August 6, 2010--A speech I did for school

I finished summer classes last week and I've been taking time to just relax this week. I had taken three classes, not realizing that summer classes were eight weeks instead of sixteen. Where I would normally have one assignment per week per class, I had two instead. So instead of having a light workload like I intended, I ended up with a heavy workload. Between school and work, I was pretty busy all summer.

I did manage to make all A's in my classes again, although I wasn't sure I was going to get one out of Fundamentals of Public Speaking or not. It was a tough class. The hardest part for me was keeping to the time limit. On my persuasive speech I went over by over a minute. It was worth the most points of all of the speeches I had to make, and I knew if I did well I'd get an A, but if not I'd get a B on the class. I ended up with 279 out of 300 points.

The last speech I did was a special occasion speech, and it was to be read from a manuscript, unlike the other speeches which were to be done extemporaneously. I did the best on that speech. I enjoy reading from a manuscript because I can make sure all of the words are exactly right before I say them.

Here is the last speech I did:

RICHARD WURMBRAND
Tortured for Christ

Christian persecution. It's not something we think about every day. It's not something that happens here in America. Yet, it's something that Christians around the world face every day of their lives. Today I want to speak about Richard Wurmbrand, the founder of "The Voice of the Martyrs."

In 1945, the communist party took over Russia. They organized a world-televised event called "The Congress of the Cults." They gathered delegations from every religion in Romania. Four thousand pastors, priests, bishops, rabbis, and mullahs packed into the parliament building. Pastor Richard Wurmbrand attended as one of the delegates, with his wife Sabina. The top leaders of the Communist party sat on the dais. The Prime Minister spoke first. The desire of the Communist Party, he proclaimed, was to come alongside all faiths. The State would pay the clergy's salaries. Communism and religion could co-exist--in fact, they were fundamentally the same thing!

One by one, the religious leaders followed the Prime Minister's remarks with words of praise for the Communist party's benevolence. How glad they were that the color red would now join the many colors of religion in the church!

Sabina turned to Richard and whispered, "They are spitting in the face of Christ. Go and wipe the shame off His face."

"If I do that, answered Richard, "You will no longer have a husband."

"I do not need a coward for a husband." Sabina replied.

So Richard requested his turn to speak. When he stood before the audience, a hush fell on the crowd. Richard said, "It was the duty of all present not to praise earthly powers that come and go but to glorify God the Creator and Christ the Savior, who died for us on the Cross."

The crowd erupted in cheering, but the Communists were furious.

Richard was arrested and endured horrific torture at the hands of his captors. He was beaten and deprived of sleep and food. He was forced to run around his cell until he collapsed. The guards would pour water down his throat through a funnel, and then kick him violently in the stomach. In return for this abuse, he shared with his oppressors the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ.
After fourteen years of imprisonment, Richard was released. Richard devoted the rest of his life to becoming a voice for the persecuted church. Through his ministry, "The Voice of the Martyrs," he helped bring the gospel into restricted countries. He supplied the persecuted church with food and supplies, and lobbied governments for the release of prisoners.

Richard died in 2001, but "The Voice of the Martyrs" continues to speak on behalf of the persecuted church.

Richard Wurmbrand "bore in his body the sufferings of Christ." He gave his life to the Lord completely and passionately. Although his body was broken, he devoted his strength to serving the Lord. Although beaten and tormented, he did not allow his circumstances to make him bitter. Even at the point of death, he did not waver from his faith in God, but returned good for evil. He was a shining example of what it means to be a true Christian in the face of persecution. His legacy lives on and his ministry, "The Voice of the Martyrs, continues to be a voice that speaks up on behalf of the persecuted church.