GodSpeak – Saints: Peter & Valborg Torjesen – February 23-28

Saints
Modern Day Martyrs: Peter & Valborg Torjesen

Peter Torjesen (Chinese: 叶永青) (1892 – 14 December 1939) was a Norwegian missionary to China with the China Inland Mission. When Peter was 18, he heard the call to evangelize China. Eight years later, in 1918, he arrived in China. During the Second Sino-Japanese War Peter, and his wife Valborg opened their home and church premises in Hequ, Shanxi, to shelter up to 1,000 refugees. Torjesen died on 14 December 1939, the result of a Japanese bombing raid at Hequ, Shanxi. Torjesen’s family were informed by Hequ county officials in 1988 that Peter was on the county’s list of people’s martyrs and that the county wanted to erect a monument on the 50th anniversary of his death. The marble monument, with Peter’s story engraved in gold characters, was unveiled in August 1990.

Monday, February 23
Read Acts 14:1-20. Just like Paul, many of the saints that have been chosen so far in our series are known for sharing God’s love and truth no matter what it cost them. Why is this such a common thread for them?

Tuesday, February 24
Read Jeremiah 17:7-8. Fear. It seems to be one of the major factors keeping us from sharing what God has done with others. What are we afraid of? What does this passage say is the remedy for our fear?

Wednesday, February 25
Read Matthew 13:1-9; Matthew 13:18-23. Here we have the parable of the sower. Jesus said that a seed “fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown”. How did it produce a crop so large?

Thursday, February 26
Read Psalm 96. Pray this psalm. Pray that God would open doors for you to share your story of God’s grace with those he’s placed around you.

Friday, February 27
Read Psalm 67. Pray this psalm. Thank God for his provision in your life.

Saturday, February 28
Read 1 Peter 3:8-22. How does this text encourage us to respond when we are afraid or suffering for that sake of doing good in Christ?

 

Bethel Lutheran Church, St. Paul, MN    –   bethelstpaul.com

 

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