More about North Korea
We continue to pray for four people in prison in North Korea and China for the sake of the Gospel. South Korean Pastor Kim Jung-Wook is serving a life-sentence in North Korea for his efforts to spread the Good News inside North Korea. Elderly (71 years old) Korean-American, Peter Hahn, has been in detention in Tumen, China since last year. He operated a technical high school and had a number of projects going in North Korea. The other two people are a Canadian couple, Kevin and Julia Garratt, who ran a coffee shop in Dandong, China and provided humanitarian assistance in North Korea. They also organized prayer for North Korea. Both are charged with spying. Here is a bit more information on the Garratts and Peter Hahn. Please keep all four of these brave souls, who are suffering for the sake of the Gospel, in your prayers.
Meanwhile life for the people of North Korea continues to be bleak with increased surveillance, ongoing restrictions on travel and even more on commerce, new efforts to quash anti-Kim Jong Un activity, bribery that begets bribery, demands for parents to pay for school upgrades, forced participation in the mass games for what turned out to be a disappointing celebration of Great Sun Day (Kim Il Sung's birthday) and general high level abuse of power. Economic conditions continue to be a concern. Check out this new market roundup report. Respect for their own currency has fallen to such a low level that North Koreans consider finding an NK coin to be bad luck. People have taken to burning books about the Kim dynasty because that is safer than having them in their home and not being able to keep them in pristine condition. The young ruler is also continuing to purge elements in the government who might threaten his authority. There is a new report that he has had 15 top officials executed do far this year.
However, while all this goes on, there are the new wealthy who sport more trendy fashions and are buying up property, especially in Pyongyang. Party cadres are also binging on South Korean TV dramas even though they are supposed to be preventing others from watching them. In addition to expanding markets (often at great personal risk to the women traders who have taken to "hot pepper bombs" for self-protection), more personal farming is going on, which will help the food situation.
As for the leader... well, he seems to doing well as he revives the North Korea leader's traditional pleasure troupe and continues to grow fatter--although this may prove to be his downfall.
On the international trade front, recent confirmations of large reserves of rare earth minerals (critical to modern electronics and not widely available) are increasing Chinese and Russian involvement. Tourism is also a growing business--or at least the government hopes it will be--and the North is recruiting people to teach English to tour guides... at the teacher's expense.
Koinonia and Korea: Thoughts on Unification
This is an anthology of essays by Fr. Archer Torrey that relate to North Korea and the future of the whole land. Released in August of last to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Fr. Torrey's passing away, it is the first time that any of his writings have been published in both English and Korean in one volume. Anyone interested in this important work may order through us if your are outside of Korea or, if you are in Korea, directly from the publisher, Hong Sung Sa or at Christian books stores. If you are ordering from the US, the cost is $14 plus shipping: $12 by surface (takes about two months) or $20 by air. If you order several copies, shipping fees will vary. Email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you are interested.
Ben Torrey
Director
The Fourth River Project, Inc.
www.thefourthriver.org
Call to Prayer from Anne Graham Lotz, Daughter of Billy Graham, May 15-May 23
April 28, 2015
"For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now..." - Matthew 24:21
This past Spring, Joel Rosenberg and I taught through the book of Joel as we led a prophecy seminar at The Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove. It was my privilege to give the first two messages that covered Joel 1:1 through Joel 2:17. The impact on me was profound. Both times, when I stepped off of the platform, I knew God had spoken. The messages almost made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. Why? Because God was clearly warning that His judgment is coming on America and it's going to be ugly. I knew it then, and I know it now.
I believe Jesus is soon to return to take all of His followers to Heaven with Him in The Rapture. While this will be deliverance for you and me, can you imagine the impact on our nation, let alone the world, when suddenly every single authentic Christian disappears? Institutions will collapse. Banks will close. The Stock Market will plunge. Planes will fall out of the sky. Cars will crash on the road. Government in America at every level will disintegrate. Families will be torn apart. In the unprecedented turmoil, our nation will be vulnerable for our enemies to seize the moment and attack us. There will be mass chaos, confusion, fear, grief, despair, anger, threats, danger... judgment.
Just as God allowed the Israelites, His people, to go through three of the ten plagues He sent in judgment on Pharaoh and Egypt in Exodus 6-8, God may allow His people today to go through a time of distress and trouble before the rapture takes place. I believe we are in that time now. I believe it's time to not just pray. It's time to cry out to God on behalf of our nation and our world.
MAYDAY! MAYDAY! is an international distress call that signals a life-threatening emergency. And it's the call to cry out that I am issuing May 15-May 23. These are the nine days between the Day of the Ascension of Jesus and the Day of Pentecost that have Biblically and traditionally been days of prayer and fasting for an outpouring of God's Spirit.
The purpose of MAYDAY! MAYDAY! is ...
To claim God our Father's promise of an outpouring of His Spirit in these days following extraordinary signs in the sky ...I will pour out my Spirit in those days ...The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Joel 2:29, 31
To implore God the Holy Spirit to compel the church to repent of sin and our nation to return to faith in the living God, that times of refreshing may come... Acts 3:19
To entreat God our Savior for an abundant harvest of souls for His Kingdom in the remaining days. Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. John 4:35
To delay or soften God's judgment that is coming on America and on our world. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing. Joel 2:13-14
I'm asking you to please partner with me, and invite everyone on your email address list, or who follows you on facebook or twitter, to join us. I will be posting a blog this Thursday, April 30, at http://www.annegrahamlotz.org/mayday/ that will include specific information on how to participate. Please feel free to forward this letter to your constituents or use it in any way that would be helpful.
I will provide a prayer I have written for each of the 9 days to help unite us in one spirit and one voice as we cry out to God. Those who receive the eBlast are invited to sign up for the daily email prayers. Please be assured there is no other agenda to this initiative. This is not about promoting anything or anyone. This is all about calling God's people together to pray, before it's too late, and judgment falls on our nation. [1] Please let me hear back from you as soon as possible. Time is short.
Urgently,
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. -Psalm 107:19
[1] [1] One month after Mayday! Mayday! the Supreme Court will make a landmark decision on marriage. And four months after Mayday! Mayday! Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish Feast of Trumpets that many people believe will be fulfilled by the rapture of the church, will take place on September 13-15. Soon after Rosh Hashanah, the fourth blood moon will occur on September 28. The time is critical, and the time is now, to pray!
Australia Calls World to Pray for USA
For the third year in a row Australia's National Day of Prayer and Fasting team has called the nations of the world to pray and fast for the USA. This year it will be for seven days from 30 April to 6 May 2015. These dates bridge America's National Day of Repentance on 30 April and the National Day of Prayer on 7 May. Last year over 40 nations joined. This year they are believing for over 100 nations.
In this Good News Update we urge you to join in prayer and fasting for the USA. What happens there very much affects the world including us.
America is a nation whose greatness is inextricably linked to its motto "In God We Trust". It is a nation which has been a beacon of hope, a bastion of freedom and a bulwark against evil to the nations of the world.
And we must not forget that America is a long time friend of Australia. Both our nations fought together in World Wars I and II and many other conflicts. Now we fight side by side in a spiritual battle for our respective nations.
Indeed no other nation has been used by God as mightily to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. Yet it would seem, at this time, that America is shaking and drifting from its Christian foundations and even sinking. It is in such a time of America's economic uncertainty, social upheaval and increasing international isolation that we are called to pray and fast.
Lana Vawser from Australia said, "There is a fight for the destiny of the USA right now. The destiny of America hangs in the balance. The Lord is calling his people to arise and pray for the United States of America. It is time to contend."
Please view this encouragement to pray and fast for America.
Global Call: Prayer and Fasting For America - 30 April to 6 May 2015
For the third year in a row Australia's National Day of Prayer and Fasting team has called the nations of the world to pray and fast for the USA. This year it will be for seven days from 30 April to 6 May 2015. These dates bridge America's National Day of Repentance on 30 April and the National Day of Prayer on 7 May. Last year over 40 nations joined. This year they are believing for over 100 nations.
In this Good News Update we urge you to join in prayer and fasting for the USA. What happens there very much affects the world including us.
America is a nation whose greatness is inextricably linked to its motto "In God We Trust". It is a nation which has been a beacon of hope, a bastion of freedom and a bulwark against evil to the nations of the world.
And we must not forget that America is a long time friend of Australia. Both our nations fought together in World Wars I and II and many other conflicts. Now we fight side by side in a spiritual battle for our respective nations.
Indeed no other nation has been used by God as mightily to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. Yet it would seem, at this time, that America is shaking and drifting from its Christian foundations and even sinking. It is in such a time of America's economic uncertainty, social upheaval and increasing international isolation that we are called to pray and fast.
Lana Vawser from Australia said, "There is a fight for the destiny of the USA right now. The destiny of America hangs in the balance. The Lord is calling his people to arise and pray for the United States of America. It is time to contend."
Please view this encouragement to pray and fast for America.
Global Call: Prayer and Fasting For America - 30 April to 6 May 2015
http://youtu.be/fppeSN1xBn4http://youtu.be/fppeSN1xBn4
