5 Aug, 2009
U.S. Reporters Freed from North Korea
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Two American journalists freed by North Korea after months of detention returned home to a tearful family reunion on Wednesday accompanied by former President Bill Clinton, who secured their release in a meeting with the reclusive state's leader Kim Jong-il.
Laura Ling, 32, and Euna Lee, 36, reporters for an American cable television venture co-founded by Clinton's former vice president, Al Gore, arrived with Clinton at Burbank airport near Los Angeles aboard a private jet from North Korea.
The two Current TV journalists were arrested on March 17 for illegally crossing into the North from China and had been reporting on the trafficking of women. They were both sentenced to 12 years hard labor in June.
Ling raised her arms in the air as the two women descended from the plane for a tearful reunion with their families inside the airport hangar.
Ling said she and Lee both feared they could be taken at any moment to a hard labor camp when on Tuesday they were led instead to a location where Clinton was waiting for them.
"We knew the nightmare of our lives was finally coming to an end," she told reporters.Ling thanked all those, known and unknown, who had campaigned for their release. "We could feel your love all the way in North Korea. It is what kept us going in the darkest hours."
Story and photo taken from: http://www.reuters.com
John 8:31-33
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my
teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth,
and the truth will set you free."
They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been
slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?"
What Does God Say About Being Free?
Freedom is talked about a great deal in the Bible. Joseph was set free by his captors, Jonah was set free from the belly of the whale, Israel was set free by God in Egypt, and so on. But here Christ is talking about us being personally made free.Free from our bad thoughts and attitudes. Free from our thinking that we have it all figured out and have it all together. Free from our personal obssessions and guilt and shame.
How do we get such freedom?
The debate will go on and on to whether we must first believe first and then act or whether we take actions first and then we believe. I am not here to solve that mystery.
What is clear in this passage was the way in which Jesus dealt with the Jews around Him. The Jews were already religious people yet he challenged them to still be freed from their false assumptions about life.
They assumed that because they were identified with the "religious" nation of Israel that they were already free. But Christ understands that it is only through relationship with Him and His teachings that we can be truly free.
- What things in your life are you enslaved to? Friends, internet, texting, sports, church, etc...
- Pray that God would show you the truth about those things in your life that might take your freedom in Christ away. (We must be careful not to be make it all about "what we do" but what we do often shows us what we truly believe).
- Pray that God would show you those around you who are enslaved by their thoughts, activities, friends, etc... It is usually pretty evident.
- Ask God to provide opportunities to love them and share the freedom you have experienced by walking with Christ.
- February 2012 [5]
- January 2012 [18]
- December 2011 [20]
- November 2011 [15]
- October 2011 [15]
- September 2011 [14]
- August 2011 [22]
- July 2011 [19]
- June 2011 [21]
- May 2011 [20]
- April 2011 [20]
- March 2011 [21]
- February 2011 [20]
- January 2011 [21]
- December 2010 [21]
- November 2010 [21]
- October 2010 [21]
- September 2010 [22]
- August 2010 [21]
- July 2010 [22]
- June 2010 [20]
- May 2010 [18]
- April 2010 [21]
- March 2010 [23]
- February 2010 [19]
- January 2010 [22]
- December 2009 [22]
- November 2009 [21]
- October 2009 [22]
- September 2009 [21]
- August 2009 [20]
- July 2009 [21]
- June 2009 [22]
- May 2009 [18]
- April 2009 [15]
- March 2009 [7]
- February 2009 [17]
- January 2009 [20]
- December 2008 [23]
- November 2008 [19]
- October 2008 [22]
- September 2008 [22]
- August 2008 [19]
- July 2008 [22]
- June 2008 [11]
- May 2008 [19]
- April 2008 [22]
- March 2008 [21]
- February 2008 [18]
- January 2008 [20]
- December 2007 [18]
- November 2007 [15]
- October 2007 [19]
- September 2007 [18]
- August 2007 [12]
- July 2007 [12]
- June 2007 [9]
- May 2007 [11]
- April 2007 [10]
- March 2007 [11]
- February 2007 [14]
- January 2007 [7]
- December 2006 [4]
- November 2006 [13]
- October 2006 [17]
- September 2006 [11]
- August 2006 [16]
- July 2006 [10]
- June 2006 [3]
