Those who suffer will reign
We suffer, we shall also reign with him... (2, Tim. 2:12)
Dear brothers and sisters,
When the Soviet army invaded my homeland, Romania, a Russian officer entered into the house of a priest and shouted him:
He said,
The Russian officer took out his revolver, pointed it at the pastor and said,
The priest did not know what would happen. He thought in a minute he could be shot; but he was a faithful priest and said,
The officer put back his revolver, embraced the priest, and said,
In Communist and Islamic countries so many Christians have been given the choice to live, denying the Gospel; and then to go to hell (2, Tim. 2:12). Or better to die affirming the truth of the Gospel and go to heaven. We have the Gospel. We have also the duty to witness its truth to others. If we neglect this our responsability, will we not be in the situation of the men in Beth-shemesh who had the Ark of the Covenant? (1, Sam.6:19). They could have had so many blessings, not only heavenly, but earthly blessings because the Ark of the Covenant was with them. They did not understand their privilege.
I speak in the name of The Voice of the Martyrs. We smuggle Gospels into Communist and Islamic countries. Here was a great debate when we started smuggling. Christians were divided. Some said you should not smuggle. Others said nobody can forbid the Word of God in the world of God. So some were for and some were against. We never entered into the debate. We did not say a word for it. We did not say a word against it. We smuggled.
We continue today to bring Gospels into closed countries.
Our mission sent a Canadian to Russia. He was of Russian descent and spoke fluent Russian. He was in a train and opposite him was a Russian farmer. The Russian farmer saw he was a foreigner, and asked him where he was from. The man replied . He was asked if he had ever read a Gospel. Our courrier said,
Then the farmer asked him a hard gripping question, he said,
“I have been told 20 years ago such a verse exists. The sun gives light. It gives warmth. It gives life. I would like that my life should not be thrown away. It should be useful as the sun is useful to every living being. I would like to shine like the sun, but I have been told the promise is only to the righteous. The righteous will shine like the sun and I don’t know how to become righteous. Could you please tell me how I can become righteous?”
Then our brother said, Then the Russian asked,
There are so many in this world who thirst after the Word of God. We have it. We have it in all its richness. We can have many Gospels. Much of mankind cannot have a Gospel. Is it right? Does the Gospel not say that we should be the light of the world? The light communicates itself to others. Go, be My witness. Teach. Spread the Word. We have not done it and over half the population of the world is under Godless government.
We are very much like the men in Beth-shemesh who had what nobody else in the whole world had. They were the only ones to have the Ark of the Covenant with the Ten Commandments and the blessing of God connected with it. They scorned what they had. They did not know to use well their privilege. In the end they lost it as we might lose it.
How great this gift is. We have 1200 pages in all kinds of translations and interpretations. Nations are starving for the Word of God. We have it. We don’t value it. We are like those in Beth-shemesh. Value your Gospel. When you ponder it, see that it speaks about the eternal faith of souls.
The Russians have souls. The Chinese have souls and the Mongolians, the Koreans, Vietnamese and Sudanese. Ask yourself,
In our body we have also one of the smallest glands - the lacrymal gland. The gland which gives tears. Probably God wishes us to weep. To weep is a Christian obligation. In Romans 12 it is written, That is a commandment of God. Weep.
When strive to do this, but the same God who has said these things has said,
There are so many who weep to have a Gospel. Weep together with them and join hands with us to help them.
In Christ,
Richard Wurmbrand
Dear brothers and sisters,
When the Soviet army invaded my homeland, Romania, a Russian officer entered into the house of a priest and shouted him:
He said,
The Russian officer took out his revolver, pointed it at the pastor and said,
The priest did not know what would happen. He thought in a minute he could be shot; but he was a faithful priest and said,
The officer put back his revolver, embraced the priest, and said,
In Communist and Islamic countries so many Christians have been given the choice to live, denying the Gospel; and then to go to hell (2, Tim. 2:12). Or better to die affirming the truth of the Gospel and go to heaven. We have the Gospel. We have also the duty to witness its truth to others. If we neglect this our responsability, will we not be in the situation of the men in Beth-shemesh who had the Ark of the Covenant? (1, Sam.6:19). They could have had so many blessings, not only heavenly, but earthly blessings because the Ark of the Covenant was with them. They did not understand their privilege.
I speak in the name of The Voice of the Martyrs. We smuggle Gospels into Communist and Islamic countries. Here was a great debate when we started smuggling. Christians were divided. Some said you should not smuggle. Others said nobody can forbid the Word of God in the world of God. So some were for and some were against. We never entered into the debate. We did not say a word for it. We did not say a word against it. We smuggled.
We continue today to bring Gospels into closed countries.
Our mission sent a Canadian to Russia. He was of Russian descent and spoke fluent Russian. He was in a train and opposite him was a Russian farmer. The Russian farmer saw he was a foreigner, and asked him where he was from. The man replied . He was asked if he had ever read a Gospel. Our courrier said,
Then the farmer asked him a hard gripping question, he said,
“I have been told 20 years ago such a verse exists. The sun gives light. It gives warmth. It gives life. I would like that my life should not be thrown away. It should be useful as the sun is useful to every living being. I would like to shine like the sun, but I have been told the promise is only to the righteous. The righteous will shine like the sun and I don’t know how to become righteous. Could you please tell me how I can become righteous?”
Then our brother said, Then the Russian asked,
There are so many in this world who thirst after the Word of God. We have it. We have it in all its richness. We can have many Gospels. Much of mankind cannot have a Gospel. Is it right? Does the Gospel not say that we should be the light of the world? The light communicates itself to others. Go, be My witness. Teach. Spread the Word. We have not done it and over half the population of the world is under Godless government.
We are very much like the men in Beth-shemesh who had what nobody else in the whole world had. They were the only ones to have the Ark of the Covenant with the Ten Commandments and the blessing of God connected with it. They scorned what they had. They did not know to use well their privilege. In the end they lost it as we might lose it.
How great this gift is. We have 1200 pages in all kinds of translations and interpretations. Nations are starving for the Word of God. We have it. We don’t value it. We are like those in Beth-shemesh. Value your Gospel. When you ponder it, see that it speaks about the eternal faith of souls.
The Russians have souls. The Chinese have souls and the Mongolians, the Koreans, Vietnamese and Sudanese. Ask yourself,
In our body we have also one of the smallest glands - the lacrymal gland. The gland which gives tears. Probably God wishes us to weep. To weep is a Christian obligation. In Romans 12 it is written, That is a commandment of God. Weep.
When strive to do this, but the same God who has said these things has said,
There are so many who weep to have a Gospel. Weep together with them and join hands with us to help them.
In Christ,
Richard Wurmbrand
Labels: Richard Wurmbrand, Suffering
Posted by Dominique Péladeau for the Rev. Radu Roscanu | 4:16 AM
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