Living Martyrs
Martyrdom is the ultimate act of love to all the disciples of Jesus Christ! The call of Biblical martyrdom is the antithesis of the call of Islamic martyrdom. The motivation of Biblical martyrdom is love. “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) Jesus was called a friend of sinners. For the Christian this means that we must lay our lives down for all people. All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
In a nutshell, Islamic martyrdom is accomplished by the violent destruction of the enemies of Islam. Biblical martyrdom is the sacrifice and death of the disciples of Christ for the benefit of their enemies. Persecution of Christians is simply God’s love demonstrated in sacrificial suffering by living or dying as a martyr.
Persecution of Christians
Christians account for 2 billion of the 6 billion people in the world. Christians as a whole are the largest discriminated and persecuted minority group in the world. Today more than half of the earth’s population lives in restricted nations where they risk persecution for becoming believers in Jesus Christ. The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) is a non-profit, interdenominational organization with a vision for aiding Christians around the world who are being persecuted for their faith in Christ, fulfilling the Great Commission, and educating the world about the ongoing persecution of Christians.
VOM defines restricted nations as, “countries where government policy or practice prevent Christians from obtaining Bibles or other Christian literature. Also included are government-sanctioned circumstances where Christians are harassed, imprisoned, killed or deprived of their possessions or liberties because of their faith in Jesus.” (1)
Fifty-one nations are named as restricted or hostile regarding religious freedom for Christians. These Christians are limited legally and socially in their expression of faith. Of these fifty-one nations thirty-three are considered Islamic nations with Muslims being in the majority. (2) Islamic nations have become the number one persecutors of Christians. Yet, under constant hostility, the gospel is thriving and exploding in some of these countries.
Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand founded The Voice of the Martyrs in 1967. This Romanian Jewish couple were professing atheists. In their late twenties they discovered their Messiah, Jesus Christ. Richard became a pastor and a major Christian leader within his country. He was tortured and endured a total of fourteen years imprisonment for his faith under the Communist rule. His book, Tortured for Christ, is a Christian classic and has been translated in over 65 different languages and millions of copies have been distributed around the world. In October 2006, Romanian Television surveyed the Romanian citizens and elected Richard Wurmbrand the fifth most influential figure in the history of Romania. During his imprisonment, Sabina was a faithful partner to Richard continuing their Church work. She spent three years in forced labor camps because her faith. She told me once, “Martyrs do not make Truth, but Truth makes martyrs.”
Truth changes us; we do not change the Truth. Truth at times will cause us suffering and pain. These words mean more as we consider that Jesus is the Truth. Therefore, Truth is not a concept, but is in the person of Jesus Christ. Scripture promised that all followers of Him will suffer. (2 Timothy 3:12)
Many seasons of history record the Truth of Christ growing and spreading under persecution. Like a wildflower seed in the desert, the gospel thrives through the winds and storms of difficulty in hostile environments. The wind of trial is an instrument of God’s grace for the growth of the gospel, and the storm’s rain helps the roots grow and deepen. For those who have the eyes to see, persecution is a tool of God in maturing his Church and directing his disciples. The United States of America was founded by believers in Jesus fleeing religious persecution of Europe. Today, Christians are still fleeing persecution and seeking refuge in America. I meet them all the time. Many of them are from Islamic nations. They have a story to tell us if we will listen.
Jesus promised, “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.” (John 15:20) Today seeds of the gospel are being spread. Some Christians will be put to death. Some will be beaten, and others will remain in prison. In many places Christians are meeting in secret. It is dangerous for them to bring their Bible (if they even have one). Yet they have found the risk to be a reasonable sacrifice. I hope that you might gain understanding of their suffering love, and in the end, fellowship in their suffering and sacrifice. (Philippians 3:10) God designed each of us to be living martyrs- faithful unto death.
A transformed life in Jesus Christ is a life of motion in faith and action. The Bible says, “All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.” (Matthew 10:22-23 NIV) Christian refugees fleeing from one place to another is the normal life for many persecuted believers.
During my trip to Sudan, Africa I was told that there were over three million displaced Sudanese, most of them are Christians. The Apostle Peter referred to Christians as “strangers” in this world. (1 Peter 2:11) Christian believers in persecuted areas understand feelings of being a stranger. Jesus tells us that He is the great shepherd of the sheep. He states in the great commission, “Go and make disciples�” (Matthew 28:19). Sheep may resist going to other pastures. Like sheep dogs nipping at the heels of the sheep, persecution nips at the heels of believers driving them forward. Persecution drives the people of God forward in the spread of the gospel.
Witnesses Of Christ
Richard Wurmbrand intently listened to a report from VOM workers who had just returned from Sudan. The team had been distributing aid to Christian refugees when they were attacked by the Sudanese Islamic troops. They witnessed the death of Sudanese Christians and the burning of villages. They barely escaped with their lives. Once they finished telling their story, Pastor Wurmbrand thoughtfully commented, “No longer are you a missionary. You are now a witness.” These are profound words. The word missionary does not exist in the Bible! The word “witness” is used. We are to witness or testify to what God has done in our lives and the lives of others around the world.
Let us reflect upon those words: “No longer a missionary, but a witness.” The calling is simply to be a witness of Christ’s love, grace and His glory that abides in us. The old hymn, Amazing Grace expresses it well: “Once I was lost, but now I am found…blind, but now I see.” We invite the lost to the glory of God’s Truth. Whether they accept our message is not our problem, God only calls us to be a witness of the Truth.” God is calling us past the “missionary” endeavor to convert Muslims to Christianity. We are simply to be His witnesses of the love of Christ to Muslims.
In Muslim nations around the world, Christians are persecuted, because they are witnessing agents of God. Christians in persecuted areas cannot stay in their comfort zone. Their faith is being tested and their lives are being put on display for non-believers and believers to observe. Jesus said, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all to Myself.” (John 12:32 ALT) Christ was referring to the suffering he was to endure on the cross as well as his resurrection. He knew that the display of his passion and persecution would be the vehicle of redemption. Likewise, when Christians are lifted up on their own crosses of persecution and suffering, the life of Christ is again displayed for the world to see, and all people are drawn unto Christ.
The Gospel Is Growing Where There Are Martyrs
Jesus declared his paradigm of proclamation in Acts 1:8: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” Again here is the key Biblical word, witnesses. This word is translated from the Greek word martus. We get our English word martyr from martus. This word martus incorporates the legal witness, observation, and personal conviction to suffer and lose ones life in the proclamation of faith. In the most literal sense Jesus declares that His children will receive a spirit of martyrdom. This spirit will be a witnessing force to bring the gospel to the ends of the earth. In the simplest form I like to define martus as sharing your faith at great cost or sacrifice. The ultimate sacrifice is of course the loss of one’s life. The daily loving sacrifice of believers is living in a spirit of martyrdom.
When we understand this perspective we can begin to understand what God is doing and why there is such hope for the world today. Around the world where people say “there is no hope,” there is hope, because the world is full of martyrs of love willing to lay their lives down for grace and Truth.
An Iranian believer told me, once a Muslim becomes a believer in Jesus, he will not live longer than a few years. Iran is not an easy country in which to worship Christ. A few years ago I traveled to Iran and met a Muslim background believer. He is secretly involved in the underground Church, and sharing the gospel. Because of his faith in Jesus, he has been arrested and beaten three times. Five times his family was forcibly evicted and made homeless. Yet his family continues to live by faith and build up other secret believers in their country. A few months before my visit, VOM gave him a car for his ministry. As I met him outside the hotel I greeted him with, “Hallelujah!” (Which means praise the Lord!) “Hallelujah,” is the universal language of love between believers. His face lit up as he said “Hallelujah.” We embraced, experiencing the love all believers have for one another. With great excitement he began telling me how he has put that word on the back of his car. His English was broken and this just didn’t sound right. To have “Hallelujah” plastered on the back of your car in Iran sounded pretty dangerous to me. Sure enough when we went out to the car, I looked at the back window and there it was–“Hallelujah.” He wasn’t kidding. He had been beaten three times, but the blows have moved him toward Jesus, not away. I saw a fearlessness about him. His joy flowed as we talked. He shared with me that there is an underground Church in every major city in Iran. Lives are being transformed and the gospel is shared in Iran because of fearless living martyrs like this brother in Christ.
Suffering For His Glory
Philippians 1:29 says, “For it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but to suffer for Him.” Part of God’s plan for his disciples is to suffer. I know when these words are spoken in America they sound horrific, but this truth is Biblical. Jesus promised suffering. “In this world you will have trouble.” Jesus ended that verse by saying “Be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) The glory of God is revealed when there is purpose in pain. Purposeless pain brings despair and depression, but purposeful pain brings glory and hope. We are not called to suffer for suffering sake, but for glory!
I have heard Chinese believers describe sanctification (spiritual maturity) as suffering for Jesus. When I was in China I certainly saw many expressions of suffering for His glory. One day my friend Montie and I visited an underground Bible school being held in a typical Chinese apartment. The house Church pastors had discreetly slipped into this apartment where they would live for 20 days, morning, noon, and night. It is too dangerous for all these believers to go in and out of the apartment for fear of drawing attention. One morning I discreetly met with these believers. Walking through the doorway, I observed a four inch thick pad of foam attached to the door in order to absorb the sound. This group of believers start every day by whispering hymns and songs of praise. I felt the Lord speaking to my heart saying, “David, when you want to be intimate with me, be like the Chinese. Crawl up in my lap, whisper into my ear, because your worship is not intended for anyone else.” It is a beautiful picture of experiencing intimacy with God. Some of the most beautiful acts of love are done in quiet.
We were privileged to hear the testimony of the Chinese house Church pastor in this apartment training center. This particular pastor oversaw fifty-thousand believers. I would never have guessed the significance of his leadership by his gentleness and humble spirit. He had earned his stripes. Five times, he told us, he was arrested and beaten. Three times they gave him electric shock torture to elicit the names of believers and locations of house Churches. He refused to be counted as a Judas, and he remained faithful by not revealing any information about the unregistered Churches. Chinese Christians understand that every name or place mentioned leads to more arrests and beatings. They are determined to keep this information to themselves, even if they have to suffer for it. Proverbs 25:2 says that it is to the glory of God to conceal a matter. This pastor counted his torture as light affliction compared to the glory of God that He had experienced.
Because living martyrs like this Chinese brother are witnessing the gospel, China is currently exploding with new converts. The Chinese Church is estimated to be over a 100 million believers strong and growing daily. Secret Bible schools scattered throughout China are training Chinese believers to bring the gospel to the Muslim people of China and throughout Asia. What many people do not know is that there are an estimated 29 million Muslims in China alone.
Back to Jerusalem Movement
The Chinese House Church leaders are calling this new momentum of evangelism The Back to Jerusalem Movement. They are praying that one-hundred thousand Chinese will be trained and sent out from China towards the city of Jerusalem. These evangelists will proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists they meet along the way. This is a very significant number considering that full time missionaries sent out from United States of America presently number around forty-five thousand. The Voice of Martyrs and other similar mission organizations are supporting this movement with prayers, encouragement and resources. Chinese leaders believe many will die in the process of planting the Word of Christ across Asia. Chinese believers confess that they are willing to die for the honor of sharing His love.
Why would these Chinese Christians be willing to risk their lives to love Muslims by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ? I believe they have a spirit of martyrdom. They understand the value of testifying about God’s grace in their own lives, and in loving others into the kingdom of God, one person at a time. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses.” (Acts 1:8) God’s plan is being revealed. He is bringing His glory to the world and He is doing it through the martyrs. The wisdom of the worldly wise is confounded. Randy Alcorn in his book, Safely Home quotes a Chinese believer who says, “Real gold fears no fire.” The fire is the vessel that brings the purity.
Transformation in Turkey
During a trip to Turkey I met a Turkish pastor who shared that in 1972 he knew of only ten Turkish believers in Jesus. He told me that for nine-hundred years there was no historical evidence of a Turkish Church. During that time Christianity was present in Turkey only in minority ethnic groups. The pastor said, “They showed us Christianity, but they never showed us Christ.” When Christianity is only a culture, the penetrating power to bring light into spiritual darkness is weak. When comfort and tradition are more valued than proclamation and regeneration, Christianity is operating only as another religion. Christ is revealed by love. And love is revealed by sacrifice.
Todd Nettleton, VOM coworker, and I met another Turkish believer who had been arrested the year before. He distributed gospel tracts and Bibles on the street. For his gospel work he spent 30 days in prison. The first night of imprisonment he felt afraid and alone. He prayed and wept asking God to free him. Then Lord spoke to his heart and said, “Didn’t you pray and ask me to use you?” At that moment his self pity broke, and he realized his doubt in God’s faithfulness. He repented and praised God. He recalled it as the sweetest night of joyous loving communion he ever had. Every day in prison for the next thirty days, he preached the gospel for three hours to Muslim prisoners.
When we asked, “Are you still distributing gospel tracts and Bibles?” He answered, “Every day, brother!”
Why? It’s going to cost him! He is a living martyr. He has discovered joy in suffering for Christ. He receives pleasure seeing the lives of the lost Islamic souls changed by God’s forgiveness. “Blessed are those who are persecuted.”(Matthew 5:10)
What Is Lacking In Christ’s Afflictions
The world tangibly experiences the sacrificial love of Christ through the lives of living martyrs. God’s Kingdom is increased through persecution. Matthew 11:12 (NIV): “the kingdom of heaven is forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.” Colossians 1:24 says: “Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you.” This verse certainly sounds foreign to our ears. Is Saint Paul, the writer of Colossians, a masochist? There is something very mysterious about rejoicing in suffering. According to the world’s mindset it sounds absolutely foolish. Paul goes on to say “and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regards to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the Church.” What is Paul speaking about? What is lacking in the afflictions of Christ? Was Paul somehow fulfilling something Jesus didn’t complete on the cross? Paul’s writings clarify that when Jesus said “it is finished,” the penalty of sin was destroyed. Justification and atonement through Christ were completely fulfilled.
I heard Dr. John Piper comment on this verse at a conference. Paul declares that Christ suffers through his (Paul’s) body. Likewise Christ still suffers through His Church (His disciples). Christ is now at the right hand of the Father, so the one thing he will not do is to return in His physical body and suffer again for His creation. He will not be crucified all over again. The next time he comes, he returns as a ruling king. Therefore, Christ suffers vicariously through his Church which is all of His disciples.
Christ said to Saul, (whose name was later changed to Paul) “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me!” It is important to note that Jesus did not say ’his children’, but ’me.’ Jesus said that the way you treat the least of my children is the way you treat me. (Matthew 25:40) When you suffer in your flesh, through your diseases, through your economic trials, through your marital difficulties, through your family problems, and through your persecutions, Christ is revealed in the suffering. When the world sees the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, (Galatians 5:22-23) in the midst of these difficulties, then they say, “Surely, there must be a God.”
This allows us to say with Paul that we now rejoice in our sufferings because we are participating in the suffering of the Body of Christ for God’s divine purposes. We partake in the suffering of persecuted believers worldwide. It’s not random. Their suffering isn’t necessarily because they made a bad decision today. It is because God has a purpose through it. Our suffering has a purpose. 2 Corinthians 4:11 says: “for we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body.”
Beaten With A Stick For Jesus- Mujahid’s Story.
Immediately when I became a believer in Jesus the Holy Spirit filled me with such a great joy and zeal in my heart that I began sharing the gospel with everyone. I did not know much theology or how to preach the Gospel. All I knew was that Jesus is the Son of God and that he had died for my sins on the cross. I was like a beggar in the streets. Everyone I ran into I would beg them to give me a minute of their time and then I shared the love and forgiveness of sins through Christ. About a week after I received Christ, I met a Muslim friend with whom I had gone to school. I explained to him about the hope and life I had found in Christ. He repented of his sins and asked Christ into his life as we prayed together. Upon arriving home that evening he shared his new faith in Jesus with his family.
His father sent word to me to come to their home because he wanted to talk to me about what I shared with his son. They live out in the country, with sheep, goats, oxen, and cows. They own a big home with many rooms. I walked to their home with much joy because I thought they also wanted to receive Christ. The father answered the door and invited me to their back room. He and I went into the back room and he locked the door behind me. He mockingly said to me, “Now call on your God, I am going to beat you. He took a stick three feet long by three inches thick which Pakistanis use for leading oxen. He began to beat me on my back, legs and rear. He screamed at me, “I am more powerful than your God. Where is your God now?” As he beat me, I didn’t fight back but I cried from the sting of the cane. This was my first experience in being beaten for the name of Jesus. In my mind I thought of Jesus on the cross crying out in pain and asking the Father to forgive His enemies. After a few minutes of beating, the rest of his family heard the commotion and began banging on the door for their father to stop. He stopped the beating, opened the door and told me to leave. I told him, “I do not hold this against you and I forgive you.” Considering that I had only recently been a man full of hate, this was quite a miracle for me.
Be Faithful Unto Death
“We live in days that are precarious. A few years ago, a coworker with VOM, visited Pakistan. During a Christian worship service, he saw the believers put their left hand to their throat and lift the right hand in the air. He was told by the Pastor they were demonstrating Revelation 2:10 “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” They put their hand to their throat to represent their death and lifted the other hand up in surrender to God. These Pakistani believers were demonstrating a spirit of martyrdom. They desired to be faithful to Christ and His love unto death. They are living martyrs. They stand strong as a minority in an Islamic land full of violence, fear and threats.
Forgive Your Enemies
Zeba is a beautiful Christian girl in Pakistan. At the age of ten she was a housekeeper for a Muslim family. Her Muslim employer noticed her beauty and decided she would be a good wife to their son. They demanded Zeba become a Muslim. “No, I can’t become a Muslim, because I am a Christian” replied Zeba. Although she did not know how to read, she remained faithful to Christ and was beaten three times for refusing to learn verses from the Qur’an. She ran home after the third beating. They then accused her of stealing. It was a Muslim’s word against a Christian’s word. Her mom defended Zeba before her accuser. She asked, “How can you accuse my Zeba of stealing? She is a good worker! She is a Christian. You know she has never stolen anything. Please, drop the charges,” she pleaded. With rising anger the Muslim man replied, “You accuse me of lying?” He began to beat Zeba’s mom until she was unconscious. Then he grabbed a can of gasoline, doused her body and lit her on fire; Zeba’s mom died. This man was never charged with murder.
When I visited Zeba, I saw great pain and grief from the loss of her Mother. I asked Zeba if she was able to forgive the Muslim man who murdered her mom. Slowly and with difficulty she replied, “No.” The VOM team talked about the power of forgiveness that Christ gave us through His Spirit. Miraculously, Zeba prayed with us to forgive the Muslim man who had murdered her Mom.
How can she offer forgiveness with such injustice? This man has not asked for forgiveness, but Zeba has the supernatural Spirit of Christ living in her. She is a living martyr.
The Bible says “Those who sow in tears shall reap in joyful shouting.” (Psalms 126:5) I saw expressions of great joy on the face of Zeba as God brought waves of healing to her heart. She shared with us that she wants to become a Bible school teacher. Today one of my favorite pictures is Zeba with a huge smile on her face, sitting next to her sewing machine. She has a new hope and faith in the provision of God.
God gives us direction on how to be free from sin in 1 Peter 4:1. “Therefore as Christ suffered, let us arm ourselves with the same attitude, for those who have suffered in the flesh are done away with sin.” Many Christians in the West are addicted to one sin or another. The Bible gives the clear path of freedom from sin – suffering for righteousness sake.
Living Martyrs
God has ordained every one of his children to be a living, witnessing martyr. The day the power of the Holy Spirit comes upon us, we become living martyrs. In our lives we too will have seasons of suffering. Be not afraid. These times will be our opportunity to proclaim the Truth and walk free from sin. The presence of Christ through these trials make the suffering moments feel small, yet victorious. I have heard persecuted believers say that suffering for Jesus is not really suffering because He brings us so much peace and joy!
This is what the Scripture has to say in Hebrews 13:5(NIV), ” ’Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ’The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’” They can beat me, they can slander me, they can persecute me, and through it all I am blessed, because the Lord is my helper. Jesus said “� do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)
Islamic terrorists are being conquered by the love of living Christian martyrs. Often when Muslims comes to Christ it costs them everything. They are rejected by their families. They lose their jobs. They lose their friends. They find poverty, rejection and insults as their companions. Death threats are a living reality. Living martyrdom is the call of every Muslim background believer in Jesus Christ. No student is greater than his teacher. Comfortable Christians will produce more comfortable Christians. Martyrs will produce more martyrs.
A common phrase among persecuted believers is, “where there is a cross there is a crown, no cross, no crown.” In the Islamic world, the jewels lining the crowns of the martyrs will be the Muslim lives won to Christ due to their love, sacrifice and suffering.
Gods calls all of us to be living martyrs. God uses our lives as a living witness. In the following chapter we will examine how God uses our death as a witness for Him. God has ordained that we not only live as martyrs but we will die as martyrs.(witnesses) Read on for the great hope which comes when greater purpose is found in dying for what you know is Truth.