"Tortured for Christ" (Annecks)

In preparation for Sunday's lesson in GSM, I have been reading from Richard Wurmbrand's "Tortured for Christ."  I was introduced to this book by a brother of mine, affectionately known as Jimbopolis, and I have to say it has opened my eyes quite a bit.  Wurmbrand was a Romanian pastor who spent 14 years in Communist prisons, and went on to found the Voice of the Martyrs.  In this book he recounts some of the atrocities he saw and heard during his time in prison.  The Lord has used the stories in this book to awaken my faith and humble my heart in ways I never thought possible.  I highly recommend you pick up a copy and read it.

As I think over the examples these brave Christians set, one phrase keeps coming to mind: these people believed.  The message and love of Christ truly took root in their heart, and they were changed.  They continued to believe even though they endured the most intense physical and emotional torture one can imagine.  So often we turn from Him when we simply don't get the blessings we want (or possibly even think we deserve)--when we don't get the car or house we want; when teachers or bosses give us a lot of work to do; when our team loses a big game; or when we lose a boyfriend/girlfriend.

Like spoiled children running off to pout in the corner, we merely play at religion.  Meanwhile, there are people all over the world who are fighting and enduring--enduring arrests, imprisonments, beatings, tortures, starvations, and death.  And against all human wisdom, their faith does not dwindle, but grows, deepens, and thrives.

Some of you may think that these stories are merely indicative of a different time--that we are somehow more civilized now, and such things don't occur anymore.  But the heart of man is deceitfully wicked, and that is a fact that still rings true today.  The Devil still wages war on God and His people; and he is still attempting to thwart God's plan for the redemption of man.  He is still using fear, torture and murder to try and stop God's people from being His witnesses in all parts of the world.  But just as he failed with earlier Christians, he continues to fail now, for greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.  By the power of the Holy Spirit, God's love continues to thrive despite the best efforts of the Devil.

As I thought about these Christians around the world who are suffering for their faith (in countries like North Korea, Iran, Pakistan, China, and Vietnam, where the life expectancy for missionaries can be a little as 3 months), I couldn't help but examine the faith of Americans in light of such sacrifice.  Despite all the blessings we have received, and all the advantages we enjoy, we are not the leaders of the Christian faith in the world.  We have all the knowledge we can get; and thinking that enough, our hearts remain untouched, and our love and faith lag desperately behind.  There are poor farmers and ordinary citizens all over the world, some of whose bodies are broken by beatings and rotting in cells, who would shame us with their examples of faith and obedience.

We are haunted by the plague of prosperity and comfort--we join with Judas in trading the glory of our Lord for the comfort of 30 meager silver coins.  I pray that God would deliver us from both of them--that we would be freed from our love of the things of the world so that we might follow Christ wholeheartedly.

That is not to say that nowhere in America is there faith equal to that of these Christian martyrs.  I have encountered many people who have such faith.  I just pray that we would use our blessings to further the Kingdom of God, and that we would join with our brethren in being "sold-out" for Christ.  As a minister of the gospel of Christ, I pray the Lord would change my heart so that it would find its delight in Him above all else, and I pray He changes your heart as well.

"What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?"  What does it profit us if we gain everything our hearts desire, but we lose Christ?  What does it profit us?  Nothing.  If we don't have Christ, we have nothing.  We can fill our lives with all kinds of pursuits, noble and not; but if  Christ is not our life's pursuit, we have nothing.  May we cling to Christ as I imagine the women caught in adultery clung to Him.  "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved."  This is the anthem of Christians all over the world.  May it be ours as well.

I leave you with the words of Watchman Nee, a Chinese Christian who died in a Communist prison, which he scribbled out on scratch paper before he died.  May these words be the testimony of our lives:
     "Christ is the Son of God Who died for the redemption of sinners and was resurrected after three days.  This is the greatest truth in the universe.  I die because of my belief in Christ."

Shalom aleichem.

Annecks.