Pastor Eric Foley, of Voice of the Martyrs Korea (a sister ministry to Voice of the Martyrs Canada) says, “It’s important to understand that not a single credible source has given an indication of what is happening inside North Korea. And in terms of Kim Jong-un’s health, the health of the Kim family, their physical location,  and the details of their lives are the most carefully guarded secrets in North Korea.”

This information, Foley says, will not appear on a social media news feed, or even on one of the top US media sites.

The wrong focus

“Unfortunately,” Foley says, “It makes North Korea incredibly happy that we spend the time to click on those links and read those rumors. North Korea believes that everyone around the world should focus 24 hours a day, seven days a week on the health and wellbeing of their leader.”

North Koreans paying respect to statues of past leaders. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Many news outlets have reported that Kim is sick or dying. But Foley says while many of these outlets have sources in North Korea, it is unlikely that these sources have access to that kind of information. Most can’t even move freely around the country. He says, “When we look at the deaths of the previous two North Korean leaders, no media predicted those deaths. No governments predicted those deaths. In fact, they came as surprises out of nowhere.”

Foley says, “Speculation into the health of the leaders is a fool’s errand. It ends up using a lot of time and resources that are always much better spent on knowledgeable prayer for North Korean Christians and for the people of North Korea.” Read more about North Korea here.

The Church in North Korea

Foley understands the hope that Kim’s removal might make things easier for Christians in North Korea, but he says that wouldn’t be the case. The North Korean government consists of more than its immediate leader. That’s why North Korean Christians don’t spending their time thinking about his health.

Foley says, “We really need to ask ourselves, what do we believe to be the source of hope? We believe the source of hope not to be a change in the regime, but instead a change in the human heart.”

A satellite image contrasts South Korea at night with North Korea. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

The really exciting news coming out of North Korea has nothing to do with Kim’s health. Foley says, “Christians are using this very difficult time of the coronavirus to share the Gospel. That is verified news from inside of North Korea.”

North Korean Christians have so much more freedom during a lockdown. Foley explains. “North Koreans work 14 or 15 hours a day. [They are] often are too tired to stay up overnight to listen to the radio broadcasts, which is the time that most of us broadcast. But in a time like this, where people are confined to their homes, [they hear the Gospel] in numbers greater than normal.”

The Gospel of the risen Christ moves in North Korea, and living or dead, Kim can’t stop it.

Instead of speculating about Kim’s health, pray that Jesus would be with his people in North Korea. And pray that the kingdom of Christ would sprout out of one of the most oppressive regimes in human history.

Header photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Samuel Stephens with India Gospel League says, "The real picture is actually militant
Hindus who are trying to create this problem."

When Dalits rejected the caste system, many turned to
Christ. Others turned to neo-Buddhism. Stephens says it appears that Hindus are trying to stir up trouble on
the birthday of the founder of the new-Buddhist movement. "Almost every year on that anniversary,
there's a large movement to neo-Buddhism from among the Dalits. This e-mail was
sent out particularly during that time." 

It's a ploy to create confusion and disorder and blame the
Christians. "People are watching. Some kind of problems will arise, and the
Hindu militants can get some kind of mileage out of this." Stephens says it's a tactic
similar to the one used to trigger the violence and persecution in Khandmal
District in Orissa on Christmas day.

Stephens asks people not to forward
it. The e-mails are being sent out under the names "Pastor, Dalit freedom
network," "Sudhir – Architect," and "United Church." It reads in part, "Please pray for churches
in India. Buddhist extremists in India burned down 20 churches last night.
Tonight they plan to destroy 200 churches in the province of Olisabang. They
plan to kill 200 missionaries within 24 hours."

According to Stephens, the extremists  have been widely distributing anti-Christian
and anti-missionary e-mails. One of the stated strategies of the RSS, the
leading Hindu extremist group that is behind all this, is to create such
confusion and disharmony between minority groups in the country.

Stephens says clear communication of the Gospel is
critical. "Pray that God would give
us wisdom to effectively communicate the Gospel in ways which are acceptable to
the people." Your support can keep
doors open. Click here for more.

John* is an MNN partner who serves believers in the country and says this message is false. He writes, “If this were
true, I would have been one among the first few to receive such information because of the presence of our extensive network of pastors and church planters spread over a good part of the country. Further, there are no provinces in India. We have states and districts. There is no state or district named Olisabang.”

Another fact that debunks the e-mail’s veracity: Buddhist extremist groups are prevalent only in Sri Lanka, not in India. Violent attacks on Christians and pastors and the destruction of churches by Buddhist extremists are becoming increasingly frequent and widespread in Sri Lanka.

However, Buddhists and Christians in India have lived peacefully and in amity with each other for years.   He says,  “I am led
to believe that this message is a deliberate, planned and mischievous attempt by Hindu extremists to damage the good relationship between Buddhists and
Christians. It is intentionally sent out to create animosity between these two groups.”

The ministry team believes the e-mail is the work of a Hindu extremist group operating from outside the country (probably the U.S.) sending out e-mails under the names “Pastor, Dalit freedom network,” “Sudhir – Architect,” and “United Church.” They have been widely distributing anti-Christian and anti-missionary e-mails. One of the stated strategies of the RSS–the leading Hindu extremist group that is behind all this–is to create confusion and disharmony between minority groups in the country.

Violence against Christians is a reality. Attacks on churches and against believers occur somewhere in India in some form every day.
However, ministries that serve India urge caution and wisdom on regarding information that is shared.

Pray that truth will be revealed. Pray, too, that the church will not shy away from persecution and tribulation but stand firm with the strength of the Holy Spirit and continue to grow and multiply.

*name changed for security purposes