Brown's Daily Word 9-2-09

One of the powerful passages that describes the person and the mission of our Lord Jesus is found in Philippians 2. It declares, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11).
Sunita and Andy celebrated their second wedding anniversary yesterday, September 1. They have gone to the Grand Canyon, for a week of camping and hiking. Soon after their return to Washington, DC, Sunita will be flying to Bangladesh and India on the 9th of September. The Lord has given her a brave and beautiful heart for the people of various nations. She loves Africa. I call her "out of Africa" and sometimes my wife calls her, "my wild African princess". She speaks about the people of Rwanda with great affection. She tells me about the Church in Africa. David Livingston gave his heart for Africa. Jesus Christ, the Risen one, is alive and well. His Kingdom is eternal and triumphant.
April 6, 1994 marked the beginning of dark and infamous days for Rwanda, a small country in central Africa. For the following hundred days, up to 800,000 Tutsis were killed by Hutu militia — mostly by clubs and machetes. It was a genocide of monumental proportions, as the rest of the world looked on in silence. A young Christian named Benyoni lived in this world of hate. His name meant “Little Bird” because he was so musical. He graduated with honors and became a school principal, but educated people were suspect and routinely executed in Rwanda. Sometimes just wearing a tie could get you killed. Benyoni was at school with eleven of his friends who were teachers when one day soldiers came and took Benyoni and the teachers out of the school. As they stood together Benyoni asked the soldiers if he could pray for them. He prayed for his friends and for their families, but he spent the most time praying for the soldiers who had come to kill them. Benyoni’s friends were encouraged and were expecting a miracle as a result of his prayer. The soldiers considered freeing them, but they had their orders and knew they would pay with their lives for failing in their mission. They continued their march outside the town, and when they stopped, Benyoni asked the soldiers if he could sing for them. He began to sing a hymn you may know:
Out of my bondage, sorrow and night,
Jesus, I come; Jesus I come.
Into Thy freedom, gladness and light,
Jesus, I come to Thee.
All the young men began to sing with him. You may remember the last verse of that great hymn:
Out of the fear and dread of the tomb,
Jesus, I come; Jesus, I come.
Into the joy and light of Thy home,
Jesus, I come to Thee.

Out of the depths of ruin untold,
Into the peace of Thy sheltering fold,
Ever Thy glorious face to behold,
Jesus, I come to Thee.
When the last note was sung, the soldiers raised their rifles and shot all of them to death.
You may be wondering how the story got out since all of them were killed. Those soldiers went out to get as drunk as possible that night — all except one. He sought out an old Quaker missionary whom he had met. He asked her, “What kind of God do you serve who could give his followers such courage and joy in the face of death?” She led him to Christ, and soon he was telling anyone who would listen about Jesus and starting Bible studies. It was not long until they shot him as well.
It is now just one year since over one hundred Christian were martyred by the Hindu Extremists. I remember one of those martyrs, whose name was Mathew. He was one my students in the 1960's. He was courageous and compassionate. He was blessed with a beautiful and brave heart. When I think about these servants I remember the words of Jim Elliot, another Christian martyr, who declared, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose". Remembering the joy and courage of these brave servants of Christ, I get provoked to love Jesus more and serve with zeal and relentlessness.
In Hebrew 11, we read about those “who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength... Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated — the world was not worthy of them” (Hebrews 11:33-34, 36-38).
In Jesus the Victor,
Brown


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qEjRLlL9iE