Deeper with Jesus in Rhode Island: They'll Be Dead by Morning (What Difference Will it Make?)

Please pray for the 33 North Korean Christians that are sentenced to death by Kim Jong-un for setting up 500 underground churches in North Korea. I can't say it better than Lori Roeleveld in the following links. If you don't follow her blog, you should. As Lori writes: "Let's bring them before the throne of the High King that they would be bold, brave, strong, and know they are not alone." I would add, please pray that they will live to continue the work they began, but if not, pray that in their deaths they will be like Gideon's pitchers which when broken shone out the light that was contained within, and like the grains of wheat that Jesus described in John 12:24: "unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain". I also pray and hope that if it comes to this in our country that God will call brothers and sisters to pray for us in the same way. Thank you.

Deeper with Jesus in Rhode Island: They'll Be Dead by Morning (What Difference Will it Make?)

Deeper with Jesus in Rhode Island: Jesus Lives in North Korea and He Reigns in His People There

25 Protestant Families in Mexico have Water and Electricity Cut Off by Catholic Village Authorities: When will we be one?

Persecution.org posted an article about a situation in southern Mexico in which protestant families in a village are being ostracized by fellow villagers and have had their water and electricity cut off, because they will not participate in and contribute financially to traditional Catholic festivities. This happened also in 2010 and was reported on. I don't know if this is a situation in which the Catholic villagers are acting on their own out of ill-will toward protestants, or with the blessing of the Roman Catholic Church authorities in their area. What I want to know in the interests of unity in the Body of Christ is: don't these Catholic villagers have priests that teach them about the love of God, and love for neighbor? Do the priests, and villagers, understand that Christ said Christians would be known by their love for one another? Do they recognize that protestants are part of the Body of Christ, and do the protestants recognize this also? I do, of course, know that some people that claim to be Christians really are not. I hope and pray that the ones who truly are believers in this village, on both sides, will be moved to show Christ's love to one another, so that the unity Christ prayed for will be realized in our time, and those that are not believers will see this and be saved.

The photo above: Graves of a Catholic woman and her Protestant husband, who were not allowed to be buried together. Roermond, NL, 1888

Casting Crowns - Behind The Song "Jesus, Friend Of Sinners"

I heard this song today. I'm not sure if it was the first time I've heard it, but it was the first time it got through to my heart. This is a video about the song. I'll post the song next. I am getting something from this song that isn't exactly what was intended; but when I heard them singing about the world not being able to see Christ's message because of our pointing fingers, I saw how the world can't see Christ in us because we're too busy pointing our fingers at each other; at other believers. The unity and love that Christ spoke of in His church isn't there as it should be. I really don't know if what I've said in past blog posts about Catholicism is wrong. Maybe it is and maybe it isn't. But I'm getting that even if I was 'right' about some or all of what I have posted about, that much of it was not my business. I had to go through what I went through to learn something, but in the end I didn't learn what I thought I was learning all along. This may make no sense unless you've been with me for a while; but when I posted about Peter cutting off the ear of the servant of the high priest, and I said this was the pope persecuting the servants of Christ the High Priest; well, after listening to this song, I realized that was me, too. There is a time and a place to defend the faith, but sometimes we take things upon ourselves that we ought not. Whether any popes persecuted Christians, do I have the right to decide who is or who isn't a Christian? What do I really know about it? Our earthly church rulers may or may not do well, but we ourselves should love other individual believers and be united with them. I have no idea how this can happen, but I pray it does. That doesn't mean I won't ever speak out if I see something wrong, but I will be much more careful about it. And I pray I'll remember to take the plank out of my own eye first. In Christ,
Jennie

While we are safe, pray for those who are not

Please pray for those who are in danger this Christmas and every day, in countries that are not welcoming to Christians.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Matthew 2: Massacre of the Innocents/Joseph Brings His Family to Nazareth

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:
18 “ A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted,
Because they are no more.”

19 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.” 21 Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”