Matthew 5:11-12
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
11 “You are blessed when they
insult and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because
of Me.12 Be glad
and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they
persecuted the prophets who were before you.
We are just back from a weekend set of meetings called the
Wycliffe Associates President’s Summit in Carlsbad, California. We listened to
a number of heartening reports of how their new MAST program is allowing the
translation of Scripture into languages worldwide. It provides printed text and
also audio and various sign language versions for those who would rather not
read or are visually or audibly handicapped. Some of these languages have never
even been written down. It is a technique that, I’m sure, is inspired by the
Holy Spirit. It allows us to provide an excellent and accurate translation in
an unbelievably short time. Some have translated a whole New Testament in a
fortnight.
Satan is not taking this lying down! WA brought in two
African leaders who told of the extreme trials they are meeting in their
respective home countries. Both had experienced physical beatings and
imprisonment for their faith. Hundreds of Christians have been brutally killed.
This has left each of them stronger and more determined to provide Scripture
for their people so that they can meet terrible opposition with the knowledge,
hope, and faith that comes only from reading and understanding the Word of God.
One of these leaders comes from what is probably the first
Christian country on earth. He reminded me of Bekele Heye, a Christian leader
from his country whom I met a half-century ago. Heye was a visiting speaker at
a camp meeting in Tanzania where Sylvia and I were working. I’ll never forget
some of his words to those African believers. He told them, “Don’t wish you had
been born with a white skin. One day I went out into the fields with a white
missionary, and we worked all day in the sun. The next day this missionary was
in hospital where all his skin came off. Meanwhile I was still out in the field
growing food for my family.”
Heye also warned his listeners “Don’t think that this is a
white man’s religion from Europe or America. Almost 2,000 years ago Africa had
it first when the Ethiopian ambassador came back from having been baptized by
the deacon Philip. Since that time we have kept the Christian faith to
ourselves and haven’t taught it to the rest of Africa. Now these missionaries
have come from other countries to do the work God originally gave us to do.”
Thank You, Lord, for
showing us how to use modern technologies to reach the entire earth so that
a “vast multitude from every nation,
tribe, people, and language”
(Revelation 7:9) can soon be gathered in front of Your throne.
[i]
http://globalchristiancenter.com/christian-living/lesser-known-bible-people/31308-the-eunuch-of-ethiopia
[ii] https://www.google.com/search?q=ethiopian+eunuch+acts&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS744US744&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiMj-3V0uXdAhVE6lMKHafoAHUQ_AUIDygC&biw=1116&bih=538#imgrc=G89oFVhp0BT6pM:
