Book Review: Tortured For Christ, by Richard Wurmbrand

By Beth Tang

We Christians in Singapore take our religious freedom for granted and try to ‘sugarcoat’ Christianity with egos of thanking God that we are safe from troubles and objections in our minds, not knowing what lies beyond the comfort we have received from Our Creator.

Richard Wrumbrand (1909-2001) was imprisoned in Romania grip of communism, just because he stood up for Christ during one of the communist relays with a Bible in his hand.

It began with his wife Sabrina telling him to ‘wipe the shame from the face of Christ’ which led his family to unspeakable torture like freezing in a box with little clothing (so much that he became fearful of opening his own fridge!), and being poked by sharp objects. Despite the brainwashing, assaults and having been denied from ever seeing God’s creation that is nature, he still trusted God and learnt more about Him each day. He never doubted God for what he was going through. He not only mentions his ordeal but also talks about other Christians who suffered in persecuted countries like Iran, China and North Korea. This book is the a glimpse of what it is like living as a Christian in a persecuted country.

It is also a great insight on missions, for example Richard made his son Mihai and the other children roam around streets distributing ‘illegal’ bibles and Gospels. In turn the soldiers treated them nicely and gave them sweets or chocolate (Richard mention Russians have a soft spot on children).

It’s a good wake up call for Christians in free countries and those who wanted to go to the mission field. It will make you read this again and again. It’s a good book to see what a persecuted church is like.


‘Will you hear our message? Remember us. Help us. Don’t abandon us.’
-- Richard Wrumbrand ‘s message to the Christians in free world


“You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.” -- Matthew 5:10 (The Message)

Desert Song (This is our God) by HIllsong

A touching account of a worship leader in her struggles...

What is our Purpose?

Here's a summary of what we learnt in youth cell 1st Aug 09 kindly done by gracia :)

Overview: What is our purpose of existence, and what is God's desire for us?
Passage: Ecclesiastes 1 - 5

Ecc 1:2
"Meaningless! Meaningless!"
says the Teacher.
"Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless."

Everything is meaningless, if we don't have God in our life.

So where does God fit in our life? Why did God create us? Ultimately, the most important question of the day: what is the purpose of our existence?

During our discussion, we shared what our plans for the future were (some mentioned getting married, having children, becoming successful, earning big bucks.)

So what happens after we've fulfilled our dreams?

We die and go to heaven. What do we do in heaven? Praise and worship God.

So what can we say our purpose here on earth is?

Would we spend our entire lifespan doing something that is not what we're gonna do for eternity? In other words, while here on earth, do we perform that which we're not made to do for eternity? (Duh no!)

We considered Revelation 5, and realized that we'll spend eternity worshipping God. This must mean that we're created to worship God! That is the sole purpose of our existence.

How then do we fulfill our purpose here on earth? How do we worship Him here on earth? We worship Him through the various things that He has tasked us to do!

We considered how in Genesis, God gave work to Man. We thus realized that worship can take place all the time...! In every single moment! And that is our purpose. Worship.

Everything by Tim Hughes

God in my living
There in my breathing
God in my waking
God in my sleeping

God in my resting
There in my working
God in my thinking
God in my speaking

Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything

God in my hoping
There in my dreaming
God in my watching
God in my waiting

God in my laughing
There in my weeping
God in my hurting
God in my healing

Christ in me
Christ in me
Christ in me the hope of glory
You are everything

Reversed Thunder: Prayer

The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer

1 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. 3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

Revelation 8:1-5

Can you imagine, about half an hour in heaven? One day in the house of the Lord is like a thousand years (2 Pet 3:8). So there was half an hour of silence in heaven... Whatever for?

Isn't it simply amazing?? That silence was for the Lord to hear all the prayers of the saints -- the prayer you made in your bedroom last night, and the prayer I made in my time of sadness yesterday, and all the world's prayers, from the beginning of time to eternity... All those prayers were taken up to Him... and what's the more astounding thing...

Our prayers are burnt through the fire from the altar, and hurled back down on to the earth as like thunder & lightning. Our prayers are reversed thunder. Our prayers shake the earth.

Because the Lord has heard our prayers; because He has answered them.

Ushering Roster - July

Parents Appreciation Day
Saturday, 25th July 2009

Block out this date and please invite your parents.
More details soon!