Day 25: The Seed of The Church
John Stam and Betty Scott were graduates of Moody Bible Institute. They were married by famed Bible Scholar R. A. Torrey, Jr. Feeling called to China, Betty Stam wrote in her diary, “When we consecrate ourselves to God, we think we are making a great sacrifice, and doing lots for Him, when really we are only letting go some little bitsy trinkets we have been grabbing; and when our hands are empty, He fills them with His treasures.” John wrote of his call, “Dare we advance at God’s command in face of the impossible?” In September 1934 their daughter Helen Priscilla was born in China, as they were serving with the China Inland Mission. Three months later, they were arrested by Mao Zedong’s Chinese Communist troops, and thrown in jail. That night in jail, the baby cried. When guards threatened to kill her, an older Chinese man, also a prisoner, intervened. Guards asked if he were so bold as to die for the foreign baby; he assented. The man was hacked to death on the spot.
The next morning, the Stams were led to their execution. John was publicly beheaded before a horrified crowd. His wife fainted at the sight of the gruesome death, and she too was decapitated by the communist sword. With their dying breath, the Stams prayed and fasted for their baby’s deliverance. A Chinese evangelist found the baby wrapped in a sleeping bag, with a change of clothes and money pinned to her diaper. Baby Helen was smuggled in a rice basket and brought to her grandparents. Helen became a teacher and raised a family in the eastern United States. What the enemy meant for evil, God used for good. According to the Voice of the Martyrs, in response to news of the Stams’ deaths, several hundred new missionary recruits volunteered for service. The Chinese church went underground for many years. Today it is greater than anyone expected; stronger than Mao’s forces, whose day has already passed.”
As Tertullian famously said, “The Blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” The Gospel of Jesus is worth everything, even our very lives. As we pray and fast, we lift up the Body of Christ facing persecution and martyrdom in hostile nations. May they overcome the enemy by the Blood of the Lamb and the power of their testimony for they are not afraid to die. May we also have courage to stand up for our faith.
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, you laid down your life for us. There’s no greater love than that. You now ask us to lay our lives down to follow you. May we love you more than life itself. As we fast and pray, we lift up our brothers and sisters all over the world whose blood is being shed daily for your name’s sake. Remember their families and provide for their every need. Thank you for the liberty and freedoms we enjoy. May we use these freedoms for your glory. In your name we pray. Amen.
Join us for a 6-week online book study of Derek Prince’s “Shaping History Through Prayer and Fasting” starting July 8, 2025. We will meet each week on Zoom from 5:00-6:30pm CT. The online book study will conclude on August 12, 2025.
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