You must live and die by your tough decisions. I say NO to this man and his administration. These things are taking place right here in America; and prayer, hope, and life are in Jesus.....PERIOD!
You make tough decisions and live and die by them.
Harlan Popov had decided to live for Jesus in communist Bulgaria, but he never expected what was to follow. Because he was a pastor, Popov was arrested and thrown into prison. Over the next thirteen years he was constantly tortured. Why? Because he made the decision to stand up for Jesus instead of bowing down to government demands to renounce his faith. In this book, Tortured for His Faith,
Harlan Popov describes his initial decision to faithfully serve Jesus in communist Bulgaria like this:
"In June of 1948, all the members of the Supreme Council including the chief religious representative were called to the office of the Minister of Religious Affairs. Our moment of truth had come, and within days there would be no mistaking. "Gentlemen, today in the National Peoples' Republic of Bulgaria, there are no two ways about it but only one: You are either for the Soviet Union or you are for the United States." He then made it very clear what it means to be with the Communist party and to be loyal to its aims.
Then came the crunch. He wanted each of us, in each of the churches, to make a statement from the pulpits-declaring our loyalty to the Bulgarian Communist party, the Bulgarian government, and the objectives of the Communist world-and to accuse the United States as imperialist and of interfering in the affairs of Bulgaria.
We considered this a very brutal interference into the lives of the churches. We told the minister of religious affairs in clear terms that we as churchmen in our churches are not a political people. After we discussed the proposition, we told him that rather than do this we would close our churches. "we cannot do this," we insisted.
He replied, "Don't talk to me like that. I can take that telephone and have you arrested right this minute!"
He didn't pick up the telephone and make good his threats. Instead, he gave us a week to think it over. But our minds were set, and the week's Communist grace was only a matter of form. We returned and repeated our stand. Our character and conviction as Christians could not permit any other position.
This, of course, in the situation of the day, was counted as betrayal of Bulgaria-not only betrayal, but as we soon were to find out, collaboration with the United States. There was no way out for us but to be loyal to Jesus Christ within us. And this we were determined to do. The Communists were just as determined to do us and our churches in.
That, then, is the setting. That is how we, and many like us, went to prison. That is why many more in the Suffering Church still go to prison.
Harlan Popov decided to live for Jesus, and to die for Jesus if necessary.
"In June of 1948, all the members of the Supreme Council including the chief religious representative were called to the office of the Minister of Religious Affairs. Our moment of truth had come, and within days there would be no mistaking. "Gentlemen, today in the National Peoples' Republic of Bulgaria, there are no two ways about it but only one: You are either for the Soviet Union or you are for the United States." He then made it very clear what it means to be with the Communist party and to be loyal to its aims.
Then came the crunch. He wanted each of us, in each of the churches, to make a statement from the pulpits-declaring our loyalty to the Bulgarian Communist party, the Bulgarian government, and the objectives of the Communist world-and to accuse the United States as imperialist and of interfering in the affairs of Bulgaria.
We considered this a very brutal interference into the lives of the churches. We told the minister of religious affairs in clear terms that we as churchmen in our churches are not a political people. After we discussed the proposition, we told him that rather than do this we would close our churches. "we cannot do this," we insisted.
He replied, "Don't talk to me like that. I can take that telephone and have you arrested right this minute!"
He didn't pick up the telephone and make good his threats. Instead, he gave us a week to think it over. But our minds were set, and the week's Communist grace was only a matter of form. We returned and repeated our stand. Our character and conviction as Christians could not permit any other position.
This, of course, in the situation of the day, was counted as betrayal of Bulgaria-not only betrayal, but as we soon were to find out, collaboration with the United States. There was no way out for us but to be loyal to Jesus Christ within us. And this we were determined to do. The Communists were just as determined to do us and our churches in.
That, then, is the setting. That is how we, and many like us, went to prison. That is why many more in the Suffering Church still go to prison.
Harlan Popov decided to live for Jesus, and to die for Jesus if necessary.
If we ever have called upon Jesus before; we really must call upon Him now; and continue too do so like Daniel had done when he had not received his answer.
ReplyDeleteI have never made any false hoods on how I feel about obama and this government.
There are so many things happening all around us. Some are so secretive that it frightening. I believe that this man and his entire bunch will do enough damage that some people will have the faint heart to endure it....just as Jesus told us to not become faint hearted.
He is with us and we will overcome; but, we will have a rough go.
Surviving this insanity is for the made up mind, the sold out to Jesus and His Way. There is no other way that we will overcome what is about to take place if we do not stay connected to the Vine. Believers; we have to believe what is written in His Word, the things that Jesus has personally placed in our hearts.
WE ARE NEVER ALONE in the hardship and the storms. NEVER!