| Back to Home Page | Back to
Book Index |
Persecution
Persecution
On one occasion
following
unspeakable sufferings in a filthy prison
missionary Adoniram Judson appeared
before the king of Burma and asked permission to go to a certain city to
preach.
“I am willing for a dozen
preachers to go
but not you
” was the king’s answer. “Not with those hands! My
people are not such fools as to take notice of your preaching
but they will
take notice of those scarred hands.”
Persecution
Once of the most inspiring
examples of courage in the history of the church was the martyrdom of Polycarp
who was burned at the stake for his faith. The aged Polycarp had been arrested
by the Roman authorities and brought to the arena for execution in front of the
cheering crowd. The proconsul pressed him hard and said
“Swear
and I will
release you. Revile Christ.” Polycarp replied
“Eighty and six years have I
served him
and he never did me wrong; and how can I now blaspheme my King that
has saved me?”— Cited in Eusebius
Ecclesiastical History
Persecution
During the Watergate
scandal
some people regarded it as a compliment to be on Nixon’s “enemies
list.” They took it as a credit to them that people in the administration
opposed them.
In the same way
if you
have enemies because of your righteousness
it will be a credit to you. You
should be glad that you have that kind of enemies
and that they are
persecuting you
because it means that you are not doing what they do and
instead are doing what unrighteous men hate. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
Persecution
The way of this world is to
praise dead saints and persecute living ones. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
Archaeologists digging in
the remains of a school for imperial pages in Rome found a picture dating from
the third century. It shows a boy standing
his hand raised
worshiping a
figure on a cross
a figure that looks like a man with the head of an ass.
Scrawled in the writing of a young person are the words
"Alexamenos
worships his God." Nearby in a second inscription: "Alexamenos is
faithful." Apparently
a young man who was a Christian was being mocked by
his schoolmates for his faithful witness. But he was not ashamed; he was
faithful.
Lieghton Ford
Good
News is for Sharing
1977
David C. Cook Publishing Co.
p. 78.
NO SCAR?
Hast thou no scar?
No hidden scar on foot
or
side
or hand?
I hear thee sung as mighty
in the land
I hear them hail thy
bright ascendant star
Hast thou no scar?
Hast thou no wound?
Yet I was wounded by the
archers
spend
Leaned Me against a tree
to die; and rent
By ravening beasts that
compassed Me
I swooned:
Hast thou no wound?
No wound
no scar?
Yet
as the Master shall
the servant be
And
pierced are the feet
that follow Me;
But thine are whole: can
he have followed far
Who has no wounds nor
scar?
Amy Carmichael.
When the emperor Valens
threatened Eusebuis with confiscation of all his goods
torture
banishment
or
even death
the courageous Christian replied
"He needs not fear
confiscation
who has nothing to lose; nor banishment
to whom heaven is his
country; nor torments
when his body can be destroyed at one blow; nor death
which is the only way to set him at liberty from sin and sorrow."
Source Unknown.
During China's Boxer
Rebellion of 1900
insurgents captured a mission station
blocked all the gates
but one
and in front of that one gate placed a cross flat on the ground. Then
the word was passed to those inside that any who trampled the cross underfoot
would be permitted their freedom and life
but that any refusing would be shot.
Terribly frightened
the first seven students trampled the cross under their
feet and were allowed to go free. But the eighth student
a young girl
refused
to commit the sacrilegious act. Kneeling beside the cross in prayer for
strength
she arose and moved carefully around the cross
and went out to face
the firing squad. Strengthened by her example
every one of the remaining
ninety-two students followed her to the firing squad.
Today in the Word
February
1989
p. 17.
In ancient Rome
crowds by
the tens of thousands would gather in the Colosseum to watch as Christians were
torn apart by wild animals. Paul Rader
commenting on his visit to this famous
landmark
said
"I stood uncovered to the heavens above
where He sits for
whom they gladly died
and asked myself
'Would I
could I
die for Him tonight
to get this gospel to the ends of the earth?'" Rader continued
"I
prayed most fervently in that Roman arena for the spirit of a martyr
and for
the working of the Holy Spirit in my heart
as He worked in Paul's heart when
He brought him on his handcuffed way to Rome." Those early Christians
"lived on the threshold of heaven
within a heartbeat of home
no
possessions to hold them back."
Our Daily Bread.