Last week I listened to the Audible book The Heavenly Man. It’s a book about Brother Yun, a Chinese believer who suffered greatly for the cause of Christ. I’ve mentioned the book and Brother Yun in the past. He was imprisoned several times and tortured too many times to count. I read the book last year and it touched my heart more than I could ever say. Listening to it is also had an impact on me. Perhaps one of the things that convicted me the most is Brother Yun’s love for the Word of God. When he was first born again he prayed and fasted for days for a Bible. The Lord provided one for him in a very miraculous way. I highly encourage you to get the book. It’s worth the time and money. Brother Yun read his Bible day and night. He memorized chapters and eventually several entire books of the Bible. During his imprisonment the Word rose up within him when he didn’t have a Bible. As an answer to prayer God even used a prison official to provide him with a Bible. We don’t memorize scriptures because the Word is so readily available to us. I don’t even know how many Bible’s I have. I have them on my tablet, computer and phone. I even have an app that will read the Bible to me. That’s not counting physical Bibles. We have so many of them yet there are those all around the world that would give all of their possessions for one page from the Word. I’ve had times in my life when I was so hungry for the Word that I slept with my Bible. I held it as close as I possibly could all night for quite a while. I’ve had seasons of intense study and reading of the Word. I love those times when hours lapse without realizing it. The time of Christ’s return is SO close. Preacher’s have been saying that for a very long time. The temptation is to ignore that statement or say “I know, I know”. It is the absolute truth though. All you have to do is turn on the evening news for a few minutes to realize how close we are. Deceptions abound in the Body of Christ. The answer to deception is truth. If we don’t know the truth then we are vulnerable to deception. Brother Yun was able to withstand heinous torture because of his love for God and the Word. He knew the truth and nothing could make him deny it. He couldn’t be deceived into denying his relationship with Christ or the Word. I cannot encourage you enough to watch the video I posted. It will take less than one minute. It’s a group of Chinese believers seeing Bibles for the first time. I cry each time I watch it. I’m convicted each time I watch it. I recently received 4 tickets to a Mark Schultz concert. Friday night I took my nieces to their first concert and my sister went with us. My six year old niece sat next to me. She was unimpressed with the concert; we had great seats too. I guess six is a little too young to appreciate a concert. She was pretending to paint my fingernails and whispered in my ear that she wants to be a missionary to China. Then she proclaimed her extreme boredom and collapsed back in the seat. In January she gave her heart to Christ and immediately tried to get her little brother to do the same. She’s already trying to evangelize! She said wants everyone to go to Heaven and not hell. Even at six years old she realizes that not everyone is as blessed as we are to have the Word. I’m thankful she’s receiving such a solid foundation at home and the school they attend. Please watch the video and you’ll find yourself wanting to kiss your Bible too.
For quite a while my heart has been heavy for Saeed Abedini, the American Pastor being tortured in Iran. There’s also another minister being held in North Korea. His name is Kenneth Bae. I’m resisting the urge to discuss how disappointed I am in our government regarding their lack of action for Pastor Saeed. The truth is, President Obama could go to Iran in the flesh and demand his release but it might not work. The only thing that’s going to work is for the Body of Christ to rise up in her destiny. In agreement we can offer our prayer and intercession on Pastor Saeed’s behalf like a mighty chorus to Heaven. God might choose to work through the government but it’s going to be for His glory. Pastor Saeed isn’t the only one suffering for his faith. These aren’t just a few isolated incidents. All across the earth our brothers and sisters are being tortured and killed for the sake of the gospel. Hebrews 13:3 says; “Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.” In the Greek remember means to be mindful of, return to one’s mind, call to mind, and to remind oneself. We are to be mindful of those in prison as though we are with them! Never in my life has that scripture been more close to my heart. In China there are men and women suffering unimaginable torture in deplorable, heinous conditions. We are to be mindful of them as if we were with them. We have it so easy in America! I’ve been thinking a lot about the countless martyrs who have given their life for Jesus Christ in the past. I’ve been praying for those currently suffering. Even now I can hear their cry in my heart and that’s where the following poem came from. I can’t even begin to imagine what it’s like to endure torture. They endure it every day whether it’s physical or psychological. We can’t ignore their cry like it doesn’t exist. We can’t just live our lives while those in our family need us to stand in the gap for them. Let’s do our part!
