u ready for this?

here are a few of the paraphrased stories that really resonated with me from the book 'Jesus Freaks' by DC Talk.

'We Were With Christ' pg 63
Richard Wurmbrand was sitting with his wife as priests and pastors of Romania praised communism.  Communism had already proved to be dedicated to the destruction of religion.  yet these men were saying christianity and communism were basically the same.  this was being broadcast to the entire country.
Richards wife turned to him and whispered, "Richard stand up and wash away this shame from the face of Christ."  Richard explained to her that if he said something she would loose her husband. She responded, "i do not wish to have a coward for a husband."
Richard stood up, walked to the podium and said, "Delegates, it is our duty not to praise the earthly powers that come and go, but to glorify G-d the Creator and Christ the Savior, who died for us on the cross."  the auditorium became quiet... an offical stood up and shouted, "your right to speak has been revoked!"  Wormbrand kept going. soon the audience began to applaud.  a few minutes later the microphone was cut and the meeting canceled.
He was thrown in to solitary confinement.  he and his friends were tortured and 're-educated' many times.  but when Wormbrand came out he had this to say, "When it was at the worst, when we were tortured as never before, we began to love those who tortured us.  Just as a flower, when you bruise it under foot, rewards you with it's perfume, the more we were mocked and tortured, the more we pitied and loved our torturers." "By looking at men...not as they are, but as they will be...I could also see in our persecutors a Saul of Tarsus - a future apostle Paul.  Many officers of the secret police to whom we witnessed became Christians and were happy to later suffer in prison for having found our Christ." "it was in prison that we found the hope of salvation for the Communists."

The Thundering Legion pg 96
A Legion of Roman soldiers would not make offerings to the roman gods.  the forty soldiers stood firm.  "nothing is dearer or of greater honor to us than Christ our G-d."  eventually the group was stripped naked and herded to the middle of a frozen lake.  they encouraged themselves that this was the most glorious death possible.  to die for their heavenly king.
to torment these men baths of hot water were placed around them and they were told they could come to shore when they were ready to deny their faith.
close to the end one soldier ran to shore and jumped in a hot bath.  without hesitation one of the guards on the shore took off his clothes and ran out to join the martyrs.  as he ran he shouted, "i am a christian!"

Die With Us pg 118
Cambodia
Haim and his family had been tied up and forced to lay in their yard.  the communist soldiers had rounded them up for execution.  after digging their own graves the killers were gracious enough to allow them a moment of prayer before they were killed.  After their prayers Haim encouraged everyone around to repent receive Jesus as L-rd.  while Haim said this one of his young sons got up and ran off into the woods.
Haim persuaded the soldiers to not run off after him and called out to the boy.  "think my son, can stealing a few more days of life, as a fugitive in that forest, compare to joining your family here around a grave, but soon free forever in paradise?"
the boy wept  as he walked back to his family.  Haim said to the executioners, "Now we are ready to go."
none of the soldiers would shoot them.
an officer who had not witnessed the event came and shot them later.


not really sure how to expound on these but a bible verse did come to mind...

Matthew 10:24-33 New Living Translation

²⁴ “Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. ²⁵Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called by even worse names!

 ²⁶ “But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. ²⁷ What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear!

 ²⁸ “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. ³⁰ And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. ³¹ So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.