Last month, Rev. Shinkawa was invited by our Nichigo department to come and speak at our church. I heard many good things about him and was anxious to hear him share his experiences as a missionary in China. It was very interesting to hear him share that he adopted the name Jabez, an unknown descendant of Judah whose name meant, “he makes sorrowful.” I literally cringed when he shared about the pain and suffering
believers are experiencing in China and North Korea. In North Korea, those who are discovered to be followers of Christ are being executed, some by gruesome methods you could never imagine. Still, thousands of North Koreans are coming forward and accepting Jesus
Christ as Lord and Savior. Many believers are risking their lives to smuggle in Bibles. Rev. Shinkawa shared a key verse in Philippians 1:21 to demonstrate how Christianity has power even in the midst of death, “For to me to live is Christ and to die to gain.” Rev. Shinkawa’s talk made me wonder, “What would happen if the United States took away our freedom to read and speak of God’s Word in public? What if we were no longer allowed to worship in churches and public places? What if we were threatened with punishment and even death for claiming to be a follower of Christ? Would we able to stand firm for what we believe in?...