“With faith as small as a mustard seed, you can move a mountain.” ~ Matthew 17:20
He entered the world in a home so poor, they didn’t have
the 10 rupees (10 cents) customarily given to the midwife who delivered him. The
oldest of 5 siblings gave Matthew a unique empathy for other children’s pain,
never noticing his own disadvantaged circumstances.
In 1960, at age 24, he
launched a missionary career in northwestern India with just a single $25
donation. The donor, co-founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, said of Matthew
Thomas: “He possessed a deep and abiding compassion for India’s poor and
abandoned kids.”
Affectionately known as
"Papa," Thomas founded Hopegivers International, determined to
fulfill his vision of helping the poor, the orphans, and the widows with the
love of Christ. Today, over 40,000 churches and nearly 100 bible colleges have opened.
The ministry also includes 61 orphanages, a hospital, several medical clinics,
and it prints literature in five Indian languages.
Papa and his
colleagues regularly suffered threats, beatings, torture, and unlawful imprisonment
from Hindu and Muslim extremists. Anti-Christian groups offered large bounties
for the capture and beheading of Thomas and his son. Cruel radicals even cut
off water and electricity to orphanages run by Hopegivers.
Tertullian (160 AD - 240 AD) once said, “The
blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”
Dr. Thomas, admired
for his personal compassion for those considered "the least of these,"
died from natural causes in 2010. The Hopegivers' mission continues under his
son Samuel’s leadership.
History has recorded
many martyrs who didn’t die preaching from hillsides to the masses, yet who committed
their lives because their faith compelled them to engage others for Christ’s
sake. The word martyr rightly applies to Dr. Thomas, who was targeted because his
Christian convictions encouraged followers to speak publicly, prophetically,
and fearlessly.
Likewise, Charlie Kirk
should be remembered as a martyr. His activism was a direct outpouring of his
devotion to Christ and the Scriptures. His blood bears testimony.
Free speech is under siege. For some, following Christ with
boldness carries a cost, even in America. Christian enemies despise biblical
values. Our greatest adversaries aren’t merely foreign nations, but poisonous
philosophies - secularism, moral relativism, and radical leftism.
Charlie Kirk was, at
his core, a Christian disciple whose faith shaped everything he said and did.
He consistently reminded audiences that America’s future depends on returning
to biblical truth. He insisted that freedom comes not from government, but from
God’s grace and declared that a culture without Christ cannot endure.
For those reasons, he
drew vile political opposition and hatred from those who loathe Christianity.
If Charlie Kirk’s death
means anything, it reminds us that, from his spilled blood, God will raise
thousands more like him. Over time, even small acts of faith become the witness
that sustains families, communities, and even churches.
Lord Almighty, help me trust You to exercise
the faith I already have. Because You live in me, You can do more with a mustard
seed than I can imagine. Amen
