Tortured for Christ

“Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scougrings, yes, and of chains of imprisonment. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,” (Hebrews 11: 35,39)

   Pastor Richard Wurmbrand is a man who understands what it means to suffer for Christ. As a pastor in Romania during the occupation of the Nazis in World War II and under the communist government that took over after the war, he suffered greatly as did his family and thousands of other Christians for their faith in Christ. He spent 14 year total in prison for his work with the underground church, many of those years in solitary confinement. Every time he would be released after years of torture and abuse he would still continue to share the gospel with all who God directed him to tell, even Russian army officers and prison guards after a torture session.

      In 1966 he was able to leave Romania with his family after a Christian organization paid a $10,000 ransom for him to leave on the condition that he would not tell the outside world about how Christians were being treated behind the Iron Curtain. He did not agree to be quiet but miraculously they released him anyway. He became the founder of The Voice of the Martyrs and has worked tirelessly to help Christians enduring persecution around the world. This year is the 30^th anniversary of his book, “Tortured For Christ,”  in which he told the world of the suffering Christians were enduring behind the Iron Curtain, and are still enduring in China, Indonesia, and countries of the Middle East.

     In his book, Pastor Wurmsbrand tells how Christians could effectively witness to those who had been brainwashed by the communists that there was no God:

   “They prove that eternal life exists. I heard one pleading with an atheist: ‘Suppose that we could speak with an embryo in his mother’s womb and that you would tell him that the embryonic life is only a short one after which follows a real, long life. What would the embryo answer? He would say just what you atheist answer to us, when we speak to you about paradise and hell. He would say that the life in the mother’s womb is the only one and that everything else is religious foolishness. But if the embryo could think, he would say to himself, ‘Here arms grow on me. I do not need them. I cannot even stretch them. Why do they grow? Perhaps they grow for a future stage of my existence, in which I will have to work with them. Legs grow, but I have to keep them bent toward my chest. Why do they grow? Probably life in a large world follows, where I will have to walk. Eyes grow, although I am surrounded by perfect darkness and I don’t need them. Why do I have eyes? Probably a world with light and colors will follow.’

      So, if the embryo would reflect on his own development, he would know about a life outside of his mother’s womb, without having seen it. It is the same with us. As long as we are young, we have vigor, but no mind to use it properly. When, with the years, we have grown in knowledge and wisdom, the hearse waits to take us to the grave. Why was it necessary to grow in knowledge and wisdom that we can no longer use any more? It is for what follows. So it is with us here. We grow in experience, knowledge, and wisdom for what follows. We are prepared to serve on a higher level that follows death.’”  (Tortured For Christ, by Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, p88) (Tortured For Christ is now available on DVD through TheVoice of the Martyrs)

    What are you doing to prepare for the eternity? Some of us are happy just to know that we are saved and that we have our name written in the ‘Lambs Book of Life.” Yes, and Praise God, that is the most important thing that has happened or can happen in your life, but why not reach for more? Get to know Him better! Serve Him in you family, church, and every other area of you life. Look forward to meeting Jesus in heaven and hear Him say: “Well done, good and faithful servant…… enter into the joy of your lord.” (Matthew 25:23)

PRAY:

1.     Lord thank you that I can know without a shadow of a doubt that You are my God, my Savior, and my Lord.

2.     Help me to draw closer to You every day by spending time learning about Your life and many other godly men and women who were sold out for you in Your Holy Word, the Bible.

3.     Help me to be obedient to Your commands and the leading of Your Holy Spirit that lives within me that I might be a witness of Your great love for me and all mankind.