One author who profoundly inspires me is Richard Wurmbrand. He was held in a communist Romanian prison for fourteen years due to being a Christian evangelist. This man endured unspeakable torture at the hands of Communist guards due to his faith in Christ. Yet, in his book "Reaching Toward the Heights" he gives his thoughts on the verse "Judge not." (Matthew 7:1):
The Lord Jesus said to Peter, I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven(Matt. 16:19). Every child of God can open the kingdom to anyone, even to the worst of men, by proclaiming to him Christ's forgiveness. But the same Jesus says, I ...have the keys of hell. (Rev. 1:18) These He gave to no one. He reserved them for Himself. Otherwise some of us would have thrown ourselves into hell through our foolishness, and we would have doomed to hell those who don't believe like us. A mother gives her child a toy, not a knife with which to cut himself. Therefore, Peter got the keys of heaven, but not of hell...Only one key has been entrusted to you. Open the gates of heaven to others. Don't condemn anyone. Don't damn yourself either.
Richard Wurmbrand threw open the gates of heaven, even to his torturers. He shared the gospel with the very people who kept him in prison. May we live as faithfully.
For more information on Richard Wurmbrand and his ministry: Voice of the Martyrs, go to www.persecution.com.
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