Applied Theology
[The following post is from Rebecca Potter who wrote this article about a very special young woman named Crystal Marie Simpson. Crystal had a heart for Christ and for the persecuted church. She was supposed to be married in June of this year. Sadly, she was killed in February. Her zeal is remembered at... Continue Reading →
Pakistan Quite a bit of coverage has been given to the sad case of Rimsha Misrak, a Christian girl in Pakistan who is accused of blaspheming Muhammad. She remains in jail, and her family is in protective custody. I have read some reports which say Rimsha is 11, but this story reports that she... Continue Reading →
After a missions meeting this morning, I am heading out to the KY State Fair with the family. However, even as we enjoy seeing jugglers and giant pumpkins, our brothers and sisters around the world are facing harsh conditions. As I have written about before, the so-called Arab Spring is actually a winter... Continue Reading →
Has the Nigerian government gone bad? According to a news report, officials in the Nigerian government have been arrested and are being questioned in relation to the killing of Christians in Kogi state, Nigeria. I am reminded of 1 Samuel 22 and the story of Saul turning against Ahimelech and the priests because they had... Continue Reading →
The news out of North Korea does not appear good for Christians, but that doesn’t mean good can’t come from it. Our God redeems what otherwise appears lost and hopeless. Encouragement might result (see here).
I recently read a story concerning the state of Christians in North Korea. As expected, the situation for Christians there is grim. Though some reports state that new leader Kim Jong Un is easing some restrictions which made North Korea infamous in the first place, leading them to the #1 spot for the persecution of Christians on Open Doors annual watch list, the truth of the matter is that there are still tens of thousands of Christians in prisons in North Korea.
In the story, Ryan Morgan, an analyst with International Christian Concern (Asia), says this about recent reports of reform:
“We have not heard any reports of improvement for Christians in the country and have no reason to believe anything has changed. The regime still has up to 70,000 Christians locked away in virtual concentration camps.”
Oddly, the Lord has used reports such as these in an unexpected…
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Politically, it would be easy to find fault with some of the decisions being made in our foreign policy. Many politicians have in fact been critical of President Obama, calling for more serious action to be taken in Assyria (Joe Lieberman and John McCain are but two examples). Indeed, many websites are quickly seizing on... Continue Reading →
Apparently, Ronnie Spriggs, pastor of Hager Hills Freewill Baptist Church in Eastern Kentucky, has Barry Lynn all in an uproar. Lynn told on Spriggs, reporting him to the IRS because Pastor Spriggs doesn't like President Obama's stance on gay marriage. You can read my take on this case over at Project 13:3. There are sure... Continue Reading →
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has released its annual report, detailing the 16 countries which are of particular concern because of their stringent opposition to freedom in matters of religion. The countries of particular concern this year are Burma, North Korea, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, China, Saudi Arabia, Sudan (North),... Continue Reading →
UPDATE: Poor Chen Guangchen. His case is reportedly moving along, but the answers are not coming to some serious questions about Chen's future. Will there be retribution for those who helped Chen escape? Will he actually be permitted to leave the country? How is his health? Apparently, the U.S. Embassy has abandoned Chen. It is... Continue Reading →
“Blind unbelief is sure to err…” so penned William Cowper in his final and perhaps most poignant hymn, composed in 1774. Of course, Cowper wrote from a Christian perspective and, though he suffered terribly from depression, he understood that God’s ordering of and teleological purposes for creation would always prove wise and good in the... Continue Reading →
Tom White has been the face of Voice of the Martyrs for the past two decades. With Tom White as its head, the ministry of Voice of the Martyrs increased exponentially. What will happen next to that ministry is in the Lord's hands (which is the best place for it to be). The tragic details... Continue Reading →
How do you know when you are blessed? On first blush, you might respond that you know you are blessed when you have peace with God and peace with your wife and family. Many of us would think we are blessed when we have plenty of money. We think that NFL players who get paid... Continue Reading →
Blind human rights activist Chen has reportedly died from the torture and beatings he has endured at the hands of the Communist Chinese. However, as this story notes, no one can be sure of whether Chen is alive or dead, given the fact that the Communist government has sealed off access to Chen and has... Continue Reading →
UPDATE: Thanks to Nina Shea, we now have word that Pastor Yousef did not waiver in his faith. He stood firm and once again refused to deny Christ. From the court proceeding: The Washington Post’s blog Religion Right Now posted a piece by Jordan Sekulow that included the following excerpt from court proceedings this week:... Continue Reading →
There is a controversy brewing in Houston, TX, between veterans and the Veterans Administration. I am interested in the controversy for a couple of reasons. First, I attended the funeral service of my wife’s grandfather not too long ago in Houston. He was a veteran, and there was a veteran’s service for him at the... Continue Reading →
Gregory C. Cochran 