Persecuting Teenage Christians

            I was sad to be reminded last week of the fact that there are still Christians in this world who are being severely persecuted for their faith.

            Susan Ithungu, a 15-year-old teenage girl in Uganda, recently left her Islamic faith to become a Christian.

            Her father responded in a savage way. He beat Susan and then locked her in a room for six months—barely giving her enough food and water to survive.

            Fortunately for Susan, neighbors alerted the local police who then arrested her father and freed Susan from her confinement. Shortly thereafter, authorities released Susan's father.

            You might say a prayer for Susan. I have a feeling she will be facing more trials and tribulations.

When Your Church Property is Seized

            What would you do if your city chose to take the property on which your church building was located? That is the challenge the Cottonwood Christian Center faced in 2002. The City Council of Cypress, California voted to seize the congregation’s property in order to build a Costco.  

            The church filed a lawsuit. Ultimately, a settlement was reached where the city offered the church property to build a new facility in the same relative area.

            According to the book of Hebrews, part of the persecution the church faced was the confiscation of property. Granted, that was more likely private property; however, it was still painful for the Christians—so much so, some were leaving the faith.

            Our American culture has not marginalized Christians to the extent of ancient Rome, but we are headed in that direction. In the past, it would have been unthinkable for a city council to make a decision like that of the city of Cypress.

            I feel the Christianity is headed for more adversity. Will we respond in faith as Hebrews calls for us to do?

I Will Be With You Always

Over fifty years ago, Harry McCormick Lintz wrote a book he called STRENGTH FOR EACH DAY. In it, he tells the story of a group of thirty Christians, who met in secret for worship in one of the eastern European countries located behind the “iron curtain.”

Secret police received a tip and raided an assembly. They began counting the Christians and found thirty present. An old Christian gentleman spoke up and said, “I’m sorry sir, but you missed one.”

The police officer became frustrated and counted again and again; each time, he counted only thirty.

Finally, the officer said, “There are only thirty of you miserable Christians here.”

The wise Christian replied, “No, there’s thirty one. Jesus is with us, but you forget to count him.”

“…I will be with you always, even until the end of this age” (Mt. 28:20b.) NCV

He Believed; Therefore, He Spoke

 13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself (II Cor. 4:13).

            I have enormous respect for Richard Wurmbrand. In his book, TORTURED FOR CHRIST, Wurmbrand recounts how he and others spent years in a Communist prison in Romania.

            Wurmbrand himself served fourteen years in prison. During some of those years, he was placed in a cell beneath the earth’s surface. Can you imagine spending several years without seeing sunlight? In time, images such as flowers and grass faded from Wurmbrand’s memory.

            Those who guarded Wurmbrand tortured him. Some sought to dehumanize Richard by urinating on him. He was severely beaten, and suffered other atrocities at the hands of his captors.

            Above all, speaking about Jesus was anathema. To do so was to submit to savage punishment. That did not stop Wurmbrand. He formulated a means of communication using exposed water pipes. With a spoon, Richard tapped out good news about Jesus in Morse code.

            In spite of the fact that he was hungry and hurting, Richard Wurbrand shared the gospel with his fellow prisoners. I am amazed by his faith.

            Like the Apostle Paul, Richard believed; therefore, he spoke.

The Boot Polisher

When I was in college, I remember Jim McGuiggan sharing with us a parable. It was about a wicked and God-hating officer in the British Army, who told about how he was converted to Christianity.

The officer related that one night, a Christian in his platoon came in from sentry duty. He was very tired and wet, and yet, before going to bed he got down on his knees to pray.

The officer, at this time, just a simple private, responded to this act of piety in a harsh way. He took one boot and threw as hard as he could at the Christian's head. Bull’s eye!

The Christian groaned and prayed, groaned and prayed. So the private grabbed his other boot and threw it as hard as he could at the Christian’s head and, again, nailed his target.

The Christian moaned, groaned, rubbed his head—and he prayed. He moaned and prayed, moaned and prayed.

As the Christian continued moaning and praying, his antagonist fell asleep. The following morning, the private awoke and found that the Christian had polished his boots; they stood in perfect formation beside his bed.

This act of humility broke the private’s heart. This loving work of service propelled the private on a road to conversion.

The Christian servant reminds me of Paul’s portrayal of Jesus in Philippians 2. Jesus models for us what it means to put others’ needs above our own, including those needs of our enemies. Perhaps with such loving humility, we can persuade more to turn to Jesus.

Two Men, Two Lives, Two Deaths

Don Richardson tells a moving story in his book LORDS OF THE EARTH. Two missionaries, Stan Dale and Phil Masters, were working in Irian Jaya, Indonesia a few decades ago. They were working with the Yali tribe in the Snow Mountains. This tribe observed many customs that we would consider cruel and inhumane.

As one might imagine, when the missionaries began their work among these people, they did not receive a red carpet welcome. One night Stan Dale was attacked by the tribesman and shot five times with arrows. Fortunately, he survived and returned to work with the tribe. Dale worked for several years without results. Meanwhile the hostility and rancor of the tribesman grew until Dale and the other missionaries faced what they knew was an impending attack.

One day, the vicious attack came. While others ran for safety, Stan Dale, Phil Masters, and a Dani tribesman named Yemu, remained with the hope that they could somehow persuade the attacking Yali tribesman to cease.

As Stan faced the murderous men, he was shot by a multitude of arrows. However, as each arrow pierced his body, something phenomenal occurred. Stan would remove the arrow—and break it in two. Finally, he reached the point that he no longer had the power to extract the arrows. Nonetheless, in spite of his physical weakness, he continued to stand.

Seeing the courage of Stan Dale standing with fifty arrows in his body, Phil Masters displayed his valor. Standing in his tracks, Phil was quickly encircled by warriors. By now, the warriors were even more vicious because they were frightened. Stan had not fallen, thus the warriors became desperate. Rapidly they shot Phil full of arrows. After the attackers had finally subdued the two missionaries, they mutilated the two bodies.

Following the mutilation, the Yali tribesman remembered that the missionaries had spoken of a resurrection. To counter-act this, they dispersed the remains of the two missionaries throughout the jungle.

Two men, two lives, two horrible deaths—did it make a difference? Yes. In these acts of bravery, the savage, godless system of the Yali tribe was destroyed. Because Stan Dale and Phil Masters willingly suffered persecution, many of the Yali tribe as well as tribes in the surrounding area decided that they wanted the same faith as these two courageous men.

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life,” (John 12:24-25).