Michael Ramsden reminds recalls the persecution, torture, death of the prophets and lovers of God from the Old Testament and that it is happening today. The church persecuted is the church pure. He asks, "Are we playing at church in the western world? We need to wake up as a church, stop playing at church. We have to be prepared to lay down our lives for the gospel - that's what it means to be a christian."
Did you know that the root word for witness is the word martyr?
And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, 33who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 37They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. 39These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect..
No comments:
Post a Comment