People Who Say Such Things...

Romania
1960s

The Communist torturers came towards Pastor Florescu again, this time with red-hot iron pokers. “Who else believes as you do? Give us their names!” Florescu would not speak. They had already cut him again and again with knives and beaten him very badly. When he refused to cooperate, he was returned to his prison cell.

Starving rats were driven into his cell through a large pipe. He could not sleep, having to defend himself at all times. If he rested a moment, the rats would attack him. He was forced to stand for two weeks, day and night. The Communists kept asking him to betray his Christian friends, but he resisted steadfastly.

In the end, they brought his fourteen-yea-old son and began to whip the boy in front of his father, saying that they would continue to beat him until the pastor told them what they wanted to know. The poor man was half crazy. He bore it as long as he could. But when he could stand it no more, he cried to his son, “Alexander, I must say what they want! I can’t bear your beatings anymore!”

The son answered, “Father, don’t do me the injustice of having a traitor as a parent. Withstand! If they kill me, I will die with the words, ‘Jesus and my fatherland!’”

This enraged the Communists. They grabbed the young man and beat him to death, his blood splattering over the walls of the cell. He died praising God.

Hebrews 11:14,16
People who say such things show that they are looking for country of their own – a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God. For he has prepared a city for them.

This true story was taken from the book Jesus Freaks: Voice of the Martyrs by dc Talk.

_______________________________________________________________________

Reading stories like that makes me wonder will I really be able to do what these heroes of faith did. If someone points a gun at my head and threatens to kill me if I do not deny Jesus, what would I really do? Would I deny and then later go to God and ask for forgiveness? Or would I shout, “I love Jesus!” and get my head blown off in front of my loved ones.

Too far-fetched.

This kind of thing wouldn’t probably happen to us on a daily basis unless we live in countries like Saudi Arabia where there is a constant threat on Christians. But for people like you (who sits in front of the computer reading this), a thing like that won’t happen. So then, do we really know the meaning to die for Christ? Or do we know what it means to give our lives for God?

Do you know that you face life or death situation each day in your life?

Your decision not to spend time praying and talking to God is similar to denouncing the name of Jesus when a gun is pointed at your head.

Your decision to follow your ambitions and dreams and not do what God calls you to do is similar to saying, “Wait! Don’t shoot me. I want my life. I don’t need Jesus.”

Your decision to live the life the way you want and not bothering to be a Jesus Freak is similar to claiming, “Jesus is not real. God does not exist. It is just a wishful thinking.”

You ask, “Go on talking, Mr. Preacher. I still have my life to live and you are not going to shoot me. So what does it matter?”