Tortured for Christ

We are in the middle of yet another very good book, Tortured for Christ.  I recommend this very much.  As a book that teens and adults could learn about history and the fight of good and evil.

Richard Wurmbrand was a Romanian pastor who ministered to his own people and Russian soldiers occupying his nation in the 1940's. In 1948, he was arrested by the Communist authorities and endured years of imprisonment and torture.

1.  This first one is really sad and hard to read about, but it is important.
A pastor by the name of Florescu was tortured with red-hot iron pokers and with knives. He was beaten very badly. Then starving rats were driven into his cell through a large pipe. He could not sleep, but had to defend himself all the time. If he rested a moment, the rats would attack him.

He was forced to stand for two weeks, day and night. The communists wished to compel him to betray his brethren, but he resisted steadfastly. In the end, they brought his 14-year-old son and began to whip the boy in front of his father, saying that they would continue to beat him until the pastor said what they wished him to say. The poor man was half mad. He bore it as long as he could.

When he could not stand it any more, he cried to his son; "Alexander, I must say what they want! I can't bear your beating any more!"
The son answered, "Father, don't do me the injustice to have a traitor as a parent. Withstand! If they kill me, I will die with the words, 'Jesus and my fatherland."'

The communists, enraged, fell upon the child and beat him to death, with blood spattered over the walls of the cell. He died praising God. Our dear brother Florescu was never the same after seeing this.


2.  "It was strictly forbidden to preach to other prisoners. It was understood that whoever was caught doing this received a severe beating. A number of us decided to pay the price for the privilege of preaching, so we accepted their [the communists' ] terms. It was a deal; we preached and they beat us. We were happy preaching. They were happy beating us, so everyone was happy."

3.  On why one young Russian, Poitr, accepted Jesus: "He said that he had listened attentively when, at one of our secret meetings, I had read Luke 24, the story of Jesus meeting the two disciples who went toward Emmaus. When they drew nigh unto the village, "He made as though He would have gone farther." Piotr said: "I wondered why Jesus said this. He surely wanted to stay with His disciples. Why then did He say that He wished to go further?"      My explanation was that Jesus is polite. He wished to be very sure that he was desired. When he saw that He was welcomed, He gladly entered the house with them. The communists are impolite. They enter by violence into our hearts and minds. They oblige us us from morning to late in the night to listen to them. They do it through their schools, radio, newspapers, posters, movie pictures, atheistic meetings and everywhere you turn. You have to listen continuously to their godless propaganda, whether you like it or dislike it. Jesus respects our freedom. He gently knocks at the door. "Jesus has won me by his politeness," said Piotr. This stark contrast between communism and Christ had convinced him.

4.  "Like them, many others were not only converted. We should never stop at having won a soul for Christ. By this, you have done only half the work. Every soul won for Christ must be made into a soul-winner. The Russians were not only converted, but became "missionaries" in the Underground Church.They were reckless and daring for Christ, always saying it was so little they could do for Christ who died for them"


Free Copy of Tortured for Christ

Reading in the Car

We've gotten into the habit of reading a good book as we travel here & there.  Jon drives, and I read to him and Jonathan.  We are right in the middle of God's Smuggler.  A very interesting book about a man named Brother Andrew who during the '50s and on started smuggling Bibles & preaching into the countries behind the Iron Curtain.  He was constantly in danger but God always protected and provided for him.  We take for granted the freedom we have to have a Bible or to go to a church.  The people in the communist-controlled countries were desperate to know anyone outside even cared about the church and them.  They were in danger just trying to meet in underground churches to hear but it was worth it to them.  One man managed to get his hand on an old Bible that somehow didn't get destroyed or confiscated in his country, but it was missing Genesis, Exodus, and Revelations.  They figured someone probably used the thin pages for cigarette paper.  He had one other tiny copy and was typing those three books out so he could then have a complete Bible to give to a church that had no Bibles.  We are in chapter 15 and don't know yet what happens but we are all ready to hear more.

This method of reading works well for us.  Another of our favorites was a biography of Stonewall Jackson.  What a character he was.  If you want to broaden your reading material into something more educational, try reading to them in the car.  Jon and Jonathan are really my captive audience.  They can't jump out! I guess if they weren't interested they could turn up the radio, but they get so into the books that they wouldn't do that. (besides that would be so rude)  I know if you have younger children or many children it might be harder to do.  But it's worth a shot.  Children have always loved to be read to.

Quick Review

Well, yesterday Jonathan was running a low fever, congested, etc.  I got a sick stomach but thank God I didn't vomit.  Just felt really queasy.  Today I'm all better.  Jonathan is still having to blow his nose constantly.  We didn't go out anywhere today although Jon tried to talk us into it.

I finished reading the book "The Betrayal" by Beverly Lewis, so I have to get to the library and get the next book in the series.  I was so involved in the story that I didn't want to finish it.  I could see that trouble was brewing and I sure didn't want that to happen.  Sometimes I get so deep into the stories that I hate what is happening to the heroine.  I know the next book will start to work things out though.

Here is a link to a man's ministry to spread the Word to colleges.  His name is Ken Dornhecker.  We get his newletter and I read it all up. It is very inspiring to me that he is so devoted to showing people the true Christ and the way to salvation.  Amazing!  Here are 3 pages of his site, but you ought to see all his pages.

http://www.evangelismfellowship.org/campus_ministry.htm
http://www.evangelismfellowship.org/answering_the_skeptics.htm
http://www.evangelismfellowship.org/texas.htm

Beverly Lewis Books

I usually don't read a certain author's works, because I really don't care who wrote the books and find other things to read but this time I found one I like.  Beverly Lewis.

I'm in the middle of a couple of book series by her at the moment.  I didn't know she wrote in series.  I had picked up The Secret, enjoyed it and found at the end that it wasn't the end!  I started getting that oh-oh feeling when near the end I noticed that if this doesn't wrap up soon, there wasn't going to be enough pages left to tell the story.  I've finally found the second book in the library and will start that soon.  (may have to re-read The Secret to remember what was happening in it)

So in the meantime, I picked up another book of hers called the Covenant, the same thing at the end, a continuation.  I found the next book in the library also.  I'm right in the middle of it and can't wait to find out what happens next.
Here is a brief look at the two series I'm reading:

Seasons of Grace series
  Grace Byler longs to discover the truth behind her mother's secretive ways and eventual disappearance. Sure the reason has to do with her father's uncommunicative ways, Grace breaks off her own betrothal to her staid beau and is resigned to remain single. But then the young Amishman she thought was courting her best friend takes a sudden interest in her...

1. The Secret
2. The Missing
3. The Telling

Abram's Daughters series
Abram's Daughters introduces readers to an Old Order family, a close-knit community and a devout people whose way of life and faith in God is as timeless as their signature horse and buggy.
Abram Ebersol and his devoted wife are raising four courting-age daughters on a firm foundation of Plain tradition, and they expect their girls to carry on that heritage by joining the church and making a covenant with God.
But the "running-around" years known as rumspringa are often a time of sowing wild oats. Each of Abram's daughters, choosing her own path, must come to terms with the Old Ways of thinking and living. And sometimes that path has detours and forks in the road with unknown destinations...

1. The Covenant
2. The Betrayal
3. The Sacrifice
4. The Prodigal
5. The Revelation

Child's Faith

Sometimes kids can see things differently than we do and sometimes kids say the most unexpected things.

In the book, She Can Laugh at the Days to Come by Valerie Bell, I found the following interesting.

     We had guests over one night.  Our talk turned lightly to what heaven might be like.  My extroverted husband, Steve, said that heaven would be like a giant beach party and all his friends would be there.  My oldest son, who can rarely get his family to invest hours and days into the kind of strategic games he likes to play, said, not surprisingly, that heaven was going to be an enormous strategy game and everyone would have to play.  When it was my turn I said I pictured heaven to be like living on an African safari, except all the animals would be tame and you would not have to feed or clean up after them.  They laughed at me and called me "Sheena of Heaven."
     As we went around the table, we enjoyed each other's interpretations of heaven that exposed who we were and the things that gave us joy.  When we came to our guest's small son, he looked up with an innocent expression, his face covered with a chocolate-cake smile, and said, "I think heaven is going to be....that whenever you want you can get up in Jesus' lap!"
Leave it to a child!

More on Standing in Faith

Referring to my previous post: 
     Would you be so rooted and grounded in your faith enough to take the bombardment from a college professor or other anti-christian? Is your faith strong enough?
 
     We are to lean on Christ and that alone. I know deep in myself that He is real.  Jesus has done so much for me. Who cares what arguments the world makes? If you know that you know deep in your heart, pray, lean on Jesus, cast out the doubts that Satan and the world tries to put in there, give it to God.

     But they are tricky and can deceive us so quickly. If they can get a foothold, a tiny crack, or a bit of doubt in our faith they will continue to hammer away and enlarge the crack in our faith until we crumble. Don't let it happen. No matter what, we have to turn to God and tell the world and Satan where to get off. God will give us strength.

     I just read this in another book I'm reading and it kind of goes along with this topic.

     Some people take few precautions to protect their heart and soul. They leave the doors to their convictions and beliefs unguarded. Perhaps the desire to win the acceptance of society has become the most important goal.

     Without a strong foundation of belief, compromised thinking can tiptoe in and steal the ability to discern truth from lies. One of the most seductive lies of our times is that all sincerely held beliefs are right--that all spiritual roads lead to heaven.

     In the world, there is huge competition for our hearts, minds and souls, but settling for a comfortable and convenient "truth" leaves us exposed to every danger."

(from Lessons Learned Looking Back by Todd Linaman and Laura Sowers)

Standing on Faith

Here is an excerpt of a book I'm reading: Coming Home by David Lewis
   
     Andy's downfall probably originated with a certain naivete and the sense that his faith was invulnerable.  For the second semester of his junior year, he signed up for what he thought would be a benign history course; The Historical Origins of Christianity.  When he discovered the extreme liberal nature of the professor, Andy decided to stay and duke it out, counter fallacy with fact, lies with truth.  I can take him, Andy had thought.
     The professor ate him alive.  Dr. Neal raised hundreds of questions in the name of Biblical cristicism and historical accuracy, questions Andy had never considered before.  In spite of digging throught his apologetics books for endless hours, looking for answers, his faith began to slowly disintegrate.
     It was like being attacked by intellectual bombs, each one tearing out another piece of his house of faith.  By the end of the semester, Andy was despairing, the historical roots of his faith having been all but destroyed.

So far this looks like a mystery/love story/faith building book.  Can't wait to see what will happen between him and Jesse (his long lost childhood best friend; girl)
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There are some pretty chilling things out there that liberals are doing to college students, which in turn will and is affecting our nation.  I found these quotes on a message board:

     You see, I am one of that rare breed--a conservative professor. For eleven years now I've been teaching literature and composition courses, helping students to hone their critical thinking and reading skills, a "market" many liberals laughably believe they have cornered. True critical thinking involves going beyond childish Bush-bashing; it involves using logic rather than simply throwing the grenades many liberals love to throw--"You're sexist! You're racist! You're a homophobe! You're stupid!"--in lieu of an actual argument.

     I would be happy to challenge you to a "critical thinking" contest any day. But go ahead, foolishly believing that all the smart people are liberals; the more people like you continue to make that miscalculation, the easier it will be for conservatives to win the culture wars, not to mention the war on terror.

     As a student who has survived the ravages of liberalism in our universities, I want to share with you some of my experiences with liberal bullying.  When I was a student at New Mexico State University, I was a psych major.  Now, everyone knows that psychology is literally "owned" by liberals. However, there comes a point at which one must draw the line of tolerance.

     I have been forced to withdraw from courses taught by liberals simply because I refused to allow myself to be indoctrinated by their leftist propaganda.  I find it objectionable that there are professors who are forcing students to agree with them, under threat of assigning failing course grades simply because the student disagrees with said propaganda. Folks, our universities have become reeducation centers.

      "My teacher came into class the day after the election proclaiming, 'That's it. This is the death of America.' The rest of the class was eager to agree, and twenty minutes of Bush-bashing ensued. At one point, one student asked our teacher whether she should be so vocal, lest any students be conservatives. She then asked us whether any of us were Republicans. Naturally, no one volunteered that information, whereupon our teacher turned to the inquisitive student and said, 'See? No one in here would be stupid enough to vote for Bush.' "

      Some students undoubtedly find such banter fun. But for others it can be chilling. And just as teachers' freedom of speech must be protected, so must students' freedom to learn, if it is threatened.  "The inability to benefit from a robust and free exchange of ideas--intellectual harassment if you will--goes to the very heart of the academic enterprise."

Some student responses at Yale:

• "My professor mocked conservatives constantly."
  
• "Professors in Biology were extremely anti-religion and mocked it openly. Pro left-wing jokes/anti-Bush jokes abound."
  
• "I feel intimidated."
  
• "My Spanish teacher only presented readings against Bush's trade policy in Latin America. . . . Also actively silenced people who disagreed with her."
  
• "Professors often have a slant in the readings they choose. As long as you're aware of it, you can prepare against it."

Jesus Freaks

Have you all read this book?  Jesus Freaks, Martyrs by DC Talk and Voices of the Martyrs.   I couldn't put it down. The things people go through to just be able to worship God! They give all to have a chance to worship and share the gospel with others. They are beaten, imprisoned without any trial or help to get out, families are harassed or family members are against them and turn them in or kill them. Tortured.

If Christianity was against the law, would Christians be strong and have enough faith to endure? I would hope we would have faith, strength, and courage. If they took our Bibles, would we know Scripture by memory so they could always have it no matter who took the Bibles? I know many of the verses, or parts of verses, but I always have trouble with the address part. But thankfully, prayer is always available to us no matter what the situation.