PRAY FOR THE PERSECUTED

HEROES OF THE FAITH, HISTORY CHANNELS, MINISTRIES WE SUPPORT, PRAY FOR THE PERSECUTED, VIDEOS, POWER POINTS, AND PHOTOS TO SHARE

Continue to “Remember Those in Bonds” Video: “Solitary Prayer”

Posted on November 30, 2017December 31, 2017 by pastorappreciationblog

We have been honored to share the story of Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, founders of “The Voice of the Martyrs.” Here are links to stories we’ve featured on our blog:

https://pastorappreciationblog.com/2015/03/09/heroes-of-the-faith-richard-and-sabina-wurmbrand/
https://pastorappreciationblog.com/2017/03/08/the-power-of-posts-part-five/

Pastor Richard Wurmbrand left his apartment and headed to church one Sunday morning in February 1948, but he was kidnapped off the streets by Romanian secret police. He would spend 14 years in Communist prisons.

When he came down with tuberculosis and appeared close to death, guards moved Pastor Wurmbrand into the “death cell.” But he didn’t die. Instead, he survived and was eventually ransomed out of Romania. After arriving in the West, he immediately began to tell the story of his imprisonment and of the many Christians still suffering in Communist prisons behind the Iron Curtain.

In October 1967, those stories were typed up and mailed out to Christians who wanted to know more. It was the first issue of what later became the Voice of the Martyrs newsletter.

Something else happened in 1967: The book “Tortured for Christ” was released:
Pastor Richard Wurmbrand’s dramatic testimony shocked the world when it was first released in 1967, and many believers today cite it among the most influential books they have ever read. Pastor Wurmbrand endured months of solitary confinement, years of torture, constant suffering and the anguish of brainwashing simply because he refused to deny the name of Jesus Christ. The book is the story of how one man’s faithfulness and suffering led to a worldwide network of support for persecuted Christians.

Today, the ministry that Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand founded is actively helping Christians in 68 countries, providing direct aid to the persecuted, sending Bibles to those in hostile areas and restricted nations, and assisting front-line workers.
The ministry also continues to tell the stories of these believers, just as Richard did.

Each year, for The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP), they create a video created specifically for this Day. For this year’s observance, the video told a story from Richard’s personal testimony of those years in Communist prisons. “Solitary Prayer” was filmed in Romania, in the very prison where Pastor Richard Wurmbrand spent three years in solitary confinement. It is a story that reminds us to pray not only for our persecuted brothers and sisters, but also for their persecutors.

“Solitary Prayer” features excerpts from the new “Tortured for Christ” movie, which is set to be released in Spring, 2018. This will be a significant event.

We purposely waited to share this video, as an admonishment to pray, every day, and to “remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them” (Hebrews 13:3).
Note: This is powerful:

HEROES OF THE FAITH, HISTORY CHANNELS, POWER OF POSTS, PRAY FOR THE PERSECUTED

The Power of “Posts:” Part Five

Posted on March 8, 2017December 31, 2017 by pastorappreciationblog

Hi Friends:

Yes, I didn’t plan this to be a series; I only wanted to share with you what I had discovered on the back of a calendar, and, initially, planned that one “post” for the end of the year.

While I was researching for what became a short series, I ran into this quote, which I share with you today, during a morning Bible study. Once again, I just can’t over-emphasize the importance of beginning your day with prayer, and Bible study. First thing. Every day. If you’ll do this, faithfully, I promise you’ll “run into” all kinds of things, which just happen to fit into the “that’s just what I needed” category. See, God knows what you need. If you’ll spend time with Him … you will, then, give Him the time to show you … “just what you need.”

I was in the beginning of this series, when I discovered this quote from, and, yes, I will proudly say it … one of my heroes … It’s ok to have heroes, you know … people, from the past, and present, who inspire you … God will always put people in front of you, to inspire you. Jesus is my hero. Period. Period. I want to be like Him, I want to think like Him, I want to speak like Him, I want to “do” like Him. Period.

Jesus also places people around us, circumstances around us, which will help us fulfill that goal. He also allows us to read and learn about people, from history, who had that same goal. People we can, yes I’ll say it, people we can “look up to,” people who inspire us. How about Paul? Peter? John? Etc. Well, Jesus is still alive, His influence is still alive, and there are many “modern-day” people who can, through their example of following Christ, inspire us today.

One of these heroes, to me, is Pastor Richard Wurmbrand. And, his wife Sabrina. I notice that, today, according to my “Google Doodle,” is “International Women’s Day.” Well … to women around the globe … to men around the globe … I urge you to learn about Richard and Sabrina Wurmbrand. If you want to learn about 2 heroes …

While I was doing the research for this series, I ran into a quote from Richard Wurmbrand. Mr. Wurmbrand was a Pastor in Romania. What he endured as a prisoner, inside a Communist prison, for 14 years, is incomprehensible. He was, eventually, released, and went on to found “The Voice of the Martyrs.”

I am now going to write this: When I was growing up in Georgia, the movie “Walking Tall” was released; a true story about Sheriff Buford Pusser, a former professional wrestler. A man I remember seeing. A man who suffered tremendous injury at the hands of criminals, whom he would spend the rest of his life fighting. Again … please allow me to use this as an example, in context. In the movie, Buford (played by Joe Don Baker) was on trial … in one of the most memorable scenes from his movie, and his life … from the witness stand … he ripped open his shirt … allowing the, perhaps, at first, unbelieving jury to see the wounds his enemies had inflicted him with … again, please remember the context … making a statement, to the now-horrified, stunned jury, that, if they allowed this to happen to him … “they” would allow the same thing to happen to “each of you” …

Pastor Wurmbrand began his ministry of being a voice for persecuted Christians in England with Rev. Stuart Harris. Later, Richard moved on to the United States. It was the year 1966 … Years after his release from a Communist prison … Richard Wurmbrand would stand in front of perhaps, at first, unbelieving members of the United States Congress … he appeared before a U.S. Senate Internal Security Subcommittee, where he stripped to the waist and revealed 18 deep torture wounds on his body to perhaps, at first, an unbelieving group of U.S. Congressmen, to see the wounds his enemies had inflicted him with …

Yeah … I have heroes … Not many, but these are two …

Pastor Wurmbrand would write the classic “Tortured for Christ,” and “In God’s Underground.” It is a quote from the latter that I discovered as I was in the midst of this series. The day was February 29th, 1948, and Pastor Wurmbrand, in Romania, was walking to church. He was forced into a van, and taken prisoner. How scared would you be?

In his book “In God’s Underground,” here’s what Pastor Wurmbrand wrote about that day, the last day of February, 1948:
“I knew that I faced questioning, ill-treatment, possibly years of imprisonment and death, and I wondered if my faith was strong enough. I remembered then that in the Bible it is written 366 times-once for every day of the year-‘Don’t be afraid.’ 366 times, not merely 365, to account for leap year. And this was February 29-a coincidence that told me I need not fear!”

Yeah … I have heroes …

I was going to sub-title this last installment of the series, “What’s on your wall?” as I share with you a deeply personal photo, which I have, here on the wall, in our office. It is right next to a framed portrait of Abraham Lincoln.

Again, I encourage you to “post” sayings, verses of Scriptures, pictures, photos, etc., around your home, to encourage you … and … those who may just happen to visit. In my case, every time I enter the office, or as I leave the office and turn around to look, this is the photo I see … there on the wall … to encourage me, and “all those who enter.” This, by the way, and this is really personal, is the exact photo I have on the wall … I took it down, and scanned it … so this is the photo I see, both when I enter, and leave, the office.

The question is:
What’s on your wall?

I am also going to share a link to a story we did on Richard and Sabrina Wurmbrand, over on our blog, which includes a video …
Featuring actual recordings of Pastor Wurmbrand, and the story of Richard and Sabrina … the only change I may make, as I really think about their story … is that I think I should put a photo of both Mr. and Mrs. Wurmbrand on the wall …

Here’s the actual photo from my office wall:

Here’s the link to the story and video:

Richard and Sabrina Wurmbrand Post

Blessings to you, and your family,
Today. And, every day.
Richard. Vincent. Rose.

HEROES OF THE FAITH, MINISTRIES WE SUPPORT, PRAY FOR THE PERSECUTED

Good News from Sudan: VOM Staff Member Released from Sudanese Prison

Posted on March 4, 2017December 31, 2017 by pastorappreciationblog

Under the heading of “SET FREE,” I received this email from The Voice of the Martyrs, this past Monday, February 27. This is a story we have been keeping up with, and read the announcement with great joy:
“Czech national and long-time VOM staff member Petr Jasek has been released from prison in Sudan, following a pardon issued by Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir.”
Here is a recap of the story, from 2 emails we received:

“After 445 days in prison in Sudan, Czech national Petr Jasek has been set free. He flew out of Sudan Sunday afternoon along with Czech Republic Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek. Jasek, arrested in December 2015, had served as VOM’s Africa Regional Director. He was reunited with his wife and two grown children last night in Prague.
We are so thankful for all those who prayed for Petr and his family. Many also wrote letters to the Sudanese government on behalf of Petr and two Sudanese men sentenced with him. THANK YOU!
From the earliest days of his imprisonment, Petr said many times, “God holds the key to my cell.” We are thankful that God used that key to open the door, and we pray that He will also open the cell doors to allow the two Sudanese men, one of whom is a pastor, also to go free.
Petr was arrested in December 2015, after visiting Sudanese Christians and helping one of them with a small gift to cover medical expenses. Last month a Sudanese court found him guilty of “waging war against the state,” “violating restrictions in military areas,” “spreading rumors to defame the state,” “espionage” and “inciting strife between communities.” He was sentenced to 24 years in prison. Since that sentence was announced, negotiations have been ongoing between the Czech government and the government of Sudan.

Please continue to pray for Rev. Hassan Abduraheem (second from left above) and Abdulmonem Abdumawla (far right above), who can be seen with Petr in the photo above, and were sentenced to 12 years in prison for allegedly aiding Petr’s espionage activities. Pray that they will be released soon, and pray for their families.

Also: Pray also for Petr Jasek and his family as they reunite and as Petr begins to recover from the physical toll that 14 months in prison has wrought.

“I was in five different prisons, each worse than the last,” Petr said. “I was placed in group cells with drug traffickers, violent criminals and radical Muslims – including ISIS members. I was deprived of sleep for days in a cell with no running water, where mice ran over my body every time I lay down.”

As a career field leader with VOM, Petr has devoted his life to serving our persecuted Christian family. For more than 15 years, he has traveled continually and served in the toughest mission fields in the world.
Inspired by years of serving Christians imprisoned for their faith, he felt honored to be able to serve God while himself the prisoner of a brutal Islamic regime. He embraced his imprisonment as an opportunity to share the gospel with Sudanese, Eritreans and radical Muslims who are normally inaccessible to missionaries.

“I found that I was peaceful and joyful in prison, and that is a miracle that only God can do,” Petr said. “I can say that I was experiencing an amazing time with the Lord. My prayer was that I wanted to have the right words to speak at any time so that everything I said would be for the glory of God and touching the hearts of the other prisoners.” During his almost 15 months in prison, Petr shared the gospel with many and saw several come to saving faith in Christ.

Each of us should be inspired by Petr’s example. We should seek to boldly witness for Christ wherever we are.

Pray also for all of our Christian brothers and sisters in Sudan. They have become bolder – not more cautious – in their witness for Christ since Petr and the others were imprisoned, even singing hymns outside the courthouse during our brothers’ trial.“

Here is a direct link to The Voice of the Martyrs website, which will include information on how you can help those persecuted for their faith, and how you can help their families:

The Voice of the Martyrs

“Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; [and] them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.”
Hebrews 13:3

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