"Bernard Palissy, a poor French potter was imprisoned on account of his faith. King Charles visited him, and said, "I'm forced to give you up to die unless you forsake your religion." Replied the prisoner, 'They that force you King Charles, cannot force me. You and all your nation cannot compel me to compromise.' Devotion like that is sufficient for the supreme and extreme tests of life." (Classic Christianity: A Year
of Timeless Devotions, Vol I, 2/29)
Today, as I take in the breathtaking art of God's daybreak, my prayers are thick with care and concern for Pastor Yousef who is under penalty of death in the Middle East. Suffering imprisonment for his faith, he is in a large company of martyrs and persecuted Christians across the world. When Polycarp was arrested for his faith, he served food to his captors, prayed, then endured burning alive. Many were mightily touched by his testimony. But was the sunset of his life a sunset or really a dawn? We have seen over and over that the blood of the saints is the Gospel cast like seeds throughout the world. Death for a believer is only birth into new life. Death is not defeat.
I pray, as I know you do, for the life of Pastor Yousef. Whether God will allow him to continue his service in this world or the next we do not know. But this we know: he possesses the faith of a Daniel, and God will be glorified. May many turn to Jesus through the testemony of this faithful servant and the gospel go forward like seeds in the wind through all our precious brothers and sisters who suffer death and persecution for their love of God.
"Oh God, I want to be steadfast and courageous of faith like Daniel. I want to stand for You when the world pulls me away. Help me to sink the roots of my faith deep into Your unchanging character, Lord, and allow Your strength to flow through my weak moments. Be strong through me. I pray dear Lord, for Your glory, amen."
Blessings, Patti
(based on Classic Christianity: a Year of Timeless Devotions, Vol. I, 2/29)
of Timeless Devotions, Vol I, 2/29)
Today, as I take in the breathtaking art of God's daybreak, my prayers are thick with care and concern for Pastor Yousef who is under penalty of death in the Middle East. Suffering imprisonment for his faith, he is in a large company of martyrs and persecuted Christians across the world. When Polycarp was arrested for his faith, he served food to his captors, prayed, then endured burning alive. Many were mightily touched by his testimony. But was the sunset of his life a sunset or really a dawn? We have seen over and over that the blood of the saints is the Gospel cast like seeds throughout the world. Death for a believer is only birth into new life. Death is not defeat.
I pray, as I know you do, for the life of Pastor Yousef. Whether God will allow him to continue his service in this world or the next we do not know. But this we know: he possesses the faith of a Daniel, and God will be glorified. May many turn to Jesus through the testemony of this faithful servant and the gospel go forward like seeds in the wind through all our precious brothers and sisters who suffer death and persecution for their love of God.
"Oh God, I want to be steadfast and courageous of faith like Daniel. I want to stand for You when the world pulls me away. Help me to sink the roots of my faith deep into Your unchanging character, Lord, and allow Your strength to flow through my weak moments. Be strong through me. I pray dear Lord, for Your glory, amen."
Blessings, Patti
(based on Classic Christianity: a Year of Timeless Devotions, Vol. I, 2/29)
RSS Feed