Rejoicing in Persecution

"So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, 
rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.

Acts 5:41

“The following scene happened more times than I can remember. A brother was preaching to the other prisoners when the guards suddenly burst in, surprising him halfway through a phrase. They hauled him down the corridor to their beating room. After what seemed an endless beating, they brought him back and threw him—bloody and bruised—on the prison floor. Slowly, he picked up his battered body, painfully straightened his clothing and said, ‘Now, brethren, where did I leave off when I was interrupted?’ He continued his gospel message! I have seen beautiful things!”  Richard Wurmbrand - Tortured For Christ

Many years ago I read Pastor Richard Wurmbrand's autobiography of his life in a communist prison.  He courageously took a solitary stand among more than 1,000 leaders to denounce Romanian communists who were oppressing the church. And for his resistance he and his wife were imprisoned and tortured. Eventually the Wurmbrands were released and began the Voice of the Martyrs organization in America. Through everything they endured the Wurmbrands never lost their love for Jesus or people. Their sole desire was to share the gospel with others and lead them to the Savior. Like the disciples in Acts, they were continually "rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name."