Epilogue

Epilogue The Man Who Dared to Speak Pastor Richard Wurmbrand was not the first Christian leader to escape the cruel treatment of Romania’s Com­­munist government; others had preceded him. Yet much of the Western world remained ignorant of the sufferings endured by those of the Underground Church. Why had no one else spoken out? This answer became apparent to Pastor Wurmbrand on his departure from Romania when the officers of the secret police warned him to never speak against the Communists. They had their agents in the West and made it clear to Wurmbrand that they would be watching him. And why should he speak out? Had he not suffered enough? But Wurmbrand did speak. Despite the Communist threats and the criticism of some Western church leaders, he bore witness to the sufferings of those who endured a Com­mu­nist hell and spoke of their overcoming faith. Within his first year in the United States, Pastor Wurm­brand was detained twice for “disrupting” pro-Communist rallies. He was called to testify before the Senate, stripping to the waist to reveal the scars of eighteen embedded wounds from the frequent tortures. Some Christian leaders called him a luna­tic—one who had lost his mind in the confines of a solitary prison cell. To others he became the “Iron Curtain Paul” or the “Voice of the Underground Church.” A reporter with the Phila­delphia Herald said of Wurmbrand, “He stood in the midst of lions, but they could not devour him.” In October 1967, with $100, an old typewriter, and 500 names and addresses, Richard Wurmbrand published the first issue of The Voice of the Martyrs newsletter. This small publication was dedicated to communicating the testimonies and trials facing our brothers and sisters in restricted nations worldwide. This newsletter was like no other. Readers would write to the Wurmbrands appalled at the atrocities he described. “How could this be true?” they asked. Others said the newsletter gave them nightmares and asked not to receive it. But those who looked beyond the sufferings and tortures saw a beauty—a beauty in the hearts of men, women, and even children who refused to renounce Christ. Readers also witnessed a living faith that enabled men like Pastor Wurmbrand to “kiss the bars” of their prison cell, to rejoice in the fellowship of Christ’s suffering. In the Western world, persecution of Christians is often deemed a “human rights” issue, with an emphasis on the government to guarantee religious freedom and the protection it awards. While this may be true in part, we need to look be­yond human reasoning and into the heavenlies. Jesus said, “‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). He also warned us that “in the world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33), and “you will be hated by all for My name’s sake” (Matthew 10:22). “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven” (Matthew 5:12). Although we are called to take every opportunity to help those in need, we are to recognize that the “rite” of Christians is to be persecuted. Eleven of the twelve disciples were murdered. Jesus never said it would be any different for us. It is part of who we are in Christ. Not all of us are called to suffer persecution, as Pastor Wurmbrand did. But when trials do come, we should not be surprised but rather should rejoice that we have been considered worthy to suffer for Christ. For He has also stated, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10). Paul explains the relationship among members of the Body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12:25-26 : “that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care one for another. And if one member suffers, all the mem­bers suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” The writer of Hebrews adds, “Re­member them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body” (Hebrews 13:3, KJV). This verse has been the theme of The Voice of the Martyrs since 1967. It becomes clear as we study the New Testament that persecution is not, nor ever will be, foreign to the Church on this earth. Therefore, we have an obligation as members of that Body to “encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11, NIV) until Christ returns. To do otherwise would be to reject our Christian responsibility and the teachings of Jesus. To this cause, The Voice of the Martyrs presses on, serving in nearly 40 countries around the world where our brothers and sisters are systematically persecuted. In Vietnam, Laos, and China, Christians are beaten, killed, or imprisoned. Their churches are destroyed and their Bibles burned. Under Islam in the last decades, an average of 400 Christians are martyred each day. Millions have perished in Sudan where radical Islamic forces have crucified thousands of Christian men or drowned them in the Nile River. Others have been imprisoned awaiting execution by hanging. Sudanese women are raped while their children are ripped from their homes to be sold as concubines or slaves to Muslims in the North. And to this trag­edy the Sudanese Chris­tians state, “Even though our homes are burned and our churches are destroyed, we are persuaded now more than ever to preach Christ to people.” It is difficult to comprehend that joy and freedom can coexist with some of the worst sufferings known to man, to reconcile how suf­fering can be granted to us as a “gift” on be­half of Christ (Philippians 1:29). But there is little place for human understanding in the spiritual man destined to live eternally with Christ. The Voice of the Martyrs newsletter continues to inform, and lead to action, Christians throughout the free world of the plight of those who suffer for their faith in Jesus Christ. Through our network of offices around the world, the newsletter currently is published in over 30 languages and distributed to over 250,000 concerned believers every month. The ministry has also developed five main goals in serving today’s persecuted church: 1.To provide Christians with Bibles, literature, and radio broad­casts in their own language in restricted nations where Chris­tians are persecuted. 2.To give relief to the families of Christian martyrs in these areas of the world. 3.To undertake projects of encouragement to help believers rebuild their lives and witness in countries that have suffered Communist oppression. 4.To win to Christ those who are opposed to the gospel. 5.To inform the world about atrocities committed against Christians and about the courage and faith of the persecuted. We invite you to take part in this ministry—to “remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them” (Hebrews 13:3, KJV). Find encouragement in their overcoming faith, and take the opportunity to be an encouragement to those who suffer for their faith in Christ. If you would like to learn more about today’s persecuted church or receive a free subscription to The Voice of the Martyrs monthly newsletter, please contact us: The Voice of the Martyrs P.O. Box 443 Bartlesville, OK 74005 (800) 747-0085 Visit our website: www.persecution.com