Luke 21:12 “But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name.
An American Christian is facing trial in North Korea on charges that he was trying to undermine the country’s government.
His crime? He left a Bible in his hotel room after he and his tour group checked out to head back to America.
Jeffrey Fowle, 56, is being charged with leaving the Bible in his room, which is “inconsistent with the purpose of a tourist visit.” The North Korean government has not officially named charges against Fowle, just stating he will be tried for leaving behind the Bible.
“The significance of these arrests and trials cannot be overstated: North Korea is choosing to publicly blame Christian missionaries for its human rights problems and internal difficulties,” Seoul USA CEO Pastor Eric Foley told The Christian Post. “There are important lessons to be learned from the arrests by Christians seeking to reach North Korea in the future. Now is not the time to comment on the strategies of those being detained. But what we can conclude with certainty is that there is no ‘back door’ into North Korea – no strategy for sharing the gospel there that does not involve paying the highest of personal prices. This is what North Korean underground Christians have known and practiced for years.”
A spokesman for Fowle’s family said that he was not in North Korea on any kind of church mission. They denied there was anything that he could have done to “confirm suspicions” of undermining the government as claimed by North Korean prosecutors.
The U.S. State Department has repeatedly warned American citizens traveling to North Korea that they could be detained for any reason and imprisoned without trial or charge. The U.S. does not have diplomatic relations with North Korea.
I think it is very important to follow the Lord’s leading when doing these things. Just because we feel it is a
good idea does not mean it is. If you hear from Him and he tells you to go and do-fine. Otherwise you may
find yourself in hot water. While they are in prison, they can do a lot of witnessing.
Why do people tour these countries when it is so dangerous and so easy to be arrested?
Just shows you what power there is in the WORD OF GOD AND THE NAME OF JESUS!! This why they want to shut us up. This should encourage us to use the WORD OF GOD MORE in our everyday life in all our circumstances.
We have just as much right to worship our God jus as they have to do whatever they do and we had better stand against such foolishness or we will loose rights as Christians it says in Psalms that God laughs at man’s silly efforts