To my readers,
This past weekend, I heard a powerful story. This is a true story about a man and his faith and devotion to his calling. Let’s set the stage: This man is a pastor in a country which Christianity is outlawed. Churches were shut down and Bibles were made illegal to open. To be a Christian meant you could be arrested, tried, and murdered.
Things get worst.
Eventually the only place preachers could preach were at the many funerals of their family and friends, now martyrs, until that too was made illegal. You can imagine the funerals were become more and more common.
There wasn’t a place they could even whisper the name Jesus.
Things were looking hopeless.
This one man, an unemployed pastor, decided enough was enough. He went from funeral to funeral telling people about Christ and these martyrs’ faith in Jesus. It wasn’t long before he was arrested.
He didn’t let this stop his call. He began to tell the other prisoners about Jesus and how he made atonement for their sins. There in this prison, people were changed. Murderers became servants. People of hate became people of love.
The guards decided their only option was to execute him in the public square to make an example of him to everyone.
He only began to preach and pray more and louder. He was a dead man anyways, right?
The next day, it was decided he would be electrocuted. They ran all the power grid into two wires which would be wrapped around his wrists as he knelt. They tied the wires tight and put him on his knees.
“This is your one chance to change your mind and renounce Jesus.” The guards told him.
His only reply was, “I will not.”
They flipped the switch in front of the whole city. While everyone began to flinch, something incredible happened. A large bang shook the city and the entire power of the city went out.
The officials were stunned and had an electrician come work on the grid all night. They returned him to prison for the night. He responded by preaching even louder and more confidently about Jesus.
The next day they repeated this scene.
They asked him to renounce Jesus again.
His only reply was, “I will not.”
They flipped the switch again. Bang! The power to the entire city went out again.
The guards were stunned. They quickly released him and told him to leave. They didn’t want to keep a man they couldn’t kill.
He was seen a few hours later walking towards the mountains. A friend, curious where a man who has just escaped death twice was heading, asked him where he was heading.
His only response, “To another martyr’s funeral to tell everyone about Jesus.”
“Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.” Romans 12:12-13, NLT.
God I pray we can more like this man as he passionately wants everyone to know you that he will endure all things, proclaiming your name the entire way. Let us walk the tough roads you’ve called us to. Help us to endure. Help us to seek after you no matter the cost. Help us to be more like you.
Simply,
Tex G.M. Rule
“Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.” Romans 12:12-13, NLT.
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