Extreme Devotion

Article from: Voice of the Martyrs

"When the Public Security Bureau officer entered the Chinese prison cell, Sister Wong moved away. This heartless man had arrested and persecuted many Christians, and only days earlier had beaten her as he interrogated her.

“Please, Sister Wong, my sister is very ill. She has lost all feeling in her legs. Will you come and pray for her?” Was this the same man who had confiscated hundreds of Bibles and Christian books from her? Now he was asking for prayer? Truly God must have gotten his attention.

Days earlier, as the officer had questioned and abused Sister Wong, he received a phone call that his mother had been hit by a car. When he told his mother what he’d been doing, she told him that his harassment of Christians caused her accident. The officer deemed the warning mere superstition.

The next day, he resumed questioning Sister Wong but got another message that his brother had been injured in an accident. The brother also blamed the officer’s attacks on Christians for the family’s misfortune. But when his sister became ill, he asked Sister Wong for prayers.

Sister Wong saw the opportunity she’d been praying for, the chance to witness to her persecutors. God healed the sister, and through Sister Wong’s actions, he changed the officer’s heart. The officer returned all the Bibles that were confiscated and now supports the church."

"Just as Pastor Li Dexian began his sermon, the doors of the house church burst open. Armed officers of the Chinese Public Security Bureau poured into the room, threatening everyone present and grabbing Li to arrest him.

“Wait, please allow me to grab my bag.” As always, the pastor’s tone with the officers was polite yet firm.
The officers were surprised at the request. “What’s in there?” they demanded, grabbing the black zippered bag Li held and ripping it open. The bag contained a blanket and a spare change of clothes, Li told them, because he had been expecting to be arrested that day.
Pastor Li had been arrested many times. Twice, police had beaten him to the point that he vomited blood, and one time Li’s face was beaten with his own Bible. Li was warned that police were watching the village where he held his Tuesday meetings. He knew if he showed up to preach, he would be imprisoned. Today, Chinese citizens can be sent to labor camps for up to three years without a formal trial.
The risks were great, but Li’s bag was packed. More than having a bag packed, though, he had his mind and heart prepared. He was willing to pay any cost to preach the gospel. He was convinced God would care for him—even in prison."

Thank you Bekka.

http://www.persecution.com

http://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Devotion-Martyrs-Writing-Team/dp/0849917395

http://www.persecutionblog.com/extreme_devotion/index.html

This is a great devotional. I started it at the beginning of the year and have been so blessed by it. It really helps me to refocus and keep life in the right perspective, especially in light of persecution that our brothers and sisters face around the world, and giving that extreme devotion to the Lord right now in every way possible.

_Disciple_ wrote:
Dear Bekka,

where do you receive this from? Is it available somewhere on the web?

It's so powerful, I'm silenced as I read how our brothers and sister are willing to suffer for Christ.

Poor us here in the so rich west

It's here, Daily Devotionals:
http://www.vomgroups.com/qry/forum/td_index.taf

Ranavalona I, the queen of Madagascar, hated the Christians in her kingdom. Her complaints against them were many: they despised her idols, they were always praying, They always went to church, and their women were chaste. She sent officers to gather all those suspected of being Christians to bring them to trial.

Sixteen hundred believers, when the charges were read, announced confidently, “Guilty.” They would not deny the charges, for to do so would be to deny Christ. The Queen offered them a second chance to deny Christ and bow to her idols, but each refused. They were thrown into dark, dank dungeons, and many were executed. The Queen was angered more, because for each Christian she had killed, twenty more rose up.
Later, the Queen ordered that fifteen Christians be executed. They were to be thrown over a cliff into a rocky ravine 150 feet below. The Queen’s idols were taken to the top of the cliff, and each Christian was lowered slightly over the edge, tied with ropes.
“Will you worship your Christ or the Queen’s gods?” the soldiers asked each Christian hanging over the precipice.
Each Christian answered, simply, “Christ.” The ropes were cut, and they plunged to the rocks. Some sang as they fell to their deaths. One young girl was spared and declared insane. She later founded a large church.

"We have learned that suffering is not the worst thing in the world—disobedience to
God
is the worst."

A VIETNAMESE CHRISTIAN PASTOR IMPRISONED FOR HIS FAITH

Dr. Robert Bateman gently helped his sister-in-law into the lifeboat. “Don’t be nervous, Annie. This will test our faith. I must stay and help the others. If we never meet again on this earth, we will meet again in heaven.” Bateman dropped his handkerchief to the woman as the boat dropped toward the dark, icy water below. “Put that around your throat, Annie. You’ll catch cold.”

Dr. Bateman then gathered about fifty men at the stern of the ship and told them to prepare for death. Earlier that day, he had conducted the only religious service on the large ship, a service that ended with his favorite hymn, “Nearer My God to Thee.”
Robert Bateman had founded the Central City Mission in Jacksonville, Florida, a spiritual lighthouse in a city regularly full of drunken sailors. He had been called “the man who distributes more human sunshine than any other in Jacksonville.” Bateman went to England to study Christian social work and was returning to the United States to put into practice what he had learned.
However, late on the night of April 14, 1912, Bateman’s ship struck an iceberg. Bateman led the men with him on the stern of the ship in the Lord’s Prayer. As the band played “Nearer My God to Thee,” the great ship Titanic slid under the waves.

------------------------------------------

Reverend Robert James Bateman (October 14, 1860 – April 15, 1912) was born in Bristol, England, and was ordained when he was twenty-one. During his life Bateman served as a pastor in England, Wales, Ireland, and the United States. In the United States he worked as a stone mason for his father before later serving as the superintendent of the Florence Crittendon Mission in Baltimore, Maryland. In the late 1890s Bateman moved to Knoxville, Tennessee where he founded the non-denominational Peoples Tabernacle. Bateman later moved to Jacksonville, Florida where he created the Central City Mission.

After a trip to Bristol, England in 1912 he booked second-class passage on board the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic. He boarded the Titanic at Southampton on April 10 with his sister-in-law Ada E. Balls. On Sunday, April 14 he conducted a church service in second class, just hours before the Titanic hit an iceberg. As the ship was sinking Bateman helped Ada Balls into lifeboat 10. He told Ada Balls "If I don't meet you again in this world, I will in the next" and then tossed his necktie to her.[1]

His body was later recovered by the Mackay-Bennett, identified by his gold watch and chain, a Masonic charm pin, fountain pen, pipe lighter, and gold cuff links. He was buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Jacksonville.

The unwritten code of the police was clear: If you catch the Khmu or other tribesmen converting to Christianity, arrest them. If you catch anyone evangelizing the tribesmen, kill him.

After “Lu” had been shackled at the hands and feet and shamefully marched through the village, the Communist police threw him in a pit. “We will let you go,” they said, “when one hundred Christians in your village renounce their conversion to Christianity.” But they were unable to find believers willing to turn their backs on Christ.

Then tragedy struck the police. One officer’s son broke both legs in an accident. His other son became critically ill. The officer who had beaten and harassed new Christians suddenly died of a heart attack.

Other officials fearfully pulled “Lu” from the pit and allowed him to return home. Government authorities were too frightened to take action against the Christians in the village after seeing what happened to their leader.

Seeing God’s show of power, more Khmu became believers. Where there had been one hundred Christians, now there were seven hundred. They even sent Christians out to tell other villages about Jesus. While the Laotian authorities were controlled by their fear, the Christians in Southeast Asia overcame theirs.

The brass shackle is called, in Arabic, a bacle. Peter held it out as if it were a sacred object. It was a reminder of his family’s past and of Peter’s great blessing.

His grandfather had made the bacle, but it was not a craft project. In fact, he was forced to wear it by his Islamic masters. Peter’s grandfather had been captured in Southern Sudan and taken to Northern Sudan, where he was bought and sold as a slave.

Peter’s grandfather, though harassed and tormented by his Muslim masters, would not join their faith. He held fast to his faith in Christ, and his body bore the scars of his refusal. Because he was not a Muslim, he was seen as nothing more than an animal.

Shortly before he died, Peter’s grandfather had the bacle removed and gave it to Peter’s father. “Our family will not always be slaves,” he said, “but we must never forget.”

Later Peter’s father gave it to him, and he carried it with him when he escaped from his Muslim owner and fled to freedom. Today, it is no longer a sign of ownership, but a sign of God’s overcoming power. It is a symbol of God’s hand on a family, working through three generations to bring them to freedom.

“Never forget my people,” he urged. “Never stop praying for persecuted Christians in Sudan.”

It was almost midnight as the women prisoners heard the Communist guards arrive. They quickly gathered around the condemned, a young woman of twenty who had been sentenced to die for her faith in Christ. They whispered hurried good-byes. There were no tears from the young Romanian woman, no screams for mercy.

Earlier that evening, the prisoners had listened to the young woman, her face glowing with love. “For me, this grave is the doorway to a heavenly city,” she had told them. “Who can tell the beauty of that city? There, sadness is not known. There is only joy and song. Everyone is dressed in the white of purity. We can see God face-to-face. There are such joys that human language cannot express. Why should I weep? Why should I be sad?”

She was engaged to be married, but this night, she told them, instead of being with her earthly fiancé, she would meet her heavenly bridegroom.

The pitiless guards entered the cell, and the woman stepped toward them, ready to go. As she left the cell, surrounded by guards, she began to recite the Apostles’ Creed. Minutes later, with tears streaming down their faces, the remaining prisoners heard shots. The executioners thought they had ended the young woman’s life, but they had only sent her to live forever in a much better place.

“My dress,” the young girl murmured, her words slurred through swollen lips. “Please give me my dress. I want to hold it.”

The Christians surrounding the girl’s bed were sad. Because of her extensive internal injuries, doctors could do nothing for her. Weeks ago, the believers had bought her a white dress to celebrate her new life and pure heart in Christ Jesus.

Her father had not been pleased with his daughter’s decision to follow Christ. One night, in a drunken rage, he attacked his daughter, beating and kicking her. He left her lying in the muddy street to die.

When she did not show up for church, her Christian friends went looking for her. They found the girl unconscious, lying in a heap, her formerly snow white dress now covered in blood and mud. She was brought to a doctor, but her injuries were severe.

Now she was asking for her dress.
“The dress is ruined,” her friends told her. They tried to talk her out of it, thinking that seeing the ruined dress would break down the girl’s spirit.

With the simple faith of a ten-year-old, she whispered, “Please, I want to show the dress to Jesus. He was willing to bleed for me. I just want Jesus to know that I was willing to bleed for him.”

Shortly afterwards, the young girl died.

“Collect some wood!” the soldiers snarled. Young James Jeda assumed that the soldiers were about to cook their dinner. Earlier that day, he had watched, horrified, as the radical Muslim soldiers killed his parents and four siblings in Southern Sudan. They spared James only to use him as a worker.

When the fire was well lit, James was surprised and terrified when they suddenly grabbed him, and he tried to flee. But the soldiers were too strong, and soon they had tied his hands and feet.

“Good news for you, young one,” said a soldier. “We are going to let you live. But you must join us by becoming a Muslim.”

“I cannot become a Muslim,” James said simply. “I am a Christian.”

Infuriated by the young boy’s faith, the soldiers picked him up and hurled him into the fire. They packed up their gear and left the area, assuming James would die.

Young James didn’t die. He managed to roll out of the fire and find help.

Doctors were able to save James’s life, but he will always carry reminders of that day. His body bears skin grafts and scar tissue, and one arm is partially deformed by the burns. In heaven, those scars will be honor bars, a reminder of the day when James Jeda refused to turn his back on Christ.

I had the physical sense of being prayed for. Even when I knew nothing and received no letters, I felt warmth as if sitting near a fire. Sometimes this happened in punishment cells, which are very cold. It was like hearing someone pray for me and think about me. This supported me so much. It is difficult to explain. . . . I felt and knew I was not forgotten. This was sufficient to make me resist the most difficult moments.

IRINA RATUSHINSKAIA—CHRISTIAN POET IMPRISONED
IN THE FORMER SOVIET UNION UNTIL 1987

Pastor Florescu couldn’t bear to watch his son being beaten by the Communist officers. He had already been beaten himself, and he had not slept for two weeks for fear of being attacked by the starving rats the Communists had forced into his prison cell. The Romanian police wanted Florescu to give up other members of his underground church so that they, too, could be captured.

Seeing that the beatings and torture weren’t working, the Communists brought in Florescu’s son Alexander, only fourteen years old, and began to beat the boy. While Florescu watched, they hammered his son’s body unmercifully, telling the pastor that they would beat his son to death unless he told them the locations of other believers.

Finally, half mad, Florescu screamed for them to stop.

“Alexander, I must say what they want!” he called out to his son. “I can’t bear your beatings anymore.”

His body bruised, blood running from his nose and mouth, Alexander looked his father in the eye. “Father, don’t do me the injustice of having a traitor as a parent. Stand strong! If they kill me, I will die with the word ‘Jesus’ on my lips.”

The boy’s courage enraged the Communist guards, and they beat him to death as his father watched. Not only did he hold on to his faith, he helped his father do the same.

When the black hood was placed over Tom White’s head, he didn’t know if he would see the light again. “Where are you taking me?” he asked the Cuban guards. The guards said nothing.

Tom had been secretly delivering Christian literature to Cuba for seven years. He and others had dropped gospel tracts out of planes into the ocean around the Communist island. But he had never heard from a single Christian in Cuba that the materials had arrived.

“Please, God,” Tom had prayed, “give us some confirmation that our work is helping.”

Now, six weeks later, he was taken to meet a Cuban intelligence officer, Captain Santos. Their plane had crashed in Cuba, and Tom and the pilot, Mel Bailey, had been captured and charged with compromising the stability of the nation.

“Our people have found thousands of these on the beaches and in the fields!” Captain Santos shouted, holding one of the sea packages that had been dropped years before.

Tom tried not to smile. “Thank you, Lord,” he prayed, “for answering my prayer. Thank you that our work has not been in vain.”

The answer to Tom’s prayer was costly. He spent twenty-one months in Cuban prisons. But in Castro’s prison, he met many members of the church and learned that even under Castro, Christ’s body was prospering. God answered his prayer.

When Communists took over Vietnam, Pastor Nguyen Lap Ma refused to relinquish the Christian Missionary Alliance Church in Can Tho. For this “crime,” he and his entire family were placed under house arrest in a tiny, rural village with no travel and with no mail for the first twelve years.

Finally, when authorities loosened the mail restrictions, Pastor Lap Ma was thrilled to see letters arrive at his home. The Voice of the Martyrs published Pastor Lap Ma’s story and his address. Students, housewives, pastors, and businessmen wrote letters of encouragement to the pastor and his family. Vietnamese police were shocked when Pastor Lap Ma received more than three thousand letters from all over the world.
“I read every letter with prayers and tears,” Pastor Lap Ma said. “I devour every letter and meditate on the Scriptures shared in them. I then share these words of encouragement and the Scriptures in Vietnamese with my family. We are glad and encouraged by the messages in them.”
“God has strengthened and helped us,” the pastor continued. “So we keep hoping in him and fixing our eyes on Jesus. We follow him to endure the cross, scorning its shame to the point of death. While we are living, God uses us to comfort the other suffering Christians.” The letters encourage them as they happily encourage other believers.

[i]Encouragement is a necessary fuel for the Christian race. Without encouragement, as a runner without water, no one could endure the often grueling stretch for long. As we make our journey, we learn that encouragement is a two-way street. We give encouragement to others and so receive it ourselves from other believers and even from God himself. A little encouragement goes a long way in strengthening the weary and motivating those whose faith is languishing. We often find that the spiritual encouragement we receive from the prayers of those around us rejuvenates us for the second mile. In some cases, that is another twelve years in prison for our faith. In other cases, it is merely the ability to endure another day.[/i]

Exreme Letters - Part 1

Russia...Maria

Dear Mom and Dad,
I greet you with the love of Christ. I am doing well and feel very blessed. One of my schoolmates, Varia, is a member of the Communist Youth Organization. I have been witnessing to her, and I think I am finally starting to get through to her. Recently she said, “I cannot understand you at all. So many of the students insult and hurt you, and you love them anyway.”
I told her that God has taught us all to love, not only those who are kind to us, but especially those who are unkind—that they might see God within us. Varia has been one of the ones to join in the mocking and insults, but that has only made me pray for her even more.
Today, she asked me if I could really love her too! We embraced and both began to weep. I believe she is very close to receiving Christ. Please pray for her.
When you listen to those who loudly deny God, it seems like they mean it. But life shows that many of them really have a great longing in their hearts. And you can hear the groaning of the heart; they seek something and try to cover their inner emptiness with their godlessness.
I will write soon. Please send my love to everyone at home.
Maria

[i]
God created human beings with a spiritual space within them that can only be completely filled by him. When we run across someone who is hostile to Christianity, we can remind ourselves of the tremendous needs in that person’s life. Imagine a cavernous space in the chest cavity of your enemy—a body without a heart. This inner emptiness is what drives many people to a spiritual search. They either respond in faith, wanting to accept Christ’s offer to fill the void, or they respond with bitterness, rejecting Christ altogether. Often, a Christian’s presence simply reminds those who reject Christ what they are missing in their own lives. They are not resenting you personally. They resent what you represent.[/i]

Extreme Letters - Part 2

Russia...Maria

Dear Mom and Dad,
In my last letter I told you about the atheist girl, Varia. Now I am so happy to tell you the exciting news: Varia has received Christ! She is so different and is already witnessing openly to everyone.
When Varia first believed, she still felt guilty inside. I think she was unhappy because for so long she believed and made a point of telling others that there is no God. She felt that she needed to suffer and pay for this.
We went together to the assembly of the godless (Communist Youth Organization meeting). Although I warned her to be reserved, it was useless. After refusing to join in the singing of the Communist hymn, Varia went forward to address the whole assembly. She courageously told everyone about accepting Christ as her Savior!
She begged everyone to give up the way of sin and come to Christ, and the whole place was silent. When she finished speaking, she sang with her incredible voice the old hymn, “I am not ashamed to proclaim the Christ who died, to defend his commandments and the power of his cross.” I could only watch helplessly as they took her away. Today is May 9, and we haven’t heard anything about her.
Please pray!

Maria

[i]The greatest enemies of Christianity are prime targets for prayer. Like Saul of Tarsus, it is possible for a former enemy to become one of the greatest spokespersons for Christ. However, without prayer, it will remain only a possibility. Instead of being afraid of them or resenting them, we should pray for those in our community, country, and throughout the world who are vehemently opposed to Christ. Whenever we pray for nonbelievers—even atheists—we can envision the changes that would happen if their energies were redirected toward Christ instead of against him. They could become the next evangelists to share a powerful testimony of God’s grace. None of our enemies are beyond God’s reach, and prayer keeps them within his grasp.[/i]

Extreme Letters - Part 3

Russia...Maria

Dear Mom and Dad,
Yesterday, August 2, I was able to speak with Varia in prison. She was thin and pale, but her eyes were shining with the peace of God and an unearthly joy.
My heart bleeds when I think about her. She is only nineteen. As a believer, she is still a spiritual babe. But she loves the Lord with all her heart and chose to take the most difficult road right away.
Please pray for her. They have taken all her things away except the clothes she was wearing. We have taken up collections and sent her packages, but I don’t think she receives all the things we send.
When I asked Varia if she regretted what she did, she said, “No, and if they free me I would do it again. Don’t think that I suffer. I am glad that God loves me so much and gives me the joy to endure for his name.”
I thank God that we have the peace to understand this. If we are in Christ, no sufferings or frustrations should stop us. I can only pray that my faith would be as strong if I were in her place.
We now believe that Varia will be sent to a labor camp in Siberia. I believe God will give her the strength she needs to endure.

Your Maria

[i]Christianity is not a one hundred yard dash. It is an endurance marathon. Scripture teaches that there are times we soar like eagles and run without growing weary. However, there are also times in our lives where long, lonely stretches loom before us. At those times, we are doing well just to walk without fainting until we gather more strength. This is the image of those under persecution. During persecution, we are simply learning to take the next step without giving up. Simply enduring is a major victory that brings glory to God. If you are undergoing a trial you don’t understand, hang on and hang in there. You are getting stronger each day—sometimes without realizing it. Soon, you will soar again.[/i]

Extreme Letters - Part 4

Russia...Varia

Dear Maria,
At last I am able to write to you. We arrived safely at the new camp, which is about ten miles from town. I can’t describe life here, but I thank God that I am reasonably healthy and have the strength to work.
I was put to work in a machine shop with another sister whose health is very bad. I have to do the work of both of us or we will both be punished. We work twelve to thirteen hours every day, and the food is scarce. But I don’t want to complain.
I wanted to tell you that I thank God he used you to lead me to Christ. For the first time, I feel my life has a purpose, and I know for whom I suffer. I have a burning desire to tell everyone here about the great joy of salvation.
At work they curse and punish me because I cannot be silent. How could I be? As long as I am able to speak, I will witness to everyone about his great love.
There are many believers here. Last night we were able to sneak out to the river, where seven brothers and I were baptized. I will never forget this wonderful day! Please don’t weep for me. My purpose here is clear, and my faith remains strong.
Love,

Your Varia

[i]
Some call it destiny. Some refer to it as fate. Regardless, most people long to give themselves to a certain cause. Christians know it as a “calling”—God’s purpose for their lives. When we fulfill God’s purpose for our individual life, we become part of a much bigger picture. We are satisfied that whatever we do and whatever happens to us advances the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are connected. Useful. For the first time in our lives, no matter what the circumstances are, we feel we are actually contributing to something beyond ourselves. Nothing can defeat someone once they have taken hold of this purpose. What do you sense is the greater purpose of your life?[/i]

[size=large]I will preach until I die.[/size]

PASTOR LI DEXIAN—CHINESE HOUSE-CHURCH PASTOR WHO HAS BEEN ARRESTED FOR PREACHING WITHOUT A LICENSE MORE THAN
TWENTY TIMES

Extreme Letters - Part 5

Russia...Varia

My Dearest Maria,

At last I have found an opportunity to write you again. I am happy to report that the sister that was so sick is feeling better. We have now been relocated to another camp.

In my last letter I told you of my baptism. But I never had the opportunity to ask you for forgiveness for all the times I wronged you before I received Christ. It is only through your gracious attitude of forgiveness that I am a Christian today. Please accept my apology.

Also, I want to thank you all for the packages you are sending. Thanks most of all for the Bible. Since the Lord revealed to me the deep mystery of his holy love, I consider myself to be the happiest person in the world. I consider the suffering I have had to put up with as a special grace. I am glad that God gave me this tremendous opportunity to suffer for him.

Please pray for me that I may remain faithful until the end. May the Lord keep you all and strengthen you for the battle. Don’t worry about us. We are glad and joyful because our reward in heaven is great!

Your Varia

[i]
Varia was never heard from again, but her love and witness for Christ were never forgotten. Her young life was likely snuffed out by the cruel authorities who imprisoned her for her faith. However, her legacy burns brightly in the hearts of those who know her story. Her life brings irrefutable evidence concerning the strange level of friendship that suffering affords. Suffering for Christ can actually bring us closer to him in ways no other experience could. The Bible calls it the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings—an exclusive level of human experience. Growing closer to Christ through suffering is something best understood by firsthand experience. How have you seen your own personal suffering bring you into a closer walk with Jesus Christ? How did this happen?[/i]

Jeremiah Logara never knew resignation, only determination. The Muslim soldiers had arrested six boys from his church and falsely accused them of being spies. When Jeremiah, their pastor, tried explaining that the boys were Christians, not spies, the soldiers decided to arrest him too.

The Islamic soldiers tied Pastor Logara’s arms and legs together and hung him four feet in the air with a rope. They whipped him and dripped hot melted wax on his chest. He recalled the prayer of Jesus in the Garden. He prayed, “Oh God, if it is your will for me to die today, let it be done.” He could not bear that he might give in to the tortures of the Northern Sudanese Arabs as he stood before the young, impressionable boys.
But God’s will was that he live on as a testimony for these boys. He was released. But the boys were detained. Pastor Logara imagines the boys were probably being forced to train as soldiers.
When the pastor reflected upon that incident, he recalled, “I thought of Jesus’ death, that Jesus died to save the whole world. I thought my death could be part of the salvation of these boys as I followed in the footsteps of my Lord. I pray my example of suffering for them will encourage them to remain faithful to God.”

Children love to walk in the footsteps of their parents. On sandy beaches, they strive and stretch to plant their tiny feet within the pattern of their mom or dad. Ever-trusting, they follow the path wherever it may lead. Likewise, Jesus’ footsteps may lead us through some trying terrain. We may follow him through trials and tribulations that we never would have chosen for ourselves. However, if we are committed to following Jesus, we have released our right to choose our own destinies. Following Jesus provides a clear example for our children and other observers to imitate. The path we take matters. What impressions are you leaving in the minds of those around you?

Susannah Wesley was born in 1668, in England, when the state church and government crushed any form of Christian worship or education not controlled by them. This determined Christian woman began programs of Christian education for adults in her kitchen and daily with her children.

In 1662, six years before Susannah was born, the English government passed a law forcing the state church’s Book of Common Prayer in all worship services. Two thousand clergy were forced to resign.

In 1664, a law was passed forbidding more than five people who were not family members worship together without a state official. In 1665, the Five Mile Act was passed aimed at Nonconformist ministers who were forbidden to come within five miles where they had founded a congregation. This law was upheld for almost 150 years. Soldiers destroyed meeting houses, took away furniture and Christian books. Five thousand Nonconformist Christians died in prison.

Although Susannah was associated at times with the official church, she refused to be a “Sunday-only” Christian. Her angry neighbors burned her fields and stabbed the three cows that gave milk to her family. They called her children “the little devils.” One of her children, John Wesley, the founder of the Methodists, led a great spiritual awakening in England. He had learned perseverance from his mother.

destinysweet wrote:
Susannah Wesley..Isn't she the mother that sat in the kitchen and if her apron was pulled over her head ..no one was to disturb her..period...as she was communing with God in prayer?

This picture has stayed with me for decades..I have always has very long hair..and because I began to pray continuously..oftimes my hair would fall over my face ,hiding my countenance from lookers-on/prying eyes..God would say that it was like my veil..like this mother of righteous sons..Susannah? who needed privacy in a busy life..time when she would not be disturbed. Granted ,I, at first felt like 'Cousin IT' a little strange,and had to resist the urge sweep it away so I wouldn't appear strange to others..instead I was encouraged to leave it alone and understood that this was a time that God especially did not want me disturbed..as what He and I were in the midst of was not to be interrupted. Praise God for the lives of our brethren who having gone before us have trodden the narrow path as revealed to them in Christ.
Thanks for sharing this..you couldn't know unless I offered that I had a picture of this very thing this morning during my devotions..so encouraging and welcoming to find this post here this afternoon!I love how God is moving in the midst of His beloved saints..jointly fit together..for our edification and encouragement! Hallelujah!

Praise God that you were encouraged! I'm letting my hair grow long too. I've decided never to cut it again. :-D

Richard Wurmbrand, a Romanian pastor who suffered in prison for fourteen years, once told a story that he had heard from a fellow prisoner. It had helped him through his most difficult times of torture. The brother told him:

“I once went to a circus and witnessed a most impressive scene. A sharpshooter placed a burning candle on his wife’s head. He then stepped out of the center of the arena and, from quite a distance, shot the candle off her head.

“After the show was over, I approached her and asked if she was ever afraid the arrow would strike her. She replied, ‘Why should I be? He was aiming at the candle, not at me.’”

When Pastor Wurmbrand heard this story he thought, “Why should I be afraid of the torturers? They don’t aim at me. They may beat my body but my real being is Christ within. I am seated with him in heavenly places, and therefore they cannot touch my real person. From this incredible viewpoint I can look down and see the futility of their efforts.”

Pastor Wurmbrand lived through years of suffering and had neared death many times. But he was encouraged with this simple lesson and even flourished spiritually because he knew his place with Christ was secure, no matter what happened to his body.

Persecution, though indescribably painful, has its limits. Neither physical torment nor emotional trauma can destroy the deepest parts of who we are. What we carry on the inside is the most valuable part of ourselves—our souls. Christ’s Spirit lives within us and protects our soul from emotional and physical harm. True, our enemies may strike us and even kill our bodies. However, when our enemies take a swipe at us, they are really maligning the name of Christ—the one who lives within. And he can never die again. However personal and pointed the opposition, it is really part of a bigger picture. The battle may involve us, but it concerns an overarching war between good and evil.

“Are you not afraid of what we will do to you?” the Communist colonel asked, his tone a combination of mockery and challenge.

Young Pastor Kochanga, having preached only one sermon in his career, stood before the colonel, knowing that the man held the power of life or death over him. He answered in a respectful, yet fervent tone.

“Sir, truth is never afraid. Suppose your government would decide to hang all mathematicians. How much would two plus two be then? Two plus two would still be four.

“We have truth, as true as a mathematical equation. We have the truth that there is a God, and he is our loving Father. We have the truth that Jesus is the Savior of the world and wishes to save everyone, even you. We have truth that there is a Holy Spirit who empowers men and gives them light, and we have the truth that there exists a beautiful paradise.

“Whatever whips and whatever instruments of torture you have, it will always remain so. Two plus two still equals four.”

Kochanga was beaten almost beyond recognition and then was never seen again. Though his battered and bloody face was hard to recognize for the other prisoners, in heaven he was immediately known and welcomed.

“Tell the truth.” Children learn this command at an early age, yet its wisdom is timeless. If we will return to simply acknowledging what we know to be true, we will always have the words to say when we are called upon to testify for Christ. Many people often feel unqualified to witness for Christ, saying they lack “training.” We fear being asked a theological question we don’t know how to answer. However, professing Christ doesn’t require course credit in apologetics. Simply tell the truth about what you know—just as those who have experienced religious oppression. Testifying about Christ is easier than it seems. We must go back to the principle we learned in childhood. We are commanded to acknowledge Jesus Christ—to tell the truth.

It is not until a man finds his faith opposed and attacked that he really begins to think about the implications of that faith. It is not until the church is confronted with some dangerous heresy that she begins to realize the riches and wonder of orthodoxy. It is characteristic of Christianity that it has inexhaustible riches, and that it can always produce new riches to meet any situation.

WILLIAM BARCLAY—THE DAILY STUDY BIBLE

As the train began to pull out of the station, the Christians standing on the platform unbuttoned their coats and pulled out hundreds of gospel tracts. Quickly they tossed the tracts, handfuls at a time, through the open train windows to the Russian troops inside.

The Russian soldiers, some of them no more than sixteen years old, laughed and whistled, especially at the attractive young women throwing things through the window. They grabbed at the tracts, wondering what was being thrown into an army train. When the political officer boarded the car, the soldiers quickly stuffed the tracts in their pockets. Soon enough they would read the strange booklet and find out more about this “King.”
Back on the train platform, the Christians gathered, laughing nervously. When police officers took one aside, he opened his coat willingly because there was nothing inside. All of the tracts he had brought to the Romanian train station were now on the train, headed to the heart of Communist Russia.
The train-car evangelism was just one of the methods that Richard Wurmbrand taught the youth of his church to reach Russians for Christ. These “allies” were stealing all of his country’s wealth and murdering many of its people, yet Richard welcomed the soldiers. In each soldier he saw a mission field and sought a chance to harvest a soul.

A mission is not so much a place as it is an attitude—one’s approach toward life. A missionary is simply someone who embodies this determination and single focus and expresses it in everyday living. Richard Wurmbrand was a man on mission, and his fervor spread through the ranks of young people who recognized his purposefulness. In that sense, we are all missionaries—ambassadors for Christ—wherever we are serving. Being on mission means you are always on the alert for new opportunities to further God’s kingdom. At the watercoolers at work. At the grocery store. On the commuter train or bus. At school. The everyday world is your mission field when you are determined to further God’s kingdom.

When Stenley got off the boat on the remote Indonesian island, he felt the spiritual darkness. The people practiced a combination of witchcraft and Islam. Stenley was fresh out of Bible school and ready for the work to which God had called him, reaching these island people for Christ.

Stenley preached boldly, calling people to turn to Christ and then to burn their idols and the relics of their old life. One Muslim burned his idol, but inside it was a scroll from the Koran. When radical Muslims heard of the burning of the Koran, they reported Stenley to area officials. Stenley was immediately arrested.

Although Stenley was horribly beaten and lay comatose, his mentor from Bible school, Pastor Siwi, came to see him and witnessed tears streaming from his eyes. Soon after, Stenley died from his injuries.

But even death could not end Stenley’s ministry. When his story was told in his home village, eleven Muslims accepted Christ as Savior. Fifty-three villagers made the decision to attend Bible school, seven of whom asked to be sent as missionaries to the very village where Stenley had died.

Hoping to extinguish the gospel fire, village officials snuffed out Stenley’s life. But even in the midst of their violence, God’s hand was at work. Today the flames of the gospel burn brightly in that village.

“Leave the light on.” That’s what all who follow Christ should aim to do when they leave this world behind. A committed Christian leaves the light on for a world that is lost in darkness. It’s called leaving a legacy. It seems we often hear of famous people who leave behind a legacy in film, sports, or some other public arena. However, while the lives of many Christian saints are extinguished in anonymity, their faithful lights still burn brightly throughout the world. Their legacy of faith, integrity, hope, and love cannot be doused by their death. In fact, death may even accelerate the flame. For a legacy like that is often willingly imitated by those who remain.

The woman was one month away from graduating from Bible school along with her daughter. It was the same Bible school where her son, Stenley, had gone before he went to another Indonesian island as a missionary. Stenley was killed for carrying the gospel, but his testimony had prompted many others to go to Bible school and to accept God’s call to share his love.

When they had completed their training, the woman and her daughter planned to go to the very village where Stenley had died. She hoped for a chance to show Christ’s love, even to the men who had beaten her son to death. A visitor to the Bible school, hearing of her plans, was surprised. “Are you not afraid to die?” he asked her.
The woman seemed confused by the question, as if it was not something she had thought of before. “Why should I be afraid to die?” she answered simply.
Her faith in God’s goodness was complete. If he chose to use her in the village where her son died, so be it. And if he permitted her to die there, she would accept that call as well. Her death would bring her into the presence of the Christ she loved. Death was not an obstacle or a punishment, merely a doorway into the eternal presence of God.

Facing death can remind us of children standing above the edge of a water hole. We hug our own shoulders tightly to our bodies, shivering with the anticipation of the unknown. Will it hurt? Will I make it? We don’t want to be the first to jump—not with all these uncertainties. Fortunately, we don’t have to. History is full of family members who have leaped across the boundary between life and death. They are saints who died in full assurance of their destination. Jesus Christ, in fact, has gone where no other person has gone before—to death and back again. Christ, the head of our Christian family, has taken the terror out of death and replaced it with assurance. Heed the call to come on in. The water’s fine.

“I spent many years in Soviet gulags,” began the handwritten letter. The text was neat, yet evidenced a small shake in the hand—a reminder of old age and years in prison.

“In the camp, I was forced to work under the ground in a mine. The labor was hard, and our guards were without sympathy or human decency. One day, in the mine, there was an accident. My back was injured, and since that day I have been a hunchback.

“One day,” the letter continued, “there was a boy who would not stop staring at me. ‘Mister,’ he asked, ‘what do you have on your back?’

“I was sure that some harsh joke at my expense was coming, but nevertheless I said, ‘a hunchback?’

“The child smiled warmly. ‘No,’ he said, ‘God is love. He gives no one deformities. That is not a hunchback you have; it is a box below your shoulders. Hiding inside the box are angels’ wings. One day, the box will open, and you will fly to heaven with your angel wings.’

“I began to cry for joy. Even now,” the letter concluded, “as I write to you, I am crying.”

Many persecuted Christians bear the marks of their experience on their bodies. Sometimes God must remind them, even through the voice of an innocent child, of the hidden blessings beneath these scars.

There is only one reminder of earth in heaven. Jesus, even in his resurrected body of glory, still bears the scars of his own persecution. Jesus showed his scars to the disciples soon after his resurrection. Thomas touched the wound in his side and the scars on his hands. One day, his nail-scarred hands will embrace us, too, when we enter heaven. They will serve as a loving reminder of the blessings brought forth from his sufferings. However, the scars from our own difficult lives will be erased in our new, heavenly bodies. Those who have endured sufferings, insults, and injustices for his sake will exchange their scars, one by one, for God’s richest blessings.

“I will not allow it,” Chinese pastor Wang Min-tao said to the Japanese soldiers. “I will not hang that picture of the emperor in my church.”

Several years later the Communists demanded that Pastor Wang hang a picture of their leader, Chairman Mao, in his sanctuary.
“I do not even have a picture of Jesus in my church,” the pastor said. “I refused to hang a picture of the Japanese emperor, and I refuse to hang one of Mao.”
Wang was arrested in 1955, and for two years he was subjected to severe torture and brainwashing. Driven nearly insane by the torture, he finally signed a “confession” outlining all his “crimes” against the People’s Republic. With the confession, Pastor Wang secured his release from prison.
But outside the prison he had no peace. He told himself, “I am Judas. I am like Peter when he denied Christ.” Finally, he went back to the Chinese police.
“I renounce my confession,” he told them. “Do with me as you will.”
The guards were not satisfied to merely imprison Wang again. So they put his wife in as well. In a letter from the prison, he wrote, “Do not be anxious about me; I am of more value than many sparrows.”
Wang Min-tao died in prison, guilty of only loving his Savior.

Who wouldn’t want to be brave like Peter, impulsively striking those who came to arrest Jesus Christ? Yet, who isn’t also weak like Peter, denying Christ in almost the same instance under the threat of opposition? God does not chide us for our humanity. He accepts our weakness and works with us until we are strong again. Just as God restored Peter and other believers like Wang Min-tao to a position of faith, he can restore our stout courage again as well. Have you suffered from the memory of a missed opportunity to stand up for Christ? Ask God to restore you today. He will begin to prepare you even now for your next opportunity to stand strong.

“Sign the statement!” screamed the Cuban officer, forcing a pen into the Christian prisoner’s hand. “Sign the statement!”

The written statement in front of the prisoner contained accusations about other Christians. His signature was all the government needed to arrest the others.
“I cannot sign this paper,” the Christian said, calmly looking the officer in the eye.
“Why not?” asked the captain, with exaggerated calm, before swearing at the man. “Do you not know how to write your own name?”
“It is because of the chain, my friend. The chain keeps me from signing this.”
Grabbing the prisoner’s hands roughly, the officer held them in front of his face. “But you are not in chains, you idiot!” he screamed.
“Oh, but I am,” said the Christian believer. “I am bound by the chains of witnesses who throughout the centuries have given their lives for Christ. I am yet one more link in this chain, and I will not break it.”
Though he was threatened and roughed up, the prisoner refused to sign.

Christian martyrs leave behind a rich testimony of incredible poise in the midst of horrific circumstances. Their strength is heroic. Their words are wise. Their calm is unshakable. Thomas Aquinas wrote, “Words pronounced by the martyrs before authorities are not human words, the simple expression of a human conviction, but words pronounced by the Holy Spirit through the confessors of Jesus.” Life by life, link by link, the words spoken through the power of the Holy Spirit in the midst of oppression are forming a powerful testimony. You, too, have the potential to add your own chapter to the pages. You, too, are a link in the chain of believers. Will you hold it together?

The mood was somber, almost harsh. The Lithuanian court was meeting to determine the sentence for Nijole Sadunaite. Her “crime,” like so many others’, was simply being a Christian in a Communist nation.

Then the judge offered her a final chance to speak. He eagerly waited for the young woman to tearfully beg for mercy. Perhaps she would even renounce her ridiculous faith in God. Yet he was in for a surprise.
There were no tears from Nijole. Her face shone, and a beautiful smile began to form. Her eyes held warmth, even for her accusers.
“This is the happiest day of my life,” said the condemned woman. “I am on trial for the cause of truth and love toward men.”
Now, every eye in the courtroom was on her. “I have an enviable fate, a glorious destiny. My condemnation here in this courtroom will be my ultimate triumph.”
The passion in her voice was unmistakable. “I regret only that I have done so little for men. Let us love each other, and we will all be happy. Only the one who has no love will be sad.”
She turned her attention away from the judge and peered into the eyes of other believers who watched the trial. “We must condemn evil, but we must love the man, even the one in error. This you can learn only at the school of Jesus Christ.”

When it comes to learning about those who have been persecuted for the sake of Christ, take notes. Class is in session. From the relative safety of our homes and communities, we may read the stories of Christian martyrs. We may even shudder as we turn the pages. However, are we ready to enroll in the school of Jesus Christ? Are we ready to study side by side with those who have walked the lonely path of oppression? We must apply what we learn from them about faith, love, holiness, and endurance. Only when we identify with the sufferings of Christ through the experiences of others can we truly call ourselves “Christians,” meaning “little Christs.” Only then will we be ready to pass the test.

Suffering may prevent sin, but sin will never prevent suffering.

A HANDWRITTEN COMMENT FOUND IN AN 1800S EDITION
OF Foxe's Book of Martyrs

Though he was being burned at the stake on the order of Spanish authorities, Antonio Herrezuelo’s pain was in his spirit. He realized his wife had renounced her faith in Christ to escape a similar death.

Antonio could have also saved his life and received life in prison like his wife. Perhaps he would have someday been pardoned and been reunited with his wife.

But he would not recant. The last words he uttered, before soldiers gagged him, were pleas for his wife. “Please return to Christ and be forgiven. We will be united together in heaven. Please return!” he yelled to his wife. Although he had no earthly hope of reunion, he wanted to be with her in eternity.

After her husband’s death, Mrs. Herrezuelo was brought back to the prison to serve out her life sentence. For eight years she wrestled with God and her own spirit. She could not find peace about her fateful decision.

Finally, she publicly returned to faith in Christ, taking back her previous denial even as the sixteenth-century inquisitors threatened her. A judge sentenced her to death at the stake—now for the second and final time.

She was eager to die and be reunited with her husband. Mrs. Herrezuelo, though dying, was again at peace. Her first words would be to tell him of her return to the faith.

What a marvelous reunion heaven will be! All those who suffered and died for their faith in Christ will shine like beacons of his grace and mercy. Families who were separated by evil regimes will be gathered together once more. Husbands and wives. Mothers and daughters. Friends and neighbors from entire countries that were rounded up and exiled will see each other again. Underground church members and congregations from persecuted nations will be there with their tales of angelic rescues in tow. The stories alone could take eternity to recount—testimonies from generations of martyrs about God’s faithfulness. Will you be there in heaven to listen? Better yet, will you have your own story to tell?

“You are lying!” Lieutenant Grecu screamed at the imprisoned pastor, Richard Wurmbrand. “Tell us the truth about your Christian activities and about others in your church! Here, you must write out for me all the rules that you have broken in the prison.”

Wurmbrand sat and quietly wrote down all of the prison rules he had broken. When he was finished, he added one final paragraph: “I have never spoken against the Communists. I am a disciple of Christ, who has given us love for our enemies. I understand them and pray for their conversion so that they will become my brothers in the Faith.” He signed his name boldly at the bottom.

Grecu read the “declaration.” His face softened as he got to the end, overwhelmed that Wurmbrand could write about loving a government that had arrested and tortured him. “This love,” he said. “That is one of your Christian commandments that no one can keep.”

“It’s not a matter of keeping a commandment,” Richard replied gently. “When I became a Christian it was as if I had been reborn, with a new character full of love. Just as only water can flow from a spring, only love can come from a loving heart.”

In the following months, Wurmbrand spoke of Christ’s love many more times to Lieutenant Grecu, who eventually prayed to receive Christ!

Declaring your faith in Christ is simply saying it loud enough for others to hear and receive it. It doesn’t mean you’re obnoxious. It doesn’t mean you must be extraordinarily extroverted. It simply means you are an open book for others to read about Jesus Christ. And you’re willing to read it aloud when necessary. We are often hesitant in our witness for Christ. We don’t wish to offend. We don’t want to be ill received. And yet our taciturn testimony may cause us to miss the opportunity to lead someone to faith in Christ. What would it mean for you to declare your faith in Christ today? To whom should you define and deliver God’s message of grace?

“Before we finish this funeral service,” her words rang out clearly to the thousand people in attendance, “I want to tell you what my husband told me before dying. He asked me to tell all his murderers that he goes to heaven loving wholeheartedly everybody, including his assassins. He has forgiven all for what they have done because Jesus loves and will also forgive them.”

She stood over her husband’s coffin. There were tears in her eyes, but her voice was strong. The bruises on her body told the mourners that she, too, had been beaten.

As Christians, she and her husband had refused to take a Kikuyu tribal oath that wasn’t consistent with their Christian faith. For this, her husband was beaten to death, and she was beaten and hospitalized.

The crowd was still, silenced by the power of the widow’s words, and her will. Many living in Kenya in 1969 had also faced harassment and attack for valuing their faith over tribal loyalties.

“I, as his widow, also tell all of you, in the presence of my dead husband, that I hate none of those who killed him. I love the killers. I forgive them, knowing that Christ has died for them too.”

No one in attendance that day would ever forget the widow’s words or her example of extreme forgiveness and grace.

Forgiveness is an extreme example of what it means to be like Christ, to extend his grace to others. No one has ever had to forgive more than Jesus Christ. Nothing can compare to the weight of an entire world’s sins on his shoulders at Calvary. Therefore, when we forgive those who hate us, we are never more like Jesus than at that moment. Forgiveness does not make the wrongs that were done to you right. Forgiveness makes you all right. Forgiveness does not mean letting your perpetrators off the hook. Forgiveness means letting yourself off the hook and getting released from the tyranny of vengeful thoughts. Forgiving others for their wrongs gives you a chance to shine for Christ like never before. Where will you shine the light of God’s forgiveness today?

Barto was on the brink of starvation. Once a Communist Party official and prosecuting attorney, he was now considered expendable by the same party. He was sentenced to labor in a Romanian prison camp. His stomach, once full, was now wasting away. He wondered how much longer he could go on.

Seeing Barto’s frail stature, a fellow prisoner came up to him and offered to share his rations of food. “Thank you, my friend,” he said to the other prisoner. “How long must you be here?” Barto asked as he woofed down the food.

“Twenty years,” replied the prisoner. His eyes seemed to question Barto.

“What crime did you commit?”

“I was tried and sentenced for giving food to a fugitive pastor who was being chased by the police,” the man stated calmly. Barto noticed his voice didn’t carry bitterness like Barto had heard from so many others.

“Who gave you such a harsh punishment for doing a good deed?” demanded Barto.

The prisoner replied humbly, “Sir, you were the state prosecutor at my trial. You don’t recognize me now, but I remember you.”

The man went on. “I am a Christian. Christ taught us to reward evil with good. I wished then for you to realize that it is right and good to give food to a hungry man—even your enemy. Now, I can show you.” Barto began that day to understand that his own spiritual needs far outweighed his physical ones.

Kindness is the way to our enemies’ hearts. And it may do something for their souls. God uses kindness as his strategy of choice when dealing with us. Instead of giving us exactly what we deserve for our offenses against him, he deals with us kindly. His kindness is an example of how we should fashion our own approach to those who offend us. Kindness arrests their attention. It is as unexpected as it is undeserved. Like Barto, our kindness toward an enemy may awaken a spiritual hunger for the source of our compassion. However, regardless of their response, we must follow the example of our Lord when dealing with our enemies. Who needs your kindness today?

[url=http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/344905.aspx] Isreali Christian Boy Recieves A Deadly Gift[/url]

CBNNews.com - JERUSALEM, Israel - Last week, 15-year-old Ami Ortiz, the son of an Israeli pastor opened a holiday package during the Jewish celebration of Purim. He thought it was a gift. Instead it was a bomb.

Bomb Heard Around the Globe

News of this terror attack has reverberated throughout Israel and around the world.

The bombing took place in the Israeli town of Ariel in Samaria. It destroyed the family apartment of David Ortiz, a Messianic pastor. The force of the blast was so strong it shattered car windows three stories below.

His son, Ami, suffered major injuries including second and third degree burns, shrapnel in one lung, and wounds from head to toe.

Despite the life-threatening injuries, Ami survived - an outcome doctors called a miracle.

Police are investigating the bombing and attempted murder. A family source told CBN News police suspect either Palestinian terrorists or ultra-religious Jews.

Messianic Believers Under Fire

Some see the bombing against the Ortiz family as an unprecedented attack on Messianic believers - Jews who believe Jesus - or Yeshua - is the Jewish Messiah and see no contradiction between being Jewish and believing Jesus was the Son of God.

"One of the most difficult things for the family is that when the press originally brought the story out in Israel in Hebrew, they said that someone from a radical missionary cult was injured," said Calev Meyers of the Jerusalem Institute of Justice.

The Ortiz family asked Meyers to act as a family spokesman.

"The reason the press treated it this way is that the Messianic community in Israel are the victims of ongoing vicious propaganda against the community - especially in the ultra-religious media," Meyers said.

"The ongoing vicious propaganda that comes against families like this and against the Messianic Jewish community lays the basis for radical events or attacks like this against the community and that's what we're really trying to fight," he said.

The bombing highlights the harassment Messianic Jews have been suffering. In the city of Arad, an ultra orthodox sect has harassed the Messianic community there for years. In Jerusalem last year, a building used by three Messianic congregations as a house of worship was firebombed.

However, many have condemned the most recent bombing, including Ariel Mayor Ron Nachman.

"I know that if that event is based on religious reasons or something like that I condemn it because you cannot disturb anybody from doing what they want in their own private home," Nachman said. "And I will defend this idea as much as I can. And as the mayor of Ariel, I will do everything to help the family. The child is only 15 years old and it's terrible."

Ortiz Family: We Won't Give Up

In the meantime, Ami is still fighting an uphill battle to recovery.

The Ortiz family is asking believers around the world to pray for Ami's complete physical healing as well as forgiveness for those who committed this crime and that God himself would turn this situation meant for evil around for good.

They say it won't stop them.

Meyers said, "One of their messages would be, 'We're not giving up and we're going to continue to build the Kingdom of God in Israel, even in the face of this kind of aggression."

*Original broadcast March 26, 2008.

JERUSALEM DATELINE:

[url=http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/347338.aspx]Update On Ami[/url]

In restricted countries, Christian children often suffer alongside their parents. When fathers and mothers are arrested because of their church activities, the children are often left as orphans. If they are lucky, their family members or friends can care for them. However, at worst, they are sent to orphanages or state run institutions. No more bedtime Bible stories and no more family prayers before meals.

However, the letters from the children to their imprisoned parents display tremendous courage and tenacity during the difficult times of separation. Their words convey hope of a reunion.

“God bless you dear Mommy. Don’t be troubled by our temporary separation—it won’t last forever. Our joy will return soon—let that thought encourage you. Mommy, I can’t imagine the feast we will have when you return. I have been keeping up with my schoolwork. Now it is night—tomorrow will be another day. Day after day it drags on, but I know we will be together soon. I embrace you. Your loving daughter.”

“Dear Mom, when you come home, I will not think about the loneliness and pain anymore. I beg you not to cry, Mommy. I love you. I wrote a little poem for you:

You have a heart of gold,
You are young at heart, not old.
The Lord observes you from on high,
We’ll be together soon, you and I.”

Children are often the last ones considered when it comes to the effects of persecution. For every imprisoned parent, there is a child left behind. However, as Jesus pointed out on numerous occasions, a child’s faith is significant. If a child can demonstrate incredible courage amid intense circumstances, then what is our excuse? Instead of growing resentful toward the circumstances that are beyond their control, the children of persecuted Christians are growing in grace. Can we say the same about our lives? As adults, we risk focusing too much on the blows and beatings life brings. We could benefit from modeling the resilient faith of children. In what ways do you need to grow in childlike faith? Begin today by remembering the children.

It was like no protest the world had ever seen. Most riots around the world are violent, with slogans being yelled, signs and banners being waved, and even rocks being thrown. But on May 16, 1966, five hundred Soviet Baptists gathered in the courtyard of the Communist Central Committee. However, unlike most protestors, they did not shout slogans or demands.

They stood together praying and singing hymns. Georgi Vins and Gennadi Kryuchkov presented a petition to the Soviet government on their behalf, requesting the official recognition of their churches, a plea to stop governmental interferences, the release of imprisoned believers, and freedom for Soviet citizens to teach and be taught religious faith.

On the morning of the seventeenth, soldiers and KGB agents surrounded the peaceful gathering. Around 1:00 P.M., a number of buses closed in and the soldiers attacked, beating them and forcing them into the buses. No one fought back. Instead, the demonstrators linked arms and started singing again over the screams of the attacking soldiers. All of this was done in public with many bystanders gathering around to watch the steadfast faith of the Christians. They were then taken to prison.

Even in prison they continued to pray and sing. The Communists had refused the pleas of these peaceful protestors, but they had not broken their spirits.

People who turn Christianity into a cause run the risk of confusing violence for obedience. However, nothing could be further from the true description. Radical obedience means we protest whatever is contrary to Christ’s teachings. However, like the Soviet Baptists, we aim for peace and not to provoke harm. Those who are persecuted for their faith leave an example of peaceful demonstration and determination. They do not return evil for evil, yet they calmly accept the consequences of their obedience to Christ’s commands. If you want to be a radical Christian, you must fully obey Christ’s commands. In what area of your life is God calling you to radical obedience for him? What does it mean to you to be a radical Christian?

The cause, not the suffering,
makes a genuine martyr.

ST. AUGUSTINE

“Why is it that so many Christians sing only once a week? Why only once? If it is right to sing, sing every day. If it is wrong to sing, don’t sing on Sunday.”

The pastor had spent several horrifying years in prison at the hands of the Communist authorities. He was jailed for his belief in Christ, and though he remembered the tortures there, he did not focus on them much. Instead he spoke of the times of joy in the presence of his Lord. He and his fellow Christian prisoners formed a community of praise—in the middle of prison.

“When we were in prison we sang almost every day because Christ was alive in us. The Communists were very nice to us. They knew we liked to praise God with musical instruments, so they gave every Christian in prison a musical instrument. However, they did not give us violins or mandolins—these were too expensive. Instead, they put chains on our hands and feet. They chained us to add to our grief. Yet we discovered that chains are splendid musical instruments! When we clanged them together in rhythm, we could sing, ‘This is the day (clink, clank), this is the day (clink, clank), which the Lord has made (clink, clank), which the Lord has made (clink, clank).’” What a joyful noise unto the Lord!

To those who have yet to experience it, persecution seems to focus entirely on loss. The loss of freedom. The loss of hope. Even losing one’s life. However, those who have suffered for their faith in Christ overlook what’s missing and focus on new discoveries. They relish what little freedoms they have instead of regretting what they lack. In this story, Communist captors robbed believers of most of life’s freedoms and dignity. However, these stout believers focused on what remained—their joy in the Lord. If it is good to sing to the Lord when you have everything—it is good to sing to him when you have lost it all, too. What will you do today to make sure you do not lose your Christian joy?

They relish what little freedoms they have instead of regretting what they lack.

The hooded and armed guerillas, members of the Marxist revolutionary group known as M-19, tied up the twelve adults and five children who were present in the Wycliffe Bible Translators headquarters in Bogota, Columbia. “Where is your director? Where is Al Wheeler?” the leader shouted into the face of one of the secretaries. “We want Wheeler!”

“Don’t hurt her,” came a quick reply. “Wheeler is not here.”

Their demands arrived several days later. “If your organization does not leave Columbia by February 19, we will execute our prisoner.” The guerillas even called President Reagan and demanded that their manifesto be published in the New York Times and the Washington Post or Mr. Chet Bitterman would die.

As the date approached, prayer chains were formed. A tape was received at a local radio station confirming that Chet had been witnessing to the guerillas. His wife, Brenda, received a letter requesting a Spanish Bible.

Chet reached his goal in life—to broadcast the gospel wherever it was needed. Chet’s body was eventually left on an abandoned bus by the terrorists. Columbians, along with Christians all across America, commemorated his death by stepping forward to fill the gap left by Chet. The following year, applications to serve with Wycliffe Bible Translators doubled.

Leading by example is a popular executive training principle. A company’s priorities ought to be modeled by the highest level of staff. When it comes to Christianity, leading by example is equally important. In fact, Jesus commanded it. He demonstrated how Christian leaders must model the faith for other believers to follow. He didn’t just give us his teachings—he lived them. How many of us are willing to live out a standard of radical obedience to Christ? If we are, we won’t control our own destinies. We will be an example to others as we follow the example of Christ. Who is observing your life today? What are they learning from your example about how closely you follow Christ?

Foxholes in a schoolyard—they are all too common in Southern Sudan. In the midst of a play area surrounded by children running and laughing sits a large metal cylinder with fins on its tail buried halfway in the ground. A flag sticks out from the unexploded bomb as a reminder for the children to stay away from it.

A missionary team recently delivered assistance to this elementary school in Yei County. Like most areas in Sudan, this school is barely able to function for lack of supplies and qualified teachers. This particular school is in an area regularly bombed by the Islamic government of Sudan.

These children have dug more than twenty foxholes by hand around the schoolyard. They have prepared themselves with some means of protection for when the bombers come. When they hear the engines of the bombers, they run for the holes, watching out for flying shrapnel.

Some succeed in getting to the foxholes safely, but some do not. When the missionary team asked what could be done for the children, the answer was simply, “Pray for their protection.”

The Bible teaches that many believers lived a precarious existence in order to maintain their faith in Christ. To these children, suffering or even dying for their faith is an everyday reality. To us, they are brave soldiers for Christ.

The children in Sudan are prepared to enter earthly battle. More importantly, they are prepared to one day enter heaven’s gates. They have secured protection within the earth from fly-by raids from enemy camps. Yet their faith in Christ has secured eternal protection within the arms of God. Perhaps, like the Sudanese children playing near an undiffused bomb, you have learned by now that life often takes place a step away from disaster. You may have taken steps to pad and protect your life on earth, hoping for the best amidst uncertain times. However, have you also followed their example of being prepared for life in the hereafter? Are you prepared for eternal life through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?

When Romanian poet Constantin Ioanid wrote the poem entitled, “God Exists,” he could not have known the significance his words would have in Romanian history.

One night in 1989, Christians were protesting in the town of Timisoara. A bishop who had become a puppet for the Communists had fired the reformed Pastor Tokes for faithfully preaching the Word of God.

On the day Pastor Tokes was to leave his home and church, the Christians surrounded his house to prevent the police from evicting him. Quickly the crowd grew, and the army was called out to stop them.

The soldiers began shooting, and many were killed or wounded. Then an amazing thing happened. The entire crowd, instead of fighting the army, knelt down and prayed. The shocked soldiers were overwhelmed and refused to shoot anymore.

Meanwhile, the whole town had gathered, and a local pastor addressed the crowd from the balcony of the Opera house. He recited Brother Ioanid’s poem, and the whole crowd began shouting, “God exists! God exists!” Leaflets with the poem’s text were passed around, and those who knew the music composed for the words began to sing. Soon thousands were singing it again and again.

The song became the beginning of the Romanian revolution that led to the fall of Communist dictator, Nicolai Ceaucescu.

A revolution is a new resurgence of belief in a very old idea—whether freedom, personal dignity or even the existence of God. These self-evident principles remain unchanged during the cycle of oppression. Though they may go “underground” for a time, their existence is unchallenged. A spiritual revolution resurrects the belief in the existence of God—although God himself was never dead. The revolution begins with God’s revelation of truth. We all need courage to resurrect our faith in the basic, powerful, and life altering proposition that God exists. We are part of a revolution when we join other Christians who begin to live like they believed it. What would spiritual revolution look like in your own life?

A martyr is, he who has become the instrument of God, who has lost his will in the will of God, not lost it but found it, for he has found freedom in submission to God. The martyr no longer desires anything for himself, not even the glory of martyrdom.

T.S. ELLIOT—MURDER IN THE CATHEDRAL

Early Christians were known for two things: prayer below ground and persecution above ground. The whole known world was against the Christians in the Roman Empire. Marcus Aurelius Antonius signed a decree in A.D. 162 naming, “Any who profess to be a Christian is worthy of the most painful death!” A period of almost four centuries of extreme secrecy began for the church. The church literally went underground, creating the Roman catacombs.

A vast network of rooms and corridors was constructed beneath Rome for the burial of the dead. Yet these became the covert cathedrals of the early church. Believers could find a place of unhindered and unguarded worship and prayer.

The catacombs show the dedication of early believers to find a place to worship Christ. The broken and burnt bones of their tombs show the intensity of the persecutions they suffered. Perhaps most significant are the secret notes of victory and peace inscribed on the walls. Despite the cruelty shown them above ground, below they decorated the walls with symbols of their faith and peace through the cross.

It is not unusual to see cryptic inscriptions such as the following on tombs: “Victorious in peace and Christ” or “Being called away, he went in peace” or “Here lies Maria, put to rest in a dream of peace.” The key to their triumph is no secret: perfect peace in Christ Jesus.

Praise the Lord!

“And I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. . . . And because of my imprisonment, many of the Christians here have gained confidence and become more bold in telling others about Christ. . . . For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (Philippians 1:12, 14, 29, NLT).

If American Christians were more active in evangelism, would the United States see an increase in persecution within its borders? Metro Ministries, an evangelistic ministry that reaches out to the most difficult areas of New York City, has seen this effect in their own ministry. As their evangelism penetrates deeper into the city, they have faced more resistance. Certain staff members have been beaten, stabbed, and raped while carrying out their mission. One staff member was even killed.

Their director, Pastor Bill Wilson, has been stabbed and beaten on a number of occasions. Yet, the threat of evil has not kept him at arm’s length from the people he loves. He also contracted tuberculosis from ministering to homeless people.

Debbie, a fifteen-year-old in one of the poorer neighborhoods of Brooklyn, New York, speaks for many young people who have experienced persecution within the states. She says, “It is very hard to openly be a Christian in my school. I am constantly harassed and pressured to join one of the gangs.”

Gladys Staines had every reason to be bitter and angry. No one would have blamed her for leaving India. But when fanatical Hindus in the Indian town of Manoharpur murdered her husband and two sons, Gladys and her thirteen-year-old daughter, Esther, decided to stay. She would continue her work with the lepers in the area.

Her husband, Graham, and their two young sons, Philip and Timothy, were killed while they were sleeping in their jeep outside of a church. They were there to minister to the congregation. However, before the sun came up that dreadful morning, a band of approximately one hundred Hindus poured gasoline on their vehicle and set it on fire. The Hindus, armed with bows and arrows, then surrounded the vehicle preventing their escape.

Gladys said that Graham had never set out to evangelize among the Hindus. He was simply there demonstrating the love of Christ. As a result, the Australian couple had seen many convert to Christianity and burn their idols. The dangers of their witness never deterred their dedication to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ.

At the memorial service for Graham, Philip, and Timothy, Gladys and Esther sang:
Because he lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because he lives, all fear is gone,
Because I know he holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because he lives.

Extreme dedication is never daunted by danger. It isn’t weakened by worries. It isn’t even concerned about consequences. Dedication only knows one thing—the task at hand. For many people, losing their family to hostile foreigners would be a rational excuse for abandoning their mission. Not so for those driven by extreme dedication. Although they may be devastated by the trial, their determination to move forward is undeterred. God alone can give us the spiritual strength necessary to resume our mission in spite of misery. Do you find yourself trying to determine whether or not to go on in God’s work? Has something happened to take you off course? Ask God for daily dedication to stick to the task.

“I was born in a Communist home where no one could even mention the word God. My parents are atheists. My father is in the Cuban Communist Party leadership. My mother is secretary of the Committee for the Defense of the Revolution. You might say my home is a nest for Communism. However, my grandmother loves God and taught me about the Lord. She sowed the seeds of God’s Word into me. On several occasions I tried to go to church with her, but my parents did not allow it.

“One day, I received the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. My life started to change. Even the way I dressed changed. My mother did not accept it. She never beat me before, but now she often does. When my father learned that I was a Christian, he told me to choose God or him. I chose God because I have understood that he is the only one worth living for.

“Now, even though I am only fourteen, I have to study far away from my home. When I first came to this place I was the only Christian, but I have sown God’s Word and now there are four of us. We meet under a tree—hidden—to share God’s Word. We keep sowing and waiting, believing that soon we will be many.”

Rose’s childhood would have been one destined for Communist indoctrination and atheism, had it not been for her grandmother’s influence. She is an extreme teen because she followed in the footsteps of her grandmother, who took a risk to share Christ with her. Now, Rose takes the same risk with those at her boarding school, sharing and sowing the Word of God. She is working on one believer at a time to make a difference. However, Rose has discovered, like many Cuban teenagers living under Fidel Castro, faith comes with consequences. But she believes, despite the odds, that some of her seed will fall on responsive soil. In whose life will you sow seeds of God’s Word and wait for a harvest?

“My wife is sleeping in the other room because she has been ill,” Pastor Richard Wurmbrand began. “She and I are both Jewish. Her family perished in the same Nazi concentration camp where you just boasted of killing Jews with children still in their arms. Perhaps you murdered my wife’s family.”

Upon hearing this, the pastor’s guest, a soldier, became very angry and stood to leave. But Richard stopped him. “Wait. I want to propose an experiment. I want to tell my wife who you are and what you did. But my wife will not curse you or even look at you angrily. She will accept you.”

The man sat with his mouth open, but speechless.

The pastor continued, “Now if my wife, who is only human can forgive you—then how much more will Jesus love and forgive you?”

The man buried his face in his hands. “What have I done? How can I go on living with the guilt of so much blood? Jesus, please forgive me.” The soldier went on to give his life to Christ.

Then Richard went and woke his wife Sabina. “This is the murderer of your sisters, your brothers, and your parents,” he introduced the man. “But now he has repented.” She wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him on the cheek.

“Love conquers all” is a popular saying. Christians, however, know the truth of this saying firsthand. When we are at the mercy of our anger, we are consumed with hatred. But when we have allowed God (who is love) to control our lives, we find that our natural emotions like anger submit to him. We don’t even feel like getting upset over situations that used to enrage us. Love must conquer anything within us that is contrary to the character of Christ. The end result is that we are so consumed with love that even our worst enemy benefits from our transformation. Are you experiencing victory over bitterness and vengeance? Ask the God of love to conquer your anger today.

The Khmer Rouge soldiers burst into the room, brandishing their weapons and shouting insults and threats. When the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia in 1975, thousands of Christians were killed. Children were even thrown before alligators so the soldiers could “save their bullets.”

None of the members of the small congregation moved. An officer walked up to the pastor, grabbed the Bible he had been reading, and threw it on the floor. “We will let you go,” he said, “but first you must spit on this book of lies. Anyone who refuses will be shot.”

Another soldier grabbed a man by the arm and forced him forward. “Father, please forgive me,” he prayed as he knelt where the Bible had fallen and spat lightly on it.

A teenage girl suddenly stood up and walked towards the Bible. Tearfully, she knelt and picked up the Bible, taking the hem of her dress and wiping it clean. “What have they done to your Word?” she said. “Please forgive them.” The soldier lowered his revolver to the back of her head and squeezed the trigger.

The Christians who were initially allowed to leave were also shot. Their actions did little to save them.

One act of tender resolve can inspire a congregation more than any number of betrayals. The teenager in this story prompts a vision of what it means to be united in Christ. Instead of rebuking her weaker brothers and sisters, she merely led by example in her tender treatment of the Bible. Imagine if everyone in that church had acted in the same like-minded manner. What a strong witness for Christ! Whenever we act together, we are stronger. Tenderness and compassion, combined with a strong example, will lead those who are weak to join together in greater commitment. If you are frustrated with others who struggle in their commitment, remember God calls you to unite with those who are weaker and help them along.

The persecution of Christians is not about human rights, it is a rite of passage.

STEVE CLEARY

“This gift is for you.”

“What is it?” the missionary asked his friend while preparing to go into North Korea.
“Just take it. You’ll know when to open it.”

Disguised as a businessman, the missionary journeyed into North Korea. He was assigned a Communist guide with a penchant for long naps.

Seeing his opportunity, the missionary quietly left the hotel while his “guide” slept. He entered a nearby village and met up with a small group of believers. As soon as they realized the young missionary was an ordained minister, they said, “You must baptize us! We have waited for someone to baptize us!”

In a land where possessing a Bible can mean a fifteen-year sentence, a formal baptism could mean certain death.

Without any lake or river nearby, the missionary simply prayed over the believers one by one as a symbol of their faith. But to his amazement they were not satisfied. “We have waited forty years for Communion.”

One of the believers immediately brought out some rice cakes. The missionary thought. “They had had a baptism without water, maybe they could have Communion without drink.” Then he remembered the “gift” his friend handed him before going into North Korea. He quickly grabbed his travel bag and took out the package—a bottle of wine. Speechless, each villager wept openly, praising God for his timely gift.

While most people in modern culture could not imagine life without a calendar and a clock, God keeps his own time. He is not driven by the tyranny of the urgent. However, we must learn patience in order to happily live within his timing. Patience means trusting God is at work, even when we don’t see the evidence. Patience is the principle of delayed gratification. When we wait for God’s blessings in our lives, we appreciate them so much more. What we wait for, we value more. Whether it is a rice-cake Communion or a specific need in our lives, God’s timing is certain. What concerns you regarding God’s timing in your life? Is it time for you to trust him?

destinysweet wrote:
What may have easily sufficed before is not enough..stretch me Lord..to hold more of your kind of patience..born out of mercy and forgivenes..help me wait on You,that in all I do I would :
Go out with joy and go forth with peace!

Thanks for the post.

We used to sing this song in our home fellowship. Thanks for that good word. That was a rhema word for me. I need to pray more before I "go out". We should be going out with joy and peace. :-)

Isaiah 55:12
For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

“The only chance a torturer has to be saved may be through a Christian prisoner. They never go to church or read the Holy Bible. But a Christian prisoner can speak love to them, even while being beaten.” Such is the belief of an underground church member.

Another woman who had spent her years serving Christ under danger of torment said, “Throughout church history, many Christian prisoners have brought their tormentors to heaven. There is a plaque in a Roman jail containing the names of those converted while Paul was in prison there. They would be in hell if Paul had not given them the chance to beat him.” She paused. “I don’t mind suffering if the salvation of torturers is the result.”

Bishop Hannington knew the risk was high when he decided to bring the message of Christ to the cannibals in Uganda. A few weeks after the bishop arrived, the cannibals rejected his message and executed him. Before Hannington died, the cannibals heard the following words in a loud voice, “Love your enemies . . . pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”

This was the same message the bishop’s two sons carried with them when they set out for the same village after their father’s death. They were determined to continue evangelizing the same people who had killed their father.

Some suppose Christ’s death and resurrection to be merely a hoax made up by wishful thinkers who wanted the memory of their beloved teacher to live on. However, how does that explain for the martyrdom of most of his disciples and generations more after them? It seems reasonable that they would admit their folly at the moment of their arrest and certainly before their certain death. Why would they willingly carry a supposed hoax that far? In fact, history documents their attempts to convert their torturers right down to the last minute. Their extreme evangelism was evidence of their conviction: This was the very gospel of God. How convinced are you of the gospel message? Are you willing to carry it as far as the brink of the extreme?

Japan, a country surrounded by beautiful mountains, was blessed by the faith of brave Christian brothers and sisters who decided to risk it all to be the first to bring Christ’s message of love and forgiveness to Japan.

In 1549, Francis Xavier was the first missionary to Japan. Under his ministry, many were converted and the church grew rapidly. But Japanese officials saw Christians as a threat, and severe persecution began. The opposition to Christianity grew like a jagged mountain against the skies of Japan, overshadowing the believers below. In cities like Unzen, Christians were boiled in volcanic lava. Others were crucified on wooden crosses in the town of Nagasaki. Japanese soldiers rounded up all known Christians in 1637, around thirty thousand of them, and killed each one.

Following this, the church went underground in hopes of protecting those who managed to survive. The church struggled for several years. However, by God’s grace the church survived. Faithful missionaries did not stop coming. They heard about the mountainous persecution and answered the call to minister to the few faithful believers who were left.

Japan now has 1.7 million active Christians, and the church is adding believers everyday. Xavier and the modern missionaries represent the faith of a mustard seed that moved a mountain of opposition so a nation could be changed.

Life is full of obstructed views. Believers often face a mountain of opposition from worldly family members who don’t accept their beliefs. Many Christians come across the Alps of atheism in the workplace. Towering peaks of persecution from their own governments overshadow believers in restricted nations. However, a beautiful view is just beyond each mountain of opposition that faces the church today. The scene is of thousands of men, women, and children who hunger for the gospel. Faith can clear the way for others to be saved. Many Christians before you have been persecuted to demonstrate that truth. Will you continue their work with a faith that can move mountains? What mountain of opposition will you focus on today?

Earlier that morning, the young girl’s mother, their pastor, and twenty-six others in her North Korean village of GokSan were bound and taken before a screaming crowd of Communists.

One of the guards ordered Pastor Kim and the other Christians, “Deny Christ, or you will die.” The words chilled her. How could they ask her to deny Jesus? She knew in her heart he was real. They all quietly refused.

Then the Communist guard shouted directly at the adult Christians, “Deny Christ, or we will hang your children.” The young girl looked up at her mother. She gripped her hand knowing how much her mom loved her. Her mother then leaned down. With confidence and peace she whispered, “Today, my love, I will see you in heaven.”

All of the children were hanged.

The remaining believers were then brought out onto the pavement and forced to lie down in front of a large steamroller. The Communists gave them one last chance. “Deny this Jesus or you will be crushed.” The Christians had already given up their children; there was no turning back.

As the driver started the heavy piece of equipment, the singing from the villagers started softly. “More love, O Christ, to thee, more love to thee.”

More. It’s what God gave when he sent his Son. More. It’s what Jesus gave when he was crucified. More. It’s what believers give simply out of love for Christ. They want to give more to the One who gave so much to them. In a worldly age that values giving only what one must to get by, believers set a new standard. “More love to thee” is more than just words in a traditional hymnal. It’s a lifestyle without limit. Each day is a path of discovering how to give more love to Jesus Christ. For some believers, this path has led to their death. For others, “more love to thee” has meant financial sacrifice. What does “more love to thee” mean to your everyday life?

Now everyone wanted to see the movie. They whispered about it in the market and even in the mosque. “What is it about?” “Is it really that bad, that people should get arrested for having it?”

The movie in question was the JESUS film—a high-quality film that portrays the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It shows the plan of salvation on the big screen, bringing the story of Jesus to life. In Jacobabad, Pakistan, two men were arrested for distributing the film and other Christian materials. Both men were beaten, and local mullahs, Muslim religious leaders, urged that charges be filed against them and others who had been involved in distributing the materials. They went one step beyond, encouraging Muslims in the city to take action against all Christians. Soon, a local pastor’s possessions were stolen, and shots were fired near a Christian school. The town seemed on the verge of outright violence.

However, things soon began to change. Instead of boycotting the movie, everyone in town wanted to see the “sinful” film. They wanted to know about all the fuss firsthand. Black-market copies began making the rounds, and eventually the JESUS film was even shown on local television. The city judge watched the movie, and he declared that it was not anti-Islam.

Through the unintentional efforts of the mullahs, the gospel message reached an entire community. They planned to erase the JESUS film from their country. However, their campaign actually promoted the ministry. God does not turn evil into good by conventional methods. He blesses the efforts of his servants, but not in ways we might anticipate. Christians in restricted nations are learning this the hard way, but they rejoice to see the mystery of God at work in their nations. God makes a way for us even when it doesn’t make sense. There are times when everything seems to be going wrong. Are those the times when you trust God the most? He knows what he is doing even when you do not.

Nicolai Ceaucescu had a brainstorm called “collectivization.” As the vicious dictator of Romania, he probably thought it was a good idea to get the people to voluntarily surrender all of their possessions to the state for the common good of all.

Farmers, landowners, and peasants everywhere lost everything: fields, sheep, cattle, houses, and furniture. The once-thriving agricultural sector of Romania was destroyed. Every farmer now became a slave of the state, working for pathetic wages on the state’s field. Families stood in line just to obtain bread.

To keep the people from becoming resistant to his strategy, the dictator himself helped in the initial launch. In the Romanian province of Dobrogea, all of the villagers were gathered together in the town center and asked to willingly give up their possessions. When no one volunteered, Ceaucescu shot ten people with his own gun. The vote was taken again: “Who is willing to give up all of their possessions?”

They played military music and chanted the praises of Communism. As the people were forced to dance, a video was made propagating their enthusiastic adherence to socialism. One farmer who had lost everything reported later, “They thought they took everything. But they left something very important—our hymnals. So we sat down and sang praises to the Lord.”

People often play games to get new people talking and learning about each other. One of the more revealing questions is to ask people what one thing they would bring if they were stranded on a deserted island. Most people have a hard time deciding and have to be reminded that this is only a game. However, the people of Romania did not have the luxury of playing a game; they were experiencing real life. Their government didn’t even allow them one possession. However, the villagers realized the presence of those overlooked hymnals brought joy to their village, which now resembled their own deserted island. The people treasured the hymnals, and God treasured the people.

Mary was only seventeen when Muslim fanatics raided her village in Lebanon. Mary and her parents were confronted with a grueling choice: “Become a Muslim, or you will be shot.”

Mary boldly told the man, “I choose God. Go ahead and shoot.” Mary and her family were shot and left for dead. Two days later, the Red Cross arrived in the village and found a miracle. Mary was alive—paralyzed by the bullet wound.

Devastated and grieving, Mary clung to her faith and prayed. Finally a strange peace came over her. She made this commitment to God: “Everyone has a job to do. I can never marry or do any physical work. So I will offer my life for the Muslims, like the ones who killed my father and mother and tried to kill me. My life will be a prayer for them."

Her prayers and her undeniable witness of Christ brought many Muslims to faith in the Son of God. In Lebanon, 1990 was the fiercest year of the fifteen-year civil war. Thousands were killed or wounded, and hundreds of thousands fled. However, Mary’s offering of her wounded life encouraged many Christians to stay and take a stand for Christ.

The greatest gift to God’s service will not fit in an offering plate. When we view our entire lives as offerings to God, our resources to benefit his kingdom are unlimited. Many of those who have been persecuted like Mary share a similar story. They continue to offer their lives to serve those who oppress them as an act of worship. Therese of Lisieux once noted, “Sufferings gladly borne for others convert more people than sermons.” The majority of Christians will find it easy to make the usual excuses for offering their lives: “too busy” and “too much going on.” However, God can reveal unique ways that we can be witnesses for Him.

Psalm18 wrote:

[b] Devastated and grieving, Mary clung to her faith and prayed. Finally a strange peace came over her. She made this commitment to God: “Everyone has a job to do. I can never marry or do any physical work. So I will offer my life for the Muslims, like the ones who killed my father and mother and tried to kill me. My life will be a prayer for them."[/b]

Her prayers and her undeniable witness of Christ brought many Muslims to faith in the Son of God. In Lebanon, 1990 was the fiercest year of the fifteen-year civil war. Thousands were killed or wounded, and hundreds of thousands fled. However, Mary’s offering of her wounded life encouraged many Christians to stay and take a stand for Christ.

The greatest gift to God’s service will not fit in an offering plate. [b]When we view our entire lives as offerings to God, our resources to benefit his kingdom are unlimited.[/b] Many of those who have been persecuted like Mary share a similar story. They continue to offer their lives to serve those who oppress them as an act of worship. Therese of Lisieux once noted, “Sufferings gladly borne for others convert more people than sermons.” The majority of Christians will find it easy to make the usual excuses for offering their lives: “too busy” and “too much going on.” [b]However, God can reveal unique ways that we can be witnesses for Him.[/b]

I was really blessed by Mary's example of doing what she could. If a young woman who has gone through such devastating persecution that leaves her paralyzed could still find a way to serve her Master, surely we who have so much can do the same in yielding our lives to God as available instruments for His service.

Roniya wrote:

I was really blessed by Mary's example of doing what she could. If a young woman who has gone through such devastating persecution that leaves her paralyzed could still find a way to serve her Master, surely we who have so much can do the same in yielding our lives to God as available instruments for His service.

Amen Joy, it's amazing to see how God uses our suffering to bring others to Christ. In every one of these testimonies I could see how one could stop and question why or give up and say "God's not in it, he wouldn't allow such a thing to happen!" but than we see how Jesus and those who went before us have suffered and we can know that it's from the master's hand. It's like David Wilkerson, once said "It's my fathers cup shall I not drink it? Drink it up my friend!"

[u][b]“Sufferings gladly borne for others convert more people than sermons.”[/b][/u]

The Communist prison of Jilava was especially harsh. The broken windows let in the bitter winter cold. Some of the prisoners had even frozen to death. There was no sympathy for Christians at Jilava. In fact, they often endured “special” beatings from the cruel guards.

One of the new prisoners, Archmandrite Ghiush, was a pastor in the city of Liberty, Romania. As Archmandrite anxiously looked around his new “home,” he noticed a familiar face—a man who had served with him in Liberty. It was Pastor Richard Wurmbrand. “How could he still be alive?” Archmandrite wondered. “No one has heard from him in nearly eight years.” The two faithful pastors embraced. Archmandrite smiled, grateful for an old friend to help him through the horrific sufferings he was about to endure.

But Pastor Wurmbrand did not smile. He felt saddened to see such a fine pastor in prison. He began to worry about him. Would he survive the cold and the cruel treatment? Would he go mad, as others had done? After eight years in prison, Wurmbrand knew what was to come.

The two friends sat silently for a while. Finally Richard broke the tension and softly asked, “Are you sad?” To his amazement Archmandrite simply replied, “Brother, I know only one sadness: That is not being fully given to Jesus.”

It is difficult to read the true stories of Christian martyrs without feeling emotionally drained. The natural reaction is one of sadness and a sense of pity for the innocent who died such horrific deaths. However, the heroes and heroines of the stories would wish for an altogether different response. They hoped their sacrifices would inspire others toward like-hearted commitment, not pity. Certainly, their deaths touch our hearts. But the realization of our own paltry faith ought to break our hearts in two. That is truly sad. Are you challenged beyond earthly sympathy towards repentance for your own complacency? Do you have a divine sense of determination as a result of your reading? Ask God to stir your resolve to live for him today.

Demeter suffered for many years in Communist prisons. He had remained strong in spirit during his confinement, but his body was beginning to wear down. There was a certain prison warden who amused himself by beating on Demeter’s spine with a hammer, which permanently paralyzed him. But Demeter’s Christlike attitude never wavered, and he was eventually released from prison.

Twenty years later, he heard a knock at the front door of his home. He was shocked to see the same prison warden who had so cruelly beat on his spine and paralyzed him years before standing before him. Still, Demeter did not waver in his expression of faith.

Even before Demeter could offer a greeting, the former warden said, “I realize I can never be forgiven for what I have done to you. It was too heinous. But please just listen to my words of apology and then I will leave.”

Demeter paused only for a moment as he gazed with compassion and wonder at the man. He replied softly, “For twenty years I have prayed for you daily. I have waited for you. Twenty years ago, I forgave you already.” If we are willing to show love and forgiveness to everyone—even those who have hurt us—then the love of Christ can conquer all.

Most people will never suffer deliberate physical torment. However, the wounds that others inflict upon us emotionally can be just as devastating. Memories of unkind words, a betrayal by a friend, a bitter divorce, can stay with us for a lifetime. We are tempted to hold a grudge, or even perhaps to exact revenge against the offender. Forgiveness does not come naturally to us, but it is inseparable from God’s nature. If we have tasted God’s grace, then we can allow others to share in God’s forgiveness. Forgiveness does not depend on the offender’s asking for it first. It is an act of obedience, as well as an act of faith. Ask God to open your heart to the miracle of true forgiveness.

A young Christian man in Eastern Europe, Jon Lugajanu, returned to the prison after his court hearing. His cell mates anxiously asked him, “What happened?”

He answered, “It was just like the day the angel visited Mary, the mother of Jesus. Here she was, a godly young woman sitting alone in meditation, when a radiant angel of God told her the incredible news. She would carry the Son of God in her womb.”

Curious about how this story tied in to Jon’s courtroom experience, the other prisoners listened closely.

Jon went on to share the gospel of peace through the story of Mary. “For all the joy Jesus brought her, Mary would have to one day stand at the foot of a cross and watch him suffer and die for the sins of the world. God resurrected Jesus, where he now reigns in heaven. Mary knew once she was in heaven, she would be with Jesus again and experience eternal joy.”

The other prisoners were puzzled at this. “But we asked you what happened in court?” they reminded Jon.

Jon looked at them, his face shining with peace, and said, “I was given the death penalty. Isn’t that beautiful news?” Jon realized the news the angel delivered to Mary was just as bittersweet—after Jesus had suffered there would be rejoicing in heaven. He anxiously anticipated his eternal joy in Jesus’ presence.

In many cultures, death is a taboo subject. People often go to great lengths to insulate themselves from the inevitability of their own death. They like to use phrases like “passed away” instead of “died.” We resist making a will or buying life insurance, thinking, “It will never happen to me.” Corporations make huge profits selling us products that promise eternal youth. God does not give us the option of ignoring death, but he gives us the key to facing it. Mary’s angelic visitor did not shirk from telling her she would suffer great grief at the cross. However, she was also given the hope of resurrection to make her grief bearable. As Christians, God’s promise of eternal life helps us accept our own death both realistically and courageously.

George Jeltonoshko knew his government did not want people propagating the gospel of Christ, but he had a stronger conviction to obey the commandments of Christ—even if it conflicted with the laws of his country.

It was not a huge surprise to him when the police came to his door. He figured it was inevitable that they would find out about his ministry activities because of the literature he had been spreading. When his trial date came, he was given a state-appointed Communist attorney. George boldly told the judge, “I don’t want a lawyer. I feel I am right, and righteousness needs no defense.”

The judge asked him, “Do you plead guilty?”
He replied, “No. To spread the good news of God’s love is the duty of all Christians.”

The judge then asked him to join the ranks of the “official churches,” which were nothing more than state-run puppet churches. But George refused. The state church followed the commandments of the state, not the commands of God.

The judge was getting frustrated. “Where do you meet for worship?” he demanded.

George answered, “True believers worship everywhere.”

He was sentenced to three years in prison where George Jeltonoshko continued to carry out his work and worship. He was right. Righteousness needed no defense.

Doing the “right thing” may be a popular motto. That’s easier said than done, however, because what is right in God’s eyes often conflicts with popular opinion. The dispute between right and wrong often becomes apparent in a classroom, a workroom, and even a courtroom or church. We can’t rely on our environment to tell us what is right. People can persuade us to confuse compromise with righteousness. God’s Word is the only defense for determining what is right in every situation. Others may not understand or agree with the choices we make. However, God promises to honor our commitment to doing what is right. Those who observe us will see the light and feel the warmth of our righteous actions.

“With the flames of love’s fire that Jesus kindled in my heart, I caused the ice of Siberia to melt. Hallelujah!”

Bishop Victor Belikh’s face lit up as he spoke these words. He had learned the powerful secret of letting God take over one’s heart even in the worst of circumstances. For twenty years he had suffered in the lonely prison cell in Communist Russia without a visit or news from his family or friends.

Every evening, a simple straw mattress was placed in his small cell. He was allowed to sleep for seven hours before the mat was removed. He spent the remaining seventeen hours of each day walking circles in his pathetic little space, and if he stopped or broke down, guards would beat him or throw water on him until he continued. After twenty years of such incredible hardship, he was sent to a forced-labor camp for another four years in Northern Siberia, where the ice never melts. He survived only because he allowed the fire of God to melt away all bitterness and anger.

Belikh’s situation is rare, but his resolve through Jesus Christ is available to everyone who suffers. Jesus stoked the fire of love in Belikh’s heart—a godly furnace that was able to keep him warm for twenty years.

Fire. The mere word ignites powerful images. It implies danger when shouted in a crowded building. It embodies comfort when camping on a frosty night. It is connected with strong emotions during the “heat” of the moment or a “fiery” temper. Fire is also used to refine and to harden metals through the smelting process. Fire illuminates and consumes darkness. In all these images, one thing remains constant. Fire is associated with change. Like an encounter with fire, an encounter with God is life changing. Has the fiery love of Christ ignited, sustained, refined, comforted, and ultimately liberated you as it did Belikh? Human cruelty can never extinguish the flame of God’s love. Is the flame of God’s love alive in you?

All the prisoners were upset to see the little girl in prison with her mother. Even the prison director said, “Why don’t you take pity on your daughter? If you will give up being a Christian, you both can go home.”

The woman was understandably torn inside. She had been imprisoned with her child after protesting the arrest of her pastor, but she agreed to deny her faith to keep her daughter from suffering. Two weeks later, the Communists forced her to shout from a stage in front of ten thousand people: “I am no longer a Christian.”

On their return home, the little girl turned to her mother and said, “Mommy, today Jesus is not satisfied with you.” The mother tried to explain that she did this out of love. The little girl looked at her mother with conviction beyond her years and said, “I promise if we go to prison again for Jesus, I will not cry.”

Her mother wept, overcome with pride and love for her daughter and conviction for her own weakness. As she cried out to God for strength in a difficult decision, she went back to the prison director and said, “You convinced me to deny my faith for my daughter’s sake, but she has more courage than me.” They both returned to prison, and the little girl kept her promise.

Joshua of the Israelites faced a difficult challenge—picking up where Moses left off and leading God’s chosen people onward. Was it dangerous? Undoubtedly. Was Joshua apprehensive? Probably. Joshua received God’s promise to be with him, giving Joshua the same confidence as the child in the story. Both Joshua and the child realized early in life that they would need God’s presence to succeed. God commands us to fortify ourselves with courage and the knowledge that he will never forsake us. In the face of trials, courage often flees. In times of trouble, choose to trust God’s promise that he will be with you. Be obedient and courageous today.

Che Jinguang: First Protestant Martyr (c. 1800-1861)

His Life. Che Jinguang (Golden Light Vehicle) was a most unlikely candidate to be Chinas first Protestant martyr. Until he was in his 50s, he worked as a keeper of the Confucian Temple in Boluo, about 40 miles east of Guangzhou. Then, in early 1856, he was visited by two Chinese Christians from Hong Kong. They shared the Gospel and left him a Bible, and when they returned in May, he asked to be baptized. He offered as evidence of the sincerity of his new faith the tablet used to worship his ancestors spirits, which he had defaced with a chisel. In Hong Kong, Che met Pastor He Jinshan and Scottish missionary James Legge. They were reluctant to baptize him due to the concern that he might be looking for work. Che persisted, and one night he waited outside for Legge after a prayer meeting. It was raining, and as Che let the rainwater fall on his head, he told Legge that God would baptize him even if Legge would not. Legge then baptized Che, and Che returned to Boluo and began a self-supported ministry as an itinerant evangelist. The Manchu Qing Empire was then at war with Great Britain and France, so these were tense times to be associated with the foreign religion. Che was arrested a few months after his return, but the authorities released him after seizing his books. Despite much anti-foreign sentiment, Legge decided to purchase property for the London Missionary Society in Boluo. In October 1861, he turned the keys to the property over to Che. A few days after Legges departure from Boluo, Che was seized, tortured for several days, and finally beheaded on October 16 when he refused to renounce his faith.

His Legacy. Che returned to Hong Kong each year to give a report on his work, and in May 1861, Legge and several others journeyed to Boluo and baptized 101 people who had responded to the Gospel. Many testified that they were attracted not simply by Ches preaching but even more by his lifestyle of love and holiness. Legge traveled with Che for several weeks and saw first-hand much of the hostility Che encountered. In response to one beating, Che declined to press charges and said, I only pray our Heavenly Father to have pity on them. After Ches martyrdom, Legge pursued the case vigorously with the British and Manchu governments, but to no avail. Now that the British government was assisting its former adversary, the Manchu government, in defeating the Taiping Rebellion, neither was interested in taking up a new religious controversy. Nonetheless, the blood of Chinas first martyr has since yielded a harvest of millions.

His Last Words. How can I deny Him who died for me?

http://www.prayforchina.com/pro_che_jinguang_e.htm

“I purified my heart of the fear of men, and I learned to see God.”

Me Ling was young when she was arrested for her Christian activities in Communist China. During times of interrogation, the police would torture her to try to force her to betray friends in the underground church.

At first Me Ling was extremely fearful, and she could not see the purpose that God had for her in that terrible place. But then she remembered the teachings of her pastor who had said, “Real suffering lasts only a minute, and then we spend eternity with our awesome Savior.”

When asked how she was able to keep from going crazy during those terrible times, she replied, “When I closed my eyes, I could not see the angry faces of the men or the instruments of pain they were using. I kept repeating the promise of Christ to myself: ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God’ (Matthew 5:8). I also found that when I purified my heart of the fear of men, I learned to really see God. I took courage from all the others who had gone before me and focused on him until everything else faded away. When the officials learned of my defense, they taped my eyelids open. But it was too late because my vision was secure.”

We admire people whose professions require a great deal of concentration and focus. The skilled neurosurgeon, the Olympic athlete, and the corporate visionary share a common trait: They are focused. The discipline of focus transcends intelligence, athletic agility, or charisma. Without focus, these people would be merely smart, athletic, or interesting at best. Their ability to stay focused contributes greatly to their success. Developing an earthly focus can bring earthly success, but what about matters of eternity? If you are more focused on the temporary things of this world you will miss the goal. What can you do today to ensure you are focused on Christ and on spreading his good news?

The Soviet newspaper, Molodoij Gruzii, reported the imprisonment of three Christians. Their crime was starting an organized chain letter to help people all across the Soviet Union understand the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Unable to publish Bibles or Christian books, they had begun sending out multiple copies of these letters and asking recipients to make copies and pass them on. Through this creative method of spreading the gospel, thousands of letters had reached into many areas of the Soviet Union. The children especially liked them because they were not allowed to attend church, and the letters became an integral part of their Christian teaching.

In addition, these letters helped to bolster the faith of Christians throughout the country during that time. After years of government repression and interference in their churches, they were ready to try something bold and new. They sincerely wanted everyone to know about the love of God, and despite the restrictions placed upon them, their brilliant simplicity allowed the message to spread throughout the town of Tbilisi and even into some areas of the Ukraine!

Another newspaper article stated, “The Christians have flooded our town with their writings.” It described this coordinated effort as “an offensive on the part of the believers.”
Who could predict the far-reaching effects of a mere chain letter!

After fifty years of tyranny against Christianity, Soviet officials felt threatened by a chain letter. Their cowardly response demonstrates the power contained in God’s Word. Oppression does not yield to human effort. It does not soften with feelings of sympathy. It only resists the powerful Word of God—alive and active in the lives of believers. Satan trembles at the power contained in God’s Word. Are we as aware of its power as its adversaries are? If it has been a long time since you experienced awe when reading Scripture, ask God for a second chance. Ask him to show you his power and experience the Word’s effect on your life today.

After requiring many hours of hard labor and offering a near-starvation diet, the Chinese prison guards demanded that someone volunteer to clean the bathrooms daily. None of the women prisoners spoke up.

Finally, Sister Kwang stepped forward and volunteered to do the rotten task. She saw it as the ultimate opportunity to share her faith with women in the prison whom she would otherwise never see. During her time in that prison, she led hundreds of women to Christ.

Kwang’s devotion was evident to all who knew her, but it came through much suffering. Before her imprisonment, she and her husband had volunteered to organize groups of evangelists who traveled around China forming small house churches.

When Communist officials discovered Kwang’s activities, they beat her twelve-year-old son to death. Still, she refused to deny Christ and even continued to build the house-church movement after her release.

Finally in 1974, the Communists decided to make an example of “Mother Kwang,” as her church members now knew her. She was sentenced to life in prison, put in an underground cell with a bucket for sanitary needs, and fed only dirty rice.

She was miraculously released after ten years and always looked back on her prison time as a gift—a special opportunity to share the love of Christ with people who might never have heard otherwise.

Volunteerism is almost a professional occupation for some people. They volunteer at their children’s school, help with parent/teacher nights, and help coach their children’s soccer teams. Volunteering for the not-so-popular opportunities can be more of a challenge. Often the volunteer spirit is nowhere to be found. Nursing homes, orphanages, and shelters are the last places many people want to spend their time. The smell, depressing environment, or other discomforts drive them away. But where do you suppose Jesus would spend most of his time? Nearly any volunteer position involves necessary and admirable work, but listen carefully for the opportunities less traveled and with those less fortunate. Try being the first to volunteer the next time one comes your way.

Morning Star of Chinas Revival

His Preparation. Ding Limei was born on Oct. 2, 1871 in rural Shandong. The name given him by his Christian parents meant Established Beauty. He attended high school and college at Presbyterian schools in Tengzhou (now Penglai), 160 miles from his home. He was a graduate of the first class of the North China Theological Seminary in Tengxian. The young preachers faith was soon tested. During the Boxer Uprising, he was arrested and beaten 5 times with 40 stripes during his 40 days in jail. He emerged with a determination to preach the gospel in every province in China and with a burden to reach Chinas students in order to build an authentic Chinese church. He wrote, Out of a hundred Chinese Churches we cannot count more than one or two self-supporting and governingWe are sorely grieved by this state of affairs, for as long as the Church of Christ in China is lying low, so will our compatriots continue to suffer

His Evangelistic Ministry. During his evangelistic ministry (1908-23), Pastor Ding served as Roving Secretary of the YMCAs China Student Volunteers for Evangelism. His slogan was: To preach the gospel throughout China even to the ends of the earth, within our generation. Revivals in Shandong and Beijing saw thousands saved. In one five month period in 1910, he led 87 meetings and preached over 200 messages. In early 1919, he fulfilled his vow to preach in all 18 provinces when he led one of Chinas first home missions teams to work among the Miao in Yunnan. His team of six spent 6 months there and had a time of encouraging fellowship with famed CIM missionary James O. Fraser.

His Teaching Ministry. In 1923, Pastor Dings ministry shifted from evangelism to theological education. He taught for eight years at the North China Theological Seminary, and then spent a short time pastoring a church in Manchuria. In 1932, he became a professor at the seminary newly established by the National Holiness Mission in Tianjin. During one of John Sungs revivals in Tianjin, Pastor Ding humbly became one of the first to come forward to confess sins and he took a leadership role in the follow up teams. He was ill the last two years of his life and devoted himself more intensely to prayer at this time. He kept prayer books with the names of those for whom he was praying, and at one time had 5000 names in his three prayer books. He went to be with the Lord on Sept. 22, 1936, and his body was buried in Tianjins British Cemetery. He left a wife and three children.

Ding Limeis Ten Prayer Points

1. By prayer I feel Christs presence, and the fellowship of a bosom friend.

2. By prayer I feel spiritually nourished, like flowers by sprinkling waters.

3. Righteousness, peace and joy, like three rays, surround me, whereby my heart is greatly encouraged.

4. By prayer and Bible-reading is the joy of my devotion to the Lord increased.

5. By prayer is my preaching secretly helped by the Spirit

6. By prayer is love for others increased, that there is not one under heaven who cannot be loved.

7. By prayer is hope added to faith, and that greatly multiplied.

8. Whenever I sin, hidden or seen, big or small, I am self-rebuked through prayer, and will not leave off without confession and repentance.

9. By prayer I find the way opened up before me and everything becomes smooth-sailing.

10. The gradual increase of prayer bands is not through my individual effort, but by one and all, individuals and groups.

References:

Photo and Final Quotation from Tow, Timothy. The Asian Awakening. (Christian Life Publishers, 1988) p. 234

Location: Eritrea
Arrested: May 2004
Days Imprisoned: 1448
Print Fact Sheet

Dr. Kiflu Gebremeskel, a leading figure of Full Gospel Church of Eritrea, founder and senior pastor of Southwest Full Gospel Church and member of the executive committee to the Full Gospel Church of Eritrea, was arrested on May 23, 2004. He was taken from his home in Asmara Gejeret, at approximately 5:00 a.m. Dr. Gebremeskel was a mathematics lecturer, department and faculty head at the University of Asmara until 1999, when he became a full-time pastor at the Southwest Full Gospel Church. He has a Ph.D. in mathematics from Chicago University. His wife and four children have not been able to visit him.

Nearly 1,800 Eritrean Christians are now believed to be under arrest because of their religious beliefs, held in police stations, military camps and prisons in 12 known locations across Eritrea. Dr. Gebremeskel is one of the 28 clergymen being held.

Jailed Protestants are routinely subjected to physical beatings and severe psychological pressure to deny their religious beliefs. Police and military authorities continue to demand the prisoners return to one of the three “official” Christian denominations recognized by the government. But even the legally recognized denominations-the nation’s historic Orthodox, Catholic and Lutheran churches-have come under government disfavor in the past year, incurring threats and even jailing by security police officials.

http://www.prisoneralert.com/pprofiles/vp_prisoner_159_profile.html

“I will kiss the rope but never deny my faith!” exclaimed Tahir Iqbal. The soldiers lifted the paralytic pastor out of his wheelchair and slipped the noose around his neck. Today he walks freely in heaven with Christ.

In Pakistan, another seasoned pastor heard a gunshot right outside his house. The bullet narrowly missed him and lodged into the wall behind his chair. He thanked God for another day that he could share Christ in the Muslim-dominated nation.

Raymond Lully left a comfortable position as an Oxford professor and spent most of his life suffering for the gospel. He wrote, “Once I was fairly rich and tasted freely the pleasures of this life. But all these things I gladly resigned that I might spread the knowledge of truth. I have been in prisons; I have been scourged . . . now, though old and poor, I do not despair; I am ready, if it be God’s will, to persevere unto death.”

Believers like these have a unique understanding of the term “shield of faith.” They realized it would not necessarily prevent their suffering, but it gave them courage to face it if necessary. The shield of faith gave them the resolve to continue doing spiritual battle for the cause of Christ no matter what it cost them here on earth.

First-century battle gear included a shield in one hand and a sword in the other. With one, the soldiers could advance against their enemy. With the other, they went on the offensive. Concerning our own spiritual battle gear today, would we find a dusty “shield of faith” stored away in a corner? When we come out from under the protection God offers us through the shield of faith, we become vulnerable to our enemy’s attacks. Without faith, it is impossible to avoid fear and discouragement. We stop advancing the gospel at the first sign of opposition. What has kept you from advancing the gospel in your sphere of influence? Where do you need to brandish your shield of faith amid daunting opposition?

Pastor Wurmbrand worked his way through the others prisoners to where another pastor sat motionless on the floor. He had just been thrown into the cell. He was badly beaten. Wurmbrand did not know if he would survive the night.

With loving compassion Pastor Wurmbrand knelt down beside the beaten pastor and asked, “My brother . . . can you say the prayer, ‘Father forgive them’?”

The man winced with pain, touching his swollen, bruised face. It was difficult to speak. The words came out slowly, “I cannot.”

Just as Pastor Wurmbrand began feeling sympathy for the man, the beaten pastor began to speak again. With tears in his eyes he said, “My prayer is not ‘forgive them.’ My prayer is . . . ‘Father, forgive them and me.’ If I had been a better pastor, perhaps there would have been more converted torturers.”

This weary pastor expressed his concern for the missed opportunities to convert his enemies to Christ. Both pastors realized a young member of Romania’s Communist Youth Organization was once arrested and unmercifully beaten by a supposedly Christian police officer. This incident hardened his heart toward Christ for the rest of his life. This missed opportunity for the gospel finally became the dictator of the former Communist nation of Romania. Nicolai Ceausescu was responsible for the torture of countless Christians, including Pastor Wurmbrand and his fellow beaten pastor.

No regret is greater than that from a missed opportunity. Unfortunately, life often brings missed opportunities like the birth of a child, a Christmas morning, or even that last flight out going home. However, nothing compares to the missed opportunity to change another person’s eternal destiny. We never know how the seemingly nominal person sitting next to us on the train one day might affect the world for Christ—if only we said something. Equally true is the possibility that breaking our silence might detour a determined Christian opponent. You may count many missed opportunities for the gospel in your past. However, you can change your future by seizing the opportunities given to you each day to share your faith.

Pastor Cai Zouhua, 34 years old, was arrested on September 11, 2004 for printing Bibles and Christian books. In November 2005, Pastor Cai, his wife Xiao Yun Fei and two more relatives were sentenced to prison terms. Pastor Cai’s mother, Cai Laiyi, sitting with her son’s picture by her side says gently, “I pray for him, and for all of us. We are simple people, but we do know this: in the Bible, it says follow your leaders, but first follow your God.”

Today in many nations, Christians can write their own book, take it to a printer and give copies to their friends with no fear of any government reprisal. Many older translations of the Bible have no restrictions or copyrights and can be printed and distributed by anyone. Pastor Cai and his family were not selling these books for earthly gain, but giving them away to others for their eternal gain. Pastor Cai follows the footsteps of William Tyndale, an Englishman, who was captured in October 1536, and imprisoned by authorities of the English Church and the government. Tyndale was later executed for printing the New Testament and smuggling copies into England. It was against the law to print without government permission.

Pastor Cai and his flock courageously continue to follow Christ. Chen Rufu, a church member said, “My whole family has become believers in Christ, and we have all become one big community, loving each other. When my wife had an accident last year, no one did anything for us except our church.”

Believers can be lulled into a false security, believing once they are committed to Christ, life will be easy. After all, they are “doing God’s will,” and shouldn’t that mean hard times are behind? However, Jesus promised that we would be hated for his name’s sake. We may even suffer physical harm, imprisonment, or death because of our faith. We don’t have a choice of the trials we will encounter, but we do have the choice of how we will react and in whom we will trust and seek comfort and counsel. As spread the gospel we walk in the joy of the Lord, no one nor no thing can block us from God’s love.

Among China's millions of Christians, none has been as well known to the West as Watchman Nee. Many of his books, such as The Normal Christian Life and Sit, Walk, Stand, reached Western shores and were printed in English where they were well-received.

Communist China has been hostile to Christian believers. Efforts are made to herd all Christians into a few state-controlled churches. Watchman Nee's fearless witness angered the party, which denounced him and his church. He was accused of exercising "a dark, mysterious control" over 470 supposedly independent churches. Nee could see the writing on the wall.

Rather than bemoan the fate he saw approaching, he worked night and day to dictate to assistants all that Christ had taught him. For days on end, he went with only two hours of sleep. The words they wrote down described the glory of God, the power of Christ's resurrection, the proofs of God's existence, and Christ's righteousness for believers.

He was arrested in 1952. With fierce brainwashing and honeyed promises, the Communists tried to break his fidelity to Christ. His captors promised him that if he would lead the faithful into the Three Self Patriotic Movement (the Communist-controlled church) he would be freed. Nee refused.

For four years believers did not know where he was. Then in 1956 he was given a hearing in Shanghai and accused of numerous severe crimes. To each charge he was allowed to answer only Yes or No. He stood silent for all but two: sabotage and spying. Those he denied. The Court of Public Security recommended severity. A few days later he was publicly accused and "proofs" presented. Among the allegations was that, at a time when Mao was bringing in a bright new socialist future, Nee had demoralized people by preaching that mankind is in the last days.

At the end of the hearing, Nee was sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment with reform by labor. He was placed in the First Municipal Prison, where he had to labor in a factory eight hours a day, attend re-education another eight, and was allowed to rest the final eight. Loud speakers blared continuous propaganda. The prisoners were fed so little, their ribs protruded. He was permitted to send only one heavily-censored letter a month. Later he was employed translating English articles into Chinese for the government. Released convicts reported that he refused to buckle to the Communists, but instead sang hymns in his cell. Apparently he also refused an opportunity to be ransomed to the West.

On this day, April 12, 1972 Nee completed twenty years in prison, five years more than his maximum sentence. Ten days later he wrote in a good spirit to his sister, possibly from a country prison. Within weeks he was dead.

http://chi.gospelcom.net/DAILYF/2001/04/daily-04-12-2001.shtml

Secret Soviet police documents show that in Butovo, a suburb of Moscow, forty-four thousand people were shot in groups of two hundred and buried secretly. One night during the slaughter, Claudia Vasilevna opened her door to a haggard woman who was supposed to be shot for her Christian faith but managed to escape. She begged Claudia to hide her.

Fearful, Claudia refused. She closed the door and left the woman outside, sealing the woman’s death sentence. For over fifty years, Claudia has struggled to forget the image of the woman.

In contrast to Claudia’s struggle, Romanian church members enjoyed peace in their hearts by helping two Germans soldiers who had escaped en route to a Soviet jail. They sought refuge in the church of Pastor Richard Wurmbrand. At the end of World War II, Romania was ruled by harsh Nazi Germany. As Germany was losing the war, the Russian army entered Romania and began taking Germans as prisoners of war. Hiding or helping a German was punishable by death.

The soldiers still wore the German uniforms and were candidates for death. The church families agreed to help protect them because it was not their place to judge but to help every person in mortal danger. They also reached out to German children during this time, knowing that they were only doing what Christ would do in their place.

Christians often have to choose between trouble for their bodies and trouble for their souls. It’s the difference between earthly trouble and eternal regret. Extreme Christians live in such contrast with the rest of the world that sometimes it is hard to relate. Their circumstances are often so extreme. Even within our comparably ordinary circumstances we may face decisions that require extraordinary courage. Will we choose earthly security over eternal significance? Will we take an earthly risk that may result in a spiritual gain? When you are faced with situations that require courage beyond your means, ask God for help. He will provide the wisdom you need at the right time to make the right decision.

The Lord gave me this awesome revelation today that there is nothing in this world that He cannot bring us through wiping away every shred of doubt from my mind! As Watchman Nee always says, "It's revelation that changes us." Nothing can stop us when God is working through us. I was really blessed by that story about Watchman Nee, having read his books for so long. That really encouraged me. I had alot more boldness today witnessing to others at work not caring at all if I get fired or not. This has given me a desire more than ever to win the lost at any cost.

Chinese professor Bob Fu and his wife held secret Bible studies in remote villages. The inhabitants’ hunger for God’s Word never ceased to amaze him.

One memorable trip began with a twelve hour bus ride on which a church leader stood in front of the broken window for hours to keep the rain out so that Fu could rest. The next night, they drove a small van on rough, muddy roads until the van got stuck; then they drove a tractor for hours in the pouring rain until the tractor also got stuck. After that, they walked all night by the light of the moon, slipping and falling in the muddy fields.
They arrived early the next morning to a warm welcome. Villagers began arriving at the house church to pray for two hours before the service. Some had walked fifty miles just to hear God’s Word. The house had no chairs, so the church members sat on rocks or pieces of wood. In this area, they had another blessing: It was too difficult for the police to follow. For a few days, they could worship freely!
Each had overcome extreme travel conditions to worship, and none considered it a sacrifice. They just had a desire like David, who was drawn to worship with every fiber of his being.

For those in restricted nations, church is not optional; it is essential. In contrast, in free nations many people make up their minds each week whether or not they will attend church. Do they have time? Is it raining? Would they rather sleep late? What’s the sermon topic anyway? Shamefully, we often run through a gamut of questions trying to decide whether church is worth our time. For David and others, going to meet with God was a no-brainer. In fact, they would not let anything keep them from it. When is the last time you asked God to give you a desire for worship like this? Ask him today, and make plans to attend church this week and meet with God.
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For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him.

PHILIPPIANS 1:29

Governor Agricola of Armenia was confronted with "mutiny." Forty soldiers refused to offer the sacrifice ordered by emperor Licinius. The forty who stood before him that wintry fourth-century day in Sevaste were fine specimens of manhood who radiated an aura of courage. He was determined to make them see reason.

But the soldiers were adamant. They refused to sacrifice. To do so was to betray their faith in Christ. "But what about your comrades?" asked Agricola. "Consider--you alone of all Caesar's thousands of troops defy him! Think of the disgrace you bring upon your legion!"

"To disgrace the name of our Lord Jesus Christ is more terrible still," replied the men. Exasperated, the governor threatened to flog and torture them. The soldiers stood firm, although they knew he would carry out his threat. In the fourth century, there were few civil rights. Boldly the men answered, "Nothing you can offer us would replace what we would lose in the next world. As for your threats-- we despise our bodies when the welfare of our souls is at stake."

Pairs of guards seized each man and dragged them out into the cold where they were stripped and tied to posts. Whips laid open their backs and iron hooks tore their sides. Still the forty refused to surrender. Agricola chained them in his dungeons. Finally, he commanded that they be stripped naked and driven onto the ice of a pond below Sevaste.

The "rebels" did not wait for the sentence to be imposed, but tearing off their own clothes, ran to the pond in the raw March air. "We are soldiers of the Lord and fear no hardship," they said. "What is death for us but an entrance into eternal life?" On this day, March 9, 320, singing hymns, they stood shivering on the pond as the sun sank.

Baffled, Agricola ordered hot baths placed around the pond. Surely the warm water would lure the men off the ice! But the crisp night air carried a prayer to all ears: "Lord, there are forty of us engaged in this battle; grant that forty may be crowned and not one be wanting from this sacred number."

One of the men did lose his nerve, however, and crawled off the ice to a bath. He died the instant he touched the hot water. This was too much for one of the guards. He shucked off his clothes, marched onto the ice and took the place of the man who had failed.

Bibliography:

Basil, St. "Homily on the Forty Martyrs."
"Bravest Soldiers in the Army: The Forty Martyrs of Sevaste." Glimpses #146. Worcester, Pennsylvania: Christian History Institute.
Gregory of Nyssa. "First and Second Homilies Concerning the Forty Martyrs." http://www.sp.uconn.edu/~salomon/nyssa/martyrs.htm
Kirsch, J. P. "Forty Martyrs." The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton, 1914.
Various encyclopedia and internet articles.
Last updated May, 2007.

http://chi.gospelcom.net/DAILYF/2002/03/daily-03-09-2002.shtml

Barbarians menaced the Roman empire. Emperor Diocletian instituted a number of reforms aimed at saving the sprawling political entity. He reorganized the provinces and made the army more mobile while increasing its size. To battle inflation, he issued a new coinage, established a uniform system of taxation and implemented wage-price controls.

Recognizing that the empire was too large for a single man to rule, he divided it into four administrative units. In doing this he raised to power a man who did Christians much harm. This man, Galerius, instigated by his mother (a die-hard pagan) prodded the Emperor to persecute the Christians. With their new customs, Christians were a threat to imperial unity, he said; and their vast, well-knit organization was the largest non-governmental body ever seen. Surely they could not be trusted: their loyalty was to King Jesus rather than to Caesar. Diocletian, who for eighteen years had never lifted a finger against the faith, followed this wicked advice. The crackdown began on this day, February 23, 303.

The persecutors dragged off church leaders and tortured them to death, employing the rack, the scourge, slow fires, crucifixion, and many other barbarities against them. They burned Christian books and scriptures. Many Christians died deaths of great courage. Theodotus, for example, after terrible tortures said as he was being led back to prison, "It is but just that Christians should suffer for Him who suffered for us all."

Timothy, a deacon in Mauritania, allowed his eyes to be put out with red hot irons rather than reveal the hiding place of scriptures. His wife of just three weeks was then brought in and she attempted to persuade him to recant for love of her. He refused. Growing stouthearted, she joined him. After horrendous torture, both were crucified.

In the end, it was the church which won the showdown. All the powers of Rome could not crush its allegiance to Christ. Even Galerius eventually left off the persecution. In 311, the dying emperor issued an edict of toleration. Christians had outlasted the might of the empire. Their resistance to arbitrary power was instrumental in winning the right to follow their Christian faith.

Bibliography:

Aland, Kurt. Saints and Sinners; men and ideas in the early church. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1970.
"Diocletian." The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Edited by F. L. Cross and E. A. Livingstone. Oxford, 1997.
Foxe, John. Foxe's Book of Martyrs. Various editions.
Ridpath. Encylopedia of Universal History. 1890. Source of the image.
Scannel, T. B. "Diocletian." The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton, 1914.
Various encyclopedia and internet articles such as www.roman-emperors.org/dioclet.htm.

http://chi.gospelcom.net/DAILYF/2001/02/daily-02-23-2001.shtml

Drunken Russian guards entered the cold cell one harsh winter afternoon. One prisoner, Nicolaie Moldovae, was a poet and composer as well as a devout believer and leader of an evangelical movement in the Orthodox church. He received a five year sentence in the brutal Russian prison for his ministry work.

“Lie on your belly!” a guard yelled to Nicolaie. In his thin shirt and shorts, he lay on the freezing floor. The guards then stepped on his back, legs, and feet with their heavy boots for an hour.

When the guards left, fellow prisoners knelt beside Nicolaie to see how badly he was hurt. To their amazement, Nicolaie said, “I have written a new hymn while I was being walked upon.” He began to sing, “May I not only speak about future heavens, but let me have heaven and a holy feast here.”

After Nicolaie was released from prison, the Communist police searched his home and confiscated a unique book of manuscripts that Nicolaie had worked on for several years. Hundreds of hours of precious work, writing, and devotion were immediately taken. After this, Nicolaie composed another hymn. “I worship you with gratitude for all you ever gave me, but also for everything beloved you took from me.
You do all things well, and I will trust in you.”

Today, Nicolaie Moldovae’s songs are celebrated throughout his nation.

It has been said that life is ten percent what happens and ninety percent how one responds to what happens. In that light, the actual circumstances of life do not matter as much as a person’s attitude toward them. Circumstances are beyond anyone’s control. But an attitude or response is a choice. Life may bring us a disharmonious jumble of notes and melodies in a minor key. With God’s help, however, we can choose to arrange the notes to produce a song of worship and victory. We can choose to hear melody in the madness of our lives. How would you describe the current circumstances in your life? What is your attitude toward your situation? What do you need to do to change your tune?

Word that John Wycliffe was dying whipped like storm winds across England. Now on this day, December 30, 1384, clerics--many of them his enemies--crowded into his room at Lutterworth. If they hoped to hear some last word or a recantation from him, they were disappointed. John could not speak.

Two days earlier, he had grown numb and collapsed while saying mass. When he came to from this, his second stroke, he was paralyzed and unable to speak.

John was the most famous priest of his day. His learning was immense. He had been a leading scholar at Oxford and a chaplain to the King of England. More to the point, he spoke out boldly against the errors of the popes, the organizational hierarchy of the Roman Church, and the corruption of the clergy in his day. He criticized not only the organization of the medieval church but its theology as well and argued for a return to the Scriptures. Pastors should live lives of simplicity and holiness, he taught, shepherding their flocks (people)--not plundering them.

If the people in England were to know the truth, John reasoned that they must have the Word of God in their own language. Under his direction, the Bible was translated into English for the first time, although the job was not completed by his associates until 1395, eleven years after his death. Repeatedly condemned and burned by church authorities, copies of Wycliffe's Bible continued in use for over a century, until printed Bibles took their place. This work greatly influenced William Tyndale who made the first printed translation of the New Testament in English.

We can still puzzle out the meaning of John Wycliffe's words. Here is how he describes the transfiguration: "And aftir sixe dayes Jhesus took Petre, and James, and John and ledith [led] hem [them] by hem selve aloone in to an high hil ; and he is transfigurid before hem. And his clothis ben maad [were made] schynynge [shining] and white ful moche [much] as snow, and which maner clothis a fullere [cloth worker], or walkere [worker] of cloth, may not make white on erthe. And Helye [Elijah] with Myses apperide [appeared] to hem, and thei weren [were] spekynge [speaking] with Jhesu."

John Wycliffe died of his stroke on the last day of the year. The religious authorities had never excommunicated him because they feared public opinion--the people loved John and his fame was international. So he was buried in consecrated soil. But about thirty years later, the Council of Constance revenged itself on his criticism by condemning his teachings and ordering his bones to be dug up and burned.

But the burning of such a man's bones could not end his influence. As John Foxe said in his book of martyrs, "though they digged up his body, burnt his bones, and drowned his ashes, yet the Word of God and the truth of his doctrine, with the fruit and success thereof, they could not burn; which yet to this day...doth remain."

Bibliography:

Adapted from earlier Christian History Institute stories.
Bowie, Walter Russell. Men of Fire. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1961.
Caughey, Ellen. John Wycliffe: herald of the Reformation. Uhrichsville, Ohio: Barbour, 2001.
Innis, George S. Wycliffe: the morning star. Cincinnati: Jennings and Graham, 1915.
Kenny, Anthony. Wycliffe. Oxford University Press, 1985.
Kunitz, Stanley L. British Authors Before 1800; a biographical dictionary. New York: H. W. Wilson, 1952.
Russell, Bertrand. Wisdom of the West. London, 1959. p. 215.
Wood, Douglas C. The Evangelical Doctor; John Wycliffe and the Lollards. Herts, England: Evangelical Press, 1984.
"Wycliffe, John." Dictionary of National Biography. Edited by Leslie Stephen and Sidney Lee. London: Oxford University Press, 1921-1996.

http://chi.gospelcom.net/DAILYF/2003/12/daily-12-30-2003.shtml

The Romanian pastor and his wife had hidden Soviet soldiers during the Nazi occupation of their country. Now it was Nazi soldiers who needed refuge.

Three German officers hid in the little building behind their house. The pastor’s wife sneaked them food and emptied their waste buckets at night. As a Jew, she felt hatred for their actions—they had murdered her entire family. But as a Christian, she felt compelled to aid the refugees and offer them physical and spiritual support.

The show of favor intrigued the captain: “I wonder why a Jewess should risk her life for a German soldier? I do not like Jews, and I do not fear God. I must tell you that when the German army recaptures Bucharest, and it surely will, I will never return the favor to you.”

The pastor’s wife was undaunted by his cold heart. She continued preaching to him, “Even the worst crimes are forgiven by faith in Jesus Christ. I have no authority to forgive, but Jesus does, if you repent.”

The officer replied, “I won’t say I understand you. But perhaps if more people had this gift of returning good for evil, then there would be less killing.”

The officers soon escaped to Germany, still unrepentant. But the pastor and his wife had done their part in showing them the true meaning of Christianity.

Jesus shared a parable about a farmer who sowed seeds in different types of soil, producing different results. In his story, the seed is the Word of God. Like birds who gobble up the trampled seeds outside a garden, the devil wants to take God’s Word away from those who hear it. In contrast, those who represent good soil receive God’s Word and respond. Whenever we share the gospel with others, we don’t know what type of “soil” is in their hearts. We can’t be responsible for their response, positive or negative. Are you discouraged because someone did not respond to the gospel? You have done your part. Now let God do his.

The Martyrdom of Polycarp - A.D. 155-156 by Unknown

Three days before he was apprehended, as he was praying at night, he fell asleep, and saw in a dream the pillow take fire under his head, and presently consumed. Waking thereupon, he forthwith related the vision to those about him, and prophesied that he should be burnt alive for Christ's sake. The pursuers having arrived late in the day found him gone to bed in the top room of the house.

Hearing that they were come, he came down, and spoke to them with a cheerful and pleasant countenance: so that they were wonder-struck, who, having never known the man before, now beheld his venerable age and the gravity and composure of his manner, and wondered why they should be so earnest for the apprehension of so old a man. He immediately ordered a table be laid for them, and exhorted them to eat heartily, and begged them to allow him one hour to pray without molestation; which being granted, he rose and began to pray, and was so full of the grace of God, that they who were present and heard his prayers were astonished, and many now felt sorry that so venerable and godly a man should be put to death.

When he was brought to the tribunal, there was a great tumult as soon as it was generally understood that Polycarp was apprehended. The proconsul asked him, if he were Polycarp. When he assented, the former counseled him to deny Christ, saying, 'Consider thyself, and have pity on thy own great age;' and many other such-like speeches which they are wont to make.

The proconsul then urged him, saying, 'Swear and I will release thee; - reproach Christ.'

Polycarp answered, 'Eighty and six years have I served him, and he never once wronged me; how then shall I blaspheme my King, Who hath saved me?'

The proconsul again urged him, 'Swear by the fortune of Caesar.'
Polycarp replied, 'Since you still vainly strive to make me swear by the fortune of Caesar, as you express it, affecting ignorance of my real character, hear me frankly declaring what I am -- I am a Christian - and if you desire to learn the Christian doctrine, assign me a day, and you shall hear.'

Hereupon the proconsul said, 'I have wild beasts; and I will expose you to them, unless you repent.'

'Call for them,' replied Poplycarp.

'I will tame thee with fire,' said the proconsul, 'since you despise the wild beasts, unless you repent.'

Then said Polycarp, 'You threaten me with fire, which burns for an hour, and is soon extinguished; but the fire of the future judgment, and of eternal punishment reserved for the ungodly, you are ignorant of. But why do you delay? Do whatever you please.'

The proconsul sent the herald to proclaim thrice in the middle of the Stadium, 'Polycarp hath professed himself a Christian.' Which words were no sooner spoken, but the whole multitude, both of Gentiles and Jews, dwelling at Smyrna, with outrageous fury shouted aloud, 'This is the doctor of Asia, the father of the Christians, and the subverter of our gods, who hath taught many not to sacrifice nor adore.' They now called on Philip the asiarch, to let loose a lion against Polycarp. But he refused, alleging that he had closed his exhibition. They then unanimously shouted, that he should be burnt alive. For his vision must needs be accomplished - the vision which he had when he was praying, and saw his pillow burnt. The people immediately gathered wood and other dry matter from the workshops and baths.

When they would have fastened him to the stake, he said, 'Leave me as I am; for he who giveth me strength to sustain the fire, will enable me also, without your securing me with nails, to remain without flinching in the pile.' Upon which they bound him without nailing him. So he said thus: - 'O Father, I bless thee that thou hast counted me worthy to receive my portion among the martyrs.'

As soon as he had uttered the word 'Amen,' the officers lighted the fire. The flame, forming the appearance of an arch, as the sail of a vessel filled with wind, surrounded, as with a wall, the body of the martyr; which was in the midst, not as burning flesh, but as gold and silver refining in the furnace. We received also in our nostrils such a fragrance as proceeds from frankincense or some other precious perfume. At length the wicked people, observing that his body could not be consumed with fire, ordered the confecter to approach, and to plunge his sword into his body. Upon this such a quantity of blood gushed out, that the fire was extinguished.

http://www.graceonlinelibrary.org/articles/full.asp?id=38|38|534

“Your son has been killed.”

Mr. Simpson received the terrible message that day. His missionary son, William, had built a small school on the Tibetan border where he had been teaching God’s Word to children. William’s father lived nearby and immediately rushed to the school after receiving the news. As he looked around, the memories of his son’s ministry flooded his mind.

William had traveled four thousand miles a year on horseback to share the gospel with the people of Tibet. Muslim fanatics had slaughtered fifty thousand people in one Tibetan city, but even this did not scare his son away.

William had written, “All the trials, the loneliness, the heartache, the pain, the cold and fatigue of the long road, the discouragement and all the bereavements, temptations, and testing seemed not worthy to be compared with the glory and joy of witnessing these ‘glad tidings of great joy.’ ”

William’s father walked slowly through the destroyed school and found his son’s mangled body lying on the floor. He later learned that a horde of Muslim army deserters had attacked the Christian school, showing its founder no mercy.
As a missionary himself, Mr. Simpson was very proud of the example of Christ William had been to others. Under his son’s body was a piece of paper smeared with blood. He gently picked it up and read the fitting words, “In Remembrance of Me.”

Memorials are scattered throughout every country of the world. Each one commemorates an act of heroism, bravery, and personal sacrifice amid trials. People from every era in history have erected memories and remembrances. It’s part of human nature. We donwish to forget those who paid the ultimate price while preserving our ideals of freedom, justice, love, and honor. Our hearts contain the memorials of Christian martyrs who died for the sake of Christ and his gospel. No military honors are awarded at their funerals. No statues erected in their place. Yet we read their stories and we vow never to forget. Take time to remember them today and praise the God who inspired them.

The Ten Primitive Persecutions

The First Persecution, Under Nero, A.D. 67

The first persecution of the Church took place in the year 67, under Nero, the sixth emperor of Rome. This monarch reigned for the space of five years, with tolerable credit to himself, but then gave way to the greatest extravagancy of temper, and to the most atrocious barbarities. Among other diabolical whims, he ordered that the city of Rome should be set on fire, which order was executed by his officers, guards, and servants. While the imperial city was in flames, he went up to the tower of Macaenas, played upon his harp, sung the song of the burning of Troy, and openly declared that 'he wished the ruin of all things before his death.' Besides the noble pile, called the Circus, many other palaces and houses were consumed; several thousands perished in the flames, were smothered in the smoke, or buried beneath the ruins.

This dreadful conflagration continued nine days; when Nero, finding that his conduct was greatly blamed, and a severe odium cast upon him, determined to lay the whole upon the Christians, at once to excuse himself, and have an opportunity of glutting his sight with new cruelties. This was the occasion of the first persecution; and the barbarities exercised on the Christians were such as even excited the commiseration of the Romans themselves. Nero even refined upon cruelty, and contrived all manner of punishments for the Christians that the most infernal imagination could design. In particular, he had some sewed up in skins of wild beasts, and then worried by dogs until they expired; and others dressed in shirts made stiff with wax, fixed to axletrees, and set on fire in his gardens, in order to illuminate them. This persecution was general throughout the whole Roman Empire; but it rather increased than diminished the spirit of Christianity. In the course of it, St. Paul and St. Peter were martyred.

To their names may be added, Erastus, chamberlain of Corinth; Aristarchus, the Macedonian, and Trophimus, an Ephesians, converted by St. Paul, and fellow-laborer with him, Joseph, commonly called Barsabas, and Ananias, bishop of Damascus; each of the Seventy.

In the jail at Gheria, Romania, the names of prisoners thought breaking the rules were noted, and each was given twenty-five lashes. There was a special day set aside when the painful punishment was administered. On that day, the officer would pass from cell to cell, gathering those who were to be flogged.

Since the wardens changed shifts continually and the prisoners were many, it was impossible to know all of the inmates by name. A certain Christian inmate would step forward and say, “I am he” each time a guard called in his cell for one to be beaten. He would be brutally whipped again and again in the place of another.

In the end, when this Christian prisoner was near death after one of the sacrificial floggings, the other prisoners tried to comfort him. They told him, “Brother, be happy now. Soon everything will be over. You will be in heaven. There will be no more pain, only joy!”

He turned, looked at them with love and replied, “May God do to me as he wills . . . but if he were to ask me, I would tell him not to take me to paradise. I would prefer to remain in jail. For I know that above are unspeakable delights, but in heaven one thing is missing: to sacrifice oneself for another.”

In a world that values hoarding over sharing, the biblical principle of sacrifice seems like a strange idea. “Get as much as you can as quick as you can” is the name of the game when it comes to worldly ideals. The Bible teaches another means of success. It’s called sacrifice—laying down one’s life for another. It’s not natural. It does not even sound appealing to our lower nature. Once we try, however, it becomes a compelling way of life. God’s Holy Spirit inside of us helps us to put ourselves second behind others. In fact, his Spirit even helps us want to do it. Are you willing to put others’ needs above your own?

The Second Persecution, Under Domitian, A.D. 81

The emperor Domitian, who was naturally inclined to cruelty, first slew his brother, and then raised the second persecution against the Christians. In his rage he put to death some of the Roman senators, some through malice; and others to confiscate their estates. He then commanded all the lineage of David be put to death.

Among the numerous martyrs that suffered during this persecution was Simeon, bishop of Jerusalem, who was crucified; and St. John, who was boiled in oil, and afterward banished to Patmos. Flavia, the daughter of a Roman senator, was likewise banished to Pontus; and a law was made, "That no Christian, once brought before the tribunal, should be exempted from punishment without renouncing his religion."

A variety of fabricated tales were, during this reign, composed in order to injure the Christians. Such was the infatuation of the pagans, that, if famine, pestilence, or earthquakes afflicted any of the Roman provinces, it was laid upon the Christians. These persecutions among the Christians increased the number of informers and many, for the sake of gain, swore away the lives of the innocent.

Another hardship was, that, when any Christians were brought before the magistrates, a test oath was proposed, when, if they refused to take it, death was pronounced against them; and if they confessed themselves Christians, the sentence was the same.

The following were the most remarkable among the numerous martyrs who suffered during this persecution.

Dionysius, the Areopagite, was an Athenian by birth, and educated in all the useful and ornamental literature of Greece. He then travelled to Egypt to study astronomy, and made very particular observations on the great and supernatural eclipse, which happened at the time of our Savior's crucifixion.

The sanctity of his conversation and the purity of his manners recommended him so strongly to the Christians in general, that he was appointed bishop of Athens.

Nicodemus, a benevolent Christian of some distinction, suffered at Rome during the rage of Domitian's persecution.

Protasius and Gervasius were martyred at Milan.

Timothy was the celebrated disciple of St. Paul, and bishop of Ephesus, where he zealously governed the Church until A.D. 97. At this period, as the pagans were about to celebrate a feast called Catagogion, Timothy, meeting the procession, severely reproved them for their ridiculous idolatry, which so exasperated the people that they fell upon him with their clubs, and beat him in so dreadful a manner that he expired of the bruises two days later.

From: Foxes Book of Martyrs

http://www.amazon.com/Foxs-Book-Martyrs-Sufferings-Protestant/dp/0310243912/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211753965&sr=1-1

The Third Persecution, Under Trajan, A.D. 108

In the third persecution Pliny the Second, a man learned and famous, seeing the lamentable slaughter of Christians, and moved therewith to pity, wrote to Trajan, certifying him that there were many thousands of them daily put to death, of which none did any thing contrary to the Roman laws worthy of persecution. "The whole account they gave of their crime or error (whichever it is to be called) amounted only to this-viz. that they were accustomed on a stated day to meet before daylight, and to repeat together a set form of prayer to Christ as a God, and to bind themselves by an obligation-not indeed to commit wickedness; but, on the contrary-never to commit theft, robbery, or adultery, never to falsify their word, never to defraud any man: after which it was their custom to separate, and reassemble to partake in common of a harmless meal."

In this persecution suffered the blessed martyr, Ignatius, who is held in famous reverence among very many. This Ignatius was appointed to the bishopric of Antioch next after Peter in succession. Some do say, that he, being sent from Syria to Rome, because he professed Christ, was given to the wild beasts to be devoured. It is also said of him, that when he passed through Asia, being under the most strict custody of his keepers, he strengthened and confirmed the churches through all the cities as he went, both with his exhortations and preaching of the Word of God. Accordingly, having come to Smyrna, he wrote to the Church at Rome, exhorting them not to use means for his deliverance from martyrdom, lest they should deprive him of that which he most longed and hoped for. "Now I begin to be a disciple. I care for nothing, of visible or invisible things, so that I may but win Christ. Let fire and the cross, let the companies of wild beasts, let breaking of bones and tearing of limbs, let the grinding of the whole body, and all the malice of the devil, come upon me; be it so, only may I win Christ Jesus!" And even when he was sentenced to be thrown to the beasts, such as the burning desire that he had to suffer, that he spake, what time he heard the lions roaring, saying: "I am the wheat of Christ: I am going to be ground with the teeth of wild beasts, that I may be found pure bread."

Trajan being succeeded by Adrian, the latter continued this third persecution with as much severity as his predecessor. About this time Alexander, bishop of Rome, with his two deacons, were martyred; as were Quirinus and Hernes, with their families;

Zenon, a Roman nobleman, and about ten thousand other Christians.

In Mount Ararat many were crucified, crowned with thorns, and spears run into their sides, in imitation of Christ's passion. Eustachius, a brave and successful Roman commander, was by the emperor ordered to join in an idolatrous sacrifice to celebrate some of his own victories; but his faith (being a Christian in his heart) was so much greater than his vanity, that he nobly refused it. Enraged at the denial, the ungrateful emperor forgot the service of this skilful commander, and ordered him and his whole family to be martyred.

At the martyrdom of Faustines and Jovita, brothers and citizens of Brescia, their torments were so many, and their patience so great, that Calocerius, a pagan, beholding them, was struck with admiration, and exclaimed in a kind of ecstasy, "Great is the God of the Christians!" for which he was apprehended, and suffered a similar fate.

Many other similar cruelties and rigors were exercised against the Christians, until Quadratus, bishop of Athens, made a learned apology in their favor before the emperor, who happened to be there and Aristides, a philosopher of the same city, wrote an elegant epistle, which caused Adrian to relax in his severities, and relent in their favor.

Adrian dying A.D. 138, was succeeded by Antoninus Pius, one of the most amiable monarchs that ever reigned, and who stayed the persecutions against the Christians.

As a soldier in the Soviet Red Army, Vania Moiseev was constantly reprimanded for sharing his faith. Many men in his regiment came to Christ through his testimony. When his commander ordered him to keep silent about his faith, he replied, “What would a nightingale do if ordered to stop singing? It could not, and neither can I.”

Everyone who knew Vania said that his faith was contagious. Soon he was arrested and subjected to brutal torture. He wrote to his mother saying, “I know we will probably not see each other again, but don’t weep for me. An angel showed me the heavenly Jerusalem, and it is beautiful. Please do your best, dear Mother, to meet me there.”

He went on to assure her God was encouraging him by sending angels to his side. He described the various encounters he had with angels. “Angels are transparent. When you have one in front of you and a man stands behind, the presence of the angel does not block the view of the man. On the contrary, you see him better. When you see through an angel, you can understand and appreciate even a torturer.”

In the end, Vania was killed for his faith at age twenty-one. He was a young martyr whose courageous life enabled him to become a hero all over Eastern Europe.

Angels are everywhere. Their likeness is in books, shaped into candleholders, hung as Christmas ornaments, and formed into angel-shaped cookie cutters. Many people regret they have never seen real angels—God’s heavenly messengers. Yet everyday angels are often overlooked. An unlovely person in need of our acceptance just may be an angel. The enemy who hurts us may be the angelic being we are looking to see. Even if a person turns out to be an ordinary human after all, our love for that person will still bring us one step closer to heaven. Like Vania, are you looking at your life through a heavenly perspective? Are you looking for angels where you previously saw only an enemy? Look for potential angels to love today.

The following is a letter from a governor named Pliny to the Roman emperor on the growth of Christianity less than one hundred years after the crucifixion of Christ:

I have never been present at any of the Christians’ trials, and I am unaware of the methods and limits used in our investigation and torture. Do we show any regard to age or gender? If a Christian repents of his religion, do we still punish him or pardon him?

Currently, I am proceeding thus—I question them as to their religion; if they state they are Christian, I repeat the questioning, adding the threat of capital punishment. If they still persist, I order them to be executed. I do not believe that their stubbornness should go unpunished.

I recently questioned a group of Christians who, after interrogation, denied their faith. From this event, I could see more than ever the importance of extracting the real truth, with the assistance of torture, from two female prisoners. But I was able to discover nothing except depraved and excessive superstition.

I therefore thought it wise to consult you before continuing with this matter. The matter is well worth referring to you, especially considering the numbers endangered. This contagious superstition is not confined to the cities only, but has also spread throughout the villages.

Nevertheless it still seems possible to cure it.

Are Christians easily “cured” of their Christianity? When push comes to shove, are most believers incurably faithful to Christ or merely running a mild fever? Persecution is one sure way to discover the truth. Only God knows a person’s heart. However, persecution introduces us to our real selves and helps determine whether we will forsake Christ or remain faithful. If we are truly committed to Christ, then he will give us the stamina we need to endure for his sake. If we are more committed to an ideology than the person of Jesus, we will find ourselves faltering under pressure. Are you an incurable case for Christ or will your beliefs turn out to be “excessive superstition” instead?

This really encouraged me today! We need to lay hold of the promises of God like the Chinese Christians!

Songs of praise filled the crisp air. “It is four in the morning. Where are they coming from?” one man almost laughed in amazement.

“The harvest is plentiful, my friend. It is going to be a long day but a good one for the kngdom,” said the pastor as he smiled. “Let’s get to work.”

The sea of believers at the river seemed to have no end. The pastor spoke compassionately as he baptized them, each with hands lifted up to a new life in Christ. He and his associates baptized eleven hundred new believers that day.
God is moving on China in a powerful way. Believers are being added to the fold daily. Six years ago, in a city of Northern Shanxi, several hundred Christians attended house churches. Now that number has grown to seventy thousand. In another city of fifty thousand, there is heavy persecution, yet three thousand devoted believers meet every week in underground churches.

One pastor commented insightfully, “We believers are stronger than before. The more they want to pull down the banner of Christ, the higher it flies.”
For decades, the church in China has suffered consistent persecution. The government instituted a “strike-hard” policy in a vain effort to curb the growth. Today’s membership in the underground church is considerably higher than the membership in the Chinese Communist Party!

Growth is a sign of health. Healthy churches grow just as healthy plants grow. Nutrients, light, water, and good soil are all requirements for a healthy plant. In the same way, churches need specific ingredients to grow. One of the most unexpected ingredients for healthy church growth can be a fair amount of persecution. Persecution purifies the believers and makes them appreciate the value of their faith. As the pastor in this story illustrates, the more a church is persecuted, the more its members rise up as a testimony to the steadfastness of Christ. Are you bitter or better because of persecution? Are you using it to your advantage to grow the kingdom?

One of the most unexpected ingredients for healthy church growth can be a fair amount of persecution. Persecution purifies the believers and makes them appreciate the value of their faith. As the pastor in this story illustrates, the more a church is persecuted, the more its members rise up as a testimony to the steadfastness of Christ. Are you bitter or better because of persecution? Are you using it to your advantage to grow the kingdom?

John Ding & Zhu Yiming:

http://www.backtojerusalem.com/pdf/articles/JohnDingZhuYiming.pdf

Just like shaving a tiger’s hair doesn’t do away with its stripes, so I am still a Christian. I still have meetings. At first there were only five meetings in my house; now there are more than a dozen.

MRS. VO THI MANH, A VIETNAMESE GRANDMOTHER
IMPRISONED FOR HER FAITH

The twenty-year-old Bible student was asleep when he was awakened by shouts of “Allah-u-Ahkar!” (Allah is Almighty!) Radical Muslims entered his room and beat him nearly unconscious. As Dominggus fought to escape, a sickle came down on the back of his neck, nearly severing his head. The attackers left him in a growing pool of his own blood, assuming he would soon die.

Dominggus said that his spirit left his body and was carried by angels to heaven, and he witnessed his own corpse lying motionless on the ground. He no longer felt fear or pain, but rather peace as he awaited his new life with Christ. Then he heard, “It is not time for you to serve me here.”

The next voices Dominggus heard were those of Indonesian emergency medical workers. Since they did not know whether he was Christian or Muslim, they were discussing where to take his body.

Dominggus prayed to God for strength to speak. Finally, the words “I am a Christian” came out. One can only imagine the look on the workers’ faces as the “dead” student answered their question.

Today, Dominggus has fully recovered. His physical scars remain, but his spirit has a renewed faith and a message of forgiveness. Dominggus stated he is closer to God, and now, he is actively praying for his Muslim neighbors—even those who attacked him.

In an uncertain new world of violence and threats, Christians are commanded to face the future without fear. Fear only aggravates a bad situation without alleviating any pressure. We can confidently face the future’s uncertainties on earth because we know our eternal destination is secure. We know our heavenly future is eternity with Christ, as Dominggus so clearly saw. After all, we are much more than just earthly bodies that our enemies may maim and even kill. Your life will go on far after your body is destroyed. Your true future is what happens in eternity, not what happens here on earth. What fears do you have about the future? Can you entrust them to God and face the future without fear?

“Hurry, get into the closet. Do not make a sound unless you hear my voice. Do you understand?” Rose heard the two small voices of her preschool children say, “Yes, Mommy,” then she bolted out the door and headed toward her daughter’s school, praying that it was not too late.

At the proclamation of Sharia, or Islamic law, by the Nigerian government, pockets of violence broke out against Christian groups because they had opposed the laws. Rose’s oldest daughter was still at school during the rioting, and Rose was sure she would not be safe there. When she arrived at the school, her daughter had been taken to a military base for safety.

Eventually, Rose found her, and they returned home where the two younger children were waiting safely.

The following day, when her husband left for a Christian gathering, it was the last time she saw him alive. Roughly 260 churches were destroyed during these riots, and more than 460 Christians were killed.

In the months since her husband’s murder, Rose has drawn comfort from the book of Acts. She said, “The same God that allowed Stephen to be stoned also allowed Peter to escape from prison. God has been faithful, and his grace has been sufficient.” Today Rose continues to work in the church where her martyred husband pastored, and she busily raises her three children.

It has been said God will never lead us where his grace cannot keep us. We must realize that sometimes his plan does not include a miraculous deliverance from illness, death, or oppression. Yet his grace is sufficient, and he has not abandoned us. We must trust that God would not lead us to a place of ministry or work without an adequate measure of his grace to make it. Sometimes his plan involves simply seeing us through an ordeal instead of delivering us from it. Have you come to a point where you are willing to entirely rely on him? You’ll likely never say that God’s grace is all you need until his grace is all you have.

“I never knew what these prisoners were singing until I became a Christian.”

Soon Ok Lee was a prisoner in North Korea from 1987 to 1992. She did not become a Christian, however, until she escaped to South Korea. When she first received Christ, she was overwhelmed by her memories of what she had seen and heard in prison.

It was the simple things, like the Christians who sang as they were being put to death. At that time, she did not understand and had thought they were crazy. She was not allowed to talk, so she never had the chance to speak with a Christian. She does remember hearing the word, “Amen.”

“While I was there, I never saw Christians deny their faith. Not one. When these Christians were silent, the officers would become furious and kick them. At the time, I could not understand why they risked their lives when they could have said, ‘I do not believe,’ and done what the officers wanted. I even saw many who sang hymns as the kicking and hitting intensified. The officers would call them crazy and take them to the electric-treatment room. I didn’t see one come out alive.”

It was the singing that stuck with her. Perhaps it was the singing of these precious saints that planted a seed in her spirit and eventually led her to Christ.

Like spies, those who are curious about Christianity zero in on believers so that they can evaluate the truth for themselves. They observe. They watch. They take mental notes. Whenever Christians go through trials, these silent observers often hope to see the believers fall, so that they can assure themselves that Christians are like everyone else after all. However, when Christians smile through trouble, they are stumped. When believers clap instead of cry, they are amazed. When Christ followers sing amidst sorrow, they are drawn in by what they cannot explain. If you are going through a trial right now, you have an unprecedented opportunity to witness for Christ. Pray that your joyful example will inspire others.

Shortly after becoming a Christian in 1997, Hezekiah went to what was known locally as the “sanctuary” to receive discipleship and evangelism training. He then returned to his father’s house and was immediately approached by thirty-five relatives and villagers demanding to know why he had converted to Christianity. He told them, “Jesus is the only way I can be saved from my sins and have eternal life.”

The crowd grew angry, and Hezekiah tried to reason with them. Finally, they grabbed him by the hair and began to punch him in the face until he fell unconscious.

A friend of Hezekiah was able to take him to his house where he remained in bed for four days recuperating from the beatings. Hezekiah has never been able to return to his father’s house, but he continues to travel from village to village in Laos carrying the good news of salvation.

Since this first incident, Hezekiah has been beaten on ten separate occasions, sometimes preferring death to the continued suffering. He testifies: “As I have matured in my walk with Christ, I have more faith to endure these hardships. The trials I have gone through have served to strengthen my faith, and I see God’s faithfulness in delivering me. I thank God I have been able to bring thirty people to the saving knowledge of Jesus.”

God’s loyalty to his children is not based on reciprocity. If it were, we would all have been abandoned long ago. Instead, God is well aware of our frailties and chooses to love us anyway. We must be careful to read the stories of Christian martyrs in light of God’s loyalty to his children. The martyrs would be the first to remind us that their story is not about them. It’s about God! Though we read of many believers who willingly endured scourging rather than renouncing Christ, the amazing conclusion is not the extreme loyalty of a person but the extreme faithfulness of the God of glory. Your faithfulness may falter, but his steadfast loyalty to you never ends. Take time to thank God for his loyalty today.

The young Jewish doctor was so sad. One night, Sabina Wurmbrand tried to offer some comfort:“God promised Abraham that the Jewish people would have a bright future. They will be like the sand on the seashore and the stars of the sky.”

The doctor looked up with tears in her eyes and said, “Like the sand on the shore, we are trampled underfoot by these Communist guards. Don’t speak to me any more about your God.”

A few days later Sabina became very sick. While lying near death in the prison hospital, the prison director came. He said, “We Communists have medicine and hospitals, and we are stronger than your God. In this hospital you are not to mention the name of God.” Only Sabina dared to speak about the existence of God. The other women were ecstatic that someone had actually defied the director.

The following day, they forced Sabina to go back to work. God miraculously touched her body, and she was completely healed. The news spread through the prison and did not escape the ears of the sad young doctor.
She approached Sabina late that evening and said, “If your God can restore your body and give you such peace in this pit of hell, then I have to believe he is real. No other power could accomplish this. How must I be saved?”

Whenever we feel like our lives are in a pit, we can be sure people are watching to see how we’ll get out of it. Christianity seems to attract interested spectators—especially when we are struggling. People observe our faith at arm’s length to determine what God is all about. They watch with keen interest when we experience a crisis. If we live by faith during times of trial, however, people cannot refute the evidence they see in our lives. What do people see in how you live? What does your reaction to life’s circumstances tell others about God? If you feel like your life is in a pit, remember people are watching to see how you will handle it.

Fritz felt each crashing blow to his head and prayed for strength. The Muslim attackers surrounded him and took turns beating him in the face. One of the Muslim attackers brandished a large knife thinking this would rid them of the Christian pastor. The first time the blade went into Fritz, all he could do was yell, “Jesus!” He was stabbed repeatedly. And each time, he yelled, “Jesus!” The attackers grew frustrated at the pastor who just wouldn’t die!

The radical Muslims proceeded to pull the benches and pulpit from the church and set them on fire. Two of the Muslims grabbed Fritz and heaved him onto the blazing wood. Satisfied with their attack, they ran away. Fritz doesn’t remember much after that, but he knows one thing: Not a hair on his head was singed.

Shortly after the attack, Fritz was brought to the largest hospital in that area of Indonesia, but he was refused treatment when they learned he was a Christian. He was brought to another hospital, but the attending doctor said that if he happened to live through the night, he would have permanent brain damage.

After a long recovery, Fritz is now preaching again at a new church. To his amazement, one of the Muslims who attacked Fritz began looking for him, only to ask a single question: “Who is this Jesus?”

Who doesn’t enjoy being thought of as the resident “expert”? It may be mechanics, mathematics, tools, carpentry, art, stamp collecting, or sports—everyone can be thought of as an expert in at least one area. We love to field questions on a topic with which we are very familiar. But if someone were to ask, “Who is this Jesus?” would we be as prepared as an “expert” would be? Not every Christian is an evangelist, per se. But every Christian can evangelize by sharing the plan of salvation when the opportunity arises. If you were asked that question by a nonbelieving friend, how would you answer? If you’re not sure, talk to someone who knows.

“The teenager never came back.”

The famous evangelist spoke from behind prison bars. A powerful preacher, known throughout Eastern Europe, he was telling how he could not find peace. This man had led thousands to Christ, so the other Christian prisoners could not understand his feeling of failure.
“I had preached at an evangelistic meeting,” he explained. “I had poured out my heart, and, at the end, two hundred people had come forward to accept Christ. I was thrilled, but I was also exhausted. As I was leaving, one young man came to me. ‘Pastor, I need to talk to you,’ he said. I told him that I was too tired, and could he maybe come back in the morning. He never came back. The Communists arrested me later that evening. I was interrogated nonstop, day and night for five days. I answered all of their questions. I answered because I feared the tortures, the beatings I would receive if I did not answer. Out of fear of the Communists, I could speak for five days and nights without stopping.
“Out of love toward God, however, I could not speak five minutes more to that teenaged boy looking for the way of life. How will I stand before God and account for bringing only two hundred to Christ that day when it could have been two hundred and one?”

We may choose to overlook opportunities that God puts before us to share Christ with others, thinking that we’ll get to it later or that we’ll have a better time. But we may never get another chance. When we choose to ignore a divinely given opportunity, we, like the evangelist, may find that the moment was fleeting—a once-in-a-lifetime gift. Tragically, it may be the only time a person asks to hear about God’s gift of eternal life through his Son, Jesus. In heaven, God may ask you why you did not share the gospel with someone when you had the opportunity to do so. How would you answer?

“Sometimes I miss those days of persecution!”

The words came from an Iranian pastor who had escaped to the West. In Iran, arrest and police harassment were common experiences. He had even lost his home and job because of his faith. Now he was free to live and worship wherever he wished. How could he long for the days of persecution?
“Sometimes I miss those days,” he said, “because I was so alive. I felt every day that Jesus was with me.”
The pastor had planted a church near the front lines of the Iran–Iraq war. He earned money by driving a taxi and grew his church by sharing Christ with his passengers. In two years, he had won souls from nine language groups. Many soldiers worshiped with them each week, and he had baptized fifteen Muslim converts.
The pastor and his wife counted on God for everything. When the bombs of war fell around them, they prayed for his protection. When there wasn’t enough money, they prayed for his provision. And each day God came through for them.
Their ministry was rewarded. Ten members of his church have gone on to become pastors. Even now, the pastor can see fruit from the time of ministry at the front lines.

If you’ve never been in love, you cannot understand what it is to be heartbroken. If you have never lost a loved one, you cannot truly relate to those who mourn. You cannot understand a longing for something you have never experienced. Those who have been persecuted for their faith describe a peculiar longing. They long not for the persecution as much as they long for the sense of fellowship their persecution brought them. They don’t miss the torture as much as they miss what the torture taught them. The end result far outweighs the suffering. If you want to experience a deeper walk with Jesus, you must be willing to obediently sacrifice for him. That is also a type of suffering.

In the sixteenth-century Netherlands, Dirk Willems had been labeled an “Anabaptist” during the rule of Spanish Catholics and imprisoned. Now he was running for his life.

He had escaped out the tiny window and lowered himself on a rope made of old rags. Landing on the frozen pond along the side of the prison wall, he stepped gingerly on the ice, wondering if he would fall through. But the months of starvation endured in prison now served him well. He barely weighed one hundred pounds.
Before he reached the other side of the pond, a scream broke the night silence. “Halt immediately!” yelled the guard coming out the window Dirk had climbed through only moments ago. Dirk was too close to freedom. He kept going.
The guard yelled again as he set foot on the ice. Quickly he began to chase after Dirk, but on his third step there was a crack. A splash followed as the guard fell through the ice. His screams changed to shrieks of cold and terror. “Help me, please! Help me!”
Dirk paused, looking toward freedom. Then he turned and quickly made his way back to the prison pond. He lay on his stomach and stretched his arm to rescue the nearly frozen guard. In sarcastic gratitude, the guard grabbed Dirk and ordered him back to his cell.
Despite his heroism, Dirk was burned at the stake for his faith.

Committed Christians don’t live according to common sense. They do the unthinkable with full knowledge of the consequences. They do the impossible as if it were commonplace. Believers live according to a higher calling. Their actions and reactions are so unnatural that they are often misunderstood. For some, Dirk’s extreme rescue seems an unnatural choice. Even, perhaps, a bit foolish. Dirk, however, believed he was simply following the basics of the Bible. He put another’s needs above his own. When we make sacrifices, we may not always make sense to the world, but we know we are making progress from a heavenly perspective. Do you most often live according to common sense? Or are you committed to following God’s commands at any cost?

I almost couldn't find this old thread I started. Wow! it was waay back there.lol! :-D

"During the last war we were taught that, in order to obtain our objective, we had to be willing to be expendable. . . . We know that there is only one answer when our country demands that we share in the price of freedom—yet when the Lord Jesus asks us to pay the price for world evangelization, we often answer without a word. We cannot go. We say it costs too much. . . . Missionaries constantly face expendability.

NATE SAINT, A MISSIONARY MARTYRED IN THE
ECUADORIAN JUNGLE IN 1956"

I am so ready to get out this weekend and do some OA preaching!!! Praise God! So excited! Can't wait! :-)

Watchman Nee, the Chinese church leader, had only six hours. He must lead the guard in front of his prison cell to Christ so that his letter of encouragement to Christians outside the prison could be delivered.

Chairman Mao’s government was infuriated by the spread of Christianity in China. In order to stop the spread of this “foreign cult,” they had forced out or killed all foreign missionaries and had sent thousands of Chinese church leaders to prison or to “re-education through labor” camps. But the church still grew.

When the police discovered that Nee’s beautiful, powerful letters of encouragement were making their way out of the prison and into the hands of Christians, they doubled the number of guards and never allowed a guard to stand outside Nee’s cell more than once. They shortened shifts to six hours, hoping Nee would not have time to convert the guard.

Nee told the guard about the Father’s love and willingness to give up his own flesh and blood so the guard could live forever in heaven. “Communism cannot get you to heaven,” he said. “Only the blood of Jesus Christ can do that.”

Five hours into the sermon, with tears streaming from his eyes, the guard accepted Christ. Yet another soul was won for the kingdom, and yet another of Watchman Nee’s letters would be safely delivered.

If Christian martyrs teach us anything, it is that we must use creative energy in order to promote the gospel. Their ingenuity, courage, and even craftiness ought to awaken our own spirit for spreading the Good News. While not everyone has the opportunity to smuggle Scriptures into restricted areas, we can still be willing servants for the kingdom. It might mean having a cookout in the driveway for neighbors. It may mean signing up for golf lessons or another community class in order to meet nonchurched people. A new method of witness always risks consequences. But we should always be willing to take the risk instead of settling for mediocrity. Which describes your evangelistic life today? Mundane and mediocre? Or creatively energetic for Christ?

Life is good in the valley with Jesus even with the shadows of death all around you! :-)

Pastor Norbu Promila was pleased with the service as he preached to the tribal people in the mountains of Bhutan. Those gathered seemed especially attentive and open to the Good News. Then in the middle of the sermon, police rushed in through every door, stormed the stage, and forcibly grabbed Norbu.

Pastor Promila was thrown in prison and tortured, and the authorities ordered him to forsake his call to preach the gospel. He received massive head injuries, and when authorities finally let him go, there was permanent damage to his body. He returned home, where his wife and children were shocked at his bruised and bloodied face. Ten days later, he died as a result of his wounds.
Pastor Promila’s congregation in this militant Hindu kingdom refused to give up his mission. Shortly after his death, they met together and called for volunteers to continue Norbu’s work among the tribal people. Five hands went up, one of which belonged to his wife. She answered God’s call to missions while also caring for her five children.
She ministered faithfully, and she and the other workers have seen many tribal people won to Christ. God provided for her needs and her children’s. Mrs. Promila held fast to the knowledge that one day she would see her husband again and be rewarded for her faithfulness to Christ.

What we do for the Lord is not just a job—it’s a mission. A mission is never about a single person’s responsibilities. It is singly focused on Christ and his kingdom. Therefore, someone at the helm of God’s work in a particular area may leave, but the mission itself never dies. God’s work is never left undone. It goes on forever to its completion. Those who are willing to undergo persecution for their faith teach us about the meaning of mission. They recognize that there are only two things that last for eternity—God’s work and human souls. When we are willing to invest our lives in these things, we are involved in a mission with eternal significance.