Sunday, May 15th is the International Day of Prayer and Fasting for World Evangelization. I hope we will all set aside some time that day to pray for the Lost World.
This year's focus is the people of INDIA.
There are some great resources out there to help you know how to pray. Check out the IMB's site specifically for this day--http://ime.imb.org/dayofprayer/ . They have an awesome video that you can download or just watch while you're online.
But the reason I am sharing all this is, the other day as I was checking out the website looking at all the info, I came across this story--
I am Paul!
"Two South Asian believers were put in jail for sharing their faith with Muslims. While in prison they shared the gospel even more. When they were released after 11 days, the younger Christian man came out pumping his fist in the air, shouting happily, “I am Paul! I am Paul!” because he had been given the privilege of being imprisoned for Christ."
. . . and it reminded me of these verses:
". . . they took his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them. So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. " Acts 5.40-42
Would I respond in the same way? My heart's cry is that I would be faithful to Him, through imprisonment, torture, beating, even to death.
". . . and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy). . . " Hebrews 11:35b-38a
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