Evangelist Son Jong Nam reportedly is awaiting public execution for sharing his faith in Christ in North Korea, but a U.S. senator and a ministry to the persecuted church are working to rescue him. WASHINGTON (BP) –Evangelist Son Jong Nam reportedly is awaiting public execution for sharing his faith in Christ in North Korea, but a U.S. senator and a ministry to the persecuted church are working to rescue him. Son’s planned execution would follow more than a year of torture in a death row basement jail in Pyongyang and is intended to send a message to other North Koreans that Christianity will not be tolerated, according to Voice of the Martyrs (VOM). Sen. Sam Brownback, R.-Kan., a presidential candidate and a champion of human rights in North Korea, has teamed up with VOM, an Oklahoma-based ministry that aids persecuted Christians around the world, in an effort to secure the release of Son. Brownback sent letters July 6 to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon explaining Son’s plight and pleading for intervention. The letters also were signed by Sens. Max Baucus, D.-Mont.; Richard Durbin, D.-Ill.; James Inhofe, R.-Okla.; and David Vitter, R.-La. An excerpt from the … [Read more...]

While thousands of sun-baked College World Series fans were braving the near-100-degree Nebraska humidity, a team of volunteers from one ministry was proactive by literally offering a cup of cold water in Jesus’ name. OMAHA, Neb. (BP) – While thousands of sun-baked College World Series fans were braving the near-100-degree Nebraska humidity, a team of volunteers from one ministry was proactive by literally offering a cup of cold water in Jesus’ name. Throughout the eight-day event, the Ninth Inning Ministries volunteers who traveled from as far away as Arizona distributed 65,000 bottles of water to thirsty and mostly-grateful fans. Attached to each “Thirst No More” bottle was a message explaining how to have a personal relationship with Christ. Each bottle label also included the “Thirst No More” web site address, which fans could visit to find out more about Jesus. “We’re not only meeting a physical need but also allowing others to see Christ in us,” said Jay Dess, founder of Ninth Inning Ministries. “Since everyone has baseball fever for the entire week in Omaha, we use this as an evangelistic event to reach others with the gospel.” Reactions varied when fans were offered the free water. Some expressed their … [Read more...]