Of Whom the World Was Not Worthy
June 25, 2007
Dear Friends,
The decision to be baptized into the saving name of Jesus Christ is the most important decision that any one of us can make in our lifetime. For some, the decision is even more life-changing than others. When Mohammad (his first name will only be used for security reasons), decided to be baptized in March 2005, he was committing a capital offense. A Muslim by birth, it is illegal (and punishable by execution) to change religions in the Islamic Republic of Iran. There is even a religious police force specifically tasked to enforce the religion laws and discover closet converts like Mohammad. Imagine having to hide your Bible because it would be a serious offence for it to be discovered. Imagine having to teach your young children about Jesus and the Bible but make sure that they did not share this with anyone of their friends or anyone at school.
Imagine fearing that any e-mail you sent to a brother or sister or any website you accessed was being logged by some unseen religious police. Imagine getting fired from your job because you did access one of those illegal Christian sites. Imagine the religious police coming to your house and rummaging through all of your things and finding your “contraband” – a Bible, a Glad Tidings magazine and a few videos. Imagine the police coming to your house and carting you off to a secret prison for eight days of interrogation; your wife having no idea of where you are. Imagine packing your suitcase, flying to a country with your wife and kids where you know no one, don’t speak the language and will be a refugee. You are not even sure you will be able to get out of the country with your life.
When Mohammad made his way through customs at the Istanbul airport, he grabbed me by the neck and wept. He made it safely with his wife and children, ages 8 and 5. He had escaped the trials, the imprisonment and the constant threats. He was now a refugee- a stranger and a sojourner in a strange land. Like Mary and Joseph going down to Egypt, he was seeking safety for his wife and children.
The Bible is in many ways the story of refugees. Abraham, Jacob and Joseph were refugees. Moses, David and Jesus were refugees too. The children of Israel were refugees many times. The ecclesia in Jerusalem became a group of refugees. The Apostles were refugees.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that there were 8.4 million refugees in foreign lands at the beginning of 2006. These estimates rise to some 30 million people when you include refugees within the borders of their own country. [The picture at right is a poster in the UNHCR office in which Mohammad had to register as a refugee] Some of these are our brethren in Christ with the majority being in Africa. For them, Hebrews 11:13; 37,38 takes on a special meaning.
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
If you would like to help our refugee brethren, consider making a donation to WCF or one of the CBM organizations earmarked for their assistance. Better yet, consider going to one of these places where you can meet them face to face, comfort them, pray with them and worship with them. I can promise you, as much as they will benefit from the experience of being with you, you will benefit more from being with them “of whom the world was not worthy.”
Have a great week!
Comments»
Oh Wow Brother Kyle that had to be scary for him and his family. I am so happy that God was watching over them and they got to safety. I am sure he and his family can feel more at peace. Something like this makes us feel very very blessed in our country to have the freedom to worship our Lord and to share it with other people and not have to hide it. I cannot begin to imagine to have this gift that God has given us and not be able to share it with other people. This country has been very blessed with some of the freedoms we have when it comes to being able to practice our faith.