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1992 Missions Conference Talk - Part 7
Richard Wurmbrand

Richard Wurmbrand (1909–2001). Born on March 24, 1909, in Bucharest, Romania, to a Jewish family, Richard Wurmbrand converted to Christianity in 1938 after meeting a German carpenter, Christian Wolfkes, in a remote village. Initially an atheist and businessman, he became an ordained Lutheran pastor, ministering in Romania’s underground church under Nazi and Communist regimes. Arrested in 1948 by the Communist government for his faith, he spent 14 years in prison, including three in solitary confinement, enduring torture for preaching Christ. Released in 1964 after a $10,000 ransom paid by Norwegian Christians, he and his wife, Sabina, who was also imprisoned, emigrated to the U.S. in 1966. In 1967, they founded Voice of the Martyrs (originally Jesus to the Communist World), advocating for persecuted Christians worldwide. Wurmbrand authored 18 books, including Tortured for Christ (1967), In God’s Underground (1968), and The Overcomers (1998), detailing his experiences and faith. A powerful speaker, he testified before the U.S. Senate, baring scars to highlight persecution. Married to Sabina from 1936 until her death in 2000, they had one son, Mihai, and he died on February 17, 2001, in Torrance, California. Wurmbrand said, “It was strictly forbidden to preach to other prisoners, so it was understood that whoever was caught doing it got beaten—but we preached anyway.”
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Sermon Summary
This sermon emphasizes the importance of love, compassion, and faith in the face of persecution, particularly focusing on the struggles of persecuted Christians in various countries. It highlights the need for support, prayer, and understanding for those facing persecution, especially in communist and Muslim nations. The message encourages believers to show love, strength, and courage in the midst of adversity, following the example of persecuted Christians who demonstrate unwavering faith and love even in the most challenging circumstances.
Sermon Transcription
What I can tell you from all my experience in foreign countries, from what I believe myself and what I hear about others in terms of those of other countries, perhaps it will be useful in this fight against abortions. We have a strong community in Russia and in the UK and in Poland. Is that a shock? We need it. There is no explanation for this situation. We love them. They want from us a lot of love. We praise them. Artillery, shrapnel, shrapnel, infantry, atomic bombs, we have everything. This is the police. And we smile to them. We smile to them. It seems so useless, so stupid. But that is not the point. And now Yeltsin, the Prime Minister of Russia, came to church, confessed his sins in church, and brought Holy Communion in church. And since that moment he has been, but he has been also one of the prosecutors, one of the judges. Such things can happen. You do well to demonstrate. You do well to fight in such public activities. But there exists another activity, animation of love and art. There is another side to the world. But this man who demonstrates, he loves me so much, he doesn't need to take away from me my job, or take away from me income, or take what is mine. But what would be a disappointment would be an image of God. He is a man just like me. And a number of Christians, like Solomon Stasi, who becomes the biggest apostate of humanity, I have heard about one of the abortions later. I don't know what is his name. He also had an abortion in Normandy. And let us learn from these persecuted men of God. That is the message which I have for you. I will say what my mission, which is called Christian mission to the communist world. We work to help these persecuted Christians in communist countries. This mission has been to them, to the British, to China, to Vietnam. And the Christians have been sentenced to death just recently. And the Christians have to pay for the bullets and the coffins of the family members who have been killed. And we have been simply serving the intellectual Christian religion. And so we try to help them. We propagate the gospel by the radio. And we do one thing, we help the family. Some Christians are in jail. In the United States there are thousands of Christians in jail. People don't know, thousands. Not only in China and Vietnam, but there is worse persecution in Muslim countries. In Muslims it is worse than in communism. In Sudan, 30,000 men, women, old people, and children have been deported to a desert. It is rather on the equator, Sudan and Africa. And they have been told you will get no food, no water, and no shelter against the heat unless you deny Christ. And accept non-religious prophets into the communist world. And here a little child of two asks his mother, give me a little bit of water. And the mother exclaims to him that they can't leave the Christian religion, the Muslim religion aside. What does a child of two or three understand about this? If they see their children and their mothers, are they satisfied with today? If not, in Iran, Christians have been sleeping naked. And buried in the snow until they die. Saddam Hussein, Iraq, persecuted Christians. In Egypt there are Christians in jail and they have been killed. There are these sources. And we try to help wherever we can, the families of martyrs. That is what we do. Those who are interested in this issue, please write your name and address on a piece of paper. The baby has received an envelope, which you can take out now. You have an envelope. So please take out the envelope now. Take out also your belt and pants. Every man who has such a pant will never buy it. He will borrow it from somebody and he will give it back. So, take out the envelope and write your address and zip code. Put it in the envelope you have been given. You will receive every once in a while a newsletter with the pictures of those who are in jail, their stories and what is happening to them. You will be able to pray intelligently for them. You and your family can help these persecuted. But we can help much more than we can help everybody. They can help by their smile. And by their song in jail. And by their love for their persecutors. And we can learn from them also the strength against their abortionists. To lead the strength in the spirit of understanding, in the spirit of love and of goodness. And then we have the hope that they will succeed. They will succeed in their work. They will succeed in their living. It can be done. May God keep you vigilant. Vigilant. May you continue this courage in these demonstrations and in every other activity which you have. May you remain loving and faithful to Christ. And you will be victorious. God bless you all. Amen.
1992 Missions Conference Talk - Part 7
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Richard Wurmbrand (1909–2001). Born on March 24, 1909, in Bucharest, Romania, to a Jewish family, Richard Wurmbrand converted to Christianity in 1938 after meeting a German carpenter, Christian Wolfkes, in a remote village. Initially an atheist and businessman, he became an ordained Lutheran pastor, ministering in Romania’s underground church under Nazi and Communist regimes. Arrested in 1948 by the Communist government for his faith, he spent 14 years in prison, including three in solitary confinement, enduring torture for preaching Christ. Released in 1964 after a $10,000 ransom paid by Norwegian Christians, he and his wife, Sabina, who was also imprisoned, emigrated to the U.S. in 1966. In 1967, they founded Voice of the Martyrs (originally Jesus to the Communist World), advocating for persecuted Christians worldwide. Wurmbrand authored 18 books, including Tortured for Christ (1967), In God’s Underground (1968), and The Overcomers (1998), detailing his experiences and faith. A powerful speaker, he testified before the U.S. Senate, baring scars to highlight persecution. Married to Sabina from 1936 until her death in 2000, they had one son, Mihai, and he died on February 17, 2001, in Torrance, California. Wurmbrand said, “It was strictly forbidden to preach to other prisoners, so it was understood that whoever was caught doing it got beaten—but we preached anyway.”