Take a journey with Leslie as she walks through Christian history to share powerful stories of Christian courage from heroes like Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, Amy Carmichael, and Corrie ten Boom. As the days are growing darker and more ominous, we need to rise up in the strength of Christ to demonstrate true boldness that can only come from Him. If your soul needs a vision for what true courage looks like in uncertainty, we encourage you to tune in.
SHOWNOTES
This episode is specifically aimed to infuse you with hope and courage in order to face the future with a smile of faith. I pray that sharing a few of the stories that have shaped my own faith will fortify you in like manner. These moments in history are a powerful meditation for your heart!
Examples of Fearless Faith
1. Esther Ahn Kim’s Fearlessness — She rose up in courage and refused to bow to the Japanese sun god that resulted in imprisonment and persecution. Yet the impact and influence that she had on Christians and non-Christians alike is truly incredible. You can read more about Esther in her book, If I Perish.
2. Corrie ten Boom’s Courage — Both Corrie and her sister, Betsie, faced the horrors of a concentration camp for standing in defense of God’s priorities and people in the WWII era. Miraculously, the sisters were able to smuggle a Bible into one of the darkest places of all time, and, as a result, were able to shine the Light of Truth in a dark barracks. Her story is captured in the book, The Hiding Place.
3. Gladys Aylward’s Audacious Uprising — Gladys was barely five feet tall and yet she rose up in the strength of God and single-handedly put out a violent prison riot in China. She possessed a supernatural strength that affected the fabric of China’s history. Read about her in the book, The Little Woman.
4. Sabina Wurmbrand’s Bold Declaration — One of my favorite quotes from Sabina’s life is what she encouraged her husband towards when everyone around them was compromising their faith in Christ for communism. She boldly told her husband that she desired him to stand strong for the Lord, even if it meant his own death. Both she and Richard were imprisoned for their faith and wrote about their experiences in their books. Read The Pastor’s Wife for the whole story.
5. Darlene Deibler’s Rising Hope — Though facing extreme difficulty and personal loss, missionary Darlene Deibler’s hope in Christ could not be extinguished. She was able to share the Gospel with many around her and has a tremendous testimony of radiant faith. Her book Evidence Not Seen is one of my favorites.
6. Mary Slessor’s Fiery Faith — This Scottish missionary to the interior of Africa knew that nothing could touch her that hadn’t touched God first. As a result, she stood up to a fierce tribal warrior and refused to back down. Her faith for God paved the way for the Gospel to come into the village in which she was ministering.
7. Brother Andrew’s Open Faith — Known for passing through the Iron Curtain countless times smuggling Bibles, Brother Andrew carried the truth into closed countries because he was confident in the miraculous protection of God. Read his story in God’s Smuggler.
8. Lillian Trasher’s Moment of Decision — Lillian was the first woman to start a Christian orphanage in Egypt. Her willingness to say yes to the “one” God had placed in her path opened the door to take subsequent steps of faith that required great courage to open and sustain an orphanage in war-torn Africa. She rescued thousands of children who would have died otherwise.
9. Harriet Tubman’s Amazing Rescue —She was faced with the courageous decision to return to the south where she had once been enslaved to rescue others who were in bondage during the Civil War. As a result, so many slaves were rescued as a result of her courage.
10. Amy Carmichael’s Given Example — Amy has several dramatic stories where she was faced with insurmountable odds that required great faith in the moment.
11. Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Uncompromising Conviction — Not many people were standing against Hitler’s evil during WWII, but Dietrich took a bold stand that eventually cost him his own life. His story is recounted in the book: Bonhoeffer.
We must tap into God’s supernatural courage! While we will fall short when relying upon our own strength and willpower, when we yield to Him and ask for a fresh infusion of His heavenly courage — that is a work that He delights to form within us!
Make a decision in your heart long before you’re ever in a “life or death” decision to resolve to stand with Jesus Christ and His Truth at all times, no matter the cost.
