Have you been following the story of Youcef Nadarkhani? He's my brother. He's a pastor in Iran, with a wife and two little boys. He's been in prison since 2009. He's under a death penalty that can be carried out at any time because he refuses to renounce his faith in Jesus Christ. As of Monday this week he was still alive, his case awaiting further review.
171,000 believers are martyred every year.
Still. Not in Roman times, but in 2011, and 2010, and 2009…
In the time it takes us to sit through a worship service, 20 men, women and children die because of their unyielding commitment to Christ.
I think of them when our Bible study group meets in comfort and safety. I think of them when I look at my shelves with multiple copies of the Bible that I can legally own.
I don't know why God requires so much of my brothers and sisters. Maybe He knows my limits. I have trouble when my husband goes on a trip- my brain would snap if he were imprisoned and sentenced to death. Maybe He knows fighting to keep my testimony in a culture of lazy materialism is all the challenge I can handle. That shames me. At the same time, I'm too comfortable, too afraid to desire a greater challenge.
Hebrews 13:3 says "Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also."
Remember with me. Pray with me. For Youcef and for the millions like him and his family across the world. God has not forgotten them. He is keeping a record.
For more information, check Voice of the Martyrs and Open Doors USA
(To my friends who have heard this story… I ask for your patient indulgence.)
Last week's study tip encouraged us to consider what a verse or passage teaches us about God. This week, we'll look at the flip side and look at what Scripture teaches us about ourselves. I've heard it said that God's word is a mirror that reveals our true selves. In Hebrews 4:12, it says that God's word is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of our hearts.
One evening not too long ago, my son announced he was bored. You remember what that was like, to be ten and have nothing to do. It wasn't that there was 'nothing' to do, he just didn't want to do any of the 'somethings' that were available. He wasn't being adequately entertained. When we pressed him though, the truth came out. His sisters were busy. He had no audience. He wasn't the center of attention.
A few evenings ago, I was snoozing through whatever non-Disney Channel show happened to be on, when I heard rustling… and struggling… and fussing. The sounds of utter frustration. So I blinked myself awake enough to follow the sounds and found my son's sheets stripped from his bed, new sheets in a wad, and Alan had had enough. He tried and tried and tried and he could NOT get the fitted sheet on that bed. 