The Chosen One of God

John the Baptizer said “I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.” - (John 1:33)

John doesn’t claim that he has any special knowledge of Jesus’ identity because of insider information as a cousin of Jesus. No, John’s recognition was based upon the revelation of God and the work of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is God’s Chosen One and a key part of Jesus’ role as the Chosen One is baptizing people with the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ identity, ministry, and message are all tied to the work of the Holy Spirit! We can’t follow the chosen one of God without a deep appreciation and recognition of the vital role the Spirit plays in Jesus’ life as well as our own!

Prayer : Gracious God, the Almighty, who has chosen to dwell in my heart through your Holy Spirit. Thank you for revealing yourself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Be at work in my life through the Spirit. Purify my heart, transform my mind, and empower my actions so that I can honor you and help others know your Son. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Purposefully Purposed : A Christian’s Viewpoint

Author : Vanessa Barnes

Release Date : May 20th, 2008

Price : 11$ (USD)

Theme of Purposefully Purposed

We must strive to supplant the sickness of the enemy with Gods intended purpose. In the end, the ‘good’ in the Good News, was manifested via the purposed life of the Son; as imitators of that purposed life, let us continue to grasp the purposes our own legacies should portray.

“…I now live a fleshy existence not in autonomy or as an island, but most importantly in concert with my spiritual self, dependent upon a God who cannot and will not fail me. Pertaining to the renewal of my thinking, wisdom has prompted me to live with a sense of faithful stewardship to my spiritual purpose.”

“Boldness in a Christians life is born in knowing where we are going coupled with knowing who is leading the way. Embrace all that living in concert with the spirit allows, trigger all that lay at your fingers touch. Trust in the source; the same source of Jesus’ yesteryear and equally our own; like Martin Luther King and Mother Theresa, rely on faith in the Promised One, because the promise has already been conveyed. It’s okay, allow the doubters to question, for to them you may answer the same as Christ: “I know where I came from and I know where I am going.”

Interested? Buy the book online from Amazon. Buy Here

Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand

It was the book that shocked the world. After surviving 14 years in communist prisons, Pastor Richard Wurmbrand came to America to proclaim the trials and testimonies of our persecuted brothers and sisters.

In Tortured for Christ, Wurmbrand tells of his imprisonment for his work with the underground church and introduces the work of The Voice of the Martyrs. The Voice of the Martyrs is a non-profit, inter-denominational Christian organization dedicated to assisting the persecuted church worldwide.

Voice Of Martyrs was founded in 1967 by Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, who was imprisoned 14 years in Communist Romania for his faith in Christ.Forty years later, The Voice of the Martyrs remains true to its calling to be a voice for persecuted Christians, to serve with them in their time of need and to assist them in their efforts to proclaim the gospel.

Tortured for Christ : Book Review

Richard Wurmbrand, a Romanian Jew who gave up atheism for Christianity in his youth, writes about his years working as a pastor in the secret, Underground Church in Romania. Wurmbrand writes about this very book that it has “no literary value,” which is true. He writes in a “stream-of-consciousness” style, seemingly paying little attention to chronology and jumping from event to event.

But while Wurmbrand does not skillfully craft a literary masterpiece, he does give the reader quite a masterpiece as far as emotions and history are concerned. I’m aware of little historical work on Underground Churches anywhere–be it Eastern Europe, the Middle East, China, or other lands. Wurmbrand does history a great service as he provides a first-hand account of Romania’s secret church, how they worshiped, how they evangelized, how they communicated and provided support for each other, etc. The resourcefulness of the Church was both inspiring and surprising.

This book is also very emotionally charged. Wurmbrand pulls no punches as he describes the means by which he and other Christians were tortured: placed naked in a freezer until nearly dead, warmed up, then placed back in the freezer repeatedly; made to partake in a mock-Communion service of urine and feces; cut several times then placed in a room full of starving rats; and then there’s the conventional methods of torture: beating, attacking your family, and raping. Reading Wurmbrand’s description of these acts shocked this reader several times.

I highly recommend this book for both its historical and inspirational value. It is also highly recommended because, while Romania’s Underground Church no longer has to operate in secret, there exist Underground Churches in other nations of the world: China, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Cuba (just to name a few). Reading about this particular underground church has given me insight to how the other Underground Churches still operate today.

Free copy of Tortured for Christ

Are you a U.S. resident? If yes, get a free complimentary copy of Tortured for Christ at your doorstep, right now in 2 weeks. (only one copy allowed per household). Are you interested?

Get the free complimentary copy of Tortured for Christ

And then you will also be awarded with a complimentary subscription to The Voice of The Martyrs, the award-winning monthly newsletter, which will keep you informed on Christian persecution worldwide while sharing practical opportunities to help Christians who are persecuted for their faith.

Please get the beautiful book, and after reading it, please share your thoughts, as comments under this article. Looking forward to see your reviews on Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand.