The Suffering Church

I work for a ministry called SAT-7.  Based in Canada, I am far removed by the suffering of the region where our satellite ministry takes place - among the Arabic, Farsi and Turkish speaking people of the Middle East and North Africa.  Basically the area covered in "red."  The hardest place in the world for the church to survive!

There are quite a few stories that come out of this region where God's hand is directly involved, but from time to time, I am greatly encouraged by stories that also come out of other regions.

I read this story relating to an 'Auntie Esther.' She shares her personal testimony of God's faithfulness.

She was once in charge of eight large pediatric wards.  During the cultural revolution her superior warned her that if she did not deny her faith and join the communist party there would be serious consequences - at job demotion or salary reduction.

One morning it happened.  Four nurses woke her up, shaved off half of her hair and in front of the rest of the staff was challenged to renounce her faith and join the communist party.

"I can't deny Jesus.  I love Jesus."

 At the mention of His name, they threw her on the ground and cursed.  The communist cadre tore the stethoscope from her neck declaring that her name was no longer Esther, but The Fool.

For the next eleven years she lived in the basement of the hospital and obediently submitted to her new job - cleaning the floors and toilets of the same wards she used to lead.  Her salary was reduced from 50 Yuan to 15 Yuan.  She had to use her own funds to purchase the cleaning material.

She made a decision to practice the presence of Jesus in her job and she sang as she worked.

"My hospital had the cleanest floors and the cleanest toilets in all of China."

The hospital staff would envy her source of joy.

"When you have Jesus in your heart, it doesn't matter what job you do or what position you have.  It only matters that you love Him and are faithful and loyal to Him."

This is what is called, 'head-over-heels, white-hot' love for God.  This devotion is totally personal - different from religious devotion which is more dedicated to principles or causes - rather love as a deliberate act of the will.

This is where Jesus pointed out that love for God was the first and greatest commandment.  Then it became clear that the second commandment was to love your neighbour as yourself could only happen when the inner person experienced the reality of a truly loving God.  Love that is 'selfless' as opposed to 'selfish.'

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• SAT-7 a Light for Christ (godslovevisible.com)