DURING THE greatest part of the North Korean famine an estimated two million North Koreans starved to death. This happened during the years of 1995-1998. The famine has continued in reduced measure and North Koreans have still been unable to feed themselves. The World Food Program annually still needs to feed 6 to 8 million of North Korea’s 24 million people.
All food subsidies are received by the Government and are distributed under their control. The former leader Kim Jong Il has classified the North Koreans into three segments: loyal, wavering, and hostile. This system continues to this day. Privileges, including the right to eat, are given to the population based on their perceived loyalty to the leader. In 1996, Kim declared that he is willing to let the other two-thirds starve to death and to rebuild the country with just the loyal third. Yet, even the army of 1.1 million has little food. They rob villagers of their last food.
A refugee testifies: “We were looking for a way to provide food for our family. The vast majority of people are extremely hungry. Some ate grass, tree bark and sand. To go to the toilet afterwards is very difficult. Christians are the last to receive any allowance for foods.”
Instead of distributing the food aid, the leader Kim Jong Il built and owned 17 luxury palaces, 20,000 movies and 10,000 bottles of fine wine. The wavering and the hostile segments of the population include the Christians. They are starving much physically, but they cannot live without reading God’s Word, praying and praising God.
The typical denominational church’s financial giving in many countries first goes to the building and then the pastoral staff. After such an expenditure very little is left for giving to the poor, missions and other needs. The underground Church in North Korea does not have pastors with large salaries or buildings they need to pay for. They are desperately poor and yet they share what little resources they have with each other.
Giving to the poor was not an option in the New Testament but rather one of the chief ways Jesus Christ emphasized dealing with money.743 Also the Apostles followed this pattern and emphasized this as one of the traditions and tenets of the Church.744
Having a remembrance and love for the poor always is a vital part of New Testament Christianity and of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Jesus said: “The poor you will always have with you.”745 So this is a continual God-given responsibility and ministry of the Church.
We are encouraged especially by the Apostle James to show love and no partiality to the poor in our Assembly meetings as the Church:
“My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, ‘Here’s a good seat for you,’ but say to the poor man, ‘You stand there’ or ‘Sit on the floor by my feet,’ have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
“Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble Name of Him to whom you belong? If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.”746
We must learn quickly what a powerful opportunity there is for us in this area of truly using our money rightly before the Lord. If house Churches started with the premise that instead of having a building and a full-time paid pastor they used their resources to reach out to the poor, there surely would be an abundant harvest of people reached for the Lord.747