. Word gets in and the Word we send is a powerful Word that gets things done.

The cruel war is waging as we speak. The question is, what part of the "war effort" will you join? Very few of us (actually I must say "you", because I just missed it) remember the horrific days of World War II. We've seen the footage though, and we know that everyone in this country realized what was at stake, and got involved however they could. Women showed up at the factories. Churches prayed and gave. Clubs were formed. Oh so much more. The "war effort" was not just about the front lines, but total immersion.

Are you in the war effort for North Korea? Don't wait until the visible doors open. It may be too late then, because those who walk "by sight" will be entering then and could ruin things. Go now!

There's a song making the rounds these days that would be appropriate to close out today's comments.

"Watch and Pray."

Christian, do not seek repose.

Cast your dreams of ease away.

You are in the midst of foes,

Watch and pray, watch and pray.

Wicked forces, evil powers

Gathered in unseen array:

they wait for your unguarded hour,

Watch and pray, watch and pray.

Put your heavenly armor on.

Wear it always, night and day;

To defeat the Evil one,

Watch and pray, watch and pray.

Hear, above all, hear your Lord,

Love Him, serve Him, and obey:

Treasure in your heart His Word,

Watch and pray, watch and pray.

Watch as if on that alone

Hung the issue of the day.

Pray that victory shall be won,

Watch and pray, watch and pray.

AMEN!

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

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. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

A Biography of Samuel Beckett

Samuel Beckett was born on Good Friday, April 13, 1906 in Dublin. He studied French, Italian and English at Trinity College, Dublin from 1923 to 1927. In 1928 he moved to Paris to take up the post of English lecturer in the Ecole Normale Superieure.

A mutual friend introduced him to James Joyce and he worked as his secretary, in 1929 Beckett published his first work which was a defence of Joyce's work and method. In 1930 he returned to Trinity as a lecturer, however citing habit and routine as a 'cancer of time', he quit his post and set out on a nomadic trawl across Europe, finally settling in Europe.

He joined the French Resistance after the 1940 occupation by Germany, in August 1942 his unit was betrayed to the Gestapo, Beckett and Suzanne Dechevaux-Dumesnil. In 1945, Beckett returned to Dublin for a brief visit, during his visit he had a revelation in which his entire future literary direction appeared to him, he documented this in his 1958 play Krapp's Last Tape.

He returned to Paris and began his most prolific period as a writer. In the five years that followed he wrote Eleutheria, Waiting for Godot, Endgame, the novels Molloy, Malone Dies, The Unnamable and Mercier et Camier, two books of short stories and a book of criticism. He married Suzanne in 1961 in a secret civil ceremony in England and he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1969. He died in Paris in 1989.

Russell Shortt is a travel consultant with Exploring Ireland, the leading specialists in customised, private escorted tours, escorted coach tours and independent self drive tours of Ireland. Article source: http://www.exploringireland.net

Develop Self-Esteem Via Self-Improvement Skills - Develop Self-Esteem For Leadership

Aristotle, who is among the best known classical Greek philosophers, wrote about how important it is to develop self-esteem. Founders of religions also have had an influence on personal development techniques as we know them today. I talk about self-improvement skills that are used to build self-confidence with confidence-building methods, which are based on ancient ideals, in this commentary.

"Humility: Imitate Jesus Christ and Socrates." Benjamin Franklin

Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher who helped provided the foundation for Western civilization. Plato's work is the most reliable source of records concerning his mentor Socrates. Plato portrayed Socrates as a man who listened to a "divine voice in his head." Some philosophies of Socrates and Jesus Christ were very similar.

"Do not do to others what angers you if done to you by others." Socrates

The position of Socrates is similar to a commandment, which Jesus expressed in the Sermon on the Mount; and it is one of the central ethical values of Jesus Christ. Notice the philosophical similarity of what Socrates recommended with the well-known Golden Rule, which was put forth over some 400 years after the execution of Socrates.

"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law of the prophets." (Matthew 7:12 KJV)

The life of Socrates is generally considered a paradigm of philosophic life; and it is generally a good model for anyone to imitate. Socrates has been admired and emulated on a par with founders of religions like Jesus Christ and Buddha. This is a paradox because Socrates was tried, convicted; and executed on the grounds of being irreverent toward the Greek gods.

Aristotle, who was a student of Plato and therefore received many of his values indirectly from Socrates, did more than simply intellectualize a theory about how people should behave. He created written instructions in his book, Nicomachean Ethics, which extolled the value of having high self-esteem; and there are self-improvement skills, which are included in confidence-building methods to develop self-esteem in order to help you produce a leadership quality personality, which are based on that ancient document.

Self-Improvement Skills

The best self-improvement skills, of which I am aware, to develop self-esteem and build self-confidence are confidence-building methods that I call "behavior strategies."

The behavior strategies are 3 premeditated and deliberate self-improvement skills to develop the core values, as described in Aristotle Ethics, and to develop self-esteem. The behavior strategies are used to condition your subconscious mind; and therefore you can change your subconscious thoughts, which actually control your behavior 90% of the time.

Let me be clear about this, you never even "hear" your subconscious thoughts; but they control your behavior a vast majority of the time. Ergo, you can develop self-esteem by developing your subconscious reaction to your environment. You do not have to allow the bad things in your past control your subconscious thoughts, which trigger your behavior most of the time.

You can control your personality, and not the other way around, simply by conditioning your subconscious triggers. You can develop self-esteem and build self-confidence by using self-improvement skills to change your thoughts on the subconscious level, from negative to positive thinking. You can control your power of positive thinking on the subconscious level.

You only need to put into practice the easy-to-do confidence-building methods and develop behavior that is consistent with Aristotle Ethics. Dedicate a total of about 60 minutes a day; the exercises are divided into 10 and 20-minute simple procedures, and so it will not interrupt your schedule.

You can do it while you are in your underwear & reclining in an easy chair; or even while you are relaxing on your bed. You can develop self-esteem, build self-confidence, get poise, willpower & faith, and; actually, you can get anything that you really want by using the self-improvement skills of the tried and proven confidence-building methods.

I was able to change my life simply by having desire to improve myself and by utilizing the strategic premeditated actions, which are self-improvement skills. It made a world of difference for me.

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The 21st Century Lord's Prayer

The Lord's Prayer

This is the newer version of The Lord's Prayer.

The fuller version of the Lord's prayer is found in the bible in the gospel of Matthew 6:10-14, as well as a part in the gospel of Luke 11:2-4.

The Lord's prayer is the most famous model prayer that Jesus teaches us. It is therefore used frequently in Christian church services, and is often prayed as a personal prayer.

What surprises me, and disappoints me, is the continue use of the older Victorian version of the Lord Prayer. I would argue that this older version means very little to the modern, young, seeker who comes into the Church. This is because the language of English changes with time, and it becomes increasingly hard to decode by young church seekers.

To be more specific the use of old English causes a double translation, one from the original text into English, and then a further translation from old English into modern English. For example "Thy will" is well known to older generations but is not in common usage outside of church circles and should now be "Your will".

I am not suggesting that those who like the older translations are wrong, they are not. The the older translations are equally valid. If you have learned an older version and are happy with it, that is all that matters. It is just that language changes with time, and we should be seeking to include the young in our use of English, and be seeker sensitive, without changing the meaning of the text. I am arguing for clarity, not confusion of the translation.

There may even be a case for looking at the 1977 modern version and updating it further, whilst keeping to the exact biblical meaning of the prayer.

The fuller version of the Lords prayer is found in the bible in the gospel of Matthew 6:10-14, and is the most famous model prayer that Jesus teaches us. It is therefore used frequently in Christian church services, and is often prayed as a personal prayer.

(The Lord's Prayer - Modern Version)

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your Kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom,
the power and the glory are yours.
Now and for ever. Amen

The prayer can be broken down into sections, and each section can be contemplated as a separate topic and thought about in greater depth.

(The new English version was adopted by the Church of England in 1977)

Steve is a Christian who lives in North East England with his wife, and is web master of a number of websites including Christian Websites Directory, and Christian Article Directory

A Real Solution to the Problem of Child Abuse?

Modern society is so plagued with problems that people from all walks of life are attempting to solve as many of them as they can. Many Christians profess belief in the Bible as God's answer and solution to every problem that society can and does face. However, numerous believers are embracing the solutions that are offered by those who don't consider the Bible as God's word and; consequently, ignore its counsel, guidance, instruction, and warnings.

If someone truly believes the Bible to be the inspired word of God in which the answer to all ills is found, that individual must accept the Bible's declarations. It clearly declares the existence of an intelligent entity of various names in scripture but commonly known as "Satan". Several biblical passages warn of the craftiness of this evil being as well as his mastery of the art of deception. 2 Corinthians 11:14 says, "and no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." "Transformed" refers to putting on a most clever disguise as an angel of light.

Revelation 12:9 reveals that the reason for the disguise is to deceive as many as possible, believer or not. The passage reads, "and the great dragon was cast out. That old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world; he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."

What does this have to do with the solving of society's problems? Everything. All of the evils that plague man are the works of Satan and have their origin in him since the beginning. This is precisely why the Son of God came to earth. 1 John 3:8 teaches that, "...the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil."

One of the most important truths the believer can keep in mind is the need to beware of embracing "solutions" to problems that are from the same source as the problem itself--the Enemy of God masquerading as an angel of light. There are numerous real life examples of this type of deception on top of deception which only stacks problems upon more problems.

It should not be difficult for any believer to see that child abuse figures among the practically endless list of the works of the Enemy. While it's a good thing to desire its eradication, it's not a good thing to accept a solution from the same source that gave the problem. Many people, Christian and non-Christian, have embraced the "solution" of forbidding parents to physically discipline their children. Nevertheless, the abuse of children has not declined. What is more is that a new problem has arisen--wrongful jailing of parents and caretakers who have disciplined, but not abused their children while abusive parents continue to escape the "protective" system. Notice that solutions from the kingdom of darkness will always contradict the word of God.

Proverbs 13:24 says, "he that spareth his rod hateth his son, but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes." To "spare the rod" is to refuse to physically discipline. The words "hateth" and "loveth" simply refer to the making of choices. One may chose to refrain from physical discipline because he accepts man's advice over God's, or because he fears man's law over God's, or because he sees it as cruel regardless of how God sees it. Decisions such as these amount to "hating" the child in that the child's learning to submit to proper authority and the importance of obedience to the saving of his life, are of less importance. The word "betimes" refers to the use of physical punishment from an early age. Proverbs 22:15 again reminds that, "foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him."

It is understandable that those who are not believers will support anti-biblical solutions to society's problems. However, believers claim to be enlightened in spiritual matters. Why then do they embrace the same problem-causing "solutions" as those who claim no special enlightenment?

The example regarding child abuse is only one in many that prove that the Enemy's "solutions" never has and never will solve the problems that he created in the first place.

In-depth Bible studies by Heavenly Manna

The Significance of the Feast of Tabernacles Today and the Birth of Jesus Christ

Following Yom Kippur comes the Feast of Tabernacles, at the end of September or beginning of October, when Jews remember the forty days they spent in the wilderness, living in tabernacles or booths or tents. You will find the details in Leviticus Chapter 23.

This is the season of the year when Jesus was born. John tells us how Jesus Christ tabernacled amongst us. We need to remember that when it comes to December. Facts are important. Truth and accuracy is vital.

In Jerusalem, and Jewish communities around the world, decorated booths can be seen in gardens or balconies, during the Feast of Tabernacles.

For eight days people will have their meals in these flimsy temporary shelters, some even sleeping under the palm branch roofing, through which the sky can be seen.

It is a time for remembering and giving thanks to God, Who led His People, leading and bringing them to the Promised Land, a phrase we seldom hear these days.

Not only do the people remember, but they celebrate with willow, myrtle, palm and lemon. Each has a significance.

For over 3,000 years the people of Israel have kept and observed this Feast. Why? So that your descendents will know all about your being slaves in Egypt and how God set you free.

On the last day of the Feast in Jerusalem, the High Priest would take a container down to the Pool of Siloam returning to the Temple with it full of water. There was prayer for water for the crops, and for Messiah to come and refresh them.

John speaks of Jesus being in Jerusalem for the Feast, and on that day, shouting out in a loud voice, "If any man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink". Jesus saw people who had been at an eight day Feast or 'Conference' and they were dissatisfied. They had not had their spiritual needs truly met, and Jesus invited them to come to Him. Check this out in John Chapter 7.

Jesus was thinking too of the future when He would pour out the Holy Spirit.

If you are dry, dissatisfied, spiritually thirsty, confused or burdened, drink from Jesus Christ, and then you can refresh others.

Prime your pump and allow the rivers to flow.

Sandy Shaw

Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children's Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.

He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at http://www.studylight.org entitled "Word from Scotland" on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.

His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.

Sandy Shaw
sandyshaw63@yahoo.com

Is The Pre-Tribulation Rapture In I Thessalonians 5:9?

Surely God will not let His children suffer like the world that is going to be judged, right? I mean after all, look at Paul's words:

I Thessalonians 5:9, "For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Question: Since the tribulation is the wrath of God upon unbelievers, how can the church be present?

Let me ask you in return a more difficult question from the pre-tribulation perspective: If people can indeed be saved during the Tribulation, as most who teach this theory believe, [since they see saints all over the Book of Revelation], why are the saints not raptured out of the world immediately upon their salvation, since the same wrath will be falling all around? Are these new believers a separate category of saints? To put a possible end to the dilemma of both questions, let us call upon brothers Bethel and Schwertley:

From Bethel, " What is the wrath to which we are not appointed? And, can saints go through the Great Tribulation without suffering the

wrath of God, as did the Old Testament saints in Egypt when God sent His plagues because of Pharaoh? ..."

The first question, regarding the nature of the wrath, needs a careful answer. For the wrath of God is indeed poured out during the three and one half years called the "Tribulation." During these times, believers will be separated from unbelievers, as they were in Egypt. Nevertheless there will be other forms of death for believers, and as Bethel says, "Tribulation and persecution is not the wrath of God...persecution and martyrdom is the New Testament norm."

He adds that, ultimately, " The wrath of God that Christians will be kept from is the wrath of the last day and, of course, the wrath of the Lake of Fire." It is clear at the end of the Book that believers are indeed caught up before Jesus pours out His vengeance on all His enemies (19:11-21). There is definitely no one called saint on the planet at that moment.

Bethel says that often in Scripture God takes His people through tribulation rather than delivering them from it.He cites Noah, the three Hebrew boys, and Daniel as examples of this. He mentions that all the Apostles were martyred except John... "God sometimes lets His saints suffer and die for His glory. Beloved, let no man deceive you. The saints will go through the tribulation depicted in the Revelation. The antichrist will be given power 'to make war with the saints, and to overcome them' (Rev. 13:7). The prophet Daniel wrote concerning the antichrist, 'He will speak against the Most High and oppress His saints...The saints will be handed over to him for [three and a half years]...He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people' (Dan. 7:25, 8:24). Christians who are compromisers before the Great Tribulation are not going to be overcomers through it."

Yes, God's people are kept from the wrath before the ultimate wrath during this Tribulation time: Hear Schwertley: "Revelation 16:1-2 says that God's wrath (the first bowl) is only to be poured out on the worshipers of the beast, who have his mark. Once again believers are excluded. In 16:9 and 11 those who receive God's plagues are identified as blasphemers who refuse to repent. A careful reading of Revelation demonstrates that although God's people experience persecution, death, and harm at the hands of wicked men they are carefully and lovingly excluded from every act of God's wrath..."

Another example then of pre-tribulation arguments that go up in smoke under close examination. God's people will not be judged with His wrath, but they will not be spared from the ravages of the antichrist. They suffer in our present day, and they will suffer then. It is knowing this that makes the "blessed hope" even more blessed.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

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. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

The Antichrist - Does It Matter?

Who will the antichrist be? "Who cares?" is surely a response to my question on some Christian fronts. But my answer is that the Holy Spirit cares. Through Daniel, John, Paul, and the very Son of God, He has given us an answer to the question asked by some of the first disciples. Do you remember the incident? It is recorded in Matthew 24:3. They wanted to know specifically when Jesus would return to them, and what would be the sign of that coming. Jesus gave them a very specific answer. But we have been locked in a traditional interpretation for so long that we are afraid to venture out and listen to what He really said. His response was clear and understandable. And knowing that response is the first step in knowing the "who" behind the "what" that is coming.

We'll talk about all that later. My point here is to respond to the somewhat lazy attitude of many western Christians to the Word of God. Some of it comes from teachings disseminated by those opposed to the literal meanings of Scripture. For them, antichrist is a force, or a church system, and the question that I raise is preposterous. They believe that narrowing everything down to one man in one short period of time is not an option. But in the end, Scripture reveals such a man and his personal demise in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 19:20). Empires and church systems are not normally thrown into perdition all at once. But men are.

I am not yet quite as old as was Daniel, who was physically overwhelmed when he received the messages we will examine. But even at my age, dealing with the revelations he saw (and we need no new ones, thank you!) is a bit draining. The implications raised by the facts I have discovered are mind-consuming as well as time-consuming. The pictures conjured up because of the staggering truths of our future tend to crowd out lesser thoughts. And this too is an answer to those who would still say, Who cares?

I care, for one. The Spirit told us all in Revelation 13:18, "Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast..." and in Matthew 24:15, "...whoever reads, let him understand." Wisdom, knowledge, understanding, are not forbidden by Scripture, especially knowledge of His Holy Word. Only a love-less proclamation of that knowledge or an attempt to bring pride and glory to self because of that wisdom are condemned in the Word (I Corinthians 13).

Would so many chapters of the Bible be devoted to the end-time theme if God meant His people to remain blind and ignorant? No, let's give to the study of every detail of the Word the same time and energy we might otherwise spend on true vanities, such as sports activities, the media in general, and all else the world has to offer for our distraction. Those who say "Who cares?" need to be asked what their own priorities are.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

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. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

Certainly Not!

"This man dealt treacherously with our people, and oppressed our forefathers, making them expose their babies, so that they might not live..."

The tyrant spoken of here in Acts 7 by the soon to be martyred Stephen, is Pharaoh, but he lives on in the persons of tyrants today. One that I know of kills all that oppose him, including their children. If he could he would wage war with the world and bring all under his dominion. In fact there is a man coming who will attempt to do just that.

In the parable of the vinedresser, Luke 20, Jesus says that the Judge of all will one day consume those who have dared to oppose His work. His audience, smug Jews who felt God could never oppose them, gasp, "Certainly not!"

Today equally smug Christians of the West hear of the tribulation that is coming to the entire planet, and fantasize, some through a carefully worked-out theology, that it can "never happen here." That the "poor believers over there" could become the one they see in the mirror every day is incredibly unbelievable to them. "Certainly not!" they would cry.

But it will come on all flesh, including believers'. The persecution, the suffering, homelessness, joblessness, pain, torture and death. It will come. Will this Western church survive it?

I hear of churches having "teaching" sessions built around a book written by some rock-and-rollers. I think, what if the church of my childhood would have had a small group meeting based on the life of Frank Sinatra? He claimed to have some religion after all. And Elvis! Why, he had whole albums of Christian music. Why was he not held up to us as a model? Will this sort of methodology change our world and prepare it for the test?

I see a parade in a town near here this summer. Three Christian floats. The first one, a band is playing rock music. No words. No message. Only rock. The hint: Come to our church, it's cool! Another one , more rock music. People singing words this time. But as is the norm with this kind of music, one couldn't make out what was being said. A third display was some simple children's tunes. All 3 had a chance to share the love of Jesus. They could have even had a short testimony of the saving power of the Lord. The people lining the street only saw the music wars, and the churches promoting themselves.

That sort of religion won't make it when antichrist rises. In the first round of terror, those groups will shut down and never be heard of again.

What about your church? What about you? What about me? Do we have the sort of community and personal walk with God that will walk us through the fire that is coming, unscathed?

They say that North Korean believers pray for us. It does seem that we are in the greater danger, doesn't it?

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

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. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

The Story of Chosun - Part 11

Fresh winds blow on the Korean Peninsula. Evil can only dominate for awhile. Eventually darkness yields to light. Now, in Korea, then "Koryo", it is not yet time to talk of the ultimate Light, Jesus, but a moral light at least is allowed to come, in the form of the Yi Chosun dynasty, created in the person of Yi Tajo.

In 1371 Sin-don, the court favorite by deceit, is exposed and killed. Over against this victory is the negative fact that the King is given over to sodomy and Japanese pirates invade Seoul, and burn it down.

1374. The King is assassinated. His supposed son, from Sindon, ascends. But the Chinese Ming dynasty draws the line at any acceptance of Koryo: they point out that an assassination and a questionably legitimate heir are reasons for them to hesitate at the validity of any alliance.

In 1378 rising star Yi Tajo is put in charge of all the military. His is the one strong life in a nation gone weak from the top down. Through his influence the occasional raids of the Japanese are quelled.

The new King can't decide whether to favor the Ming dynasty or the old Mongolian power, descending as is Koryo into history. He is double-minded about this for some time, and additionally, he continues in many of his father's evil ways. The drinking, the women, the hunting, the stealing. Koryo has lost its moral compass.

The Japanese come on worse than ever as they see such weakness. But Tajo wins yet another victory. Slowly the people begin to expect him to deliver them. That seems to be his own growing awareness too.

In 1383, the Capital is moved back to Seoul, then to Kaesong, currently a part of North Korea, in between Seoul and Pyongyang.

By 1386, the Ming have decided to recognize the King of Koryo. But, in 1388 the King decides to attack Liao-tung, in Ming territory. Yi Tago warns against it, believing it will destroy Koryo. The man caught up in his flesh will always make wrong decisions. We cannot call Yi Tajo a spiritual man by any means, but he seems to be directed by higher standards, and to that extent he raises expectations in Korea.

As plans begin to march to the northern regions against Ming, the Japanese are allowed to enter the south unopposed. Yi and his army are forced to turn around and march on Kaesong to stop Gen. Choe, the master of the plan. Some see this as Tajo's "Crossing of the Rubicon", or in his case, the Yalu.

The weak-kneed King turns Choe over to Yi Tajo, who banishes him with a "Go in peace." Then the King is likewise banished. His adopted son is placed on the throne, while Tajo waits for the right moment. The new "king" is not of royal blood. He is often not listed as a King of Koryo. Yet Tajo is hesitant.

In 1389, the Capital comes back to Seoul again. But the King decides to remain in Kaesong amidst the almost universal wish that Yi Tajo be king. Tajo's relatives murder and banish all of his opposition to push him throne-ward. Finally, in 1392 the King abdicates and turns over the kingdom to Yi-Tajo. 475 years of Koryo rule have come to an end.

The Yi dynasty will prove to be a lasting one. In fact, the last one. Not until the aggression of Japan annexes Korea in 1910 will the Yi Dynasty be forced out of power. It is this period of time that shapes and molds Korea into its pre-modern form. Much of Yi remains to this day.

And it will be during the Yi "Chosun" period that Jesus Christ and His claims are offered to the people of this ancient and proud land. Their response is amazing. How the Koreans have loved Jesus! That makes all the worse the rule of the present tyrant of the North, who keeps the people from their appointed fellowship with God through Christ.

Much for which to pray!

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 diakonos3@gmail.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 .

The Story of Chosun, Part 8

The story of Korea. Oppression and violence. Tears and struggles. Much like their life is this very day in North Korea, it has been in great measure for many centuries.

We were talking about invasions. Resistance to the constant raids of the Japanese became so low that the Japanese could easily work their will in the ports and coastal areas.

In 1236 the other invaders, the Mongols, withdraw, and summon the king of Koryo to Peking. The scattered people slowly return, as the king feasts and parties on his little island of Sangwha. This is another oddity of the Korean saga. So many of her leaders have been less than exemplary on the throne.

Following the death of the Mongolian Emperor, his queen presides over five years of peace,1242-46. But soon there is a new male who comes to power, bringing with him new hostilities against Koryo. Three years later, another death, another period of grace.

Then in 1251 the Emperor demands that the Korean magistrate leave Sangwha. He refuses. War is declared. Eight years later, King Ko-jang dies, the crown prince is sent to Peking, and his son, named "Sun", becomes the regent. Koryo and the Mongol Empire are still one.

In 1260 a personage familiar to westerners, Kublai Khan, sends the crown prince to Koryo to strengthen the vassal status of the much smaller Korean nation. All soldiers are recalled from the peninsula, and peace continues between the two.

In fact, the ties are so strong by 1267 that a decision is made by them to have a joint invasion against Japan, which continues its raids on Korean territory. This does not happen for another six years. And it fails. Japanese dominance of many near-Koryo islands is so great that the Mongolians fear at times that the Japanese and Koryo are in partnership.

In fact, throughout this period, many independent traitors and outright liars try to stir up problems between the Mongols & Koryo. The amalgamation of these two is just too much for some. Mongolia is too dominant for the traditional Korean mindset. Mongolia dress and hair styles prevail. Mongolian men take Korean wives.

In 1279, Mongolian influence is at its greatest. The Korean king cares not for his people, and lives in debauchery. Famine then comes to the kingdom again. The Mongols have to help Koryo with rice. The tragedy wears on and wears out...

In 1282, desperate, there is a second joint invasion of Japan. It is a horrible failure.

Hulbert, the author of the history we are following in this series, says: "When the Mongol troops went back home, their general told the emperor that the war had destroyed the crops of Koryo and that 100,000 bags of rice must be sent. The emperor consented, but when the rice arrived the officials and men of influence divided the rice among themselves, while the people went without."

Now, that has a familiar ring to it! In fact the whole history does, as I have suggested often. North Korea is only the latest tragedy of this tiny area of the world. I ask you to join prayer warriors all over the world to fight the real battle of this nation .

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 diakonos3@gmail.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.

Who Follows in His Train?

Everyone wants to be an apostle. But no one that I know wants to live the life of an apostle or speak the exact words that the apostles spoke. "Apostle" today is equivalent to "master", whereas the true apostles considered themselves servants. And like servants, they were beaten. They were poor. They were rejected, hated. They were lied about and cursed and left for dead. And because they spoke and wrote only what God breathed into their tormented souls, they were unaccepted by many.

Acts 14:19,20 tells of an incident in apostle Paul's life. The Jews try to kill him. They stone him, drag him outside the city, and leave him to rot.

Many today do not like Paul's words. Unfortunately not all of Paul's enemies are outside the church. He is hated, maligned, ignored. His words are dragged out of context, out of the Bible, out of the church, and left for dead. His clear teachings about the place of women, the qualifications for leadership, the rise of antichrist before Jesus appears in the sky are all amazingly warped and abused by modern-day persecutors of the Word.

In the category of "misunderstood" one could place Romans 8:38, or a piece of it that goes right over most heads. "I am persuaded that neither [note his first word here:] LIFE, nor death... can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus." If Christ is in the heart, nothing can separate us. But if not, even "life" can do the trick. How could life separate one from the love of God? Isn't life itself from God? Though God gave life, Satan with man's help corrupted it. Human life without God does indeed separate us from Christ. Life with all its fun and beauty and troubles and sorrow is enough to distract us from eternity. Paul knew that.

Here's another "Paul-ism" that doesn't fit today's theologies. Romans 9:2 has Paul confessing that he has "great sorrow and continual grief" in his heart for his Jewish brothers and sisters, lost for all eternity if they will not come to Christ. Isn't this the Paul who said to "Rejoice in the Lord always..."? That verse is quoted often. But the sorrowing Paul, like the sorrowing Jesus, does not get a hero's welcome in the church's Main Street. Godly men weep alone, and lose the fellowship of the crowds, yet gain Heaven's company. Paul walked that life.

Paul, the giver of so many mysteries to the church, is himself a mystery. But with Paul we reach the end of our excuses. Jesus, we say, was God. We could never be like Him. Yet He calls us to do just that. Paul was not God. He is you and me. A great sinner. A self-willed religionist. A man who served his own interests. Then, he was mighty Saul, king-like in name and actions. He alone would bring revival to Israel.

Can't you see yourself in some part of Paul's old life? Selfish? Proud? Lost? Then why can't you do what he did by the same grace that was made available to him? By God's grace we can be as effective, as sold out, as anyone in the Kingdom. But the warning is real. Live like Paul, and be prepared to suffer like him too, to be rejected and despised as was His Master and ours.

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, ovber 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 diakonos3@gmail.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.

When Did The Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory Arise?

What have God's people historically believed about the "catching away" of the church, or the "rapture" through the many ages of the Church? Has it always been like today, with two major opposing views, drawing people into one group or another? One group believing in a raptute before the coming tribulation, and one advocating that it will be after? No, absolutely, no.

A warning here before we proceed. After the Bible, which is apostolic and inspired, there is no perfect book. There is no perfect teacher. In the years that followed the death of the apostles, many men began to write, some building as closely as they could on the revelation in existence, from the apostles and prophets, but others veering off from time to time. This "veering off" has left us with a great variety of teachings published in the name of the Lord, making it easy for the promulgator of most any new doctrine down to this day, to establish his cause somewhere in the chaos of those early writers. An appeal to the "church fathers" is often a settlement to an otherwise shaky point.

In spite of individual problems in individual teachers, and it seems even the best of men missed it sometimes, there were streams of thought that continued down to us, both in our Scriptures and in the collected works of the great writers. The Deity of Christ, the Second Coming, salvation by grace through faith, it all was picked up and passed on. God had faithful witnesses who were able to see and communicate necessary truth to the next generations.

Having said that, we now ask, what about the theory of a pre-tribulation rapture historically? Well, it falls far short of verification. It is found only once from the fourth century all the way to the eighteenth century, and not in any substantial body of literature until the nineteenth. This view-point is a newcomer to the world of theology.

The teachers of this doctrine believe they have Scriptural grounds for their beliefs. In another article I will examine Scripture, but for now let's trace the doctrine through history, and I must say, it will be a short journey, for there's not much there.

We go first to the Persia of the Roman Empire days. It is the fourth century. The teacher is a dedicated deacon named Ephraem who seems to have been a most holy man, to the point where he is said to have been a hermit for the last ten years of his life. The record shows he was greatly revered by Syrian, Orthodox, and Nestorian believers, the "denominations" of his day. His writings, evidently quite numerous were read just after the

Scriptures in some churches. One of those writings contains a passage that may indeed be a preview of what will come many hundreds of years later in its fulness.

Now remember, three hundred years have passed since the apostles wrote, and this is the first hint of a pretribulation rapture. Ephraem believed the end of the world was near, and that the Holy Spirit confirmed this to him. In his thinking, there was only one sign which remained, "the advent of the wicked one in the completion of the Roman Kingdom." That actually sounds like a posttribulation view, but several sentences later he adds:

"For all the saints and elect of God are gathered, prior to the tribulation that is to come, and are taken to the Lord lest they see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins..."

Ephraem here appeals to logic rather than to revelation. No authority is given for his conclusion, though his statement "makes a lot of sense" . This type of reasoning is the fuel of pre-tribulation thinking. There is much "sense" to it, but no solid Scriptural backing.

There are a couple more historical incidents regarding "pre-trib" that I will share at a later time. Today's point: Though an appeal to history can help make a case for a doctrine, this particular doctrine has such little history that it needs to be re-examined and perhaps rejected.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

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. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.