For Christians incarcerated in North Korea’s prison system, the conditions
are unimaginably harsh. But one humble believer witnessed the atmosphere of his
prison transformed when Jesus began to heal fellow prisoners.
Moses (name
changed for security reasons) and his wife escaped from North Korea, crossing
the border into China, desperate to find food. In their quest to overcome their
physical hunger, they didn’t expect to find Jesus, the Bread of Life, who
quenched the hunger in their souls. He was found by Cornerstone Ministries
International and trained to be a worker in the underground church. When their
training was completed, Moses and his wife made the courageous decision to go
back to North Korea to help train other believers
there.
'Give us the names of the people you met with!' they
demandedUnfortunately, they were both apprehended by a
North Korean border patrol and interrogated. The interrogation was very harsh.
The blows to his face and mouth caused such swelling that eating was impossible.
“Give us the names of the people you met with in China,” his interrogators
demanded. In response, Moses took the paper they gave him and wrote about the
greatness of God’s love.
When they read this, they were infuriated, tore
up the paper, and beat him more severely. “Give us the names and addresses of
the people who trained you,” they demanded once again. Moses wrote about God’s
love and provision for 11 months in China, how he and his wife were fed when
they were hungry and given a place to sleep. His paper was torn up again and the
demands for a detailed confession continued. After four months of torture, his
body was severely weakened and he could no longer stand. His voice became a
whisper.
North Korea created Gulag-style prison camps where
Christians and political opponents are being subjected to daily
torture.One day, alone in his cell, he weakly cried out, “God, if
you’re real, why should I continue to be tortured? I can’t survive any longer.
You brought me to China to believe in you and trained me to be your worker. But
I may die before I am able to work for you in North
Korea.”
For the first time, he felt compassion for the men
who beat him.A few nights later Moses had a powerful dream
about the men who interrogated him. In the dream, the officers who mistreated
him were hung with thick wire on telephone poles and were dead. Moses believes
it was a picture of the officials on judgment day. He rose from his bed and a
profound recognition gripped his heart. I will be with you O God eternally, but
they will not. For the first time, he felt compassion for the men who beat
him.
He began to tell other prisoners about God boldly whenever he had
his chance while still being beaten and tortured. One day a prisoner in the
adjoining cell complained to him about stomach pain and diarrhea. The poor man
was severely emaciated due to malnutrition. Moses decided to do something he had
never done before. He reached out and touched the suffering man and proclaimed
healing in Jesus’ name. To Moses’ great surprise, the man immediately felt a
warm sensation in his body and was healed completely. It was the first miracle
Moses witnessed. He realized that the Word is true and there is power in the
name of Jesus.
Drawing from a video in which former political prisoners describe the
horrors of North Korean prison camps.The officer
exclaimed: 'This man is a true Christian!'There were many
other prisoners suffering from malnutrition in the prison. Some of those
confined to tiny cells became paralyzed after many months, unable to move. As
Moses laid his hand on them and prayed in Jesus’ name, one by one people were
healed. One man had a terrible infection in his gums, which caused an awful
smell in his cell. Moses placed his hand on the sick man’s face and asked God
for healing. The swollen part subsided immediately. The pain disappeared and he
was healed. Many of those who were healed became believers in Jesus. One officer
witnessed a healing with his own eyes and exclaimed, “This man is a true
Christian!”
Because the facility had no medicine available to treat
prisoners, Moses was permitted to visit many prison cells to pray for the sick.
Officials in the prison decided they should release Moses early, before everyone
in the prison became followers of Jesus. An officer re-wrote Moses’ confession
himself, stating that Moses and his wife went to China to find food and did not
cause any shame to North Korea. Moses signed the confession and he and his wife
were released.
As they were leaving the prison, an officer made this
unexpected statement, “I know you will escape to China, but return to North
Korea when North Korea becomes a better country, since North Korea needs true
and genuine Christians like yourselves.” That officer is expecting North Korea
will be changed and open for freedom soon. Moses went home and planted an
underground church.
Source: Peter Kim, Cornerstone
Ministries
