Check out the Grace Project for some great music and free downloads. Here is an excerpt from their website:

“Welcome to The Grace Project’s home on the web. What is The Grace Project, you ask? Well, it’s the culmination of a 15-year dream to try something fairly unusual in the musical world: to create music based strictly around the songs, rather than to be confined within the limitations of a band. The first product from this band was released in 1998 by Grandma Katherine’s Music. The album is called The Big Love! (check out the cover below) and that’s the theme of the album: God’s love for mankind.”

Grace Project

2 Corinthians 3:18
“So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”

God uses His Word, His people, and the circumstances in our lives to mold us into Christ’s likeness. God’s Word provides the truth and wisdom that we need. God’s people provide the support we need. Circumstances in our lives day in and day out provide us opportunities to show Christ-likeness.

When we study God’s Word and apply it to our lives, when we connect regularly with other believers, and when we learn to trust God in ever situation, we become more like Jesus.

I know that some days, you wonder if you will ever get to that point; at least I sure do. That’s because spiritual maturity isn’t instant or automatic. Rather, it is a gradual and progressive development that will continue as long as we are alive. So don’t stress out, we are a work in progress. And here’s a hard truth, all of those tough times in our lives . . . we grow exponentially when we persevere through those things by trusting God.

Whatever situation you are in, whatever job you have, whatever path you might be on, be sure to live and act in a Christ-like manner. God is more concerned about your character than your career. Every day we must make counter-culture decisions that focus us to become more like Jesus. When we do, the Spirit of God empowers us to follow through.

Related Text:
James 1:2-4
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

“Well, How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. Women received their loved ones back again from death.

But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

Hebrews 11:32-37 & 12:1-2

(postscript: Today’s message concludes our 7 day look at those people who took a stand for the Lord, no matter what circumstances surrounded them or what fate awaited them. There are many books, magazines, and websites that you can access to understand just how much danger Christians and Missionaries face day in and day out all over the world. In your time with our Father today, remember to lift up these fearless Christians. And, with our freedom in this country, let us not be ashamed to take a stand for the Gospel. We have no fear of prison, torture, or death because we believe in Jesus.)

A word from a Polish Christian Missionary:

“Standing up for what is right is a key freedom. God’s revolutionaries on the earth have always been marked by their refusal to kneel to injustice or silence the truth for the sake of convenience, being accepted by the crowd, or for personal gain. A chain of bondage is placed upon a person link by link each time they turn away from God’s Truth or when they refuse to voice what is right.

On a personal level, over time this can enmesh us in a lifestyle of self-justification and lies. Then the Truth becomes so obscured that we hardly notice when we violate it ourselves until something tragic happens. This is what Paul called the searing of our consciences with a hot iron in 1 Timothy 4:2. Little by little, just as skin can be deadened and hardened into a callous by frequent friction or heat, our hearts and minds can be silenced by persistent disregard of God’s Truth. We become bound in a world of delusion and only God and His Word can deliver us. This is why James wrote of God’s Word as a mirror: Just as we look into a physical mirror each day before we go out to make sure our appearance is as it should be, we also must look into God’s Word each day to make sure our heart and our actions are in obedience with our Lord.”

Romans 12:1-2
“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”

Iran
Iranian Christian Pastor
1990
*story taken from the book “Jesus Freaks Vol. II”
_____

‘Lord,’ the pastor prayed, ‘I cannot take any more of this questioning. Please, release me from this!’

Already the pastor had been in and out of prison, and now he was called every two weeks by the secret police for interrogations. The interrogations were the same questions over and over, accusing the pastor of being a spy from the West.

The next morning, the pastor was again to go to the secret police headquarters, and he asked his church members to pray that God would provide him with a way out.

‘I see you are here,’ said the officer, taking the pastor into the dark interrogation room. But before they could begin questioning the pastor, the tape recorder that was sitting on the table exploded. It began smoking, then flames engulfed the whole machine. It sat on the table smoldering, beyond repair.

‘What are you doing?’ the guard asked the pastor angrily, seeing the slight smile on the pastor’s face.

‘I am praying for you,’ the pastor answered. ‘You are not fighting against me, you are fighting against God. You cannot win against Him.’

‘Go home!,’ the officer yelled. The pastor quickly left and headed straight to his church. When he arrived, he asked his wife what had happened while he was away.

‘Three older ladies who are members of our church came here while you were away,’ she said. ‘We all gathered around and joined hands and prayed for you, that God would protect you from the interrogations.’

The pastor smiled because he knew God had rescued him.”

1 John 5:14-15
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”

(postscript: It is essential that we never forget or underestimate the power of prayer. Nothing is impossible for God! A revolutionary Jesus Freak is not afraid to ask for great things from almighty God. Let this story of these prayer warriors serve as a reminder to us.)

Hungary
A Russian Captain and a Hungarian Christian Pastor
1950
*story taken from the book “Jesus Freaks Vol. II”
______

“The Russian army captain walked haughtily down the aisle of the church, straight to the pastor. ‘I will have a word with you alone’, the captain demanded, ‘Take me some place where we can speak privately!’ The captain was very young and brash and seemed to be very aware of his power and ability to strike fear in people.

When the pastor had led the captain to a small conference room, the officer shut the door and locked it. He nodded toward the cross that hung on the wall, ‘You know that thing is a lie,’ he said to the pastor. ‘It’s just a piece of trickery you Christians and pastors use to delude the poor people to make it easier for the rich to keep them ignorant. Come now, we are alone, admit to me that you never really believed that Jesus Christ was the Son of God!’

The pastor simply smiled and said, ‘But, my poor young man, of course I believe it. Because it is true.’

‘I won’t have you play these tricks on me!’ cried the captain. ‘This is serious, don’t laugh at me!’

The Russian Captain drew out his revolver and pressed it against the body of the pastor and said, ‘Unless you admit to me that Jesus was not God’s Son, I will fire.’

‘I cannot admit that, for what you say is not true. Our Lord is really and truly the Son of God,’ said the minister. And, for a painful instant, his muscles tightened as he awaited the bullet.

Instead, the captain suddenly flung his revolver to the floor and embraced the pastor. Tears sprang to the captain’s eyes.

‘It’s true’, he cried. ‘It’s true. I believe so too. But I could not be sure men would die for this belief until I found for myself one that would. Oh, thank you! You have strengthened my faith. Now I too will stand for Christ, and die for Him if necessary. You have shown me how.’”

1 Peter 2:21-24
“For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly. He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.”

(postscript: Be encouraged, and never be ashamed of the Gospel, no matter how dreadful the circumstances that oppose you may be.)

Morocco
Christian Missionaries
March, 2010
_______

In recent weeks, the Moroccan government has continued its crackdown on Christians, expelling as many as 60 Christian aid workers from the country, according to Smyrna Ministries International.

Moroccan police accused Christian aid workers from the United States, Korea, Netherlands and England of “violating Morocco’s anti-proselytism laws.” “On March 8, police visited the orphanage Village of Hope, which has been operating with the government’s approval for the past ten years,” Smyrna Ministries International said. “They scoured the grounds looking for Bibles, interrogated children and staff members and announced that the parents had seven hours to pack and say goodbye to their adopted children. All fifteen of the foster parents, the only parents these children have ever known, were deported before nightfall, leaving the 33 children with the police.”

Following this raid, government authorities reportedly targeted believers across Morocco. “In Marrakesh, authorities arrested a Korean-born Protestant pastor during his Sunday service, and in the northern city of Larache they deported an Egyptian church leader.”

Christians in Morocco believe the crackdown is due to two newly appointed government officials who took office in January. Interior Minister Tayeb Cherkaoui recently issued a press release stating, “[Christians] are guilty of trying to undermine the faith of Muslims.”

2 Corinthians 5:14-15
“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all . . . And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”

(postscript: This is just one of many stories from around the world where Christians are still being persecuted. Pray for the Christian Missionaries who are being sent out of Morocco, but also pray for Moroccan Christians who are left behind. It is far more dangerous for them at this point. Pray for their strength and safety and for their hope in our Lord.)

Philippines
Jackie Hamilll and Juliet
1992
*story taken from the book “Jesus Freaks – Martyrs”
______

“The prison service was over. Jackie Hamill, a young Australian prison evangelist, was excited about what God was doing. She had felt the love of Jesus reach out to these inmates. Jackie and fourteen members of her church had traveled to the Philippines to minister to inmates of a military prison. They were concerned for the lost souls of the inmates, most of whom were Communist guerillas in prison for murder.

Suddenly, the quiet was broken by the sounds of fighting and gunshots. The inmates were rioting and had overpowered the guards, seizing their guns and ammunition to make an escape.

The evangelists were taken hostage and held for three days. During this time, Jackie and one other girl (Juliet) were raped repeatedly. But even in the moments when she suffered the greatest shame, Jackie prayed for her captors and spoke to them about God’s love. Her face did not show panic, revulsion, or hatred; but glowed with the brightness of God’s light and love.

During her capture, Jackie led the team in singing God’s praises and presented the Gospel to her captors. One of the rioting inmates threw down his gun and received Jesus as his Savior!

On the third day, there was a shoot-out between the inmates and the soldiers that were invading the prison to put an end to the riot. Jackie and Juliet were shot in the cross fire. Even as Jackie lay dying, she raised her hands to God, praying for the inmates and for the soldiers. She died while singing to God.”

Romans 8:35-39
“Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Can trouble or calamity, or persecution, or hunger, or destitution, or danger, or the threat of violent death? (As the Scriptures say, ‘For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.’ No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

(postscript: Today, take some time and lift up in prayer those people who are taking God’s Word to the most dangerous of places. Prayer is very powerful!)

Columbia
Juan & Maria
2000
*story taken from the book “Jesus Freaks – Vol. II”
______

“Juan and his wife Maria knew the risks when they felt God leading them to become missionaries to the indigenous tribes north of Cali, Columbia. The area was controlled by guerilla forces of the Revolutionary armed Forces of Columbia (known better by their acronym FARC). The FARC finances its operations through kidnapping and ransom, extortion, and narcotics trafficking. Many pastors and Christians were leaving the area because of the constant threat to their lives and their property. Regardless of this, Juan and Maria began ministering in the region in the mid-1990s.

A few years ago, while traveling between villages, Juan was met by a group of about 50 guerilla soldiers. Juan took the opportunity to share the Gospel with them, and twenty of them received Christ as their Savior. As Juan says, ‘They traded their pistols for epistles.’

Though Juan and Maria continue to work in the area without opposition from the FARC members, there are still dangerous times. With guerilla leadership constantly changing, they must always be aware of the possibility of danger. Also, another military organization, The National Liberation Army, has been attacking Christian churches in the region. during late 1999 and early 2000, at least 20 churches were closed with pastors fleeing the area, concerned for their lives and the lives of their families. It has not been uncommon for NLA members to bust into church services and demand all money and offerings from the church while holding the pastor at gunpoint.

Juan and Maria don’t look down on anyone who has fled the area, nor do they allow the fear of danger to overwhelm their lives. Their burden is for reaching the people in this area of Columbia with the Gospel and ministering to them in any way they can. Juan and Maria would rather think of and develop new ways of reaching these people than spend one more minute fearing for their lives.

Juan says, ‘If I am to die because I preach the Word of God, then I would rather die than leave the church.’”

2 Timothy 1:8-9
So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News. For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.”

Asia
17 year old girl
1970
*story taken from the book “Jesus Freaks – Martyrs”
_____

“The Communist soldiers had discovered their illegal Bible study. As the pastor was reading from his Bible, soldiers with guns broke into the home and terrorized the believers who had gathered there to worship God. With gun barrels pointed at each member, the soldiers shouted insults at the Christians and threatened to kill them. The leading officer pointed his gun directly at the pastor’s head and said, ‘Hand me your Bible.’

Reluctantly, the pastor handed over his Bible, his most prized possession. With a sneer on his face, the officer threw the Bible on the ground at his feet.

He glared at the small congregation. ‘We will let you go,’ he said, ‘but first you must spit on this book of lies. Anyone who refuses will be shot.’ The believers had to choice but to obey the officer’s order.

A soldier pointed his gun at one of the men and said, ‘You first.’ The man slowly got up and knelt down by the Bible. Hesitantly, he spit on it, praying for God to forgive his actions. Then, he stood up and walked to the door . . . the soldiers stood back and let him leave without harm.

‘Okay, you!’ the soldier yelled, nudging a woman forward. In tears, she could barely do what the soldier demanded. She was weeping intensely and was barely able to spit, but it was enough. She too was allowed to leave without harm.

Quietly and without prompting from one of the soldiers, a young girl stepped forward. Overcome with love for her Lord, she knelt down and picked up the Bible. As she wiped the spit off with her dress and prayed to God, ‘What have they done to Your Word? Please for give them.’

The Communist officer put his gun to her head and pulled the trigger.”

Luke 12:8
“I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God.”

(postscript: We are starting a 7 day study of people who took a stand for Christ and flipped their world on it’s head. As you read these stories, take time to pray for those people who even today are being persecuted for their faith. Lift up the many missionaries in this state, this country, and all over the world. Ask God for an idea about how you can use your freedom in this country to make huge waves for His Kingdom.)