Complete Denuclearization?
Yesterday saw a meeting between the leaders of North and South Korea that will without doubt make the history books. After 60 years of a war that is still in progress even though there is not open conflict, North Korea’s Kim-Jong-un and South Korea’s Moon Jae-in have pledged to formally end the 1950’s Korean war and pursue “complete denuclearization” of the Peninsula in the first inter-Korea summit since 2007. Yesterday the two leaders signed a joint statement after an historic summit that saw Kim become the first North Korean leader to step into South Korea since the end of the Korean War in 1953. The peace talks were held in Panmunjom village along the demilitarised zone. This meeting has undoubtedly caused a great sigh of relief around the world at what would seem a successful meeting that would diffuse a potentially disastrous situation for the Korean Peninsula and has made it possible for America to avoid a war with China.
Name calling?
Later in May or June Kim Jong-un will be meeting with President Trump. It would seem that a potential event of possibly nuclear proportions has been aborted. It is also an irony that not so long ago Kim Jong-un was threatening to Nuke America and President Trump was calling him out as “the little fat boy” and labelling him as “the rocket man.” in a sense it is an irony is it not?
What about Human Rights?
We are to be thankful to the LORD our God that He has allowed this meeting to happen as there are millions of people in South and North Korea that would have perished had there been a reactivation of hostilities on the Korean Peninsula. This meeting may have at present avoided a nuclear confrontation in the region but there are other human rights issues happening in North Korea that the media is strangely silent on. In North Korea Bible believing Christians are being tortured and killed every day and millions of North Koreans are dying of starvation at the behest of Kim Jong-un who, in his insatiable ambition to channel the nation’s wealth into his nuclear development programme, has been withholding the basic necessities of life to his own people.
Two faces?
But what is Kim’s real agenda? Why has he a sudden ‘change of heart’ in the matter of denuclearization? He has been known to change his mind suddenly and without any warning of it coming. Possibly he knows that his country needs outside aid to help the people of North Korea survive and so he is willing to come to the negotiation table? Could it be that he is stalling for time? What is the real nature of his relationship with Hassan Rouhani the President of Iran? According to Israeli intelligence the two leaders have been sharing nuclear technology and that Korean scientist and technicians have been spotted in Iran working alongside Iranian technicians in their nuclear facilities. Are we in fact seeing “two-faces” of Kim Jong-un?
When they are saying “Peace and safety”
No one wants to see millions of lives lost in a nuclear confrontation and this ‘meeting’ had delayed this happening. However, what does the Bible say concerning a so called ‘peace’ made by men. Will it last? In all this euphoria of ‘peace’ on the Peninsula I was reminded again of the words of the Apostle Paul who wrote; “But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the Day of the LORD so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labour pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-6)
The Day of the LORD is Coming
The Day of the LORD is coming when mankind will be brought to the very brink of annihilation as our Lord Jesus foretold when He said over 2,000 years ago; “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.” (Matthew 24:21-22) As believers in our Lord Jesus we have a hope for the future but it is not in this present evil age as the world and the things of this world are fast passing away. We may have peace today but war tomorrow. We may go to bed tonight and when we awake in the morning everything will have changed. The situation in the world is volatile to say the least as we see the alignment of nations against each other as nations are taking sides once more as they did just before the outbreak of WWI and WWII.
At ease in Zion?
Those who know the Lord Jesus as their saviour and Lord and are His faithful bond-slaves are not in darkness concerning the times but are sons of light and sons of the day, having the light of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God within them to guide them through the ever increasing spiritual darkness and danger engulfing the world. The morning star of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus has arisen in their hearts. Now is not the time to sleep or to be at ease in Zion but to press in to completing all of God’s will for our lives as we see the end of this age approaching. This present world is finished, the only redeeming factor is that God is prolonging the advent of the Day of the LORD because He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
The Ark of Salvation
In the time of Noah He gave men and women 120 years to be rescued and to go into the ark to be saved from the coming deluge but once the door of the ark was closed it was too late! The Ark of salvation is our Lord Jesus the Messiah. He is the one and only door of salvation into the kingdom of God and is compelling sinners to come into the ark to find forgiveness and cleansing for sin but will they come? When the flood came the ungodly were swept away in the judgement but the righteous spared because they sheltered within in the ark of salvation by faith.
The ‘Titanic’
With these things in view let us no longer be asleep but stay alert and sober because the Day of the LORD is rapidly approaching. This world is a ’Titanic headed for the iceberg’ but if we have the life jacket of salvation on them we will survive and not sink when the ship of this world hits the iceberg of God’s judgement. As Paul also wrote to encourage us in these spiritually dangerous times; “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1-3) or better still what our Lord Jesus said. “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
As strong as the Will of God
No matter what the world does or Satan does knowing that his time is short the apostle John writes; “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world…” …For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world. The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God remains forever.” (1 John 4:4) (1 John 2:17) If we remain faithful bond-slaves of the Lord Jesus to life’s end then we will be as strong and immovable as the will of God is strong and immovable and nothing by any means from the enemy of our souls will harm us spiritually. We have God’s Word on that! (Luke 10:19)
