"For 36 years I have watched them try to catch the wind: His invisible Holy Spirit that works through us and among us around the world. The enemies of the gospel try to catch this wind so they can destroy it. They imprison Christians using chains, boards, iron plates, bars, stone, earth, bamboo, ropes, cement or wire. ...
"Under the cover of our weak, imperfect flesh, the gospel advances. We are a part of God's strategy to spread His indestructible Kingdom where and when it is least expected.
"During his 14 years in prison, Romanian pastor Richard Wurmbrand was terribly tortured, yet Communist Colonel Sandu Franco was stunned when interrogating his victim. Wurmbrand had once been an atheist like him. Leaving the prison, Colonel Franco returned hom to his wife and declared, 'Something is wrong with me! I am sick. I have never met anyone like this man in my whole life.'
"The colonel was surprised by two forces unknown to him - agape love and godly humility - against which the world has no defense. In tryig to catch the wind, the wind caught him and brought him into eternal life. Colonel Franco became a Christian and also went to prison.
"The wind is not dependent upon time or place to be released. It is not for us to decide. During my imprisonment in Cuba, I was dragged out of the refrigerated cell to sit before Captain Santos. I began to silently pray for him. HE asked me what I was doing. I explained that he was cold - not myself, and the God love could warm him up. He seemed flustered.
"The next time the guards brought me to sit before him, he was wearing sunglasses so I could not see his eyes. ...
"During the months of interrogation, the captain brought in other officers to meet me. It seemed as though they regarded me as a curiosity. Perhaps the wind brushed against them as well. ... We do not have to be distraught if someone rejects our testimony. We are simply vessels of clay. The wind is able to take advantage of any event, any circumstance. The results are always up to God.
"I had dinner last night with a Chinese family whose sister had been released from two-and-a-half years of prison in Hunan province. ...
"This young, Christian woman was able to share the gospel with more than 200 women prisoners as they engaged in intense forced labor, making light bulbs. At night, they were so tightly packed while sleeping on the floor, they all had to turn over at the same time. ...
"During this time, about 100 women accepted Christ. [The woman] baptized them with her rationed cup of cold water. She was so compassionate and gracious and brought such peace to her wing of the prison, she was made a section leader. Some of the prison guards cried when she was released. This was their first time to brush against the wind, the Spirit of Christ.
"Our testimony of the resurrected Christ does not guarantee us a life free from fear. The Pakistanis you will read about this month, and the other believers with whom we work in dozens of nations, all have moments of fear; just as you might when called upon to be His witness. Yet, the Holy Spirit is more powerful than fear, allowing us to demonstrate courage and love even in the presence of our enemies. Someone once said, 'Courage is not the absence of fear, but the belief that there is something more important than our fear.' ...
"Those who try to catch the wind burn church buildings in Nigeria, but cannot burn what they cannot see. They weld doors shut in China, trying to keep Christians inside. They nail church doors shut in Indonesia, trying to keep Christians outside. They shoot Christians in Colorado in an act of hatred. Enemies of the gospel try to catch the wind using every kind of weapon to attack Christianity - gasoline, welding torches, nails, bullets or even secular news media - but they can never succeed. God opens doors which no one can shut. Let us ride His resurrection wind, graciously lifting up our Savior. Just as He caught us, He will catch some of them!
--- Tom White"
There is lots to love in this letter. Probably my favorite part is the quote about courage. Courage is not the absence of fear, but holding to something more important, more powerful, than our fear.
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