Tag: Christ

Tortured for Christ

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I’ve read different kinds of books, I’ve met different people with various beliefs, and I’ve been to many places of imaginations yet this book broke my heart into pieces and lift my feet into dancing as well. Mixed emotions indeed from this book. I can’t bear some of the stories yet their love and passion for Christ ignited and flamed. I haven’t heard this book until one friend shared it. Then I got interested and borrowed it.

When I read it and I didn’t expect ill come throughout the next chapters. I get excited and thrilled about what’s going to happen and what happened to the Christians and torturers. I just can’t believe all the perseverance the forbearance of all the pain and sufferings throughout their lives. Richard W. the author of this book was imprisoned for about 14 years, half of those years were totally miraculous. Eight years inside the darkest chamber of the jail  and was taken from his wife and son, a Christian doctor wearing a torturer clothes saw Richard, and told everybody that he was still alive, and became a reason of his release. It was a  WOW! Eight years of starvation, tortured, and stayed in unsanitized comfort room (worst! No comfort room)! I just can’t imagine myself living in that kind of lifestyle. Personally, 1 or 2 days away from my siblings makes me go nuts! How much more eight years? Maybe he was able to adapt it already but his mind was still wandering and thinking of the people he loves.

I saw Richards’s faith, trust, hope and security in God. In the long run, he had hope even inside the darkest chamber, he had faith in God even his hands are painfully handcuffed by rusty irons, he had trust and security in God even he was far away from his family, even he had no food to eat, even he was surrounded with rodents and cockroaches. He had that life dedicated to God, ready to take the risk just to win souls for Christ.

While reading throughout the chapters, torture was there, physically in pain and mentally brainwashed. I thought to myself, I was brutally abused through words, murdered through mind and cursed verbally. It gave me wounds in my heart. How much more physically? How much more taking away your faith? How much more forcing you to say no to Christ? Richard knew his purpose that is why there were fewer worries. That is why he can still rejoice even in the midst of his excruciating pain in his heart and mind. Richard knew that through his weakness, God’s grace is sufficient.

God is alive! He exist! Do I need to say more? My life is a living testimony. My near death bed experience was a miracle in my life. When I had a dengue, with decreasing platelet, transferred in intensive care unit was a tremendous enough reminder for me that He did not abandon me. My scar on my left lower ear was also a significant reminder that God did not allow me to lose my hearing. The moment I was squeezed between the door of the MRT was also a memorable experience (HAHA! I felt like a superwoman that time!) Today is a miracle for me! Typing this as if I don’t care if my grammar is correct or not (HAHA!). Every brand new day is a gift for me. Because another day awaits to celebrate His goodness, another 24hours to witness His mercy and faithfulness and another day to worship Him in everything I do.

This book has motivated me to rejoice even in the midst of nothing and trials. I was rebuked many times. How I usually complain under the heat of the sun, how I get irritated in a small crowded place, how I usually go crazy whenever I see cockroaches and rodents or whine how excruciating the pain was when hammered. Such a blessing in disguise indeed! All in all I still consider myself blessed! I am in an open country where I have the freedom to go to church every Sunday, no one is going to stop me or going to snatch me for being firm in my faith.

I’m about to end this, but I just want to share one of my favorite passage in this book. It shows the contentment and it tells that to worship God chooses no place. God is everywhere and we can praise and worship Him everywhere. I am a fanatic of nature, especially the night skies, I totally admire moon and stars.

“We of Underground Church have no cathedrals. But is any cathedral more beautiful than the sky of heaven to which we looked when we gathered secretly in forests? The chirping of birds took the place of organ. The gragrance of the flowers was our incense. And the shabby suit of martyr recently freed from prison was much more impressive than priestly robes. We had the moon and stars as candles. The angels were our acolytes who lit them.”

I am still in awe of how God put that satisfaction with these people. They were truly embraced in the arms of the Heavenly Bridegroom.

photo: courtesy of google images 😀