Suffering for Christ

During the cold war Romania was a communist country. There existed an underground church that actively shared Christ with others at the risk of losing their freedoms or their lives.

One young Christian girl from the underground church used to teach children about Christ. The communist discovered her activities and decided to punish her. But discovering she would soon be married they decided to wait and arrest her at her wedding. She was dressed in her wedding gown and ready to make her marriage vows when the secret police burst the doors open to arrest her and haul her away.

"When the bride saw the secret police, she held out her arms toward them to be handcuffed. They roughly put the manacles on her wrists. She looked toward her beloved, then kissed the chains and said, 'I thank my heavenly Bridegroom for this jewel He has presented to me on my marriage day. I thank Him that I am worthy to suffer for Him.' she was dragged off, with weeping Christians and a weeping bridegroom left behind...Her bridegroom faithfully waited for her. After five years she was released---a destroyed, broken woman, looking thirty years older. She said it was the least she could do for her Christ."

From "Tortured for Christ" by Richard Wurmbrand
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Women with Whole-hearted Devotion

Sabina Wurmbrand was the wife of a pastor (Richard) in Romania during World War II. They suffered much persecution under the Nazi's. But what came after under the Russians was worse.

The communist convened all pastors and religious leaders to the Romanian Parliament. Four thousand pastors, priests, and leaders from all types of denominations showed up. The group chose Joseph Stalin as the honorary president of this convention and proceeded to proclaim that communism and Christianity could coexist and were basically the same. One by one these leaders pledged that their church would be loyal to communism.

Sabina couldn't believe what she was hearing and seeing. She turns to her husband and says, "Richard, stand up and wash away this shame fom the face of Christ! They are spitting in his face."

Richard replies, "If I do so, you lose your husband."

To which she responds, "I don't wish to have a coward as a husband."

What a woman! Spurring on her husband to sacrifice his life for Christ, even if it meant giving up her need and desire to have him by her side.

May we all learn to put Christ first and all human relationships second!

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