Saturday, March 31, 2012

The Whip... (Country withheld for security reasons)

The screams where heard by many as the electrical wires laid open the flesh of the young pastor’s back. Huddled on the ground the brutal beating by the local police official was objected to even by those who resented the pastor and didn’t believe. When the pastor finally lost consciousness the official spit on him and walked away.

As a young man pastor "B" was resolute in this small community evangelizing and proclaiming the love of the gospel. He daily sowed into lives of those around him living only on what he could make from occasional work and the gifts provided by new converts.

Pastor "B" will be the first to tell you he is no hero but a humble servant of God. Over forty years hundreds of churches have been planted due to his courage. In this nation churches are started with no existing believers... all new converts, people give from what God provides... not from their surplus and worship is conducted with minimal instrumentation due to their lack of resources.

After the beating people gathered up the pastor placing him on a cart for the trip to the hospital. Those who witnessed the savage brutality urged the pastor to bring charges against the official. Pastor was worried that his initiating court action would place a barrier between the official and the cross. Though physical persecution was common in private this public brutality could cost the official to loose his job and perhaps go to prison if convicted.

As the pastor recuperated he made his decision and forgave the official. This act of grace triggered a turning point in the ministry. He now leads one of the largest churches in this island nation and is a symbol of God's mercy to a lost people.

As I sit with this man and ask what motivated him to make such a decision he simply stated, "If a corn seed isn't willing to be planted and die it can't grow into nourishing food for others. My Lord was willing and so am I."

On this partnership trip the team trained 105 missionaries and were able to supply funding for 18 new churches from which proven leaders will start other new churches. Wow!

I can’t name the place where this took place but please pray for those believers who are in prison and persecuted. Today, more than 200 million Christians suffer for their faith, each day threatened with murder and other acts of violence according to persecution.org.

This is your investment. This is your joy.

Mark Szymanski
www.mszymanski.com
mski1957@gmail.com
Cell: 704.517.0255

Won’t you please consider joining our financial support team? You can send contributions to: United World Mission, PO Box 602002, Charlotte NC 28260-2002 and write ACCT# 11013 in the memo line. Further info about on-line giving and other programs see www.uwm.org. Thank you to our present supports that allow us to impact the many lives across the planet. Again, THANKS!

1 comment:

Brian rice said...

thanks for this story Mark