garments of selflessness and sacrifice

     "one of the workers in the underground church was a young girl. the communist police discovered that she secretly spread gospels and taught children about Christ. they decided to arrest her. but to make the arrest as agonizing and painful as they could, they decided to delay her arrest a few weeks until the day she was to be married. on her wedding day, the girl was dressed as a bride--the most wondrous, joyous day in a girl's life! suddenly the door burst open and the secret police rushed in.
     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. they knew what happens to young girls in the hands of communist guards. 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. such beautiful christians are in the underground church."


-tortured for christ, richard wurmbrand

the exert above is one of many that really touched me. the book was written by an underground pastor who illegally and wholeheartedly devoted his life to spreading the gospel and served fourteen years in prison as a result. no amount of torture or threats could make him deny his First Love. this happened during the reign of the communist soviet union in romania. while romania has been liberated from communism, there are still many countries that severely persecute believers. we have no idea what our brothers and sisters in christ in many countries face. as a part of each other; as a part of one body, His Bride, we must love them and lift them up in prayer. the world is not worthy of such beautiful christians who love their heavenly Bridegroom even unto death. may our love grow just as strong and may we clothe ourselves with the garments of selflessness and sacrifice so that we can be the beautiful Bride that He is waiting to receive in the place that He has prepared.