Wednesday's Word: "For The Christian There Is Only One Course"

"If the world hates you, understand that it hated me first. If you were of the world,
it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of
the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.
 Remember the word that I spoke to you: "No servant is greater than his master."
If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they kept My Word,
they will keep yours as well."
(John 15:18-20)

Praying Hands With Prison Chains

Image courtesy/iStock

"For the Christian there is only one course. The Christian can't be anything
but confrontational. Once you know the truth, this means following it,
upholding it, and if necessary suffering for it. 

I can't be different. I can't act differently. I love freedom and would very
 much like to be free with my family and friends.  But I don't want to act
against my conscience.  What good is freedom to me if I can't call
 God my Father?  The knowledge that my soul and thoughts are free
  encourages and strengths me. That is all I wanted to say to you."

These were the final words spoken by Aida Skripnikova,
in her own defense, at her trial in the days of the former
 Soviet Union.  After she finished speaking, the judge
 presiding over the trial  sentenced her to three years in
 prison for daring to publicly share her Christian faith.

However, even locking her up in a communist labor camp
could not stop Aida's commitment to serving Jesus Christ
and sharing the good news of the Gospel with others.
Manuscripts from her trial were painstakingly copied
unto pieces of cut down bed sheets and similar fabric
and later smuggled out of the Soviet Union and into
the hands of believers around the world, who read
the courageous testimony of "Aida of Leningrad"
and prayed for this remarkable woman of faith.

Today, Aida lives in St. Petersburg, Russia.  Ironically, her
 strong faith has outlived the regime which sought to destroy it.

Excerpts from "Aida: A Voice for the Voiceless"
taken from the book,  "Hearts Of Fire: Eight
Women in the Underground Church and their
stories of Costly Faith"
The Voice of the Martyrs Ministries
VOM Books Persecution.com
(c.2003, 2015)