Sunday, June 10, 2012

Sunday Faith Blog

The Last Bastion of Freedom

Richard Wurmbrand (1909-2001), a Romanian evangelical Christian minister and author who spent a total of fourteen years imprisoned in Romania for his faith, was also the founder of the Voice of the Martyrs, an interdenominational organization working with and for persecuted Christians around the world.  In 1967, he expressed this view of America:


Every freedom-loving man has two fatherlands; his own and America.  Today, America is the hope of every enslaved man, because it is the last bastion of freedom in the world.  Only America has the power and spiritual resources to stand as a barrier between militant communism and the people of the world.


It is the last "dike" holding back the rampaging floodwaters of militant communism.  If it crumples, there is no other dike, no other dam; no other line of defense to fall back upon.


America is the last hope of millions of enslaved peoples.  They look at it as their second fatherland.  In it lies their hopes and prayers.


I have seen fellow-prisoners in communist prisons beaten, tortured, with 50 pounds of chains on their legs--praying for America...that the dike will not crumple; that it will remain free.


"Where then is my hope?"  Job 17:15

This whole post is from IN GOD WE STILL TRUST  Dr. Richard E. Lee

What do you think?   Have a good Sunday.

Z

26 comments:

Ed Bonderenka said...

There's a guy from Ann Arbor named Mike, who when he goes back to Croatia they ask him: "Why is America going communist? It didn't work here."

Silverfiddle said...

That good great man is now weeping from beyond the grave as he views what we have become...

Anonymous said...

This bastion of freedom is losing ground every day.

elmers brother said...

We as American Christians could use a dose of persecution.

Z said...

AOW.....exactly

Ed, I have so many Rumanian, Hungarian, and other foreign friends. They just can't believe what they see happening.
I posted about 4 years ago about some tattoed, pierced, long-haired electricians working on my house who said they'd left Canada to come to America for less socialism and now they're heartsick. I was SO surprised, seeing how they looked, that they really embraced self reliance, etc.

Beak...I 'will whine about the 700 Club', too, TRUST me. Many Christians do.
That kind of fund raising, etc., is nothing I applaud. And I don't see where, in the BIble, it says "thou must have pink hair and cry", either! :-)
And yes, even all that is better than the persecutions by communists.

SF...so are our soldiers and our founding fathers. You're right.

Conservatives onfire...I fear that's so. And it's why I posted this.

Elbro...don't look now....it's very subtle and small now, but forcing churches to do gay marriages and forcing religious hospitals to pay for contraception when its, for example, against Catholic beliefs, is a good start to problems.

elmers brother said...

Want to see the Church grow? Try living in China, where there are more people coming to the Lord then there are disciplers.

elmers brother said...

Beak most of us understand that these TV preachers are hustlers and that God is not a cosmic bell hop.

Z said...

Elbro...they really are mostly hustlers. How they can know Scripture and do that is way beyond me, but it's the truth.

I hope Ticker comes and adds to that; he knows PLENTY.

As for China, you're right..it's a big well kept secret but faith is growing there incredibly fast...
Most Communist countries which aren't Communist anymore are also turning to the faith their Communist leaders had denied them.

sue hanes said...

Z - I believe that what he wrote is most likely true. Others have always looked up to America for Freedom.

Now we must strengthen our Country so that we can be what those who look up to us - believe we are.

We can do this - but only if we are the United - States - that we were meant to be.

Have a great Sunday - Z.

sue hanes said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
98ZJUSMC said...

these TV preachers are hustlers

I simply cannot understand how anyone even watches them.

Z said...

098Z...they are not all hustlers but it seems like most are. Human nature over God. Happens every second of every day but we don't expect it in servants like pastors.
I wish my new pastor was on TV...everybody'd be getting it.
Even my old pastor, though so deeply troubled, was absolutely no hustler.

Sue, we have to start to get back to the constitution, stop people being forced to being what some want them to be and this has a lot to do with human nature, too, doesn't it.
Some people want cradle to grave HELP and others don't. And, very sadly, the cradle to grave bunch is the one the Left encourages. For 'we'll give it to you' votes. So sad. This is absolutely fatal for a country which started with our values. When the Right fights it, we get 'Why can't you compromise?' :-) Compromise our COUNTRY'S VALUES?

I hope you're doing well

Jan said...

"I have seen fellow-prisoners in communist prisons beaten, tortured, with 50 pounds of chains on their legs--praying for America...that the dike will not crumple; that it will remain free."

Wow, that should put many of us here in the country they were praying for, to shame.

I'm sorry, but I don't get the connection with the 700 Club, and the other televangelists' shows, such as TBN, etc., in regards to what this post is about.

I don't agree with the way they have conducted themselves over the years, but they're not the reason this country is in the sorry condition it's in.

We're all responsible for our own spiritual health.

People vote into office the ones they want to be in there, and unfortunately many of them are just as corrupt, and godless, as the worst of some of the rest of us...so, we can't really blame anyone but ourselves.

Honestly, I think we should all spend more time in prayer for our nation, so that it will, again, become what this great Christian minister described. I can't really say that it is, anymore.

We can't continue to spit into the face of God, and not expect the consequences.

Maybe, we will have to lose our freedom before we can truly appreciate it.

I use "we" in a general sense, of course.

I know how dear our country, and our freedom is to most of the commenters on here.

Z said...

Hi, Jan, I think Beakerkin mentioned the 700 Club to divert the Ducky's of the world who can't WAIT to take the opportunity here, at Beak's blog and others', to condemn and belittle all Protestants as if we're all the same. He's trying to teach and remind Ducky that it's his fellow communists who we need to fear, not Christians.

We might lose our freedoms..they seem to be slipping through our fingers so fast already and, what hurts is that our kids will wonder WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED HERE?
Even at our graduation the other night, one of the student speakers mentioned the "first black president...OBAMA!.." with a big smile on her face as if we all agreed with her. They're SO young and naive and they're going to be shocked at what "change" this man is really bringing when their folks can't afford to buy these kids anything, right?

FreeThinke said...

"That good great man is now weeping from beyond the grave as he views what we have become..."

My sentiments exactly, Kurt.

Wurmbrand, unfortunately, was thinking about America -- as it used to be -- when he said that.

__________________

You're right too, AOW. I've seen it firsthand any number of times. People who emigrated here from Russia -- and even Sweden, Norway and Germany -- see very clearly that most of us don't begin to appreciate what we have.

They'd rather scrub floors and change adult diapers in the USA than work in a professional capacity in their native lands.

____________________

I hope you're wrong, Elbro, but there could be little doubt that Christianity thrives under persecution. And isn't that just how it got started?

______________________

What is the latest problem with The 700 Club? Pat Robertson must be very old, indeed, by now. I was never an ardent follower, but whenever I traveled up and down the interstates in a former life, I often found Pat's homely, Bible-based wisdom comforting and reassuring in the dismal confines of an economy motel room. Certainly a lot better than the horrible commercial stuff and vapid local news being ground out through the TV.

Who has pink hair in the 700 Club?

I admit I haven't tuned in in years.

~ FreeThinke

Jan said...

"Even at our graduation the other night, one of the student speakers mentioned the "first black president...OBAMA!.." with a big smile on her face as if we all agreed with her."

Z..I know!

One of our friends is a Black minister, and we accepted an invitation to attend one of his meetings, recently..where he did a 'fist-bump' with his eight year old son, while saying, "Obama!"

What I don't understand is how a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, can make a hero of someone who, clearly, doesn't believe in His teachings.

How can you admire a man who pushes for all of the things to which an authentic Christian is diametrically opposed, and then demonizes us because we believe in morality, and the sanctity of life?

I could go on, and on, but I know you get it.

Sorry about not getting it about teaching Ducky...I should have known! :)

Blaming others is par for the course these days, isn't it?

Ed Bonderenka said...

"How they can know Scripture and do that is way beyond me, but it's the truth."
Just studied Jude. All the commentaries say it is about apostasy, but I'm convinced it's a guide to recognizing false teachers.

Now Charles Stanley, that's the gold standard.

I worked with some guys who were also Christians, one newly saved.
One day, another friend, Bob, an atheist socialist (but a good friend) ventured into their group and the newly saved guy starts hitting him with Scripture.
Bob hit him back with Scripture right and left. I wasn't there but heard about it.
I asked him later how he knew so much New Testament (being Jewish) and he said he loved to watch Tammy Faye et al for the fun of it, to mock them.

Z said...

Jan, no problem re Beakerkin; it's just that I know their history (Beak and Ducky's) and the whole 'atmosphere' of that.
Beak's a great guy.

And yes, how CAN Christians admire someone like Obama who voted four times in the Illinois senate to make sure a child who survives an abortion attempt gets no help?
But, there are people who actually think that Jesus would want everyone living in Mao jackets so they could all have the same amount of everything, too...yet Jesus said "There will always be poor amongst you." Sad, but true.
Imagine thinking He'd want us all suffering.

Ed...you're the second person in five days who's mentioned Charles Stanley in such glowing terms. I have an ASTONISHING Christian Mentor who said she watches him on Sundays as "her church" since she can't get out anymore. I need to listen to him some time.

Your friend Bob remembered scripture? He watched that much!? HA!! That's a very weird and funny situation, isn't it!

Bloviating Zeppelin said...

Listen up, Americans.

This country IS under attack.

Your freedoms diminish every year -- sometimes by the month.

Just as Leftists believe you must move beyond Tolerance to Acceptance and thence to ADVOCACY for homosexuality and gay marriage, Leftists believe you must actively ADVOCATE against the nation.

ANY form of patriotism is simply JINGOISTIC.

BZ

Anonymous said...

Z,
A simple reading of history is instructive reference your post. Stalin used prison, gulags, murder,torture, and intimidation to control the Soviet Union.

During the Cold War America was the shining beacon of freedom for the millions of communism's victims. The leftists in our country and around the world are once again "useful idiots" for those who want to undermine our country.

These tactics never change and the stupidity of the left doesn't either.

Jan said...

Z..Charles Stanley is a wonderful, humble, teacher and preacher.

I've watched him for years, and still remember the most touching Mother's Day message which he delivered the first time I watched him, way back in the 'eighties.

He, himself, was going through a very diffifult family problem at the time, but later reconciled with his wife.

I mention that, because I marveled at the gracious way he handled the whole thing, never placing blame on anyone, and continuing his ministry with the utmost dignity.

If only we had more like him...

If you do get a chance to hear him, I know you won't be disappointed.

TS/WS said...

Ed, one of the most important lines in the Book Of Jude is that of the 'Stars'.
Fallen Angels-their offspring.
Now in positions of Political Power around the World--and behind the Pulpits!
That is how most of the people are so easily fooled by the Lefty's, their Preacher told them the Good Book says it this way-and don't let anyone tell you different.
How to fight this?
The Truth is still told to them but with a twisted avenue.
That is what I say- watch which avenue you take.

Lisa said...

I met a woman at a Tea Party Event who was from Poland which I have her saved on a You Tube Video saying how well let her tell you herself at 48 seconds in.
Ignore the nasty comments at the bottom of the video,even when someone speaks of facts they are still nasty,like some people we know.

Ed Bonderenka said...

Charles Stanley's weekly sermons are online at intouch.org.
They Say: That's right about the "wandering stars". I get the impression those are comets (flash in the pan), impressive but not long here.

TS/WS said...

Jude 9;Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Yahueh rebuke thee.
No debate!
That is what we need to do to the Lefty's compromise debates (abortion, global warming, social maters and such; when they try and inject their flawed morality.
These gnostics, the subject of the Book of Jude, over took the Sadducees and Pharisees and outlawed the name Yahueh.
Yahueh-the Father
Yahushueh-the Son, who came in the Father's name.
Yahsua was the name He wanted to be called since the Father's name was outlawed.
Yahushueh asked the disiples whom do they say He is. After answering Him with the correct Name (the Outlawed Name), Mark 8; 30: And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.
And today these 'wondering stars' are trying to outlaw our belief in Him in the USA! We can not say His Name nor display the Book of His Word in public settings!
In the beginning there is the Father, the Word, and the Spirit.
The Word was the Son-the Spokes Person.
After the resurrection there is the Father, the Son, and the Blood---and they all agreed.

Z said...

They Say; ya, and they all agree TODAY that we're turning our backs on God and the society SHOWS it, doesn't it.

BoB, short but sweet/true.

Ed, thanks..he's on the Christian channels and while I don't watch them often, I channel surf to see Jim Robison and often run past Stanley; I'll give him a listen...