Inspiration of the Day

After much persuasion, I took my own advice and visited the links in my sidebar. I must say Strange Signs is absolutely hilarious! I know why I added it. There is a new one on the main page there exposing the true face of feminism. Having done a shallow study of feminism I immediately saw the humor. :) Maybe you will too. I may be inspired to give a short discourse on feminism one day (Thank you…thank you for the applause…no really…sit down…please).

We can always use inspiration of our Faith as the road is very long and dusty sometimes. One of the ways I inspire myself is to read stories of other Christians serving God. I own a book called Jesus Freaks co-written by DC Talk and The Voice of the Martyrs. Richard Wurmbrand started this ministry after spending 14 years in a Communist prison camp for this faith we have claimed. In Jesus Freaks, he shares this story:

Jubilant Dance for Jesus

“Christianity has become dramatic with us,” wrote Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, a leader of the underground church to Communist Romania. “When Christians in free countries win a soul for Christ, the new believer may become a member of a quietly living church. But when those in captive nations win someone, we know that he may have to go to prison and that his children may become orphans. The joy of having brought someone to Christ is always mixed with this feeling that there is a price that must be paid.

“When I was still living behind the Iron Curtain, I had met a Russian Captain. He loved God, he longed after God, but he had never seen a Bible. He had never attended religious services. He had no religious education, but he loved God without the slightest knowledge of Him.

“I read to him the Sermon on the Mount and the parables of Jesus. After hearing them, he danced around the room in rapturous joy, proclaiming, ‘What a wonderful beauty! How could I live without knowing this Christ?’ It was the first time I saw someone jubilating in Christ.

“Then I made a mistake. I read to him the passion and crucifixion of Christ, without having prepared him for this. He had not expected it. When he heard how Christ was beaten, how He was crucified, and that in the end He died, he fell in an armchair and began to weep bitterly. He had believed in a Savior and now his Savior was dead!

“I looked at him and was ashamed that I had called myself a Christian and a pastor, a teacher of others. I had never shared the sufferings of Christ as this Russian officer now shared them. Looking at him was, for me, like seeing Mary Magdalene weeping at the foot of the cross or at the empty tomb.

“Then I read to him the story of the resurrection. When he heard this wonderful news, that the Savior arose from the tomb, he slapped is knees, and shouted for joy: ‘He is alive! He is alive!’ Again he danced around the room, overwhelmed with happiness!

“I said to him, ‘Let us pray!’

“He fell on his knees together with me. He did not know our holy phrases. His words of prayer were, ‘O God, what a fine chap You are! If I were You and You were me, I would never have forgiven You Your sins. But You are really a very nice chap! I love You with all my heart.’

“I think that all the angels in heaven stopped what they were doing to listen to this sublime prayer from this Russian officer. When this man received Christ, he knew he would immediately lose his position as an officer, that prison and perhaps death in jail would almost surely follow. He gladly paid the price. He was ready to lose everything.

*Jesus Freaks, DC Talk and Voice of the Martyrs. Jubilant Dance for Jesus. Albury Publishing. Tulsa, Oklahoma. 1999. p 202