How to Change the Subject

Imagine being beaten in prison by your enemies and even attempting suicide four times without success. This is the experience of missionary Dan Baumann in an Iranian prison. He told his story to my friend Todd Nettleton recently when he was interviewed at Voice of the Martyrs Radio.

 

“I struggled with my faith, ‘Was God with me? Did He love me? If God is good, why would He allow me to go through this situation?’  I remember one day I woke up, and I was done inside. I woke up that day thinking to myself, ‘If I’m going to be here the rest of my life, why not check out?’” 

 

At that moment, he heard Jesus’ voice again. “I want YOU to see THEM [the Iranian torturers] as I see THEM.” Wow! he realized that God wants him to change the SUBJECT. From the mood that life is all about ME to how to seek after God’s commandment to love our enemies. Eventually many Iranian prison guards and officers were transformed by that spirit of forgiveness through the obedience of Pastor Baumann. 

 

This past week I attended the first ever Ministerial for Advancing Religious Freedom Summit where the imprisoned Chinese American Pastor John Cao’s Case was highlighted. His wife, Jamie, was the first inaugural speaker for the whole summit. We are all united and determined to #FreeJohnCao! 

 

One day after the summit, I was forwarded  a letter from Pastor John Cao who wrote from prison. Here is what he said at the end of his latest letter to his family members:

 

“Please send my greetings to all who care about me. Please rejoice for me! Jesus has died on the cross for me. It is my utter joy to be imprisoned for my Lord. This is a reality and not self comfort nor self encouragement.” 

 

It seems God has changed the SUBJECT again to pastor John Cao in his prison life for Christ. Let’s work together to free this godly man from prison and at the same time I pray you may always rejoice like him as you experience moments of “God-changes-the-SUBJECT” in our daily life. 

 

Thank you for taking action to walk with the persecuted alongside ChinaAid. 

 

Your humble coworker,

Bob Fu