Romanian Baptist leader urges 'fervent' prayer for enemies

FBC photo

Paul Negrut, president of the Romanian Baptist Convention, spoke of God's power during the Florida Baptist State Convention in Pensacola.

Humans are hungry for power, according to Paul Negrut.

"Have you ever observed two boys when they meet for the first time? They want to know who is the strongest," Negrut, a native Romanian, told messengers at the annual meeting of the Florida Baptist State Convention in Pensacola Nov. 12.

As president of the Romanian Baptist Union and president of the Emanuel University in Oradea, Romania, Negrut has seen that hunger for power affecting the world and his homeland.

"The world is struggling to get power, political power, military power, economic power, physical power, all kinds of power," Negrut said.

However, Negrut said God understands every language and culture and still expects believers "take the Gospel from here ... to the ends of the earth." Reading Acts 1:8, he said when the disciples first were told to do this, two problems may have seemed overwhelming: "Where are the ends of the earth?" and "How should they get there?"

"The disciples didn't know at that time where the ends of the earth were. They were traveling by roads, donkeys, boats and horses. They were very limited in their resources," Negrut said. "Yet, Jesus said it didn't matter how much you know or you don't know or how limited you are. God's plan for the salvation of the world embraces the whole planet."

Although the disciples seemed to have little resources to spread the Gospel, God would give them the provision, the power for missions--the Holy Spirit. That same power is available for believers today, according to Negrut.

Negrut said some people may be frightened of this power and it may sound tough.

"[But] God's power is not brutal. God's power is wrapped in love. God's power is a loving power," Negrut said, and then told a true story about a Romanian songwriter.

The Communist government of Romania arrested the songwriter for writing Christian lyrics and invited him to write songs praising the Communists leaders and accomplishments. He refused telling his interrogators, "Gentlemen, as long as I live, I will write only for Jesus."

For that crime, he was tortured daily while in prison for 17 years. After his release, the authorities continued to torture him and to confiscate his manuscripts.

Negrut visited the songwriter in his home after one of the attacks and was angry. Yet the songwriter said, "Brother Paul, we are not here to complain. We are here to praise our Jesus. Let's kneel down and pray."

The pair knelt, and Negrut said only a few words. But the songwriter "exploded in prayer," Negrut said. He praised Jesus for dying on the cross, for grace, for guidance during his torture. He asked God to bless his tormentors and to forgive them.

"I opened my eyes to see if this man was normal," Negrut said. "Can someone pray for their enemies?"

After the prayer, the songwriter told Negrut how he would look his torturers in the eye and say, "Sir, I want you to know that I love you, and sir, one day we shall see each other before the throne of judgment. ... If you spend eternity away, separated from God in hell, I want you to know that you will be there because you reject love, God's love in Christ."

Years went by, and in 1988, the same secret police officer who had been his torturer came to the songwriter late one night, not to torture but to tell him good news.

"Sir, on that great day we will be on the same side," the policeman said. "Your love melted my heart, and through your testimony, I came to know Jesus. I came to ask your forgiveness and kneel and pray with you here."

"Can you imagine this love language? Can you see this power of love?" Negrut said to the audience. "With the [Holy Spirit's] power, He will lead us to the right people at the right time. We will pray with God's fervent prayer, and we will embrace God's heart for the lost."