Safely Home

This was not the original post I had intended for today but after spending the last two days engrossed in this book, I had to take the time to immediately recommend Safely Home by Randy Alcorn.  I have always greatly enjoyed Randy Alcorn's writing and have read and reread Deadline, Dominion, and Deception (all 3 I highly recommend as well!) but had never heard of Safely Home until our church librarian showed it to me. 
Safely Home is a book set in China about the house churches that still undergo persecution.  Alcorn takes a wealthy U.S. businessman and contrasts him with a poor Chinese locksmith who is a very devoted Christian.  The book follows the transformation of the businessman as he watches his friend deal with persecution for his faith.  Alcorn does a magnificent job at reminding the reader of the truths of martyrdom.
This book has completely challenged me to rethink about the strength of my commitment to Christ.  Would I be willing to stand firm in the face of torture and even death?  I hope I never have to find out but my hope and prayer is that I would be faithful to the end.  We have it so easy here in the United States, as compared to other nations, to spread the Gospel of Jesus, to own and read the Bible, and to meet publicly to worship.  Let us pray that we maintain that right, although as we've seen already, our Christian rights, even here in the United States, are slowly being stripped away. 
I greatly encourage you to read Safely Home by Randy Alcorn and become more aware of faith in the face of troubles and persecution.  John 16:33 states "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”