Enduring The Unspeakable

[Coliseum]

These are the times I weep because it forces me to understand the cost Jesus bore. Unless we truly understand this cost, we will never work into us how much our Savior means. We read about it, but we do not experience it. We hear about it, but do not personalize it:

"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 because he 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. Eventually, they brought his fourteen-year-old son to the prison 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, then he cried to his son, “Alexander, I must say what they want! I can’t bear your beating anymore!” The son answered, “Father, don’t do me the injustice of having 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."

Wurmbrand, Richard. Tortured for Christ

Hebrews 13:3 (NIV)
³  Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

 

 

 

[Jayne]

I've read the book and highly encourage others to read it.  You will never forget to pray for the underground churches across the world nor will you ever forget to pray for the tormentors to be saved.

That was the message of the book.  No matter what they endured, their goal was to see the tormentors come to Christ.

There are stories worse than this in the book and Wurmbrand says in one section that he could not tell the truly horrible stories.  He said he couldn't bear to recall them.

Just  how bad did it get?  Only God knows and persecutions still happening to Christians across the world.

Pray for the underground church and Christians who have to hide.

[lftc]

1 hour ago, Coliseum said:

These are the times I weep because it forces me to understand the cost Jesus bore. Unless we truly understand this cost, we will never work into us how much our Savior means.

As always, well said. 

I think these stories start us on our way to compassion.   What you said, above, is so true.  When I consider what Jesus bore on the cross, far beyond the physical agony, I am deeply moved.

Until I finally really believed him, my guilt was a huge burden, the separation from God was unbearable.  And that was just me.  When I think of Jesus carrying the burden of ALL THE SINS OF ALL TIME, I cannot even begin to conceptualize it.  When he quoted the Psalm of David (22) "My God! My God! why have you forsaken me?" I know that the depth of spiritual pain he felt far exceeds mine.

When I consider that he did it that I, we, might be free from the guilt of sin, I am humbled and eternally grateful.

When I truly believe, I put on the beautiful gown of the bride (he made it!)  and look forward to dancing in his presence.  Soon I hope.

[lftc]

2 hours ago, Jayne said:

That was the message of the book.  No matter what they endured, their goal was to see the tormentors come to Christ.

 

Only a person that is truly alive would be capable of this.  What a worthy goal.  I humbly doubt my ability to live up to this.

[Coliseum]

1 minute ago, lftc said:

Only a person that is truly alive would be capable of this.  What a worthy goal.  I humbly doubt my ability to live up to this.

No one knows their end but Christ. If we are in Him, He will make a way for us because, as you say, "I humbly doubt my ability to live up to this." But with Christ in us, He will insure that what he has given us to do will get done in His strength. When David faced his Goliath, he approached the giant in God's power, not his own.

[ReneeIW]

19 minutes ago, Tampered With said:

Women are being used and sold as sex slaves by Islamic fundamentalists.

This is happening in the United States. I often wonder why no one seems to care about the human trafficking that goes on here, but we always seem to care about those suffering over seas. I couldn’t finish the original post by Coliseum, it was too upsetting, but I’m happy for the reminder to pray for those Christians being persecuted overseas. 

i just   hope we will care about our neighbors who endure great suffering as well

Edited October 6, 2019 by ReneeIW

[Coliseum]

I recall reading that many Christian women who also were tortured turned to prostitution because the tortures were too much to bear. Richard's heart went out to them, saying, "Please do not be too hard on them when you sit at home and not even pray for them."

Another Christian who was beaten with such frequency that he fell into severe depression when no one answered his letters or prayed for him that he wanted to die. When one letter was finally read, it became so international that he felt in his spirit floods of prayers filling the icy cold cell in which he was thrown. He recalled that it felt as if thousands of angels were beside him---that no bars could hold them. He said that he knew then that he could withstand whatever he had to go through for Christ.

Thank you sincerely to all who have prayed. 

 

 

 

[AngelInTraining93]

"By fire and by His sword the Lord shall plead with all flesh, and the slain of the Lord shall be many." Isaiah 66:16

God let the waters of the Red Sea swallow up the Egyptians who tried to bring His people back into slavery. God sent an angel to kill 185,000 Assyrians, who were notorious for making slaves of those who survived their pillaging. Vengeance is His, and He doesn't screw around with it.

I once prayed for God to exact vengeance on a man whom I knew had previously had a hit list and was about to go headhunting again. That man died in his sleep before he could continue his murders. 

Pray for the armies of God to wage war against those who are unrepentant of this abhorrent wickedness. God will answer.

[lovethelord]

7 hours ago, Coliseum said:

No one knows their end but Christ. If we are in Him, He will make a way for us because, as you say, "I humbly doubt my ability to live up to this." But with Christ in us, He will insure that what he has given us to do will get done in His strength. When David faced his Goliath, he approached the giant in God's power, not his own.

Coliseum,

What a powerful and disturbing story. After reading it, I too wondered if I would be able to withstand such torture especially under the threat of my own child being beaten and killed. Your words above gave me faith that we can count on God "not our own strength or confidence" to hold us up through persecution and trials. What happened to this man, shows what hate and evil lives inside an ungenerated man and what they can be capable of under the right circumstances.

[ReneeIW]

11 minutes ago, Tampered With said:

Such and much more happens around the world

“Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you.”

Mother Teresa