Nap Time

Richard Wurmbrand (1909-2001) was a Romanian Christian pastor.  He spent 14 years in communist prisons.  He endured physical and mental abuse the likes of which we cannot begin to imagine because he refused to recant his faith.  The communist governments of the former U.S.S.R. and eastern bloc European countries as well as present day communist countries such as China and North Korea were and are barbarically oppressive of Christians.  A world view such as communism which is predicated upon the state being the supreme authority and benefactor in people's lives cannot tolerate any competing religions which might undermine their power base through belief in a supreme being.

By the way, the state "religion" of any communist regime is classically atheist.  I intentionally use the word religion to describe atheism.  Religion can be defined as "a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith."  Regardless of whether we as a culture typically view atheism as a religion it is in point of fact very much one.

But back to Mr. Wurmbrand.  Among the litany of physical tortures he suffered were multiple broken bones, a dozen or so places on his body where his flesh was carved into, 18 puncture wounds, years of solitary confinement, repeated brainwashing for up to 17 hours a day for weeks and months at a time, being frozen to within minutes of dying before being revived repeatedly, and enduring an agonizing separation from his wife and son.

This giant of faith would eventually be released and ransomed by western Christian organizations so that he could escape to the west.  After doing so he founded Voice of the Martyrs, a group dedicated to the relief and advocacy of persecuted Christians around the world.  Today VoM is active across the globe, distributing hundreds of thousands of newsletters each month and providing relief to thousands of Christian martyrs.

Here are three quotes from Richard Wurmbrand on the state of the western church.

•  “I suffer in the west more than I did in communist lands. I suffer in the west more than I suffered in a communist jail because now I see with my own eyes the western civilization dying.”
• “The underground Church is a poor and suffering church but it has no lukewarm members.”
• “The west sleeps.”

Christian, are you as useless as lukewarm water; neither good for cooling and refreshing or for salving and cleansing?  If someone were to sample your "spiritual water" would you be so distasteful that they would spit you out?  Does your mouth profess love for Jesus while your heart is far from him?  Are you asleep in the light, enjoying the comforts of freedom and wealth while the truth and authority of the word of God is slowly and methodically destroyed by the religion of atheism in America?

Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

Soli Deo Gloria