MARTYRDOM!

Time with Jesus - Sunday, 05 August 2012

Hi all,

Over 150 years ago, two young Dutch men sold themselves into slavery. They wanted to minister to a small island off the coast of South America. The island was owned by a wealthy non-believer who vowed his slaves would never hear about Jesus Christ. They went to the island willingly to take the Gospel to the people. To the best of my knowledge, they never returned to Holland. Could I do that? Could you?

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Sunday, 05 August 2012			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
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	INTRODUCTION		DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	MARTYRDOM!
Martyrdom is a frightening prospect. I don’t think I’ve heard of anyone who looks forward to the possibility of giving their life for Jesus. We use the expression extensively in 21st Century Christianity. “I gave my life to Jesus”. It sounds very noble; exciting even. But what we mean when we use the expression has very little to do with the underlying meaning of what it states. Perhaps the best known book on the topic of martyrdom is “Foxe’s Book of Martyrs”. It’s not exactly bed-time reading. But if you would like information on martyrdom, this book is a must read. The details of what men and women experienced because of their belief in Jesus Christ are horrifying. Men, women and children slaughtered barbarically because they would not deny Him. When I read these stories I feel ashamed. I’m not sure if I could bear up under the strain of what took place. The real problem is that I’m a card carrying member of “Cowards Incorporated”. The fact that these atrocities were carried out in the Name of Jesus Christ makes no sense at all. It’s rather like the Auschwitz guards going home at the end of the day to play with their children, sing Christmas Carols and enjoy home life! So what do you and I do about this possibility? The best suggestion I’ve heard came from David Pawson. He stated that if you can bear up under small issues, when the big issues come along, you will have the courage to endure. The suggestion sounds good. Sadly, I’m not in a position to recommend it. Another comment I read was by Corrie ten Boom, the Dutch lady who was taken to Ravensbruck Concentration Camp. Her comment was that God gives you the ticket when you are on the train. John Huss is recorded as the Lord telling him, “Today I give you grace for living. Tomorrow I’ll give you grace for dying!” One thing about being a martyr, He doesn’t see it as extraordinary. It’s a part of life. If I’ve given my life to Jesus and He decides that it’s in the best interests of His Kingdom that you or I be martyred, He won’t stop it. He died for me. The least He can expect from me is to be willing to die for Him! Personally, I don’t relish the prospect. I’m in good company. What happened to Him in Gethsemane and the next day in Jerusalem did not appeal to Him. Hebrews tells us, 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honour beside God's throne. Hebrews 12:2 NLT If this was His attitude, dare we think we will be better treated by the world? It’s unlikely. If that’s what they did to Him, I can’t expect better treatment. Jim & Phyllida Strickland.			42 Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, "My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, Your will be done." Matthew 26:42 NLT 23 I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps. Jeremiah 10:23 ESV 39 He went on a little farther and bowed with His face to the ground, praying, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from Me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine." Matthew 26:39 NLT 2 Instead, I have kept my soul calm and quiet. My soul is content as a weaned child is content in its mother's arms. Psalms 131:2 GW 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27 ESV 22 "You don't know what you're asking for," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup of suffering I am going to drink?" "We can," they answered. Matthew 20:22 NIrV 15 So he gave them what they asked for. But he also sent a sickness that killed many of them. Psalms 106:15 NIrV 6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 1 Corinthians 10:6 TNIV 32 I don't want you to have anything to worry about. A single man is concerned about the Lord's matters. He wants to know how he can please the Lord. 1 Corinthians 7:32 NIrV 3 LORD, you will give perfect peace to anyone who commits himself to be faithful to you. That's because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3 NIrV	For years he’d been a Christian and he had served the Lord. His life had been exciting and he was seldom bored. He wasn’t very special; at least not in his eyes. But from the aspect of the Lord he was of giant size! He’d only done his duty. But it was widely known, That since he was a Christian, this man was not his own. Some people didn’t like it. “There is no God!” they said. “And we would be much better off, if only He was dead”. And so they schemed and plotted; invented evidence, That if you really looked at, it didn’t make much sense. But they were influential; they always got their way. It wasn’t very difficult, provided they could pay! They had our man arrested and he was duly tried. “Away with him” they shouted. “We want him crucified”! “What has he done?” folk wondered. “He isn’t steeped in sin!” He didn’t even get the chance to speak above the din! They dragged him to the courtyard and nailed him to a tree, They watched him suffering and die in dreadful agony. Our man had been a martyr. His life was snatched away. But he had gone there willingly, when he had died that day. The media were horrified. How could this ever be? The people of the nation said, “What is this we see? How could those wicked people have done this dreadful thing? Justice is perverted here; what can we do to bring, A true sense of the value of what the deed has done, To smash the very fabric of trusting in God’s Son? They raised a great furore, about the dreadful deed. And God looked down from heaven. That death planted a seed, Which sprang forth in abundance and turned the town around; Away from godless practices, to where the Gospel’s found! There was a great revival. God’s Spirit touched men’s hearts. And that’s the point at which we know is where salvation starts. It spread around the country - God’s Spirit everywhere! He changed the hearts of thousands through what had happened there. The death of just one martyr, had been the catalyst, Of bringing thousands to the Lord. So friend, do not insist, That living in God’s Kingdom is just a life of ease. You could be the next martyr, if that would Jesus please! Jim Strickland – Written 5th August 2012