Prisoner of Jesus Christ - Standing Strong Through the Storm - February 25

 

Timeless lessons for overcoming the storms of life through real life examples of persecuted Christians.

Standing Strong Through the Storm

Newsletters        Topics        Blogs

PRISONER OF JESUS CHRIST I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles… Ephesians 3  Prison! Even the word sends shivers down the back and the thought is immediately pushed to the back of our minds. Yet we in the western world often have no idea just how horrible conditions are in prisons in non-western countries.  For most people anywhere in the world, imprisonment is simply the biggest shock of their life. One of the most famous prisoners, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, was almost poetic in his description in his book The Gulag Archipelago. "Arrest [and imprisonment] is an instantaneous, shattering thrust, expulsion, somersault, from one state to another."    Prison is extremely challenging for those, like Aleksandr, who find themselves there unjustly or for only spiritual reasons. It is rigorous even for those who acknowledge their guilt and must pay the price. But a strong faith in God and trust in God's ultimate goodness and purposes enables Christian prisoners to emerge with victorious testimonies.  And like the Apostle Paul they can say they were "prisoners of Jesus Christ."      For example, Pastor Steven in Vietnam is a courageous leader of the unofficial church. He had a ticket to the USA in 1975 but chose to stay and suffer with his people. He is passionate about the Gospel and says, "I always have my suitcase packed by the front door, ready for prison again."  He spent seven and a half years in a tiny cell after being arrested for "illegal Christian activity." He was tortured for sharing Christ with other prisoners, but his faith impacted thousands. One Vietnamese pastor says, "Before 1975, we were only allowed to preach in prisons on Tuesdays, but now there are brothers witnessing there seven days a week!"  An Open Doors-Africa co-worker named Solomon was assigned to find out if there were many Christians in prison or labor camps in Mozambique during the communist regime there. While researching, he was arrested himself: "In prison, all my possessions, including my Bible were taken from me. Then I was subjected to a cross-examination for six hours, after which I was thrown into a cell, exhausted. I had to sleep on a concrete floor. I did not even get a blanket… "Knowing that my heavenly father would never forsake me, I directed all my attention to my fellow-prisoners. Although I still had to sleep on the floor and was harassed by malaria, bugs and gnawing hunger, I tried to talk about my faith as much as possible… "I had the opportunity to preach to my companions. I prayed for the sick and the Lord heard my prayers and healed them. That was of great support to them and during my stay in prison, I led fifteen people to the Lord. "Unexpectedly, I found out that there were more Christians in prison. Now it became clear to me why I had to be arrested. In the first place, to bring the message of salvation to the lost ones in prison. And secondly, to strengthen my fellow Christians. RESPONSE: Today I accept the fact I can be a witness for Jesus anywhere and everywhere He leads. PRAYER: Pray for Christians in prison (Hebrews 13:3) and pray they will be used of God while there. STANDING STRONG THROUGH THE STORM (SSTS) -A daily devotional message by Paul Estabrooks © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission "When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever." Proverbs 10:25 Right now millions of Christians face persecution because of their faith in Christ. Register to receive the Open Doors USA Weekly Prayer Alert email. Join alongside thousands of others praying for our brothers and sisters worldwide to stand strong in the midst of their struggles. Also learn more about countries where the persecution of Christians is most severe by visiting the Open Doors website today.

	You May Also Like:

10 Things That Are Not Evangelism Rhonda Stoppe Kim had been a believer for a number of years. She often felt the twinge of guilt whenever her pastor brought up evangelism. Since becoming a Christian, Kim knew God wanted her to tell others about the hope she found in Christ, but the fear of seeming pushy or appearing as that weirdo who threatens people with hell's fire and brimstone made her hesitant to share her faith. CONTINUE READING →

10 Reasons to Go to Church (Even When You Don't Feel Like It) Rhonda Stoppe Church is not a place to go, rather it is a living body where God wants you to become a part––for your good and His glory. CONTINUE READING →

Read about Salem Web Network

© 2019 Salem Web Network. All rights reserved. 111 Virginia Street, Suite 500, Richmond, VA 23219. This email is never sent unsolicited.

Bible Study Material Affiliate marketer links: Affiliate marketer Rick Livermore will earn a commission on the items you buy from faith gateway store. If you would like to offset my expenses of producing all this free content, but you want to pass on buying bible and book reading materials from Faith Gateway store, feel free to give a little something-------Give through PayPal-----Rick Livermore-Webmaster220 Brought to you by Rick Livermore   https://webmaster220.blogspot.com/ I live in Laguna Niguel California now  a fan of  tubitv.com/category/faith_and_spirituality also a fan of tubitv.com/channels/dovechannel  Thank you for your support for the work I did while I lived in Arizona.

Link