Recently our family read the book "God's Double Agent" by Bob Fu. This book is the amazing true story of a Chinese Christian. He was a "double agent" being a Christian and preacher in the underground house church and a teacher at a communist school. He spent two months in a Chinese prison for his faith. He had secret agents watching him. He and his wife had to escape from China because... well, you will just have to read the book to figure out why he had to do that.
Brother Fu now lives in the United States where he is founder and president of China Aid.
I had the privilege of meeting Brother Fu, last month at a conference we attended. We also had the privilege to have the Lord's Supper with him. We should honor such brothers in the faith, who have endured even prison for the sake of Jesus Christ.
Visit www.vomadvance.com to find a Voice Of The Martyrs conference near you, where you can learn more about what our brothers and sisters go through as they strive to serve God in their countries.
This is a very good song which was written by Gilbert Hovsepian, a Christian from the Middle East whose father was a martyr. "Send Me Out"
This is another song entitled "I Forgive You" also written by Gilbert. He wrote it to those who killed his father. Gilbert himself was also persecuted for his faith. May Gilbert's testimony of forgiveness serve as an example to all of us. May we love those who persecute us, pray for them, and realize that apart from the saving grace of God, we too would still be dead in our sins hating God.
I realize I said that we should love those who persecute us, implying that we will be persecuted. Some may object but this is the teaching of Scripture.
"Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,"
2 Timothy 3:12
"Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours."
John 15:20
One thing that is to be considered is this: Are you following Jesus Christ in such a way that the world identifies you with him, and thus hates you because you are so closely acquainted with the God they hate, whose Word they despise? If not, then examine yourself and beg God to conform you more to the image of His Son.
May we all seek to be so close to Christ that the world knows that we love Him, and that we are willing to lay down our lives for His sake, and let that be the thing that makes them hate us and persecute us.
Christians around the world are sitting in prison, being tortured and killed for their faith in Christ. These are your brothers and sisters. Will you let them suffer in silence? Will you let them serve alone?
Pray for your brothers and sisters, pray for their persecutors, pray that God's kingdom would expand through persecution.
"the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church"
~Tertullian
"Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body."
Hebrews 13:3
With love in the Lord,
Virginia
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